Passion 2015 Houston | Matt Chandler

well it is a joy for me I can't hear you there's too many it's muddles okay okay okay I only have 50 minutes so shush it shush it I only have 50 you're not taking that from me if you have your Bibles go ahead and grab them Romans chapter 11 I think it's important that you see that ultimately I'll say some things tonight and hopefully those things line up with the Word of God whatever if somebody opens the Bible and then they don't kind of plant themselves in it they kind of open the Bible and then come over here and say what they want and you have to navigate and filter through that so what I want to do is I just want to stay tethered and and I've come tonight with a ton of excitement in my own heart see I I grew up in a home where my father was abusive in just about every way you could be abusive and then my mother was super religious I mean followed the rules in fact she thought that the Pharisees went a little bit too light on the law that they were a little too loose and they probably could have been a bit tighter in their application and so I grew up in this home where my father's abusive and my mother's hyper religious and I learned early on to hate both sides of the equation I didn't want to give myself over to worldliness because I saw what where that ended with my daddy and I definitely didn't love Jesus Christ because I can tell you this if mom's God is the God of the universe I don't want any part of him now in the midst of all of that Jesus didn't care and through the testimony of a friend in high school um Christ wooed me and saved me and after my conversion I can just no doubt in my heart no doubt in my mind loved Jesus had a t-shirt that said I heart Jesus I was in I'm sharing the gospel I'm reading the bottle I'm grabbing every book I can I'm devouring trying to figure out how Jesus got me I don't even know how it worked I was a skeptic and a critic and and looked at mom was like that's ridiculous and the next thing I was raising my hand and crying at a church camp and so I wanted to know what he did to me so I would just read and read and read and here's what here's what happened to me and maybe you can relate maybe you can't maybe you're just godly or then then I was but but I found very quickly after that that although I loved Jesus Christ and there was no doubt about my love for Christ I continued to stumble forward I had real issues with lust I had real issues with anger and it didn't take long for me to learn how to act like a Christian and not feel safe confessing the fact that had some areas of my life that were really dark and really broken and and so really I played the part man I'm going to church in fact in 1997 I was teaching the Bible to other people while simultaneously having this kind of duplicitous life where I was struggling with doubt and fear and anger and lust and really didn't know am i a Christian am I not I mean I love Jesus I know that I love him but why do I keep struggling like this why do I keep falling from such an awful person and so a friend of mine said hey there they're doing this deal down in Austin alright it's this thing called passion the student named Louie Giglio you ought to come with us and so I hopped in with a crew and I went to passion 97 and I'm sitting out there in the crowd it did not look like this it did not look like this it was awesome but not arena awesome yet and so I'm sitting out in the crowd and this older dude comes out wearing a tweed jacket looking like he's about 117 years old and just dry like like it's like humor bothered him and I come to find out later that was actually true and he he opened up the Bible and Here I am in this duplicitous life I know when to raise my hand I know I'm supposed to take notes I even known to do that thing when we're singing songs that occasionally I need to pat my chest to go hmm yeah so so that there I am in and that night dr. John Piper opens up the Word of God and preached it and the Holy Spirit blew me up and here's how he blew me up because it's my intent my hope the reason I'm excited about tonight is I felt awful and and I felt like that I'd failed the Lord and I felt like I was such a hypocrite and I was and that's well that's why I was and John when he opened up the Word of God and read it he didn't come and go no no no no you're special no he like the Holy Spirit reinforced all of that you are awful you are a hypocrite you do give yourself over to things that I despise and are despicable and so I felt the weight of that I began to weep like ugly weep like make your friends around you comfortable uncomfortable weep and then what God said next via that sermon changed the entire trajectory of my life it changed how I interacted with my wife hi I'm raising my children how I fight sin the kind of pastor I've become my belief and how to preach the Word of God always shake my ability to walk through the valley of the shadow of death all changed went through that sermon through the Holy Spirit's power in the midst of God going you are a sinner you are broken you are a hypocrite you are giving yourself over to things that I hate he then said now stop looking at you and look at me stop looking at you and looking now look how awesome I am look how big I am look at my tea I am look how sufficient I am look how gracious I am now Matt do you feel how all that doubt all that fear that anger that lust starts to give way when you let go of you and you start gazing upon me and so what I want to do because I'm not an idiot I'm not and I know well jury's out bro you've only been gone for like five minutes here's what I know I know some of you in here and you're you're just like me duplicitous life your your church kids but you're you're not you're not really loving the Lord you're not really following all you feel trapped in your sins I know in 2004 at the village church we were growing and blowing and we young crazy young for Alda it's sexy to have a young church I was a pastor one take it was a nightmare and so a bunch of 22 year olds sit around talking about light what they think about life that's just a nightmare and and so I kept getting into conversations with 20-year olds who kind of were where I had been then I'm really struggling with doubt Chandler I'm really confused I don't know I've got friends talking to me about this and what am I supposed to do with this and does the Bible really say this and can I trust the Bible and what about this and so I thought it'd be a great idea to do a series on doubt and so I stood up in front of our congregation and I said here's what we're gonna do we're gonna do a series on doubt so I want you to take the little Welcome card I want you to flip it over on the back of the Welcome card I want you to ride this is what I struggle if you don't have to sign your name so be completely honest here's my doubt here's my struggle here's my wrestle here's what I'm afraid of here's what I just can't seem to believe here's what's not working and they filled it out and I just said hey drop it in the joy boxes on your way out and we'll take a look at them and build out the series and that weekend it looked like we raised 40 billion dollars I mean just the offering bags were just jammed with cards really we had seven dollars in change and the entire congregation was like I don't know if I'm saved it was like well winning as a pastor winning so we went to my office and we started just throwing him out on the floor and the staff came in and we're just kind of making piles and we like we cannot do a four year series on doubt what kind of epic meticulous beatdown would for years on doubt be for members of our church and so he said instead let's kind of categorize these that's okay here's a certain kind of doubt a doubt in the inerrancy of the Word of God so that's my cap I will do a week on can the Bible be trusted here's a here's another pile I mean let's make a pile there and then and the biggest pile like the Mount Everest of piles was the one that kind of goes back to my own history if I am a believer in Christ if the Holy Spirit lives inside of me if I truly have been adopted and in blood but why do I struggle like I do what do I doubt like I do why do I wrestle why do I keep falling into these patterns that I know are giving myself over to the things that the Lord hates and so the roots of doubt series was born I think we have since took that offline because I had a lot of youthful angst back then that that just was inappropriate and so we pulled that but it was awesome it's an amazing sermon series and and so what I wanted to do when we got into that week that was the last week of the series and what I wanted to do is what I want to do tonight let me get your eyes off of you and so I don't know what you think of you I hope you don't have a an elevated a picture of yourself like because I've always said there's that no one has lied to you more than you have no one has betrayed you more than you have nobody has been more cruel to you than you and you might be like well you don't know my daddy you don't know what I hate listen I don't need to know your daddy your daddy could be a worthless piece of carbon and your response to his wickedness is still on you your response is it's still on you God will deal with him and so nobody you're not awesome now I'm gonna coddle you I'm not come here and you're great you're not great in fact I would argue the greater you think you are the more enslaved you are to your perceive greatness and the more that we see God is great and God is mighty and God is beautiful and God is good then we're free then we can fight then we walk in victory then our doubts begin to dissipate we'll still fight them listen if you've bought into some sort of romanticized fairy tale of our faith I want to try but the Holy Spirit's power to shake you out of it like the Apostle Paul says I'm perplexed but not crushed now let's chat Paul is better than you like we prayed for sick people I mean we've ever prayed for somebody who is sick right you get your okay now we afraid Paul Dan roll like that Paul walks was like get up you're not sick you're not allowed to be dead here's my handkerchief touch somebody with that I mean he's different than we are and if the Apostle Paul been to the third heaven I don't even know where that is I've done the exegesis I don't know and if the Apostle Paul can say I'm perplexed I don't get this I don't understand what you're doing here God then surely we will I ain't been to the third heaven I did not get saved by Jesus kicking me off a horse be like hey man you're following me the rest of your life that's not how it happened to me and yet Paul the author of so much of the New Testament says I'm perplexed I mean I'm not I'm not crushed because I know where my eyes go on that crust but I am perplexed I'm confused I don't know how this works and so what I want to do four things about God that I think will anchor your soul I hope for the rest of your life as you wrestle with your doubts as you fight against your flesh as you seek to make much of the name and renowned of Jesus Christ for anchors in in a beautiful strange text romans 11:33 236 as the Apostle Paul ties off the first eleven chapters of Romans most of which are spent on your Center your Center your Center everybody's a center nobody gets out clean everybody's guilty now everyone is guilty of treason against the god of the universe even if you're a church kid mom gave birth to you right out on the altar pastor Spanky first word was Jesus baptized right there and you have lived a life of up right where you don't cost except Christian cuss words you're like ding Fahd so I'm kind of invented word you have a quiet time every morning you like you you you're living that out even in that you're living a life of self-sufficiency that says I don't need you God I'll be my god guilty nobody gets out clean so Christ swoops in and rescues us out of that and Paul captivated and caught up in the Holy Ghost pins this Romans 11 verse 33 oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways for who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid for from him and through him and to him are all things to him be glory forever amen now for things out of this text by the way this text is strange because the Apostle Paul is not given over to poetry off often like you know in 2nd Peter Peter writes that Paul is hard to understand like when the Bible says yeah Romans is tough then you know that you're gonna read some stuff by Paul and go I don't quite get it but in this place captivated by the glory of Christ he gives himself over to poetry and here's how he starts four things about God that if we look at him marvel get him into our guts not just kind of take notes but get them into our guts will change and anchor our souls through life's peaks and valleys whatever the Lord has for us it starts with us oh the depth of his riches so number one God's transcendent wealth God transcendent well we got to get our eyes on that Psalm 50 verse 10 says this for every beast of the forest is mine the cattle on a Thousand Hills now this worked really well in a day and age that was driven by agriculture I know we're in Texas but I'm guessing almost all of us our lives aren't dependent on cattle so we we get in our cars we don't need cows to help us work but in this period of time he who had the cattles drove commerce and so he he says here that all the power the wealth economics belong to our God in fact I like Deuteronomy 10:14 a bit better because it helps us get our mind around the wealth of God Deuteronomy 10:14 behold to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens and the earth that is and all that is in it I I love this verse because what Deuteronomy is saying in what what Moses is riding there is not just heaven but the heaven of heavens belongs to God so when we look up at the stars we're seeing this kind of tiny little piece of the universe were like wow that's vast back to blue David's mind right when I look at the Stars what is what does man that you are mindful him the son of man that you care and gods like hey hey like I love that you're digging the Milky Way here but listen the heavens of the heavens of the heavens those are mind two in fact as far as there is it's mine Abraham Kuyper said it like this there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ who is sovereign over all does not cry mine so everything is his that God owns everything and he owns it differently than you and I own it see you and I are stymied in our creativity we are blocked there's a ceiling we hid because we need resources in able to create so if you're a riot or your ability to write hinges upon the language you know the dictation you know your your ability to get ways to write you need you can't create them out of nothing you must have things in order to create if you are a painter you are him in your ceiling is the colors that exist you will not no matter how gifted of an artist you are create a new color it's not coming for you I'm not saying you're not lights out artsy and tight jeans right now I'm saying that you're not creating a new color that you will be hemmed in by your canvas if you are in construction you can only build what you can afford to build and what resources are available to you he listened to me God's wealth doesn't work like that God creates out of nothing anything he wants and as much of it as he wants at any time that he wants to do it he is holy other than us when it comes to wealth so Bill Gates Rockefeller jay-z everybody they they've got bills I mean they've got money I'm not trying to take away from their wealth but their wealth is dependent upon creation yet our God's wealth goes well beyond creation because he is the creator or if he wanted to make a new color he would and if he wanted to create a new animal he would and if he wanted to build a billion trillion dollar mansion somewhere in the world he'd just tell it to do it so don't think of the creation airs that haven't got really crowded like golly we're meeting all these stars in the living room Jesus spirit what is that well it's kind of a platypus it's a duck but it's also a beaver and it's got a sound and there's like get it out of here let's put it in the universe that would happen there was nothing until God said something and that was so powerful to this day the universe continues to expand in every direction yes our gods wealth is transcendent if you see this if you meditate on this if you get this in your gut that God is never in a panic he's never wondering how to get you through college he's not worried about what kind of job you're gonna get he's not he's not built like that and we began to trust his provision anxiety begins to give way we can rest like Jesus says hey look at the birds look at him ain't got no 401k they're doing all right doing all right you know health insurance there all right I got you God's transcendent well and it doesn't stop there in fact this is one of my favorites I just so hunker down in this one not only is God transcendent in his wealth what we see next that he is sovereign in his knowing it says oh the depths of his riches and wisdom and knowledge of God so how deep is the wisdom and knowledge of God here's what I wrote here God knows every word in every language in every sentence in every paragraph in every chapter of every book every ever written he knows every fact of history past and future every bit of truth discovered and undiscovered he knows it all there is nothing that he does not know truths known and truths unknown to be discovered later God knows it's why as the people of God we never to be afraid of what is true ever in our day and age a lot of people are trying to pit science against faith and the reality is there's an overlap there that cannot be denied in fact the Apostle Paul said it this way in first Corinthians 3:18 through 23 let no one deceive himself if anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age let him become a fool that he may become wise for the wisdom of this world is folly with God for it is written he catches the wise in their craftiness and again the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are futile so let no one boast in men for all things are yours whether Paul says it or Apollo says it or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future all truth is yours and you are Christ's and Christ is God's this means the truth is never our enemy because if it is true it is from God and we are in Christ in Christ is of God so if it's true it's ours that we have if you will cornered the market on truth and so what are we to do with statements that seem to contradict the Word of God because in our faith we're saying the Word of God is an errand it's without error how are we to handle that I'll tell you how I often handle it I don't know I'm gonna trust the Lord and let's wait it's interesting to watch especially in this day and age science keep catching up with the Bible so just give it a little bit of time sociologically this is absolutely true even starting to find out biologically this is true just get it a little bit now that we've mapped the human genome you you know what they're finding is that whether regardless of what color we are our genetic DNA is 99.9% identical which traces back to a single origin like there was a single man that maybe we all came from welcome to Genesis 1 bro welcome to Genesis 1 so I don't want to argue listen I can't argue with scientists they're brilliant I mean they like where they were eight years old and wanted an encyclopedia britannica google that later so that they could read it I'm not smart enough to argue with them but I can wait I can wait I can wait so don't be deceived by that now since all truth is ours because we're of Christ in Christ is the sovereign God I want you to roll this around in your head because although it sounds simple to say that God's knowledge and wisdom are deep it's spectacular to consider how this works itself out so what we know from the Word of God is that God knows everything that's going on at a micro level in the universe every cell every atom every bit of mitosis the stuff that's going on in those things God's aware of every bit of that it never surprises him he never gets confused he never didn't see that coming he knows it all but he also knows it all at a macro level which is all over the universe he knows the orbits of planets he knows the temperature of stars he is aware of everything at the micro level and the macro level and he does this without any strain on his brain he's not like golly what I tell Pluto to do spirit get into Evernote what I say okay Pluto's over there now right that's not how it works everything micro everything macro he's got it but on top of that this is my it blows the mind in addition to the exhaustive depth of his knowledge is the extensive or exhaustive breadth of it God knows every event that has ever occurred and how that event led to other events that created other events that caused other events that created other events that moved into other events that created other events that started to do other events he knows it all he knows how moments lead to other moments he knows how situations lead to other situations he knows how the highs and lows of life are shaped and molded and create when all said and done a panorama of his beauty and glory and might see romans 11:33 tells us then instead that God is incomprehensibly immense exceedingly expansive and eternally powerful and so much so that time and time our response to many of the things of God ought to be look at me because this is okay to say I don't know I don't know I don't know and and that moves us to the next part of the text how inscrutable are his ways inscrutable hey that you can't scrutinize God you can't scrutinize I mean here's why you can't scrutinize God time and time again when men in the Bible try to bring God's sovereign rule under scrutiny God will sometimes lovingly engage them and the result is terrifying so Jove kind of frustrated at his loss I mean if you know the story of Job God takes everything but his wife and his wife turns out to be a nagging woman this is like why don't you curse God and die you fool like I would like Lord give me my dog back and take this woman and so here's what God job's kind of railing it's this little bit of God I don't get this I understand what you're doing and so God answers him can you imagine like being in your room going Lord I said I feel like you betrayed me you didn't show up I don't know what you're doing here and got answered Joe job 38 verse 2 imagine the terror who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge dress for action like a man I will question you and you will make it known to me where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth you tell me if you have understanding so um God is so unscrew double inscrutable that you go what are you doing is kind of a fool's errand because when the Lord steps into that space he's like well you know what since you were there when I laid the foundation of the earth why don't you tell me how things should be and then all over the Bible you want one of the things that I think happens in the Bible that we resist but we need to give ourselves over to it's God wants you to feel small all this time spent on looking strong that's not what God's after you're not strong in fact the Bible is brutal about this James 4:14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring what is your life for you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes and then Romans 9 verse 20 but who are you o man to answer back to God well what is molded say - its mold or why have you made me like this now I'll tell you why even more give you an illustration that'll help you understand why we need to look at the cross and say the cross proves the goddess for me I'm gonna trust him like my son really digs kind of Lord of the Rings Hobbit stuff yeah you guys can get together and dress up like nerds all the tapes come on over but that that's 18 hours of film you've got the three Lord of the Rings each one like nine and a half hours of peace and and then he rolled it back into the hop into the prequel totally George Lucas to us and and now you've got in that two trilogies 18 hours of film when you scrutinize god here's what it's like it's like you've never seen any of those 18 hours I've brought you into the theater and let you watch for seconds that's probably generous I'll give you two seconds to look at the screen and then I walk you back outside go tell me about those 18 hours now whatever you say is going to be wrong like I don't know Harry footed midgets huh it's maybe with a sword it's about jewelry if you wouldn't know and so the Alpha and the Omega he has always been he will always be knows all events and how everything weaves together think how crazy we are did at 22 pack at 40 hecka 85 did we go what are you doing his ways are inscrutable the question is will we believe in trust that he's loving and it goes on from there romans 11 34 for who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor okay so Paul's not looking for an answer from somebody as this is read and the church at Rome some 100 I get I counseled him I know I know the mind of the Lord now you know a little bit of the mind of the Lord in that he has given you his word and he has given you his word so that you might see him for who he is but no one knows so much that they get to counsel God you could kind of have a hate come your father um I see kind of this thing you're doing over here and it looks great I don't take anything from you like that looks legit but what about I don't know if you've thought about this but I've been thinking in fact a couple of my buddy we were talking over there and we think what if what if you just started another like like a third Great Awakening and we could just forget about all this just an idea think about talk amongst ourselves be over here just consider it right you you can't count so god he doesn't need your counsel I mean come on some of you're like making two fours you know 2.4 in college go god here's what I would do know so let quick quiz how many of you have a thing that you pled with God for and now you're slated like thank you Jesus you did not give that to me anybody okay so keep your hands up look around just a bunch of morons please god I need it you think he's trying to keep from you things you need you think that's the kind of God he is like the Israelites you let us out in the desert to die was this just bread from heaven water coming out of a rock are you serious again no no he doesn't need your counsel that doesn't mean we don't cry out that doesn't mean we don't plead that doesn't mean we don't ask it means we have to see him for who he is the depths of his riches and his wisdom and his knowledge and that he's inscrutable in his sovereign reign because he knows more than we could ever know and that it could be trusted that he is good we know that in knowing he is working all things for our good and His glory if you know that you know there's no panic in the Godhead so I need to address this because it's real life like some of you really bad things have happened and so when you hear a sermon like this and you've been abused or you hear a sermon like this and you got sick you hear a sermon like this and something really dark happen to you and you're like I'm trying to get that I'm trying to understand that Chandler but I don't know I don't know if I can believe that because if that's true I'm trying to reconcile trying to reconcile in my head that this sovereign king is good and allowed this if you're telling me he could have stepped into space if you're telling me he could have stopped this if you're telling me that he is sovereign over all things especially events and his wisdom and knowledge I do have some scrutiny because what happened to me was terrible then I hadn't hardly recovered I don't know that I ever will recover I want to take that from you because it is hard we do live in a Genesis 3 world but listen to me God does not drive an ambulance he does not show up after and try to put the pieces back together God wounds us like a surgeon and he can be trusted because we look to the cross of Christ and in looking at the cross of Christ our confidence that he is for us and not against us grows as we know he's at work in the mess in fact the Bible is just one of the grittiest nastiest books I've ever read it's grotesque and the reason why the Bible's filled with so much doubt and death and disease and brokenness is because God's trying to tell you I'm at work in the mass it's not that there won't be one it's that I'm with you in it and I'm redeeming and reconciling and working and I have not abandoned you and I'm not showing up late I'm with you I am before you look to the cross like I gave my life bled out my blood sent my son because I don't love you because I'm cruel no I'm for you I am NOT against you I am with you we see God's knowledge and then from there we see God's perfect self sufficient let's see look at Romans 11:35 or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid so if as we've covered everything that exists is God and He is sovereign in all of his knowing and this is so this was one of those things that set my heart free look right it's hard to believe I can't give him anything to win his affection at around my birthday and Christmas my kids will want some money to buy me something for my birthday so I've got a thing how generous do I want to be to me right so then my my kids will take my money and and then they'll go and they'll buy me a gift and then they'll bring me back the gift that I bought for me for my own birthday so the gifts are great but I didn't get any richer right this is a CS Lewis illustration this is if you remember the band Sixpence None the Richer that they got that from a CS Lewis illustration where he says that trying to give to God is like a child getting his allowance from his dad and then bringing back to him you know getting the sixpence from their father and then bring him back to the death a gift of the Father a Sixpence None the Richer so let me tell you why this such good news if you cannot put God in your debt if you cannot buy him off with good behavior then you are free to be loved by him for what he has done and not what you do I think you guys missed that cuz that was good right because if you've come in here and you're exhausted and you're trying to do all that you're supposed to do I don't know if the rules change but when I was in college you had to be learning to play the acoustic guitar God knows you couldn't love Jesus if you weren't trying to learn to play the acoustic guitar you got to read my utmost for his highest you probably have to own a Hillsong CD you better at least jump piper better be somewhere on your radar love him or hate him you gotta at least have an opinion about him and so so many of us we get caught in this checklist mentality that does not bring life and does not bring freedom and then what ends up happening here's what's so horrible when you do everything you think you he wants you to do and something bad happens you feel betrayed by him because you're good and you're doing what you're supposed to do and you know people that these should happen to but not you because you're waking up every morning you're having your quiet time shoot you did a Beth Moore Bible study this year how dare he your roommate that girl why not her she ain't doing no Beth Moore Bible study well why not when I'm not sure I'm not going out and getting plastered on the weekends I'm not doing those things these people are and yet you're coming to me like this Lord man I pray I'm in fasted from television for half an hour on Thursday I DVR'd it Lord but you knew my heart so you think what you're doing with your behaviors you're putting God in your debt you owe me look at me I love you he owes you nothing he owes you nothing which makes his gracious giving to us unbelievable like he owes you nothing and look what he get look at the common grace he gives all men think of how many people hate him belittle him mock him and they get to laugh and they get to get married I get to eat good food they get to drink good wine they get to have sex they get to they get to enjoy good friendships and they hate the creator of all those things and still in His mercy he gives the gifts of common grace CEOs you nothing and he's granted you everything get your eyes on that you can't give to him to put him in your debt there's freedom man I get to just chase him I get to just love him I get to just marvel at his generosity to me God is perfect in his self sufficiency he does not need you ultimately to give anything to him and I want to be straight with you if you have to give something to him to make him whole I'm not worshiping him anymore I'm smoking in the room just love you you're cute you're not impressive so if I'm like okay you guys have got to complete God I've got a complete like how can God help me if I have to complete him he's utterly and completely self-sufficient he gives out of his grace not on his need and then finally and I'll spend the last few minutes with you here the last thing we see in verse 36 is God's glorious self regard for from him and through him and to him are all things to him be glory forever amen so when I don't want to talk God wants to bless you he wants to give to you God is for you not against you the Bible says all these things but there's something underneath all of that generosity that we had better anchor in on so I I don't want to say God doesn't love you I think God loves you I'm not gonna say God's not for you because I think he's for you I'm not gonna said God didn't want to bless you I think he wants to bless you but I think there's something underneath all of that that we have to be tethered to if we're gonna get this freedom that we so desperately want and I think the best way to show you that is Psalm 23 starting in verse 1 here's what it says you know this you have a coffee cup with this on it you graduated from a Christian school you've got a t-shirt a coffee cup in a bookmark with this on it maybe a bumper sticker with the sheep and a shepherd on it the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he makes me lie down in green pastures he leads me beside still waters he restores my soul he leads me in paths of righteousness now right now this text sounds like God is really into me yo I mean God loves me leading me beside still waters green grass give me a place to lay down and and yet the motivation behind all of that goodness and grace really to know that changes everything so let's finish reading there in verse 3 he leads me in paths of righteousness for what reason for his namesake see the motivation behind God's blessing the motivation behind God being for you the motivation behind God's goodness towards you is for the sake of his name if there's anything that the two six eight generation is as about it's the name and the renowned of Christ because that's what God is about the name and renown of his name the exaltation the worship the enjoyment and the glow in fact the Bible is filled with God's motive being God for the sake of his name God did not destroy Israel in the desert that's Ezekiel 20 God saves men for the sake of his name that Psalm 106 Pharaoh's heart was hardened for the glory of God that's Exodus 14 the begin the Israeli monarch was about the glory of God that's for Samuel 12 Solomon dedicated the temple for the glory of God that's first Kings a Israel became great and powerful among the nations because God was making himself a name that second Samuel 7 God did not destroy Israel when it deserved to be destroyed because he did not want his name to be blaspheme among the nations that's Isaiah 48 God decided to destroy the Israelites because they would not lay it to their heart to give glory to his name that's malachi to jesus's life and ministry was about the glory of god the cross jesus christ is about the glory of God you and I are saved for the praise of his glorious grace that's Ephesians 1 the Christian life is about the reflection of the glory of God off of us into the universe that's Matthew 5 first Corinthians 10 force Peter for the second coming is about the consummation of all things to the glory of God that 2nd Thessalonians the consummation of all things is so that God might be praised revelation 21 God is about God God is for God and that is the best news in the universe and it's the best news for you and for me and for everyone else in the world and here's why two reasons it's not close God being forgot God being this deep enriches deep and wisdom and knowledge inscrutable in his ways worthy of praise the reason that's such a big deal is since God is for God that means all of the commands of God in Scripture are about leading me into deeper life and not trying to take from me anything see God's not glorified by the grudging submission you think that's what he's trying to you think when God says this is how sex worked in the Covenant of marriage I mean you think God's trying to ain't trying to take from you trying to lead you into something something better all the commands of God in Scripture are about leading you into life not in trying to take from you anything and that we know that because God is for God God is about the praise of his glorious grace he's about us living enjoy you know menin got amazing about walking in his ways and finding the pleasure that and that rolling past any experience and onto his name see singing is great but if singing doesn't roll past itself and onto the creator of singing who cares and food is great but if it unroll past food into worship then we wasted some time see all the commands all the good gifts of God are meant to go past themselves and to him it's why that we enjoy life more than those outside of the kingdom it's not that they don't experience pleasure it's that they can't get past that the pleasure itself to the giver of the pleasure and then the second reason why God being forgot is such good news now listen he's gonna go contrary to what the world's trying to disciple you in if God is about God look right at me then it's not about me and if it's not about me think of how hard I am to offend when it's not about me see the more life is about you the angrier you're gonna be the more combative you're gonna be the most stressed out you're gonna be new more anxious you're gonna be the more frustrated you're gonna be and the war it's not about you the more you get to breathe because it's not about you see if life's about you than when you get on the road why are you in the left lane going 40 pah-pah-pah let's text this we all carry and so right we what get out of the way you're waiting in line you're like sheesh are you kidding me right now everything's personal it's personal when you're driving it's personal when a friend sets up it's a person everything's personal when it's about you but it's not about you you get to just breathe you get to just breathe and listen I know most of us aren't married yet but then if it's about you and you get married then there better be some things happening you should better be doing this he better be doing that I've got a list of things they better be doing cuz it's about you but when it's not about you get to just breathe you get set free to love and serve and be all that God has called you to be it's a beautiful thing for it to not be about you you get to rest in that it's a beautiful beautiful thing I love in Romans 8 all these things are true and so as it swells back in Romans 8 Paul says yes this crazy question that really he answers in the next I said who can bring a charge against God's elect since all of this rooming look to the cross and we know that God is these things that he's given to us not because we've done anything but out of the overflowing love and grace of his nature who can bring a charge against God's elect answer no one for it's God who justified and so how should we think leaving here if you've come in here and you've got doubts and fears and I try to use this illustration often the Lord used it after my first daughter was born to really really kind of ingrain in my heart how he sees me and how he responds to me Audrey was born she was she was our firstborn and when you have a firstborn kid you can't wait for them to do things and then your second kid you can't you're alright if they're slow and so Audrey kind of made her way to the coffee table and she started to bounce you know she would just bounce there at the coffee table we got really excited because we thought hey she's not start walking and so you know Lorna we got to have a camera on us at all time you know host her table you know you have a get ready any moment she's going to walk and and then she would let go and she would kind of you know you could see her trying to figure it out and bless her heart she it's probably my fault she had this giant heading this tiny little skinny body it looked like an orange on a snake and and and one day she she took her hands off there and there you could see the head kind of working her and her head fell forward and if you're a science guy you're gonna love this her giant started to pull her by this physics and so she had two choices stick out your foot or die and so the heads pulling she sticks out her foot boom now we're momentum step step-step fall to the ground and we exploded but like yeah come on like she just won an Olympic gold medal we picked her back up and we set her on me we like come on go we're calling everybody she's walking you're not gonna believe it she's walking and it meant it was a celebration I pulled out a sword uncorked a bottle of champagne I didn't that's that'd be awesome though that would be awesome so he celebrated the fact that my daughter with the gargantuan head took three steps and fell to the ground and it was huge and so since then I've got to watch a lot of my friends have their kids and here's what I know about fathers I have never yet come across the father regardless of how pagan and evil that sees their firstborn go step step-step fall and go sheesh kids an idiot baby this is on you because in my family we walk like I've seen your brother there's something else genetic code no no we rejoiced we're like they're walking are you serious they're walking and you're not even man you picked the kid back up you said like come on come here come back to Daddy come on and they stumble again and they maybe get to you maybe don't they fall again you pick them back up and for the next few months I mean they're just nothing but bloody knees and elbows and you don't care you just keep picking them back up and go now come on come on and then they get to that phase where they're running around with their clumsy and then they get to the place where they're running around and they're not all that clumsy but they still fall and then you get to that place where they're there they're grown and so they can run full-speed but every once in a while they still trip and and scab their knees and bleed but daddy's always rejoice in the steps always could it could it be could you imagine that that's how God sees you there walk it just see that angels you checking this out she's walking Devils they're like you look like a Fathead fall to me it's like you shut your mouth walking walking come on get up come on come back to Daddy that's grapes that's grace paying the bill so listen to me I'm gonna say something crazy we'll say something crazy by the grace of Christ God does not love some future version of you loves you now don't belittle his name he doesn't just love you this is crazy he likes you can you believe that because I think we can imagine forgiveness I just think we think God likes the future version of us the one that's more disciplined than weather nuns struggle like we do though you're you're belittling the cross of Christ when you land there get over yourself get over yourself before you not against you he cheers our steps if you've come in your knees all busted bleh elbows mean some stitches God's gonna get up come on get back up that was awesome you took you took like five steps there last time it was just a step and a half last time you just let go the carving them fell right over get back up I love you I haven't changed my mind I don't want to mulligan your mind come on so this is where I want your mind to settle I want you to get your eyes off of you feel like I suck you do suck I'm terrible you are terrible you're worse than that you probably think you're better than you are even if you're loathing please get over you got ahead and pushed all his chips in on you you pushed all his chips in on Christ then he paid the bill in full you don't know anything repentance confession freedom get up let's pray she bow your heads once you bow your heads and close your eyes the band's gonna work their way up just got a few seconds with you here here's what I want to do man if you've come into this place and I mean you can really resonate with some of what I'm saying because as you've come to this place you you really do have a bit of a duplicitous life you've walked in to this place and and if you're really honest man you man you know how to use the right words you you know when to raise your hands golly you got a notebook that would rival the notes I brought up on stage and yet if you were really honest your life is plagued with doubts you're playing a part secret addictions dominating your world you feel far from the Lord like what I'm saying to you sounds so foreign and so unbelievable that the Lord would love you now would like you now is rejoicing in your bloodied need bruised forehead self now if that's you and you just like hi I'm exhausted and this is true man I I want that brokenness that God gave you man I want God to do that in my heart that's you know you just stand up where you are don't be embarrassed just stand up go man I came in here tired I want to believe that that's true and God to convince my heart they're just and I've known no reason to be ashamed a reason to be ashamed and here's what I want to do if you just look up if someone is standing up around you you just kind of extend your hand and get it on we're just gonna pray for these it's gonna ask the Holy Spirit to minister to these here's the truth we don't need motivation so now we need transformation good preachers can motivate only the Holy Ghost can transform and so let's ask the Holy Spirit dude I don't know about you and I was tired and my sins I I hope you're tired enough in your sins but I want you to believe tonight ask the Holy Spirit to help you believe tonight to get your eyes off of you in to gaze upon him this was a prayer of David in Psalm 27 the king of Israel said one thing I asked and all that I seek the only thing I want is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord why because gazing upon the beauty of the Lord overcame and covered up David's sin his broken is his idolatry his adultery his murder if David can be called by the grace of God a man after God's own heart brother sister you have not out sins the grace of God I don't care how dark what you're walking in is I don't need to know your story I know the grace of God you gotta get over you so you just pray for these brothers and sisters right now they're the great thing about the ears of God is he doesn't get confused he can hear all of us and wants let's pray for freedom let's pray that eyes would see the gift of illumination that the Holy Spirit brings let's pray for freedom from bondage a picture of God's love and delight in Christ let's pray for victory for our brothers and sisters let's pray for a little God to be knocked off a little thrown and the sovereign king of glory to invade that space with a gentle type of violence that drives out darkness and replaces it with joy even as you stand there brother or sister that the fight isn't over but to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord to know that that is the fight to fill our lives with what stirs our affections for Jesus to get our eyes up to gaze upon his beauty quit hollering and self-pity to get up to keep chase ease what David meant when he said lift up your eyes get your eyes up this what is happening in Colossians when he says set your eyes on things that are above where Christ is seated look up it's not too weak to cover your sins he's not too powerless to give you victory so we have the opportunity even as we go into the rest of the night just make much of his name father for my brothers and sisters thank you but do pray denying Holy Spirit the where we have walked in bloodied where we have walked in exhausted where we've walked in wrestling without confused because of some of the inclinations of our hearts a pray father that you would incline our hearts to gaze upon you I pray like a deer pants for living water that our soul would pant for you long for you hunger for you help us get more thirsty than we are for water that truly satisfies thank you that there's no sin represented in those standing or those who didn't have the courage to stand tonight with more power than your cross help us rest in that tonight Jesus we love you we want to love you more help us through your beautiful name amen let's worship the Lord and gladness you

Channel: Truth Endures

Views: 13,297

Rating: 4.9509201 out of 5

Keywords: Matt Chandler (Person), Passion, 2015, Passion 2015, Passion conference, Houston (City/Town/Village)

Id: t3Ni1_7fu4U

Length: 55min 37sec (3337 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 09 2015