Keep Pressing Ahead - Facing Adversity, Part 1

Let me ask you, what is the biggest problem you're facing right now?

Have you got it? Now here's the issue. What if you could make your difficult problem work for you instead of bring you down?

Want to learn how? 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. Well, I don't know about you, but life can often seem like a long list of things that aren't going right. And when we feel like that, it's hard to be positive or trust that God will bring something good out of it. Well, today Chip addresses that tension as he kicks off his series, Keep Pressing Ahead. Now in the coming programs, he'll be in the book of Nehemiah as Chip explains how Nehemiah's life and experiences can help us navigate any challenge that will come our way.

So if you're ready, go to Nehemiah chapter four in your Bibles for Chip's talk, Facing Adversity. There are times in our life when we simply get to the point where we say, I can't take it anymore. This marriage is just too hard. This depression is just too dark. The job I lost, the family member that I buried, the junk that I'm going through. And down deep inside your heart, you may not say it to anyone else, but something just starts happening and just like, I quit, I'm done.

I'm opting out. I may go through the motions on the outside, but you know, I'm just, I've just had it. It's a very private, dark, scary place to be. Your mind tells you things like you got to keep forward. You got to trust God. There's promises. Everything's going to be okay. And your heart says, you know what? I've heard all that.

It ain't working for me. When you get to a place like this, there's some temptations that come into your mind that you think you would never even think about and you're now considering. And they dance around in your mind and then they start lodging down into your heart and you start actually considering and playing out mental fantasies of some ways to opt out or sedate the pain. And you begin to drift. You drift from people. You drift from God.

And there was a group of people that were experiencing that and they were drifting. And the Spirit of God spoke to the writer of Hebrews. And he wanted to encourage him. He wanted to draw them back.

He wanted to give them perspective. And so he reminded them, and this is what he said in Hebrews 10. He said, think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful, even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail and when everything you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that would last forever. He reminded them of what you've been through in the past, how God was faithful, eternal perspective.

And then his word of hope, verse 35. So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it will bring you. Don't opt out.

Don't give up. There's a great reward now. There's a great reward later. And then you would expect, you know, later for him to give, now here's the solution. Here's what you do.

Here's what's going to make all right. Here's the formula. And he kind of gives it to us, but we don't like it. It's verse 36. I put it in your notes. For you have need of endurance so that once you've done the will of God, you might receive what was promised. When you feel like that, when I feel like that, when things are going terrible, God's word is remember, think back. Now you have need of endurance. Circle the word endurance.

It's one of those interesting Greek words, hupo meno, hupo under meno has stress, pressure, pain. You have need to keep pressing ahead. You have need to hang in there. And then what the writer does, he says, the Lord has no pleasure when we shrink back from walking by faith and trusting him. And so he gives a whole chapter of chapter 11 of people that hung in there, people that hung in there. It's the hall of fame of faith.

And after he gets done with chapter 11, then he opens up chapter 12. And he says, therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses, looking back at Abraham, of Enoch, of Sarah, of Daniel, of Samson, we have such a great cloud of witnesses of people that despite their ups or downs or pains or struggles who remained faithful, he said, let us lay aside every encumbrance, not necessarily sin, stuff, loads, weights. It's like a runner who puts on those little shorts instead of a backpack when he runs a marathon. It's because a backpack is a lot of junk. Is it wrong to wear a backpack?

No, but you just don't want to do it when you're going to run 26 miles. Point two. And then he says, lay aside that and the sin. And then notice what your note says. And run the race with what?

Circle it again. Run the race with endurance that's set before you. Most people miss the greatest things in all the world with God, their future, relationships, career, and their family, because they have a window like I described.

And sometimes they don't outwardly quit, but inwardly they quit. And what you're going to learn is the great reward that God has for us in the midst of our adversity is when we keep pressing ahead, when we endure. And we're going to learn why to endure. And we're going to talk in this new series about how you can make it through anything.

Why? Because God has a great plan. He has a reward in this life and a far greater one later. And he summarizes it in these three words. Jot them, if you will, right in your notes. Keep pressing ahead no matter what. So there might be many, many people in this room that are thinking, I hear what you're saying, but you don't get it, Chip. You don't understand what I'm going through. It's too hard.

It's too difficult. I didn't even want to come this morning. And I don't even know why I'm here. But down deep in my heart right now, my mind wants to kind of buy into what you're saying, but I'm just not buying it.

And whether that's a divorce or depression or separation, whether it's you're tired of being lonely or single, whether you've lost your job or your house, whether it's cancer or troubled health or aging parents or a child that you don't know what to do with or a parent you don't know what to do with, whether she didn't get in a school or you've been betrayed by a friend, we're going to follow the path of a man called Nehemiah who has five different kinds of adversity, who responds differently in each kind of adversity, who refuses to give up and he experiences the reward now and even greater reward later. And so in this first session, what I want to do is give a framework and first is, are you ready? Step one is what I just call a basic understanding of adversity. I mean, this is just understanding the basics.

There's four specific principles in this one. It's you can't, but Christ can. I mean, I hear people all the time and I've said it to God, God, I can't, I can't take it anymore. I can't live with this anymore. I can't, I can't, I can't.

God says, good. That's the first principle. You can't, I can. Philippians 4, 13, the apostle Paul would say, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. And so let's just get out of the idea that you can do it. You can muster the strength. Somehow you have the willpower.

I got news for you. You can't, but God can through you. Second, if you will, open your Bible to Psalm 34, the author of one of the greatest teachings in all of the Bible in terms of how to make it through difficult times is David.

Yes, he was a king. Yes, he was powerful, but he went through some of the most devastating pain. Great majority of all the Psalms are written by a guy and he shares his heart. And in Psalm 34, verse 19, he says, the righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. You need to believe.

I mean, you need to believe, not just intellectually, but you need to believe that God wants to help you. I memorized that in a different translation. It says, many are the afflictions of the righteous. This isn't bad people. This is of the righteous. This is people say, God, I want to do life your way. God, I want to love people.

God, I want my life to be exactly you want it to be. Many are the afflictions, the difficulties, the pain, the hardships that righteous people go through. But the second half, the Lord delivers them from them all. He delivers out of them. He delivers through them, not always the way you want, not always the time that you want, but you got to, you got to believe, you know, God's not down on you. He's your good shepherd. He cares about you. He really wants to help you.

Third is you need to admit your need. Psalm 34, 18, he says, the Lord is near to the broken heart and he saves those that are crushed in spirit. In fact, a big part of what God is doing in your adversity, he's a good, loving, kind, absolutely in control God who knows everything in a fallen world. And when people betray you and difficulty comes in and things that you can't control, God promises to take that adversity. And what he wants to do is he wants to wean you of your self dependency and your pride.

He wants to usher you into intimacy with him. He wants all that difficulty to drive you to him. But you know what you have to do?

You got to admit you need him. There's some of us, I'm gonna do this. I'll just buck up. I'll be stronger.

I can get through this. I know some people. You know, and you know what?

Guess what? The velvet vice of adversity just gets harder and harder and harder and harder. And as someone wisely said, when you finally hit rock bottom, there's only one place to look. You meet with people with addictions. And I'll tell you what they'll all tell you.

The people that have had addictions and broken through them. They will just say, until you come to the end of yourself, you're just playing games. And God is near to the broken hearted.

He's near to those who are crushed in spirit. To those who say, I can't do this and mean it. I really can't.

I am powerless and helpless to work my way out of this situation. That's how you respond to adversity. Then notice what David says in verse 17. He says, I cried out to the Lord and he heard my prayer. The righteous cry and the Lord hears, and he delivers them from all their trouble. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Today's message facing adversity is from our series, Keep Pressing Ahead. Chip will join us in studio later to share some insightful application for us to think about. For more information about our ministry, visit livingontheedge.org.

That's livingontheedge.org. Well, with that, let's get back to today's program. Now, notice he didn't say he prayed. He didn't say he asked. He said he cried out. You might put in your notes, it's not in your notes, but jot down Hebrews 5, 7 and 8. This is a little kind of tucked in this chapter about Jesus, that we don't think of Jesus this way. But it says, during the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. This is Jesus now. Although he was a son, it goes on to say, he learned obedience through the things which he suffered.

Jesus was fully God, perfect, never sinned, but he was fully human, and he walked with the Father and blazed the trail, not in his deity, but in his full humanity. It says, in his days, plural, on earth, there were days where he felt so overwhelmed and so pained, and so, and he cried. It says, with loud cries and tears, if you would see Jesus, and we were over here, and he was a few stone's throws, he wouldn't be saying, Father, I'm on mission, thank you very much, we're gonna get this taken care of because I'm God. You would have hear him crying out, oh Father, I can't take it anymore, the people betray me, they're not responding, I don't know what to do, I feel tempted, he was crying out to God. He cried before the Father, and it says he was heard for his reverent submission, he didn't give in, he didn't give up, he didn't opt out. He said, not my will, but yours be done. People, that's the basics. Most of us spend our energy and adversity trying to avoid it, trying to deny it, trying to sedate it, trying to blame someone else for it, instead of asking God to use it in us.

I can't, he can. I believe God wants to help me. I admit that I need his help. And then, at a level like never before, you cry out to God.

And you let your emotions come out, and your frustrations come out, and your hurts come out. And the Lord is near to the broken hearted. Tell you what, I look back on my life and I remember one of my kids in ICU, and we didn't know if he was going to make it, I didn't pray some simple little prayers, oh Father, in the name of thy Lord Jesus, would you heal my son.

My wife got cancer, I didn't pray little prayers. When I endured personal failure, I remember being in my basement just crying. I can't turn this around. I've not failed in ministry before, I failed. They asked me to come turn this thing around, I can't turn it around.

I blew it. I'm glad some good things happened, but I can't do it. And I will tell you, in those windows of time, when I came to the end of myself, and literally not just cried out, but cried, I experienced a love from God that I've not experienced at any other time in my life. And that intellectual knowledge that I know that God loves me not because I do something, and God loves me if I do something, that unconditional, you are my son, you are my daughter, you will experience that. And adversity is allowed by God, and at times caused by God, to bring you to that point. Because He loves you.

And He wants the best for you. I'd like you at this point, before we go on, to ask, what's the number one issue you're wrestling with? What's the biggest adversity?

What's the biggest problem? Because you know what you do? After a while, you just put it over in a little category and put it in a box and you just keep on living. And we just pretend it's not there.

And we just keep the noise up and figure ways to deal with it. I want you to get it out of the box and get it right in front of you and right before God. Because step one, these are the basics. Step two is you gotta stop believing the lies about adversity.

You've been pumped most of your life with every time difficult, painful, unjust, hard things come into your life. Here's the lies that have just bombarded your mind. And they're subconscious.

Many of them, you believe these, you don't even know you believe them. But they determine your behavior. So you're in a tough situation. This isn't fair.

It's not worth it. God doesn't love me. This is the way it is.

Things will never change. I'm being punished by God. I guess I'm a terrible person. There's no hope for me.

No one cares about me. If God is really good, how could He let this happen? This is too much.

I know He says He won't give us more than we can bear, but this is more than I can bear, I'm out. Or just sometimes it's just I'm a failure. And you just kind of turn off.

What's the use? You'll tread through the motions of life, but no vision, no passion, no dream, because you're a failure. Let me tell you the truth about what God says about adversity. Number one, it's normal.

Ready for that? Adversity is not unusual. It's not unexpected.

It's normal. Authority, Jesus. John 16, 33. It's the last night He wants to prepare His men for what they're going to go through.

He doesn't say, look, I'm going to die, I'm going to rise from the dead, we're going to make this thing happen. He said in the world you will have tribulation. This is a promise. But be of good cheer.

I've overcome the world. This is a promise you don't even have to complain. He said, look, I'm telling you in advance it's going to be hard, difficult.

You've got trouble coming. The apostle Paul would go on to say, talk about a promise. 2 Timothy 3, 12. He says, for all of those who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, you will be persecuted. Well, there's a happy sort of, gosh, thanks, Paul. So you mean if I really live it out?

Yeah. But what happens to so many of us? You know, you fly your flag or you love someone or you take a step of faith and you get a little flack. Oh, God, what's wrong?

Nothing. This is what happened to Paul. This is what happened to Jesus. This is what happened to Peter. This is what happens to all Christians.

Are you ready? Adversity is normal. Peter would go on to say it's expected. He writes in 1 Peter 4, 12, he says, beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you, notice there's purpose for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you. Why are you surprised?

I meet Christians all the time and I fall into it myself. Something difficult will happen. Well, why? What's wrong? What did I do instead of this is normal. It's expected.

But here's what it gets at least kind of good for me. It's purposeful. Romans chapter 5, the first five verses. In fact, this is a little phrase, five verses that are worth memorizing. Apostle Paul looking at what all God has done and then he opens up chapter 5 and he says, therefore, he talks about we've been justified by faith through Jesus Christ. And we exalt in this new relationship and he talks about we have this introduction into grace in which we stand.

And you have the Apostle Paul looking at his past, looking at the work of Christ, this grace, this forgiveness, this promise of the future. And he says we exalt in hope of the glory of God. And the word exalt means rejoice and take pride in and there's just sense of wow. And we also exalt in what? It means we rejoice, take pride in, embrace, lean into, squeeze every drop of profit out of tribulation.

Why? Because it's purposeful. Tribulation leads to endurance.

That's our word, hupameno. Endurance leads to proven character. Proven character leads to hope. And hope doesn't disappoint because in the midst of that pain, in the midst of that difficulty, as you keep pressing ahead, that's when the love of God gets poured into your heart. This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and you've been listening to part one of Chip's message, Facing Adversity from our series, Keep Pressing Ahead. Well, Chip will be back shortly to share some helpful application for us to think about. You know, we all experience painful and challenging circumstances in life, the loss of a loved one, crippling depression, or a constant struggle with sin.

And in those seasons, we want to throw our hands up and scream, I'm done. Well, through this study in the book of Nehemiah, Chip's going to teach us how to biblically respond to and overcome adversity. Learn the steps to have unexplainable hope and strength, even when your world is falling apart. For more info about this series, visit livingontheedge.org or the Chip Ingram map. Well, Chip's joined me in studio now and Chip, you know, this study in the book of Nehemiah seems so appropriate for the unpredictable times we're living in right now.

I can't think honestly, Dave, of a series that could be more timely. I mean, what I've learned over the years is there's always been difficulties, circumstances, tragedy, pain, opposition, but God brings something new out of them. And so what we want to learn how to do is not just somehow get back something that we lost.

There's some things that we've lost that are never coming back. What we need to do is get a toolbox, a spiritual toolbox that allows us to say, okay, how do I keep pressing ahead? How do I not lose heart?

How do I fortify relationships? How do I gain all that God wants to do in me and through me in the midst of all that we've been through? And so in this series, we're going to talk about how to make it through adversity, discouragement, I mean downright depression, opposition, a spiritual attack. What do you do when you literally fail?

I mean, you just have to face failure. I cannot think of a greater picture than Nehemiah in the Old Testament who had such opposition. He was such a difference maker, but he wasn't a pastor. He wasn't a priest. He wasn't a prophet. He was just sort of a regular guy.

He was a guy that was a businessman who had some leadership gift, who there was a national crisis, and he models for us, are you ready? How to keep pressing ahead. How to make it through anything. I pray. I pray God will really use this to bring about fresh, new, powerful, not old, but a new normal that's better than ever before. Well, I can't wait for our listeners to experience this series, Chip. And to help all of you get the most out of Chip's teaching, download his message notes. They're a helpful tool that includes his outline, all his scripture references, and key fill-ins to help you remember and then apply what you hear.

Get them by going to the Broadcasts tab at livingontheedge.org, app listeners tap fill-in notes. Well, with that, let's get to Chip's application for today's message. We began the program by saying, what's the biggest issue that you face? And maybe it's a job, or maybe you just broke up with someone, or a struggle in your marriage, or you wish you were married, or one of your kids is having a difficult time, or I've just got a lot of friends right now that are going through very difficult health issues, and it's like, oh God, help me, help me, help me, and why me, and why now? I think part of the whole issue with adversity is believing that if I tried harder, if I was doing something different then, and I just want to remind you that you can't, but Christ can. Personally, I'm reading in the Psalms right now, and King David is a godly, godly man, but I hear him over and over, I called out to the Lord, you're my refuge. He was my very present help in time of need.

I think down deep. Some of us feel like, God doesn't really want to help me, I don't measure up. You live with a God of grace.

Yes, we learned that adversity is normal, it's going to be expected. In our next broadcast, we're going to learn that it's purposeful, it's powerful, but it's only temporary, but today I want you to believe and trust the God of the universe sees every aspect of your life, he knows your pain, he knows what's going on, he knows how you feel. Just admit that you need his help, and here's your application today. Cry out to God, not just in your mind, find a quiet place, and if only four or five minutes, oh God, say it out loud, I need you, please help me. So often that phrase, I cried out to the Lord and he heard my voice. And as we close today's program, let me just pray for you. Father, you know exactly what's going on in the heart and the mind of the person listening to my voice. I pray in the name of your son that you would help them to believe at this very instant that you're for them, that you love them, that you work this for good, and that as they cry out, you may not deliver them out of it, but you'll be with them in it. So you just give them strength and endurance just for today, in Christ's name.

Amen. Thanks Chip. And as we close, if you're walking through a difficult or 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 Living on the Edge dot org. That's chip at Living on the Edge dot o-r-g. Well join us next time as Chip continues his series, Keep Pressing Ahead. Until then, I'm Dave Druey, thanking you for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge.