When bad things happen to you, when life comes apart, do you ever wonder down deep, does God really love me? How do you respond when you know God loves you, but your circumstances sure don't seem to show it?
That's today. 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. I think it's safe to say believers and unbelievers alike have pondered that question Chip just posed. If God is supposed to be about love, why does he allow pain, disease, natural disasters, and evil to occur? Well, today Chip will begin addressing this vital question through the third volume of his series, Jesus Unfiltered. We're really going to get to the heart of God as Chip unpacks five foundational characteristics of divine love found in the Gospel of John. So go in your Bible to John chapter 11 as Chip kicks off this series with his message, Love Trusts. If God really loves me, how could he let this happen?
Can you fill it in? If God really loves me, if Jesus is really for me, I cried out, I prayed, I asked him, I was sincere, I may have fasted, oh God, please, and I've had times, nothing. Nothing. In fact, if God really loves me, I've had times where God didn't allow it to go from bad to worse.
He allowed it to go from bad to impossible. And the only thing I could hang on to was the promises of God and the character of God that somehow, some way, he's working in all of this. I'd like you to think about where that is in your life right now. I mean, when you're honest, I mean, we push it down and we try and forget some of that and not deal with it, but if God really loves you, if Jesus is committed to you, if he's for you, if his promises are true, then what's the biggest thing that really doesn't make sense? If you'll open your notes, we're gonna walk through a new journey, but I wanna remind you this was written by a certain man at a certain time who really lived, and what I want you to know is that the apostle John was the apostle who had this very special relationship. He wrote also the book of Revelation in three short letters, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, and as you look at your notes, here's what the challenge is.
I want you to go on a journey, especially in our day, where you don't hear someone else, you don't take someone else's word, but you ask these questions. Who is Jesus? Where did he come from? Why did he come?
What does he want for us, and what does he want from us? We looked at the first five chapters, and I called that volume one. It was about believing, and in chapter one, Jesus said that he created the world, and he came to reveal the Father, full of truth and grace. In chapter two, he, in his first miracle, said, I came to transform the world and people from the inside out, as he turned the water into wine. In chapter three, we learned together that it's not being religious, it requires a spiritual birth, and we learned about Nicodemus, and in chapter four, we learned that he's for everyone, and a woman that had five husbands and was living with someone, and who was far, far from God, experienced his grace. In chapter five, we learned that when we get hurt and in an impossible situation, he healed a man and demonstrated his power as the Messiah in God. The question was, will you believe?
There's all this evidence, will you believe in this historical Jesus? The next, we looked at volume two, and that was around the theme of follow. As the young disciples were following him, then in chapter six, he says, I'm the bread of life, I'll sustain you, and he fed 5,000. In chapter seven, he, at the great feast of tabernacles, he would cry out in the midst of it, fulfilling Old Testament history, if any man thirsts, let him come, I'll satisfy your soul. In chapter eight, he said, I'm the light of the world, and he would forgive a woman caught in the very act of adultery. In chapter nine, he opened the eyes of the blind and said, if you're blind, follow me. And in chapter 10, I'll be your good shepherd. I'll lead you, I'll guide you, I'll help you. And now in chapter 11, the next five chapters are going to talk about the love of God.
And it's going to be sort of a door that swings both ways. We're going to learn what it looks like for him to love us, and then he's going to answer this question, what does it really look like to love him? What's it look like to have a personal relationship with the living God and love him?
So you ready to go? You ready to examine the question, how can we really believe that God loves us? When sometimes he doesn't just let it go from bad to worse. He lets your life or your family or your health or your relationships go from bad to impossible. Let's pick up the text.
It opens up in chapter 11 with a problem. And now a man named Lazarus was sick and he was from Bethany, the village of Mary and Martha's sister. And this is the Mary whose brother Lazarus now lay sick. This is the one who poured out perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped it with their hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus.
Lord, the one you love is sick. All I want you to get is that the text is going to be very clear in the next five chapters. It'll be sprinkled here, then sprinkled here, and sprinkled there. This love, everything that's going to happen in this chapter is because Jesus loves Lazarus, Jesus loves Mary, Jesus loves Martha, and everything that happens in your life and mine is because he loves you. But sometimes it doesn't feel that way.
Here's the application. The application is love, trust Jesus in difficult times. See, it kind of tells your heart and my heart when you go through a separation or a divorce or you find out you have cancer or you lose someone that you love.
Whereas I've had a close friend whose son in high school end of his junior year, one of his friends was killed in an auto accident. What their modeling is, we have a big problem. We know you love us. Our brother Lazarus is one of your closest friends.
We're going to bring our problem to you. Love says, I'm going to trust you when it's really hard. But that young man after his friend was killed in an auto accident, he answered the question like this, if God really loves me and allows one of my best friends to die in a car accident, that's not a God I can follow.
And he turned away from God, never to return. See, how we respond to adversity and what we do with the pain in our life tells us a lot about what do we really love? Who do we really love?
Who do we really trust? The story goes on because after the problem is brought to Jesus, he responds to it. And this is one of those times where you read through this, you think this doesn't feel very loving. When he heard this closest friend, Lazarus is sick, he says this sickness will not end in death.
No, it's for the glory of God that God's son may be glorified through it. And then just because it doesn't make sense, notice he emphasizes, now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. And read the next line. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. I don't know about you, but if I was Mary and Martha and you know, Jesus had been in our home, he kind of hung out with us. I mean, Mary, I sat at his feet.
Martha, I cooked all the meals. He would go on these ministry tours and he needed a little R&R. And you know, Lazarus and Jesus would be in the back room kind of hanging out, put their feet up. They were kind of bros.
I mean, you could tell they had this real close relationship. All right, we know he really loves our brother. You send a message, Lord, will you please help? The messenger comes back.
So what'd he say? Is he going to do one of those long distance miracles? You know, like just speak it and it happens like with the centurion slave or is he coming back? And I'm reading into the text here, but the messenger basically had to come back and go, he decided to stay where he was a couple more days. And what we'll learn from the text is Lazarus must have shortly died. I don't know about you, but that doesn't feel very loving. It just said he loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus.
And his response is he stays two more days. Now the end of the story, a lot of it will make sense, but I just want to remind you it didn't make any sense to Mary. It didn't make any sense to Martha. And I will just tell you personally there's times in my life it didn't make any sense to me.
The application is love trusts God's timing even when it doesn't make sense. In 2005, it goes back a little bit, I made like a decision that really changed the course of my life, actually changed the course of this church's life. And in 2005, what I realized was, wowee, I'm not teaching the Bible anymore, but I'm just going to keep pressing ahead. And by 2007, I was leading an organization that was doing stuff all around the world. And I had become a CEO, but not a Bible teacher.
I was traveling all around the world all the time. And if I was awake, my job was mostly raising money and going to budget meetings with seven vice presidents with separate P&Ls that didn't match up. And I'm not a CEO. I didn't go to Harvard Business School.
Anything I've learned about business or leadership, I kind of read books and got with smart people. The Peter Principle had finally come to fruition, and I'd been promoted right out of what I was good at. And I was miserable. And so 2007, clearly led by God, I took one of the biggest steps ever, and I said to the board, you need a president that's a God business person. I'm not teaching the Bible anymore.
I need to go back. God, I mean, it wasn't a gentle nudge. God has reproved me. I need to be in a local church and teach God's word, and he can decide where he wants to take the message.
And all that sounded really, really good. And I've had a number of friends that say, wow, if you ever get free from what you're doing, and I know you love the local church, come and be our teaching pastor or do this or do that. And so I just thought it'd be two, three, four, five months, and I'm taking this big step of faith. I'm afraid.
I don't have a job. What's going to happen to Living on the Edge? How's this going to work? Right? But when you obey God, great things happen, right? Yeah, you know.
Well, they do. Eventually. And all I can tell you is, have you ever had a time in your life with the Lord that you're like limbo? From 2007 to 2009, God miraculously launched Living on the Edge. Well, thank you, Lord, because we didn't have any money, and I didn't have a salary, and I didn't know what was going to happen. And then I'm driving around on Sunday mornings for two years church shopping. Like, I got to go to church. I don't know how to look for a church. I've been a pastor most of my life. And then I realized what most of you experience like. There's some really wonderful churches. There's some not good ones at all, okay?
And then, you know, we'd come home and, how you doing, honey? Oh, okay. You know, and I teach here or there, and can I tell you something? God's timing isn't my timing. There's certain things that needed to happen in my character and my life. There's certain things that need to happen that I didn't know that He was going to develop Living on the Edge into a small group ministry that had never happened. And I don't know if you remember, but in 2007, the exact same month, September, a couple churches merged. And those two churches merged, and from 2007 to 2009, they sort of needed to figure out how they were going to work together. And so I was over in Atlanta with God going, here's what we need to work out, and here's what we're going to work through. And over here, there was this church.
And you know what? I wasn't ready to be the pastor, and the church wasn't ready to have one. Can I tell you that no matter what it feels or looks like, God's timing, He loves you. He's for you.
But it just doesn't feel that way. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Today's message, Love Trusts, is from the third volume of our series, Jesus Unfiltered. 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. In the third section, Jesus announces there is a plan to solve the problem. And so in verse seven, it says, then He said to His disciples, let us go back to Judea. But rabbi, they said, a short while ago, the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you're going back?
And then Jesus does, I call him a Jesusism, right? You know, here's the deal. The last time they were there, they tried to kill Him. I mean, this is like going back to Chicago, and there's a contract out on you.
And He goes, oh, we're going to go back to Chicago. And you're sort of the followers. And Jesus answers these fears like, let's see now, you know, we've followed you, we left our homes, we left our businesses, we're totally committed, we're in, we believe you're the Messiah, we almost got killed last time, we're going to go back. You know, everything in you is going, this is not a good idea.
This is not a good plan. I know you're God. Notice, rabbi, you're the teacher. You're the authority, we're followers of you, but.
And then Jesus answers that deep emotional fear with something that I think was really helpful initially. I'm joking. Are there not 12 hours of daylight? And you're thinking, of course. Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light.
It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light. And I'm thinking right about now, Peter privately is looking at John and going, is that helping you, man? I mean, we're going to get killed and he's talking about daylight and, right? And of course they'd understand, Jesus just told them earlier, he's the light of the world. And what he wants to tell them, what he wants to tell us, is there's a lot of circumstances, there's a lot of issues, and a lot of logical ways where you think I got or got or should do this or that.
And you know what? When you're in the will of God and when you're walking with Jesus, you're in the light. That's the safest place in the world and the wisest place. And so then he explains what they're going to do and why. He says, after he'd said this, he went on to tell them, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep but I'm going there to wake him up. His disciples replied, Lord, if he sleeps he'll get better.
Translation, we don't have to go. Jesus had been speaking of his death but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead and for your sake I'm glad I was not there.
You might underline that in your notes. For your sake, Jesus' motive in not going is love. Jesus' motive in taking his disciples into a scary, scary, dangerous situation is love so that you may believe. He wants you to believe. He wants you to trust. He wants you to believe his character not on circumstances and what you can see. He wants you to believe and trust him all the time. And so he's going to do something to help them and to help us. But let us go then, Thomas said, known later as Didymus to the rest of the disciples, let us also go that we may die with him.
And I think you can read this as false bravado but I don't think so. I mean, later on he's going to realize that he needs more proof than the average person but we've been following him. We said we're loyal.
He's going to go back. We're going to go with him. If we die, we die because that's what we signed up for. If he's the savior of the world, if he's the Messiah, if he's the only hope, then we have to follow no matter what.
And here's the application. Love trusts Jesus' plan even when our security is threatened. You follow regardless of the cost. The laws change, you follow. Finances change, you follow. Your health changes, you follow. People betray you, they let you down, they follow.
When the price tag goes up of being a follower, it's hard and you're afraid and you follow. I think of one of my favorite characters as a very, very courageous woman in the Old Testament and it was a time in Israel's history where there was an edict for all of God's people to be annihilated, literally. The Persian government at the time had been sort of whispered some false stuff and there was a day coming when every Jew would be killed. And there was a very beautiful, beautiful, good-looking gal named Esther who no one knew she was a Jew and she ends up through a set of circumstances of being the queen. And her uncle Mordecai says, this is the Chip Ingram translation, sweetheart, I think God put you in the palace for a time like this.
Go tell the king that you're a Jew and that we're all Jews and this is a really bad idea and we're all going to be massacred unless you step up. And of course like us, she was very afraid and basically said, don't you understand like if I go in without being invited, if he's like having a bad day, I get killed? And I think he said, you know what, we're all going to get killed and maybe God, maybe God has you here at this time. And she began to process that and realize her own personal fears but following was something she had to do and she got for such a time as this, I am God's woman in world history. And I've thought about our country and I'm just thinking you where you live, me where I live, for such a time as this is the time when God's plan seems like it might be dangerous to your promotions and jobs, might be dangerous to some family relationships, might cause some even persecution or rejection. I think this is the time where we like her say, for such a time as this, I believe, I love God so I trust his timing. I love God, I don't get his plan but I'm still, I'm going to be like Thomas, I'm going with him regardless of the circumstance. And then what's beautiful is in the very next section, Jesus, you know, he's going to say, you know what, I've got a bigger and better plan.
Some of the process is hard. You may not understand but if you'll hang in there, what I want for you and what I want through you is bigger and better than you could ever dream. And so we pick up the text and he has a better gift than fixing their problem. Martha and Mary fixed the problem, right?
You know, heal Lazarus and what's yours? What is it that if you could write it on a card, ship it directly up to heaven, like God, deal with this one. You know, I'm single, I'm tired of being single, let's get this straightened out now. Or I'm married and I really wish I wasn't married right now but I'm going to stay in this but man, fix her, fix him or one of our kids. I mean, how long are we going to pray on this and he's not getting better or she's not getting better, it's getting worse. This is the third time in rehab. I mean, what is it in your life that you've been saying to God, God, and it's like, does he hear? Don't bail out of the process.
Don't assume your timing is his timing and don't assume just because in your mind this is the plan and this is how it will work that he doesn't love you because your plan isn't coming about. Notice we find God's bigger and better purposes. On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him but Mary stayed at home and now you get some of the raw portions of scripture that I love. Lord, Martha said to Jesus, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. So I don't know when's the last time you prayed like that but it would be pretty healthy for your heart and soul. God can take our anger and our hurt and our disappointment and she's pretty bold. Now the very next line she sort of couches it with but I still want to stay on your good side but I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask but she's honest.
I don't get it. You need to tell God if you're in this, I don't get it. If you really love me, how could you let this happen? If you would have come, I know you love us. I mean you sat in our home, I heard your messages, I fed you, we entertained you, I thought we were friends. You said you loved us. I was aware of or I was there when you fed 5,000 people. First hand stories, you raised people from the dead. I know you have the ability and when we were together it sure seemed like you cared.
So why? And notice what Jesus does. He says your brother will rise again and Martha answered, kind of theologically, I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
I mean I think that was sermon number 32 in our backyard. I believe that. You're going to work everything out someday some way but her emotions are crying out, that doesn't feel very good right now, right? And then he does something. See he wants to do more than fix her problem. He wants her to see and know a person in a way that she has never known him. This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and you've been listening to part one of Chip's message Love Trusts, which is from the third volume of his Jesus Unfiltered series titled Love.
Chip will be back shortly to share some helpful application for us to think about. And in today's world that word love means so many different things. It can describe how someone feels about a sports team or favorite food or the emotional or physical connection with another person.
So what's right and what's wrong? Well in this series Chip cuts through the confusion by exploring how Christ defined it in John chapters 11 through 15. Learn five straightforward attributes of biblical love and how to apply these truths to your relationship with others and God. Don't miss a word of this meaningful series. Well Chip's joined me in studio now and Chip for the next handful of programs you're focusing on the idea of love laid out for us in John chapters 11 through 15.
Take a minute if you wouldn't explain why this series is so needed right now. I think it might be the most relevant of the entire section of the book of John because love has become a very nebulous concept and now it's become very romanticized and that's a good side of love. I mean I love the romantic aspect of my relationship with my wife and yet we live in a sex saturated society as well. It's just hard not to think of the word love being anything other than that. And Jesus in chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 is going to give us God's view of love. He's going to redefine love in a way that you can not just feel but I mean get your arms around. It will be deeply challenging but also bring incredible freedom. I just want to encourage you stay with us for this series.
What love really is according to Jesus. You just don't want to miss it. Couldn't agree more, Chip.
Well, I hope you'll join us for this entire series. And because this teaching from the Gospel of John is so foundational for every believer, invite a few friends to listen too, either through the Chip Ingram app or at livingontheedge.org. Well, with that, here again is Chip to share his application for this message. As we close today's program, I ended the teaching time with some pretty penetrating questions and I'd like you to just pause, just you and me here, and ask you where in your life right now does it feel like God doesn't care? That your intellect says, you know, Jesus died for me, the Bible says he cares, but if he cares, how could he? And then you can fill it in. I mean, how could this issue in your marriage continue? You know, why are you still single?
I mean, how is it that the way you've worked that you lost your job and you can fill it in? And what I want you to remember is sometimes, sometimes God allows our difficulties to go from bad to impossible because he actually wants to give us something better. You know, I like the rawness of the scripture where both Mary and Martha really called Jesus on the carpet. If you would have been here, my brother wouldn't have died. And he can take that. And I think sharing your emotion honestly is really important.
And at The Essence, I think we want to do exactly what they wanted to do. I have a problem, fix it. I have a problem, fix it. And I just want to encourage you that God often wants to do something way beyond fixing your problem and give you something better. He wants to reveal himself.
He wants to change you in the process. As I was reviewing this, I'd have to say that this chapter is a lifeline. As I shared in the message, I lived in this chapter for weeks at a time. And it was at a time that I was frustrated.
It didn't seem like God cared. And here's what I want to leave you with by way of encouragement. What I thought was the worst, difficult, most frustrating, unfair season of ministry that I had ever experienced to that point in my life was actually the door to get me to where God wanted me and the work He wanted to do in my heart. So don't give up. Don't bail out. Trust Him.
He's going to reveal Himself. Thanks for that encouragement, Chip. As we wrap up, I want to thank those of you who make this program possible through your generous financial support. Your gifts help us create programs, purchase airtime, and develop additional resources to help Christians live like Christians. Now, if you've been blessed by the Ministry of Living on the Edge, would you consider sending a gift today? You can do that by visiting LivingOnTheEdge.org or by calling 888-333-6003. That's 888-333-6003, or visit LivingOnTheEdge.org. That listeners tap donate. We want you to know how much we appreciate your support. Well, join us next time as Chip continues the third volume of his Jesus Unfiltered series, Love. Until then, I'm Dave Gruey, thanking you for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge.
