Trusting Jesus No Matter What - Discovering Who Jesus Is, Part 1

What's the most difficult circumstance or relationship you're currently facing? Have you got it in your mind? Now I want you to listen to this program because God has something to say to you today. Stay with me. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. The mission of these daily programs is to intentionally disciple Christians through the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram. Thanks for joining us as we continue our series, Trusting Jesus No Matter What, How to Build an Unshakeable Faith. Chip's heart for this new teaching is to strengthen your relationship with God so that you can withstand life's most turbulent storms. And the first step in deepening that connection is by getting a more accurate picture of Jesus, which is where Chip's headed today.

So if you have a Bible, go now to Colossians Chapter 1 as we dive right into Chip's message, Discovering Who Jesus Is. You know, trusting Jesus when everything is great, it's not too difficult. Trusting Jesus is difficult when circumstances or relationships are really, really hard and either you don't know what to do or you know what, trusting God looks like this, but boy, the implications or who you might disappoint or the cost is really high. You know, I love a quote by Francis Chan I read recently. He said, our greatest fear should not be that we fail. He said, our greatest fear should be that we might be successful at things that are a complete waste of time. In other words, what he's saying is it's so easy to be successful or to cop out or not trust God in order to be like, hey, I want this to happen, only to realize that's not very important. At the end of the day, walking with God, trusting Jesus means we have to have a clear, high, accurate picture of who He is. And so let me just ask you right now, what relationship or circumstance is the biggest challenge in your life? Maybe you're not kind of ready to think about that too deeply, but right now, what is the biggest challenge that you're facing? And then the second question is, what is your best sense of what Jesus is saying, this is what it looks like to trust me in this relationship or in your finances or at work or stepping up and speaking the truth in love or to do what He's called you to do, to take the next step, to minister to someone.

I don't know what it is, but I want you to really think about that. And then the other thing I want you to ponder is where is it possible that the enemy is casting doubt? Where is it maybe that you sort of sense that Jesus doesn't have your best interest at heart, that He's not going to come through or He's not really good or He doesn't have a good plan and you better hang on to this one and do it yourself? See, those doubts, they begin to erode our faith. And so that's why it's so important.

And this is what this whole series is about. An unshakable faith is not about how much you have. It's about a clear, crystal clear object of our faith, seeing Jesus for who He is. And so what I want to suggest is that as we go into the epistles and we're going to look at Colossians chapter 1, if there's any way you can pull that out right now, either Bible or on your phone to follow along, it'll really help. But in Colossians chapter 1, we're going to get perhaps the absolute clearest picture of who Jesus is and what He's done. Yes, the gospels were wonderful and fantastic and we have the stories in His heart, His compassion, His miracles.

Awesome. Now we're going to get 30 years later, the apostle Paul, led by the Spirit of God, is helping us see He's going to write to a church to correct the problem. Because what's happened is some false teachers have come and they're now mixing a little Judaism over here and a little mystic thinking over here and a little Eastern religion. And they didn't get rid of Jesus. They just said, He's not God.

He's not all that important. And we have sort of the secret sauce. We know like no one else, we have this higher knowledge. And so it began to take people off into, are you ready for this? Spirituality.

Does that sound familiar? I'm really, really spiritual but not Jesus focused. So open your Bible if you've got it. But if not, just listen carefully as I read Colossians chapter 1 and my focus is verses 15 to 20 but let me give you a little bit of a running start because it is so powerful. It talks about what God has done for all of us who are followers of Jesus. Verse 13, for He, God, delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. And then verse 15 begins to describe, well, who is this Jesus? And He, Jesus, is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn for creation. For by Him all things were created both in the heavens and the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church, and He's the beginning, the firstborn from the dead so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. And then there's this great purpose clause.

Why? For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness, the fullness of deity to dwell in Him and through Him, Jesus, to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross. Through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. Now, that is a boatload of content and that is what we would call deep, rich, clear theology. And so the Apostle Paul is correcting what a group of people have begun to believe about Jesus.

And before I dig in and ask kind of four very basic questions about His identity and what His goals are and what He's accomplished, kind of what we would in any kind of relationship, I just want to pause for a moment and give you why this is important. You know, a lot of people have gone to Bible school or you might be where you've really studied things. But the problem is we often miss the connection between this truth about Jesus and how it actually applies to our life. I would say most Christians, you know, Orthodox followers of Jesus, they believe that or at least by belief, they intellectually agree that what that says is true.

But the Jesus that they trust or not trust is a bit different. Quick story and then we'll jump into the text. A few years ago I had a chance to meet a fellow at a coffee shop. Eventually he came and visited the church where I was preaching and teaching. We became friends. I had a chance to lead him to the Lord. He prayed to receive Christ, jumped into the Bible headlong, got really, really involved and came from another city so he would travel kind of back and forth. So every two or three weeks I would see him and, you know, he would let me know I'm watching online and this is where I'm reading.

And great relationship. And so every two or three weeks I would see him after the service. He'd be walking up that aisle and he'd say, hey, you know, you want to talk because he always had good questions. And he came up and said, hey, I just want to tell you thank you. This has been a great experience and I've decided I'm not going to be a Christian anymore. I mean, I just went, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, you're what? He said, yeah, you know, that is an amazing experience when I pray to receive Christ and the Bible has really come alive and I really believe all this is true, but it's just not working for me. You know, I'm sort of like, what do you mean it's not working for me? He said, well, you know, I've got an issue at work and kind of another one with my girlfriend and, you know, I've talked to Jesus and I'm praying and anyway, it's just not working for me so I'm done.

But hey, it's not personal. I really thank you and it's really real what's happened to me. And rather than being flabbergasted, what I realized was he was just early on into the Bible. He was very influenced by the culture and just like the Colossian church, he had taken the Jesus of the Bible, mixed it with sort of a self-help genie-in-a-bottle Jesus along with make my life work out Jesus and I need to be really happy and he sort of mixed all that together and when his faith was tested at work and maybe some hard decisions with his girlfriend, that faith didn't hold up. That's what's happening everywhere and here's what I want you to get. We're going to find ourselves more and more in a world that challenges our faith and not just in the arena of morals. It's going to happen in relationships.

It's going to happen with what do we believe about life in general? What matters? What doesn't? What's true? Who can you trust? Who can't you trust?

And so the Apostle Paul is writing to the Colossian church but he's going to help us understand this is who I am, right? I mean I guess right now I could tell you off the top of my head of five people I completely trust, I mean with my life and I could probably give you way more and you might say well man that's a big statement. Well why? I've got history with them. They have literally made huge sacrifice for me. They've told me good things about me. They've told me hard difficult things about me.

They've stood in the gap with me. In other words, we trust people that are authentic. We trust people that we have a track record with.

We trust people who what they say and what they do tells the same story and they come through for us and we trust people who have the ability to help us. And so what we're going to get is the Jesus that comes through, that always tells the truth, that has all power. So let's look and find out who is he actually and then I mean it's majestic, it's powerful and then we're going to talk about an invitation that this almighty God makes to ordinary people like you and me. And so where are you from Jesus? Answer, he is the image of the invisible God.

Answer, he's the firstborn over all creation. Now for us we get our word, that word image, we get the word icon. And in the early Roman world there was a coin and the coins would have Caesar's picture on it. And to get what he's really saying here is if you took a piece of clay and you took that coin and you pressed it in and then you removed the coin, you would have the exact representation of Caesar in the clay.

And what Jesus is saying and what the Apostle Paul filled by the Holy Spirit is saying here in this passage is that God is invisible but if you took the clay of humanity and you pressed the invisible God into it, it would be Jesus. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and Chip will be back in just a minute to finish today's talk. But quickly this program is only possible because of the generosity of listeners like you. Consider supporting us today by becoming a monthly partner. Learn more by going to livingontheedge.org.

That's livingontheedge.org. And thanks for doing whatever God leads you to do. Well let's rejoin Chip now for the remainder of his message. All that there is of God is now in Jesus. He is the exact image. Now not the external body of course, but who He is. And then He's the firstborn of creation.

Don't get tripped up on that. I remember as a young Christian, I mean I read this passage and I thought, wait a second, I thought Jesus was God and I thought He was eternal and how did He get born? And this is a word that means first in rank. A good illustration in the Old Testament, David will call Solomon his firstborn. Well I mean Solomon was one of many sons, but he wasn't the first one born.

But Solomon was the first in rank who followed David and later became the king. And so the truth is Jesus is the physical revelation of the invisible God. Let that sink in. Jesus is the physical representation of the invisible God.

And here's our response. Are you ready? We can know Him personally.

Is that awesome? You can actually know God personally because Jesus will say, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. And so the application for me is I want to talk with Him.

I want to get to know Him. The reason those five people I can completely trust is we have an intimate relationship. We've spent time together. We've been through challenges together. We've helped one another.

