One at a Time - Intersections, Part 2

Have you ever stopped to consider what is it that draws people to God? Well, today we're going to learn four reasons that people seek out God and how you and I can point them in the right direction and how to do that. Stay with me.

That's today. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Living on the Edge is an international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians live like Christians. I'm Dave Druey, and as most of you know, Chip's our regular Bible teacher for these daily programs. But for this series, he's passed the mic over to his good friend, Kyle Eidelman.

He's the lead pastor at Southeast Christian Church and a popular author and speaker. Today, Kyle will wrap up his series one at a time with the remainder of his talk from Matthew chapter 13. But before he does, if you've been encouraged or motivated by this series, would you take a minute after this message and share it with a friend?

Now you can do that through the Chip Ingram app or by sending them the free MP3s that you'll find at livingontheedge.org. Okay, here for the last time is our guest teacher, Kyle Eidelman, with part two of his message, Intersections. So there's a parable that I want us to look at, Matthew 13. If you have your Bibles, you can turn there, Matthew 13. I say a parable. Really it's two parables, but they're each like two sentences long. They're very brief parables. It's in a passage here where Jesus is telling a lot of parables.

There are a lot of stories that kind of pack a punch and unlock some deeper spiritual truth. And in this particular section, he is giving us some different pictures of what the kingdom of heaven is like. And so he says the kingdom of heaven is like this, like this, like this.

So each parable begins with the kingdom of heaven is like. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again. And then in his joy, he went and sold all he had and he bought the field. He stumbles across it, didn't plan on it, wasn't looking for it, just happened.

Just an ordinary day, just an ordinary field. And he finds this extraordinary treasure that changes his life. Kind of accidental, but changes everything for him. And he goes and sells everything he has.

And then people are talking, midlife crisis. What's he doing? Selling his house, selling his oxen, selling everything he owns so he can buy this field. They don't understand it, but he knows what he's doing.

He knows it's a good exchange. And then Jesus sells a second parable. So here's what I want you to do as you're listening to this, is to try to identify how these two little parables are different. The first one that we read, a man is working in a field, presumably he finds it, he hides it again, sells everything he has and buys it. Verse 44, or 45 and 46, again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.

When he discovered a pearl of great price, he sold everything he owned and bought it. So what's different about those two? They both find a treasure, they both sell everything they have.

What's different about them? The first one, he stumbles onto it. It's accidental. It just happens. Second one, he's looking for it.

He's searching, he's seeking, and as he looks for it, he finds it. Now, what I would argue is that most of the people who find themselves at intersections, it's one of those two things. It's one of those two scenarios. Either it's accidental, they stumbled into it. Something happened to them that they didn't plan on.

Life went sideways on them, and in the midst of this challenging time, they stumble upon a treasure that they never really were seeking ahead of time. That's the story for some of you. Spiritually, you were not interested. You told yourself you were never gonna do what you're doing right now.

You said, I'm not gonna go to church, and if I go to church, I'm especially not going to that church. And you're here. What happened? Well, chances are, something in your life turned unexpectedly, and it might have been something difficult. It might have been something bad, but it led to something beautiful. You found, in the midst of that, treasure. For others of you, you have been seeking, you've been looking a long time, or you've got someone in your life like this. They're always asking questions, and they're always pushing and looking, and you can just see the discontentment.

You can hear it when they talk, and boy, they're looking for the pearl of great price. They need somebody to come in and say, it's right here. It's right here. What you're looking for is right here. I found it.

You can find it, too. But that tends to be the type of intersections that we're invited into for people. I asked some of my friends to just give me some examples of what this looked like for them. A buddy of mine, he told me about when he was in college, his girlfriend broke his heart. It was a lonely intersection for him, kind of an intersection in the middle of a ghost town. He felt very alone and was not plugged into any kind of church. That wasn't part of his story, but in that moment, somebody invited him to church, got involved in a Bible study, men's group. Now he's leading a men's group, but something happened. Something happened in that moment, that intersection that he was at.

Somebody met him there, and it changed the trajectory of his life. A woman told me that when she was eight years old, her parents divorced, and she was scared. Just a lot of uncertainty in her world. Her neighbor noticed it, paid attention. They had a child about her age. They started inviting her to go to church with them.

First time in her life, she starts coming to church. It was safe. It felt safe for her. She felt seen and loved and cared for.

Totally changed her life because a neighbor noticed that an eight-year-old was at an intersection all by herself. One man told me that when he was in high school, he got into some trouble. His girlfriend was pregnant, and he didn't really know who to turn to or what to do. He wasn't a part of church, wasn't connected that way, but he had a basketball coach that was kind of like a mentor. Actually, an assistant basketball coach, it was like a mentor to him. But that basketball coach had never really shared Jesus or invited him to church, but when he went and talked to the basketball coach about the situation he was in, the basketball coach said, why don't you sit down?

There's a few things I just want to talk to you about. He shared the gospel with him. He said, hey, why don't you start coming to church with me?

We're going to start doing that together. That changed the direction of this man's life. An inmate told me that on the day he was sentenced, he went back to his cell. He was in the cell. He came out, got sentenced, was sent back to the cell in total despair. One of his cellmates that he'd gotten to know came over and at that time shared his testimony and said to this man, hey, this may feel like the end of your life.

I remember what that was like, but with Jesus, it can be the beginning. The guy who was sharing the story said, you know, a day earlier, I don't know that I would have listened to him, but in that moment I listened to him. It's like the man in that cell with him was waiting. It's like, oh, I know what it's like to hit this intersection. When he hits this intersection, it's going to be my time. When he comes to this place and he's forced to slow down and stop and look in both directions and consider where he's going and how things are going to end up, that's it. That's the moment I'm going to lean in and say something. That moment comes.

He steps in. Let me tell you my story. My story is a lot like yours. Here's the difference that Jesus made, and it made all the difference in this man's life because of who met him at that intersection. And so that's the challenge for us is to just prayerfully look for intersections around us. You're going to have those opportunities this week. I want to give you, before we're done, I want to give you four roads that kind of come together to create a spiritual intersection, okay?

Four roads that come together to create this intersection. Number one is interest, and this goes both ways. When someone is asking any kind of spiritual question or if they're sharing something that's a little bit vulnerable with you, there's a tendency, especially with us guys, if another guy's doing it, to try to help them not be vulnerable by changing the subject. So they kind of get the courage to say something, and we're like, we're not going there. And we think we're helping them by not leaning into it, but by kind of saving them from that moment.

You're not helping them. Instead, you lean into that moment a little bit more. You show interest by asking questions.

And there's just something really powerful about not coming with information and answers, but coming with questions. The more you show interest in someone, the more you're earning an opportunity to be there for them at an intersection. If you come in and you've got nothing but answers and solutions, you're going to lose the opportunity to be there for them at an intersection.

But if you show interest and you ask questions, it makes all the difference. Second road is the road intercession. This is where you pray specifically for people. Our tendency is to intercede on behalf of ourselves, right? So do a prayer inventory. Just ask yourself, who am I praying for by name? Who are those one-at-a-time people in your life? And they can be your kids. They can be your grandkids. I had a grandmother tell me after service that her one-at-a-time person is her granddaughter, and I love that. And you pray for them by name, and then you pay attention to what's happening in their life. As you do that, you will learn to lean in differently. As a parent, I have three who are out of the house.

I have a 17-year-old who's a junior in high school this year. But one of the things I've learned is that I will notice the intersections in their life much more effectively if I'm praying for them specifically. Like if I'm taking time to pray for them every day, I'm much more aware of the intersections that I need to step into.

And I'll tell you, sometimes those intersections come at inconvenient times. I remember when they were younger, the girls, I'd go say good night to them. We'd say prayers, and I'd get ready to leave the room because I'm tired, I'm exhausted, and I'm ready to go to bed too. And I'm walking out of the room, and in the darkness, right as I almost made it to the door, I'll hear this, hey, Dad? And for some reason, that's when they wanted to talk. And there's a part of me that would want to in those moments say, hey, no, not tonight. Good try. Not tonight.

We'll talk tomorrow. But not too quickly. Don't say it too quickly. You may be invited in that moment into a sacred intersection, and if you just lay down next to them, listen, and ask some questions, the impact you could have in that moment, because that's where they're at then, is much more significant than what you're going to have driving home from school the next day. So you pray for people by name, and then when you do that, you're going to notice intersections.

The third thing I would say, third road here would be interruptions. You pay attention to interruptions. When someone's life is unexpectedly interrupted, it has the potential to change things for them dramatically. And maybe it's something good and positive, or oftentimes it's something difficult and challenging, but notice when someone's life gets interrupted. I often have people at church will say to me, hey, I've got this person in my life that I need to encourage or help, or I'm worried about their salvation.

I want to share Jesus. I want to witness to them, but I don't know what to say. I don't know when to say it. What I'll usually say is, look, pray about this. Build a relationship, and then just wait.

Not because you're afraid, but wait for the moment. Wait for the intersection to show up, because if you're praying for them by name, and if you're building a relationship with them, then you're going to walk with them, and at some point, they're going to find themselves at an intersection, and you're going to have an opportunity to share, and it's going to mean a lot more to them if you catch them at the intersection, right? Because an intersection is where you slow down.

An intersection is where you stop. It makes all the difference if you can find them there, so pay attention for interruptions. Lastly is involvement. Involvement means that you do something, that you say something. Involvement is oftentimes inconvenient.

Involvement is oftentimes messy, but sometimes you are the person who is best positioned to step in and say something. Sometimes you are the answer to a prayer. It just so happens that this tends to be what I might call a major intersection, this room, and I have loved over the years getting to witness that, and one of the things I can tell you is that the intersections often sound the same, that someone will come and they'll say, hey, I never thought I would be here. I never thought I would be going to church, but here's something that happened in my life, and here they find themselves at an intersection, and they really need some grace, and they really need some hope, and they need forgiveness, and they need a second chance.

They need a new direction. They need a purpose, and they come here to find it, and it's just this sacred privilege and joy to be able to catch someone at that intersection in their lives. I remember a number of years ago, I was preaching on a Saturday night. After the sermon, there was a man who was ready to make a decision, and I talked to him. He was pretty emotional, and he told me that he and his wife had separated, and he just took responsibility for it, talked about some sins in his life, and failures and mistakes. He hadn't been to church since he was a kid, but he desperately knew in this moment he needed God's help. He didn't know how to pray, but knew that God was the only one who could save him, and he was here believing that, okay, this is one last shot, but maybe I'm too far gone. I said to him, you were not here by accident.

I'm saying that to some of you. You're not here by accident. God has brought you here at this intersection in your life for a purpose. We prayed, and he confessed his sin and talked about in his prayer his need for Jesus as his Savior, and I got him connected to a decision guide to help him with next steps.

Then Sunday morning, I preached the same sermon. These two ladies came to make a decision. One had the arm around the other, and one of them was just emotional. I talked to her for a moment, and I said, tell me what's going on. How can I pray for you? She said, I haven't been to church since I was a little girl, but my husband and I separated. I feel like I should just give up on my marriage.

I should just give up on him, but I don't want to give up before I just ask God for help. I don't even know how to do that, but I'm here. She shared her story with me, and I started to get goosebumps. I said, hey, you didn't mention your husband's name. Tell me your husband's name, and she said his name. I'm like, you may not believe this, but your husband came to church last night and gave his life to Jesus. He's starting down a different path, and she's like, no, you have the wrong guy.

I'm like, no, I was there. I talked to him, and I just can't quite explain the joy of watching two people find the treasure at the same time. I love that. I want to invite you to spend your life at other people's spiritual intersections. I want to invite you to make that your mission. No matter what you do for a living, no matter what neighborhood you live in or where you go to school, no matter who your friends are or are not on social media, I want to invite you to spend your life at other people's intersections.

It is so beautiful, and I know that there are some of you right now, like this is that moment for you. This is a sacred intersection for you. You are struggling. You've got questions and doubts. You are dealing with some anxiety and depression, and it feels crippling to you. You've got some guilt and shame in your life because there are these secrets that nobody knows about, and you don't know what to do about it, and you feel like your life is kind of spun out of control, and you're here, and it's not an accident that you are. It is our privilege to meet you at these intersections.

We love you. We've all been at the types of intersections you're at. You're not alone. Jesus wants to meet you right there. Well as you heard Kyle just say, it's not an accident that you're listening to his voice or mine today. You're at an intersection, a spiritual intersection, and God wants you to know that you are listening to my voice right now because He loves you.

He's for you. He understands everything going on in your life, every relationship, every struggle, every frustration, and He's calling you to Himself. He's saying to you right where you are today, come unto me, all of you that are weary and burdened and frustrated and under pressure, and I will give you rest. And then Jesus said, take my yoke upon you and learn from me.

It's coming under the submission. It's saying, join me. I'm gentle and humble of heart. Knowing Jesus isn't about following a set of rules or becoming religious tomorrow or trying to earn God's favor. It is a gift of God. It's the Lord Jesus telling you that at the core of all the world's issues, my issues, your issues, is a thing called sin. We all fall short.

We've all blown it. We've all made mistakes, and there's consequences. And as those consequences happen and we struggle and there's shame and there's guilt and people that we've hurt and we feel like there's nowhere to go, He says, come to me. And so right now I would like to offer you on behalf of Jesus, eternal life in His name, right now, wherever you're at, He would say to you, behold, I stand at the door and knock of your heart. If you'll open the door, I will come into you and dine with you, live with you and you with me.

The scripture says as many as receive Him, Jesus, to them He gives the right or the power to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. So right now in your own words, you can even do it as you're driving your car, but maybe you need to pull over. But just tell God, I'm sorry. I know I've blown it. I'm not the man.

I'm not the woman. But I know I need to be. I've made mistakes. I've sinned against a holy God. And right now I'm asking you to forgive me based on your death on the cross and your resurrection, proving it's true. And right now come into my life, Lord Jesus.

I'm turning from my way to you. Come into my life. Make me your son. Make me your daughter. And you know, it's not exactly the words that you say.

It's far more the condition and the attitude of your heart of turning from your past and receiving by faith the free gift of eternal life. And if you just prayed with me, can I encourage you to text or call the best Christian that you know and tell them, you know, I'm not sure what it's all about, but I just prayed to ask Christ to come into my life. And I knew it's a new day and I need help.

Would you help me? And then this week, find yourself in a Bible teaching church. And then finally, go on our website right now. We've got some information for you that will help you understand this commitment that you've made and some resources absolutely free to help you begin to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ.

And from all of our team and from me, I just want to say welcome to the family. If you prayed with Chip, we'd love to put a resource in your hands called Starting Outright, and it's absolutely free. This tool will help you gain a clear biblical understanding of what it means to put your faith in Jesus. And that's our whole mission here at Living on the Edge, helping Christians really live like Christians. So let us help you get started in your faith journey. You can request this resource by calling us at 888-333-6003, or by visiting livingontheedge.org, then clicking on the New Believers button.

That's livingontheedge.org, or call 888-333-6003. Well, Chip's still with me in studio, and Chip, in this series, Kyle's taught us how to connect and build relationships with people, especially those who are far from God. Take a minute, if you would, and unpack for us why that's such a struggle for 21st century Christians. Well, Dave, I think there's a number of reasons, and one circumstantial one is this pandemic that occurred and people wearing masks, and we've not been rubbing up against one another. I think the other thing is that the longer a person is a Christian, statistically, the fewer and fewer non-Christian friends they have.

I mean, it's crazy. After two years, the average Christian has zero non-Christian friends. Less than 2% of most Christians have ever led another person to Christ, and part of this is the lies that you need to be able to, you know, answer every question and sort of be a biblical encyclopedia, etc., etc. I think what Kyle has done for us is teaching us how one person at a time in our sphere of influence, just being who we are, we can build a connection, take an interest, not start a debate, but love people in a way that allows us to connect so that Jesus can share with them what He shared with us, the forgiveness and the salvation of our souls and a brand new life. I just cannot encourage people enough to get this book one at a time. It's had a huge impact on me, and I think it'll have a huge impact on those who get it and read it.

Thanks, Chip. Well, to order your copy of One at a Time by Kyle Eidelman, go to LivingOnTheEdge.org or call us at 888-333-6003. Our prayer is that this tool will help you find simple ways to share the profound hope we have in Jesus with those who so desperately need to hear it. Again, to get your hands on this book from Kyle, visit LivingOnTheEdge.org or call 888-333-6003.

App listeners, tap Special Offers. Well, just before we close, I want to thank each of you who's making this program possible through your generous giving. One hundred percent of your gifts are going directly to the ministry to help Christians really live like Christians. Now, if you found this teaching helpful, but you're not yet on the team, would you consider doing that today? To send a gift, go to LivingOnTheEdge.org or text the word DONATE to 74141. It's that easy. Text DONATE to 74141 or visit LivingOnTheEdge.org. App listeners, just tap Donate, and let me thank you in advance for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do. Well, for everyone here, this is Dave Druey, thanking you for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge.