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December 7, 2021 5:00 am
Are you lonely feeling isolated longing for something deeper in love and relationships. I mean to get hugged by someone that brother or sister in Christ, just care about you long for a place we can just be who you are and be loved in spite of your struggles, your hangups and your idiosyncrasies just like mine. That's God's plan. Let's talk about how to get thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with Living on the Edges and international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians live like Christian and were in the middle of chips new series. What Bell what next in this program he wraps up his message relationships not realistic by talking about authentic community doesn't look like and how can it transform us all coming in. If you're looking for some really practical help and how to get started in building community stick around after this message for some additional thoughts from Chip. He has some great advice to ship.
Don't miss it before we began a brief listener note originally taught the series at an outdoor venue, so you may hear some echoes and other ambient noises in this recording that appears Chip with the second half of the stock have a quick excerpt that I like to read T authentic community underlined this word is the prerequisite for discipleship.
Jesus is not looking for adherence is not looking for fans.
He's not looking for people that want to use him for anything he's looking for disciples disciples are people that learn the way of the master and they want to follow his teaching, and they want to follow his path or his lifestyle. The Greek word is not hot DOS Jesus that I am the Hadassah on the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except by me. He called them not just to believe intellectually and to agree yes Jesus died for my sin and rose from the dead, but he calls us for the full implications to take up your cross and follow me. I'll make you fishers of men.
Implicit in being a follower is the reproduction of other followers and it's by the attractive love that you share with other people that those of us that didn't grow up in the church are attracted to the real Jesus authentic community is something that we all long for authentic community goes way beyond simply being on a team or being a part of the club. Authentic community occurs when the real you shows up and meets real needs for the right reason, the right way to swing a lot of crisis shared and exchanged with the vulnerability sacrifice and devotion.
It's a place we can be just who you are and loved in spite of your struggles, your hangups and your idiosyncrasies is. I mean we all desperately want right.
We spent all this energy trying to project that were this person that were not so that somehow people will like the hologram that were sending out and as our teenagers do it, especially they get this idea that everyone's life is better than theirs and they are filled with anxiety and there filled with struggle and their parents are too busy to talk to them you know if you would read the book of Luke, here's a little challenge read the book of Luke as fast as you can. And every time he's eating with someone just market down and you will find by the way Luke is written to a Greek audience.
In other words Gentiles who don't have the Jewish background and you'll find that he's either eating with someone leaving where he's been eating with someone or on his way to eating with someone throughout the entire book. You want to reach her non-Christian friends quit quit inviting them to things except the dinner for lunch and I like you don't have to preach at them they can be any gender any background any color any sexual preference, and just eat a meal with them and just ask them questions, tell me about what it was like growing up.
What are the biggest challenges in your life, what, what are the things that make you happy.
I just let, and you know what just resist putting on your little About what they need to know and how you think they are and where they came from Jesus calls us to hospitality to invite people into our world. Now, what I have done is give you what I'm going to just characterize as the apostle Paul. Here's the Chip Ingram theory, so this didn't put this in your notes. This is a theory. This is me so part of it might be right.
Part of might be wrong but I believe it so you know you should search the Scriptures and see whether what I'm saying is true, but when as I keep reading to the Gospels and I see what Jesus did in the Jewish culture and how it developed and then you see the apostle Paul gets tapped on the shoulder and he's told by Jesus I want you to take this message to the Gentiles. What will Paul had this phenomenal mind great education will Durrant says he was the greatest intellectual mind of the first century and Paul had a great upbringing in multiple ways.
He was brilliant. He was educated and had a really great mindset so so much. Jesus did this. Jesus said this and what you find in the epistles of Paul in a didactic clear way that most of us think he says this is the watt.
This is the why this is the how. Here's the practical how to do it. That's not how Jewish thought goes so what you will find so often as you get the sermon on the mount from Jesus and Paul will come over in Romans 12 and say let me show you how in a simplified form. This looks like in your relationship to God and your relationship with the world and your relationship with yourself and your relationship with those that are believers in relationship that those are not in Romans 12, verses nine through 13. He literally are you ready he will tell you. You want authentic community. You want deep other centered life transforming loving accountable sacrificial relationships that change you. In fact, she will go on to say in the book of Ephesians that just like we see little green worms right and they get into a cocoon and they become these beautiful butterflies. The apostle Paul would say that just as little green worms need a cocoon to be transformed. He would say followers of Jesus need the cocoon of authentic community for you to become the beautiful person that he is major to be and so notice verses 910 1112 and 13. In verse nine. He'll say the real you needs to show up in verse 10, he'll say you gotta meet real needs, not just superficial ones.
In verse 11.
He's gonna say you have to do it for the right reason of the right motive and in verse 12 and 13 say you need to in the right way and by that what is going to say is out of the resources of God, not out of your own energy or your own flesh. Follow along as I read, let love be sincere. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing or pursuing hospitality.
If you had time to study that very, very careful.
You'd find there's 13 imperatives.
That's a big word for commands. The participles that have the force of these aren't options and choices. First, the real you have to show up in relationships.
He says let love be sincere.
Literally.
If you have the new American Standard says let love be without hypocrisy. The word was used in ancient Greek for a mask. It was a mass that was worn in the Greek theater in the Greek theater, all the actors were men and so they would have different mask that would portray a woman, an older man, a younger man you would learn to throw your voice and bill to be three or four characters you would go backstage put on the cost to put a mask and then you would could create this persona in the apostle Paul says number one take off your mask stop projecting stop trying to impress let the real you show up with the good the bad the ugly, the background, the family of origin.
The former addiction. The former abortion, the former divorce.
The current struggle, the vanity, the pride along with all the strengths the intellect get rid of the false humility. Let the real you show up. Now you do it progressively you do it wisely and you don't do it with everyone but he says the real you. He says take off your mask and then notice he says not only is it a matter of authenticity but it's a matter of purity. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. The reason we project so often in our deepest relationships is we have hidden sin and hidden issues that we don't want people to see purity as a prerequisite for authentic relationship.
It's true in our marriages strewn her friendships and you and we always think is so funny. We always think people will think so much less of us if they knew the real you limit. Can we just like be like just us here if you ever met some people that appear to have it all together. You know I got the perfect unibody and drive a nice car and they got into the purse of the watch of the wallet or whatever that has the right logo and they seem to be so confident have everything altogether and feel really unapproachable and and I often don't the responsive first is what intimidation, what I can tell you this is people who have the strongest exterior presentation that they have it all together are among the most absolutely insecure people you'll ever meet in your life with boatloads of needs and hurts and struggles. And here's the question do you really want to get to know them or have you sat down with someone, maybe at a party or maybe a church may been a Sunday school class and you know in a moment. Maybe your kind a week and you don't have the energy to put up anything new to say man I'm really struggling and maybe it's a little struggle, but your your careful, you begin to share vulnerably about what's going on in your life. What happens the moment someone does that to you. You're drawn to them like be the honey why because all of a sudden someone sharing the same kind of stuff that you know and I know I have in my heart and he says you know for the church pretense posturing image management. It just can't be a part of who we are what we do. So the real you have to show up and secondly it says that you need to meet real needs. It says be devoted underlined that new notes be devoted to one another in brotherly love. It's a really strong word. The word brotherly love here is that fellow store guy. I mean it's like their family and this is caring about people like deeper than blood giving preference to one another in honor. That's humility that's authentic community. It's the real you showing up, not superficial needs, but real needs needs the cost needs that you say we learn this really early and my wife is always farther down the road. The needs why I think I married her and we were in seminary and that our kids played next to these other kids and we were in these the government subsidize housing with other students and people that didn't have very much and the lady next door became a great friend, our kids played and her husband abandoned her, and she was getting a kick out of her apartment. Shortly after having a baby and a five-year-old and we were just barely make and I was working full time, going to school full-time and are our rents were about 10 days apart and Tresa came to me because they're going to kick her out of her apartment. She has nowhere to go and she is low baby chip. I think we should pay her rent. So while so I looked and I said well honey reality check.
If we do will have $10 and your name and check in our and Sundays are rents doing you know I am.
I'm on the straight commission thing and if like if something happens it will be really good and if something doesn't happen shall pay her rent. We can pay ours.
Well I will give you the whole story, but I think many times it's not about some great feeling and being noble you to say. I mean, I argued with God for three days and finally goes okay, click I got it so we paid her rent and yes God took care of her rent.
You know I did. It was like here you are in seminary preparing to what this is what what looks like you know you want to know the real education is not how many kids come here class on how many people come this is not how many beautiful buildings we have is not what the budget looks like it's the real you.
Meeting real needs. And then the key is for the right reason, the motive not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord not lagging behind a diligent little of that word means not slow to act fervent in spirit, as it is a picture I did a word study like it's like water boiling is it's a sense that your fervent you're ready you prepared the real you is showing up to meet real needs, but boy, you are you doing for the right reason. That's a prompting from God.
I sense he wants me to do something genuine.
Service notice is characterized by diligence, excellence and enthusiasm and passion. All of that last little line your fervent but it's not fervent so other people think you're a great Christian your fervent in spirit, serving the Lord about two years ago and in the midst of a lot of busyness and kind of working really hard at a bunch of stuff in. I was having one of those seasons and early in the morning and this thought came to me so convicting. I thought I better write it down and I member writing down my journal a couple years ago. Chip.
There are times when you spend more energy trying to look loving and look humble than you spent actually loving and actually being humble about you, you, that's why you have to do something silently anonymously so you break that that power to look good will. Finally, it says it to do it in the right way. The upward focus is rejoicing in hope. It's a picture of living with this eternal perspective of the Lord's return, not rejoicing in circumstances going up and down it's persevering in tribulation. The word is hoopoe manner literally needs to be under pressure or stress. Some of you actually pay money to be under pressure or stress. It's called the gym and you put you put some weight on and you do this you do this and you do this and guess what you do three or four weeks. They have to puts more weight on you mean you do it on purpose. Yes, and then you do this. We do this, many do for three or four months. Guess what, that the put on more weight as I put more you do this and do this than what the pre-sooner some definition here and you do this in the some definition here. The way you get strong is not making life easy.
The way you get strongest persevering through tribulation is trusting God for little things and then bigger things and bigger things and say I won't get then I won't give up. I won't go to the refrigerator. I won't logon I'm not going to take this pressure that I feel and go out and buy something to make me feel better, or log on or watch or eat.
God what you want to do to stay sensitive.
I want to be alive to you and he'll speak to you speak to me and devoted to prayer devoted to everything I've said so far uttered about you. You don't have a snowballs chance in hell of doing in your own strength. The life I've described is the life Jesus described Jesus would save himself.
I can do nothing on my own initiative. As I see or as I hear, I do, he would say to those disciples before they change the world, apart from me you you can't do anything prayers of deep intercession for authentic time with God are the greatest evidence of humility. If you don't need to ask God if you need to talk with God and you can run right out the door. Guess what, what you say to the eternal God of the universe that knows everything that's going to happen during today. You think Jesus good to see you. I felt a little Weber quiver when I read that deep devotional yes it was three lines in one verse, but I don't need you.
I got this I think God has said to many many Christians okay you got this. This is a beer very theologically.
Good luck. Let me know how that works out for you and is not his punishment in his mercy when I don't live dependently when you live dependently out of the sheer love and mercy of God he calls a velvet vice of circumstances and difficulties to get your attention in the words of CS Lewis pain is God's megaphone to a deaf world. If you want authentic community.
The real you is to show up and meet real needs for the right reason in the right way and I love there's an upward focus, and then an outward focus contributing to the needs of the saints.
You can study that carefully it means giving money to people that need it or food to people that needed practicing hospitality. Literally I ready for this. The root word is pursuing strangers people are marginalized people you don't know people that you look at any really think, oh boy, I don't think I want to get to know them pursuing strangers.
Is there anyone that looks kinda different. Is anyone that looks kinda sad going to the grocery store and being in the line being over there where you get your coffee and looking around.
Think are there people around me, and you have to be Mr. extern or Miss external to say hey how you doing today. I always keep at least $100 bill of 15. If you 20s and I'm asking God as best I can.
Every day is there someone that you want me to put something in their hands that will communicate to them that they matter the maybe no one else cares about.
And so you know were all different economics might be five dollars for student or 10 or 20 or 50 or you know what, I'm sure it helps them a little. It helps me a lot. It's just forces me to be thinking you and I and you know what I mean. $100 is less to some people and a lot of others and maybe not much it's is still a lot to me, for there is something so precious that happens when you see someone with a need and you qualify it and you love them and it might be five dollars or might become on and will give you meal might be someone you write thousands of dollars of checks because you know something about what's happened in their life or their business and they never need to know.
But you because they're in the body that's contributing to the needs of the saints without a tax deduction application is what is your next step toward authentic community.
When you look at these, that the apostle Paul has laid out for us.
What would be your next step. What gets in the way of you experiencing authentic community to busy no margin religious activities disconnected from like-minded believers. Are you in a meaningful growing Christ centered relationship with a handful of people if not, are you willing to ask God what next step you need to take to get really connected from the heart declare war on isolation and superficial relationships in your life right down.
John 1334 and 35 on the card read it over memorize it. Ask God to help you be at and do it.
Lord, would you help us to return to intimacy with you with each other that the cocoon of community would bring about the kind of life change that were in desperate need of God. We all want to be loved. We all have struggles we need one another. Would you grant us the grace to let the walls down and in a reverent way. Not really give a rip about what he thinks. Help us to engage we ask in Jesus name will be right back with application of this message, relationships, real estate from a series know what next.
If you were to conduct a general survey asking participants to describe what a Christian is, you'd probably be disappointed or frankly embarrassed by the results judge mental close minded, pretentious, or just a few of the adjectives you likely hear so where are believers going wrong and how can we actually become authentic images of Christ throughout this new teaching series trip answers those tough questions by describing six radical attitudes.
Jesus calls us to follow. These truths will not only renew your mind, but utterly transform the way you engage with people. If you miss any part of this new series. What know what next catch up any time on the chipping remap before I come back and talk about some application to today's message. I do understand we have been talking a lot about the match and how your gift doubles and what the ministries doing but I just want to pause for a moment and tell you may be a bit behind the scenes of why it's so important why I bleed what God is doing it. Living on the Edge. This is the part that many of you won't see that this email that I'm going to read is the standard copy that we get in fact we pray every day as a staff for 1/2 hour all around the country, we come together and and we have Excel sheets of just literally scores and scores of people and I'm telling you it's painful what people are going through and this lady writes good morning, this message is for Chip Ingram. I wanted him to know what God has done in my life to the ministry. I'm a long-time believer who wandered far from God for many years after year and 1/2 of crisis divorce and struggle to find my purpose in my place. I felt alone and unloved and unwanted and I despaired and was desperately crying out for help. I was defeated, discouraged and depressed and I thought I could go on anymore. She goes on to talk about something that came to her mind from years ago and some guy named Chip she got on the Internet and goes on to say, I've been listening every single day.
Little by little God begin to speak to my heart. Renew my mind and fill my spirit, and she says I was humbled and all by what God is done in my heart, my mind in my life I wanted Chip to know that his ministry has been used by God to save my life.
That's why I do what I do and that's why were asking you to join. Yes, there's ministry, there's impact there's international. There's equipping there's discipling. I may not diamond all that but I can't tell you how many letters and emails I get of people whose lives are fallen apart and God promised his word would go forth and not return void without doing what he says it'll do. Would you help us help so many who are hurting so deeply. Right now they would you give them kind of the information about how they can join us and why it's important here in December.
Thanks so much love to. Thanks to know if you've ever wondered how you can make a difference. What you just read should help you see that partnering with the ministry of Living on the Edge would be a great place to make a difference in the lives of people you'll never meet on your own right now.
Your gift will go twice as far. Thanks to a small group of ministry partners. Every gift we received during the month of December will be doubled dollar for dollar to send a donation. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org Donate all me up or give us a call at triple late. 333-6003 Betz AAA 333-6003. You will make a difference as we wrap up today's program. I've been talking about authentic community and it's the prerequisite for true discipleship and none of us can live this life alone, but the world has forced us into some things we have to break out of going to break out of that pattern of of isolation. Jesus revolutionized the world through life-giving authentic relationship. So here's my question. What is your next step back toward authentic community. What do you need to do in your life in your relationships with the people that you call the body of Christ were you get connected from the heart and a deep deep level and began to receive from other people and give to other people what they desperately need. Let me tell you what I did recently and I came home after church and the pastor was talking about the early church, and when they would meet together and they met in homes and they would share teaching, but then just in passing. He said you know they had a love feast and they shared a meal together in any kind of went on NSE share that I remember thinking to myself I remember going to church in Dallas when I was in seminary we were completely broke had no money for lunch. We were in the car praying about money for lunch and we got a tap on the window of the car and the couple that sat behind us when we stood up and introduced one another said hey can we take you to lunch and so that went through my mind.
And as we were sitting there during the little stand up time I had met two young women. My wife and I met who it was their first time at the church and as I sat there, God kept saying invite him to lunch. Invited to lunch and on to lunch and it was now don't think I'm weird or what about this or what about that and my wife is on the prayer team so she's praying with people and finally I could resist no longer. I walked over and said excuse me and said to these two, you know, young, millennial's hey my wife and I would love to take you out to lunch. There's a I think Boston market or something around the corner and that's all we would love to. We went to lunch together. It was so amazing was so life-giving and I remember driving home with Teresa and I said that's the best church service. I've been to in over a year. She looked at me and she said me too and you know what had nothing to do with the music the preaching. It was like oh we connected from the heart with people we didn't know can I encourage you to take someone out to lunch, get connected to a fellow believer and let's get back in the swing of things and really care go for this week. It will great way to get more out of every message is to use chips message notes while you listen will get his outline all of the Scripture references and lots of feelings to help you remember what you're learning. Use them personally, or even with your small group chips message notes are a quick download@livingontheedge.org under the broadcasts tab Listeners Fill in notes and you're all set will be sure to join us next time. Mischief continues a series of what now what next, but until then, this is Dave Drury saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge