Jesus Unfiltered - Love - Love... Gives!, Part 2

What can you give to God? I mean, let's face it, He already owns everything. So what could we give that God possibly wants?

Find out today. And that idea that we have something to give God should really make us scratch our heads and wonder, what could I possibly have to offer? Well today Chip will tell us as he picks up in his series, Jesus Unfiltered. So if you're ready, go to John chapter 12 for the remainder of Chip's message, Love Gives. Loving Jesus, it means you give public profession. Love gives public acknowledgement, even when it's unpopular and even when it's illegal. Because if you remember, right, if you would say that Jesus is the Messiah, in fact, if you even intimated that you were a follower of Jesus or interested in Jesus, you got kicked out of the synagogue.

That's a big deal back then. In fact, look in your Bibles or skim down to verse 42 and 43, it says that in this whole process, a number of the Jewish leaders actually believed in Jesus, verse 42. But it says they didn't publicly acknowledge Him. And then look at verse 43. It says they didn't publicly acknowledge Him because they feared that they would be put out of the synagogue, social status, reputation. Look at verse 43.

Look at it. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. When it came right down to it, they cared more about what people thought than what God thought.

What's the application? Well, I didn't grow up as Christian. I never opened this book until I was 18. I trusted Christ, and I will just tell you, the first couple years, I don't think this is abnormal. It's not fun, but I really had come to know Christ. I started reading my Bible, and when I went there, there was a Bible study on Thursday night, and we'd sing some songs, and it was real, and God was really working and changing in my life.

But it doesn't happen all at once, and so I struggled. But I was on a basketball scholarship, and it really wasn't cool to be a Christian. And so I wanted the basketball guys to like me, and I sort of had the people skills to introduce us to all the girls. And so on Friday and Saturday night, I went to all the bars, and I was sort of the designated, you know, get those pretty girls over there, over here to see us, you know. And so Thursday night, I love God, I love God.

Friday night and Saturday night, you know, you get in like 2.30, 3 in the morning. Oh, God, I'm really sorry, you know. You know, in church, maybe, you know, I'll never do that again until the next Friday night, you know.

Bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing. Now, I'm sure none of you have ever had any of this. And it was just, man, it was, oh, it was terrible. I struggled. And little by little, God began to work on my life, and I just realized that I was ashamed of the gospel. I was ashamed of my Savior. And by God's grace, little by little, He allowed me to go public with my faith. And I saw one of the other basketball players come to Christ, and little by little, some changes occurred. Well, fast forward four or five years, you know, by the end of that time, I led the kind of ministry on our campus with this bricklayer. And my dad, who was a Marine, an alcoholic, three and a half packs a day, out of my sister and mine's life, he comes to Christ. It was a radical change, and I'm coming home, you know, I think I've been out of school for a year.

Maybe it was my senior year, I can't quite remember, but I've been a Christian about four years now. And he'd been to church, and he was at a good Bible teaching church. And I said, dad, how's it going? He goes, oh, this is an exciting day. I said, well, how come, dad? He goes, oh, I'm going to get baptized today.

I said, well, hey, that's really great. He said, so when did you get baptized? Well, being the spiritual giant that I was, you know, I think it's really about the heart. And, you know, I'm really one with God. I'm in the Bible. And, you know, I was in this parachurch group, and we didn't really talk about baptism or the Lord's Supper or some other stuff. And so he looked at me like, you've never been baptized?

No. So you want to come with me? Well, dad, you know, I think it's, you know, I'm not a part of your church, and I don't really. You know, and I remember, you ever have one of those times where you can remember right where you were, and I remember walking in my bedroom.

And just sort of right now I could create that bedroom in my mind. And I remember standing in my bedroom realizing the only reason that you're not responding to your father who's less a year old in Christ and is obeying God is you are arrogant and proud, and you don't want to admit that. And it's because he turned to me and goes, so like, I don't know, you know a lot more than me, but seems like, he said, after you make disciples, the very first thing you do, you're baptized. You go public, right? Yeah, dad. That's what you do.

So, I got baptized with my father in a creek that afternoon. Oh yeah, it's awesome. It's more awesome. Hey, it's even more awesome because you clap for me.

But here's the deal. I'm going to clap for you. I'm going to have everyone stand. We're going to sing a song. If you've noticed, we're going to teach and apply, teach and apply. And I think last service, we baptized 18 people.

Last night, we baptized 30 people. And we have a change of clothes. A lot of people just go in in their clothes. They don't care.

We have plastic bags so it doesn't ruin your car. Don't look at me like that. You mean, can you imagine the Ethiopian eunuch, you know, like he's in the chariot, what must I do? And he trusts Christ. And then he says, well, here's some water. You want to be baptized? He said, you know, I really would like to, but I need to get back to Africa.

These are my good clothes. Philip baptized him. Can I just play with you a little bit? Some of you, this is just, we have people that have been in the church 23 years last night, involved in leadership and just realized, you know, I just need to obey.

We had three or four people that, you know what, they prayed to receive Christ and they got baptized this morning or last night. I'm guessing if I put a little tiny bar of gold worth about 10 grand, I'm going to put it in the bottom of that water. No, no, I'm serious. A lot of you would go, I just don't really want to mess with these clothes. I'm guessing most of you would go, who cares about the clothes?

Now, we have change of clothes, so you're in good shape. Here's the deal. We are at the height of hypocrisy to talk about loving and seeing God work outside our doors and going public out there if we have yet to obey the first command and be public with God's family. When Jesus hear me and you say, I love you, He looks and says, oh, these are my followers. These are my sons and daughters that give extravagant gifts to me for love, not tax deductions. These are the people that unashamedly in the marketplace, winsomely, lovingly, not over the top, not religiosity, not better than, not self-righteously, but they just winsomely acknowledge that I'm the Lord of their life and they're public with their faith. They profess me when it's unpopular.

They profess me even if it's illegal. The third event isn't Mary expressing her love and the third event isn't even this moment where this great parade occurred. The third event is when a group of Gentiles or Greeks come and they ask Jesus a question and this question will literally like click in or put the firing pin, if you would, in to a prophetic moment that all the time that has been prepared for Jesus coming to the earth, it would like signal it has now been activated. It's going to happen.

It's going to happen in the next seven days. You remember in chapter two where his mother said to him, you know, son, they've run out of wine, could you kind of do something with it? My hour has not yet come. Chapter seven, do you remember when they wanted to make him king by force? And it says he slipped through the crowd because his hour had not come. You might remember when his brothers said, hey, they didn't believe in him at the time. Hey, you know, you're such hot stuff, you're doing miracles out there, why don't you go to this Passover? And he says, you all go ahead, any time is good for you.

My hour has not come. When these Gentiles want to see Jesus, they're what's called God fearers. They're people that were Gentiles and Greeks and they were so attracted to the Jews and their love and the monotheism instead of all these idols that they'd become proselytes who were following Judaism. And now there's a Messiah and they want to meet him. And see, Jesus came for the whole world.

And when these non-Jews take these steps, it's almost like, damn, it goes into process. Follow along as we read. We pick it up at verse 20. Now there were some Greeks among them who went up to worship at the feast. They came to Philip who was from Bethesda in Galilee with a request, sir, they said, we would like to see Jesus. Well, Philip went to tell Andrew and Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Now hear his reply to this.

It's quite unusual. Jesus replied, the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it will bear forth much fruit. The man who loves his life will lose it.

Well, the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me. And where I am, my servants also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now, there's this prophetic moment. Now my heart is troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your Son.

This request, bam, it starts. And Jesus is thinking, he's like you. You know that feeling we have, I do it God's way, do it my way? Because he was fully God but fully man, he felt that. He's tempted like us. Everything in him said, oh, should I, I can't bail out.

This is why, this is my purpose. Notice how God the Father confirms it. Because yes, he was God, but everything Jesus did, he did it in dependence on the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. He lived the Christian life the way he modeled for us. He didn't just rip off his robe and have a big S on his chest when it got tough and said, well, I'm God.

He did it as being fully human. And so he needed affirmation like we do. So notice what happens, then a voice came from heaven. I have glorified it and will glorify it again.

And the crowd that was there heard it and said, they thought it thundered. Others said, no, an angel has spoken to him. Jesus said, this voice was for your benefit, not mine.

Now is the time for judgment on this world. Now the prince of this world will be driven out, speaking of Satan. But when I am lifted up, John always uses this of going to the cross. And the word, it's interesting, there's a prefix. It's literally being lifted up but lifted out of. So it prefigures not only the cross, but he's going to be lifted out of the earth in the resurrection. I will draw all men to myself. He said this to show the kind of death that he was going to die. Something big's happening here.

This request, the hour has come. If you, most of us are Gentiles, some of you are from Jewish background. But if you were a Gentile and went to the Passover, and you heard about all these miracles, and then you met him, and you said, hey, we'd like to meet you and ask a few questions, would you expect the answer to be, unless a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it will bear much fruit.

I mean, would that like ring with, oh wow, right? And we don't even know whether he ever met with him. See, what this was was this is a prophetic moment that put something in gear. Now Jesus is explaining to his disciples the only way for God's purposes to be fulfilled. First he's speaking of himself. I must die so that others can have life. When he dies on the cross, he pays for the sins of all people of all time. And when he rises from the dead, he proves it's true. Being fully man, he could die. Being fully God, his death had infinite value to cover the sins of all people of all time, that whosoever would believe and trust in him would have eternal life. But he doesn't stop with, it's a principle as well as a truth.

And then what's he say to them? If any man, if any woman, if you want to save your life, use the word, we get psychology, suke or so. If you want to save the real part of you that really matters, anyone seeks to save his life, he'll lose it. But if anyone is willing to lose his life, Zoe, your physical life, he'll save it. And he's saying that I'm calling you to follow me and where I'm going is to the cross. And the only way people will have life is if I go to the cross and I die, then I will rise. And he's saying the only way that you'll have real life, joy and peace and purpose and God's plan for your life is you die. And there's a very narrow path of following him and there's a wide path that everyone says, Hey, Ed, here's what you do, this is what matters.

And Jesus is a little thing over here. He says if you try to stay in control and do your life your way and not follow me, you'll lose your life. And then he goes on, Those who are mine who serve me, they must be with me. Where's he going?

He's going to the cross. See, the day of the last 30 to 40 years of evangelical Christian America, I love prayer, I love Jesus, try and be a little bit nicer than other people, give a little money here and there. And Jesus is your self-help genie and what he really wants to do is make you prosperous and happy and you never get sick and everything turns out right. If you're single, you meet Mr.

Wonderful and if you're married, it's this amazing marriage with no problems whatsoever and all your kids turn out absolutely wonderful and they go to Ivy League schools and then they just love you, love you, love you, love you and everything's perfect. And you know that's not true, but the gospel of American Christianity has been by and large Jesus plus something that he could work out for your agenda will make you happy. I got news that doesn't work in Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, China, Sudan or Syria. It's Jesus plus nothing.

And by the way, it doesn't work in America. And we are now entering into a phase in American life where some intellectual commitment that I, quote, believe in Jesus and I'm going to try and be a nice person is not the gospel. He's saying, will you follow me? You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and we'll continue our series Jesus Unfiltered Volume 3 in just a second. But let me ask you, do you feel bombarded by negative, depressing or even sinful thoughts? If you want some help overcoming them, join us after the teaching as Chip talks about the practice of renewing our minds and highlights a resource we have that can help you take every thought captive. Stick around to learn more.

Well, with that, here again is Chip. See, what happens is we get expectations about this is what it means to follow him and we want to follow him as long as he makes our life work out on our terms, on our schedule, right? When we're human, everybody does that. In fact, watch the text. This group of people has the idea, as we mentioned, that you're going to come and pull down Rome and now he's talking about being lifted up and dying and so they're going to say, no, wait a second.

The crowd spoke up. We've heard that from the law that the Christ will remain forever. So how can you say the Son of Man must be lifted up?

Who is the Son of Man? And he answers. Jesus told them, you're going to have the light with you a little while longer. Walk while you have a light before the darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he's going. Put your trust in the light. What's he said about himself? I'm the light of the world.

Why you have it? So that you may become sons of light. When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and he hid himself from them. See, we can have this picture of what following him is, but it really is very subtly is following him on our terms. And what he's saying to them and what he's saying to us is once you receive eternal life, there needs to be a moment in your life and mine where we bow the knee and we say to him, I surrender and I'm going to follow and I don't know what it means, but I want you to know that my future and my relationships and my finances and my dreams, I believe that you're so good and so loving and so holy that your purposes for me are better than what I could come up with and so I trust you. And often he just is so kind. So kind he brings great people into your life and for some of you he's made you upwardly mobile and he's opened great doors, but that's not part of the package. That's just grace and blessing because I don't know what next week is going to be.

I don't know what next year is going to be and neither do you. But if it's based on what you get and trying to manipulate him, you will have one of those days and I hear many Christians and they're, you know, I believed in Jesus and then my mom got cancer. You know, I believed in Jesus until one of my friends got hit by a drunk driver. Oh, so I believe in Jesus as long as my life works out my way on my schedule, on my terms in a fallen world and you know, God's way bigger than that.

In fact, notice what happens. He's now going to speak to this group of people that have had all this truth. The Jewish leaders, most Jewish leader, a rabbi, would have all the Old Testament memorized. I mean, they know the truth, know the truth, know the truth, know the truth, but they refuse to obey, so watch what happens. Even after Jesus has done all these miraculous signs.

I mean, how many people need to raise from the dead or heal before people get you're the man? They still would not believe in him. If you have your own Bible, would you underline would not? Not did not, not could not, they would not.

Here's the facts, here's the data, here's the truth, they wouldn't. And for those that refused to, they're hardening their heart. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah, the prophet. Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For this reason, they could not believe because as Isaiah says elsewhere, he has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts so they can neither see with their eyes or understand with their hearts nor turn and I would heal them. Isaiah said this because they saw Jesus' glory and he spoke about it.

This is reference to these Jewish leaders. They've seen miracles, he's taught, he's raised people from the dead. Here's the deal, when you have a lot of truth and you reject it and reject it and reject it, what happens is it's harder and harder to hear God's voice. It's harder and harder to get in touch with God. And when you have that much truth and you reject, reject, reject, the heart gets hard at some point in time, like with Pharaoh. Pharaoh hardened his heart and then God hardened it. And now they've come to the point of no return.

That's a very dangerous place to be. But there's good news, notice the next group of people. Yet at the same time, many, even among the leaders, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees, they wouldn't confess their faith for they feared they would be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise from God.

And it's like this last plea. Jesus shouted, when a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. I have come into the world as light so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. God loves people.

Notice what happens. As for the person who hears my words, but does not keep them, I do not judge him. I do not come in to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words.

Here's what judges you. The very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I didn't speak on my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know this is his command, and it leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say. When Jesus hears you driving in the car and you're sort of overwhelmed in some reason by how good he's good and you say, I love you, or when you're praying and you have one of those deep times with God and you say, I love you, or when you're in a big, big jam and you just think, oh, God, I love you, help me, Jesus would say, as we go on the journey together, I measure and feel like you really love me when from your heart you make extravagant gifts to me, from your heart when you give public acknowledgement that I am the Lord of your life, and even appropriately at work and with your neighbors and at the gym. And even, here's the application, love gives sacrificially of your life, even at the cost of your life.

And so this isn't like trite religion. This is a person, this is the creator of the universe who came to this earth and is called then and is called now, will you follow because where I am, my servants need to be. And have you ever surrendered your life to him? Have you ever said to him, I really am all in?

And whatever that means. And by the way, if part of your emotions right now aren't like, man, that is scary, then you are not listening. Because if it's not scary, if there's not a sense of, whoa, what if he, because I don't know what he'll ask. I know he will test all of us, but here's what I can say. The offer goes something like this, in view of all of God's great grace, I command you, I urge you, I plead with you, offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to him. This is your spiritual or reasonable act of service. It's what God really wants.

And don't be conformed any longer to this world and the world system, but be transformed from the inside out by the renewing of your mind, so that your life, like on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday morning and at work and with your kids and in your singleness, that your life could prove or demonstrate to everyone what God's will is, that it's good. The word means beautiful, fragrant, that it's acceptable. In other words, you'll love it, and that it's perfect.

And the word perfect has this idea of it's according to a design that is exactly right for who God made you to be and what he wanted you to do. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and the message you just heard, Love Gives, is from the third volume of our Jesus Unfiltered series titled Love. Chip will join us in studio to share some insights from today's talk in just a minute. The Bible tells us we love because Jesus first loved us. In our study in the Gospel of John, Chip will help us better understand this divine love. Discover from Christ's perfect example five foundational qualities of godly love that can lead to more fulfilling relationships with others and a deeper connection to our Heavenly Father.

Now, if you've missed any part of this series, the Chip Ingram app is a great way to catch up any time. Well, I'm joined in studio now by our Bible teacher, Chip Ingram. And Chip, you know, often in the Christian life we get spiritually stuck, and when we try to dig ourselves out, we get just overwhelmed and defeated. Take a minute and talk about how you've dealt with this struggle in the past.

Well, I want you to know I developed a habit about 30 years ago. When I would get stuck, what I realized was I was believing lies, or I'd had struggles that continued over and over and over, and I needed to attack the lies, not just my behavior or my emotions. And so I came up with these cards, and we call them truth cards. For example, I get frustrated when people interrupt my schedule when they cut in front of me because down deep what I believe is my stuff, my time, and me is more important than other people.

Now, that's hard to actually admit. So what I wrote on the card is, I get frustrated and angry when people interrupt my life, dot, dot, dot. And then I write on the bottom, stop. Then I flip the card over, and from John 13, Jesus says, If I, being your Lord and Master, serve you, blessed are you when you do this for one another. And so what I realize is that blessedness comes from service, but instead of trying hard and beating myself up, these truth cards, I read them over in the morning, I read them over at night, I identify a few lies, and then I get the truth. And so we've made these up for you, and let me tell you, it has radically changed my life. Love to put them in your hands, because transformation doesn't happen by trying hard.

Transformation happens by renewing our minds. Amen, Chip. Well, to order your set of our Gospel of John truth cards, go to LivingOnTheEdge.org, or call us at 888-333-6003. As you read through and meditate on these 21 cards, you'll expose the lies we've bought or fallen into and replace them with the rock-solid truth of God's Word. To learn more about this helpful tool, visit LivingOnTheEdge.org, or call 888-333-6003. App listeners, tap Special Offers.

What with that, here again is Chip. As we wrap up today's program, I think the context of John chapter 12 is really apropos for today, because it's a big religious movement, and there's all these people coming in to worship God, and the two major events is that as the multitudes are praising Jesus as the Messiah, he makes a big challenge that love gives public recognition. I mean, it would be a very scary thing to go against the establishment, but love willfully, boldly proclaims, I'm a follower of Jesus.

And the second thing is love sacrificially gives of oneself, and what we see here is that as we even ended the teaching time, the greatest, most extravagant, important gift that you could ever give is yourself. And so I want to ask you as we think about love and what it looks like to really love God, to express it back to him, just two questions. Is there a way today that you could publicly identify as a follower of Jesus, not just I believe in God, or I'm a good person, or I show up to work on time, but where out of your mouth Jesus is my Lord in an appropriate way? And the second is, you know, all those religious people were missing the boat, and I think we're living in a day where going to church, trying to be good, the whole consumerism that's happened in the American church, I think it's easy to think that we're doing just fine, and I want to ask this question very gently. Are you a surrendered follower of Christ?

Are you all in? I mean, is your time and your money and your future, your singleness, your family, I mean, does everything that you have and everything that you are revolve around who Jesus actually is? That's what he's calling them to do in this passage, and his blessing, his joy, his power, and being used by him requires that surrender is the prerequisite. Can I ask you today to really ask God, Lord, am I surrendered? And then would you believe and trust that it's the greatest, safest, best place to be for every day and for all eternity?

Great word, Chip. And if you really want to surrender your life to Jesus and pursue him wholeheartedly, we want to help. Go to TrueSpiritualityOnline.org and check out our resources. You can order Chip's popular book, True Spirituality, get some small group materials, or watch countless insightful videos. These tools are designed to show you the clear path to becoming a genuine, all-in follower of Christ. Check them out today. That website again is TrueSpiritualityOnline, all one word,.org. Well, thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. I'm Dave Druey, and I hope you'll join us again next time. .