Slugging It Out with Caustic Critics, Part 3

When Jesus conducted his ministry on earth. Not everyone loved him. In fact, his escalating popularity seem to parallel the escalation of critics, defiant voices grew louder and more convincing as these naysayers attempted to sabotage the credibility of Jesus today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll reminds us that even the harshest opponent can be won over by God spirit Chuck is teaching from Matthew chapter 21 and today include a true story about one man's dramatic conversion from darkness to light, Chuck titled his message slugging it out with caustic critics made an effort done with a lot of clichés analog emphasis on what you do for God, religion goes nowhere with God.

He takes great delight in the tax collector and the prostitute who says I have nothing in the world to offer. I'm an absolute and abject simple individual. I am corrupt I am tomorrow. I am ashamed of my family. The truth is, I'm simple to the core, but if you offer me hope. I will take it in Jesus will take anyone who will come like that is not turned off by these things. What turns him on is that we will believe in him and not deny the fact that we are, for whatever reason, simple, and we acknowledge your couple lingering lessons and then I wanted tell you know the story, not from Scripture but from life.

Some of it you're familiar with others. Other part of your not the first lesson I learned from this is that God is very patient. Think how long he has put up with Israel over the history of the Old Testament, how often they will wonder how often they leave their monotheistic walk with the living God and move into idolatry. How often the turn against the prophets how often they went their own way and he patiently worked with them and patiently sent leaders that would bring them back EC sent judges that would relieve them and deliver them and then he said change that would do that and profits that would do that help patient God is God squeals grind slowly but exceedingly fine before I stay in just scene of the Scriptures.

Let me say it to everyone of you and to me.patient with us look back over your life. Do a flashback on your past. Check out your own faithfulness or lack of such a gracious God is been not to give us what we deserve.

Why, because God is patient, he patiently waits to carry out his plan.

He waits for us to change.

He waits for us to open our hearts to his will to stop being so selfish and stubborn and letting him have his way. He patiently waits during the time we didn't know when and we were struggling with the gospel message, and he patiently waited those years as we wrestled with the truth and weren't ready to accept it is the second lesson I learned God's patience has a limit. All he loves us he loves us with an implement amount of love never doubted, but the other side of that coin is God's justice comes a day when that long-suffering patience runs out in just his lands homeward justice as the prophet writes rules down some of you have gone through it.

You could tell the story yourself and it was a very unpleasant experience. Where are you in this or you on the patient's side of God's waiting or is it turning a corner and things are going against you and you still haven't trusted in his son as your Savior as I was planning this message of the Lord laid on my heart to really drive home the gospel today I want to do that through my story, but through the story of Chuck Colson not going to be with the Lord.

It's a name from the past that some of you are too young to even connect with our country. Unfortunately, Chuck Colson served a hitch as a Marine officer and then afterwards was chosen by Pres. Richard Nixon to be his special assistant and he was that access to the Oval Office right there in the middle of the action during the Vietnam War and right there when the whole mass of Watergate took place and there was a cover-up of the truth. Some of us were were were so confident that our government would never go there week we couldn't believe it and we wouldn't believe it.

Certainly not manlike of former Marine Chuck Colson or Amanda was finally become Pres. Richard Nixon, certainly not somebody and you could name them, and others who were there dedicated to the calls.

The Vietnam War was was looming large and the shadows were getting heavy.

It was increasingly less popular war and lives were being lost and on and on. Anyway, the whole cover-up kicked in, and Nixon was behind it and Chuck Colson was involved in it. Again the others in that administration were engaged in it and finally it came to the surface and we couldn't deny the evidence.

Member found guilty of the cover-up right in the midst of all this before Chuck served time God began to get a hold of his heart didn't make the headlines at the time, but a friend named Tom Phillips spend some time with Chuck Colson at his home along the main coastline, the rugged coast to the of the Northeast Tom Phillips witnessed the Chuck Colson who was at the time lost in a proud man and a selfish man, a self-made man if it was set up Colson.

He would have he would've run over his own grandmother to carry out Nixon's wishes committed to the core problem was the commitment was misplaced. He didn't know it at the time Tom Phillips is a believer and he gives Chuck Colson in his home there in the main coastline. A copy of CS Lewis's mere Christianity and assisted Chuck you need to read this. This man writes your language you appreciate what he says his name is CS Lewis truck was fingering the book. He didn't say much because he said if I'd said much of that moment. Having heard the gospel which I did not believe my voice would crack but I had the strong feeling that I needed to read that little book, so he left with the book in hand and he got in his car in Tom Phillips driveway is where I pick up the story from Chuck's book born again is first among many fine books he wrote this of the Chuck's words outside in the darkness.

The iron grip. I kept on my emotions began to relax. Tears welled up in my eyes as I groped in the darkness for the right key to start my car angrily. I brush them away and started the engine.

What kind of weaknesses.

This I said to nobody this that the tears spill over and suddenly I felt I had to go back into the house and prayed with Tom, but there were turning the lights off in the house and you realize they were going to bid so we say this car and he says as I drove out of Tom's driveway. The tears were flowing uncontrollably. There were no streetlights, no moonlight, the car headlights were flooding illumination before my eyes, but I was crying so hard. It was like trying to swim underwater. I pulled to the side of the road not more than 100 yards from the entrance to Tom's driveway. The tires sinking into the soft mounds of pine needles with my face, cupped in my hands head leaning forward against the steering wheel. I forgot about machismo about pretenses about fears of being weak and as I did, I began to experience a wonderful feeling of being released.

Listen to these words feelings of being released.

Then came the strange sensation that water is not only running down my cheeks, but surging through my whole body as well.

Cleansing and cooling as it went, they were tears of sadness and remorse Lord of joy.

But somehow, tears of relief listen to the patience of God in chuckles of life patiently waiting patiently waiting and then I pray my first real prayer. God, I don't know how to find you but I'm going to try. I'm not much the way I am now but somehow I want to give myself to you. I didn't know how to how to say more so are repeated over and over the words take me take me take me take me. I see there in the car wet outside praying thinking for perhaps half an hour, perhaps longer alone in the quiet of the dark Knight and for the first time in my life I was not alone in all back at the in doubts about my motives continued to nag at me was seeking a seaport in the store but temporary hiding place was it would happen. Tom Phillips driveway. I hope that God would keep my world intact legitimate doubts and supposedly many people would accuse me of copping out in time trouble but could I make a decision based on how the world might judge it.

No, I knew the time to come for me. I could not sidestep the central question Lewis or God had placed squarely before me was to accept Christ without reservation was to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of my life. It was like a gate before me.

There was no way to walk around it. I would step through it or I would remain outside of maybe or I need more time was kidding myself as something press. The question home less and less was troubled by the curious phrase that Tom had used accept Jesus Christ. It sounded first.

Both pious and mystical language of Brazil. It may be maybe black magic stuff but to accept means no more than to believe that I believe what Jesus said if I did, if I took it on faith or reason, or both, and I accepted. Not mystical or weird it all and with no in between. Ground lift either.

I would believe or I would not believe it all or none of it. The search that began that week on the coast of Maine as I pondered it was not quite as important as I thought it simply return me to where I been when I ask God to take me take me in that moment of surrender on that little country road in front of the Phillips is home and listen closely and so early that Friday morning while I sit alone staring at the sea. I love words I had not been certain I can understand or see fell naturally from my lips Lord Jesus. I believe you. I accept you. Please come into my life.

I committed to you with these few words that morning, while the briny sea turned came a shortness of mind that match the depth of feeling in my heart there came something more strength and serenity. A wonderful new assurance about life of fresh perception of myself and the world around me in the process, I felt old fears, tensions and animosities draining away.

I was coming alive to things I'd never seen before, as if God was filling the bearing voided. I'd known for so many monsters. The patience of God. Listen to it, filling the bearing void I'd known for so many months billing it to its brim with a whole new kind of awareness. It was my pleasure to get to know Chuck Colson in the years following his conversion, we not only had the Marine Corps in common, which we often shared together in we had the Savior. And, I spoken a couple of gatherings for Chuck also spoken was a pleasure to have him in our church where I served at the time and I got to see the man behind the scene. I got to hear the real Chuck Colson, a man without pretense, a man who if he's committed to something goes forward with his whole heart and there was not a doubt Chuck can Christ work together and because of his receiving the Savior. He now was filled with the presence of Jesus.

It was beautiful to behold. Having read about one side of him, which he never denied on the house all the other side that had changed from the inside out because he entrusted Christ. That is my offer to you today God's patience is giving you time to wrestle with the issue, but his wheels grind slowly and exceedingly fine someday. The patient's will end and for you. It will be too late.

This past Friday I buried a friend only 62 years old filled with cancer, sweetest man wonderful heart had been with us in our church for years. He said to me over lunch the day that he and I met we talked about his condition and his death that I'll tell you one thing Chuck.

I have no fear of dying.

I have a home prepared for me because of Christ was a remarkable thing to visit with him and his wife, and then later to be a part of the service related to rest and I remembered those words that came from a man whose life had been changed because of Christ. I want you to bow your heads right now. Close your eyes. We've done this before, but for some of you. You have yet to trust in Christ today. You must not put that off just as Colson realized now was the time today is your time. You have no idea what your body is carrying around in it. You have no idea what disease may be diagnosed in the next month or year. Now, you would say or week, we don't know what a day will bring forth rather than risking.

Let's right now deal with the truth. Your lost.

The only way for you to be found is through Christ who died for you. You come before him with simple words, just like Chuck Lord God, I acknowledge I am lost.

I'm not able to save myself so I come to you. Thank you for giving me your son who paid the penalty for my sins. I accept him now if you know the Lord. I want you to pray for those sitting around you who may not know the Lord. Pray that they will make this decision right now. Trust him. We want to help you in your journey from earth to heaven. We want to help you prepare for whatever God's plan may include for Chuck. It was several years of life before the Lord finally took him home for my friend. It was 62 years, God patiently worked through him brought into himself. I don't know how long it will be for you but you trust him. We will help you as you begin your walk with Christ. That is what we will help you do you could contact our ministry and ask for assistance and will connect with you and help you know what it means to have eternal life relief and the joy of sins forgiven. Thank you father for the hope the risen Christ and only in Christ.

Thank you for the story that lives on the Chuck is gone. Thank you for preserving it in this book for all of us to hear again. I pray for anyone today who hears these words is never trusted in your son. May that be a reality today work with them and bring them to the awareness that need and may the sun not set tonight before the trusted in your son is there Satan this I pray in the name of Jesus our Lord and Master, and everyone said amen as Chuck Swindoll relay this dramatic true story about his friend and colleague Philippe Chuck Colson.

Perhaps you feel God's prompting you to make some changes in your life it Insight for living. We applaud any decision to step forward to God. And if you've made a decision to trust Christ as your Lord and Savior. For the first time today or you simply made a decision to pursue Christ in new and meaningful ways. I'd like to point you to a free resource that will guide you Insight for living produces a daily devotional that sent by email trucks down to earth writings cover a variety of everyday topics that are intentionally designed to help you navigate the pressing issues of life and you are invited to receive the free devotional email from Chuck by following the simple instructions it Insight.org/devotional and then you often hear her say that insight for living is made possible through the voluntary contributions from our monthly companions and all those who give a one-time donation while in recent months we've been pleased to add new members to our team because these new friends understand the impact of their investment in Insight for living. As a result, the steady support from our monthly companions were empowered to touch more and more people through the daily program in a wide variety of resources made available to anyone who wants to know more about God and the Bible. Perhaps today's the day you will become a monthly companions. In this role, God will use your gift to help us reach a hurting world is compassion, truth and grace. Here's the number to call us if you listing in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or sign up online Insight.org/monthly companions. Thank you for generously supporting the nonprofit ministry of insight for living.

When you reach out today sure to let us know how we can be praying for you and your family this year.

Once again, you can connect online insight.org in March 2022 insight for living ministries is hosting an unforgettable journey to Israel carefully planned to deepen your understanding of the Bible and draw you closer to God. Chuck Swindoll for thousands of years no place has been more mean will to God's children in the land of Israel. The rugged landscape reminds us to find refuge in God alone. The fertile valleys invite us to follow our ship Jerusalem's position at the very center of the world announces the good news of Christ's to every nation, and now you can see Israel with Chuck Swindoll insight for living ministry March 6-17, 2022.

Every time I visited the holy land of returned home with a refreshed heart for God and a renewed vision for the world. Really, I mean it every time it's all want you to have the same life changing experience to learn more, go to insight.org/events call this number 1-888-447-0444 insight for living ministries tour to Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend. I'm Wayne Sheppard sitting in once again today for my friend Dave Speicher, Chuck Swindoll describes what he calls a dialogue with deceivers Thursday on insight for living. The preceding message slugging it out with caustic ratings was copyrighted in 2017 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide.

Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited