S1: Today on Bold Steps, Mark Jobe explains that no matter
S1: what you've gone through, God's power and plans are bigger.
S2: God is able to take the broken pieces of your
S2: life and turn something good out of them. I want
S2: to guarantee you that. I want you to know that.
S2: That God will squeeze good out of every single thing
S2: in your life that's done wrong to you. That's the
S2: promise of God. He works all things to the good
S2: of those that love him.
S1: I welcome you to Bold Steps with pastor Mark Jobe,
S1: president of Moody Bible Institute and senior pastor of New
S1: Life Community Church in Chicago. Now, Mark, Romans eight, of course,
S1: is a powerful chapter for believers when it comes to
S1: understanding just who we are in Christ and the access
S1: we have to God. Today, you're going to help us
S1: understand how we can live as more than just survivors..
S2: Wayne, we live in a world where there's a lot
S2: of bad things that happen trauma, abuse, violence, difficulty, disappointment.
S2: And oftentimes people wonder, why is God doing this to me?
S2: So I want to be clear that God is not
S2: the author of anything evil, but God can take what
S2: was meant for evil and turn it around for the
S2: good and for his purposes. God has a way of
S2: being able to redeem even the bad that's done to us.
S2: And so this message is going to just give you
S2: a glimpse into that. So be encouraged. Even your bad experiences,
S2: God can squeeze good out of them.
S1: Let's learn together from Romans chapter eight the message more
S1: than survivors.
S2: If you're taking notes today, I want you to pull
S2: out your pen. I want you to write down the
S2: first truth that helps you become more than just a survivor.
S2: Number one, I want you to understand and acknowledge and
S2: grasp the fact that if God is the pilot of
S2: your life, if he's flying the plane, that there is
S2: nothing that is random. There is nothing that is random.
S2: It tells us in the beginning of verse 28, and
S2: we know that in all things, in what all things,
S2: God works for the good of those who love him,
S2: who have been called according to his purpose. I want
S2: to say, first of all, that if you understand that
S2: God is the sovereign God of the universe, sovereign means
S2: that he holds power and control over all things. Then
S2: you understand that nothing that happens in life is random,
S2: and that God has the ability to take whatever happens
S2: in your life, good and bad, and ultimately orchestrate the
S2: pieces so that it turns out for your good and
S2: his glory. You say, pastor, does that mean that God
S2: is making tragedy happen in my life? Does that mean
S2: that God allows or is causing evil to happen in
S2: my life? I want you to understand the difference. God
S2: is never the author of evil. It is never God's will.
S2: Some people blame God for things that he never desired.
S2: God is never the author of evil. Tragedy happens. Sickness happens.
S2: Abuse happens. Divorce happens. Accidents happen. Death happens. God is
S2: not the author of any of those things, but God
S2: can take those things and organize them in such a
S2: way that he brings good out of them, even though
S2: he's not the author of them. Are you tracking with me?
S2: God did not create a broken, fallen world. God created
S2: a pristine, powerful, perfect world. But he put something imperfect
S2: in that world, and that is human beings. He put
S2: us in this world, and he gave us the ability
S2: to choose. We have chosen wrong many times. God didn't
S2: make the world the way it is. We made the
S2: world the way it is, and God has given us
S2: the power to choose. And in our choices, we've pretty
S2: much messed up this world pretty bad. God is the
S2: redeemer of what we have. We have messed up and
S2: so we live in a broken, difficult, dysfunction fallen world.
S2: Tragedy happens. Injustice happens. Abuse happens. Violence happens. It seems
S2: like random acts of tragedy that happen against humanity happen
S2: against your life, your relative, your family. And here's what
S2: the Word of God says. God says all things in
S2: God Work together for our good. If God is in
S2: control for those that love him, that means that no
S2: matter what's happened in your life, no matter what you've
S2: been through, no matter how hard it's been, no matter
S2: how tragic it's been, God didn't create it in your life,
S2: but God can rescue it in your life. God has
S2: the ability to take all of the brokenness and fallenness
S2: and tragedy and craziness that's happened in your life, and
S2: God is able to orchestrate the pieces so that ultimately
S2: it is for your good and for his glory. Praise
S2: God for how he does that in our life. In fact,
S2: the word that's used here, where it says, and we
S2: know that in all things God works, that were the
S2: word works in the Greek is the word synagro, which
S2: is where we get the word synergy from. That when
S2: multiple pieces are working together, they have a compounded impact
S2: on something. And so God is able to synergize the
S2: pieces of our life and turn them around for our good.
S2: A great story that illustrates this is the story of Joseph.
S2: You remember Joseph's story. He was the young man that
S2: we called Joseph with the coat of many colors. Joseph
S2: grew up in a super dysfunctional home. His father had
S2: two wives. He had a bunch of stepbrothers. On top
S2: of that, his his father had several concubines. So he
S2: had multiple brothers and sisters. There was a lot of jealousy, dysfunction, brokenness,
S2: chaos in his house. Joseph's mother had two sons. It
S2: was him and Benjamin. His brothers were jealous of him.
S2: They hated him. That jealousy grew so much so that
S2: one day they decided that they would get rid of
S2: Joseph completely. And so his very own brothers took him,
S2: and they sold him as a piece of property into
S2: slavery so they would never see him again. They told
S2: the father that a wild animal had killed their son. Joseph,
S2: betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, ended up miles
S2: and miles away from where he lived, working as a slave.
S2: The woman of the house tried to take advantage of him.
S2: When he rebuffed her advances, he ended up in prison.
S2: So now Joseph is in a dark prison far away
S2: from home. In a desperate, dark moment of his life.
S2: And yet God is able to take the circumstances, the abuse,
S2: the betrayal, the injustice done against them and God steps
S2: into that, gives Joseph a dream, elevates Joseph to a
S2: place of incredible power. So much so that his family,
S2: who begins to starve to death in another part of
S2: the country, Joseph is able to rescue them from their salvation.
S2: So Joseph, even though bad was done to him, he
S2: turned around and saw that God used it for the good. And.
S2: Genesis chapter 50 says this you intended to harm me,
S2: but God intended it for good to accomplish what is
S2: now being done, the saving of many lives. There are
S2: some of you right now who have gone through very,
S2: very dark moments in your life and you wonder, why
S2: did it happen to me? Some of you have experienced tragedy, brokenness,
S2: chapters in your life that you wish you could erase
S2: from your life because you just wonder why? Why on
S2: earth did I have to go through this? And you
S2: may not understand exactly why. You may not understand exactly
S2: the purpose right now. But you can be confident of this,
S2: that nothing is random, that God is able to take
S2: the broken pieces of your life and turn something good
S2: out of them. I want to guarantee you that. I
S2: want you to know that that nothing that bad has
S2: happened to you will go to waste, that God will
S2: squeeze good out of every single thing in your life
S2: that's been that's done wrong to you. That's the promise
S2: of God. He works all things to the good of
S2: those that love him. So those that love him and
S2: those that are called according to his purpose. And then
S2: he goes on to say, not only that, he goes
S2: on to say, for those God foreknew. In other words,
S2: those that God knew beforehand, he also predestined to be
S2: conformed to the image of His Son, that he might
S2: be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. The Bible
S2: tells us that God knew you before you knew him,
S2: that God was aware of you when you were in
S2: your mother's womb. That before you ever prayed a prayer,
S2: God already knew your story, your personality, your heart. He
S2: foreknew you. And not only did God foreknew you know you,
S2: but God also predestined you. In other words, to be.
S2: To be predestined. Is that God in advance chose you.
S2: He knew you. And in advance God chose you. I
S2: know some people that say I found God. Let me
S2: tell you. I understand what you mean. But first of all,
S2: God was never lost. I think you and I were lost,
S2: but God was never lost. You didn't find God. God
S2: found you. But let me be clear about this. None
S2: of us pursued God first. God always is the pursuer
S2: of us first. None of us on our own power,
S2: chased after God. God has always the one that initiated.
S2: God has always been the one that, first of all
S2: reached out to us. That first of all awakened us.
S2: That first of all convicted us, that first of all
S2: loved us, that first of all touched us, that showed
S2: us grace. God is the initiator. There is no person
S2: here that was broken and fallen and sinful and said,
S2: in my sinfulness and brokenness, I decided to chase after God. No,
S2: it was God who first of all called you. God,
S2: first of all, reached out to you. God is the
S2: initiator in this relationship. We are the responders to God's initiation.
S2: And so, although you may have responded to God, God
S2: is one that called us. God is the one that
S2: sought after us. God is the one that reached out
S2: to us. So most of us, in our worst moment,
S2: God knew who you were. Knew how you would be
S2: your worst, darkest chapter. God still knew you and predestined
S2: you and chose you. For what purpose? He chose us
S2: so that we would be conformed to the image of
S2: His Son. It tells us he foreknew us and predestined
S2: us to be conformed to the image of His son,
S2: that he may be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
S2: Jesus Christ was the first born. We are the adopted
S2: brothers and sisters. It is our mission and goal to
S2: grow up and to be like the character that Jesus has.
S2: That's what God is doing in our lives.
S1: This message continues in just a moment. You're listening to
S1: Mark Jobe on Bold Steps. A lesson titled More Than Survivors.
S1: I just want to remind you that all of these
S1: daily lessons can be found on our main website. Bold
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S1: return to our message. Here's Mark Jobe with more bold steps.
S2: And then he goes on to say that those he predestined,
S2: he also called, and those he called, he also justified
S2: and those he justified, he also glorified. I want you
S2: to hear me well. God has chosen you. You didn't
S2: choose God. God chose you. Reach out to you. responded
S2: to God. Then God called you to salvation. He awakened
S2: you to himself. He showed you Jesus. And when you
S2: responded to God, he justified you. Which means that your
S2: past is washed and cleansed. It's completely done with. He
S2: justified you before God and then he glorified you. As
S2: long as you think that you are the one that
S2: chose God. As long as you think that you are
S2: the one that made your way to God. As long
S2: as you think that you have the power to save yourself,
S2: that it's on. That's based on your works of choosing God,
S2: your penance, your good works, anything of yourself to be
S2: made right with God. As long as you think that
S2: you will live a life of a lot of anxiety,
S2: a lot of strife, and you will never understand fully
S2: the gospel of Jesus Christ. Salvation is not us reaching
S2: out to God. Salvation is God reaching out to us.
S2: When we were lost, when we were broken, when we
S2: were far. And us simply responding to this magnificent, powerful,
S2: loving God that is chased after us, pursued us, gone
S2: after us with all that he has so that we
S2: can encounter him. That's salvation, and it's an anchor to
S2: those that believe. Secondly, not only does he teach us
S2: that nothing is random. I don't believe the fact that
S2: you're here today at 51st and Keeler. Listening to this
S2: message is random. In fact, I believe that God loves
S2: you enough to bring you at the right time to
S2: hear the right message. I don't believe the people you're
S2: sitting next to are random. I don't believe that your
S2: life is a series of coincidence. I believe that God
S2: is sovereign. I believe that God has gone to a
S2: lot of work to get you, get some of you
S2: to the place that you are right now. Some of
S2: you had to be broken. Some of you had to
S2: experience loss. Some of you had to go to the bottom,
S2: bottom of life's barrel before you looked up at heaven.
S2: But you're here today because life is not random. Because
S2: God has been chasing after you in his divine love.
S2: Thank God for his persistence. The second thing that we
S2: learn from this passage is not only is that nothing
S2: is random, but we also learn that we have full access.
S2: Verse 31 says, what then shall we say in response
S2: to these things? If God is for us, who can
S2: be against us? Who did not spare his own son,
S2: but gave him up for us, how will he not also,
S2: along with him, graciously give us all things? What does
S2: it mean? It means that some people look at how
S2: difficult life is, how challenging life is, how bad things
S2: happen to their life, and they believe that God is
S2: against them. They start thinking that somehow the God of
S2: the universe is not on their side, but that God
S2: somehow is against them, that God's favor is opposing them.
S2: And what the Apostle Paul is trying to tell us
S2: is that you have it all wrong. God is actually
S2: for you, not against you. God is actually on your side,
S2: not on the opposite side. If bad things happen to
S2: you in life, it's not that God has orchestrated those things,
S2: but God has the power to turn them around. And
S2: you need to understand it needs to be an anchor
S2: truth in your life that God is for you and
S2: not against you. If God is for us, then who
S2: can be against us? And he says, God is so
S2: much for you that even when you were far broken, angry,
S2: some of us hateful, having no God consciousness. God took
S2: the most precious thing that he could ever have his
S2: only son begotten of the father, God Himself. And he said,
S2: I will sacrifice the most important thing so I can
S2: gain you. When you were broken and down and out
S2: and far, not seeking after, not chasing after him. When
S2: when you were at your lowest. God saw you at
S2: your lowest and said, I will give what is holy,
S2: what is powerful, what is beautiful, what is strong, what
S2: is blameless. And I will sacrifice the greatest thing that
S2: I have to gain you, even though I've known you
S2: since the beginning. I know who you are and how
S2: you are. I've seen you at your worst. But yet
S2: I love you. And he paid the highest price that
S2: anybody could pay to gain you. God is for us,
S2: not against us. And then he says this. And if
S2: God gave his only son the greatest thing he could
S2: ever give, to try to reach out to you and
S2: pay for your sin and and be able to redeem us,
S2: what makes us think that if he gave the most
S2: the highest price that he had, that he will not
S2: also give us everything else so that we can succeed
S2: in life? Notice what it says. He did not spare
S2: his own son, but gave him up for us all.
S2: How will he not also, along with him, graciously give
S2: us all things? I believe that a lot of people
S2: have been raised with an image of God that is
S2: a distorted image of God. We've been raised. Some of
S2: us have been raised with the image of an angry
S2: God who's obsessed with your sins. And I think that
S2: a lot of religion that I've encountered is about sin management.
S2: And you have this idea that God, up in his
S2: heavenly place, is looking at your life, tracking your life,
S2: especially to catch you doing something wrong so he can
S2: say one more sin underlying, one more sin under selfishness,
S2: one more sin under lust that God is looking at you,
S2: trying to track your sins, calculating your sins, keeping track
S2: of your sins. That God's main obsession is your sins.
S2: And so religion that doesn't understand the gospel, even religion
S2: and Christianity becomes a sin management religion. I want you
S2: to be very clear about this. What Jesus says and
S2: what this passage tells us, what the Bible says, is
S2: that you and I can never, ever, ever, ever in
S2: our entire existence, do enough good, pray enough prayers, do
S2: enough penance, try to try to go to enough holy
S2: places to get rid of our sin. There is nothing
S2: that you and I can do on this earth. Pilgrimages, prayers, giving,
S2: charity work that will make up for the sin that
S2: you and I have. That's exactly why we need a
S2: Savior that can pay it in full. Because you and
S2: I cannot pay for our sin. You and I cannot
S2: manage our sin. That's why Jesus came. Listen, if you
S2: don't understand that, you don't understand the gospel. Stop trying
S2: to micromanage your sin.
S1: And that is a reason for celebration. You're listening to
S1: Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. A message titled More Than Survivors.
S1: We'll continue with part two of this empowering lesson when
S1: we return for tomorrow's edition of Bold Steps. But before then,
S1: we hope you'll take some time to check out the
S1: various resources, even opportunities we have available on our website
S1: at Bold Steps. Org, including this month's new selection of
S1: our Bold Step gift. And Mark is going to tell
S1: us more about it.
S2: You know, recent studies have shown that nearly half of
S2: all adults report not having a meaningful conversation weighing in
S2: their daily lives. That's pretty startling, I guess, but it's
S2: one of those things that motivated our guest today to
S2: write her book, doctor Heather Holloman. In the six conversations,
S2: you talk about four mindsets that are essential for meaningful conversations.
S2: Can you walk us through those four mindsets?
S3: Yes, and thank you for having me on this program.
S3: In order to have a warm connection with someone, you
S3: need to be curious. Believe the best about them, express concern,
S3: and share your life. They seem really simple, but most
S3: people are deficient in one of those categories.
S4: That is good. Yeah, so this is some of the
S4: elements needed to have a meaningful conversation, which in your book,
S4: obviously you talk about how conversation is the bridge way
S4: to really communicate our faith.
S3: That's right. And I got really excited about the power
S3: of having a warm connection. Once you know how to
S3: deeply connect with someone. Evangelism is never going to feel
S3: like a sales pitch or an awkward pivot in the conversation.
S3: Good point. So I was really delighted to read the
S3: social science research, and also how Scripture has always really
S3: supports all of that. We've learned this is ancient wisdom literature.
S2: I love it, Heather, because so many people, when they
S2: think about evangelism, they think of a sales pitch or
S2: I have to do a mini lecture. And most people
S2: it intimidates. But to have a healthy conversation that naturally
S2: goes to those important places of spirituality, I think, lowers
S2: the barrier of fear and allows us to more naturally engage.
S2: Thank you, Heather, for writing this book. This, I think,
S2: is going to be a great resource for people that
S2: are seeking to bridge the gap of meaningful conversations with
S2: their loved ones.
S3: Thank you.
S1: Well, to give and request your copy of this special
S1: Bold Step gift, just visit Bold steps.org or give us
S1: a call at 800 Moody. That's (800) 356-6639 or give online
S1: as always at boldsystems.org. And you can also request your
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S1: I'm Wayne Shepherd. We'll see you again tomorrow for the
S1: conclusion of our message on becoming more than survivors. That's
S1: Wednesday right here on Bold Steps with Mark John. Bold
S1: steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of
S1: Moody Bible Institute.