Distraction-Free Christian Living

Dr. David Jeremiah offers tools and insights to help you obey the Bible’s command to “keep your heart fixed on things above.” Remember: this world is not your home!
“Jesus said it like this, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt.”
― Dr. David Jeremiah, Where Do We Go from Here?: How Tomorrow’s Prophecies Foreshadow Today’s Problems

And just like that a world that seemed quite familiar is now unrecognizable.
And God whispers, I have not changed you lament over the life you loved.
That is now a vague memory time seems to be moving faster than you can manage and you’ve gone from simply living to merely surviving.
And what was once certain is now well uncertain.
And God whispers, trust in me.
You face a world that appears to be falling apart.
Foundations have splintered institutions, fractured nations, battered people polarized and God whispers, fear not you mourn that what you once held in your hands is now out of reach.
That the what ifs have become the that I never thought I’d see the day has already come and gone.
That one day might never arrive. And that which lies ahead seems determined to leave you behind.
And God whispers, I am with you.
Always, you navigate the ups and downs of a life filled with hard work, tough decisions, stressful situations and circumstances that seem out of your control.
You spend day and night managing the highs and lows of a marriage, a family, your health and your job and alarmed to discover that you’ve lost yourself along the way.
And God whispers, let me be your strength and though trouble assembles all around you and your enemies prevail against you, you attempt to stay centered and confident and convinced that even in the midst of uncertainty, God has a plan and a purpose for your life.
And God whispers, I love you and just like that, the world seems a bit more familiar and God whispers carry on join Dr Jeremiah in just a few minutes.
For today’s message. As he teaches how to stay centered in this chaotic world, you can find this inspirational challenge and nine others in living with confidence in a chaotic world, certain hope in uncertain times.
Dr Jeremiah’s classic book updated for today’s generations biblically based practical instruction to help you live with unshakable confidence, whether you’re discouraged by the events on the world stage or overwhelmed by the everyday challenges on your own doorstep, claim a confident faith that shows as you learn to stay confident and convinced that God has a plan and purpose for your life.
Stay challenged and constructive in the world around you, stay compassionate and connected to the people in your life, stay centered and committed to God’s word and stay consistent and confident in your walk with God, request your copy when you give a gift of any amount in support of this program.
And if you give $65 or more, Doctor Jeremiah will send you the living with confidence set, containing his book, his teaching series on your Choice of CD or DVD and a companion study guide.
Plus, with any order of the book or sent, you will receive the unshakable confidence cards to help you stay the course.
Each day, you can find certain hope in uncertain times and live with confidence in a chaotic world.
Order these resources from turning point.
Today, you are watching a Timeless teaching presentation from Dr David Jeremiah here on turning point in appreciation of your viewership.
Today, Dr Jeremiah would like to send you the unshakable confidence cards with selected scripture and an inspirational thought from Dr Jeremiah to help you stay the course each day, receive the unshakable confidence cards completely free when you contact turning point today.
Now here is Doctor Jeremiah with his message, stay centered, Let’s face it folks.
There’s never been a time like this in our lifetime in the series that I preached and the book that I wrote entitled What in the world is going on.
I summarized 10 of these events and related them to the prophetic word of God.
We talked about the rebirth of Israel as a nation and the redistribution of wealth through oil and the realignment of Europe and the resurgence of Russia.
And then the book was finished and along came the reversal of the financial markets and any one of these events by themselves might not cause us a concern, but all of them taken together present a troubling and frightening picture.
And the Bible speaks of such a time that is going to take place in the future according to the Bible, this is going to be the way it is before the return of the Lord.
And in the book of first Thessalonians chapter five, we are told that concerning the times and the seasons, we have no need that I should write to.
You said Paul for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night for when people will say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them.
Now watch this as labor pains upon a pregnant woman and they shall not escape that little metaphor as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.
Really is a picture of the situation we face today.
The signs that precede the coming of the Lord will be like the labor pains of a pregnant woman.
These will become more and more intense. That’s what happens in the labor pains of a pregnant woman.
The pain becomes more and more intense and the contractions get closer together.
That’s how we know the baby is about to be born.
Every woman here is right now remembering that and asking me not to talk about it anymore.
So I will just go on.
But the Bible says that in the future, the things, the signs of the times will be like that the signs will become more intense and they will get closer together when that happens.
We will know something is something is dramatic on the scene and I don’t have to illustrate that any further.
We all know that’s what we’re experiencing. We used to have earthquakes every once in a while.
We have them a lot. Now, we used to have storms every once in a while, but now we have them all the time.
They’re just getting closer and closer together.
