{"id":301927,"date":"2009-11-27T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-11-27T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/seeing-the-power-of-god-among-us-part-2\/"},"modified":"2009-11-27T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2009-11-27T17:00:00","slug":"seeing-the-power-of-god-among-us-part-2","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/seeing-the-power-of-god-among-us-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeing the Power of God Among Us, Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How should we view God and our service to Him?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2009-11-27.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"10.7M","filesize_raw":"11214837","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822],"tags":[2699],"podcast_series":[7691],"cwp_profile":[3349],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-301927","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","tag-forgiveness","podcast_series-seeing-the-power-of-god-among-us","cwp_profile-bryan-chapell","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/301927\/seeing-the-power-of-god-among-us-part-2","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/301927\/seeing-the-power-of-god-among-us-part-2","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"GOf2jOZl4f\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/seeing-the-power-of-god-among-us-part-2\/\">Seeing the Power of God Among Us, Part 2<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/seeing-the-power-of-god-among-us-part-2\/embed\/#?secret=GOf2jOZl4f\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Seeing the Power of God Among Us, Part 2&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"GOf2jOZl4f\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"How should we view God and our service to Him?","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2009-11-27.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u00a0What\u2019s your motivation for serving God?\u00a0 Here\u2019s Bryan Chapell.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bryan:<\/strong>\u00a0 Many people serve God to keep the ogre in the sky off their backs.\u00a0 But now listen, if the reason that you serve God is to keep the ogre in the sky off your back, whom are you really serving?\u00a0 Now there\u2019s another reason lots of Christians serve God.\u00a0 They serve God to get more good stuff.\u00a0 But if the reason that you\u2019re serving God is to get more good stuff, whom are you serving?\u00a0 Just yourself.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Friday, November 27<sup>th<\/sup>.\u00a0 Our host is the President of FamilyLife, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We\u2019ll hear today about serving God from a heart of thanksgiving and gratitude acknowledging his great love for us.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to FamilyLife Today.\u00a0 Thanks for joining us on the Friday edition.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got a joke.\u00a0 Do you want to hear a joke?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 You\u2019re kidding.\u00a0 You\u2019re going to begin the broadcast with a joke?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 This is a great joke, okay?\u00a0 This guy \u2026 this is one of these guy-dies-and-goes-to-heaven jokes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 We need \u2026 we need a little sound effects on this, Keith.\u00a0 Give us a little sound effects behind this.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 There\u2019s the angel choir singing in the background.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Continue.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Guy dies and he winds up at the pearly gates, and Peter says, \u201cWhy should I let you in?\u201d\u00a0 And actually he\u2019s got his little computer there, and he punches it in and he says, \u201cWell, this is unusual.\u00a0 This has never happened before, but your file is blank.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing here.\u00a0 There\u2019s no good stuff you did, there\u2019s no bad stuff you did.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe said, \u201cThat\u2019s never happened.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what to do.\u201d\u00a0 The guy goes, \u201cWell, I don\u2019t know what either.\u201d\u00a0 And Peter scratches his head.\u00a0 He said, \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll tell you what.\u00a0 If you can tell me one really good thing you did in your life, I\u2019ll let you in because I don\u2019t have any record of any bad stuff.\u00a0 I\u2019ll just let you in if you tell me one really good thing.\u201d\u00a0 And the guy said, \u201cWell, I was driving down the street one day and I saw this woman and she was being attacked by these motorcycle guys.\u00a0 There was this gang of motorcycle guys all around her and they\u2019d formed a circle and they had chains and they were going to hurt her.\u00a0 I pulled my car over to the side of the road and I didn\u2019t know what to do, but I grabbed my tire iron and I got out of the car and I walked over and I said, \u2018Hey, you motorcycle guys.\u00a0 Leave that lady alone, or you\u2019ll have to deal with me.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 And Peter looked at him and said, \u201cDid that really happen?\u201d\u00a0 And the guy said, \u201cYeah.\u201d\u00a0 And Peter said, \u201cIf that happened, that should be in your permanent record.\u201d\u00a0 He said, \u201cI\u2019m amazed that it\u2019s not here.\u00a0 When did that happen?\u201d\u00a0 And the guy said, \u201cAbout five minutes ago.\u201d\u00a0 So there you go.\u00a0 How he wound up at the gate.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Send your St. Peter jokes on to Bob Lepine.\u00a0 Just address them to FamilyLife.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Now the truth is \u2026 the truth is, when you get to the gate and St. Peter is there, it doesn\u2019t matter how much good stuff you did or how much bad stuff you did.\u00a0 That\u2019s not what gets you in.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And, you know, Bob, as you were telling that joke, I couldn\u2019t help but think how many of those St. Peter jokes I\u2019ve heard.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Almost all of them have to do with us working our way into heaven, or our good deeds outweighing the bad or some god who grades on the curve.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 But the reality is, God doesn\u2019t grade on the curve.\u00a0 71 percent, you pass; 69 percent, you flunk \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u2026 you fail, you\u2019re out of here.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u00a0Uh-huh.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 No.\u00a0 In fact, with God, it\u2019s not 85 percent.\u00a0 It\u2019s not 95 percent.\u00a0 It\u2019s not even 99 percent.\u00a0 What He requires is perfection.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 He requires 100 percent, and, of course, at that point the Law teaches us that we\u2019ve failed.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And at that point, we\u2019re in need of a Savior.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to hear about on the broadcast today.\u00a0 In fact, our guest on the broadcast today, Dr. Bryan Chapell, he is the President of Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And not too many months ago, we had the privilege of hearing him address our team here at FamilyLife.\u00a0 In fact, on yesterday\u2019s broadcast, we heard the beginning of his message from Luke chapter 17 about the ten lepers. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And today we\u2019re going to hear the rest of that message.\u00a0 And he begins today with answering a question.\u00a0 \u201cIf God is not moved by our deeds, then what in the world moves Him?\u201d\u00a0 Let\u2019s listen to Dr. Bryan Chapell.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bryan:<\/strong>\u00a0 If God is not moved by the deeds that we do, what does move Him?\u00a0 Well, He says.\u00a0 Verse 11, \u201cOn his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled on the border between Samaria and Galilee.\u00a0 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him.\u00a0 They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, \u2018Jesus, master, have pity on us.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 Why did they call out in a loud voice?\u00a0 Do you remember?\u00a0 If you were a leper in that culture, what did you have to do?\u00a0 You had to stand at a distance.\u00a0 You had to leave your home.\u00a0 You had to leave your family.\u00a0 And if anybody got close to you, you had to shout out, \u201cUnclean, unclean.\u00a0 Stay away from me lest this contagion catch you, too.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo these lepers who cannot know the touch of a loved one or the face of God in worship or even the face of a neighbor in their desperation call out to Jesus.\u00a0 \u201cJesus, master, have pity on us.\u201d\u00a0 And what does He do?\u00a0 What does He do?\u00a0 He does have pity on them.\u00a0 The message is simply, God is not moved by the deeds that we do.\u00a0 He is moved by the desperation that we own, that we claim as our own \u2026 not the cry of our goodness, but the cry of our desperation moves the heart of God to act in our behalf.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think how much we understand this, even from our human relationships.\u00a0 My wife and I have friends.\u00a0 He\u2019s a pastor.\u00a0 And though their child early in his life would have affirmed faith in Jesus Christ, in his mid and late teens it\u2019s been a very different story as he has rebelled against the family and against his faith.\u00a0 You know, time and again, he has caused this family embarrassment and heartache, great pain.\u00a0 So many times when he does it, you know, he\u2019ll protest, \u201cOh, it wasn\u2019t really that bad.\u00a0 You know, other kids were doing it.\u00a0 I was just \u2026 you know, it wasn\u2019t really that bad.