Leaving a Legacy that Lasts Forever - Teach Them to Work Unto the Lord, Part 2

Are you one of those can-do jobs. What I mean is, you can't do it, but down deep, you don't really like it that I even despises you quit. But for promotion to go back to school could be that you have yet to discover job. God specifically made you stay with me and let's find out. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram Living on the Edges and international discipleship ministry daily Bible teaching of tripping just a minute will continue our series a legacy that last forever.

Today Chip reveals how we can change our sure you're just starting your first job wrapping up 50 years observed applying what you learn today revolutionize how you look at your work tomorrow. If you miss any part of this message. Remember you can always catch up the ship and remap with that. Let's join Chip for part two of his message and teach them to work unto the Lord. Second, feed them responsibility responsibility responsibility maturity has very little to do with age and everything to do with responsibility.

I can show you 35-year-old guys live in the back bedroom paying $33 a month rent asking mommy what's for supper and I can show you 1718-year-olds or a couple guys it 2324 that were Stanford secular try starting as low company.

I think this Google thing work. I don't know.

So there. 29 billionaires maturity is not about how old you are. Maturity is the ability to handle more and more responsibility and so you give your kids or your disciples. That's why even when you do small groups when you do, Bible study, don't fix everything.

Don't take care of everything. Ask people to bring stuff help asked people to start leading asked people to share something all the time. Feed those people you love the most responsibility responsibility responsibility. By the way, they won't do it as well as you so perfectionistic fellow saints in the kingdom lineup be able to live with some masses because kick I go back to it like how did you learn to do stuff that bricklayer unit. The greatest gift you gave to me and I came to Christ and then you know I went mostly to school and play basketball and baseball but I did get education and and and I think God put with that bricklayer and we saw this ministry grow and then I graduated from school and before I could find a coaching job. I worked with him and I was there like three months were to launch this new ministry and as he started working.

Some couples he went a year earlier than me and I'll never forget the day I came up this house because we have a Bible study Saturday morning and he goes that shipping is something I'm getting too old for the use of the student stuff and I'm going to just focus on couples that the whole the whole campus ministry at like five people whole campus ministries years swimming sutures of all was that me years later it directed come up with a strategy make it happen. I moved here to learn all the stuff and I had a good teaching job and I came to learn from you and do all the stuff and I'm living this tiny little apartment with oxen in the campus is up there we do in your living we mean is it look just lead in a civil I don't know enough to go so there's there's my file cabinet.

Everything I've learned all the messages of learn from other people there topical, you can just open them up, get whatever you need and I remember because his house was up on the sill and mine was down in at the bottom member trudging down. I submit. I can't believe this, I can't believe I can't believe I can't believe you can dump this whole thing on me, got to the door it was a IK believe I'm doing my waiting. So I started these Gospel of John, Bible studies and dorm rooms and guys are smoking dope and there's all the pictures on the wall and it's crazy and I'm getting in the Bible. All of a sudden they start coming to Christ and here's what he understood. He could have me help him for yet another season and I would be a little helper or he can dump the truck of responsibility on me and I have to figure it out.

You know how I learned how to lead leading and you how you learn how to lead. When you don't have a lead Scott overwhelm us and then guess what I prayed a lot because I know what I was doing now. I'm sure Hugh Connor was watching and he was knocking. Let me go over a cliff you let me get right to the edge. That's what you want to do feed them responsibility given job speeding responsibility. Number three require. I almost said demand because I really mean demand demand excellence and develop a work ethic wheat we have just got into this are little kids psyche.

We don't want them to feel bad.

My kids will tell you and I may be a little over-the-top. I had one son that had a struggle in school, and he had the gift of sloppiness and so he would do his homework and he with him. You can even read it and it was half-baked and so every night I mean for like almost 2 years.

Every night I'm not exaggerating to make you miss tonight. You know, sorta not many. And I would look at it I said but Erica can read this, so that's the best I can do a civil the best you can do, I guess, is not quite good enough because that's and I would give him you know the little dad sermon and I really love your son and do it again. Erica, you can cry as long as you want but when you start writing again. It'll get quicker okay so I'll be out here and get them bring out and that's how you learn to clean out the garage that's that's not bad now try to get you know the reason the vacuum cleaner. You pick up the rug actually vacuum under the rug. Okay, now I'm not talking about being perfectionistic over the top wacko.

Although my kids at times would say I had small moments of that it it it was if they don't learn to work well and work with excellence and work to an audience of one. What where you think they can pick that up one of the greatest gifts I think I saw my wife and I give our children as they know how to think in the work and and they've all been very successful in jobs because right now how many of you are like either business owner, supervisor, employer manager in any way watching on one problem. You can find people can work right you can't find people can come on time, do what they're told to fulfill a job and do it well you you give that to those you love and meant to be successful in whatever they do and so you have to demand that by the light.

The reason for those of you still have some small kids or by the way gets harder when they're older. I'm 18 years old I do anything I want. That's right.

You can also pay your own rent. You can buy your own food given responsibility. Your goal is not to make them dependent and like you have warm fuzzy feelings all the time you want to launch them there in Erol of God out of your quiver and you want to launch them into the world with the trajectory of impact something interesting I'm called to do this.

God maybe to do this I do for an audience of one. You know what I can lay brick or be a nuclear physicist and you know what they are equal in God's eyes.

I just need to figure out what that is. And the final thing I would say is teach them on.

Alludes to this to work for an audience of one. And when they're young man I just like I told her I said it's it's I understand, no one can see behind here. It's really dirty all the cobwebs and spiders that are coming out a corner and stuff. It's upsetting your mother but the reason you you clean here is because were not doing this for me for your mom, you do your best.

Because this is your work as an offering to God.

Did you see it.

This is this is really one of the core Reformation principles the priesthood of the believer was Wanda Souther was living life before the face of God. All that we do all that we are as an offering. And so those are for little things, jobs, responsibility, excellence, audience of one. Now let's let's get real practical help them discover God's calling for their life and and to do this you need to ask the following questions and by the way, this isn't original.

This you what is your shape. Actually, there is a pastor I think from Saddleback to go to book but as this word shape but it was such a good acronym. I stole it and so you know I don't want to credit for it, but I think all truth is God's truth. If you give credit if people have done better stuff than you. You just grab it, modify it, give credit use. So this acronym of the shape I think is very very helpful and and here here's your role with your disciples with the people that you love with your kids with your grandkids with the people in your Bible study you want to be a student of them see your role, you get three hunt 65 days to live. If you're gonna die three hunt 65 days from now and at the end of that three hunt 65 days. Let's say they live another 20 or 30 years if let's just round at 70% of their waking hours they're gonna work.

How valuable would it be if you could help them discover what they were made by God to do and spend 70% of their waking hours doing what God made them to do with joy and fruit and impact and they woke up and said thank God it's Monday can imagine the gift that would be not only to them but to the kingdom and and my suggestion is you have to become a student. Your role changes. We have unconsciously bought. How do I help the people I love be successful and how I help them be happy.

That takes you down probably very negative pass. What I can tell you is if you help me discover who God made them to be and fulfill their calling this sort of side thing will happen though probably be pretty successful in the probably very happy but that's a side benefit. That's not the goal. So what is your shape so number one. Ask them what are their spiritual gifts help them discover their spiritual gifts. You know you have the core passages in the New Testament. Romans 12 first Corinthian's 12 and 14. Ephesians 4 and I went over this quickly, but there's lots of excellent resources to help people discover their spiritual gifts so we put together thing called your divine design. It's the audio series and a DVD series that walks people through a process of discovering the primary spiritual gift.

What did God make them what is there passion spiritually. What did he create them to do in terms of spiritual gifts. My son Ryan will give a number of real practical illustrations was not a student I mean he would have six weeks where you get like A's and B's and Emmys is a smart kid but very lazy and he doesn't mind me saying this because it's very true. And so, from six grade to 12th grade. He didn't put 26 weeks together ever. And I mean you like is his joke as I was I was grounded. I think from seventh grade on. You know, is not really true but I mean he made me nuts. He just wouldn't do his will, but so I started.

I said okay, I'm responsible for his education. Here's a book by CS Lewis I want you to write me a book report he did and then here's the major Bible themes by chafer and Wahlberg means like this and this is during the summer. Younger work at school.

That's okay I'm can be responsible. You learn to read, write and think, and so you read a chapter in his 20 questions at the end if you go to the Bible answer all that we did.

Here's what I learned about my son. He led four of the six volleyball players in high school to Christ.

He had a Bible study in our home when he was supposed to be studying. He went learn how to play the guitar very well and we got more playing the guitar.

He went out and played the drums he love God had a passion for God's word and he hated school now part of the discipline was II just was on them on a Mona Mona Mona and then when he got dumb school. He said well you nothing alike. Good colleges have like a stewardship issue here is an organ and you know I don't have a lot of money and so you have to both pay as much as we can, but you need to work for year and save eight to $10,000 because you never put 26 weeks together washed up at 10,000 of God's money down and you go off to college below $10,000 so you need to work for year and then you pay for your first year and if you're consistent and do it well that I abide then I think will be able to handle the next three years all pay at least your tuition. You can work and he looked at me like that suggest son that he understand that some of you are looking me like you must be the harshest, meanest, baddest father I've ever heard nothing about this again I'm I not been consistent. It's not my money, Scott's money he's blown the last what what why would his behavior change because he goes off to college and has more freedom to numerous. I will tell you what he a he did a couple jobs that he thought I don't think I want to do this. Rest my life. He saved about $70,000. I charged him rent in his bedroom. From day one. The goal is to what help them to become responsible now. We had fun. We played Hubei love them with a great relationship, but what I saw was his motivation, and spiritual gifts from this area of teaching and discipling and I praise God for Joe Stowell who is the president of Moody Bible. He and I were on the phone I describe my son. He said I knew a guy just like him once I said I'll take what all leading in Moody Bible.

I'd rather have a guy who's not as studious who loves God and has proven track record as civil who's this person you know it was like this.

He said it was me is that I hated high school. He said I never started studying so I started Greek in the Bible and all the rest. I said Joe you got a doctor.

He does man Chip.

It's not about brains. It's about calling motivation.

My son ended up in Moody. He graduated from Moody. He clucked out of courses he cut through. We love Greek. He's a pastor and his ministry. That's God's blessing, but part of it was what's a spiritual gift. What that's can be a big part of what God when you come to Christ. God's going to give a primary. I believe motivation and ministry cluster for you to fulfill another words of this is your good work. You walk in doesn't make sense he's gonna put something in you a power supernaturally for you to do it. The second is what's their hardware is there passion.

Ask them what you desire. When you dream about what you love to see happen to me next that question if you couldn't fail, what would you like to do. I mistakenly asked one of my sons that once and he says I want to be a musician. Oh my gosh, tell me you're joking son, now dad I think I've put this music in my heart and I'm thinking there's a zillion musicians, bands everywhere you get a real job.

There's no security in this I mean you know I'm preaching on the weekends. This now. This is my kid is not to get a real job right and so he goes to a community college that on board with this on to go full-time in music and I'm gone. And so I can still tell you where I was here in the kitchen. The tables here. Jason was right there and I'm giving him the logical parental well after you get done with school and you need to have enough security and I'm giving them all this basically money you take care of yourself over here and the fear of a dad thinking you'll never be happy because you can end up you know has been little musician that traveled around wasted your early years so you know, in my flesh. I'm worried about is happiness in money and so he's in the kitchen and I'm giving him the opposite of what I'm preaching, which is not that is a pastor or a father and that he looked at me goes hey dad who's that guy who said dream great dreams and follow the passions of your heart.

Think outside the box and make a difference for Jesus. I said, give me a minute let me see if I can remember think I was and we had this exchange and I had to say son I'm sorry I give your right. Give me a day to process it and then just tell me how can I help and it's a long story and he's right music and doing what God made them to do anybody here in this room have that struggle with those you really care about you sort of the practical versus what God might really want to do a is for after to what it what are you good at the fourth is personality you need look at how your kids wired and and you know whether that's the aptitude whether it's the strength finder test that you can get any bookstore and go online in 30 minutes and come see what people strengths are the personality task is lots of on the MMPI were sort of the easiest one is that disk task you know hi DI, but my my point is, it doesn't take long to give someone that your discipling or one your kids or grandkids a little test and begin to talk about you know your your high dominant hi I your leader or you like details, but that I want to be a ballerina what you know but sort of a nice way your awkward honey and you fall down a lot and I will get you one of those little tutus for Halloween and you can run around the neighborhood. You know you're only seven, but but my point. If you want to direct them toward what they're good at what they have is how God made them, and then here you want to encourage them to get honest, wise counsel about who they are and where they fit and how to move because you may have an influence on, especially for children or grandchildren. But yet you want them to get wise counsel from people you really trust and they trust to get some outside objective view of where they at where they come in from what are they good at how they come off you want to just create these these mirrors of objectivity to help this person understand what has God made you to do what is your Ephesians 210. Good work to walk and what you called to do when you do it you come alive, and God blesses it in your fulfilled. By the way, when you are doing what God made you to do and when the people you are helping are doing what God made them to do. They often miss it because it didn't seem like work.

You understand what we all have like glasses.

If you have glasses and there was a blue tent so that everything you saw was blue. You would think everyone sees the I meet people who see a situation and organizing it while I can be God's coming so easy to organize stuff I do this this this this this this this this because of your visit with me and it only took me five minutes on thinking how did you do that or I watch my son nine years old. Read the Bible and ask questions about it and teach his friends at nine. I'm thinking he thinks everyone does that pricing. I've seen people who you look at something technical in the click click click click click click here. This is over here with us in here.

These are cookies over here on and the cookies are, but you can give me that computer until Jesus comes.

I you know sand and I hope so. So what you have to help people is that when they seem like it's not work because it comes so easy.

Now you have to develop the gift and have to cultivate it, but often that that is that that's their sweet spot.

That's what they're great at. I remember when I first started teaching that will know you can do this for a living when you get to study get in front of people then you get to apply it yet to see what happened. I mean, is this for real like this is a real job and I spent hours and hours and hours intensely working but I'd say that 95%, but I think you kid me. I mean, someone actually gets to do this because once when I open the text and when I study it breaks apart for me.

I sense what God wants to say this is what you needed. I mean, it's hard in terms of intense and time and energy but it's not hard as it hope brother I got one more sermon to write or oh boy, I got a get together in a group and we got a dream. What were going to do this church we get all these problems. And boy, what a bummer. I just love it. I just like I wake up in the middle night with ideas like I have to cut a hole myself. Now you know like we try to do too much.

Encourage them after the honest wise feedback help them be willing to move out of their comfort zone to fulfill their divine purpose you need understand that the people that you love the most. The people that you want to help their most common command in all of Scripture is a very short sentence.

Do not be afraid.

That's the most repeated command and all of the Bible. Joshua don't be afraid.

Moses don't be afraid disciples. Don't be afraid. Why is one ancient Greek philosopher said safety is the greatest hindrance to all human endeavor. All of us tend to want to be safe and secure. I had to literally say to one of my sons son you're in this community college and I mean I you can't go back there next year will will look at different schools but you have this dream, but he just didn't want to get away from this is the same sign I put rollerskates on them and I said you can't come back inside till noon. I don't want to learn know it's hard and I pushed him and did all the stuff when he got his first bike.

It was like I don't want to learn to write. I mean, he just could never get discomfort so but man it every step of the way, has been pushing him where he didn't think he could go lovingly, gently you you have to have to help people understand a lot of people. That's why you are where you are. They is called coaching.

Most of us can never fulfill what God made us to fulfill and Lester someone who does two things.

There's an arm around us that says I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you and there's a foot that I love you so much that I'm not can let you stay in this little spiritual, emotional, geographical cul-de-sac of safety. Okay. And so the life messages you were created to work, but what what my networking would not change a person I was made for this. The lie is that you are what you do.

You've been fêted on you are a housewife you are a doctor you are a scientist you are a builder you are a brick later. You are a plumber, that's a lie from the pit of hell.

The truth is, do what you are. You are not what you do, do what you are you are created in the image of God with the spiritual gift with a personality with a passion with aptitude with skills with experience to do this, designed Ephesians 210. Good work, discover it and then help others discover there's and when you do work becomes a gift from God instead of drudgery to get out of seeking to play on weekends the right's application this message to work on to the Lord you're listening to Living on the Edge and were in the middle of chip series leaving a legacy that last forever. The concept of passing on your face that were talking about in this series isn't new parents from the very beginning were instructed to teach their children about God and his faithfulness and were expected to build that same godly legacy from generation to generation five biblical habits chips been teaching are key to living a more Christ centered joy filled life.

So whether you're a parent or grandparent or a mentor. This series will help you connect in meaningful ways with the young people you love to check out the resource options for leaving a legacy that lasts forever. Go to LivingontheEdge.org call AAA 333-6003 or click on special offers on the chipping remap. I'll be right back in just a minute with some final thoughts about today's message but you know, in light of the things we talked about today. I just want to acknowledge that some of the most painful conflicts and difficult relationship experiences we have is with our adult children got no matter how much you love God, no matter how good your family is when our children become adults. Things change yes there to honor us, but they don't obey us anymore and we go from, you know, when they're small to tell you what to do to negotiating when their teens, and then we launch them and then a lot of things change.

Of all the things we've heard it Living on the Edge in terms of where are the needs we've heard over and over. Will you help us with our adult children.

Such conflicts with such changes in values such problems that people don't have answers to.

That's why I teamed up with parenting expert Jim Burns to create a resource called how to navigate life with your adult children. Jim and I discussed principles that were empower and equip you as a parent when you struggle with those delicate relationships when your kids are now adults really talk about control issues will talk about when to speak and when to keep your mouth shut. This is a resource I think that's really good help you.

Thanks to one of the most fulfilling gifts we can enjoy his parents is a great relationship with our adult children were we respect and enjoy each other so much that we actually look forward to spending time together. So the whole aim of this online video course called how to navigate life with your adult children is to give you the practical tools you need to successfully build those kinds of relationships with your kids. It's absolutely free six sessions with Chip and Jim Burns and you can do them at your own pace whenever you want. Soy local tap special offers on the app or go to LivingontheEdge.org and take advantage of this great resource to be glad you did. Now here's chip with some final thoughts from today's message as we close today's program I want to give you little assignment. I mean we talked a lot about and who am I really and what did God make me and what's my shape and how to discover my spiritual gift and aptitudes and you know, Lord willing.

A number of you will really sit down and seriously go through that process, but the reality is a lot of you have a couple ideas in your mind, and I want to just help you get started. So here's the question I want you to ask to a friend or if your parents sit around maybe have supper sometime this week together, and here's the question I want you to ask one another. If money and opportunity were no limitation what would you really like to do with your life if you could do anything in the world and it wasn't about how much education, or how much money your opportunity if you could be anything in the whole world, what would you really like to do and why just start that question.

You might do with a bunch of guys you might do it with the a ladies group for parents. This is a great question and be prepared for. I don't know and they rolled their eyes and you know and just press a mistake to hold you to it, but create this environment where we start to think outside the box about your design about the grace of God about some dreams that God is putting your kids heart or friends heart instead of how much is a pay what I gotta do.

How much education does it take and this grind it out mentality that will lead people and places that they don't want to be in God doesn't want for them. So are you ready take that challenge asked that question. Let's see what God does, it'll great way to stay engaged and connected to chip and Living on the Edge is with the chipping remap you get free access to all of chip's recent messages is message notes and much more. Not only that, but it couldn't be easier to call or email directly from the app will be with us again next time when chip continues a series leaving a legacy lasts forever. Until then, this is the very thing thanks for listing this addition of living on the