I have a serious question to ask you today. Where are you in your relationship with God? If you stay with me today, you will learn exactly where you are in your relationship with God and how to take the next steps to deeper intimacy.
Stay with me. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Living on the Edge is an international teaching and discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians live like Christians. Over in the middle of Chip's newest series, Piercing the Darkness, we've looked at how Jesus, the true light, broke through the dark clouds of sin and religiosity of his day and what we can learn from his example to be a light in our godless world. In our last broadcast, we studied Jesus' parable of the sower. So today Chip dives deeper into Mark 4 and helps us apply this truth to our lives now. So with that, here's Chip with part two of his talk, Our Faith, How God Works in Us.
Let me summarize this and get it super practical. First summary point here is that their faith is to be in Jesus, the person, not the religious system or moral perfectionism. I don't know about you all, I grew up in a church until I was about 15 and I just decided I can't take any more of this. No one took it seriously. No one expected me to change.
They certainly didn't change. I came to the conclusion at about 15 or maybe 16 that, you know, I think church and God is pretty much like the tooth fairy in Santa Claus and, you know, when you're young they want you to believe in it and sort of keep you on the moral good path and then we all get old enough we realize, ah, just kidding, right? Yeah, there's probably some higher power somewhere but no one really expects anyone to live this loving, holy, other-centered life. And so I did what millions of people are doing now. That's their experience. I just opted out. I just said, I don't know what this is all about but girls are a lot more interesting, sports are a lot more interesting and my dad told me if I was really successful I'd be really happy. And so if you can become a workaholic at 12 I figured out how to do that. And if you can practice 7 or 8 at my size hours a day to get a basketball scholarship and then play around the world I figured out how to do that. And if you have to study longer and harder than other people to get good grades to be successful I figured out how to do that. And all I can tell you is I figured out how to do that and when I got to the pinnacle of my tiny little world success in a high school of, I don't know, 12, 14, 1500 I never had the more empty feeling that I ever had in my life. And a coach invited me to go to a camp where there were basketball players which was the only reason I went and then I got there and found out it was filled with Jesus freaks in 1972. The fellowship of Christian athletes.
I thought Tom Landry, he's the old coach of the Cowboys and the Hall of Fame, I mean he's speaking, how bad can this be? Well after about two days I thought it's pretty bad. I mean every morning all these guys are out there with Bibles open and I literally first three days, I'm not opening the Bible, you're not going to indoctrinate me you Jesus freak people. And then I watched them. And yeah I played a lot of hoop and had a lot of fun. I watched grown men love other grown men. I watched people of genuine character. I met people who took Jesus seriously. They're making millions of dollars and had beautiful families and their priorities were not around, look at how wonderful I am. And I still remember walking off a practice field and watching two people talk in a way with whispers and genuine authenticity that just it was like I didn't know anything about the Holy Spirit.
All I knew is I thought I don't know what they have. But in my little world of I have a pretty girlfriend, I have a scholarship and I get great grades that is empty, whatever they have is what I want. And that night that full back sang the Lord's prayer and someone shared for the first time that I can remember, I'm sure I heard it before somewhere somehow, I heard the gospel, the good news. Not try harder, be a religious person, try to be nice to everyone. I heard Chip you are far from God and inside what people can't see is you are a very selfish me centered sinner who is far from God and Jesus came and loved you, lived a perfect life and died upon the cross and he's paid for all your sin and he wants to give you that as a free gift. And he's standing at the door of your heart and he's knocking and if you'll by faith let him into your life, he will transform you and he'll be with you all the days of your life and yes he has prepared a place for you in heaven. And I didn't pray a very theological prayer but all I knew was internally I was bankrupt. By the way until you get there you can play a lot of games with God but you never really need him.
I knew I couldn't like, well I think this sounds like an interesting option along with these other things that I'm doing. Some of which I know you don't have to really big believe in God to know some things are just outright wrong. And they gave me a Bible that was fairly easy to read and no one told me I had to and I hid it under my pillow so my parents would not think I just freaked out. And I read it every morning and I read it every night. And this God who is way out there became close and personal and it was like having a coach who was speaking to my heart and my life and some of it was kind of hard revealing my arrogance and my insecurity and my struggles and some of it was and you still love me anyway and you still want to help me and you have a plan for my life. And then he brought me with a group of people that were like minded. So I don't know where you're at but this transformational life is about faith in the person of Jesus. Second Jesus creates new human hearts the same way he created the universe.
You might jot that down. Anybody remember from Genesis 1 when God created the universe what did he do? He spoke. Hebrews 11 says we by faith understand that there was nothing and God spoke the world into existence. Psalm 33 says God commanded and spoke and it was. So what you need to understand is this this is not some little religious book this just happens to be a written word of God that's sharper than a two edged sword that pierces to the soul of joint and marrow that's able to judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts and it's powerful. And so the same way that when God was creating new life he just spoke it what he wants us to understand and what the secret to the kingdom is is Jesus is saying that I speak my word into your heart and if you will receive it by faith and that means by believing it to the point of action getting in the wheelbarrow new life bonds broken new power new perspective. In fact you can put it this way our relationship to his word reveals our relationship to the Lord.
I put three little passages under this. These are Jesus words. Man shall not live by bread alone but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. I mean in other words your relationship to his word. Am I in it? Do I study it?
More importantly do I apply it? Will reveal your real relationship to the Lord. In John 8 you know we all we want God to work Jesus said to a group of Jews who just believed on him if you abide or continue in my word in other words listen to it for the purpose and put it into practice then you'll know the truth and the truth will set you free. Knowing about the truth agreeing with the truth changes nothing makes you smarter than most people but he says the people that actually have power to break addictions to solve marriages to love people they don't like to be used in ways they never dreamed they take in the word and they put it into practice and they recognize this is what's true and there's all this noise and all this junk and all these lies bombarding me and I put that into practice and then you're free. And finally Matthew 24 35 says heaven and earth may pass away but God's word will stand forever I mean it's so important obedience not knowledge is the organ of life transformation. Obedience in the west especially in North America it's subtle but we've made hearing God's word or even being in a Bible study and by the way is it important to hear God's word? Yes. Is it great and important to learn and study God's word?
Yes. There is not a correlation between doing that and genuine long term life change. It's the application of God's word it's putting it into practice that brings about the life change. Some of you that were around a while back I had back surgeries and they put a titanium bar in my back and I'm laying in the back on ice and I might be able to preach one of the four or five weekend services and we've had a big screen and I mean I was in miserable shape and there was a doctor who came up and said I think I could help you.
And so I got to know him a bit and he did an epidural in my back and it helped a little and I didn't had to get more stuff later but we became friends and just in talking with him I said tell me a little bit about your story and as he did I thought I'm not sure he gets it. And so we wrote a book called True Spirituality how to become a Romans 12 Christian that is really a discipleship book. And so I gave it to him I said hey you know if you're willing why don't you read this and why don't we grab coffee next week if you're free and we'll just kick around kind of where you're at with the Lord and life and you know so he's okay great. So he comes down we meet at Pete's and we're talking and so we're walking through here's this critical moment that doesn't happen in very many Christian's lives but when it does bam it's surrender.
And you can believe and trust but Jesus said if any man will come after me any woman come after me you deny yourself you take up your cross and you follow me. In other words you get where you say Lord I mean I've got ideas I've got thoughts I've got dreams but I'm all in I will do whatever you want me to do whatever vocation whatever direction you know it's not my money it's your money it's not my future it's your future I know you love me I know you're good you want to always give me the best so the safest place is I'll do whatever you want and it's called surrender or lordship. And so we're discussing it we're going through the very first one and I said so have you ever surrendered? He said yeah. I said when? And he looked at me like I was on drugs he goes this week? I said what do you mean this week? He goes I never heard I read that whole chapter and it was like okay so this is what you do fast forward we've met for a few years now and all the rest but I'll never forget we're like maybe not even a year in his life starts changing his value starts changing how he thinks starts changing everything starts changing and he said this I'll never forget it he said Chip there is a world of difference between being a church centered Christian and a word centered Christian this guy meets with God every day he's in the Bible every day but here's the question are you a word centered Christian? And I know you know your faces are like yeah I've tried that a few times I don't know how to do it some of you just need to just turn off your Netflix and social media and the TV just for a week just for a week and stumble through getting in God's word every day everybody does what matters you have plenty of time to do all the things that really matter I'm like you I struggle I mean there's so I get distracted so often with so much and I'm like super working at not being distracted don't waste your life don't find yourself like I did thank God it happened early what could be better I have this beautiful girlfriend I have a scholarship I get great grades I'm supposed to be happy yours is just a different set right oh when I go public or when we can have a baby or when we can remodel the kitchen when we can upgrade the car when we win win then win then win then win then win then stop it it's a lie it's as now so then as now not in the Bible so then you won't be as now focused on your life at five years at 10 years as 12 years that marriage didn't work that job didn't go well I eat junk food both in my mind and my body my body's not doing well God's plan Jesus said I came that you might have life and you could have it abundantly he made you he died for you he wants what's best for you and he said look there's a way that seems right to a man here's a path it's what everyone's telling you it ends in death here's my path right my word is a lamp into your feet it's a light into your path do life and community with others ask God where do I fit in step into living life with Jesus make that the center and the focal point of what you do and why you do it and what you're going to do I've never ever had someone say you know chip I wish you wouldn't share that stuff with me trusted Christ I got eternal life my marriage changed my insecurities came up I dealt with them I have a good relationship with my kids now I don't feel the pressure at work I'm not comparing myself with people anymore what a bummer wish you hadn't talked to me right he modeled for them the life you want to know what it looks like to be a follower you guys just be with me here's how it looks you don't know exactly how it's going to work here's the paradigm I'm the sower and the Word of God is powerful supernatural life-giving take in the Word of God and respond and as you do in the context of community you will become over time just like me you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and he'll be back to continue our series piercing the darkness in just a minute but let me quickly tell you that we are more than a broadcast ministry we're supporting pastors globally developing helpful resources and sharing the gospel with this next generation so if you'd like to join us in these efforts become a monthly partner by going to Living on the Edge dot o-r-g thanks for your support we'll hear again is chip and then third jesus tested their faith and revealed his power but don't miss this so that when he said something in the future they would actually believe it to the point of getting in the wheelbarrow and following the author is very very clear it says then he said to them let us go to the other side think of you go to the best lecture you've ever experienced in your life that's this message and then he didn't actually say this but then he says okay now let's go into the lab and let's let's try this on remember it's all about my word did you hear me i said let us go to the other side so they get in the boat storm comes up they're professional fishermen oh lord help us help us we're gonna die we're gonna die so impossible situation does anybody remember how did he calm the storm he spoke peace be still peter john james oh my and jesus shows his disciples that number one he's the lord of the natural realm that was the storm the second is the lord of the supernatural realm so they go to the other side they get there and when they get there there's a demoniac and each time it's it's impossible he has a legion of demons no matter what they do no one can control him it's impossible and so as jesus approaches he starts crying out and jesus speaks casts out a legion of demons he's clothed in his right mind before he was cutting himself they would put chains on him he would break him in other words there's such power that no one can calm tressa and i lived in santa cruz with our family and all all those things that you've read about in some of those uh books we got to experience we saw overt demonic activity and it was amazing to teach our kids at a young age how to speak out loud who they are in christ and their authority and watch demonic influences leave our home from the mouth of a 10 year old this is real stuff we don't have to be afraid third while he's on his way he now hears about a little girl who's dying and on the way it says a woman comes up and touches his garment most of you know the story but she's described as a woman who has seen all the doctors has lost all of her money in other words there's no hope each time no hope impossible situation she touches it she's healed and then what's he say daughter your faith has made you well by the way in each story they worship jesus after he does this he's the lord of the physical world and then finally he makes it and by the time he gets to where the little girl is she's already died they're mourning and he says something like hey stop she's not dead she's just asleep and they laugh you don't understand and so he goes in and how did he heal the little girl anybody remember he spoke storm stop he spoke demons flee and then he says to this little girl little girl i say to you arise why did he do that what did the disciples need to learn they needed to be in the world better with him and be scared to death and look at their version of niagara falls how can we ever follow you and learn physical world supernatural world the natural world and even the eternal realm i got you you can trust my word for your relationships for your finances for your future for your decisions but if you're not in it you can't or if you're in it because you feel like this is what good christians do oh gosh we're on a we're on a year-long reading program i haven't read it yet i'll read it really really fast i read my reading program god the lord's much more concerned about the word getting in you and you putting it into practice than he is how much you read or how many bible studies some of the most carnal people on the face of the earth know the bible better than you and me they're studyaholics they just have anger issues and they're selfish and they're religious and we don't like to be around them and they're arrogant and they want to usually argue about stuff the kind of people we want to be around or humble gentle people who realize they have struggles just like i have struggles and you have struggles and they they get up and they meet with god because he's the most important person in their life lord i'm really really struggling because it's even after all these years trees have really made me crazy last week and i'm having a tough time with it lord you know i got grown kids now i got grandkids and you know i you know we've got this big opportunity and lord i don't know what to do you know what has the answer to trust me trust me and trust me isn't like trust me is i'm going to respond to what i know and i'm going to take a baby step toward that truth and i'm going to obey whatever you've shown me to this point and i'm going to leave the outcomes to you anybody here feel like it might be time to maybe get in the word for you to find life it's the secret of the kingdom i promise to be gentle but i can't not be direct are you a person that basically is like the guy i believe you can do anything i believe you can do anything wow wow and jesus is saying great get in the wheelbarrow let's start doing life together let's stop talking about this and studying about this and agreeing with me and about we get a hold of your time hold of your relationships get a hold of your money because the only reason i gave you this is that my plan's better guess what i know where the stock market's going to be in a month i know the day you're going to die huh i know the kind of person you're looking for i know what your kids need from you i know what you need is a single person in this season to be sustained i know exactly what's going to happen at your company and who's coming and who's going and the lane that you need to be in would you like to know that's god that's getting in the wheelbarrow we so view commitment as what we're going to lose instead of what we're going to get that's why jesus said the kingdom of god is like someone who found a a great treasure and it was hidden in the land and he realized this treasure is more valuable than anything that he has and so he goes and sells all of his possession and sells his home and buys the land so he gets the treasure that's just being smart that's not being holy if you knew there was three billion dollars buried in a field and you had to mortgage your house empty your bank account cash in your life insurance in order to buy the field and then laugh when you go wow that was a big sacrifice but i got three billion dollars would anyone feel sorry for you would anyone go oh you are so holy no you're like really smart so my question do you want to be a smart follower of jesus or a dumb follower of jesus boy that was straightforward wasn't it it boils down to that before we go on i want to take just a minute to talk very privately with you i wish i really mean this i wish i could have a cup of coffee and sit across from you maybe at the kitchen table or maybe in the corner of a coffee shop and really ask you what is holding you back i have observed something and now 35 40 years of ministry that the great majority of followers of christ are kind of 60 70 80 95 committed and kind of like lord i want to do whatever you want me to do except for and then we make a list and that except for is what keeps them from experiencing the power and the love and the transformation and the usefulness to the lord and you know i made that sort of silly illustration about the bank and the money and being logically willing to you know give up a little to gain billions of dollars but it's a picture that's so true and so i would appeal to you to have a serious conversation and say lord am i all in or not and whatever the issue whatever the barrier whatever the relationship whatever the addiction the sin the struggle i just want you know we we all have that stuff but god can't work in you and through you until you just come and say holy father i desperately need you i surrender all that i am and all that i have to you and lord now i want your instruction from your word i'm going to cry out to you every day i can't do this on my own and the spirit of god is going throughout the whole earth looking for men and women and students just like you who would earnestly pray that and then take baby steps of obedience god doesn't use superstars he just uses ordinary people like you and me who say to him i'm afraid lord but i know that you're good and so i'm all in i'll do whatever you want me to do and i'm going to pursue you with all my heart i have seen people's lives change so dramatically when they drive a stake in the ground and move in that direction let me encourage you to do that today and then send me an email chip at Living on the Edge dot org and let me know what you did great idea chip and if you're looking for additional help in developing a deeper relationship with god visit true spirituality online dot org and check out our resources you can order chips popular book true spirituality get the small group study or watch countless helpful videos these tools were designed to show you the clear path to becoming a genuine follower of christ so check them out today the website again is true spirituality online dot org that's true spirituality online dot org well before we go chip i can see you're wanting to jump in here one last time to share something with our listeners thanks so much dave as we wrap up today's program i have to tell you that one of the greatest things that happens through Living on the Edge is people make jesus the lord of their life and i've read literally thousands of emails and the change that happens is just absolutely amazing and it's a chain reaction and so i just want to thank all of you that support the ministry financially because when someone makes jesus lord their marriage changes their parenting changes who shows up at work changes thank you very very much for your financial support and you know if you have not supported us or haven't supported us in a while or we just kind of like to make it a habit maybe do it monthly today would be a great day to say you know something christians need to live like christians and i'd like to help Living on the Edge thanks so much for whatever god leads you to do well if you're already a financial partner thank you with your help Living on the Edge is ministering to more people than ever before but if you're benefiting from chip's teaching and haven't yet taken that step now would be a great time to join the team to send a gift or to become a monthly partner go to livingontheedge.org or call us at 888-333-6003 that's 888-333-6003 or visit livingontheedge.org that listeners tap donate as we close are you looking to get even more plugged in with Living on the Edge and our resources then let me encourage you to check out the chip ingram app you can listen to our most recent series sign up for daily discipleship and more we want to help you grow in your walk with jesus and the chip ingram map is a great way to immerse yourself in godly enriching content thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with chip ingram i'm dave druy and i hope you'll join us again next time you
