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June 18, 2019 6:00 am
Let me ask you something. When's the last time you were talking to God personally and intimately thanked him for the great progress you're making. I mean, I find people that no matter how much progress you make. You never feel like you measure and behind that is the sense that God is down on. Here's the real question, how do we work out what God is already working.
Stay with thanks for joining us for this Tuesday edition of living on the shipper group serves as our Bible to Truman's daily international discipleship program brewery teacher continues his series I choose love.
Just before we get started, let me encourage you to try using chips message was these three notes contain chips outline scriptural references and much more will help you remember what you hear and share what you're learning. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org and click listen now you have a Bible open it to Philippians chapter 2 and let's join Chip for part two of this message. Love obeys.
I came up around the group you came up around a group and these groups have thoughts about the sovereignty of God and responsibility of men and I and I would just say you know some of you struggle with guilt because no matter how much you do it's never enough because you live with this.
You know there's never enough God's down on nothing extreme that's that's not what should be thought some of you are like Elaine back to the point of you not doing what you need to and what you have, the son of God's in control.
He really is in control but that doesn't excuse you. So what you want to do is you want to say I don't want what Calvin taught and I don't want what Jacob Arminius taught I want what Jesus taught, what the New Testament says I went with the word of God says, and this can be certain times in certain passages I been doing this for quite a while. I don't fully understand. I don't think anyone fully understands got plenty of truth to know this. I will stand before God as a follower of Jesus and give an account for my time energy my money and my decisions and I been around long enough to know this is despite my mistakes might my difficulties. The times even that I've seen the times when I knew what was right and I didn't even do it. There is this patient, kind, loving, sovereign God that's working even those difficulties and things and people done to me in circumstance. I can understand because he such a ready good good father and so becoming like Jesus and following him as a cooperative effort. Your effort and discipline to mine not turn but to mine out the grace that God's given you will. The question then becomes, is how do you work out what God work 10 minutes is nice to hear that I can't give you the theory and the history will practically how do you do it will will Paul this is a really amazing thing.
After chapter 2 verse 12 and after verse 13. Guess what comes verse 14 and 15, 16 and 17. So guess what Paul's going to do.
He says I want you to obey to be the kind of follower of Jesus fully by his grace, even if I, I don't come, but the goal is I want to be under the hearing, so I'm going to give you very specific things to obey so that you have unity and that God uses you in this perverse generation, so are you ready get your pen out keep your Bible open here's command.
Number one he says do everything without complaining or arguing. So the command is be a grateful servant be a grateful servant.
If not to be overly technical. But if you had the Greek text in your hand you would read it. He would go over what the word order is completely out of order, they took the word everything and do everything and it belongs in the back of the sentence and they put it all away in the front of the sentence for what emphasis drive your car pay your bills live with your mate respond to the government and pay your taxes, how do everything without complaining or arguing word for complaining. Here's basically grumbling.
It's that infectious negative attitude. It's really about be a grateful servant in your speech and your attitude. Don't whine, don't complain, don't talk about your boss or your supervisor behind their back. Don't be negative.
Don't be critical. Don't be sarcastic, don't put people down is getting pretty convicting just meet ups and myself.
But not only don't complain, but don't argue it's a legal term. It has to do with dissensions and disputing, and taking sides.
Can you imagine what would happen. Just hypothetically, if every genuine follower of Jesus obeyed this with regard to their social media.
No complaining, no arguing, no dissensions, no name-calling, no attacking other people see this was happening in the Philippian church and is this happening.
Anybody else's home is happening at work. Anybody else a small group this is happening everywhere is see what is going to say is you want to work out your salvation you want to go into training and practice begin with your speech because Jesus said the good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good. The evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil, for the mouth speaks. By that which fills the heart.
The two most vivid ways to know where you're at in your journey with the Lord Jesus is asked what does my money say about my values and what does my speech say about my heart and those two things are just pretty black-and-white. If it's negative if it's complaining if it's putting people down's, see if you change your speech. Your heart has to change our our kids. We had some that were less negative in some more negative. I had one that was extraordinarily negative she can out of the womb licentiate guess we know who it is. I mean she was just sobbing the glass never got half-full and and so we got a jar and we wrote missions on it and Annie speech and all my kids memorized Ephesians 429 let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification.
According the need of the moment that might give grace to those who hear. And so we started out with every time a negative, cannot she put a dime in the jar. Then we went to quarters and we went to $0.50 piece.
She was a very generous commissions at the church and Shiva hear something. She went into training.
She went into training and we talked about and she began to memorize verses that you know what part of that was a leadership gift that she has that when she looked like she saw what was wrong and then when she thought it came out of her mouth at the same time she did not get that from her mother so so we went into training together to get a hold of our speech.
You might evaluate things and see something that all that should be over here instead of like that or that's not the right attitude or we need to fix that work that's might be a real giftedness you have. But when it comes out of your mouth in the wrong context and not in the right way with the right tone of voice. This unified. Second, he says this is for a purpose. The purpose of being grateful is so you can be a godly servant God wants us to be godly, godly, publicly guide godly privately and godly. Personally circle the word blameless circle the word pure and circle the word without fault the word blameless his relationship to the outside world. It means the people at work, your neighbors, people the coffee shop dry cleaners the team 1 Your Kids Pl. on should be blameless. Be the kind of Christian that they're not going all my gosh. That person says they're Christian but listen to their language. Listen to the putdowns you look look at their morality. He says none of you be blameless, not perfect blameless nightly note when God shows you that your life is ungodly and it would reflect negatively on Jesus and his church.
She say I can't live that way. Second, it's privately it says blameless and pure word pure here means like undiluted wine or it was used of metal that didn't have a mixture of both, like iron and something else in it it's it's pure. This is about your motives. This is about when no one is around. Who are you really and then finally he says not only blameless and pure but he goes on to say, without fault, and again here doesn't mean in terms of perfect but without fault is relationship to those in the church and especially relationship to God. The word was used for like an animal without blemish in your offering and your sacrifice. And so, and in essence what is really saying is I want you to obey all it should be the kind of Christians in a really tough world that your positive thankful people not positive thinking you're genuinely thankful in your speech and your actions reflect that. Second, I want you to be godly on should be godly for the outside world on should be godly and have personal integrity within and on should be godly in terms of your relationship with God. Love the next line where he says, so that you can do something in a very crooked and perverse generation coming. We all here. We want see the world change right well believe the world is ugliness it's crazy right now and I people asked mealtime what can I do this is what we can do be grateful.
People be godly people and noticed the result is to be a bold servant and action in words. He says when you're godly in the midst of a crooked and perverse. Literally it's a twisted generation, and I think it's even more twisted now than it was then.
But, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out or literally hold forth the word of God and so he says to them this is this is the kind of Christian, I want you to be and when you do that you're demonstrating something you're making a difference.
It's like there's a black backdrop and your shining in this corrupt world like shining stars and people take notice. I have a very good friend who decided to leave a very powerful lucrative job had a great position extremely well paid and there came a time where the company and those in power were asking him to make some decisions but lacked integrity and he had worked with all the other people in the company and sort of set a standard that no matter what, we will compromise and people knew he was a follower of Christ and integrity really mattered in came to the point where he crossroads and out of integrity. Let that go and it told me little bit about the last day with all the employees in these communities are high tech grown men and women in a fast-paced world, overwhelmed with emotion like a bright shining star in the midst of a cutthroat make money fudge the facts. How do we make it look faster and better that we can go public or whatever the goals are, and someone steps in says there's something that matters more than money. I'm a follower of Christ it's the truth that set you free and I'm gonna stand on my convictions regardless of the consequences, and there was an entire company that saw a star shining brightly notice you shine like stars in your your bold you hold forth God's word you not ashamed to be a Christian in your neighborhood you not ashamed of the Bible at work. Do I understand you to get some flack. Of course, did the early disciples get some flack did Jesus get some black reformers get some flack at some point time we have to realize it's coming. It's so let's respond in a loving way. Let's shine like stars. Let's be the church that all my lands. They remodeled another school. All my lands are taken in the refugees. We just had a team come back from India they did.
They did all that dental work in metal medical work on my land says all my lands anyway. That must be from my mother, my childhood want to know how to work out what God worked in be a grateful servant be a godly servant be a bold servant, and finally his whole motive was I'm not down on you.
Philippians. This is in the listed do all the stuff of some religion begin joyful Christian. Here's my motive, my motive is that I can stand before God and honor of him executed or not executed. I'm to stand before God and ghost in the day of Christ. I didn't run in vain or labor in vain. But I poured out my life like a drink offering on the sacrifice and the service of your faith in what he's picturing here is that that's a picture of getting executed. The second is Old Testament picture of when you would offer a sacrifice and they would take maybe wine and poured on the altar as it's going up it's a drink offering pieces of my blood of my life that want to drink offering.
Here's the deal. I'm going to be glad and I'm going to rejoice in dying. So you to be glad and rejoice with me, that amazing as you look at the back page. The first couple questions are ones you can just do by yourself but grab a cuppa tea coffee cup Diet Coke and put your feet up somewhere in the next 2448 hrs. and Satan.
You know what what expectations do I have in terms of what I think God's going to do for me and are they are the accurate and in what you don't deploy to. I think God expects of me for some of you need a big dose of grace that here's here's what he expects that you receive his love and for others.
He expects you get off your derri�re and quit expecting them Bible to read itself and to discipline yourself to godliness so he can let you experience what you are to possess where you see growth and progress in the working out of what God is worked in unison with you. You just go so negative how I ought to be more.
This ought to do more this autumn were doing this about writing down I become more patient. I become more generous and you know what I'm I'm a better dad than I used to be.
I'm a high cleanup in my with my roommates. Write down where God and encourage you and then where you need to focus effort and energy to allow Jesus life to be manifested in you and through you and and you know these words right to come right out of the text you, not just just don't check them all. You go nuts if you already have, but just ask yourself you know Lord whisper this prayer Lord Holy Spirit would you show me which one at the most to visit my attitude, speech, boldness, authenticity, godliness, just in and check one of those and then just say Lord I can't do this.
I can't do this but you can so I'm I'm telling you I'm in adequate in your power my adequacy. So, would you help me, help me to ship right back. If you're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with different chips message today. Love obeys is from his series, I choose love. If your heart's desire is to love more, or love better this series I choose love will help you do that to help you take advantage of the resources for I choose love. We've temporarily discounted the CDs and the MP3s are absolutely free with her there for you or a friend ordering is easy when you go to LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 will chip it was about a year ago. God led you and Teresa to take a step of faith to focus 100% of your time on Living on the Edge will in the season of our midyear match. Could you explain what led you to that decision and what you see happening as a result of all days, I'd be glad to had no idea that we were having an impact in the Middle East that our satellite ministry was doing what was doing to be in the Middle East in and take the real God. In Romans 12 true spirituality and take these core discipleship materials 23 different countries came and I saw God work in ways like never before, and I saw that with this proliferation of people coming to Christ they need to discipleship resources at the same time had been to China three times in about a year and Saul God opened doors that I could not imagine. And then I was traveling around the United States and and pastors in young people were asking hey how do we deal with all this new world and this just sexual confusion, and I feel like a small person that I'm narrowing people or down on me just because I'm a Christian and I need help those three factors lead us to say to our church body. You know something, it's been a joy to be here for almost 10 years, but I'm going to transition from being the senior pastor of one church to focus on how we can help thousands of churches here in America and then around the world. And as we have taken that step.
All I can tell you is a passage from Jeremiah 3227 has been my experience, he says, behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh is anything too difficult for me and what I can tell you is, the answer is no God has led Teresa and me at this season of our life when it's a little scary. Honestly, to give our time more of our money and all of her energy to the calling of Living on the Edge to help Christians live like Christians here in America and in China and in the Middle East.
Since that time a year ago. I can't explain to you what I've been able to see God do and the partnership that people of come around us in intensive prayer and in generosity like we have never ever seen.
So that's what I'm doing. That's why I'm doing it and actually right now during this match season, I invite you to join us. There are dark clouds hovering over America and China and the Middle East.
And I believe the God of all flesh can cause light to shine, but is when Christians live like Christians ordinary people that he does extraordinary things. First, in them and then threw them and that's people like you and me. So will you. First, pray for us and then second when you join us during this match season, every dollar you give will be doubled and you can't get better than that. That's as a result of a small group of friends that said ship.
We believe in this calling on your life and Living on the Edge and we want to match every gift during the season so pray and ask God what party would have you to play and then just simply do whatever he shows you to do and by the way thanks in advance for what ever he lead you to do were so grateful thanks to our midyear match is made possible by a handful of generous friends of the ministry. So now's a great time to send a gift to support the work you're Living on the Edge. Every gift you give between now and July 7 will make double the difference.
You can donate online at http://livingontheedge.org or call us at 1-888-333-6003. That's 1-888-333-6003. Thanks for your generosity will now with a final thought. Here's chip as we wrap up today's program. I would remind you that the title of this message is love obeys. In other words, when God is working out through his Spirit and were responding by faith and obedience. It ends up we obey.
We are obeying what he says in his word Jesus would say to his disciples on the very last night on the earth. He said he that has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me and he that loves me will be loved of my father and we will come and disclose ourselves to him. Intimacy with Jesus at the heart of it is by faith we obey.
In other words, we work out what God has worked in the work of Christ in our place and as I cut through this and you heard a little bit earlier in the broadcast. We talked about being grateful and godly and bold and joyful and you know we walk through this passage in Philippians chapter 2 and then I ask you to do a little analysis and reflection and and at the first part. What I want you to do honestly say where if I made progress. In fact, this is one of those where you really need to download the note LivingontheEdge.org and get the notes because all of these questions are here and then I listed attitude authenticity speech, boldness, godliness, and then in the notes I give the definition, but what I want you to do is say where am I making progress in my attitudes where my making progress in my boldness aware my making progress in my speech then I want you sit quietly before the Lord and maybe have the notes out in front of you and say Lord. Where do you want your spirit to take more control.
Is it my speech is it my attitude is, is there ungratefulness and my heart is there unforgiveness in my heart. It is a lack of boldness is it that everyone knows I'm a great guy.
Your wonderful gal but they don't know why, Lord, I pray right now for my brothers and sisters as we are together, saying, Lord, we want to obey. We know that love obeys. We long for you to show us where were making progress, that we might rejoice and thank you and we long for you to show us that one thing, or that one or two things that are very specific that we could bring to you and asked that by your spirit in the power of your word through community you could transform us more into the likeness of your son, Lord. That's our prayer. We know you answer it and so we thank you in advance for what you gonna do the message notes chip mention just a minute ago are available on our website LivingontheEdge.org just click listen now will I hope you will be with us again tomorrow is to continue Sue's series I choose to live this very verbally saying thanks for joining us for this edition of living will be a