Good to Great in God's Eyes - Take Great Risks, Part 1

Did you ever wonder why God uses some people more than others. I mean, what makes the difference.

What's God looking for in you and me, so that he can greatly uses today will tackle that question and answer from Scripture just might surprise you welcome this addition of living all the tricks are vital to this daily discipleship program motivated Christians to live like first were the middle of our series, good to great this program to highlights the practice free Christian, seven, it might not be one really think you want to think if you're ready to learn more turn in your Bible to chapter 11. Let's joint your forest to people that say they both have the same IQ. They both know the same amount of the Bible. They both come the same kind of homes.

Why is it that God uses some people a lot more than uses others.

Why is it when you talk with some people. There's a sense that you went they pray to God's answering vivid specific prayers and they have these amazing stories of supernatural things that occurred and I think over time, we think, what will they must be in a special category and I'm just a regular Christian, suggest that every Christian's life is marked by windows of opportunity that demand a radical step of faith in order to follow Christ and fulfill his agenda for their life really get down to why God in fact uses some people way more than others, and you can find it's not because they know more. It's not because O'Connor home they came from necessarily listen carefully.

Every Christian your life is marked by windows of opportunity that demand that you take a radical step of faith in order to follow Christ and fulfill his purposes for your life and what makes that step radical is that they always involve significant risk, there is little times were God's can bring opportunity and it may be in your marriage. It may be in your career, it may be with regard to your finances. It may be regard to a relationship and there's a little window and he's gonna say in order to obey me in order to follow me in order to do exactly what I want you to do this is what you need to do in this situation and everything in you is fearful, for if I do that. God surely don't want me to do that and it's this little window of opportunity. It takes a radical step in. The reason it's radical is because you say to yourself, you know what if this doesn't work out, this relationship could fall apart. You know it.

If I do that I would be leaving all my family back here and in our families, in a move to this new place. If I do that that may ruin my career possibilities in the future if I do that I will bill to pay my bills and three months got you don't want me to make a radical step my finances. But listen carefully where there is no risk there is no faith. Mark that one down where there is no risk there is no faith and where there is no faith there is no power and where there is no faith there is no joy in where there is no faith. There's no intimacy with God where there is no faith there aren't those supernatural miracles and where there is no faith there is no reward.

And get this one down where there is no faith there is no pleasing of God think of that. In fact, where there is no faith, what you do get is hollow religious activity, moralistic rules and dead orthodoxy, and the reason a lot of kids growing up today and a lot of you went through some very difficult times is that in many, many organizations and in many many churches they can run nice programs and they can talk about God, but over time it becomes religious activity and the focus is on do this don't do that. Do this don't do that lots of rules but there's not power is not the presence of God.

There's not super natural vivid miracles occurring there is not the sense that God is moving people's lives aren't changing because I got news for you. You can actually pastor a church without faith and you can run all the programs and you can have people meet and so you have activities and meetings and mornings and committees and Bible reading hollow prayer meetings but without faith it's impossible to please God and without faith there is no power without faith there is no reward and without faith in God isn't pleased, and so were to talk about what is a common denominator of great Christians, great Christians think great thoughts, great Christians read great books great Christians pray great prayers and dream great dreams and one thing great Christians do all through Scripture as you go through this book you will find whether it's Moses or David or Esther or Deborah or Peter, Paul, God brings windows of opportunity and each one of them took a right tackle step of faith and that radical step of faith meant that if God didn't show up. Peter was gonna fall through the waves. If God didn't show up when Paul returned after persecuting the church he was going to die if God didn't show up. Esther was going to knock on the door and the king instead of holding up the scepter when said sorry Esther every person's life that is greatly used by God that experiences God in powerful ways takes great risks great risks. How in the world do you live out a life of great risk when down deep in our heart were human and you know there are some of you with a personality that you know you have bungee jumped. You have jumped out of an airplane. I mean what your portfolio is all the high risk stocks and the idea of bonds, just sort of nauseated your stomach. You know you does you want to take great risks, but for most people a risks are scary. God's calling on our lives. If you want to be a great Christian. It always demands.

We take great risks.

What I want to do so and prove that from Scripture only gives Old Testament examples only recent New Testament examples.

I want you to see that this isn't something that superstars do.

I want you to see this is the normal Christian life.

Let's look at the Old Testament Old Testament examples of great risktakers, Abram calling Abram because he wasn't Abraham until after he believed what does he do he leaves his home, his land and his family would that be scary. I mean, when we read in the Bible and Abraham went out from latte. What was it like that for him. I mean, he had a home. He had a family he had security and invisible God gives them a voice and says Abraham I want you to leave this I want you to go toward want to go.

I'll let you know later, he took a risk, he believes that the invisible promises of God were more real than the visible reality that he lived he leaves or take Moses. He returns to his home to deliver God's people can can you imagine the risk that he felt the last time he was in Egypt he'd killed someone and they had a contract out on reward for Moses better life. 40 years later, God says Moses I want you deliver my people. You had the right idea you did it the wrong way. I want you to go back is going what I mean. You're kidding. And then when he does go back instead of being greeted with all were so glad you're here.

What happens he took a great risk in early on, it did look very good.

Or you take David.

He fights a giant that others refuse to face going yes he's young.

Yes, he's idealistic, but there were hundreds of other people in the Army that looked at that giant about 9 foot tall and they said yes he's sure insulting God's name and character, and I wish someone would do something about, but not a single person stepped up to the plate and took the risk of his life.

Noah I think I think there were probably a lot of guys that had learned to use a slingshot in Israel fact they were adept at it, but it wasn't his accuracy with the slingshot. It was his heart that said, you can't talk about my God that way and so he took a radical step of faith. He put his life on the line and he didn't even do it in someone else's armor. He had to do it the way God made him and he stepped up in a giant fell, and the rest is history. Or, finally Esther. She confronts evil in the highest position of authority and we read through that, we think, oh yeah, that was really great and she was a beautiful woman got a member of the culture. I mean it's easy to get a new wife back then mean the guys got a harem of hundreds of women and when he didn't like member. The last clean she had a bad day and she's gone and so Esther, she risks her life to save her people.

The point I want to make us all through the Old Testament. What you find is great risk is a part of radical steps of faith and if for some reason think maybe that was the Old Testament God's economy is change. Let's look at New Testament risktakers, Peter commitment when we read through those Gospels and it seems so natural and Jesus was walking on the beach and he says to Peter, follow me, I'll make you fishers of men.

And Peter drops his nets and follows him and we think all that's a nice story we going to the next verse. Peter's dad's thinking. Wait a second beat you gonna do what white wedding.

The knob and build this business and you know James and John. They drop their nets and you Peter's wife. You know later we learn is married she's going to honey. What's this deal with this itinerant preacher would mean her to be gone from home for weeks of time Peter left his security. Peter left his financial base. Peter confronted his fears.

Peter confronted the status quo of the religious establishment that said anyone of follows this itinerant rabbi preacher is good to be cast out of the synagogue. You think it's a radical step you think it's risky, you better believe it is for Paul returns to those he sought to kill to obey God's call on his life member. The Damascus Road comes to Christ.

Then he preaches very briefly, and then they lower them in a basket and a member.

He goes back and the apostles. I mean, he's been killing them. He was not like a welcome visitor for wasn't for Barnabas, they would've not even seen in it after he came he goes back and meets the apostles and confronts that then he returns and God gives in this little time in Arabia where he does. Apparently some very personal counseling preparing for his ministry. And then there's a time of waiting and Paul returns. Are you ready for the Tarsus guesswork Tarsus is.

That's where he grew up he was a Roman citizen.

He was wealthy he was taught by the supreme of the supreme rabbis go male and for a period of years he lived in the city where everyone's thinking Paul, you're a fool.

I mean, you learned of the best rabbi, and now you're a follower of the sect. You see, sometimes risk means leaving sometimes risk means returning the third example is Jerry us. He fights the religious status quo and lays his reputation and career on the line to seek help for his daughter having you would be cast out of the synagogue. This isn't just a Jew.

Here's a leader of the synagogue and he takes his his career he's can ask help with this man named Jesus.

The religious leaders already said anybody messes around with this guy named Jesus, you're here, but he's desperate and he's heard his words and he believes his promises and he seen his power and he takes all of his life and he puts it literally. You know those those poker things that they have it on TV now.

Used to be like ESPN out the travel Channel. You can watch poker like on four stations and they're all playing this Texas hold 'em, what, what's the big moment where they do, I'm all in you a radical step of faith is it saying to God, I'm all in. I'm all in with me and my family. I'm all in with me in my finances. I'm all in with me in my future. I'm all in with my reputation. Lord, I'm all in, and what you know when they push those chips to the middle of the table they start deal the cards and there's great risk and there's great reward and what you find is that Jerry is said he's all in and then you have the woman with the issue of blood, and if we had time to study it when she reaches out and touches his garment.

She violates so many cultural norms.

A woman reaching out touching a man a very private culture and then member what it was. She was trembling with fear and then Jesus begins to question what's going on and I mean even in our day, but can you imagine in that day and she's going to explain while I sorta had a female issue and I have experienced the healing. There's such humility. There such a radical step of faith, but I think behind it is her sense that what she had expended all of her money. She tried everything else she's desperate radical steps of faith often aren't taken because you come to some noble, godly moment in your life where you want to be God's man or God's woman.

God often brings these windows of opportunity at times where you are and desperate and you don't know anywhere or anyway to go and what you think is for bad God means for good and he causes you to say this, you know what I want you taken a job I want you to deal with this marriage issue. I want you to go to counseling. I want you.

Yes, I really do all that you take this amount of money that is become your security and what you give away. I want you to stop what you're doing and I want to get your family around the table and talk about the real issues. I want you to own your stuff and face that addiction and I mean to tell you it is people who take a radical step of faith that God greatly uses and the reason most of us don't is radical steps of faith are risky, very very risky. There's a couple observations I like to make number one is pretty obvious. Faith involves risk right in and number two risk looks very different in different people's lives you know if you if you think of risk or faith we always think it's stepping out but from as examples.

Sometimes risk means you leave. And for some of you got may say you know what this that's unhealthy relationship for that's not the right place for you, and you need to leave but for others. Risk is what it means your return means you face the broken relationship with a mom or a dad or next made her with 100 kids and for others it means you fight like David, you step up and fight and for others it's confront in either confront someone else, or like the woman you confront your own issues at a very deep level. So we got to be careful thinking that faith is always something out there radical steps of faith what they have in common is God's clearly defined will and they always involve risk. The other observation is what I've observed is that all great risktakers have three things in common and this is very encouraging and I wish you could see your face right this is good mean God is speaking you know when I look at faces and you know the browser going command. Should I leave I could open it up for you are messing with my mind today. I just wanted to hear God's word and my mind that's God. Don't fight it. Okay, here's the thing that risktakers have in common. Number one is fear that help you those emotions at your feeling and thinking risktakers all have they fear what might happen. People who take great risk. Ask her didn't you know she wasn't at the door gone okay come on come on come on.

I gotta go talk to the King go to get this done because you know got my hair done at 230. She was scared to death. Peter didn't drop his nets and go all this is a big deal. Barnabas didn't go back to his hometown.

That woman it says she was trembling with fear.

Fear and faith are not antithetical. I will tell you is my personal experience the greatest steps of faith I've ever taken.

I was scared to death.

Keno the greatest thing that said, the most common thing said old New Testament. Get out your concordance or not he can do on computer and and and find that little phrase, fear not, be not afraid what you'll see is all I'll that God says to his people through angels or directly. Moreover, than any other thing. Fear not, fear not, fear not fear, why because were afraid. It's okay to be afraid it's not okay to allow your fear to paralyze you from taking the step of faith.

The second thing that risktakers have is not all they are afraid they have faith the step out in spite of their fear they do it there afraid, but they do it, but the last part is is very encouraging is they not only have fear and faith that they have favor God's reward and God's blessing on their life. You know, we often quote the first half of Hebrews 11 six without faith is impossible to please God, right is true and and then it explains a little bit about what faith is, is that verse goes on for he that comes to God must believe two things in on this when we usually quote the first half of it and like you know some verses, you memorize part of it not last apartment you important. The last parts really important. Without faith it's impossible to please God and he that comes to God must believe two things, one that he exists.

You actually live your life as though it all powerful, all-knowing, loving, compassionate God actually exists and cares about you, but the second is and that he richly rewards those who diligently seek him. Do you believe in a God but instead of his arms crossed and is down on you that he literally is like that parent on the edge of the pool saying to the company jump jump jump in. I want you to experience the water.

There's a whole new world. Here God is saying to many of us take this step jump. I want to reward you. I want to reveal myself. The reason God uses some people more than uses others is some people take a radical step of faith.

And when you take a step of faith. It pleases the heart of God.

Read the Gospels with new eyes get a couple coffee get up real early one morning or if you're night I'll stay up late and start in Matthew and read as fast as you can. I mean only looking for the word faith and read Matthew Mark Luke and John. Its various. It's a short novel and just look for only one thing and you at your fine Jesus has one agenda. The only time he ever gets upset with the disciples is what their lack of faith and the one thing he's teaching them the number one agenda is. I want you to trust me my character and my word and Faith is simply doing what God tells you to do what you feel like it or not, in fact, especially when you don't feel like it. Regardless of the circumstances because he said it in his word is true. Great risktakers always have fear, but they operate in faith and then they experience God's favor and the reason people who experiences God favor is not because they're better or smarter, often no more the Bible or come from a better home than you are. Don't have baggage.

I mean I think God put these people and in Scripture on purpose. I mean, I thought I had baggage and I didn't grow up read the Bible when I whether New Testament Old Testament thought man I thought I had a dysfunctional family. I mean Jacob to meet these people got real problems, but isn't it hopeful that need community can use these people use us question for you. Where do you sense God is challenging you to step out in faith.

Where do you sense is I've been talking is a spirit of God has been using those examples where is it in your life that you feel may be that not so gentle voice not that small voice where where is it that you feel is I was just sort of rattling off. It might be in a relationship.

It might be a geographically might be in your job might be in your finances might be in your security. It might be. Which one of those things resonated in your heart and your thinking to yourself, would you just jot that on the bottom of your page for you because you know that the key the key in life as we come to God in Scripture is not to get more Bible knowledge is to apply what we know life change never occurs as a result of knowing more and more and more life changes. Always a function of acting on what we know Jesus said if you respond to the light in the truth that I give you all give you more life if you do not respond to the light for the truth that I give you about your life.

Even what you have a be taken away. That's why it's a scary thing to be under the teaching of God's word and to be in the Bible in a sense that were held accountable.

It's even more scary not to be in the Bible and to be ignorant of the truth, knowing that God will hold us accountable for truth will let me propose something if in fact God is about in every single person's life if he really is bringing little windows of opportunity in your life and mine in your life is really to be determined by how you respond to these windows of opportunity that require a radical step of faith.

And if that radical step of faith is going to require risk.

Here's the question I like to ask how can ordinary people like me and you become great risktakers. I mean even some of us whose personalities are like you know what you had for breakfast in 19 you like 73 is like what you have for breakfast now me.

Why change it. It's good I like it. You know two eggs over easy, whole wheat toast or you you know it's a it's oatmeal with just a little bit of this a little bit of brown sugar or you always buy your copy at the same place that you know there are some people do not like risk but I will tell you that is not one of the options in Christian life we don't like risk is changes scary security issues, and God understands, but where there is no risk there is no faith in. Here's the question. So how do we become great risktakers what God is going to say to you is number one, you need to refocus your fear it.

He doesn't say that you don't have fear seems a need to refocus your fear he's gonna say you need to rejuvenate your faith and then you need to recall his faithfulness and in Hebrews 10 and all of 11 that's basically always in a safe. If you want to become a great risktakers refocus your fear rejuvenate your faith in them. Recall his faithfulness and when you do that you will gradually progressively become a great risk taker and what we know is this is a practice that all great Christians have in common. So let's jump in, refocus your fear. Hebrews 10 beginning at verse 38.

Follow along as I read the context is a group of people that are adverse to risk. In fact there so adverse to risk is they've accepted Jesus into the name the book of Hebrews right for Hebrew Christians their born-again Christians, following Jesus, but their Hebrew Christians and they have found Jesus as the Messiah. He's wonderfully change their life and their beginning to walk with him and things are going really really well and persecution comes in the price tag for following Jesus is getting higher and higher and higher and higher and so there's some people there called Judaizers are coming around saying I'll tell you what you that part of that Jesus stuff is okay, but what you really need to do is come back into Judaism and be a Jew first, and follow all these rules and if you can kind of fly under the radar as a Jew, then you get all this persecution on the writer of Hebrews is talking about how God feels about people that want to sink or slink back into religiosity and moralism and hollow religious activity as opposed to living by faith. Listen to what God says in verse 38 of chapter 10, but my righteous one will live by circle the word faith. The only way you that's the only that is the organ of relationship God my righteous one will live by faith.

And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with, but we are not those who shrink back on or destroy, but those who believe and are say listen to part one of the trips message rate risks will be right back with his application for the stitching from a series good to great in God's eyes. Are you tired of living the status quo Christian life. Are you looking to get a fresh infusion of faith and spiritual passion will join Chip in this 10 part series as he shares 10 specific practices. Every great Christian has in common and how you can put these attitudes and routines into action. If you're ready for a genuine spiritual breakthrough. Don't miss a single message.

For more information about the serious oral resources go to LivingontheEdge.org Chip Ingram up or call us at AAA 33360031 jointed studio L by Chip and Chip. There's a lot of people listening or really worried about what's going on in our world war or recession political unrest. So where can we find stability and encouragement right now all Dave. This is nothing new in the first century Christians suffered through actually much worse, but it's new to us, but as you read the Scriptures. What you find is they were absolutely committed to God's word and they were absolutely committed to doing life and community unity would go to the temple courts and hear God's word taught but then they would meet house to house and it wasn't just a small group.

I mean, they shared a meal they did life together, they supported one another. They encourage one another and so this is the season now as things of opened up where we need to move back to. Let's meet together and whether that's in a small group at church were opening your home.

I just cannot encourage people enough to say I have to get this back into the rhythm of my life and what we've done during this time is to discount all of our small group resources, we have a very clear pathway of how people can grow through small group studies so I can't encourage enough to get back into community days could you help people know exactly what steps they can take with us at Living on the Edge to get some of our small group resources to start the group this fall be glad to trip will get plugged in with our growing library of small group resources go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003. Let me tell you, these tools are so easy to use Jew provides the teaching you'll have time to discuss what you've heard with our helpful study guides. So if you're not in a small group yet, or art sure what to study next me encourage you to check us out in his chipset for a limited time. We've discounted all of our small group resources again to learn more visit LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 hapless nurse Special offers will chip as we wrap up this program talk to the person out there who doesn't like taking risks servers stepping outside their comfort zone. If right they try to avoid risk at all costs.

What encouragement and challenge. Do you have for them. While there are different personalities day but I think all of us feel anxious and filled, challenged, fearful and overwhelmed, especially when the Holy Spirit nudges us to take a risk and sometimes it is one really big one. Are you really willing to move across the country or change jobs or I think more often it's it's it's smaller things like are you willing to sit down with your teenage son or daughter and confront something you suspect and you realize there's going to be a big blowup or are you willing to talk to a friend where you see them drifting you know, out of concern in their marriage or in a situation and you love them and you care about them and the risk is wow if I bring that up if I confront them, even if I do it nicely and do it well might blow the whole relationship up the fact of the matter is, where there is no risk there is no faith and where there is no faith, you can be a good nice moral person. You just can't be one that pleases God because without faith it's impossible to please him and so life is filled with the risk. And so it's coming to the point where I recognize I'm anxious. I recognize him fearful and then I get a conviction.

I may need to go to some friends or mentors or counselors to get clear what I need to do, but we all come to a point if you want to be a good Christian, let alone a great Christian where we have to take some risk. The Bible is filled with the stories of men and women who obeyed God, not knowing what the outcome would be. And you and I will be no exception. So I would just encourage you to be honest of the Lord be like that man who said Lord help me in my unbelief. He's gentle, he's caring. He understands God will give us faith as we lean in and say I'm scared to death.

I'm anxious about this. What if this or that might happen. Nevertheless, I'm willing to step out and here's the one question. Where do you need to step out today. Talk with your heavenly father, and then act as we close out what you know that as a staff we asked the Lord to help you take whatever your next step is. We love the hero it's going.

Would you take a minute and send us a note or give us a call either one is easy. Email a set chip@livingontheedge.org or give us a call a triple late. 33360031, but you've been with us until next time, this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this addition of living all the