When they speak, I know I can trust them because of the intimate and deep relationship that we have with one another. The second question we might ask to discover who Jesus is, is so what do you do? Listen to this. By Him all things were created.

Well where? Things in heaven and things on earth. Things that are visible that we can see, things that are invisible. And then this very interesting, whether thrones or dominions or powers or authorities all things were created by Him and through Him. And so what he's saying is Jesus has created all that there is, the things that we see, the things that we can't.

And I don't know about you, but Genesis chapter 1, in the beginning God created, right? Did you realize that Jesus was the instrumental means? You have God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. They're in unison.

They're one essence. But it says Jesus was the part of the Godhead that created, that all that there is was created by Him. But notice this, before Him.

The Apostle Paul, led by the Spirit of God, is helping us see there is no one in Jesus' class. He's the exact image of God. But more, He's the Creator.

He's all powerful. The text here says He existed before all things. Literally, in the Greek text, it's literally He is before all things.

Not He was, He just is before all things. And in Him, He holds all things together. At this very moment, the molecules, the atoms, in all the galaxies, in the billions of galaxies, in the stars, down to microscopic things that you can't see, Jesus, the power of the Son of God, is holding all those things by the word of His power. The truth, Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of everything.

Response, we can trust Him completely. Think of that. Jesus created everything. At this moment, Jesus holds all things by the word of His power. I want to take you back just for a moment before we get back in the text, and I want to ask you, what is that challenge?

What is that thing that, Lord, I just don't know. You certainly don't really expect me to do this, or if I do this, what about this, what about that, and what will they think, and that's a lot of money, or if she responds badly. Pause. Faith is believing in the character of God and the promises of God to the point of acting. Obedience is the evidence where you say, God, I trust you. I'm going to step out. God, I trust you. I'm going to put you first in this. God, I trust you. I'm going to have the hard conversation. God, I trust you. My priorities and money are going to get aligned the way I know that you want me to instead of how I've been living.

I trust you. And here's the thing. You think the God that spoke everything into existence and holds it together right now, if he holds the whole earth, do you think he can handle your stuff?

Do you see what happens? See, that's not some vague Jesus. That's not Jesus who's just the loving Jesus. That's not just the Jesus that if you read your Bible in the morning, give at least 10 percent and try to be a really nice person, he always does whatever you want him to. This is the Creator, man, right? This is the Jesus that will take you through thick and thin. This is the Jesus that you can say, I'm trusting him no matter what. Why? Because of who he is, what he's done, and what he's currently doing.

And our response is, obey. Trust him completely. Because I've got news for you. I'm probably older than most of you. And I've been through challenges with family, financial breakdown, personal betrayal, cancer with my wife, ministry situations that were just absolutely crazy, finding myself in other countries after tsunamis and wondering whether I was going to live or die. And the Jesus who holds all things in his power, who is the Creator and sustainer of the world, I can bank on that.

And he's come through and he's come through and he's come through. The way I want all the time, that it works out for me, hardly. But see, there's one good thing about getting older. I tell all my friends, I'm not old, I'm older. Old is people that are decaying and stop living. Older is a lot more miles in your spiritual journey.

Where my rearview mirror, I've got mile marker after mile marker after mile marker. The God that I serve comes through. He just flat out comes through. And he's asked me to do all kind of things and people that I know and I love that I admire, he will test us. He'll allow challenges to come. And you don't know what kind of faith you have until you get a test.

And it's in the test. I mean, we read this book through these glasses that were never intended. We read this book through the lens of what can God do for me?

Jesus wanted the disciples to grow in their faith. So what does he do? He takes them out on a boat and they think they're going to die. He takes them where there's a legion of demons and he casts it out. He throws them out on their own two by two and they wonder what's going to happen. He tells them after all, I'm leaving.

Good luck. Except he doesn't say good luck. He says, you can bank on what? I'm preparing a place for you. I'm going to send you another comforter. I'll never let you down. I won't leave you as orphans.

It's going to be even better for me to leave. Here's my question. Do you believe and trust in that Jesus?

That's what this is all about. It's putting on new glasses and saying, what does the Bible actually say? Who is this Jesus that I'm trusting?

Third question is, what is your role? He's the head of the body, the church. The word head there means he's the authority and he's also the source. When he died, he purchased us for the father and by his blood, we've been forgiven. And now that he doesn't walk around in a physical body, but we are the extension. We are his body. And notice it says he's the first born from the dead. In other words, he blazed the trail. And if he rose, the apostle Paul teaches us, we all shall rise. And then he's the supremacy.

He has first place in everything. So what he did is, yes, he is God. Yes, he's created everything. Yes, he sustains everything, but he was also human and he had to be human to die. And what he did is he came and he lived this perfect life and then he died and he rose from the dead. And then he modeled for us, I'm going to overcome death. You'll overcome death if you're a follower of Jesus. I overcame sin. You can overcome sin if you're a follower of Jesus. He overcame Satan. And he says to us, greater is he that is in us and he that's in the world. Are you starting to get a grasp of the Jesus that you can say, I'm going to trust him no matter what. This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. And you've been listening to part one of Chip's message, discovering who Jesus is from our series, trusting Jesus no matter what. Chip will be back shortly to share some helpful application for us to think about.

In many cities around the world, there are buildings specifically engineered to withstand severe disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes. In this new 10 part series, Chip plays off that idea by helping us build an unshakable faith that can endure any challenge. Learn why the strength of our faith has nothing to do with our determination, but in getting an accurate view of God. Discover through various New Testament verses why we can completely trust in Jesus no matter what comes our way.

You're not going to want to miss a part of this series. Well, Chip's back with me in studio now. And Chip, there's a myriad of issues facing the 21st century church right now. In your opinion, what's the most significant and requires our immediate attention? Well, that's easy, Dave. It's the discipleship deficit.

The fact is we have a number. In fact, a multitude of professing Christians that are not living out their faith authentically. And I'm not down on them. And I don't think God is. They don't have direction. They don't know what a disciple is.

No one has ever met with them in a personal way to help them grow. In fact, I was recently talking with the president of Luzon. And after research in preparation for the big meeting coming up next year, he said it's universal all across the world. Discipleship is the greatest void in the church. We're 60 miles wide and about one sixteenth of an inch deep. And that's where Living on the Edge and our passion for discipleship comes in. Our vision is to see a movement of Christians living like Christians for the glory of God and the good of all. We create tools and resources.

We're reaching the next generation. We train pastors here and all around the world. But we need your support.

If it's one time, that's great. But let me tell you, it is monthly donors that build the foundation of the ministry. Knowing we can count on you each month allows us to plan, prepare, and take the steps of faith that God would have us take. Would you join us today?

Well, if that idea resonates with you, we'd love for you to join us. By becoming a monthly partner, you help support and motivate believers everywhere to live as authentic followers of Christ. Now to set up a recurring donation today, go to livingontheedge.org or the Chip Ingram app.

That's livingontheedge.org or the Chip Ingram app. We so appreciate whatever God leads you to give. Well, here again is Chip to share a few final thoughts. As we wrap up today's broadcast, I understand some of you are going through horrendous things. In fact, one of my closest friends right now has a mother dying of cancer.

And just yesterday, talking and watching the tears come down her face, here's what I want you to remember. Difficult times, painful times, betrayal, injustice, people that you've lost to the pandemic, all these challenges, it doesn't mean that God doesn't care. I so wish literally I could just kind of put my arm around your shoulder and say, faith is tested. Faith goes through a fire. This is normal Christianity.

During the time of great persecution, Peter would say to those believers, why are you surprised at the fiery trial that you're going through as though something strange were happening? And I just want you to know that our American Christianity over time has blinded us thinking that when things aren't up and to the right and comfortable and good, that somehow God's not around. Your faith is always revealed during the test.

What I want you to do is trust Him. Today, right now, stop and say, Lord, would you help me grow my faith? Lord, would you help me trust your promises? You're in control. Trust your promise that I can consider it all joy knowing that the difficulty, the pain that I'm going through, you will give me what I need. I just want to remind you, the Christian life isn't easy. There's great reward.

You're wired for eternity. Don't give up. Don't give in. Faith is trusting God.

That doesn't mean your emotions feel good. What it does mean is that you trust His promises. You trust the One that rose from the dead who will see you through. But His grace and His power will come by His Spirit, by His Word, and by being deeply connected to other believers. What do you need to do?

Ask Him and then do it. Thanks for that encouragement, Chip. And if you're in a painful season of life right now, we'd love to pray for you. Call us at 888-333-6003 and a team member would be happy to pray for you.

That's 888-333-6003. Or if it's easier, email us at chip at livingontheedge.org. That's chip at livingontheedge.org. We'll listen to next time as Chip continues our new series, Trusting Jesus No Matter What. Until then, this is Dave Druey saying thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge.