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June 24, 2019 6:00 am
Is it possible to be a Christian without being religious or what if it's possible to be very religious and be blinded by our traditions and actually not even be a Christian find out that's today living welcome to this Monday.
Addition of living on the road with different serves as our Bible to this daily international discipleship program today. Chip continues a series I choose hope by explaining that whatever we put our hope is ultimately what we worship, which means we could be completely sincere, but actually worshiping something other than God. There is silver well let's get going here. Strip with part two of this message finding Hope from Philippians chapter 3. The apostle Paul said I know all about God. I had memorized.
I kept all the rules. I was morally pure. I fasted the right days. I went to the temple I sacrificed.
If you can get there on your own. I was over here but what they say. I counted the word is garbage and one translation it's dung and another translation is just a really graphic work.
He said I look at all the junk all this self effort all the religiosity compared to intimacy and life in grace and power in the transformation over here. I was a slave to religion, son of God was a slave and when you try to earn it on your own.
You get arrogant and anyone who doesn't disagree you take amounts. We tried to take out the church and in Jesus revealed himself. The surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, and he doesn't say this is very interesting noticing the text he doesn't say who's for whose sake I lost all of that, he changes the word whose sake I have lost all things that you even understand this was not like this like Bible world. This is a guy that is a Roman citizen comes up in Tarsus there sort of the elite in the Harvard, the Yale the Stanford of his day, but that's where he and he's the number one student of the number one professor and he's the star and he's the man he he's so much so that what when this this way this Christianity starts. He goes after the loss. His reputation alienated from his family kicked out of his position of power lost his money, became an outlaw ended up being persecuted when he says I lost all things. This isn't some theoretical all this is a transfer of intellectual issues. This is, I count all of it, not just the religious side but everything I've lost everything that people value, power, money, fame, success career upward mobility can handle all of that, compared to Christ wears his hope in a person's in a person is the second person of the Godhead from the foundation of the earth would give us freedom to choose to accept or reject him, and then knowing the consequences would actually from the foundations of the earth. Agree with the father and agree with God the Holy Spirit that he would come and be born, that he would grow up absolutely dependent and live an absolutely perfect life, so that people would know you ever want to know what God's like Jesus said the father and I are one. He came in he explained him you read to the Gospels you want to know God's like just look at Jesus life you know what it wanted feel that this is how he feels about hypocritical people. It's not pretty.
This what he feels about people that are hurting and broken and honest income, and then he came, knowing that he came to seek and to say that which is loss of he purposely set his face like a flint, and set him to go to that cross. I know the break. It's gonna be with the father. I'm gonna hang on that cross.
And when I hang on that cross. I'm to take the sins of all people of all time and I will be the sin offering being fully man and fully God and the father will pour his just wrath out on the sin that separates people and I will absorb it and in that moment he'll turn away and I will be hidden in the earth, and I'll declare the victory in the shields. The word place of the dead, and I will rise and victory and conquer Satan Congress and conquered death, and I will ascend to the father and I will be at his right hand and I will open my arms to whosoever would believe I will forgive your sin. I will bring you in relationship with me and eternal life will begin the moment you turn from your sin and receive me and all can follow me. The surpassing value in the spirit of God is the one who will live inside of you and you will be sealed and you will be adopted and you have an inheritance in the spirit of God will actually manifest the very presence in person of Jesus, so that the goal of the Christian life is not fire insurance.
The goal is, and I prayed a prayer. The goal is it that I have life after death.
The goal is I didn't have a relationship with God, and now the surpassing value is. I am now connected with God solely and completely based on Christ work on the cross and his resurrection, and the goal is to love him and to be loved by him. That's what Paul saying over here.
It was this is what I can do this is what I've achieved over here. This is what God has done and this is what I receive to see the difference is hope is moorings. His future sin. Jesus question is your relationship right now with Jesus growing more passionate and rich in real are you experiencing deeply God's love's forgiveness promptings from his spirit hunger for his word, a sense that there's purpose and direction in the he actually wants to even use you to help others that as you do that things happen you can explain another what is it is your unconscious passion to be just a little bit more moral and in trying get God to work things out so that what your hope really is and can come in resident and himself to God doesn't give his glory to another and he won't be a means he's not a means for your kids to get into the right school. He's not a means for you to be happy he's not a means for your life to work out rot.
He's not a means that if you believe in Jesus your marriages goes great. He's not a means that all you kids turn out right.
He's not a means he's the end.
Another amazing thing about grace as Esther hope is in him there sort of a domino effect that it impacts all those other things but none of those things ever can become your hope that forewarned often don't let him not because God's mad because he loves us and doesn't want us to miss. There's three big takeaways I think that are super practical from this passage I like to share with you whatever we put our hope in will determine what we worship whatever we put our hope in will determine what we worship. If my hope is in my job I worship it of my hope is in my family are my mate, I worship it is my hope is in someday some way I'm going to I will worship it but hope is in money or worship false hope is always focused on the external rules, the laws, success, status and salary and the confidence in that hope was this is what I gotta do workaholism, believe me I understand that one. It's all about what you can accomplish what you gotta do in the text.
It was circumcision the law and religious works, but in our day. The external can be church attendance or morals that external can be your worship education you worship your kids, your homework from life is run your kids their education there supports the traveling team can be money that can be can be your looks. When I believe in working out as much as anybody I got news for you, no matter how many vitamins you take how much you work out and how many surgeries you can afford to get old and you get wrinkles and probably a lot more but you know what, ask yourself what's my hope in is it when I make partner as my kids get in the school see what happens is if your hopes in anything other than Jesus. It doesn't have the power to deliver and so false hope is in external things in the confidences and yourself and what you can achieve in the source of real help with those internal it's a rich, deep growing relationship with Christ. It's grace there's a sense of dependency is a sense of gratitude and empowerment and finally it's confidence in what he's done and so this is another one of those questions I'm asking me and you if you don't give me words but I could see your financial statements were all your time goes what you think about what you dream about and what you want to happen and what get you really down you would know in a minute what your hope is and what you really worship. I have a concern that an intellectual understanding of what it means to be Christian has substituted what it means to be a genuine follower and what I can tell you is there's just great pictures in our church of both people who I see when difficulty and pain and adversity comes. It's obvious where there hope is in the cave and I had a conversation just this week of maybe the most of all difficulty and I was in basement at a man and his wife of whether hope is rooted because Takeaway number two is false hope always ends in either pride or despair. If you happen to be pretty successful unconsciously or consciously. Kids look at me, look at what I did. I'm a self-made man a self-made woman look at my success. Look at my family. I got how many patents what I built.
Look at what I wear wow address look at me.
We were Christian, so we do in such a way that we do it.
The problem is that no matter what you achieve. The horizons always moving Hedda and Elder many many years ago and in the church that I serve many many years ago and he loved the sailboats and people be talking is a thing is when you're on a sailboat and if you're kind of sailing toward the sun. The horizons always moving and I didn't know exactly what he many casino people think I'm single once I get married, then none in the know will then if we have some kids will benefit kids turn out right then then then then then in the hope just keeps changing and then people realize it doesn't have the power to deliver.
I've actually sat across the table from a man who is being completely honest with me who's a billionaire who he would only be satisfied when there was a new number behind how many billions he would have and he was a follower of Jesus what his hope was in his money, super high levels of debt tell you what your hope is and things do you have the 4K yet and that is the apple 12 come out yet has sandstone done. I mean, and it is like an addiction. Are you ready to spend all kind of money this Christmas that you don't have, to impress people that don't care to get someone to look at you and say oh wow your wonderful and at the same time I and I again if this produces little discomfort. Good.
I just can't. I just came back from people that are pastoring churches of 500,000 people. They don't even have a library now. They got two books. They got a Bible and the one I gave him. It always leads to despair or pride. First Timothy one or 617 says instruct those that are rich in this present world not to be conceded or arrogant and fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God by the light, who gives us all things. Look at the last line. Why so that you cannot have anything to richly enjoy having things is not the problem it's our priorities in words or focus. Where is our hope you had a challenging experience when I lived in Atlanta. We got to be a part of the church plant in one of the really key members was a guy that done well living a very nice country club you all the right language is a spiritual guy was at the foundation group of of launching the church and probably year or so after I left I got news of an he he had this fund and I don't know if it's a hedge fund guy or whatever this or that and all I can tell you was he witnessing is missing for like a week and they found him a week later, the cabin and he had this fund and the thing had slowly gone down, gone down, gone down, gone down and he hit it because I do. His identity and hope was really and I'm a rich generous guy and they found him they put a shotgun in his mouth and a note that said, I'm sorry I failed everyone and it just just broke my heart. See we we can intellectually think our hope is in Christ. Here's how you know just look at your behavior, your behavior never lies what I believe and what you believe has almost nothing to do with what we say or what we think we believe what we believe is how we actually behave.
Our behavior reveals the core of our beliefs. It will happen again this year's tester taken it and we will have high school students that do not get the grades they want and they will pass the test they want and they will do what they do here very often so much that it's almost not reported, and they will step in front of the train because there hope is they didn't get into that school, and the pressure they feel in the chain that they think they can bring on their family and it's real here. Education is not hope. Money is not hope. How many likes is not hope.
How many followers is not hope what other people think of you is not hope. The only hope that will never disappoint is a deeply rooted relationship with the God who come through all the time. Finally, true hope is rooted in relationship and results in joy and endurance. There's a byproduct. If there's no joy in your life. Let me tell you that your hope is somewhere but is not in Christ.
He loves you these for you. He'll take you through any circumstance he has and promises always can be easy and what he promises the tribulation better not only give you joy he'll give you endurance. Hope is built on Jesus, who left heaven paid for you. Love you, cares for you.
If you're a follower. He lives in you will guide you direct you, protect you, sustain you. You might have a lot you might have a little you might be single.
You might be married might have kids, you might not, but he promises that the fruit of his living life as you stay connected to him as you experience love and peace and joy and kindness and goodness and gentleness and self-control. And your life will be full, not easy, but it's built on a hope and endurance. The apostle Paul would say well in Romans five. Therefore, we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we've obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand. That's what Paul was saying. He goes on to say, but we also boast or exalt in hope ready of the glory of God and not only this, but we exalt in our tribulation. See, when really hard times, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. You hang in there. Just hang in there, so I we need each other so we need his word hard things happen and perseverance brings about proven character. It's in the vice of life and the difficulty that you actually change and proven character produces hope because what you realizes nothing out there can ever satisfy you, but nothing out there can ever make you or break you and proven hope doesn't disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts to the Holy Spirit is given to us Lord my prayer is that you would help us this season as never before to sink our roots deep into the hope of the living Christ. Our faith is not about how many times we prayer sometimes read the Bible were happy times we come to the church or a lot of external things that those things are great means that they don't make us right it's you it's us believing your love, forgiveness, resurrection. It's a relationship. So, would you help us to put our hope in you, like never before. And Lord, I just feel compelled that you brought maybe a handful of people that need to put their faith in you for the very first time and so I ask if you're one of those people that say I need Jesus. I've been thinking about it. Could I invite you to find your hope in him right now. The bow your heart and say to him, Lord Jesus, today's my day. I want to turn from my sin and I ask you to forgive me. I place my trust in your work on the cross. Your resurrection come into my life right now. Make me your son make me your daughter will in Jesus name, amen.
Before we do anything else. I want to say the same that I said to that I was teaching. If you realize today that one of those people that you know a lot about Jesus, but you've never surrendered to him. You'd never ask him to forgive you personally to come into your life to be your Lord and to be your savior. It's so easy to know all about God, but not actually know him that was me for the first 18 years of my life. I went to a social church I heard stories about Jesus. I intellectually believe there was a God but I didn't know him I didn't have a relationship in today's your day. This is the day that he is broken through, and you understand like never before. He loves you he wants you and that problem of sin that problem of you not being the person you know and the depth of your heart. You need to be is solved. If you receive the gift by faith and so right now I would encourage you I don't care whether you're running on the treadmill driving in the car you know there's kids in the backseat taking a walk in the park at this very moment I want you to pause within yourself and cry out to God, Lord Jesus save me today. I believe you died in my place today. I believe you rose from the dead, please forgive me of all my sins based solely on the work of Jesus and his resurrection and coming to my life make me your son make me your daughter as you have done that God will answer that prayer. He longs to answer any will, in fact, if you just prayed with me.
He did so make sure you tell the greatest Christian you know I prayed to receive Christ today. Number two find a church this weekend that teaches the Bible and number three go to LivingontheEdge.org that's LivingontheEdge.org with some free resources to help you on your new journey. Welcome to the family.
If you just prayed with Chip hope you'll take a minute and call us at 1-888-333-6003. We love to talk with you and get a free resource in your hands specifically designed to help you get started out right on your new journey of faith or if you prefer you can go to our website LivingontheEdge.org just click the new believers button to find that same free resource. We just want to say welcome to the family will now here's Chip.
Hey thank you so much for the ministry that together were getting to provide for people in desperate need. I just want you to know that as you have given as you have prayed, God is doing some really amazing things and he's doing in ways that we never did before. Used to be that radio was the only way got out and now it's TV the app online and all that is happened because of our partnership and here's what I can tell you when we can help moms and dads, pastors, business people live out their faith authentically and don't get me wrong, I don't mean perfect. I just mean authentically like when they blow it they say sorry I blew it, but they live it out where Christ is Lord. When that happens the whole world changes in right now were committed that more than ever before, and we need your help. Every gift during this season up to July 7 will be doubled because of a generous small group of people that said to me Chip were committed to this and we want to help people make it easier for them to give.
So if you have never given to Living on the Edge or if you're a longtime giver. Now is the time to join us and thank you for whatever God leads you to do. If you'd like to join the team. There's no better time than today. During this midyear match, thanks to the generosity of a handful of friends of the ministry. Every gift we received will be doubled to send a gift. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org and click on the donate button there on her own page. Or you can always reach us by phone at 1-888-333-6003. While I hope will be with us again tomorrow when Chip continues his current series till the state saying thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge