Latest / Chip Ingram Sermon Podcast / Be Faithful - Don't Shrink Back (2 Timothy 4)

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Be Faithful - Don't Shrink Back (2 Timothy 4) · Chip Ingram Sermon Podcast

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Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.
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When was the last time you pondered what it will
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be like to stand before the judgment seat of
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Christ and be evaluated for your whole life?
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Today we'll learn how each one of us can give
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a good account of our lives. You don't want to
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miss it. Stay with me. How you invest your days
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is not a small thing. The Apostle Paul understood
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that. not as a theological concept, but as a
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man who was running out of time. From a Roman
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prison with everything on the line, he wrote
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some of the most urgent words of his life to
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the young pastor, Timothy. What he said is direct,
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specific, and aimed at everyone who wants their
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life to count. I'm Dave Drewy, and here on Living
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on the Edge, we're nearing the end of a series
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called You Can Make Disciples, personal coaching
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from the Apostle Paul. Now let's get started
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with today's message from Chip Ingram titled,
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Be Faithful, Don't Shrink Back. Well, if you
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have your notes open, the command of Jesus hasn't
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changed. Go into all the world and make disciples.
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Now we have this sacred document of the Apostle
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Paul in his final writings, at least that we
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have record of. And he says to a young pastor,
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you need to be bold. Don't be ashamed. You need
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to be strong in the grace of God. Don't get distracted.
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You need to be prepared. Don't be surprised.
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And then finally, he's going to say, you need
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to be faithful. Don't shrink back. And in the
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introduction, I said the insidious power of wanting
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to be accepted by the crowd. One of the most
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powerful things that keep you and keep me from
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doing and fulfilling all God wants us to do is
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the insidious power of wanting to be accepted
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by the crowd. So much so, as I was praying this
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morning, I thought of a number of personal illustrations,
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and they would have been okay, but I thought
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of this one. I'm in Galatians 2. You can just
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listen. But when Peter or Cephas came to Antioch,
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I opposed him to his face, Paul's writing, because
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he stood condemned. For prior to coming, some
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of the men of James, he used to eat with the
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Gentiles. But when they came, he began to withdraw
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and separate himself, fearing those and the circumcision.
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The rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy
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with the result that even Barnabas was carried
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away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that
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they were not straightforward about the truth
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of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence
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of all, if you being a Jew live like the Gentiles
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and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel
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the Gentiles to live like the Jews? We are Jews
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by nature and not sinners from the Gentiles.
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Nevertheless, knowing that a person is not justified
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by works of the law, but through faith in Christ
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Jesus. Even we have believed in Christ so that
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we might be justified by faith in Christ and
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not by works of the law, since by works of the
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law, no flesh will be justified. And he gets
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a little theological toward the end, but here's
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what happened. Apostle Paul comes to know Christ.
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He does some preaching. They lower him in a basket.
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He goes back to see the apostles. They wisely
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think he's probably not for real. Barnabas kind
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of says, hey, you know, For real. I mean, this
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guy that was killing Christians, he was preaching,
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God's using him. And then he kind of disappears.
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We don't know all that. There's three years in
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Arabia. Best we can tell, he goes back to his
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hometown for about 10 years. Who knows exactly
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what's going on? And then the church grows. These
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Gentiles are coming to Christ. And so in Antioch,
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they're living so much in their sacrificial love
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for one another that they just start making fun
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of them and call them little Christ ones or Christians.
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And the name stuck. And Barnabas, being the son
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of encouragement, realized, you know, that young
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Pharisee who was a persecutor of the church,
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God's calling on his life was the Gentiles. I'll
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tell you what, I gotta get some help around here.
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So he gets Paul to come to Antioch. And then
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the church flourishes and, you know, the missionary
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journeys float out of Antioch. And so Peter comes
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to visit and Peter's kind of overcoming his commitment
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to the law and realizing that he's biased and
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he's prejudiced just like all the rest of us.
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And he finds himself with this new freedom and
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he's eating with Gentiles, something forbidden
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all of his life as a young man. And then some
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of the boys come down from headquarters. And
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they're... converted Pharisees who they love
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Jesus, they love him, but you know what? Their
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context is a little different in ministering
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to Jews. It's kind of like Peter goes, uh -oh.
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And so he starts little by little shrinking away.
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And then he doesn't, you know, like, I still
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remember this. I remember going to Bible studies
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on... on Thursday night and having these wonderful
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relationships. And then going into the cafeteria
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or the student union and like my basketball buddies
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and the guys who were really cool. And then one
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of my Christian's friends, especially maybe one
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that was a little bit socially awkward. And I
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can remember to my shame sort of hoping they
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don't see me because I don't want him to go,
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hey, Chip, how you doing? Because these are the
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cool guys. Hypocrisy, just hypocrisy. We all
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do that. Some of the biggest things that keep
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us from doing what God wants us to do, because
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if you take some of the steps we've talked about,
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some of your more conservative friends, you're
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selling out? Selling out? You're becoming friends
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with that person? See, when you start doing what
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God wants you to do, you're going to find that
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you're going to end up in the middle and the
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people won't like you on the left and the people
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won't like you on the right. You might want to
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take that as a compliment. Isn't it interesting
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that the Apostle Paul wants Timothy to understand
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in the challenges, the suffering, the calling,
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to be bold, to be prepared, to be strong in the
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grace of God, to make disciples. Timothy, here's
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the deal. From the time of Solomon to now, it's
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been true. The fear of man is a snare, but blessed
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is he who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 29, 25.
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So what's the antidote to peer pressure? The
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apostle Paul knows the greatest antidote to peer
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pressure is God pressure. And so as you open
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your Bibles to 2 Timothy 4, notice how he opens.
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I solemnly charge you in the presence of God
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and of Christ Jesus, who is the judge of the
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living and the dead. and by his pairing and his
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kingdom. When I study the Bible, one of the things
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I like to do is, some people call it a mechanical
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layout. I like to rewrite the text. So if you
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were rewriting the text, I solemnly charge you.
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All of a sudden, those words, you know, you can
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do your little word study on them. What you realize
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is this is like coming before a legal term, a
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court of appeals. This is a heavy, heavy moment.
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And then there's three levels. He said, I charge
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you in the presence of God Almighty and Jesus
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Christ, who's what? Who's the judge of the living
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and the dead. So Timothy, as I end this and I'm
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ready to check out and I'm ready to head out
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to heaven, I want you to know that this final
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thing, I'm bringing you before almighty God.
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And second, I'm going to bring you before the
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son of God. And then I want to remind you that
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you're going to stand before him and he's going
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to judge you. And you're going to give an account
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of your life. But I want you to know on account
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of his appearing, he's coming back. So you better
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stay on your A game every single moment of every
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single day because you don't know when he's coming
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back. And by the way, there's a great reward.
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And I charge you because of his kingdom. Because
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what you do now and there's a reward in your
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whole life in the future. This is like heavy
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and then heavy and then heavy and then heavier.
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And then so what's he tell him to do? He's gonna
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command him to be ready to communicate and to
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apply God's word in unpopular ways with great
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patience in a hostile environment. If I wanted
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to summarize verses two through six, he's going
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to command him to be ready to communicate and
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then to obey God's word in unpopular ways with
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great patience in a hostile environment. There's
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actually five specific commands, but the first
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one is more overarching. He says, preach the
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word. Second command, be ready in season and
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out of season. To do what? To correct, to rebuke,
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to exhort. That's what you're to do. Well, how
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do you do it? Do it with great patience and instruction.
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Let's do a little work together on this passage.
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So he says, I want you to, the word for preach
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is to be a herald. I want you to proclaim. This
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is Timothy. I want you to tell people what the
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truth is. In fact, as he'll go on, he'll talk
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a little bit later because people will wander
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from the truth. He'll say, I want you to give
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them sound doctrine. And then he's going to tell
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them in your declaration of the truth of God.
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It's more than just Bible stories. It's more
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than interesting illustrations. It's more than
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keeping people's attention. It's more than helping
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them live better moral lives and being kinder
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neighbors. I want you to take the great doctrines
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of the church and I want you to explain them
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and declare them and apply them. And here's how
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it works. I want you to preach the word of God,
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not your opinions. And then I want you to do
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it in such a way where it convicts, where it
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cuts to the heart, where it helps people to see
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who they are before God, where they see where
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this is the truth and this is where they don't
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measure up. And then I want you to go beyond
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that because after you do that, you're going
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to see that some people respond very positively
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and some people don't. And then I want you to
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rebuke. It literally means to censure. It's like...
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this is the truth and it's a graceful, wonderful
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truth, but there's things that come with it in
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terms of obedience. And then I want you to help
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people see this is the truth, but this is where
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they're living. And that delta is the grace of
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God and the gospel and the spirit of God and
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the work in their life. And so I want them to
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get to see that difference because if they don't,
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they can't respond. And then some will respond
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in obedience and some won't. And the ones that
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won't, I want you to go from correct or convict,
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to rebuke. This is like to admonish. This is
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like shooting it straight. This is like saying,
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we're teaching, this is what your priorities
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are. This is what God says about our money and
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our possessions and our stewardship. This is
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what he says about our mental life and our sexuality.
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And you teach that truth because every command,
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listen carefully, every command of God in scripture
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is for your good. There's no picture like here's
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a command and you're on this side of the command
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and God's on that side of the command. The commands
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are like this and he's on this side with his
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arm around you saying the wisdom of God, the
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Hebrew concept of wisdom is God has created a
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way for life to work. And so wisdom is, it's
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not intellectual. Wisdom is the skill to understand
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this is how God tells me to do relationships.
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They're very counterintuitive. Humility, other
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-centeredness, concern for others, caring, sacrificial.
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This is how you do your finances. It doesn't
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belong to me. Generosity, stewardship, kindness,
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helping. This is how you deal with your enemies.
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Don't respond with evil to evil, but good for
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evil. pray for those who persecute you. I mean,
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this is like wacky stuff. He's saying, that's
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the truth. The point behind it is when you follow
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the pattern. As you read through the Proverbs,
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look at the path, the pattern, the way. There's
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a path, and that's how you experience the very
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best from God. He came that you might have life,
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you might have it abundantly, but you don't have
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an abundant life unless you're on the path. With
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Jesus, remember what he said? Follow me. He didn't
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say preach what I did. He says, I want you to
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actually do what I did as well as preach and
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tell people about my life. I have this word picture
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that really helped me. I was a very, very slow
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learner as a new believer. I was thoroughly,
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God radically changed my life, but I... Within
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three months, I went away to school, and it was
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Bible study on Thursday night and hanging out
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in the bars and stuff with the basketball team
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on Friday and Saturday and desperately trying
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to get up to go to church and making it about
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once a month, feeling very, very guilty, telling
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God I'll never do that again, only to do the
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same things over and over and over and over and
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over and being just totally frustrated and living
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a double life. I didn't know much, so I just
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kept reading through the New Testament. I couldn't
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understand the other part. But I got to the part
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at the end where it says his commandments are
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grievous unto us in 1 John. And I thought, I
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don't know about you, but they're really grievous
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to me. I just thought, I think this guy's on
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drugs. Or he knows a different Jesus than me.
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Actually, you know, there's four girls to every
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guy, and I'm to be sexually pure, and I'm committed
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to doing that, and that's grievous. Everyone
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else is sleeping around. It says I'm supposed
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to. It was so hard to be a Christian. And I had
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this picture of I'm on this side, there's all
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these commands and I can't keep them and I'm
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in this tug of war with God. And I'll never forget,
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I can't remember how at all, I think there was
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a, I memorized a passage somewhere about his
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obedience. Obey in order that you might receive
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God's best out of the Old Testament. And I had
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this picture of this chalet up in the mountains.
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beautiful, overlooking, and there was great food
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and great joy and great relationships. And I
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was at the bottom of, you know, one of those
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mountains where, you know, you go to all, you
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know, the hairpin turns and, you know, you get
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to the edge and you fall over a thousand feet.
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And I remember God gave me this picture of, you
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know what, this chalet, this is the life. This
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is where you have an accurate view of yourself,
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where there's deep and rich relationships, where
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your deepest desires are fulfilled with people
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and life and purpose and career. And you're on
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this journey, and it's this winding road. And
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Chip, if you go off the road, you can drop 1
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,000 feet, and it really hurts. So what I did
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is I put guardrails all the way around that curvy
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road. And those guardrails are my commandments.
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And the whole point of the guardrails are when
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you bump into them, you're aware and I convict
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you, not because I'm mad at you, but to stay
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on the road because I love you so much, I want
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you to get my best. He that spared not his own
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son, but delivered him up for us all, how will
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he not freely give us all things? Romans 8, 32.
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And I remember the transition that happened when
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it wasn't like, It was always about rules and
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stop doing this or start doing that or you're
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supposed to read your Bible more or stop lusting
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or stop doing this. And all of a sudden it was
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like, oh. So there's this way better life and
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these commandments, that's why they're not grievous.
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And so the teaching of God's word that you need
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to put yourself under. is the teaching that is
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not just making you feel good or not just nice
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stories. You know what? There's nothing wrong
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with a sermon that makes you feel good, and I
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would hope there's some nice stories. And I've
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said this. I've studied how churches grow all
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over the world. It's been a hobby. And I mean,
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different countries, if they've written a book
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on it, I've probably read about 90 % of them.
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I'm just fascinated by how does God grow churches
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wide, grow deep, and impact their community?
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I call it the high -impact church. And I don't
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mean this arrogantly. You give me a hot band
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and a motivational speaker, I can grow a church
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without God to five or 10 ,000 people. There's
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sociological issues. There's certain things that
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you do. There's ways that you change in terms
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of your leadership structure. Now. There are
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churches of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 ,000 that are
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very godly, very deep, and really teach God's
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word that I never evaluate healthy church or
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impactful church based on the size, large or
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small. A high impact church sees lost people
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coming to Christ regularly, systematically. It
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sees found people's lives actually changing,
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maturing, and investing their lives in others.
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And it's a church that sees the deepest needs
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in their community and realizes the gifts in
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this church were here in this community to help
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these people like never before. So if Jesus jerked
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your church out of that community, The city council,
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what are we going to do about the poor? What
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are we going to do about helping out the schools?
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What are we going to do with the teenagers that
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run away? What do we do about the drug problem?
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Because that church, that church was engaged
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and involved. They were one of our right arms.
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All the social services, by the way, that we
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have today, all the things mostly the government
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does, you ought to read a book called Bullies
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and Saints by John Dixon. It's really thick.
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I listen to it on Audible because really thick
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books put me to sleep. But he does an overview
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of the church. When the church was most saintly
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and made the greatest impact, hospitals were
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started by the church. The dark ages weren't
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dark at all. We preserved scriptures. We preserved
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the greatest writings of Philo, Socrates. Plato,
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the seasons of the Crusades and the Inquisition.
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He shows the ugliness and the beauty of the church
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throughout the centuries. And what I want you
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to know is that God always finds this remnant
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of people and the church is constantly self -correcting.
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And I think people with the sincerest of motives
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said, you know, most churches aren't reaching
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lost people. Why don't we figure out how to maybe
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change some of our services to make it more attractive
19:52
to lost people? Great intention. We needed to
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be more sensitive to the culture. But over time,
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what happened is instead of the church shaping
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the culture, the culture shaped the church, we
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fell in. And we started using the same metrics.
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We weren't measuring disciples. We were measuring
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how many people showed up. I've been the pastor
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of a couple very, very big mega, mega churches.
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I had a hot band. I teach God's word and I'm
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inspiring and motivating. And I'll never forget
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when Columbine happened. And it was a jolt to
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the country. And I remember thinking, how in
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the world can something like that happen? And
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I asked one of our most dynamic ministries was
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fifth and sixth graders and asked this couple.
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I mean, it was like, you know, the high school
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has three or 400 people and this group has this
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and this. And we felt like we were being very
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successful. And don't get me wrong. I just wondered,
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what is the diet like in our church? I mean,
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I'm the pastor, at least one of them. And so
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we did a little survey. And of course, you know,
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fifth and sixth graders, they're like. And, you
20:58
know, they listed the kind of movies and kind
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of things that are 15. These are Christian families.
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I mean, some of it was just vile. And I just
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thought, oh, my, we are measuring some of the
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wrong stuff. And so sometimes when you really
21:12
want to rebuke people, you kind of have to come
21:15
in the side door because when you come in the
21:17
front door, they could get really upset. So I'll
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never forget this. I got there the next week
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and people were concerned. What are we doing
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with our kids? What's happening in the culture?
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I mean, think of how long ago this was. And so
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I often had what I called family time. Before
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I would preach, I'd come out and sit on a stool
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and just talk about kind of where we're at. Here's
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our vision or here's the struggle. And so I said,
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we need to have a little family time because
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something's happened. And so I tried to come
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in the side door. I said, hey, I just need to
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talk with you all because there's something that's
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occurred that is, I mean, crazy and it's kind
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of scary. We've done a recent survey, and I just
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need to tell some of you parents, your fifth
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and sixth graders are getting up in the middle
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of the night, and they're sneaking out of your
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house. I don't know how they do it, but they're
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getting in your car. They're driving. Oh, remember,
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they're driving to Blockbuster. They're actually,
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I mean, they are renting movies that I'm sure
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you would never let them watch. And then they're
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coming and they're watching him until the middle
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of the night. And then they drive back. And they
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put him at Blockbuster. And their values and
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what's happening in their life right under your
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roof. And I just felt like I should make you
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aware of that. And I remember we pushed the pause
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button. And we said, you know, we're going to
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measure what kind of Christians are leaving our
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church, not how many people show up. And it started
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us on a journey. And we had to repent. And we
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still did it very imperfectly. But for the last
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at least 25 years, my passion has been to help
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Christians live like Christians and pastors measure
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the quality and the health of the ministry by
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are you preaching the word in a way that convicts,
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rebukes, and then don't miss this, and exhorts.
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The word means to encourage. And it's an interesting
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word that can be applied two ways. Sometimes
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it means to exhort, like get with the program.
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And sometimes it means to comfort someone in
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their struggle. It's para kaleo, para alongside
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kaleo, to call. So he says, Timothy, here's what
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you need to do, man. It's a crazy world. You
23:35
gotta suffer. It's evil now, you know. It's not
23:38
going to get any better. But here's what you
23:40
do. You, in the midst of this, you teach God's
23:43
word. This is true. All have fallen short of
23:47
the grace of God. Christ came and died in our
23:50
place as our substitute. He has risen from the
23:53
grave. There is a heaven, there is a hell. Jesus
23:56
is coming back. He has paid the price for all
23:59
mankind and whosoever would put their trust in
24:02
him can have eternal life and it begins right
24:04
now. That's the message, Timothy. And then this
24:07
is how you walk and are sanctified by the spirit
24:09
and the word of God. context of community so
24:13
that we're lights. We hold forth the light of
24:15
God's word in the midst of a crooked and perverse
24:17
generation. Preach it, son. You know what we
24:21
pastors are afraid of? We don't like talking
24:23
about things that we know we're gonna get rejected
24:25
on. The fear of man's a snare. I can't tell you
24:32
how many sermons it's been like, oh God, do you
24:35
really want me to say this? I remember. One guy,
24:39
the very first church too, he was very demonstrative.
24:43
And I remember I'd look at him and I'd think,
24:46
you know, I'd want to change my sermon right
24:50
in the middle of it. This young pastor and I
24:52
care about what people think. And there was another
24:56
older guy named Bill. And I don't know where
25:01
I would be. Bill was a layman and he spent three
25:04
or four hours every night after his work in God's
25:07
Word. He would come to me and ask a question,
25:09
and literally, I was a young pastor, I was really
25:12
sure Bill knew the Bible way better than me.
25:15
And Bill and I would go out on Thursday nights,
25:19
you know, this is the old days, and people would
25:21
move into the area, so we would take them a pie,
25:24
and we would welcome them, and we would let them
25:27
know kind of what's going on and look for an
25:30
opportunity to, has anyone ever shared with you?
25:34
How much God loves you and how you can have eternal
25:36
life. And, you know, this is rural Texas. You
25:39
know, it's not quite like today. No. Well, would
25:43
you like us to? Well, sure. Why don't you come
25:45
on in and sit down? We'll cut that pie. I mean,
25:48
every Thursday night I'm sitting around these
25:49
tables with Bill. And I'll never forget, we would
25:52
share Christ. And I could tell it's getting tension
25:54
like, oh, man, this is not going well. We don't
25:57
really know these people. I think we should back
25:59
off. And I'll never forget this huge man. talking
26:04
to this lady, tears streaming down his face as
26:08
she's rejected Christ. And he just said, I just
26:12
want to make sure you understand that you are
26:15
choosing a Christless eternity forever and ever
26:18
and ever. You're rejecting the love of the Son
26:21
of God. And I remember other times where he was
26:26
discipling me. I just didn't know it. And there
26:30
was a real bad situation of, we had a sexual
26:33
predator who did something at a gas station and
26:37
then he came and visited our church and volunteered
26:42
to usher. And, you know, you're like 29 years
26:45
old. And like, you need to go confront that guy.
26:47
And I'm thinking, and say what? You know? You
26:50
know? And so Bill and I meet him at the Pizza
26:52
Hut. And, you know, Bill's this very godly older
26:55
guy. And he really challenged me to speak into
26:57
areas. And so we were sitting across the booth.
27:01
And Bill kind of lays out everything. And he
27:04
gets to the end. He goes, Chip has some important
27:06
things he wants to say to you. And it was like.
27:19
That's what Paul's saying to Timothy. You know
27:23
why I told you about Bill? Because you all are
27:26
sitting here at some level thinking, you know
27:29
what, Chip? You're right. This is what these
27:31
pastors ought to do. In fact, I'm going to give
27:37
this message to my pastor. I think this would
27:42
really help him. Bill preached God's word verbally
27:49
and by life. Bill was ready in season and out
27:54
of season. Bill, with those same tears, an issue
28:01
came up in the church. Chip said, I think this
28:04
church is either going to go this way or this
28:06
way. And you're the pastor. And if you do what
28:10
God wants you to do, you're going to become very
28:12
unpopular. He said, I don't know what God's plan
28:15
is for your life. He goes, Bill always had this
28:19
very word -centered, but he had a little bit
28:22
of this mystical. He goes, you know, I've been
28:25
conversing with the Lord. And I've got a sense,
28:30
Chip, I've got a sense that he might have his
28:33
hand on your life in a special way. He said,
28:37
these will be your tests. You either have the
28:43
courage to say what it says, knowing what's gonna
28:48
happen, or you'll compromise. And you got some
28:54
good gifts, so if you compromise, you'll probably
28:56
still, you know, have a nice little church that'll
28:59
do some good things. And you know, I look back
29:04
and I just realize, when you're a pastor, there's
29:08
like, you know, some people that, you can trust.
29:11
There's people that are like on your team that
29:13
you can really be vulnerable with. Or a lot of
29:16
pastors, part of their big challenge is they
29:17
don't have that. And it doesn't matter what they
29:21
do right now. Can you imagine if the church rose
29:25
up and said, we're going to help our pastors?
29:28
You know? I don't care what people think. We're
29:32
not doing that here. We're going to disagree
29:35
and we're going to agree to disagree. We're not
29:37
having this unity in this church. We are one.
29:39
And I'm one of the leaders or I'm one of the
29:41
influencers. And you are. You're generous with
29:44
your finances, your priorities in general or
29:46
in order. And the favor of God has been on your
29:49
life. But here's the memo. It's not so that you're
29:52
happy and everything's just go with you. It's
29:54
so you're positioned to make a difference in
29:57
your church and in your neighborhood and in your
29:59
community and where you work. That's the why.
30:04
How? With great patience and instruction. That
30:08
word is, in some of your translations, will be
30:11
long -suffering. It's that picture of it, just
30:15
with patience. You have a very, very long fuse
30:21
before you give up on something. You hang in
30:24
there. It's the bricklayer saying, everyone thinks
30:28
we should give up on Chip because he's a flake,
30:30
because he's a flake, but I'm not. He long -suffered
30:35
with me. It's not about do this and do this and
30:39
why do you do this? It's here's this God's better
30:42
than plan. Here's where you fall short. I'm going
30:46
to encourage those who are making progress. I'm
30:48
going to comfort those that are struggling. I'm
30:51
going to admonish and come up pretty strong against
30:54
the people who are willfully disobeying. I'm
30:56
going to do it with patience. And then when we
30:59
correct, it's that here's the way to do it. Not
31:02
you're a bad person. Here's the way to do it.
31:07
He says, Timothy, that's the what and the how.
31:11
Then notice verse three and four. He says, there's
31:16
gonna be a challenge. For the time will come
31:19
when they will not tolerate. Are you ready? Here
31:21
it is again. Underline it, sound doctrine. It's
31:24
this theme of truth, of reality. But wanting
31:27
to have their ears tickled, just the idea of
31:30
tell me something I like. They will accumulate
31:34
for themselves teachers in accordance with their
31:36
own desires. I can't think of a better definition
31:39
of the prosperity gospel than that line. I mean,
31:43
who doesn't want to go rah, rah, rah for a message
31:47
that says, here's how to get rich. Jesus is your
31:52
self -help genie. You know, press A7, B4, C69.
32:00
And send me $10 ,000 and God will send you 100
32:02
,000. The only people who get rich are prosperity
32:04
teachers. Verse five, but as for you, contrast.
32:12
I love this. Keep your head. It wouldn't have
32:16
to be a good word for all of us right now in
32:18
the world we're living in. Hey, keep your head.
32:20
The word means to use self -restraint, to be
32:24
wide awake. The literal meaning of it is kind
32:27
of to be sober and not overcome with wine. Just
32:30
keep your head. Don't get drunk with all that's
32:33
happening and all the media and all the struggles
32:35
and all the people and all this stuff. In the
32:37
midst of all of this, hey, use self -restraint
32:41
in all things. Endure hardship. Do the work of
32:47
an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry. Literally
32:53
discharge it. You do, Timothy. In your life and
32:58
with your life, everything God has called you
33:01
to do, just like I have done everything God's
33:07
called me to do. Perfectly? Absolutely not. We
33:11
put these people in stained glass. Timothy hung
33:13
out with Paul. I would go on record. I don't
33:16
know. But I'm going to go on record anyway. I
33:20
think if you hang out with Paul, there were days
33:21
that he really kind of lost it. This choleric,
33:25
high -driving personality, I think there was
33:28
times where, I think he was a little harsh at
33:32
times. Mark can't go, he's done. Really? Yeah.
33:39
Why? Because he flaked out once. He didn't get
33:42
a second chance like you? No. You want to talk
33:47
about this? No. You got any other questions?
33:53
Remember, I'm the guy that sort of gave you the
33:56
second chance with the disciples. Yeah, I get
33:58
it. Good. Go do that with him. I'm going to get
34:01
back on mission. God used him. But he wasn't
34:05
Jesus. He was just Paul. And neither are you.
34:09
Neither am I. And then we get the reason in verse
34:17
6 and 7. This is really... These are very encouraging,
34:21
encouraging verses. Four, I am already being
34:25
poured out as a drink offering and the time of
34:28
my departure has come. I've fought the good fight.
34:31
I've finished the course. I've kept the faith.
34:34
In the future, there's reserved for me a crown
34:37
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
34:39
judge, unlike Nero, will award to me on that
34:44
day. And this isn't just for me, but not only
34:47
me, but also those who, love his appearing. Those
34:52
that are looking forward, those that are living
34:55
with an eternal perspective. Timothy, those that
34:57
are doing what I told you, be bold, be strong,
35:01
be prepared, be faithful. And did you notice
35:06
Paul's picture isn't Rome is not killing me and
35:09
Nero's not killing me. This is an offering. This
35:14
is my drink offering. I'm giving my life. This
35:18
is just a great picture, time of departure. Word
35:21
has two or three different meanings, but one
35:23
is to sort of put up your sail to catch the wind.
35:27
The word was also used for like you're at a dock
35:29
and you take off the rope and so you depart,
35:34
you leave your mooring. I'm leaving the earth
35:37
and death is not an end, I'm going to somewhere.
35:42
And finally, the word was used for someone whose
35:45
chains are loosed. And so he says, I'm loosing
35:50
the chains of my mortality and all that I've
35:52
been through. I'm departing to receive the gift
35:59
and the reward that the righteous judge has promised
36:03
for me. And then like a military campaign, if
36:08
they would say, okay, strike your tents because
36:10
we're going to move. And Paul is saying, I'm
36:13
striking my tent, the tent of this body. and
36:17
I'm going to move on. And I love, he's so confident.
36:24
I'm moving on. And then he uses this military
36:28
term, I've fought the good fight. I've been in
36:32
a battle. I've finished the course. I've kept
36:38
the faith. And I think he's saying to us and
36:43
saying to Timothy, In the midst of evil, in the
36:47
midst of chaos, in the midst of struggle, in
36:49
the midst of suffering, in the midst of health
36:52
issues and cancer and racism and division and
36:55
Christians that don't live like Christians and
36:59
your failure and my failure and our repentance
37:02
and getting back on, hey, fight the good fight.
37:06
Finish the race. It'd be interesting. You can
37:11
do a little study. In 1 and 2 Timothy, the number
37:14
of times, and so -and -so drifted, so -and -so
37:18
turned away, so -and -so departed from the truth.
37:21
There's this theme through these books of focus,
37:24
soldier, athlete, discipline, finishing, and
37:31
turning, drifting, departing. And then he says,
37:36
make every effort to come to me soon. What I
37:40
love about this is he not only has in focus his
37:43
reward, is that Paul, despite his great godliness,
37:47
you never outgrow your need for others. He says,
37:51
you know, come soon. Once winter comes, it's
37:55
too dangerous. The ships don't sail. I need you,
37:58
man. I need you. I can't do this alone. Make
38:04
every effort. I mean, hurry up. It's a strong
38:07
word. Why? For Demas, having loved this present
38:12
world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.
38:17
Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to Domatia.
38:20
Did you catch the contrast? Those who love his
38:24
appearing, Demas loves this world. I am departing
38:31
to be with God. Demas is deserting. And it's
38:37
not without intention that the Holy Spirit sort
38:41
of lays before us. Do you want to go the Paul
38:44
way or the Demas way? Only Luke is with me. Take
38:50
along Mark, bring him with you. I guess Paul
38:54
softened up after a while. He's useful for me.
38:58
By the way, isn't it great to remember the body?
39:01
Paul was a lousy counselor, but a great apostle.
39:06
Praise God for Barnabases. I'll just tell you,
39:10
your pastor and some of your friends need a Barnabas.
39:13
Some of you, oh, I'm an introvert. Great. You'll
39:17
go deeper with people than other people. Oh,
39:20
I have this mercy. You know, I don't strike up
39:22
conversations. Great. Just look for people that
39:24
are hurting. Sit down next to them. Start asking
39:26
them questions. I mean, there's a role in the
39:31
body for each one of us. He goes on and sort
39:36
of basically going through why Timothy needs
39:40
to come. When you come, bring the overcoat, which
39:44
I left in troughs with carpets and the books,
39:47
especially the parchments. Warning, Alexander,
39:51
that coppersmith did me great harm. The Lord
39:53
will repay him according to his deeds. There's
39:55
the Paul we know and love. Be on your guard against
39:59
him too, for he vigorously opposes our teaching.
40:03
Notice, did you get it? preached the word, sound
40:06
doctrine, tickled ears, the teaching, the truth.
40:12
It's what we need today. It's what they needed
40:14
then. In my first defense, no one supported me,
40:20
but all deserted me. I love this. May it not
40:25
be counted against them. Anybody feel like someone
40:30
in your family or someone in your church has
40:33
hurt you? said hurtful things, did hurtful things.
40:41
How are you doing with forgiving them? Paul's
40:46
in a dungeon, chained to a wall, rats running
40:50
around all by himself. His closest associates,
40:56
out of fear, they're human. I mean, Peter did
41:00
it to Jesus. We've all been cowards at times.
41:06
They've all departed. And Paul's attitude to
41:10
the end is, may the Lord not hold it against
41:13
them. Don't hold it against them. They're in
41:17
the process. They're on the journey. They're
41:19
just like you. They're just like me. But the
41:24
Lord stood with me and strengthened me. Why?
41:29
The guy never loses his focus. So that, purpose
41:32
clause, through me the proclamation might be
41:35
fully accomplished and all the Gentiles might
41:38
hear. And I was rescued out of the lion's mouth.
41:43
I don't think this is literal. Maybe the lion
41:45
was Nero. Maybe it's just a picture of at that
41:49
defense not being executed. The Lord will rescue
41:53
me from every evil deed and will bring me safely
41:56
to his heavenly kingdom. Confidence. Did you
42:01
notice the lack of the word hope? I wish or I
42:05
hope that someday, someway, somehow, no, the
42:10
Lord will rescue me from every evil and will
42:13
bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom to him
42:16
be the glory forever and ever. He had absolute
42:19
assurance of salvation. Greet Priscilla and Aquila,
42:22
the house of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained at
42:27
Corinth, but I left. Trophimus, sick at Miletus.
42:31
Make every effort to come before winter. And
42:34
then he gives a few more names. He identifies
42:38
20 different people in this small book. Life
42:43
really is about relationships. The summary is
42:47
faithfulness to endure whatever suffering. Hardship
42:50
or persecution can only be accomplished by God's
42:53
supernatural enabling, his grace, and the supernatural
42:56
power of the Holy Spirit within us. How often
43:00
does this truth counterbalance our own human
43:03
inclination to compromise under peer pressure?
43:07
On what issues do you find yourself struggling
43:09
to communicate God's truth as it relates to life,
43:13
marriage, gender, sexuality? And finally, what
43:19
is God saying to you? Who and what do you need
43:23
in your life to be bold, to be strong, to be
43:28
prepared, and to be faithful in the days ahead?
43:32
You need to sit quietly and say, Lord, since
43:36
you are so kind and so patient and know me better
43:39
than I know myself, what's the one step you want
43:42
me to take this week? Because if you respond
43:45
to the light that God gives you, you get more
43:47
light. If you don't respond to the light that
43:50
God gives you, even the light that you have will
43:52
be taken away. Application and obedience are
43:56
the organ of transformation, not knowledge. This
44:00
world is messed up and the church is the only
44:03
hope. And you can look around this room and wish
44:06
there was someone better, smarter, more godly,
44:08
more wonderful than you. But here's the deal.
44:11
It's us and this is it. In your world, in your
44:15
network, in your family, in your neighborhood,
44:18
in your church, you're it. You're the man. You're
44:23
the woman. You're the, right? And this book is
44:28
filled with ordinary, very struggling, inadequate
44:34
people who something happened and they got tapped
44:37
on the shoulder and they didn't become superstars
44:40
and they had lots of struggles. But they responded
44:45
to the light that God gave them. And we see it
44:48
all through church history. You're listening
44:52
to Living on the Edge and the final part of our
44:55
series called You Can Make Disciples, Personal
44:57
Coaching from the Apostle Paul. Today's message
45:00
is titled Be Faithful, Don't Shrink Back. And
45:04
if you want to revisit any part or find more
45:06
from this series, just go online to livingontheedge
45:10
.org. And to make sure you never miss a lesson
45:13
throughout the week, no matter what your schedule
45:15
looks like, be sure to subscribe to the Living
45:18
on the Edge podcast, as well as the Chip Ingram
45:21
Sermon Podcast, which has Chip's full -length,
45:24
unedited sermons. Paul wrote his final words
45:27
from a Roman prison, and they were full of hope,
45:30
not regret. That's the fruit of a life lived
45:33
from God's grace rather than for man's approval.
45:36
The book, Yes, You Really Can Change, is the
45:39
practical companion for that kind of transformation,
45:42
not white -knuckling it, but learning to live
45:45
from God's grace. And because this whole series
45:48
has been about making disciples the way Paul
45:50
poured into Timothy, when you purchase this book
45:52
today, we'll include a second copy to pass along
45:55
to someone you're investing in. Just look for
45:58
Chip's book, Yes, You Really Can Change, online
46:01
at livingontheedge .org slash offers. 30 years
46:06
of ministry, thanks to the faithful support of
46:09
our listeners. If you'd like to be part of keeping
46:11
this ministry going, your gift of any amount
46:14
makes a difference. Give at livingontheedge .org
46:17
or call us at 888 -333 -6003. You can also mail
46:23
your gift to Living on the Edge. P .O. Box 3007,
46:26
Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. Well, now here's Chip
46:31
with a final word. Thanks, Dave. You know, I
46:34
want to say one last thing as you wrap up this
46:37
series, this teaching. Multiple times the Apostle
46:41
Paul wrote and he said, Timothy, come quickly.
46:44
He actually, in this book alone, mentions 20
46:47
different people. Sometimes we as Americans especially,
46:51
we hear God's Word, we feel that we want to obey
46:54
Him and do what He wants us to do, and we get
46:56
this unconscious idea that I've got to do it
46:58
on my own. Here's what I want you to know. The
47:01
great Apostle Paul couldn't do it on his own.
47:04
Neither can you, and neither can I. Can I encourage
47:07
you? Get into community. You just simply can't
47:11
watch videos or listen to podcasts or even read
47:14
good Christian books. Those things are super
47:17
helpful. Who in your life could you do life with?
47:21
And if you don't have those people, ask God for
47:23
them. Lord, I need people to do life with that
47:27
I could be me and be real and get supported and
47:30
be loved and give love and encourage them. Could
47:34
I encourage you to step out of the rat race of
47:37
the demands of all the stuff that's never going
47:40
to slow down and make sure that this week you
47:43
develop a pattern. Do life in community. Well,
47:47
that wraps up our series, You Can Make Disciples,
47:49
personal coaching from the Apostle Paul. I'm
47:52
Dave Drewy, and we'll see you next time for more
47:54
Bible teaching from Chip Ingram here on Living
47:57
on the Edge. Today's program is produced and
48:02
sponsored by Living on the Edge.