WEBVTT
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Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.
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Rarely in my life have I experienced such pain
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as when I make a commitment I know God wants
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me to make and then I blow it. I don't follow
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through. Today, three keys to keeping your commitments
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that matter most. Stay with us. Today on Living
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on the Edge, Chip Ingram continues a series called
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You Were Made for More. How to discover God's
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purpose for your life. He's laying out three
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principles drawn straight from Nehemiah chapter
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3 that answer the one question all of us quietly
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wrestle with. How do you make the kind of commitment
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that actually holds? Whether it's a commitment
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to God, to your marriage, to your kids, or to
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the purpose He's placed in your heart, today's
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message has real practical answers. Now here's
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Chip Ingram with his message titled, Exercise
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Personal Commitment. How do you make and sustain?
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personal commitments. That's what we want to
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talk about. And the answer is going to be in
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Nehemiah chapter 3. We're going to see that he
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modeled it convincingly. So, open your notes,
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if you will. Let me walk through with you a couple
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observations. You know, when I look at this,
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and just hold the notes open, couldn't we all
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agree the gates are the central focus of this
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chapter? I mean, the paragraphs break and just,
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there's a line under them. They're real bold.
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Whatever this chapter is about, the central focus
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is the gates. Second, there's a variety of people
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involved in this work. I mean, there's personal
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names. Sometimes it's their father, their grandfather,
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or where they come from. But I just listed some.
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There's merchants, there's priests, perfumers,
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goldsmiths, rulers, servants, temple servants,
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daughters, nobles, and officials. Next observation
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is, notice that the approach was very systematic
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and organized. They began on the sheep gate,
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and go ahead and let your mind scan all the way
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to the end, and they went counterclockwise. They
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end on the sheep gate. Each group had a specific
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responsibility. As you scan and read this a bit
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on your own, you know this group built according
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to this wall. This group built in front of their
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house. This group did this over here. So each
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group had a very specific role and responsibility.
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Next observation is each group worked near their
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homes, or at least was whenever possible. In
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verse 10, verse 22, verse 26, 28, 29, and 30.
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And so they didn't have to travel. And the other
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is there was sort of a godly vested interest.
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Can you imagine saying, okay, we're going to
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rebuild this part of the wall right here. And
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the walls were, I mean, don't think of a little
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wall. These were huge walls. You could drive
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a chariot on top of these walls. And then inside
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the walls, the housing would be built. So my
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living room might be here, and then the external
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wall be here. I'm thinking I'm going to do a
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pretty good job on this part of the wall. If,
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you know, the catapults and the stones start
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coming and the arrows and the spears, I think
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I'm going to make it pretty thick and pretty
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good. I'm not going to do one of those. Well,
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this is good enough for government work, right?
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And so he motivates them not only by the great
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intrinsic we're doing this for God, but he puts
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them in a place that highly motivates them to
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work in a way that has their best interest in
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mind. We're going to learn in just a second that
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some people are going to repair and other people
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are going to build because our giftedness are
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different. Some people are really great at fixing
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stuff and other people think I can't fix anything,
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but they're great with a clean sheet of paper
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and they can build stuff. But then in the context,
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chapters four, five, and six will be about opposition.
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I mean, anytime you take a step, whether you
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decide to start really reading your Bible or
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really praying or working on your marriage or
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saying as a family, we're going to do something
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radical. We're going to try and eat together
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like two or three times a week. I'm going to
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actually tuck my kids in and read them a story.
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I'm going to get with a group of single people
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and we're going to make a covenant about making
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a difference in our workplaces and we're going
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to be sexually pure. Every time you take any
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kind of step of faith like that, it'll usually
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get worse before it gets better. So chapter four,
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you get external opposition. In chapter five,
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there's internal opposition. And then chapter
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six, he gets personal attack. People who make
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these kind of commitments, they change, they
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change people around them, and they change the
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world. But it usually starts with some very significant
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time of motivation, and it gets clear, this is
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what we've got to do. And then they start this
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process, and usually it's followed by things
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that are very difficult. Notice who started the
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work. It's the high priest. Different people
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have responsibility. The high priest was the
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highest representative of God. And notice the
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very first line, he models that. The ragtag group
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finished it in 52 days. And I have a friend who's
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an engineer who said, this is an absolute engineering
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miracle. It's an impossibility. And then notice
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they worked in affinity groups. If you could
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study a little bit longer, the priests worked
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together, the merchants, the goldsmiths worked
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together. They worked in families, servants,
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and then they worked in geographical areas. So
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they knew each other. I mean, when you work,
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you're more motivated to work with people that
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you kind of have some kinship with. I mean, it's
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true today. Like, some of you are like real techie,
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and you can talk in languages that I don't understand,
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and some of you are more artistic, and some of
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you come from different parts of the country,
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and there's just an affinity of culture and background
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that as we work together with people that we
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can understand, it helps us sustain motivation.
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Helps us keep our commitments. We understand
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one another. And then the final thing here is
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that notice there were two special commendations.
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In verse five, if you skip down there, you can
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see that he talks about the nobles. They didn't
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put their shoulder to the work. So now imagine,
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first imagine all these individual names. God
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doesn't accomplish his will by some big blanket
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thing. Think of all the individual names and
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imagine maybe the very next generation, these
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people are like your father or your grandfathers.
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God accomplishes things not by groups and movements
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and programs. He does it one person, one life
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at a time. And so that's how important individuals
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are. All these specific names. And he knows.
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He knows who's slacking off. And then if you
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skip down to verse 20, notice the style of Baruch.
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It says he worked zealously. God sees people's
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motives. He sees people's hearts. He knows where
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you're at. He knows where I'm at. And in all
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this long list, he says, you know, this fella
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really didn't carry his weight. And this person
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over here. And so all those are our observations,
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right? Is that fair? I mean, it's in there, right?
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We'll turn to the back page and let's turn those
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observations into some very specific principles
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about how you can help make and sustain your
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personal commitments. And as we do, can I ask
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you to lean back? I mean, when I study the Bible,
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that's just what I do, okay? When I studied this
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for the first time, I read it over a bunch of
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times, and then I started looking, and I put
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a line under all the gates, and then I started
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thinking, there's a lot of people, so I circled
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the different people. But then I began to ask,
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why? Why is chapter three here? Why did this
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particular group at this particular time with
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this particular leader actually accomplish the
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task when others had failed? What is it that
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I can learn about these groups and the affinities
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and building and repairing and after him and
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next to him that would help me personally make
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commitments and sustain them? I mean, because
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at the end of the day, God didn't put this in
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his word just so that we could understand Nehemiah
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3. He knew that we'd be sitting in this room
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in this day with the issues that you face and
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I face. Now, before I go on, here's what I'd
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like you to think about. Where are you at in
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your personal commitment to Jesus Christ? I mean,
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is it an emotional one, intellectual one? Is
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it, yeah, I'd like to be more committed, but
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I'm kind of afraid to because... Three steps
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forward, nine steps backwards. Where are you
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at? I mean, privately, no hands or anything.
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But for those of you that are married, down deep
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in your heart, where are you at in your commitment
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to your mate? Or like I shared, I mean, there
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were times that I just felt like, God, this isn't
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working. I'm really frustrated. I mean, I went
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through that. I'm not very fulfilled right now.
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I'm not very happy. In fact, I'm not happy at
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all. And then the enemy comes in and tries to
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tempt you, right? So where are you there? Or
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how about, how committed are you, some of you
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that are parents, to really saying, I will own
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the moral responsibility of raising my kids that
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regardless of their SAT scores, how well they
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do in athletics, they're going to be godly kids.
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See, that changes stuff. And I don't know where
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it is. I've got my journey. When I'm thinking
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about, God, what do you want me to really refresh
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and renew my commitments? But I want you to think
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about that right now. I mean, for some of you,
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maybe as a single person, you're saying, you
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know, I'm sort of committed to sexual purity.
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You know where that lands you, don't you? I'm
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sort of committed to only dating someone who
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really walks with God. Unless he's very good
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looking. Or unless she's really hot. And I think
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there's real spiritual potential and I could
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help her. Right? Been there and done that. So
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with that, what I want to do now is I want to
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walk through these three principles, and I want
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you to pray. I want you to pray and say, God,
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would you help clarify in my mind and my heart
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where you want me to make or where you want me
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to further sustain personal commitments in my
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life? How to make and sustain personal commitments,
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number one, is the principle of cooperation.
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We never get beyond how we're getting along.
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Everything that ever gets accomplished in life
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is done in the context of relationships. And
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so here's the key. Recognize people are different.
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Nehemiah did that. Recognize people are different.
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Second, recognize the immense value of every
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person. Realize that whether it's at work or
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whether it's your family, I mean, you're human.
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Some of your kids frustrate you in some seasons
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and some make you very happy. Some are very easy
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and some are very hard. Some people in your small
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group you connect with. Some make you nuts. But
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just recognize that it's not bad or good, it's
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they're different. And third, recognize that
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our common goal or common vision is greater than
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our individual differences. You're listening
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to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and we'll
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have more in just a moment. Remember, the place
00:11:04.460 --> 00:11:07.179
to go for all of these daily messages is over
00:11:07.179 --> 00:11:11.299
on our website, livingontheedge .org. There you'll
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find Chip's full teaching library, along with
00:11:13.659 --> 00:11:16.879
even more content like Chip's free daily discipleship
00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:20.159
tool to help you grow all week long. You can
00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:22.379
also download the Chip Ingram app absolutely
00:11:22.379 --> 00:11:25.379
free through any app store on your smart device.
00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:28.740
Now let's continue with today's message from
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Chip Ingram. It's the principle of cooperation.
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You will never get beyond how you're getting
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along. And if you find yourself in your heart
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critical of people, even if it's only in your
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mind, if you find yourself always pointing out
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what's wrong with your mate or what's wrong with
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some of your kids or what's wrong with some people
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in this church or what's wrong with this or what's
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wrong with that, or if you find yourself in little
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coffee shops talking about other people that
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sort of have this little negative slant, I will
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tell you what, you won't make progress. Personal
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commitments are fostered when we feel like we
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belong. I believe when those people started on
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that wall together, they felt like I belong.
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I'm a part of the team. Nehemiah, God's got his
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hand on Nehemiah. God brought him here. We know
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it's God's will to rebuild these walls. We know
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what God promised to do in the city. We know
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we're God's people. And I belong. I'm going to
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be a part and I'm going to do my little section
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on the wall. And when you feel like you belong,
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It fosters commitment. When you feel like you're
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visiting, when you feel like it's them working
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on the wall, when you feel like it's that church,
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when you find yourself in conversations talking
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about what they're doing, and it's not negative.
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I mean, it's a journey. It's a process. But there's
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not that sense that you belong. It's sort of
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an evaluative, well, this is what they're doing.
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Here's what they're trying to do. That's a lot
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different than this is what we're doing. This
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is where we're going. This is where we have challenges.
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So let me ask you, do you feel like you belong?
00:13:05.539 --> 00:13:08.360
And maybe the second question is, what do you
00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:11.940
need to do to take that next step? Because otherwise,
00:13:12.019 --> 00:13:14.940
we've created this culture, especially in America,
00:13:15.100 --> 00:13:17.860
but many places around the world, where we actually
00:13:17.860 --> 00:13:22.370
think, quote, church is a building. And that
00:13:22.370 --> 00:13:24.710
church is an event that happens sometime, usually
00:13:24.710 --> 00:13:28.250
on Sunday morning, and you go and sit and listen
00:13:28.250 --> 00:13:30.509
to someone talk and sing some songs, hopefully
00:13:30.509 --> 00:13:32.289
feel a little bit better about yourself because
00:13:32.289 --> 00:13:35.269
you've done it, and then live the other six days
00:13:35.269 --> 00:13:38.409
almost totally apart from that experience, but
00:13:38.409 --> 00:13:42.029
feel like I went to church. Therefore, what do
00:13:42.029 --> 00:13:47.049
you think, God? It's that subtle consumer mindset
00:13:47.049 --> 00:13:52.320
versus church is us. people together, connected
00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:55.059
together to accomplish his purposes. And his
00:13:55.059 --> 00:13:57.379
purpose here in this church is to help us love
00:13:57.379 --> 00:13:59.600
one another and love people outside this room
00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:02.240
and help Christians live like Christians. That's
00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:06.580
God's call. And that's a 24 -7, 365 event. The
00:14:06.580 --> 00:14:08.659
second principle is the principle of coordination.
00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:11.980
The multiple efforts of a group are far greater
00:14:11.980 --> 00:14:16.379
than the sum of its parts. It's synergy. In other
00:14:16.379 --> 00:14:18.399
words, this group couldn't get anything going.
00:14:18.500 --> 00:14:21.440
They had a catalytic leader in Nehemiah. He cast
00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:24.100
a clear vision. People understood, I want you
00:14:24.100 --> 00:14:25.919
to do this part, this part, this part, this part.
00:14:26.019 --> 00:14:27.740
You come from different places. You can work
00:14:27.740 --> 00:14:29.720
with people that you know, but from this section
00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:32.860
to this section, you do this, they do that, and
00:14:32.860 --> 00:14:35.659
the sum of the parts in 52 days did a miracle.
00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:39.159
That's how God has always worked. It's true in
00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:41.960
Acts chapter two. It's true in the early church.
00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:44.179
It was true in the Reformation. It was true with
00:14:44.179 --> 00:14:45.899
Wesley and Whitefield. It was true in the early
00:14:45.899 --> 00:14:47.940
days of America. And it's true in different parts
00:14:47.940 --> 00:14:49.779
of the world now. It's the principle cooperation.
00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:55.279
Well, how do you do that? Well, first we recognize
00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:59.700
we need each other. There are no lone rangers.
00:14:59.980 --> 00:15:02.039
You can't make it on your own. I can't make it
00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:07.000
on my own. I mean, even the 12 -step people know
00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:10.230
that. You can't make it on your own. Recognize
00:15:10.230 --> 00:15:12.370
there's a job that only you can do. Personal
00:15:12.370 --> 00:15:16.389
commitments grow when we know that we are needed.
00:15:17.490 --> 00:15:20.190
Do you understand there's this amazing connection
00:15:20.190 --> 00:15:23.129
between commitment and love? Jesus said, he that
00:15:23.129 --> 00:15:26.049
has my commands and keeps them, he it is that
00:15:26.049 --> 00:15:27.690
loves me. And he that loves me will be loved
00:15:27.690 --> 00:15:30.169
of my father. And then here's the promise. And
00:15:30.169 --> 00:15:33.549
we will disclose ourselves to you. You get close
00:15:33.549 --> 00:15:36.350
and meet and touch and feel and experience and
00:15:36.350 --> 00:15:39.269
get transformed by God, not by just soaking in
00:15:39.269 --> 00:15:42.509
information. It's by receiving truth and then
00:15:42.509 --> 00:15:44.929
I respond to the truth and I connect with other
00:15:44.929 --> 00:15:47.570
people and I discover my gifts and then together
00:15:47.570 --> 00:15:49.789
we do this thing and he creates something out
00:15:49.789 --> 00:15:54.350
of it. Here's what I want you to hear. You're
00:15:54.350 --> 00:15:59.370
needed. You're needed. What happens in the church
00:15:59.370 --> 00:16:02.409
and the life is just the byproduct. What happens
00:16:02.409 --> 00:16:06.289
is the most fulfilled people, the people that
00:16:06.289 --> 00:16:09.090
had their names written in this chapter, were
00:16:09.090 --> 00:16:12.610
people who saw God could use an ordinary person
00:16:12.610 --> 00:16:16.769
like me. And what they did is they moved off
00:16:16.769 --> 00:16:19.269
of looking at the rubble and assuming that this
00:16:19.269 --> 00:16:21.450
is the way it's going to be, and they aligned
00:16:21.450 --> 00:16:25.470
around a vision. And the sum total of the parts
00:16:25.470 --> 00:16:27.529
did something beyond what they could ever dream.
00:16:28.519 --> 00:16:30.139
Third principle is the principle of motivation.
00:16:30.299 --> 00:16:33.559
The value of the project to the worker will determine
00:16:33.559 --> 00:16:38.200
the value of the worker to the project. You might
00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:40.100
have to think that one over very carefully, but
00:16:40.100 --> 00:16:42.700
I mean, think about the value of the project
00:16:42.700 --> 00:16:47.220
to the worker. How important is it? Will determine
00:16:47.220 --> 00:16:51.100
how important that person is. Some people walked,
00:16:51.340 --> 00:16:54.000
when's the last time you walked 17 miles? Anyone?
00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:57.279
I've gone up that quick silver trail. I've done
00:16:57.279 --> 00:16:59.159
four or five miles, and uphill and downhill,
00:16:59.259 --> 00:17:00.340
it's like, man, you've got to be kidding me.
00:17:01.259 --> 00:17:05.099
These people, in this text, they walked 26 miles.
00:17:05.220 --> 00:17:07.380
They didn't take the bus. They didn't take their
00:17:07.380 --> 00:17:09.559
bicycle. They didn't say, hey, let's take a little
00:17:09.559 --> 00:17:11.700
scooter. I mean, if they were rich, maybe they
00:17:11.700 --> 00:17:15.180
had a donkey. But they walked 26 miles to get
00:17:15.180 --> 00:17:18.539
to work. to get to help, and they left the harvest
00:17:18.539 --> 00:17:21.480
behind. You understand that you are sitting in
00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:24.880
a room that's been paved by the sacrifice and
00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:26.779
the commitment of people that have given their
00:17:26.779 --> 00:17:29.180
time, their energy, their money, and many places
00:17:29.180 --> 00:17:32.380
all around the world their life so the gospel
00:17:32.380 --> 00:17:35.799
could reach you and reach me. And our responsibility
00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:39.039
is to take that baton and move forward and do
00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:41.299
it for the next generation. The motivation must
00:17:41.299 --> 00:17:43.660
begin with leaders and influencers. I mean, it's
00:17:43.660 --> 00:17:46.250
just life the way it is. And if you're the head
00:17:46.250 --> 00:17:48.769
of your home, dad, you're an influencer. If you're
00:17:48.769 --> 00:17:50.650
the glue of the home, mom, you're an influencer.
00:17:51.029 --> 00:17:53.630
If you're a student and people kind of look to
00:17:53.630 --> 00:17:55.509
you because of academics or athletics, you're
00:17:55.509 --> 00:17:58.269
an influencer. If you're a single person and
00:17:58.269 --> 00:18:00.829
you realize that when you move, everyone says,
00:18:00.869 --> 00:18:01.869
what are we going to do tonight? And you say,
00:18:01.910 --> 00:18:03.250
let's do this, and people do that, you're an
00:18:03.250 --> 00:18:05.869
influencer. It always begins with leaders. There's
00:18:05.869 --> 00:18:08.069
a stewardship there. You're not better than anybody
00:18:08.069 --> 00:18:10.730
else. If you're a business owner, if you're an
00:18:10.730 --> 00:18:13.430
entrepreneur, if you're a CEO, if you're a manager,
00:18:13.609 --> 00:18:16.650
you need to understand that where you move, networks
00:18:16.650 --> 00:18:20.430
move with you. So you need to really examine
00:18:20.430 --> 00:18:23.509
the stewardship and say, what vision am I going
00:18:23.509 --> 00:18:26.430
to align my life, my time, and my energy around?
00:18:27.289 --> 00:18:29.049
Because that's how that thing happened on the
00:18:29.049 --> 00:18:31.049
wall then, and that's how it's going to happen
00:18:31.049 --> 00:18:34.069
on the wall here. Motivation is sustained by
00:18:34.069 --> 00:18:37.160
godly vested interest. We want to help people
00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:39.660
serve and volunteer. We want to help them serve
00:18:39.660 --> 00:18:41.940
and volunteer in a way where they get refreshed.
00:18:42.339 --> 00:18:44.819
We want to help them serve and volunteer so they
00:18:44.819 --> 00:18:46.779
become better parents. We want to help them serve
00:18:46.779 --> 00:18:48.880
and volunteer where they get loved and encouraged.
00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:50.700
We want to help them serve and volunteer where
00:18:50.700 --> 00:18:52.960
they discover their gifts, where they learn about
00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:55.819
how to align their finances so that five years
00:18:55.819 --> 00:18:58.019
from now, instead of being debt up to here and
00:18:58.019 --> 00:18:59.680
feeling under pressure, they'll say, you know
00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:01.900
what? I paid all that stuff off. I just applied
00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:03.799
biblical principles. There's people that really
00:19:03.799 --> 00:19:06.500
helped me. We want people to volunteer and serve
00:19:06.500 --> 00:19:07.640
in such a way where they say, you know what,
00:19:07.700 --> 00:19:09.380
I didn't tell anyone about that kind of little
00:19:09.380 --> 00:19:12.559
private porn addiction or that drug addiction
00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:15.259
or that little alcohol addiction or that people
00:19:15.259 --> 00:19:17.819
addiction or that workaholic addiction, but when
00:19:17.819 --> 00:19:20.440
I got involved and it got safe and I got that
00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:22.200
out there and the word of God and the grace of
00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:26.299
God and the people of God, I'm free. That's how
00:19:26.299 --> 00:19:30.460
it works. Notice what happens. The completed
00:19:30.460 --> 00:19:32.400
wall would mean protection from their enemies.
00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:34.900
The completed wall would mean provision for a
00:19:34.900 --> 00:19:37.079
better life and the completed wall would mean
00:19:37.079 --> 00:19:40.200
productivity and impact in their world. Personal
00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:44.000
commitments are sustained when the vision becomes
00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:48.799
our vision. So where are you at in your personal
00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:52.019
commitment with God? Are you a little fair weather
00:19:52.019 --> 00:19:55.579
like when there's a kid in ICU or you need a
00:19:55.579 --> 00:19:57.920
job? I am very committed to God. Help me, help
00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:01.160
me, help me. Or have you signed up and said,
00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:04.009
you know what? I get one little trip through
00:20:04.009 --> 00:20:06.450
this thing called time and then I'm going to
00:20:06.450 --> 00:20:09.369
live forever. And I'm really glad my sins are
00:20:09.369 --> 00:20:11.369
forgiven and I'm really glad I'm heaven bound.
00:20:11.829 --> 00:20:15.069
But I don't want to waste this. I want to do
00:20:15.069 --> 00:20:18.150
exactly what you want me to do and I want to
00:20:18.150 --> 00:20:21.910
pay whatever price because the rewards are astounding
00:20:21.910 --> 00:20:26.210
now and eternal later. At the end of the day,
00:20:26.269 --> 00:20:28.109
whether it's in your marriage or your parenting,
00:20:28.289 --> 00:20:30.730
whether it's in your singleness, whether it's
00:20:30.730 --> 00:20:35.109
at work, It really boils down to having the heart
00:20:35.109 --> 00:20:42.349
of a servant that said, Lord, use me. This is
00:20:42.349 --> 00:20:45.250
Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and a message
00:20:45.250 --> 00:20:48.329
titled Exercise Personal Commitment. We're in
00:20:48.329 --> 00:20:50.799
a series called You Were Made for More. which
00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:53.720
you can always revisit online at livingontheedge
00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:57.279
.org, or download the Chip Ingram app and access
00:20:57.279 --> 00:20:59.859
all of this content right from your smart device.
00:21:00.279 --> 00:21:02.859
Plus, you can find full -length sermons through
00:21:02.859 --> 00:21:05.319
the Chip Ingram Sermon Podcast, wherever you
00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:08.660
get your podcasts. Chip closed today with a powerful
00:21:08.660 --> 00:21:11.299
truth. The value of the project to the worker
00:21:11.299 --> 00:21:14.140
determines the value of the worker to the project.
00:21:14.890 --> 00:21:18.630
Those men in Nehemiah 3 walked 26 miles, left
00:21:18.630 --> 00:21:21.049
the harvest behind, and built with everything
00:21:21.049 --> 00:21:24.009
they had, because they knew what was at stake
00:21:24.009 --> 00:21:26.809
and who they were building with. When you know
00:21:26.809 --> 00:21:29.049
what you were made for, and you're doing it alongside
00:21:29.049 --> 00:21:31.549
people who share that vision, commitment stops
00:21:31.549 --> 00:21:33.930
feeling like a discipline and starts feeling
00:21:33.930 --> 00:21:36.730
like a privilege. And if you haven't yet taken
00:21:36.730 --> 00:21:39.109
a step to find out what God specifically made
00:21:39.109 --> 00:21:41.470
you for, we have a great place for you to start.
00:21:41.769 --> 00:21:44.490
It's a free online assessment called The Real
00:21:44.490 --> 00:21:47.609
You, a short, biblically grounded tool that helps
00:21:47.609 --> 00:21:49.890
you understand how God has wired you from the
00:21:49.890 --> 00:21:53.289
inside out. Take the assessment, absolutely free,
00:21:53.490 --> 00:21:58.009
at therealyou .org. If living on the edge has
00:21:58.009 --> 00:22:00.259
been part of your walk with God, We'd love for
00:22:00.259 --> 00:22:02.220
you to be part of what makes it possible for
00:22:02.220 --> 00:22:05.299
others. Your gift keeps this gospel work going
00:22:05.299 --> 00:22:07.539
and reaches people who need to hear that they
00:22:07.539 --> 00:22:10.559
were made for more. Join us as a monthly partner
00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:13.539
or give a one -time gift today by going online
00:22:13.539 --> 00:22:17.799
to livingontheedge .org or by calling us at 888
00:22:17.799 --> 00:22:23.700
-333 -6003. Well, now here's Chip. There are
00:22:23.700 --> 00:22:26.500
few things that can overwhelm us with guilt.
00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:29.900
like knowing that we've made a commitment to
00:22:29.900 --> 00:22:36.259
God, to a mate, to a friend, and then just dropping
00:22:36.259 --> 00:22:39.000
the ball and knowing we've blown it. And so I
00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:41.420
want to pray for you right now. You may not be
00:22:41.420 --> 00:22:43.480
able to close your eyes. You may be on the highway
00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:46.599
or you might be listening to this as you're doing
00:22:46.599 --> 00:22:48.720
something in the office. But could you pause
00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:51.940
mentally with me and let me pray for you? Holy
00:22:51.940 --> 00:22:55.420
Father, we want to thank you that you are a good
00:22:55.420 --> 00:22:57.940
God. and that you're a merciful God, that you
00:22:57.940 --> 00:23:00.980
are slow to anger, and you're abounding in loving
00:23:00.980 --> 00:23:04.299
kindness. And you are mindful that we are people
00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:07.380
of dust and people of flesh, and that we make
00:23:07.380 --> 00:23:10.339
the best of intentions, and we tell you we want
00:23:10.339 --> 00:23:12.940
to do what's right, and then we find ourselves
00:23:12.940 --> 00:23:16.900
blowing it. We do exactly the thing we said we
00:23:16.900 --> 00:23:19.400
didn't want to do, or we don't follow through
00:23:19.400 --> 00:23:21.539
on the very thing that we promised we would do.
00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:24.579
And we want to own that. We want to come to you
00:23:24.579 --> 00:23:27.319
and say that we're sorry. We ask you for your
00:23:27.319 --> 00:23:30.539
forgiveness. We would plead the blood of the
00:23:30.539 --> 00:23:33.519
Lord Jesus in our behalf as the forgiveness and
00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:36.539
the cleansing of our sin. And we want to be restored.
00:23:37.180 --> 00:23:40.099
And Lord, we also want to draw near to you now.
00:23:40.180 --> 00:23:43.500
We want the grace and the strength to renew our
00:23:43.500 --> 00:23:46.380
commitment, to find people that we can team up
00:23:46.380 --> 00:23:49.500
with and get support and help. so that we can
00:23:49.500 --> 00:23:51.839
be the men, be the women that you want us to
00:23:51.839 --> 00:23:54.720
be. Lord, I pray for those that have given up
00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:57.240
on their marriage and that is not your will,
00:23:57.279 --> 00:23:59.480
that you would give them the grace at this moment
00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:01.880
to be committed and do what's ever necessary
00:24:01.880 --> 00:24:04.599
to make it work. I pray for those that have made
00:24:04.599 --> 00:24:07.099
a commitment to you and have wandered and know
00:24:07.099 --> 00:24:09.700
that today's the day they need to return and
00:24:09.700 --> 00:24:11.960
know that you will forgive and restore. Lord,
00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:13.740
will you give them the grace to do that right
00:24:13.740 --> 00:24:17.059
now? I pray for those kids that have wandered
00:24:17.059 --> 00:24:19.400
away from their parents and their family and
00:24:19.400 --> 00:24:22.259
their faith, and they need to do a 180, do a
00:24:22.259 --> 00:24:25.039
U -turn, even as they're hearing my voice. Will
00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:27.359
you give them the grace right now at this moment
00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:30.319
to decide, I'm going back. I'm going to make
00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:32.259
it right with my folks. I'm going to do what
00:24:32.259 --> 00:24:36.359
I know is right. Almighty God, we pray for your
00:24:36.359 --> 00:24:38.440
grace to keep the commitments that we know are
00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:42.140
your will. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, I'm Dave
00:24:42.140 --> 00:24:44.299
Drewy, and that brings us to the end of today's
00:24:44.299 --> 00:24:46.839
program. We'll join you here next time for more
00:24:46.839 --> 00:24:49.940
clear, insightful Bible teaching on Living on
00:24:49.940 --> 00:24:56.180
the Edge with Chip Ingram. Today's program is
00:24:56.180 --> 00:24:58.680
produced and sponsored by Living on the Edge.
00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:14.179
Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.
00:00:14.539 --> 00:00:17.800
Rarely in my life have I experienced such pain
00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:20.539
as when I make a commitment I know God wants
00:00:20.539 --> 00:00:23.579
me to make and then I blow it. I don't follow
00:00:23.579 --> 00:00:27.839
through. Today, three keys to keeping your commitments
00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:32.659
that matter most. Stay with us. Today on Living
00:00:32.659 --> 00:00:35.359
on the Edge, Chip Ingram continues a series called
00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:38.159
You Were Made for More. How to discover God's
00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:40.509
purpose for your life. He's laying out three
00:00:40.509 --> 00:00:42.909
principles drawn straight from Nehemiah chapter
00:00:42.909 --> 00:00:46.090
3 that answer the one question all of us quietly
00:00:46.090 --> 00:00:48.810
wrestle with. How do you make the kind of commitment
00:00:48.810 --> 00:00:51.369
that actually holds? Whether it's a commitment
00:00:51.369 --> 00:00:54.509
to God, to your marriage, to your kids, or to
00:00:54.509 --> 00:00:56.810
the purpose He's placed in your heart, today's
00:00:56.810 --> 00:01:00.109
message has real practical answers. Now here's
00:01:00.109 --> 00:01:02.429
Chip Ingram with his message titled, Exercise
00:01:02.429 --> 00:01:06.650
Personal Commitment. How do you make and sustain?
00:01:07.550 --> 00:01:09.109
personal commitments. That's what we want to
00:01:09.109 --> 00:01:11.989
talk about. And the answer is going to be in
00:01:11.989 --> 00:01:15.109
Nehemiah chapter 3. We're going to see that he
00:01:15.109 --> 00:01:18.109
modeled it convincingly. So, open your notes,
00:01:18.129 --> 00:01:21.890
if you will. Let me walk through with you a couple
00:01:21.890 --> 00:01:24.670
observations. You know, when I look at this,
00:01:24.689 --> 00:01:27.069
and just hold the notes open, couldn't we all
00:01:27.069 --> 00:01:29.170
agree the gates are the central focus of this
00:01:29.170 --> 00:01:31.750
chapter? I mean, the paragraphs break and just,
00:01:31.810 --> 00:01:34.049
there's a line under them. They're real bold.
00:01:34.189 --> 00:01:36.750
Whatever this chapter is about, the central focus
00:01:36.750 --> 00:01:39.209
is the gates. Second, there's a variety of people
00:01:39.209 --> 00:01:41.890
involved in this work. I mean, there's personal
00:01:41.890 --> 00:01:45.109
names. Sometimes it's their father, their grandfather,
00:01:45.209 --> 00:01:47.930
or where they come from. But I just listed some.
00:01:47.989 --> 00:01:49.730
There's merchants, there's priests, perfumers,
00:01:49.829 --> 00:01:51.750
goldsmiths, rulers, servants, temple servants,
00:01:51.969 --> 00:01:54.930
daughters, nobles, and officials. Next observation
00:01:54.930 --> 00:01:57.569
is, notice that the approach was very systematic
00:01:57.569 --> 00:02:00.260
and organized. They began on the sheep gate,
00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:03.159
and go ahead and let your mind scan all the way
00:02:03.159 --> 00:02:05.700
to the end, and they went counterclockwise. They
00:02:05.700 --> 00:02:08.500
end on the sheep gate. Each group had a specific
00:02:08.500 --> 00:02:11.580
responsibility. As you scan and read this a bit
00:02:11.580 --> 00:02:13.580
on your own, you know this group built according
00:02:13.580 --> 00:02:15.740
to this wall. This group built in front of their
00:02:15.740 --> 00:02:18.159
house. This group did this over here. So each
00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:21.039
group had a very specific role and responsibility.
00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:24.259
Next observation is each group worked near their
00:02:24.259 --> 00:02:27.960
homes, or at least was whenever possible. In
00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:31.419
verse 10, verse 22, verse 26, 28, 29, and 30.
00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:35.020
And so they didn't have to travel. And the other
00:02:35.020 --> 00:02:37.219
is there was sort of a godly vested interest.
00:02:37.319 --> 00:02:39.159
Can you imagine saying, okay, we're going to
00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:41.479
rebuild this part of the wall right here. And
00:02:41.479 --> 00:02:43.120
the walls were, I mean, don't think of a little
00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:45.099
wall. These were huge walls. You could drive
00:02:45.099 --> 00:02:48.530
a chariot on top of these walls. And then inside
00:02:48.530 --> 00:02:51.069
the walls, the housing would be built. So my
00:02:51.069 --> 00:02:53.430
living room might be here, and then the external
00:02:53.430 --> 00:02:56.030
wall be here. I'm thinking I'm going to do a
00:02:56.030 --> 00:02:58.409
pretty good job on this part of the wall. If,
00:02:58.449 --> 00:03:00.229
you know, the catapults and the stones start
00:03:00.229 --> 00:03:02.449
coming and the arrows and the spears, I think
00:03:02.449 --> 00:03:03.870
I'm going to make it pretty thick and pretty
00:03:03.870 --> 00:03:05.789
good. I'm not going to do one of those. Well,
00:03:05.830 --> 00:03:07.689
this is good enough for government work, right?
00:03:08.490 --> 00:03:12.069
And so he motivates them not only by the great
00:03:12.069 --> 00:03:15.090
intrinsic we're doing this for God, but he puts
00:03:15.090 --> 00:03:17.610
them in a place that highly motivates them to
00:03:17.610 --> 00:03:20.710
work in a way that has their best interest in
00:03:20.710 --> 00:03:23.110
mind. We're going to learn in just a second that
00:03:23.110 --> 00:03:25.569
some people are going to repair and other people
00:03:25.569 --> 00:03:27.949
are going to build because our giftedness are
00:03:27.949 --> 00:03:30.110
different. Some people are really great at fixing
00:03:30.110 --> 00:03:32.870
stuff and other people think I can't fix anything,
00:03:32.930 --> 00:03:34.349
but they're great with a clean sheet of paper
00:03:34.349 --> 00:03:37.840
and they can build stuff. But then in the context,
00:03:37.939 --> 00:03:41.259
chapters four, five, and six will be about opposition.
00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:45.319
I mean, anytime you take a step, whether you
00:03:45.319 --> 00:03:47.259
decide to start really reading your Bible or
00:03:47.259 --> 00:03:49.740
really praying or working on your marriage or
00:03:49.740 --> 00:03:51.900
saying as a family, we're going to do something
00:03:51.900 --> 00:03:53.840
radical. We're going to try and eat together
00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:56.669
like two or three times a week. I'm going to
00:03:56.669 --> 00:03:58.930
actually tuck my kids in and read them a story.
00:03:59.469 --> 00:04:01.569
I'm going to get with a group of single people
00:04:01.569 --> 00:04:03.810
and we're going to make a covenant about making
00:04:03.810 --> 00:04:05.509
a difference in our workplaces and we're going
00:04:05.509 --> 00:04:08.830
to be sexually pure. Every time you take any
00:04:08.830 --> 00:04:11.229
kind of step of faith like that, it'll usually
00:04:11.229 --> 00:04:14.289
get worse before it gets better. So chapter four,
00:04:14.349 --> 00:04:16.569
you get external opposition. In chapter five,
00:04:16.589 --> 00:04:18.689
there's internal opposition. And then chapter
00:04:18.689 --> 00:04:22.589
six, he gets personal attack. People who make
00:04:22.589 --> 00:04:25.689
these kind of commitments, they change, they
00:04:25.689 --> 00:04:27.709
change people around them, and they change the
00:04:27.709 --> 00:04:30.910
world. But it usually starts with some very significant
00:04:30.910 --> 00:04:33.750
time of motivation, and it gets clear, this is
00:04:33.750 --> 00:04:35.810
what we've got to do. And then they start this
00:04:35.810 --> 00:04:38.189
process, and usually it's followed by things
00:04:38.189 --> 00:04:41.569
that are very difficult. Notice who started the
00:04:41.569 --> 00:04:43.810
work. It's the high priest. Different people
00:04:43.810 --> 00:04:46.730
have responsibility. The high priest was the
00:04:46.730 --> 00:04:49.949
highest representative of God. And notice the
00:04:49.949 --> 00:04:53.189
very first line, he models that. The ragtag group
00:04:53.189 --> 00:04:56.189
finished it in 52 days. And I have a friend who's
00:04:56.189 --> 00:04:59.170
an engineer who said, this is an absolute engineering
00:04:59.170 --> 00:05:02.170
miracle. It's an impossibility. And then notice
00:05:02.170 --> 00:05:04.410
they worked in affinity groups. If you could
00:05:04.410 --> 00:05:06.649
study a little bit longer, the priests worked
00:05:06.649 --> 00:05:08.490
together, the merchants, the goldsmiths worked
00:05:08.490 --> 00:05:10.269
together. They worked in families, servants,
00:05:10.550 --> 00:05:13.310
and then they worked in geographical areas. So
00:05:13.310 --> 00:05:15.680
they knew each other. I mean, when you work,
00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:18.019
you're more motivated to work with people that
00:05:18.019 --> 00:05:21.279
you kind of have some kinship with. I mean, it's
00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:23.639
true today. Like, some of you are like real techie,
00:05:23.660 --> 00:05:26.040
and you can talk in languages that I don't understand,
00:05:26.139 --> 00:05:28.740
and some of you are more artistic, and some of
00:05:28.740 --> 00:05:30.660
you come from different parts of the country,
00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:33.600
and there's just an affinity of culture and background
00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:36.279
that as we work together with people that we
00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:38.959
can understand, it helps us sustain motivation.
00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:41.459
Helps us keep our commitments. We understand
00:05:41.459 --> 00:05:44.600
one another. And then the final thing here is
00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:47.339
that notice there were two special commendations.
00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:50.079
In verse five, if you skip down there, you can
00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:54.079
see that he talks about the nobles. They didn't
00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:57.920
put their shoulder to the work. So now imagine,
00:05:58.100 --> 00:06:01.699
first imagine all these individual names. God
00:06:01.699 --> 00:06:04.000
doesn't accomplish his will by some big blanket
00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:06.779
thing. Think of all the individual names and
00:06:06.779 --> 00:06:08.860
imagine maybe the very next generation, these
00:06:08.860 --> 00:06:10.959
people are like your father or your grandfathers.
00:06:12.199 --> 00:06:15.879
God accomplishes things not by groups and movements
00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:19.160
and programs. He does it one person, one life
00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:21.720
at a time. And so that's how important individuals
00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:24.959
are. All these specific names. And he knows.
00:06:25.139 --> 00:06:28.000
He knows who's slacking off. And then if you
00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:30.680
skip down to verse 20, notice the style of Baruch.
00:06:31.180 --> 00:06:35.240
It says he worked zealously. God sees people's
00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:37.300
motives. He sees people's hearts. He knows where
00:06:37.300 --> 00:06:39.600
you're at. He knows where I'm at. And in all
00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:41.860
this long list, he says, you know, this fella
00:06:41.860 --> 00:06:45.420
really didn't carry his weight. And this person
00:06:45.420 --> 00:06:48.060
over here. And so all those are our observations,
00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:51.139
right? Is that fair? I mean, it's in there, right?
00:06:51.420 --> 00:06:54.279
We'll turn to the back page and let's turn those
00:06:54.279 --> 00:06:57.459
observations into some very specific principles
00:06:57.459 --> 00:07:01.899
about how you can help make and sustain your
00:07:01.899 --> 00:07:05.540
personal commitments. And as we do, can I ask
00:07:05.540 --> 00:07:08.339
you to lean back? I mean, when I study the Bible,
00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:11.360
that's just what I do, okay? When I studied this
00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:13.240
for the first time, I read it over a bunch of
00:07:13.240 --> 00:07:15.639
times, and then I started looking, and I put
00:07:15.639 --> 00:07:18.079
a line under all the gates, and then I started
00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:19.720
thinking, there's a lot of people, so I circled
00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:22.699
the different people. But then I began to ask,
00:07:22.839 --> 00:07:28.060
why? Why is chapter three here? Why did this
00:07:28.060 --> 00:07:30.399
particular group at this particular time with
00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:33.279
this particular leader actually accomplish the
00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:36.660
task when others had failed? What is it that
00:07:36.660 --> 00:07:39.860
I can learn about these groups and the affinities
00:07:39.860 --> 00:07:42.300
and building and repairing and after him and
00:07:42.300 --> 00:07:45.839
next to him that would help me personally make
00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:47.939
commitments and sustain them? I mean, because
00:07:47.939 --> 00:07:50.839
at the end of the day, God didn't put this in
00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:52.759
his word just so that we could understand Nehemiah
00:07:52.759 --> 00:07:55.899
3. He knew that we'd be sitting in this room
00:07:55.899 --> 00:07:58.680
in this day with the issues that you face and
00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:01.959
I face. Now, before I go on, here's what I'd
00:08:01.959 --> 00:08:05.980
like you to think about. Where are you at in
00:08:05.980 --> 00:08:11.040
your personal commitment to Jesus Christ? I mean,
00:08:11.060 --> 00:08:13.980
is it an emotional one, intellectual one? Is
00:08:13.980 --> 00:08:16.300
it, yeah, I'd like to be more committed, but
00:08:16.300 --> 00:08:19.329
I'm kind of afraid to because... Three steps
00:08:19.329 --> 00:08:22.029
forward, nine steps backwards. Where are you
00:08:22.029 --> 00:08:24.050
at? I mean, privately, no hands or anything.
00:08:24.189 --> 00:08:27.389
But for those of you that are married, down deep
00:08:27.389 --> 00:08:29.250
in your heart, where are you at in your commitment
00:08:29.250 --> 00:08:33.870
to your mate? Or like I shared, I mean, there
00:08:33.870 --> 00:08:37.210
were times that I just felt like, God, this isn't
00:08:37.210 --> 00:08:40.509
working. I'm really frustrated. I mean, I went
00:08:40.509 --> 00:08:42.149
through that. I'm not very fulfilled right now.
00:08:42.929 --> 00:08:44.830
I'm not very happy. In fact, I'm not happy at
00:08:44.830 --> 00:08:47.649
all. And then the enemy comes in and tries to
00:08:47.649 --> 00:08:50.190
tempt you, right? So where are you there? Or
00:08:50.190 --> 00:08:53.029
how about, how committed are you, some of you
00:08:53.029 --> 00:08:56.710
that are parents, to really saying, I will own
00:08:56.710 --> 00:09:00.570
the moral responsibility of raising my kids that
00:09:00.570 --> 00:09:03.450
regardless of their SAT scores, how well they
00:09:03.450 --> 00:09:06.830
do in athletics, they're going to be godly kids.
00:09:09.110 --> 00:09:13.049
See, that changes stuff. And I don't know where
00:09:13.049 --> 00:09:16.059
it is. I've got my journey. When I'm thinking
00:09:16.059 --> 00:09:18.659
about, God, what do you want me to really refresh
00:09:18.659 --> 00:09:20.740
and renew my commitments? But I want you to think
00:09:20.740 --> 00:09:24.059
about that right now. I mean, for some of you,
00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:25.480
maybe as a single person, you're saying, you
00:09:25.480 --> 00:09:27.240
know, I'm sort of committed to sexual purity.
00:09:29.159 --> 00:09:30.960
You know where that lands you, don't you? I'm
00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:32.899
sort of committed to only dating someone who
00:09:32.899 --> 00:09:35.000
really walks with God. Unless he's very good
00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:39.840
looking. Or unless she's really hot. And I think
00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:41.679
there's real spiritual potential and I could
00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:45.570
help her. Right? Been there and done that. So
00:09:45.570 --> 00:09:47.429
with that, what I want to do now is I want to
00:09:47.429 --> 00:09:50.250
walk through these three principles, and I want
00:09:50.250 --> 00:09:53.450
you to pray. I want you to pray and say, God,
00:09:53.549 --> 00:09:57.110
would you help clarify in my mind and my heart
00:09:57.110 --> 00:10:01.230
where you want me to make or where you want me
00:10:01.230 --> 00:10:04.549
to further sustain personal commitments in my
00:10:04.549 --> 00:10:07.870
life? How to make and sustain personal commitments,
00:10:07.929 --> 00:10:09.690
number one, is the principle of cooperation.
00:10:10.169 --> 00:10:13.269
We never get beyond how we're getting along.
00:10:15.370 --> 00:10:17.529
Everything that ever gets accomplished in life
00:10:17.529 --> 00:10:20.470
is done in the context of relationships. And
00:10:20.470 --> 00:10:22.750
so here's the key. Recognize people are different.
00:10:23.210 --> 00:10:26.129
Nehemiah did that. Recognize people are different.
00:10:26.450 --> 00:10:29.429
Second, recognize the immense value of every
00:10:29.429 --> 00:10:32.610
person. Realize that whether it's at work or
00:10:32.610 --> 00:10:35.210
whether it's your family, I mean, you're human.
00:10:35.309 --> 00:10:37.649
Some of your kids frustrate you in some seasons
00:10:37.649 --> 00:10:40.370
and some make you very happy. Some are very easy
00:10:40.370 --> 00:10:42.669
and some are very hard. Some people in your small
00:10:42.669 --> 00:10:46.509
group you connect with. Some make you nuts. But
00:10:46.509 --> 00:10:48.669
just recognize that it's not bad or good, it's
00:10:48.669 --> 00:10:51.029
they're different. And third, recognize that
00:10:51.029 --> 00:10:54.690
our common goal or common vision is greater than
00:10:54.690 --> 00:10:58.950
our individual differences. You're listening
00:10:58.950 --> 00:11:01.850
to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and we'll
00:11:01.850 --> 00:11:04.460
have more in just a moment. Remember, the place
00:11:04.460 --> 00:11:07.179
to go for all of these daily messages is over
00:11:07.179 --> 00:11:11.299
on our website, livingontheedge .org. There you'll
00:11:11.299 --> 00:11:13.659
find Chip's full teaching library, along with
00:11:13.659 --> 00:11:16.879
even more content like Chip's free daily discipleship
00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:20.159
tool to help you grow all week long. You can
00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:22.379
also download the Chip Ingram app absolutely
00:11:22.379 --> 00:11:25.379
free through any app store on your smart device.
00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:28.740
Now let's continue with today's message from
00:11:28.740 --> 00:11:30.940
Chip Ingram. It's the principle of cooperation.
00:11:31.139 --> 00:11:34.860
You will never get beyond how you're getting
00:11:34.860 --> 00:11:38.679
along. And if you find yourself in your heart
00:11:38.679 --> 00:11:40.600
critical of people, even if it's only in your
00:11:40.600 --> 00:11:43.100
mind, if you find yourself always pointing out
00:11:43.100 --> 00:11:44.980
what's wrong with your mate or what's wrong with
00:11:44.980 --> 00:11:46.980
some of your kids or what's wrong with some people
00:11:46.980 --> 00:11:48.860
in this church or what's wrong with this or what's
00:11:48.860 --> 00:11:50.899
wrong with that, or if you find yourself in little
00:11:50.899 --> 00:11:53.240
coffee shops talking about other people that
00:11:53.240 --> 00:11:55.240
sort of have this little negative slant, I will
00:11:55.240 --> 00:12:00.070
tell you what, you won't make progress. Personal
00:12:00.070 --> 00:12:03.049
commitments are fostered when we feel like we
00:12:03.049 --> 00:12:05.789
belong. I believe when those people started on
00:12:05.789 --> 00:12:08.269
that wall together, they felt like I belong.
00:12:08.590 --> 00:12:11.370
I'm a part of the team. Nehemiah, God's got his
00:12:11.370 --> 00:12:13.750
hand on Nehemiah. God brought him here. We know
00:12:13.750 --> 00:12:15.809
it's God's will to rebuild these walls. We know
00:12:15.809 --> 00:12:17.830
what God promised to do in the city. We know
00:12:17.830 --> 00:12:22.330
we're God's people. And I belong. I'm going to
00:12:22.330 --> 00:12:24.370
be a part and I'm going to do my little section
00:12:24.370 --> 00:12:28.269
on the wall. And when you feel like you belong,
00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:31.179
It fosters commitment. When you feel like you're
00:12:31.179 --> 00:12:33.399
visiting, when you feel like it's them working
00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:36.659
on the wall, when you feel like it's that church,
00:12:36.820 --> 00:12:39.220
when you find yourself in conversations talking
00:12:39.220 --> 00:12:41.639
about what they're doing, and it's not negative.
00:12:41.779 --> 00:12:44.399
I mean, it's a journey. It's a process. But there's
00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:48.039
not that sense that you belong. It's sort of
00:12:48.039 --> 00:12:50.679
an evaluative, well, this is what they're doing.
00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:53.620
Here's what they're trying to do. That's a lot
00:12:53.620 --> 00:12:56.279
different than this is what we're doing. This
00:12:56.279 --> 00:12:59.259
is where we're going. This is where we have challenges.
00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:05.399
So let me ask you, do you feel like you belong?
00:13:05.539 --> 00:13:08.360
And maybe the second question is, what do you
00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:11.940
need to do to take that next step? Because otherwise,
00:13:12.019 --> 00:13:14.940
we've created this culture, especially in America,
00:13:15.100 --> 00:13:17.860
but many places around the world, where we actually
00:13:17.860 --> 00:13:22.370
think, quote, church is a building. And that
00:13:22.370 --> 00:13:24.710
church is an event that happens sometime, usually
00:13:24.710 --> 00:13:28.250
on Sunday morning, and you go and sit and listen
00:13:28.250 --> 00:13:30.509
to someone talk and sing some songs, hopefully
00:13:30.509 --> 00:13:32.289
feel a little bit better about yourself because
00:13:32.289 --> 00:13:35.269
you've done it, and then live the other six days
00:13:35.269 --> 00:13:38.409
almost totally apart from that experience, but
00:13:38.409 --> 00:13:42.029
feel like I went to church. Therefore, what do
00:13:42.029 --> 00:13:47.049
you think, God? It's that subtle consumer mindset
00:13:47.049 --> 00:13:52.320
versus church is us. people together, connected
00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:55.059
together to accomplish his purposes. And his
00:13:55.059 --> 00:13:57.379
purpose here in this church is to help us love
00:13:57.379 --> 00:13:59.600
one another and love people outside this room
00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:02.240
and help Christians live like Christians. That's
00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:06.580
God's call. And that's a 24 -7, 365 event. The
00:14:06.580 --> 00:14:08.659
second principle is the principle of coordination.
00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:11.980
The multiple efforts of a group are far greater
00:14:11.980 --> 00:14:16.379
than the sum of its parts. It's synergy. In other
00:14:16.379 --> 00:14:18.399
words, this group couldn't get anything going.
00:14:18.500 --> 00:14:21.440
They had a catalytic leader in Nehemiah. He cast
00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:24.100
a clear vision. People understood, I want you
00:14:24.100 --> 00:14:25.919
to do this part, this part, this part, this part.
00:14:26.019 --> 00:14:27.740
You come from different places. You can work
00:14:27.740 --> 00:14:29.720
with people that you know, but from this section
00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:32.860
to this section, you do this, they do that, and
00:14:32.860 --> 00:14:35.659
the sum of the parts in 52 days did a miracle.
00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:39.159
That's how God has always worked. It's true in
00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:41.960
Acts chapter two. It's true in the early church.
00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:44.179
It was true in the Reformation. It was true with
00:14:44.179 --> 00:14:45.899
Wesley and Whitefield. It was true in the early
00:14:45.899 --> 00:14:47.940
days of America. And it's true in different parts
00:14:47.940 --> 00:14:49.779
of the world now. It's the principle cooperation.
00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:55.279
Well, how do you do that? Well, first we recognize
00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:59.700
we need each other. There are no lone rangers.
00:14:59.980 --> 00:15:02.039
You can't make it on your own. I can't make it
00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:07.000
on my own. I mean, even the 12 -step people know
00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:10.230
that. You can't make it on your own. Recognize
00:15:10.230 --> 00:15:12.370
there's a job that only you can do. Personal
00:15:12.370 --> 00:15:16.389
commitments grow when we know that we are needed.
00:15:17.490 --> 00:15:20.190
Do you understand there's this amazing connection
00:15:20.190 --> 00:15:23.129
between commitment and love? Jesus said, he that
00:15:23.129 --> 00:15:26.049
has my commands and keeps them, he it is that
00:15:26.049 --> 00:15:27.690
loves me. And he that loves me will be loved
00:15:27.690 --> 00:15:30.169
of my father. And then here's the promise. And
00:15:30.169 --> 00:15:33.549
we will disclose ourselves to you. You get close
00:15:33.549 --> 00:15:36.350
and meet and touch and feel and experience and
00:15:36.350 --> 00:15:39.269
get transformed by God, not by just soaking in
00:15:39.269 --> 00:15:42.509
information. It's by receiving truth and then
00:15:42.509 --> 00:15:44.929
I respond to the truth and I connect with other
00:15:44.929 --> 00:15:47.570
people and I discover my gifts and then together
00:15:47.570 --> 00:15:49.789
we do this thing and he creates something out
00:15:49.789 --> 00:15:54.350
of it. Here's what I want you to hear. You're
00:15:54.350 --> 00:15:59.370
needed. You're needed. What happens in the church
00:15:59.370 --> 00:16:02.409
and the life is just the byproduct. What happens
00:16:02.409 --> 00:16:06.289
is the most fulfilled people, the people that
00:16:06.289 --> 00:16:09.090
had their names written in this chapter, were
00:16:09.090 --> 00:16:12.610
people who saw God could use an ordinary person
00:16:12.610 --> 00:16:16.769
like me. And what they did is they moved off
00:16:16.769 --> 00:16:19.269
of looking at the rubble and assuming that this
00:16:19.269 --> 00:16:21.450
is the way it's going to be, and they aligned
00:16:21.450 --> 00:16:25.470
around a vision. And the sum total of the parts
00:16:25.470 --> 00:16:27.529
did something beyond what they could ever dream.
00:16:28.519 --> 00:16:30.139
Third principle is the principle of motivation.
00:16:30.299 --> 00:16:33.559
The value of the project to the worker will determine
00:16:33.559 --> 00:16:38.200
the value of the worker to the project. You might
00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:40.100
have to think that one over very carefully, but
00:16:40.100 --> 00:16:42.700
I mean, think about the value of the project
00:16:42.700 --> 00:16:47.220
to the worker. How important is it? Will determine
00:16:47.220 --> 00:16:51.100
how important that person is. Some people walked,
00:16:51.340 --> 00:16:54.000
when's the last time you walked 17 miles? Anyone?
00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:57.279
I've gone up that quick silver trail. I've done
00:16:57.279 --> 00:16:59.159
four or five miles, and uphill and downhill,
00:16:59.259 --> 00:17:00.340
it's like, man, you've got to be kidding me.
00:17:01.259 --> 00:17:05.099
These people, in this text, they walked 26 miles.
00:17:05.220 --> 00:17:07.380
They didn't take the bus. They didn't take their
00:17:07.380 --> 00:17:09.559
bicycle. They didn't say, hey, let's take a little
00:17:09.559 --> 00:17:11.700
scooter. I mean, if they were rich, maybe they
00:17:11.700 --> 00:17:15.180
had a donkey. But they walked 26 miles to get
00:17:15.180 --> 00:17:18.539
to work. to get to help, and they left the harvest
00:17:18.539 --> 00:17:21.480
behind. You understand that you are sitting in
00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:24.880
a room that's been paved by the sacrifice and
00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:26.779
the commitment of people that have given their
00:17:26.779 --> 00:17:29.180
time, their energy, their money, and many places
00:17:29.180 --> 00:17:32.380
all around the world their life so the gospel
00:17:32.380 --> 00:17:35.799
could reach you and reach me. And our responsibility
00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:39.039
is to take that baton and move forward and do
00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:41.299
it for the next generation. The motivation must
00:17:41.299 --> 00:17:43.660
begin with leaders and influencers. I mean, it's
00:17:43.660 --> 00:17:46.250
just life the way it is. And if you're the head
00:17:46.250 --> 00:17:48.769
of your home, dad, you're an influencer. If you're
00:17:48.769 --> 00:17:50.650
the glue of the home, mom, you're an influencer.
00:17:51.029 --> 00:17:53.630
If you're a student and people kind of look to
00:17:53.630 --> 00:17:55.509
you because of academics or athletics, you're
00:17:55.509 --> 00:17:58.269
an influencer. If you're a single person and
00:17:58.269 --> 00:18:00.829
you realize that when you move, everyone says,
00:18:00.869 --> 00:18:01.869
what are we going to do tonight? And you say,
00:18:01.910 --> 00:18:03.250
let's do this, and people do that, you're an
00:18:03.250 --> 00:18:05.869
influencer. It always begins with leaders. There's
00:18:05.869 --> 00:18:08.069
a stewardship there. You're not better than anybody
00:18:08.069 --> 00:18:10.730
else. If you're a business owner, if you're an
00:18:10.730 --> 00:18:13.430
entrepreneur, if you're a CEO, if you're a manager,
00:18:13.609 --> 00:18:16.650
you need to understand that where you move, networks
00:18:16.650 --> 00:18:20.430
move with you. So you need to really examine
00:18:20.430 --> 00:18:23.509
the stewardship and say, what vision am I going
00:18:23.509 --> 00:18:26.430
to align my life, my time, and my energy around?
00:18:27.289 --> 00:18:29.049
Because that's how that thing happened on the
00:18:29.049 --> 00:18:31.049
wall then, and that's how it's going to happen
00:18:31.049 --> 00:18:34.069
on the wall here. Motivation is sustained by
00:18:34.069 --> 00:18:37.160
godly vested interest. We want to help people
00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:39.660
serve and volunteer. We want to help them serve
00:18:39.660 --> 00:18:41.940
and volunteer in a way where they get refreshed.
00:18:42.339 --> 00:18:44.819
We want to help them serve and volunteer so they
00:18:44.819 --> 00:18:46.779
become better parents. We want to help them serve
00:18:46.779 --> 00:18:48.880
and volunteer where they get loved and encouraged.
00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:50.700
We want to help them serve and volunteer where
00:18:50.700 --> 00:18:52.960
they discover their gifts, where they learn about
00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:55.819
how to align their finances so that five years
00:18:55.819 --> 00:18:58.019
from now, instead of being debt up to here and
00:18:58.019 --> 00:18:59.680
feeling under pressure, they'll say, you know
00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:01.900
what? I paid all that stuff off. I just applied
00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:03.799
biblical principles. There's people that really
00:19:03.799 --> 00:19:06.500
helped me. We want people to volunteer and serve
00:19:06.500 --> 00:19:07.640
in such a way where they say, you know what,
00:19:07.700 --> 00:19:09.380
I didn't tell anyone about that kind of little
00:19:09.380 --> 00:19:12.559
private porn addiction or that drug addiction
00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:15.259
or that little alcohol addiction or that people
00:19:15.259 --> 00:19:17.819
addiction or that workaholic addiction, but when
00:19:17.819 --> 00:19:20.440
I got involved and it got safe and I got that
00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:22.200
out there and the word of God and the grace of
00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:26.299
God and the people of God, I'm free. That's how
00:19:26.299 --> 00:19:30.460
it works. Notice what happens. The completed
00:19:30.460 --> 00:19:32.400
wall would mean protection from their enemies.
00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:34.900
The completed wall would mean provision for a
00:19:34.900 --> 00:19:37.079
better life and the completed wall would mean
00:19:37.079 --> 00:19:40.200
productivity and impact in their world. Personal
00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:44.000
commitments are sustained when the vision becomes
00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:48.799
our vision. So where are you at in your personal
00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:52.019
commitment with God? Are you a little fair weather
00:19:52.019 --> 00:19:55.579
like when there's a kid in ICU or you need a
00:19:55.579 --> 00:19:57.920
job? I am very committed to God. Help me, help
00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:01.160
me, help me. Or have you signed up and said,
00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:04.009
you know what? I get one little trip through
00:20:04.009 --> 00:20:06.450
this thing called time and then I'm going to
00:20:06.450 --> 00:20:09.369
live forever. And I'm really glad my sins are
00:20:09.369 --> 00:20:11.369
forgiven and I'm really glad I'm heaven bound.
00:20:11.829 --> 00:20:15.069
But I don't want to waste this. I want to do
00:20:15.069 --> 00:20:18.150
exactly what you want me to do and I want to
00:20:18.150 --> 00:20:21.910
pay whatever price because the rewards are astounding
00:20:21.910 --> 00:20:26.210
now and eternal later. At the end of the day,
00:20:26.269 --> 00:20:28.109
whether it's in your marriage or your parenting,
00:20:28.289 --> 00:20:30.730
whether it's in your singleness, whether it's
00:20:30.730 --> 00:20:35.109
at work, It really boils down to having the heart
00:20:35.109 --> 00:20:42.349
of a servant that said, Lord, use me. This is
00:20:42.349 --> 00:20:45.250
Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and a message
00:20:45.250 --> 00:20:48.329
titled Exercise Personal Commitment. We're in
00:20:48.329 --> 00:20:50.799
a series called You Were Made for More. which
00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:53.720
you can always revisit online at livingontheedge
00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:57.279
.org, or download the Chip Ingram app and access
00:20:57.279 --> 00:20:59.859
all of this content right from your smart device.
00:21:00.279 --> 00:21:02.859
Plus, you can find full -length sermons through
00:21:02.859 --> 00:21:05.319
the Chip Ingram Sermon Podcast, wherever you
00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:08.660
get your podcasts. Chip closed today with a powerful
00:21:08.660 --> 00:21:11.299
truth. The value of the project to the worker
00:21:11.299 --> 00:21:14.140
determines the value of the worker to the project.
00:21:14.890 --> 00:21:18.630
Those men in Nehemiah 3 walked 26 miles, left
00:21:18.630 --> 00:21:21.049
the harvest behind, and built with everything
00:21:21.049 --> 00:21:24.009
they had, because they knew what was at stake
00:21:24.009 --> 00:21:26.809
and who they were building with. When you know
00:21:26.809 --> 00:21:29.049
what you were made for, and you're doing it alongside
00:21:29.049 --> 00:21:31.549
people who share that vision, commitment stops
00:21:31.549 --> 00:21:33.930
feeling like a discipline and starts feeling
00:21:33.930 --> 00:21:36.730
like a privilege. And if you haven't yet taken
00:21:36.730 --> 00:21:39.109
a step to find out what God specifically made
00:21:39.109 --> 00:21:41.470
you for, we have a great place for you to start.
00:21:41.769 --> 00:21:44.490
It's a free online assessment called The Real
00:21:44.490 --> 00:21:47.609
You, a short, biblically grounded tool that helps
00:21:47.609 --> 00:21:49.890
you understand how God has wired you from the
00:21:49.890 --> 00:21:53.289
inside out. Take the assessment, absolutely free,
00:21:53.490 --> 00:21:58.009
at therealyou .org. If living on the edge has
00:21:58.009 --> 00:22:00.259
been part of your walk with God, We'd love for
00:22:00.259 --> 00:22:02.220
you to be part of what makes it possible for
00:22:02.220 --> 00:22:05.299
others. Your gift keeps this gospel work going
00:22:05.299 --> 00:22:07.539
and reaches people who need to hear that they
00:22:07.539 --> 00:22:10.559
were made for more. Join us as a monthly partner
00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:13.539
or give a one -time gift today by going online
00:22:13.539 --> 00:22:17.799
to livingontheedge .org or by calling us at 888
00:22:17.799 --> 00:22:23.700
-333 -6003. Well, now here's Chip. There are
00:22:23.700 --> 00:22:26.500
few things that can overwhelm us with guilt.
00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:29.900
like knowing that we've made a commitment to
00:22:29.900 --> 00:22:36.259
God, to a mate, to a friend, and then just dropping
00:22:36.259 --> 00:22:39.000
the ball and knowing we've blown it. And so I
00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:41.420
want to pray for you right now. You may not be
00:22:41.420 --> 00:22:43.480
able to close your eyes. You may be on the highway
00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:46.599
or you might be listening to this as you're doing
00:22:46.599 --> 00:22:48.720
something in the office. But could you pause
00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:51.940
mentally with me and let me pray for you? Holy
00:22:51.940 --> 00:22:55.420
Father, we want to thank you that you are a good
00:22:55.420 --> 00:22:57.940
God. and that you're a merciful God, that you
00:22:57.940 --> 00:23:00.980
are slow to anger, and you're abounding in loving
00:23:00.980 --> 00:23:04.299
kindness. And you are mindful that we are people
00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:07.380
of dust and people of flesh, and that we make
00:23:07.380 --> 00:23:10.339
the best of intentions, and we tell you we want
00:23:10.339 --> 00:23:12.940
to do what's right, and then we find ourselves
00:23:12.940 --> 00:23:16.900
blowing it. We do exactly the thing we said we
00:23:16.900 --> 00:23:19.400
didn't want to do, or we don't follow through
00:23:19.400 --> 00:23:21.539
on the very thing that we promised we would do.
00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:24.579
And we want to own that. We want to come to you
00:23:24.579 --> 00:23:27.319
and say that we're sorry. We ask you for your
00:23:27.319 --> 00:23:30.539
forgiveness. We would plead the blood of the
00:23:30.539 --> 00:23:33.519
Lord Jesus in our behalf as the forgiveness and
00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:36.539
the cleansing of our sin. And we want to be restored.
00:23:37.180 --> 00:23:40.099
And Lord, we also want to draw near to you now.
00:23:40.180 --> 00:23:43.500
We want the grace and the strength to renew our
00:23:43.500 --> 00:23:46.380
commitment, to find people that we can team up
00:23:46.380 --> 00:23:49.500
with and get support and help. so that we can
00:23:49.500 --> 00:23:51.839
be the men, be the women that you want us to
00:23:51.839 --> 00:23:54.720
be. Lord, I pray for those that have given up
00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:57.240
on their marriage and that is not your will,
00:23:57.279 --> 00:23:59.480
that you would give them the grace at this moment
00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:01.880
to be committed and do what's ever necessary
00:24:01.880 --> 00:24:04.599
to make it work. I pray for those that have made
00:24:04.599 --> 00:24:07.099
a commitment to you and have wandered and know
00:24:07.099 --> 00:24:09.700
that today's the day they need to return and
00:24:09.700 --> 00:24:11.960
know that you will forgive and restore. Lord,
00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:13.740
will you give them the grace to do that right
00:24:13.740 --> 00:24:17.059
now? I pray for those kids that have wandered
00:24:17.059 --> 00:24:19.400
away from their parents and their family and
00:24:19.400 --> 00:24:22.259
their faith, and they need to do a 180, do a
00:24:22.259 --> 00:24:25.039
U -turn, even as they're hearing my voice. Will
00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:27.359
you give them the grace right now at this moment
00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:30.319
to decide, I'm going back. I'm going to make
00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:32.259
it right with my folks. I'm going to do what
00:24:32.259 --> 00:24:36.359
I know is right. Almighty God, we pray for your
00:24:36.359 --> 00:24:38.440
grace to keep the commitments that we know are
00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:42.140
your will. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, I'm Dave
00:24:42.140 --> 00:24:44.299
Drewy, and that brings us to the end of today's
00:24:44.299 --> 00:24:46.839
program. We'll join you here next time for more
00:24:46.839 --> 00:24:49.940
clear, insightful Bible teaching on Living on
00:24:49.940 --> 00:24:56.180
the Edge with Chip Ingram. Today's program is
00:24:56.180 --> 00:24:58.680
produced and sponsored by Living on the Edge.