So I don’t think I need to spend any more time today convincing you that we’re living in a different time.
Some people call it a disintegrating culture.
The question, however, that’s in all of our minds is this, it’s not what in the world is going on anymore.
It’s what on earth do I do?
How can I live with confidence in a chaotic world?
And I’d like to suggest to you that there are some instructions in the word of God to help us answer that question.
What if I told you that in the very verses of the New Testament that tell us that Jesus is coming back.
He gives us the clues as to how we are to live while we’re waiting for that to happen.
We don’t have to look outside the context right in the verse.
And I am going to come up with a strategy based upon the scripture to help us live with confidence in a chaotic world.
Say that with me live with confidence in a chaotic world.
We begin with the first clue which comes from the book of Colossians.
And if you’ve opened your Bibles to the book of Colossians and the third chapter, here’s what it says.
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, set your mind on things above not on the things on earth for you died.
And your life is hidden with Christ and God.
When Christ, who is our life appears, then you shall also peer with Him in glory.
Now notice the end of the verse, there is the reference to the return of Christ.
When Christ to is our life appears, says the word of God, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
We believe that he’s going to appear one day.
And we’ve learned that when he comes back for the second advent, we’re going to come with Him as he sets up his kingdom, that’s gonna take place.
But now if you go all the way back to the beginning of this passage and the first verse, you will see that we’ve been given some instruction here as to how we’re to function in light of the fact that Jesus is going to come back.
The psychologist tells us that we should look within the opportunists, tell us that we should look around.
The optimist says we should look ahead.
The pessimist says we should look out and God says, we should look up in the midst of the chaos of our generation.
We are to seek a perspective that can come only from God just as the compass points north.
Our entire disposition should be trained so that it points toward the things of God and the things of heaven.
We are to remember, ladies and gentlemen, that we are citizens of that place to which we are encouraged to focus our attention.
Philippians tells us that our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the savior.
We are citizens of heaven. It says, not only are we to set our hearts on heaven, but we’re to set our minds on heaven.
Notice the second instruction, we must not only seek heaven, we must thank heaven.
Staying centered on Jesus involves our minds as well as our emotions. We are to mind heavenly things.
The focus of our mind is not so much to be on the place we call heaven, but on the spiritual reality of heaven that controls our whole motivation.
This is to be our pattern of life as we are followers of Christ.
Now, if you’ll notice in this second instruction, there is a corresponding negative phrase that goes with it.
It says seek those things which are above, not those things which are earthly.
When Paul writes, not on the things of this earth, he’s not saying that we should just become oblivious to the fact that we live on planet earth, that we should walk around like a bunch of zombies, not paying attention to what we’re doing.
Running red lights, getting in trouble just acting like we don’t care what’s going on on this earth.
He’s not talking about that at all.
We all have to deal with the earthly things of life, do we not? We have to care for.
We have investments that we’re concerned about. We have businesses to run.
We have all kinds of things that are part of being citizens of this earth.
And Paul is not saying disconnect from all of that.
He’s just saying, don’t get so caught up in all of that that you lose your focus.
Here’s a good illustration in Psalm 62 10 for all of us who are thinking about finances today.
Listen to what it says if riches increase do not set your heart upon them. Isn’t that an incredible injunction?
Keep your mind and your heart centered on heavenly things.
Learn to say with the Psalmist whom have I in heaven but you and there is none upon the earth that I desire beside you.
Now, this isn’t about just saying, get yourself a little mantra and walk around mumbling all day.
Jesus Christ is my life. Jesus Christ is my life.
I mean that might help somebody, but that’s not what Paul is talking about.
He gives us here in this text, an agenda when we think about Christ. What should we think about?
Well, first of all, we should stay centered on our identity with him.
Stay centered on your identity with Christ.
Here it says if, then you are raised with Christ, the word if is better translated by the word since because it’s a first class condition, it means because it’s happened, not if it might happen, but because it has already happened.
If you go through the scriptures, you will see consistently this phrase come up and maybe we haven’t noticed it before, but let’s just notice it quickly.
The Bible says, we were crucified with Christ Galatians 2 20. I am crucified with Christ.
Paul said, and it is no longer I that live but Christ who lives in me, we were buried with Christ Romans 64.
Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism. We were raised together with Christ.
Here’s our verse in Colossians chapter three.
And in other words, in all that Christ did for us in the redemptive work, our sins are forgiven.
Our guilt is gone. It all took place because of what Jesus did when he was crucified and buried.
And the third day came out of the tomb and was raised in victory over death.
And the Bible says that that all happened to him and because of our identity with him, it happened to us.
It even says that he is seated at the right hand of the father in heaven.
And that we are seated together with him in that place.
Let me just read to you these words from Romans, which are a commentary on what I have just said.
Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism and death that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father.
Even so we also should walk in newness of life for we have been united together in the lightness of his death.
Certainly, we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection.
Our relationship with Christ is not some old life, it is a brand new life.
We have come out of the grave with him and we have been resurrected to a whole new life.
As Tennyson used to say, oh, that a man would arise in me, that the man I am would cease to be.
And Jesus Christ is the answer to that quest.
He came so that we could become what we could never by ourselves become through his death and burial and resurrection.
We have arisen to a new life.
And just as surely as Christ marched out of the tomb, that first Easter Sunday, there was a day when David Jeremiah was resurrected through faith in Jesus Christ.
And in that moment, all things passed away and all things became new and I began to walk in newness of life before I was dead toward God and alive to sin.
But when Jesus took over my life, I became dead to sin and alive to God and sin no longer had a reign over me even though sometimes I give in and, and don’t live the way I should.
I no longer have to be servant to sin because I have been resurrected in Jesus Christ and I have been set free.
Amen. So that’s something to think about.
Set your affection on those things.
Paul says, set your mind and your thought on the fact that you are identified with Christ in all that he has done to make you a new person.
Think about that. That’ll take a few minutes.
Secondly, center your attention on Christ. Stay centered on your authority with Christ.
Notice what it says next in verse one, it says, seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.
Now, that’s something we need to ponder for a moment where is Jesus Christ right now.
He is in heaven seated at the right hand of the father, that is the position of authority, the right hand is the position of authority.
And the Bible explains to us what this means in Ephesians chapter one, where we read that God raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and Dominion.
And every name that is named not only in this age but also in the age which is to come and he has put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all and in all the Bible says that Jesus is in heaven, set your affection on things above.
Here’s something we need to consider this week, seated at the right hand of the father is Jesus Christ who is in charge of everything he’s in control.
The Bible says everything in heaven and everything on earth, everything in the age to come and everything in the current age, he’s in control, say that with me.
He is in control now. It’s a good thing to think about that, isn’t it?
When everything else is out of control, set your affection on the one who is in control?
That’s a wonderful thought, isn’t it?
And I know that if I set my affection on him, he’ll show me what to do and he’ll help me know how to make good decisions as we go through this very confusing time of chaos.
So stay centered on your identity with Christ. Stay centered on your authority with Christ.
Thirdly, stay centered on your security with Christ. This was readily made for this day.
Here’s what it says for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
The Bible says that when Christ died, we died. So we’re died to the old life.
And now that’s what happened in the past here’s what’s going on in the present.
Our life is hidden with Christ in God. We are secure in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
I won’t feel very secure in myself, but I do feel secure in Christ and I feel secure in God.
And the Bible says I have both.
I am secure in Christ and in God notice for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Now, just watch this for a moment.
This piece of paper right here is Christ and this Bible is God.
He’s put me in the fold of this paper.
I’m in Christ and I’m in God and I’m safe.
This is the double lock on the security of my life.
And you know, the safety that we have is also a matter of security and secrecy.
Our true identity, our true meaning in life is hidden in Christ. People outside of Christ don’t understand us.
They don’t, it’s like the guy who was in college and his atheistic professor stood up and he said, son, he said, I’ve read your book from cover to cover and I don’t believe in Jesus and I don’t understand the book.
And the student said, well, that’s what you get for reading somebody else’s mail.
You know, you know, it’s not written unbelievers, it’s written to Christians and we’re unique and we’re hidden and our identity is hidden and while they look at us and try to figure us out, they can’t figure us out.
But we have this knowledge that in Christ, we are secure and we are safe and then notice the last one, not only should we stay centered on our identity with Christ and stay centered on our authority in Christ and stay centered on our security in Christ.
But we need to stay centered on our destiny in Christ.
We go back to the last part of that passage which says when Christ who is as our life appears, then you will appear with him in glory.
First John 32 says, beloved, now are we the Children of God?
And it is not yet revealed what we shall be.
But we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him for, we shall see him as he is.
Now, have you noticed that in this passage of scripture, Paul has covered all of the tenses of life.
We have been raised with him in the past.
We are hidden with him in the present and we’re going to appear with him in the future.
We may be hidden now. But one of these days, we’re not going to be hidden anymore.
The Bible says we’re coming back in the glory with the Lord and we’re going to be revealed with him and he is our life.
You know, that’s the problem that we have today.
This is why so many people are struggling right now because along the way and it’s so easy to do this.
We switch our hope from someone to something. Everything you put your hope in will fail you.
But there’s one in whom you can hope. And that’s Jesus and he never disappointed.
You know what the Bible says about him. When we are faithless, he is faithful still.
He is the same yesterday today and forever, he never changes. You can count on him.
He is as certain as certain he can be. You can put your hope in him.
Will you say pastor? These are all good motivational thoughts.
And I’m fired up about looking in a different perspective now on my life.
But how do I do it?
Let me just give you two or three things before we finish.
First of all, you do it by your insistence on priorities.
You know, sometimes when we go through crisis, one of the good things about it is it reorders our priorities.
Isn’t that true? I remember when I had cancer, I had people asking me all over the country to come and speak for him and you know what?
It was real easy to say. No, not necessarily because I wanted to.
I couldn’t, I just said no. Every letter that came in. I didn’t read half of them.
No, no, no, no, no, no, I can’t do it.
Somebody said pastor, the best thing you can do is never tell people you’re better.
So you can just keep saying no, no, no, no. And you never.
But isn’t it true that when you go through a crisis, it sorts things out.
It helps you to see what’s important and what isn’t important. Here’s what Matthew says.
Seek first, the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.
So set your priorities. Secondly, not only by the insistence of your priorities, but by your interest in the word of God.
Do you remember the story of Mary and Martha?
And one of the problems with the crisis is that when a crisis comes, you always wanna figure out what to do.
That’s what happens to me, to me. If you’re a leader, problems are the challenge of your life.
Here’s a problem. So I’m a leader. Let’s figure out how to deal with this.
Well, that was what was going on in the home of Mary and Martha when Jesus was coming to visit with them.
Do you remember that? And, and Martha was busy, she was doing all this stuff and Mary, when Jesus walked in the house, he sat down, she went over and sat down in his feet and she just was listening to everything he said and she was learning.
I don’t know if she was taking notes, but she was learning and it ticked Martha off and she went to Jesus and she said, Jesus, I’m doing all the work and Mary’s just sitting there.
Would you tell her to help me if you have to go tell Jesus something like that.
You are in real trouble. But she went to Jesus and she said, would you get my sister up off her duff and help her get this stuff ready?
And Jesus looked at her and I love his words. Do you remember?
He said, Martha, Martha, Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed and Mary has chosen the good part which will not be taken away from her.
Do you hear what he said?
He said, don’t get all caught up in the activity to the extent that you lose your focus on the word of God.
Mary understood that the thing that would help her more than anything else was to know Jesus and she took the opportunity to know Him.
If you’re a center on Christ, you got a center on the book.
The Bible is the written word of God. It speaks to us of the living word of God.
On every page on every line, you will find the Son of God divine.
If you want to learn to know the king of kings, if you want to learn all the heavenly things, read the book, learn the book, let the book teach you set your affection on things above by setting your priorities by your interest in God’s Word.
And then there’s one last one that’s by the investment of your treasure.
And I’m not going to give a stewardship message here.
But just simply to tell you, the Bible says it very simply where your treasure is.
What’s the rest of it? Your heart is. Do you know how to keep your heart fixed on things above?
Keep investing some treasure there? If you put your treasure in heaven, your heart will be there too.
Let me give you a little verse to help you remember this. It’s up on the screen.
Isaiah 26 3. Say it with me out loud.
You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.
You want to have perfect peace. Stay centered on Jesus Christ. Amen.
Doctor Jeremiah just shared his heart about how we can stay confident in this chaotic world.
And he would like to extend an invitation for you to know the true source and foundation for a confident life.
Jesus Christ. If you would like to know more about how you can begin or grow in your relationship with Jesus, Doctor Jeremiah would like to help by sending you two free resources.
The first is a booklet called Your Greatest Turning Point. And the second is our monthly devotional magazine Turning Points.
These resources are yours completely free when you contact turning point today.
Thank you for watching Turning Point.
When you support this program with a gift of any amount Doctor Jeremiah will send you in appreciation his book, living with confidence in a chaotic world.
Certain hope for uncertain times and for a generous gift of $65 or more.
Doctor Jeremiah will send you the living with confidence set, containing his book, his teaching series on your Choice of CD or DVD and a companion study guide.
Plus with any order of the book or set, you will receive the unshakable confidence cards to encourage you to stay the course.
Each day, receive these resources when you support the ministry of turning point. Today.
Next time on turning point, we’re to be concerned about others.
If we’re going to do as the Lord instructed Peter, if we’re going to follow his admonition to Peter and to us, our role is no longer to be among those who tear down, but to join the ranks of those who build up, join Doctor Jeremiah.
Next time for his message, stay constructive here on turning point.