Leaving a Legacy that Lasts Forever - Teach Them to Work Unto the Lord, Part 1

There was one thing that you could teach if you could pass on to your kids that would ensure their success in school and their work in any mature job ever had in life.

Would you want to know what it is that's today on the welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram chip for Bible teacher for the steely discipleship program.

Motivating Christians live what Christian work has become so negative like it's going to be a lot of work.

I hate this work is just piling up. So how do we change that was to picks up where he left off in our previous program impacts. What a healthy when we understand God's view, it changes everything before we get started, let me urge you to stick around after teaching her some extra insight from Jim that hears his message. Teach them to work unto the Lord.

60 to 80% of a person's waking hours on this planet is consumed with an activity called work out that work can be at home, but it's work. I think that if you're not sleeping or eating 60 to 80% of your waking hours your entire life. You're doing this thing called work and so I want to ask you to ponder three questions with me before we talk about what we want to pass on to those we love the most. A mother that's who were discipling our men's group are women's group our kids or grandkids. Three questions to really think about when we begin to talk about this area of work, question number one is how can you help those you love the most live above the daily grind. I mean, let's let's go back to our little analogy where we say if you knew from this moment right now.

365 days you're going to die and you had 365 days and you knew people that you love when your kids when you grandkids your best friend, someone you led to the Lord, you know some guys that you're in a Bible study with these gals that you love and care and you know that 60 to 80% of their entire life.

Is there to keep working after you die, how could you deliver them from the daily grind of get up go to work, grab a cup of coffee, and go to eat some supper drive-through watch couple hours of TV go to bed get up. I mean, and then wait for the weekend, so most people are living the life. Can you imagine the gift it would be if you can pass something on or that would not be there experience. Question number two is why are the majority of Americans dissatisfied with their jobs and I would say probably maybe well beyond America but all the research is there board there unfulfilled. It's basically almost a paycheck or a necessary evil, others great exception to meet people and I said I do this within payment. I love what I do. I was made to do this, but by and large the research tells us, most people go to their job. It's a paycheck I need the money, but I'm not like in a minute is not a lot of people. And thank God it's Monday. Monday I love it Monday who write most people are saying thank God it's Friday. Question number three. How can the place where we spend the majority of our waking hours be transformed from drudgery to delight. Can you imagine Bill to pass that on people now not saying that every moment of every day as people are working Unisys high-fiving each other in the halls are on the job site or effects. But I mean where they would sense a genuine.

I can't believe I get to do this, I was made to do this.

I love to do this now there's pressures with any job, there's demands of any job we feel overwhelmed at times but where you could pass on some truth to those you love the most that they would from this point to the day they die actually do what God designed them to do and it would produce a joy in them that's not reserved for the weekends but would be what they do 24 seven. What they look forward to and it would produce a fruit and impact in the lives of other people. The typical I can't believe you mean you mean other people are positively impacted by me like this and here's sort of this second core value the transferable concept is teach them to work unto the Lord. And so to do this on a jump in and I want to go over a theology of work that I don't think we think very clearly or biblically about work and it might surprise you is not a necessary evil. It's not bad. God instituted work before sin ever entered the world and so what I want to do is talk about a theology of work and then I want to get real practical again and say how could you pass on this truth in a way to those you love the most. First of all, then work is a calling, not a job at that word calling is kind of interesting.

You might hear someone say what your vocation, the Latin word for vocation is calling you years ago hundred years ago or more. When people talk about your vocation. It wasn't what you do to make money. It was what have you been called by God to do it was Martin Luther who said you know a shoemaker making a shoe for the glory of God using his skill is just as holy as a pastor, preaching sermon and use that illustration with many trade jobs with his point was we all have a calling. God made us and gifted us differently. And when you do that for the glory of God.

It is just as holy as quote spiritual activity in our culture today. There tends to be two motives for a job or for work and I'll play this out but say you have a nephew or a friend or someone that your discipling or one of your kids or a grandchild that's ready to go to college and and they're trying to figure out what what should they majoring right this is where the question I majoring.

I feel like I'm or on other high school and there you know what should I do should I go to college or should I should I get a trade job or should I go into business with the family. What should I do, and here's sort of a parental response that we have learned from our culture well honey I don't know but we just want you to be happy.

It doesn't really matter to me. I just want you to be happy in whatever you do, because he life is really all about you. You see we live in a narcissistic society and we want you to know that you are the center of the universe and the only thing it really matters not how much money are you changing major seven times or if you figure out how to squeeze that four-year education into six we just want you to have fun in that dorm room to make lots of friends and grow up and be a wonderful happy little because that's how life will be later. Everyone is just going to be coming at the doorstep of your life trying to make your life work out for you. I want I want to tell you that the answer to the question, though very sincere in earlier days, upset at myself saying to our kids when they say what should I do with my life. The answer I only want you to be happy is not biblical is not smart is not wise and will not get them in a good direction.

How much does an 18 or 17-year-old, no, or 19-year-old know about what's really quote gonna make him happy, or what's best.

The other extreme. We have anything Christians are more sophisticated in how we communicate this, but so on the one extreme, as we want them to be happy. On the other extreme, it's like you know and in the real roll up your sleeves pagan world. It's well what pays back Sunday I make a living. You want to get ahead, get a good education or forget that'll take here's where the job market is. Here's where you can make money. The goal of job is money money why you need lots of money voiding us money so you can be successful.

What he may be successful seeking of the house 20 of the Kelso people will know your successful and have another house and you can buy these kind of cars and have a person has this design where watch that's a certain things in and you will get money will icing be fulfilled and you can be powerful and you can have it together and then you can take vacations where where you want because money is the key to coming. You make a lot of money guys that I see a lot of people have a lot of money. Denilson like they're very happy. Hey, just don't give me all that quick talking back needed a good job, good education, make a lot of money because your reflection. They don't understand vicariously living my life in subtle ways. In your SAT scores are reflection on me and what college you go to the reflection on me. And because it's not really all about you.

It's all about me, but I get a package this in a different way so you think is really about you and so we have communicated that work is about either making a lot of money or really being happy and I want to suggest that God would say it's about a calling those people that you love the most kids disciples best friends grandkids Bible study partners. God has a call of what they should do and when they do what he made them to do.

They will have incredible internal joy and incredible external impact and with that, then we have to begin to teach again that all work is sacred. All work is sacred.

Jot down first Corinthians 1031 says whatever you do when you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God. All work is sacred early when I was cut I came to Christ, just right after high school I went to a college campus and there was a bricklayer with a high school education who is trained by the navigators and he had his own business and he would lay brick by day and he opened his home and have discipleship ministry on this campus by night and after true three years.

He began to help me and I was sort of slow spiritually and took me a while to get going and once I started to grow. Then I spent the summer there once and I needed to jobs and want to work with me and then later he started another campus is his work was a tent making ministry and so this campus grew from, you know three of us in the living room to 250 students on that campus. Then he went to another campus is a chip once you come with me and we'll see if God will do this again. I said okay so I want to learn so I didn't have a job so I I'm a hod carrier and that means you mix the mud and he liked to do it by hand for reasons I never did experience as I was them on the guy doing it by hand and then you had 14 bricks are 12 bricks in and we did a lot of foundations and so it was really really hard and he was asking had a line of people because it was so good. People wanted him to do their work, and I remember we worked on a foundation and we work for about you know a day and 1/2 and one day he said, chip, grab that line, I grabbed the line and he took the line down and snap that he looked this way took the line down this way and we headed up about this high three quarters the way round on three walls in he looked in with his footing to start a kick in the walls down. Dave what are you doing man he said it's out I can't member. The exact was like out half-inch is a Dave, you're an expert but half-inch is like that does not make an he said that's not good enough. My work to tipping understand on the pump this house for these people. I built houses for an audience of one, and when my when I do my work. It's not about what other people think. I do my work because this is my offering today to Jesus Christ and I will not give him less than my best. I'm not sure how I did it all done a lot of foundations. I blew it on this one and he kicked them over sis clean the stuff away were certain over that was worth 10,000 sermons I learned all work is sacred and for some of us especially in that sort of the middle to upper class we have we have bought a lie that for kids don't go to college. Somehow they're not successful. Some of the best wealthiest and most successful people there in my world right now.

None of them went to college I got bored with college. They didn't like school and so they just figured out how to start their own businesses and do what God made them to do and have a lot of fun. Be very successful at what we we have sort of this white-collar blue-collar Monday tie what everyone is made to do something different and the issue is not the school pecking order of status and money. The issue is helping those you love the most discovered what it God making to do and what we understand as we get older we really care about what our kids do when were like in our 30s and 40s you get into your 60s and 70s. You don't care what location your kids or grandkids that you care that they love God have marriages they stay and they really care for one another and they still want to talk to you it's right it's all about character so much. But you know how character grows as we need to make sure they do and we help them and coach them not to fulfill our vicarious make me look good but we want to help them fulfill God made them to do the third theology of work is that our work is to flow from God's unique design and purpose for our lives purpose is the key word there the work I am called to do that. Your call to do that those that you want to pass things onto are called to do God has a unique design jot in your notes. Ephesians 210. God has unique design what your job more than a little bit later we'll talk about how is to help them discover the unique design purpose God has for their life, no Ephesians 289. Many of you have memorized right for by grace were saved through faith. And that's not of yourselves. It's the gift of God not a result of works, lest any man should boast. Can I highly suggest that you go the next step, the memorized verse 10 for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God ordained before hand what from the foundations of the earth that we should walk in them.

We are not saved from our sin by our good works. We are saved by grace as we put our faith in the work of Christ on the cross but were saved for good works, and we are his workmanship that were workmanship we get our English word poem. It's the picture of craftsmanship of a tapestry coming together.

It's a picture of a cabinetmaker doing his finest work are a sculptor you are. If you will, and those you love. There on the sort of little platform of God creating a beautiful work. You are his workmanship, but now you're created in Christ Jesus unto a good work, there's a good work that you're made for your gifted for your prepared for you came out of this family, for you have the right height for you have the right personality for you have the right spiritual gift deposit before you have some baggage and hurts and pains. You had overcome that will fit you for this good work God is going to use all things working together to fulfill you doing this good work he has prepared for you will guess what, that's what he has for those we love. That's what he has for that young guy coming over that group on Monday nights where we did a Bible study of the twentysomething people God has that for my son Scott has that for my grandchildren got has that for a group of women that your meeting with and that you may be going through a Kay Arthur or Beth Moore study God has that for the people you care about work that you find out their Christian and are starting to ask you questions how do you pass on the things that matter most.

Work is a calling. All work is sacred and our work is to flow from her unique purpose. We are to co-labor with God in this vocation and and and you know what, jot down if you would under this so I love Paul's testimony its first Corinthians 1510 he he really had this one down. He says I am what I am by the grace of God when trying to be anybody else. I am what I am by the grace of God and his grace did not prove vain toward me, but I labored more than all of them. There's responsibility yet not I, but the grace of God in numbers. Paul understood that all my training under the male all my baggage even as a Pharisee all my legalism all the blindness I had even my persecuting the church.

You know what God is lovingly redeeming taking the worst of all my past realigning it and he had many many secular scholars think he was the brightest really the brightest brain of a century. I am what I am of the grace of God.

That's my dream for those I care about most. I want my kids look in the mirror and say and whatnot a lot of struggles in but I am what I am of the grace of God and his grace did not prove vain toward me. The Old Testament roots are Genesis 215 you have that in your notes were. You see this picture of God placing Adam in the garden and there's no sin, and he says look I want you to cultivate new I want you to rule. I want you to work. I want you to be a co-Regent.

I want you to be a cocreator, I want you to partner with me. I am the creator you know what didn't God do some work for six days and you got a lot done so works not a dirty word. He says I want you to get to experience because you made my image. Look, here's this perfect environment. Now you work. I want you to name things I want you to build things. What you create things onto dream things.

That's how we need to see work is to express her creativity to subdue to rule to develop to make beautiful and the two pictures biblical profiles are Adam that we talked about and and again Paul and and if you don't mind.

I love to read.

I love the way Paul says this is acts 20 verse 24 and this is one of those modern translations but I just love the way he says this, he says, but my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus and a great and then he understood his the work of telling others the good news about God's wonderful kindness and love. Now ultimately that if you're called to be a plumber or builder or software engineer estate home on your call to be a professional athlete or an artist or musician or businessman or businesswoman then you will tell others about the love of God, but actually how you do your work, and by what you say but that calling is different is wasn't a full time vocational. He was an apostle. The New Testament command is Colossians 323 what ever you do not see what he think that would cover me on when we ponder this what ever got for that have to do with my hobbies yeah okay with it have to do an eight year with that have to do with this when I go to church.

No with it. Is this just spiritual stuff quote what ever you do, work at it with all your heart is working for the Lord, not for men. This is revolutionary. Can you imagine what would happen if you were the president of the company and everyone who showed up said hey I really appreciate you. I know God put you in this place on work for you are work for God today.

What I don't leave early because I work for God. I do my best because I work for God I submit to authority that I don't agree with.

Because I work for God. I want to keep improving. I go home and read books about my job because I work for God. I want to develop my guess is I work for God.

Can you imagine the difference that would make did you see the impact that has you know we were all we want to change the culture and we tried it lots of different ways you change the culture show up for work and work for God and be an awesome boss an awesome supervisor, awesome employee who loves people and does excellent excellent work and I will tell you what you change your world change culture.

Have a good friend who I we lived in Santa Cruz for many years and it's right on you that song the board will go on with this easy money, like the boardwalk. That song comes from there. There's a huge boardwalk and in the big roller coaster and all this will have a friend who his family owns all the concessions so they got a zillion jobs and every summer campus Crusade would come to do ministry. I mean you like hundred 50 students from all over America and what he learned is and what a testimony campus Crusade.

These young college students were very committed Christians. Their work ethic and commitment was of such. Every summer he would.

After about three summers.

He said send all of them to my place okay what you like to do and he would hire them all all summer and he said our profits went up. The attitudes went up they did ministry. Why were there.

He said was the greatest win-win in the world why Xander said they were called by God to be there.

Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as unto the Lord little application here and I will ask it says I and then in my notes. I have your name so you do not write I chipping from commit to discover God's calling for my life so I can impact my role beyond that will not work for your notes. You would probably go with like your name because you write you track with it because if if this isn't happening again. If it's not happening in you, you will pass it on. You can take these notes and these concepts and you get a Bible study or you can call for Coker coffee with a son or disciple grandchild and tell him this, and if it's not in you. You will pass it on and I don't care. You know what your work never ends. Also I'm retired okay from some vocation on for a season but if you're breathing you're working you're doing things that are making, creating, modifying, developing, bringing beauty to life and so you do that unto the Lord now let me give you four, specific ways that the real practical in general to develop this and those that you love to pass it on and then what I want to do is all I wanted take this very specifically in the second half of our time about how do you help those you love.

Discover God's calling for their life.

But before we do. Let me give you four quick things that especially for those of you might have kids that are still at home or you know you're in those earlier years number one. Give them a lot of jobs growing up. We have too many parents working too hard, too long, but are very tired with children in front of television sets and video games going on when supper ready. Your kids need to learn to cook and help out 11 and 12. Everyone needs to be able to make their own bed by at age 5 or six. Everyone needs to be able to handle and do their own laundry, you know. By the early teen or preteen years was all that's my job. Look, here's your job is to impart an impact and develop your child to be responsible and learn to do work with a good no way do that you can jobs and guess what, it's a fallen world, and they have flesh they don't like to do it right, they don't want to feed the dog. They don't take out the garbage they don't clean up the room you start from young you give them jobs and by the way, it takes more time and it is a hassle.

That's why you're the mature one in there. The nonmaterial of course it's easier to talk him and Betty clean up the whole thing yourself.

You want them to learn to work at an early age. The listening department's message each them to work toward the be right back with his application of this teaching series, leaving a legacy that lasts forever your kids today are experiencing a real crisis of character. So many young adults don't know how to properly handle hardships or make wise choices are also lost when it comes to managing money or finding meaning in their work. For those of you with teenagers or adult children. You understand the struggle I'm talking about but don't lose hope. The Bible has the answers. Stick with us for this entire series of strip unpacks five key biblical lessons that will equip you to pour into the kids you care about to find all the resources for leaving a legacy that lasts forever. Go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 Listeners simply tap special offers.

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Well here. Strip with a final thought about today's message.

As we talked about work today.

Let me do a very brief review because what I understand is we said some things that are diametrically opposed to what you've heard most of your life. Number one, we are to work unto God, I mean whether you are a plumber, a construction worker, a software engineer or stay-at-home mom or a doctor you show up for work and your boss is God. There may be a human person that your supervisor but your real boss is God. Second is that all work is sacred. When I prepare a message for God's people or you complete a business deal or make a cell or diaper a baby or finish some plumbing on a construction project when I do it unto the Lord, and you do it unto the Lord before God.

They are both sacred. No one understand is that even if you can get your mind around that. We've been so trained to think of sacred kind over here in this world and in the secular overhearing is just a job just a paycheck.

Get it done. Here's the deal. If you think about work as a necessary evil. The enemy has robbed you of 8 to 10 hours of every day of your life that you will absolutely squander because the goal will be to simply get it done. If you change, and by the grace of God.

Realize this is a gift from God. I may not want to do this exact job. All my life but for today. This is my job.

I'm going to do it on to him.

It's a sacred calling that changes your attitude that changes your perspective and it will change your performance and then you go to work and say, God give me the grace give me the strength to literally be a light at the workplace and I will tell you what that change of thinking and that change of attitude and that change your performance will impact deeply those you work with and you know what he can give you joy in the mundane work of life. Now you may say I'm not sure him supposed to do this. Our next broadcast will talk about how to find the job you can love birds.

Looking forward to it. You know a couple points that you just made our right off his message notes are a great resource to help you get the most out of the teaching is notes providers outline all of the Scripture references and lots of feelings to help you remember what your learning chips, message notes or a quick download of LivingontheEdge.org under the broadcasts tab app listeners Fill in notes and your set will be sure to join us next time.

Till then, this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge