What does it mean to have a renewed hunger for God Find out next on bold steps whatever piques our interest whatever we're hungry for whatever worrying gate typically where our heart is that is what we will have a hunger and there are more. Steps with Joe president instituted senior pastor church in Chicago. Today. It's titled experiencing grassroots renewal I know your business you know renewal has been on my heart for years just because I know how much I need to. Periodic. Because we get crusty little bit cold spiritually but it's been said that without periodic visitations from God the church. Shrinks back to a state of lukewarmness And I think that's true in our own heart and so this passage is all about that it's about what it means to have a hunger for God and the purest form of revival is when people are hungry for God and become convicted so much so that they're willing to take steps of well I look forward to what God's Word will teach us here today on this theme where Nehemiah Chapter 18 will see how God did a miraculous work in bringing 40000 people together who were hungry for him in the massive rebuilding effort of Jerusalem the walls were built and the door secure but it was more important that Hearts were right before God let's pick up the story now here's Mark job with today's bold steps as an e.m.i. Up did in 52 days what had not been accomplished in 141 years this devastated town is turned around in $52.00 days because the hand of God was upon him and now we arrive at Chapter 8. They finally hung the doors put the gates on though the mile and a half wall 15 feet high 3 feet wide is finished and you would think they would all be cheering and celebrating and like hey it's over but it's not because here's what I want you to understand unless the spiritual part of your rebuild team is renewed then your rebuilding is in vain. You see I'm glad that you're rebuilding your business and praise God that you're out of Chapter 11 now and you have some investors that are helping you out and you've gotten back on unfocused and and you have a business plan and that's great I'm really happy for you because that's important but listen unless you get your spiritual part right then the just getting your business in order doesn't set everything straight a less God is able to revive your heart. Hey I'm glad that you and your wife were separated and I'm glad that you're back together I'm glad you're seeing a marriage counsellor I'm glad you're rebuilding your marriage and making steps to go forward but alas there is spiritual renewal in your own individual lives the job is only half completed. Hey I'm really happy that you have are have celebrated one year of sobriety and that you haven't touched the bottle in 12 months and that's great because that's a huge huge milestone but listen unless your spiritual life is renewed you're so Brian he is not the whole picture it's only half of the picture intil God begins to renew your spiritual life. The rebuilding is not finished until God gets a grip on your spiritual life so the wall was finished. Now God wanted to do something deeper among the people in this is a pretty incredible chapter and we only have time this morning to deal with the 1st 9 verses I'm going to begin reading in verse one is says when the 7 month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns now the wall was completed in month 6 so this is a few weeks after the month the wall has been completed and the Israelites had settled into their towns the job is done they're not under so much stress it's a couple weeks after the wall has been finished it says all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Watergate now the water great square was sort of like the main plaza of Jerusalem and when it says all the people you need to keep in mind that the population of Israelites was 2 percent of the entire population that had been taken exiled to Babylon which is about 40000 people so there's close 240000 people that gathered together in this big plaza it looks like a demonstration it looks like some major manifestation demonstration of the people but they gathered together with one specific purpose and it says they told as. The scribe to bring out the book of the Law of Moses which the Lord had commanded for Israel and you remember who as your was as it was the preacher Nehemiah was the builder it's funny to me though that the preacher didn't get much done until he hooked up with a business guy that was able to organize things and make things happen right as you had been preaching and preaching the wall wasn't rebuilt the church wasn't restart until Nehemiah came into the picture and organize things. And sometimes oftentimes I believe that the church needs a little bit of both that needs the preaching but it also needs the organizers because if all you do is just preach to a crowd nothing gets done people need to be mobilized to get things done I believe in a church that's mobilized not just a church that assembles to hear practical teaching and fill up notebooks I believe in a church that gets mobilized to get something done amen Ok just making sure you're with me on that so here it says that the people of God They assembled together now they assembled together after the work of the wall was done and they had one request to as the preacher they said to as you remember 40000 of them say to as. Bring out the book the book yeah bring out the book. Now we have the the advantage since the Gutenberg press was 1st instituted we have the advantage of having the book pretty much in every home across America and we have the advantage of having Bibles there neatly bound their package you can get them in thinline an extra large letter and pockets. And there's every kind of you know the big bat King James Bible in the thin you know comic book bible and there's the youth version and the recovery version and the prosperity version and you know we have the advantage but what you have to remember is that in the days of Nehemiah people didn't have Bibles there was no printing press so these precious scrolls were very few and far between. And so the people said to as you of bring out the book the scrolls because we want to hear it. Notice what happens so on the 1st day of the 7 month as are the priest brought the law before the assembly which was made up of men and women and all those who were able to understand he read it out loud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Watergate in the presence of the men women and others who could understand and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law as are the scribes suit on I high wooden platform built for the occasion and he had several men on his right and several men on his left Look at verse 5 as you open the book all the people who could see him could see him because he was standing above them as he opened it the people stood up or 6 as of Praise the Lord the great God and all the people lifted their hands and responded Amen Amen then they bow down and they worship the Lord with their faces to the ground now something incredible happened on this day and I want to bring your attention to it. Something incredible happened on this day because 40000 people gather in this big plaza and they say we want you to read the book to us so from sunrise it's how many of you know when sun rises around Chicago so you set it up it allows. Those of you that actually go to work in the morning get up and then don't work 2nd shift some of you probably have never seen you know you worked 2nd shift or. Around 6 o'clock right Ok 545 you've got to down 6 o'clock in the morning til noon as reads the law now how many hours is that. 6 hours now what book is the reading and what law is the reading when he's not reading the Gospels because they this is 600 years before Jesus so obvious he's not read the Gospel he's reading what is called the pin a to pin it stands for 5 right Pentagon 5 so pin a 2 means 5 books the 1st 5 books of the Bible are called the pinna 2 Can they were all written by Moses Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy right now some of you have read through the pin and 2 others of you have tried to read through it on your read through the Bible in a year quest and many of you have gone through Genesis and while this is interesting the Garden of Eden the fall Babel Abraham Isaac a beautiful you get to Exodus and the people that are in slavery and Joseph Story in the plaid and were rolled in here and then suddenly you get to Leviticus. Some of you have made a lot of read your way through the Bible until you got to live in a kiss and then you bolt out and you go to the New Testament because it starts talking about the pork you need in the law of this and that and genealogies if you bail out at Leviticus and numbers and you've never gotten past that will imagine as . Standing on a wooden platform everybody standing there's no cushion there's no seat there's no amplification 40000 people are there in this plaza now well how many is 40000 people will imagine the United Center full to capacity imagine that. Full to capacity that's a big crowd right will now be double the United Center because I think the United. To you 9 and sinners packed out one guy without a microphone without big Megatron screams in the back so you can see as his expression he's a little head on a platform way over there people are standing there outside there's a little noise and for 6 hours straight he read through the piano to use. It must have been bored out of their minds. I mean he must have like drama going on in the background and people dance and people saying wake up everybody No it says and all the people listened attentively. Now I've been a pastor preacher communicator for a long time I know that's a miracle. I mean Leviticus and they're listening attentively. You know why because something happened in that crowd supernatural unexplainable something that occurred in their heart that made them here's the word catch it hungry for ga. Hungry for God. You see there's something that happens when we become hungry for God that that causes our attention to focus. When people become hungry for God It causes everything to shift around a little bit you listen better your heart's in games you respond you want more. You're open you hear it touches you you're engaged in worship in fact you know what they were doing it tells us that as Nehemiah was was reading the Word of God He read out loud and it says 1st of all he got up he stood up and the people lifted their hands and they responded and they said Amen Amen you know what I meant means. It means yes so be it it means I agree it means yeah right on that's what a man means and so the people are saying yeah that's right yeah we agree so they were probably responding. To the daily Ministry of the 2 president Mark job markets also the senior pastor of the growing new life Community Church in Chicago the title of the series in Nehemiah is rebuild your life your city your world there are many practical things to take away from this book for your own spiritual life if you do miss in the broadcast you can always listen again at bold steps radio dot org That's bold steps radio dot org Also check out the new radio app it's easier than ever now to bookmark and access the teaching on the bold steps broadcast again go to bold steps radio dot org to learn more. Down. Has been. Happening in the rebuilding but once again. They were virtually responding as he spoke right a minute yes we agree not only were they verbal the responding but it says and they bowed their heads and they worship the Lord with their faces to the ground so as as Nehemiah praises God they're saying amen. Are waving their hands and then they get on the ground they do they they get on their faces $40000.00 of them and they ballon the ground their face then now and they're engaged in what's happening there in gauged in worship and then is Nehemiah begins to read some of them couldn't quite understand all the nuances of what he was reading so there were Levites which were other priests gathering in small groups sort of explaining breaking it down to them helping them understand exactly what was being read and then this says as he was reading something unusual begin to happen 2 ways over there in the corner a woman and she was hearing about Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac and his step of faith suddenly tears well up in her face and they start welling and Welling until the tear drop overflows down her cheek and then there's a flood of tears streaming down both cheeks as she thinks of the faithfulness of God and Abraham's problems and then over there an old man with a beard a long white beard suddenly as touch also by the liberation of the people of God from slavery how faithful God has been and suddenly his hands earnest face and the shoulders are shaking up and down as he begins to weep over what God has done in a big burly man over there the never cries and never we begin to hear about what it means to be a man of God and lead us household and you realize how far he's strayed from leaving his sons and daughters in the ways of God and he begins to cry and weep and it says Pretty soon the whole assembly is weeping and crying because they've heard the teaching of the Word of God. Imagine 40000 people some wailing some weeping somewhat their heads down an e.m.i. Has to say stop the wheat. I want you to hear the Word of God This is a day of celebration God as we've completed the wall they'll be time for repentance and weeping but they were touched by the presence of God. That's supernatural that's when someone is hungry for God and engage in worship let me tell you how you know whether you're hungry for God. You see when you're hungry for something you have an appetite for that it's you're engaged in that. You're not when you're not really hungry for something you're easily bored with is some of you have tried to get your your wife to really said Now if you watch the Bears game and you know this some women are really really engaged in it but others are like you know bunch of burly guys around knocking each other down like that that's not what I'm into and so you set down honey and now watch this isn't she's like. A watch it for 5 minutes to go and because she's not into it she's not into it you know just like if you're if it's not something that's close to your heart and you really like then you easily get bored with it yesterday I spent 2 hours at a mall. Now that's love 2 hours 2 hours and we took our whole family took our whole family so. Now my you know this is just the way people are wired now my wife and my daughter felt like this is way not enough time for us because wow we only only got to see only a few places we have a lot more time my son Josiah stayed in the car for 2 hours in the parking lot because he didn't want to go and just read he was he was and my 8 year old son and I went in and we sat down at a coffee shop and he had a cinnamon roll and I had a coffee and we waited and was like hey this is long and my son will take when can we go and then my daughter and we're my wife were like Man this is really short time I guess we have to go now because. It's all about what you're saying gauge did and interested in I was bored with it but they were engaged in it because their heart is more into than my heart was into it. Some of you guys. You know you love cars and vehicles and so you see a car driving down the street and then you you're into the motor in the cylinders in the horse power in the year it was done the body and who manufactures it and you know all the details about it and you really love the car in your garage and so you try to tell your wife you know hey don't park too close it can get dented and she's like yeah whatever sister car before you know no this is much more than a car. Because you're engaging your heart is there so you think about it you you you really take time you wash it out in your eyes and then you just wash it 2 days ago yeah but it's dirty Can you tell and any little nick you notice and you want to clean it aggravates you when people put food on the carpet and it's not taking care why because you value it highly some of you are into the stock market and you spent a lot of time watching a little television will bleep the numbers and it really affects you know your day off when those numbers go down put your day up when the numbers go up you're really really into it because you value it and whatever we value grabs our attention peaks our interests keeps us in games but if we don't value something we are easily bored by it. It just we're not with it we endure it but it bores us listen to me hear me out hear me well spiritually speaking spiritually speaking it's a miracle of God that 40000 people men women and children were engaged in the reading of the Word of God because they were hungry for Ga hungry for God 6 hours 6 and a half hour 45 minutes 6 b.c. It's jump piper that wrote in his book a hunger for God If we don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God It's not because we have drunk so deeply in our satisfy it's because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world that our soul is stuffed with small things and there's no room for the grain it's you realize that in some countries. They don't gather in a big building like this in fact in China the Gospel exists floating like no other country around the world China Africa and some parts of South America people are coming to Christ an unprecedented number of churches are being birth and you know we're typically they gather in China they gather in homes packed out from wall the wall and some of the because it's not a open country and some of them some of the leaders are put in jail and you know what they have they value the Word of God because often they don't have they have handwritten copies of the Word of God I had a guy guy that told me that that many of those people have memorized this entire books of the Bible and they hand copy the Word of God and I'm told that if the Bible study and the teacher of the gas preacher teacher comes and preaches less than 2 hours people are disappointed like hey that was a really short message men were hungry here. And here's what you're saying. I really hope we need to get past the mark of a bigger watch because I mean you went over 10 minutes before a tech team big watch neon lights in the bag it's time to close. You see whatever we're hungry for whatever were thirsty. Ever worrying King. We can in. A few moments ago from John Piper share that with you again if you don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God It's not because you have drunk deeply in are satisfied it's because you have nibbled so long at the table of the work your soul with small things and there is no room for the. Question is are you hungry for the right thing this is bold steps with our teacher March in a culture that almost worship. Very few pursue broken but spiritual broken this. In exchange for God's assessment of our hearts is the 1st step toward personal revival. In our book brokenness. Writes you and I will never meet God in revival until we 1st meet him in broken. Everybody who supports us this month a copy of Nancy's book let broken this do a work in your heart give your mind a bold steps radio. Steps radio. Will send you this powerful book Broken phone in your gift right now 246157363. 615736 thank you for your support is our hope and prayer that what you're hearing here is an encouragement and challenge to live out your faith in a bowl. Experiencing. The conclusion comes your way. Is a production of the radio a ministry of. Finance a few. Chuck Bentley This is my money live from Crown people worry about job security and whether they can pay the bills will they be able to afford the cost of medical services assisted living or help their children with higher education how will negative interest rates affect their portfolios or will the stock market crash Christians literally rob God and sometimes their families over fear the future there's a growing mania for buffering ourselves against any possible future event but unless we depend on God will be like the man who built his house upon sand Jesus said the wise man built his house upon the rock Our faith must be rooted in our Rock Jesus Christ not in our material security otherwise fear will drive us in control us it will cause us anxiety and sleep loss unhealthy frugality marital stress bitterness and separation from God So I ask a simple question do you really trust God He promises to work all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purposes so no matter the size of your bank accounts you must trust God with it all how do you do it you release the past and believe that God holds your future pray and set realistic goals begin to give generously save more and spend less read the Bible believe what he says and act on God's financial principles a good church and godly mentors will help you let go of fear and build upon the rock how there's more help at Crown dot org funded through donations there's no Sept. And resources to give what you can and get immediate access and your donation help to each other people God's financial principle check out crowned. With today's. 25 years. Or waited for God's promise the birth of a son who would change their lives and the lives of all their descendants forever so you might expect the writer of Genesis to have recorded this birth in grand style instead you read them the Lord took note of Sara as he had said and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised to Sara conceived and born a son to Abraham in his old age at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him to matter of fact sentences saying God made a promise and at the appointed time he kept it. Well that's the whole point God keeps His promises so today be encouraged as you think about God's promises for your life and remember God said it God will do it it's as good as done to hear more Bible minutes visit back to the Bible org slash Bible minute if you are a new listener to local Christian radio maybe you've wondered why you don't hear commercial messages Well the answer is fairly simple we are a nonprofit ministry and choose to not sell advertising but rather accept donations from our listening family gifts are tax deductible and we have a faithful core of folks who invest financially so we can bring you the gospel each day as we grow our outreach we need new investors to come on board to help us touch more people with the good news of Christ to learn more check us out. Or Facebook dot com slash k j o Well radio Thanks and please pray for a k j o l It's time now for truth for live for the master Alister beg on k.j. Oh well 91.9 f.m. For Montrose and Elaine and streaming live on the Internet at k j a well. When we truly live out our faith what does that look like practically what should we expect to see in a church that has embraced God's design Well today on truth for life Alister bad contends that when a person or a church is shaped by grace they'll be characterized by sympathy harmony and humility. Allister's teaching from Romans Chapter 12. If anyone is in Christ they're a new creation the old is gone the new has come are no longer what we once were and not only are we in Christ but because we are in Christ we are in one another each member of virus 5 belongs to all the others there is something in the end that is both natural and supernatural. The analogy the matter for is straightforward we understand it but the expression of it demands the supernatural attendance of God especially in the realm of Number One sympathy sympathy. That's how I'm choosing to summarize verse 15 rejoice with those who rejoice mourn with those who mourn. Sympathy we understand when we use it in a sentence but if someone asked us to define it would be a little hard pressed this is from the always be. An affinity or correspondence between particular subjects enabling the same influence to affect each subject similarly or each subject to affect or influence the other. Sympathy Secondly and more briefly harmony harmony. Verse 16 a live in harmony with one another once again this has to do with thinking the King James version had it right when it translated the phrase be of the same mind one toward another the basis of this harmony is found in submitting to the conductor namely the Lord Jesus Christ. And to the score namely to the Scriptures if we misunderstand this then we may be tempted to think that what Paul is urging upon the Christian church in Rome was some form of uniformity No it's not really saying for a moment they were a diverse group by background they were diverse in relationship to the gifts that God had given them the very fact of their difference made something of the wonderful very a geisha of the nature of the relationships with each other but when it came to the issues of the Gospel then they were to be of the same mind as one another and you have this I think worked out by Paul in other places I'll just give you a couple 1st Corinthians chapter one and verse 10. I appeal to you brothers he says in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. Or when he writes to the Philippians he is doing essentially the same thing making the same call Philippians $127.00 whatever happens conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ then where I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence I will know that you stand firm in one spirit content doing as one man for the faith of the gospel. And this I think is essential for us to grasp that when we think in terms of the Body of Christ moving and living harmoniously it is not it dare not be as a result of the coercive influence of little. Autocrats. In local congregations. Telling people now you don't need to think you just need to listen I'll tell you how to think out tell you this. No you have to have people saying to you it is absolutely imperative that you think . But all of our thinking. Where there is diversity politically intellectually socially and so on is perfectly understandable and makes up our lives but when it comes to the issues of the Gospel when it comes to the issues of truth when it comes to the matters of the main things be in the plain things then we must live in absolute harmony. We cannot go all in 4 or 5 different directions and even when it comes to matters of secondary importance Nevertheless we have to have some decision we have to have some modus operandi by which we are able to say this is what we do and this is what we do as a church family and so when we think in terms of harmony gone let's mis understand this and I'm talking here about uniformity to a perspective is of the building a building or a children's wing or whatever else it is no what we're talking about here is harmony as it relates to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ under the clear instruction of the Bible submitting to the source of its of its authority in Jesus we move forward and when Paul writes to the Philippians he says you know and if some of you think diversely about this and you think in other ways eventually God will make that clear to you that there is a correlation between spiritual maturity and living in this kind of harmony. And then thirdly he comes back again to what he's mentioned before this matter of humility humility Do not be proud. But we willing to associate with people of low position if you haven't an i.v. You will notice there is a footnote there with a little c. And at the bottom of your page it is translated or willing to do menial work the reason that you have that little footnote is because the word for people is not in the Greek the word for man as in the King James Version is not in the Greek it is added because that is the sense that the translators thought was being conveyed here but each one is equally valid Don't be so proud that there are people you want to associate with and don't be so proud that there are jobs which she thing or 2 menial for you to do don't be a snob it's recess. No snobbery snobbery exists like a horrible virus all over the place. And into particular areas in the round of the mind. And in the realm of money mind and money. We don't have time to tease it out I'll give it to you you can work it out on your own 1st Corinthians 8 Paul says knowledge puffs up love builds up and he takes on the Corinthians and he says be careful you intellectual and doctrinal snobs because you think you know so much and you do know a lot don't think that your knowledge is the key because all we are getting with this knowledge is a fat head it is love which builds up the body of Christ are you not arguing for for idiots in positions of authority he is simply pointing out that the intellectual bubble of pride needs to be burst constantly and secondly in the realm of finance or money 1st in the 670 command those who are rich in this present age are at this point in time not to be Arrah Ghent Or to put their hope and wealth. And in this again is one of the great distinctive things about the Christian church is not of the Christian church is is full of sort of a group of people who are intellectually incapacitated many others are but it's not the whole story it is not of the Christian churches is full of people have no money to buy themselves a hamburger some are in difficulty but it is not the whole story but it is the power of Jesus Christ invading the. The the person who'd have the individual and the parameters of the church radically alters these things so that whereas in the secular community it has our status our significance our influence and so on is largely measured at the realm of the intellect and other realm the realm of social respectability in the Church of Jesus Christ he said Forget that stuff for that stuff don't you ever say that there is no one there you can spend time with don't you ever say that there is a job that you are that is beneath you. You can do that because remember Jesus said I am meek and lowly in heart. Now when you think about the clarity of the Bible in relationship to the issue of saying no to pride and he goes on to say Do not be conceited which just means do not be wise in your own eyes don't be so prepared to listen to yourself that you are unprepared to listen to anybody else that's the wisdom of the world don't be like that he said. And you know when you think about the history of the church right up to the present day so real problem isn't. It's very uncomfortable when you read James Chapter 2. Somebody comes into your fellowship says James in the 1st century and he's from a really nice background and so on and you're tempted to find a very nice seat for him somebody comes in office treats say. It's find somewhere to sit at the back or over on the side or whatever it might be. It's not it's not that the New Testament says. You shouldn't do that. It actually in the Torah is doing that. It says that one of the distinguishing features of the people of God is that the things that mark the general community. Are no longer present now that the thing about this that makes it so special is not that it involves anybody seeing well you know. I'm not really a musician I couldn't call myself a musician I'm just I'm just you know I just fiddle around with it that's not true you are a member of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra What do you what do you try to do why did you say that. You are a brilliant musician. We rejoice with you in the gifts that God has given you. But I tell you what we are impressed. That you would be prepared. To offer your gift to us. Because only a very small percentage of this congregation actually comes on Thursday nights and supports your Cleveland Symphony Orchestra You had every right to say I don't think I should play for you you never come to listen to me. Rejoice with your gifts. Nor is it on the other hand that somebody says well I am this or I am that has to exalt themselves of position beyond which there is obviously truth. No you can just be yourself. That's what the whole means see being in your house you can be yourself. Cyril asked me Do you want to go out and he said I don't want to go I need I want to be home why. I can wear what I want I can sit where I want I can lie on the floor I can stand up against it dive into I'm hole that's when the Psalmist this since I'm 84 how lovely is your dwelling place a lot of force I love going home he says I love going to the temple when I go to the temple and I look around and I find sparrows up there and I find the swallows made its nest and when I get in the comfort and capacity of that home I just rejoice in the splendor of your goodness. How does that relate. Post. Incarnation. We are the people of God. Joined by his name. Called from the dark and delivered from shame. Saints everyone. We're home. Take your shoes off. We're home you can be honest. We're home you don't have to like everything. We're home there's your sister you're sitting in a state. We're home under the same roof sharing the same conventions no need to pretend. No need to be a smart ally no need to apologize. We're little. Now you see if a congregation gets this and I'm not sure we've got it yet I mean we're very interested in it but if a congregation gets this man does it change the perception it changes the flavor it changes everything. Because in the same way that houses of smells and you know you're not supposed to say house or fragrance every every house has a has is for has its thing you know it's a you go in smells all smells clean smells like flowers Smaltz Ok there is a new your initial perception walking into a place is actually probably as much through your nasal passages it is through your eyes. If you come into parts or what it was one of the. More they get. Out of being funny and I'm really asking the question because I don't want anybody say why I couldn't come to parts I have got nothing to wear if that's the case then let's let's you know let's go whatever whatever will take to help them you only wear a t. Shirt and jeans I can do that if that helps you that I can do that I mean I sleep in a tide but I can do that for you. Because you're my brother you're my sister I don't want any same I can't go to parties and I'm not bright enough for Parkside I don't know I can't go to parties say that whatever it is we are Parkside. We are the ones making the smell. We are the ones creating the perception. And the history of the church in the West is horrible in relationship to this you think about it in terms of even Britain remind America you take Britain it's going along you go you've got sin Patrick who has scars and she comes over we get the thing started it's going fine and nice and everything then all of a sudden gets horribly respectable and suddenly all the Vicar's are geniuses and all come from aristocratic backgrounds the mine workers and the people that are in the mill workers they have to sit somewhere else. The all nurse are in the key positions the proletariat ads who know their place are here. I don't make more of it than it is but you can make a strong argument for the fire. That the brighter the cleric speak in and the more sophisticated their backgrounds there was a direct inversion in relationship to people who didn't come from those backgrounds having any interest in appreciation for the very gospel that this article. That's why I love the Jesus movement in the sixty's. I wasn't here for it but I loved it I couldn't wait to get to California to find out what that was all about and one of the singular blessings of my life has been to enjoy the relationships with all the guys from the Calvary Chapel or on the country I was just had one in somewhere Tucson and as I was greeting people afterwards a lady came to me and said you know my friend said to me isn't it kind of weird that Allister beggars at the Calvary Chapel thing do you know what Allister big believes. In other words somehow or another my theological predilections were such that they shouldn't be with these Calvary Chapel guys because all you need to be a Calvary Chapel pastor is a Bible and a pair of jeans. But I love that and I love the fact that Chuck Smith did what no one else would do when all the when all the conservative evangelicals were were a hole in holding up their hands in opposition to these hippies that were turning to Christ's. It Chuck Smith said hey you can come here if you want. They had a smell to them it was called marijuana. They had hair. They had bare feet. They had bad manners. And they only knew one thing. For the guy that met them at a hit Asprey or met them on the beach. Or met them in the bar told them I have met Jesus of Nazareth and he has changed my life and I would like to introduce him to you if you would like to meet him. Or what I have to do whatever. Nothing. Nothing why should I come. Here looking great come exactly as you are. And they came exactly as they are they were. And all these years later. All across the country they're still like that. And the danger for Isis of course adopting a posture that isn't true to us. But the equal danger. Is that we unwittingly. Send a fragrance out. Which repel us. Rather than i try. I don't know many people who go in and say Oh so we're having fish to save me. What now world is that or you're going to like it. Convinced me. I don't you get this done you I'll stop now you get it. It's the work of a spirit of guard supernaturally. To create the kind of organic unity that expresses itself in sympathy. And Harmony under the Gospel. And in a genuine sense of humility. When people visit your church do they sense the love of God among you a thought provoking question from Allister bag and truth for life Allister will close today's program with prayer in just a minute but 1st as a follow up to today's message I'm excited to tell you about a book we're making available it's titled Love came down at Christmas. Will never be able to give off the fragrance of love and forgiveness unless we ourselves have been the recipients of God's love this book helps us take a few minutes each day during the Christmas season to reflect on God's amazing love expressed in the birth of Jesus this is a 24 day devotional for the holidays and it's rooted in 1st Corinthians chapter 13 the author Sinclair Ferguson is a dear friend and personal mentor to Alister And in this devotional he brings the rich the ology of the Incarnation to life with warmth and clarity this Christmas as you express your love to family and friends to members of your church let that celebration be rooted in the love you've received from God request your copy of love came down at Christmas it comes to you with our Thanks for your generous support of this ministry as you know truth for life is entirely Lyster funded and your giving goes directly to bringing Allister's teaching to as many people as possible through radio through the web and the mobile app all for free. The cost to deliver the teaching however is substantial and so as we're just around the corner from the busiest gift giving season of the year I want to kindly ask you to add truth for life to your giving list we rely on your donations during these last 6 weeks of 2019 to finish the year strong caring for all of our expenses if you've never supported truth for life before or if you'd like to add a year and donation to your regular support I want to suggest that you set aside the amount of a single Christmas gift this year and invest that in the proclamation of the gospel through truth for life your gift will make an eternal difference go online to truth for Life dot org slash donate to give quickly and securely or call 888-588-7884 remember to request your copy of the devotional love came down at Christmas if you'd rather mail your donation right to truth for life that p.o. Box 398000 Cleveland Ohio 44139. Now here's Alister to wrap up today's message Father thank you. That we can read our Bibles by ourselves we can go away and think these things out and look upon as in your goodness and kindness we pray as a church help us to love being together help us to love each other help us to have as much interest in as it were being home as the as the Psalmist did in relationship to the temple. Save us from worldly wisdom give us the wisdom that comes down from heaven that is 1st of all pure and peaceable and gentle and open to reason help us to Laura our top sales as it where. Instead of sailing down the canal. To draw attention to ourselves that we might make the drawbridge of heaven as it were. For it's a low entry there. We want to be what you want us to be in order that in the future generations may arise and bless you. And we desperately look to you in Jesus name Amen. I'm inviting you to join us Thursday as we continue our study of Romans 12 will be learning how to respond with grace in the face of persecution. The Bible teaching about Mr Begg is furnished by truth for life. Is for life. To pastor. And such gifts at $91.00. And streaming on the Internet. Mention our financial needs here well and this is one of those times this is. Grateful to the many people who pray for and invest in local Christian Radio thanks but to those who have never shared financially with or haven't for some time. To maintain an outreach we need you to join those faithful friends already doing their part any gift in any does make an important difference and you can learn more at. Facebook dot com slash Radio thanks. And living on the edge. A. 100 and heard on the Internet at. Would God look down from heaven into your heart and into your life and call you a generous person and stop stop right before you think about how much money you give I want you to rethink the question if God didn't take into account anything to do with money how generous are you from his perspective are there other ways that he measures generosity that might be even more important than money and let me give you a hint The answer is yes you don't want to miss living on the edge today. Welcome to this Wednesday edition of living on the edge with chipping grip. On this daily discipleship Ministry I'm Dave and today Chip continues his series The genius of generosity by outlining how it's possible to effectively measure generosity and move beyond good intentions to dynamic generosity after the teaching ship will join us here in studio with some more personal comments about this journey of generosity so we hope you'll be able to stay with us for that if you have to miss it though this message and the rest of the programs in this series are available on the chip . Well let's join chip now for his message how does God measure generosity. So how does God measure generosity Well Jesus has a way of taking what we believe and what we think and how we evaluate and literally turning it upside down and the way he does that is to bring life and to bring freedom but we just get used to seeing things and evaluating things in ways that are very very subtle but lead us down past that ruin relationships that hurt people in fact the word miser comes from the root word for miserable miserly non generous people are miserable. And yet there's something when we think about generosity when we self evaluate we say oh yeah I think I'm pretty generous this series is not about money this series is about generosity and being smart about living your life in a way that brings about the highest and best results for you.