\u201d\u00a0 Or he will promise to do better the next time.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll do better.\u00a0 I won\u2019t do it again.\u201d\u00a0 But there has been so much pain that his mother confided to my wife sometime ago that she wasn\u2019t even sure she could love her own son anymore.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe came back from one time of rebellion \u2026 came into the house and promised to do better again.\u00a0 And his mother said she just couldn\u2019t take any more.\u00a0 She just turned and walked out of the room.\u00a0 She just couldn\u2019t take it.\u00a0 And the son sat there in the living room on the sofa and maybe like some of us began to pick up that picture album that was on the coffee table and just began to thumb through his own life in picture.\u00a0 And he came across a picture of himself with his mother.\u00a0 And when he saw it, he called to his mother, and he said, \u201cMom, when I look at this picture, I realize why you can\u2019t love me anymore, because in this picture you look down at me as a little boy and your eyes are filled with such hope for me.\u00a0 But, Mom, I have dashed all your hopes.\u00a0 I know it.\u00a0 I have dashed all your hopes.\u201d\u00a0 And when he said that, not promising to do better, not claiming to have been not so bad.\u00a0 It was when it was just absolute desperation, \u201cI have dashed every hope you had for me,\u201d what happened to his mother?\u00a0 Her heart broke.\u00a0 Her resistance melted.\u00a0 It was just the pouring out of her affection, her love for that child again because it was his desperation that so moved her.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhen I recognize God is saying to you and to me it is our cry of desperation \u2026 if we\u2019re really saying, \u201cGod, act in my behalf, look how good I have been.\u201d\u00a0 I just think God has to, for our own good, turn his back on that.\u00a0 \u201cYou think that\u2019s what makes me operate in your behalf?\u201d\u00a0 What really does it\u2019s when I\u2019m willing before God to say, \u201cGod, be merciful to me, a sinner.\u00a0 I don\u2019t come before you trophying my goodness.\u00a0 I recognize that my best works are filthy rags before you.\u00a0 There is too much of my humanity mixed in the best things that I would offer you.\u00a0 Please, God, don\u2019t listen to my goodness.\u00a0 Please just act on the basis of your goodness, your mercy, your pity in my behalf.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf God is really responding to desperation more than to good deeds, what that means is that when I watch the TV and I see a man dying of AIDS and he says, \u201cSome people will condemn for my lifestyle and say it\u2019s my lust that drove me.\u00a0 I will tell you honestly, I would have loved anything that loved me back.\u201d\u00a0 That a man speaking in such desperation may be closer to heaven than I am on the days that I\u2019m so proud of my preaching and my position and my reputation before others.\u00a0 What really moves the heart of God?\u00a0 The cry of desperation \u201cPlease, Lord, have mercy.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, one of the most honest catechism questions you\u2019ll see across all the church tradition comes out of the Heidelberg catechism.\u00a0 It\u2019s a question so honest, you\u2019d be amazed that theologians wrote it.\u00a0 It\u2019s just this candid.\u00a0 Listen.\u00a0 \u201cSince we are saved by grace through faith without any merit of our own \u2026\u201d Hear that?\u00a0 Since we\u2019re saved by grace through faith without any merit of our own \u2026 \u201c \u2026 why should we do good\u00a0 works?\u201d\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that a great question?\u00a0 Since we\u2019re saved by grace, why do good?\u00a0 You know what the answer is?\u00a0 So that with our whole life, we may show ourselves grateful to God and give Him praise. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat\u2019s motivating us?\u00a0 Gain?\u00a0 No, it\u2019s not gain.\u00a0 It\u2019s gratitude.\u00a0 It\u2019s love for God.\u00a0 It\u2019s what moves this leper now.\u00a0 I mean maybe you don\u2019t see it until you just recognize how precise the language.\u00a0 Verse 14, When one of these lepers goes to the command, \u201dGo show yourselves to the priest,\u201d we are told \u201cas they went, they were cleansed.\u201d\u00a0 Verse 15, \u201cOne of them when he saw he was healed, came back.\u201d\u00a0 Very precise Greek term saying \u201cas he was going to the temple where a man is there who will declare him clean \u2026 as he\u2019s going, he\u2019s healed, and in that moment he turns back.\u201d\u00a0 Now think of this.\u00a0 He\u2019ll just go another few blocks.\u00a0 There is a man in that synagogue who will say, \u201cYou\u2019re cleansed.\u201d\u00a0 He can go back into town.\u00a0 He can go back to the fellowship of believers.\u00a0 He can go back into the arms of his spouse.\u00a0 He can have all these, if he\u2019ll just go another few feet.\u00a0 Such great gain for him, but he\u2019s got to do something more important.\u00a0 He returns.\u00a0 He turns back and goes to give praise to Jesus.\u00a0 There has been a priority in his life now, greater than his own gain, has been the need to give praise to God.\u00a0 Think of that.\u00a0 He\u2019s turning from his own gain.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know that when you recognize what he risks.\u00a0 He risks a change in his health.\u00a0 Think of that.\u00a0 What\u2019s changed so quickly as he\u2019s going there to the synagogue could change back just as quickly.\u00a0 He also risks a change in Jesus.\u00a0 After all, the one who was healed and came back was of what nationality?\u00a0 He was a Samaritan, and he\u2019s coming back to thank a Jew.\u00a0 How\u2019d they get along?\u00a0 Not well at all.\u00a0 He\u2019s coming back to a cultural enemy.\u00a0 For all he knows, Jesus will look at him and say, \u201cOh, a Samaritan in the group.\u00a0 Well, I didn\u2019t know there was a Samaritan. Well, forget you.\u00a0 You\u2019re not cleansed.\u201d\u00a0 I mean there\u2019s risk in going back to Jesus.\u00a0 But look, he\u2019s willing to risk this change in his health.\u00a0 He\u2019s willing to risk a change in his \u2026 in Christ\u2019s demeanor, because he\u2019s going to give thanks.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou have to recognize how different this is from what motivates so many of us, even in the church.\u00a0 I mean if you say why \u2026 why do many people serve God?\u00a0 Many people serve God to keep the ogre in the sky off their backs.\u00a0 God\u2019s gonna getcha for that, you know.\u00a0 But now, listen.\u00a0 If the reason that you serve God is to keep the ogre in the sky off your back, whom are you really serving?\u00a0 Yourself.\u00a0 It\u2019s just self-protection.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow there\u2019s another reason lots of Christians serve God.\u00a0 They serve God to get more good stuff, either in this life or the life to come.\u00a0 Bigger mansions up there, you know.\u00a0 But if the reason that you\u2019re serving God is to get more good stuff, whom are you serving?\u00a0 Just yourself.\u00a0 It\u2019s just sanctified selfishness.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo what\u2019s the other motive?\u00a0 Remember what the leper does, just as he has called out in his desperation in a loud voice, \u201cJesus, master, have pity on us,\u201d what does he do?\u00a0 Verse 15, \u201cOne of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a \u2026\u201d what?\u00a0 \u201c\u2026in a loud voice.\u201d\u00a0 The degree of desperation now marks the degree of his appreciation.\u00a0 He has got to praise God.\u00a0 That\u2019s what\u2019s driving him, not a desire for gain.\u00a0 It\u2019s a delight and gratitude.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve just got to give Him praise and thanks.\u00a0 That\u2019s what\u2019s driving me now.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m not saying that there\u2019s no priority and blessing to us.\u00a0 But the greatest priority, the thing that must motivate us above all other things is love, a great desire to praise God with our whole life.\u00a0 Since we are saved by grace through faith without any merit of our own, why should we do good works?\u00a0 So that with our whole lives we may show ourselves grateful to God and give Him praise. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSteven Andrews is a pastor whose name some of you may know.\u00a0 He\u2019s really a wonderful man, raised in Memphis, now pasturing on the outskirts of Detroit.\u00a0 And he tells the account of one day, a daughter coming home from school where there\u2019d been some gift exchange.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if it was Valentine\u2019s Day or Christmas or what it was.\u00a0 But the kids at school had exchanged gifts, and the little girl brought home from school, among other things, a chocolate teddy bear.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe next day she went off to school, and as her mother went into her room the next day, the mother found a younger brother, a preschooler, in the room, who when mom entered the room, the little boy backed against the wall like a cornered criminal.\u00a0 The evidence of his crime all over his face.\u00a0 \u201cOh, mom, I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d\u00a0 Well, mom was not about to be put off by the guilt of having been caught, and so she said to the little preschooler, \u201cYou are going to tell your sister when she gets home what you did, that you ate her teddy bear.\u201d\u00a0 Well, you can just imagine the preschooler.\u00a0 Every minute, you know, like an hour, waiting for this sister to get home.\u00a0 What is she going to do?\u00a0 You know, how awful it will be. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo much anxiety had built up in him through the day that when his sister came through the door, he just ran to her and just kind of burst in front of her with tears flowing down, saying, \u201cOh, Sally, I\u2019m so sorry I ate your chocolate teddy bear,\u201d and he just began to bawl in front of her, sobbing.\u00a0 But this was the kind of sister who was just always looking for an opportunity to love up this little brother, so as he was crying, she just picked him up in her arms, and she said, \u201cIt\u2019s okay, Johnny.\u00a0 I will love you anyway and always.\u201d\u00a0 And he just began to giggle.\u00a0 I mean his tears still coming down his cheeks, and he just laughed.\u00a0 And he threw his arms around her and he just hugged her for all he was worth.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s a beautiful picture of the Christian life, that we have recognized even our best works are filthy rags to God.\u00a0 We come before God truly torn, repentant for the things that characterize our lives.\u00a0 Not trophying our goodness, but saying to God with the sobbing of a heart in repentance, \u201cOh, God, forgive me.\u00a0 I weep for the awfulness of the sin in my own life.\u00a0 I acknowledge it to you.\u201d\u00a0 But then we recognize by the work of His Son which has cleansed us and made us right by His work and not our own that He says, \u201cMy child, I will love you, knowing all of this.\u00a0 I will love you anyway and always.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, we\u2019ve been listening today to a second day of a message from Dr. Bryan Chapell, looking at Luke chapter 17 and helping us better understand that, as the Bible says, \u201cIt\u2019s not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy that we are saved.\u201d\u00a0 I think that\u2019s Titus chapter 3.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, let me read 3:5.\u00a0 If that\u2019s not exactly it, it\u2019s close.\u00a0 \u201cHe saved us, not on the basis of deeds, which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit\u2026\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u201c\u2026whom He poured out upon us, richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I like the way that Bryan stated that.\u00a0 Everything that\u2019s right about me, He did it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 You know, as I talk to people on the beach, on airplanes, shared Christ with businessmen in different meetings, invariably people\u2019s hope is placed somewhere, either in number one, their Christian heritage \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u2026 that they came from a Christian family, like maybe that would rub off on them and that makes them perfect.\u00a0 Number two, they place their hope in their religion, their practice of spiritual disciplines and rituals.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 I go to church \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\u00a0 I attend three times a week.\u00a0 Or third, their hope was in good deeds, good works. You know, I\u2019m basically a good person, Dennis\u2026 my good outweighs my bad.\u00a0 Well, I\u2019m not sure you can ever be certain of that.\u00a0 And even if you could be certain that your good outweighed the bad, what are you going to do with the bad?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u00a0Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I mean you\u2019re still in need of forgiveness and still in need of a Savior.\u00a0 And as Bryan mentioned on yesterday\u2019s broadcast, Bob, our good deeds don\u2019t amount to anything.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s right.\u00a0 Kent Hughes was talking about his brother, and I remember him saying that his brother got to a point where he thought he was so bad \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u2026 that there was no way God could save him.\u00a0 And it may be that someone listening to the program today feels, \u201cI\u2019m not worthy of the grace of God.\u00a0 I\u2019ve lived a terrible life.\u00a0 I\u2019ve done some horrible things.\u00a0 I can\u2019t believe that God would accept me.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 You know, it may be that the person who\u2019s feeling that, Bob, may be closer to Jesus Christ and to the Kingdom than the religious person who feels like his goodness makes him worthy \u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u2026 of God\u2019s acceptance.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 And I would say to that person who\u2019s feeling that that they\u2019ve done the unthinkable or maybe the sin that is beyond pardon of the cross is a picture of God\u2019s grace.\u00a0 It is mercy that is beyond our wildness imaginations, and there is nothing you have done, there is nothing you can do, that is beyond God\u2019s grace, that He will not stand ready to forgive you and offer you complete cleansing and forgiveness, and, as a result, give you eternal life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 All you have to do is cry out to God and say, \u201cBe merciful to me.\u00a0 God, I want to surrender my life to you, and I want to give it over into your hands.\u00a0 And God will respond to that prayer, will adopt you into His family, will pour out His grace in your life, and He will make you as one of His own children.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 You know, it\u2019s a little bit like a marriage ceremony.\u00a0 The groom makes an initiative of a covenant, and your response by faith is, \u201cI do.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u201cI accept your initiation.\u00a0 I bond myself to you.\u201d\u00a0 And that commitment, I believe, is what Jesus talked about in the New Testament as the New Birth.\u00a0 It brings about a new creation in Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 And a listener can respond to that initiation today right now right where you are.\u00a0 You can just pause and say, \u201cI recognize that when I follow me and am in charge of my life I make a mess of things.\u00a0 I sinned and have been in rebellion against God.\u00a0 I\u2019ve wanted to do things my way and I acknowledge that that doesn\u2019t work and isn\u2019t working and not only is it not working it\u2019s wrong.\u00a0 It\u2019s wrong to rebel like that against the Creator of the universe the one who created me.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo you confess that sin and then you acknowledge that going forward you are going to follow Christ.\u00a0 You are going to respond to his leadership and his initiation and his lordship over your life.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe have on our website a link to something that is called \u201cTwo Ways to Live\u201d and I think it does a great job of presenting the difference between living as a Christian and living as a non Christian.\u00a0 What are those two ways to live?\u00a0 What do they look like?\u00a0 I\u2019d encourage our listeners to go to FamilyLife Today.com and click through that presentation and ask yourself which way am I living.\u00a0 Am I living as the way that\u2019s presented here as the way a Christian lives?\u00a0 Have I been living a different way in my life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen let me also encourage you if today if you do respond to the invitation that God is making would you let us know.\u00a0 Would you get in touch with us?\u00a0 Again on the website send us an e-mail and just connect with us in some way.\u00a0 Say I want you to know I heard what you were talking about and I responded and trusted Christ.\u00a0 We would be so encouraged to get that news and we\u2019d love to hear from you.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFor most of us Thanksgiving is a four day holiday that kicks off on the actual Thanksgiving Day but most people have the day off from work today I guess unless they work retail where they are flooded with shoppers today on black Friday.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhile we are still thinking about Thanksgiving I want to mention one more time the devotional book that Barbara Rainey has put together for families on the subject of gratitude.\u00a0 It\u2019s a book called <em>Growing Together in Gratitude<\/em> and we have emphasized that this month here on FamilyLife Today.\u00a0 We want to see families cultivating an attitude of thankfulness of gratefulness in our own hearts and in our children\u2019s hearts as well.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis is a seven day devotional guide for families that Barbara has written and we\u2019d like to send you a copy so that you can use it any time of the year.\u00a0 You can request it when you support FamilyLife Today with a donation of any amount.\u00a0 Go online and type the word \u201cGRATITUDE\u201d in the key code box on the online donation form.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOr call 1-800-FL-TODAY make your donation over the phone and ask for the family devotional <em>Growing Together in Gratitude<\/em>.\u00a0 We are happy to send it out to you and we do appreciate your partnership with us here at <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 Thanks for supporting this ministry.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe hope you have a great weekend.\u00a0 We hope you and your family are able to worship this weekend and we hope you can join us back on Monday when Ace Collins is going to join us.\u00a0 We are going to talk about what we can do as families to orient our thinking toward a more Christ-centered Christmas celebration.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer on today\u2019s broadcast, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team.\u00a0 On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I\u2019m Bob Lepine.\u00a0 We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today.\u00a0 Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts for you. However, there is a cost to transcribe, create, and produce them for our website. If you've benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright \u00a9 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>www.FamilyLife.com<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/301927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301927"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=301927"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=301927"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=301927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}