Good to Great in God's Eyes - Empower Great People, Part 2

Someone has wisely said success is not what you accomplish in life.

Success is making other people successful.

When I look back on my life.

There's been a small important group of people who invested me change my entire future. So here's the question. Who are you investing stay with me as we learn how to empower great people.

Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping trips or Bible teacher for this international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians like Christians on just a minute. Triple pickup or left off last time. This popular series. Good to great in God's eyes before we get started as a reminder, if you miss a portion of this program. Let me encourage you to catch up shipping remap. It's a great way to listen to Living on the Edge anytime okay here now is chip with part two of his message.

Empower great people from second Timothy chapter 2. We've got to understand Jesus for full process for empowering great people, very, very clear.

The first thing he does is he brings them in. The second thing is going to do is after he brings the man he's gonna build them up and then is gonna train them for amazing to send them out. I'm gonna go through each one of us, but but he starts out very very clearly is he looks he's gonna bring some people in men is going go through a phase where he builds them up but is gonna train them for doing something and after he trains them bang. He sends them out and actually do. So let's talk about how you can do that by the way, this is how ordinary regular. You don't have to go to seminary you have to go to Bible school. You have to be a genius you have to have a high IQ.

Obviously you don't have to go look at the guys he chose me. I mean, you get a couple executives possibly in the group one religious revolutionary, mostly blue-collar guys, but what were they ever faithful. They believed they were available and they were teachable and he change the world through them. So let's walk through how do you do it.

His fourfold process for empowering great people. Number one bring them in a hottie bring a man first you model the message then you invite them into the action and you engage them in authentic relationships disable where you get that notice what it says in Mark 314. This is exactly how Jesus stated he appointed 12 designating them apostles, the word just means a sent one or or a messenger that they might be circle the phrase with him that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach, so he gets messengers. His methodology is very simple. He just wants them around him, and he has a mission he doesn't purposefully knowing he's going to send them out.

A bricklayer did this for me. His name is Dave Marshall and I say this with just in all the high school education self-taught, now knows the Bible better than I do. I was not cool. I mean he wasn't hip. He did where the need is close were these, you know, moccasins with white socks, black and white socks were cool.

Play the guitar pretty well and but he was not hip at all and I will went to college I was a brand-new Christian of three months and he asked if I wanted to learn how to study the Bible and I thought as a new Christian, I probably ought to. Although when I looked at him, I thought. I don't think I want to do with you because you understand I'm chip, but I'm really But I'm really cool you know an arrogant but you know I was raised by good parents and so my better judgment said you should respect people like this and I said yes I would like to learn study Bible.

So every Tuesday he would knock on my door at 7 o'clock, 630 and he would open the Bible and the little inner cafeteria.

They have the end of those halls and he taught me how to memorize Scripture and then he he would contact me. Some places that I found I was sitting around the table with his family and still I can still my mind remember him coming down the stairs of his house I could smell member the old days, brute was the big in hell and here's a bricklayer he's not here. This is not a cologne wearing guy and he's coming down. It's got a tile and think and what in the world are you doing because I'm very cool and very hip and you're not. And that brutes outmanned.

Anybody tell you and and I said they were doing is I'm going on a date with my life. I sedate without your married is that of course America every Thursday night going to date.

I said why he said because I love my wife and I want the romance to stay alive, and I end up being around day for about seven years. He modeled the message that's how he brought me in and then he didn't engage me in some program he can gauge many action then after little while he said it we would go down the hall and he was sharing Christ with few people in here we be talking with the guy in, and I was in RAA and so we were talking the Linksys chip. Once you tell them how you came to Christ. I said no Dave I like your story does not ship once you go ahead and I know what he was doing.

He was teaching me to share my faith and little by little he just brought me in.

By modeling the message and then he invited me. I didn't feel pressure. He invited me into the action and then he engage me in a very very authentic relationship we had those heart-to-heart talks that you have. He understood me. He cared and I struggled as a freshman on the basketball team and I struggled with the girls and I struggle with everything coming your 18 years old when you do you struggle but he was, like that surrogate dad older brother that cared that listened and he just brought me and so the first phase when you want to help people you know it's about exposure write that word in your notes is about exposure. You bring a man through exposure so often we want to speed up the process and want to get involved in activity and here's five booklet you can read and here's two books that I read it. By the way I'm going to this conference. You need to go with me and and people go. They just need to smell and taste and see the winsome life of Christ in you.

First, Jesus appointed them that they would do what they just be with him you eat with them. You talk with them. You play with him. You share with them. You just open your life and then you invite them in and you engage with them and you let God at work in their heart. The second thing is after you bring them in. Then you build them up. Notice what Jesus said in Matthew 419. Follow me.

Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men said so. The key to having impact with other people is not necessarily learning all these techniques, Jesus said okay what you you just you just follow me, and as they followed him. He built them up so they became fishers of men.

What did he do, he affirmed their strengths. He inspired their dreams and their in this phase you confront the flaws. Remember Dave affirming my strengths on you. I had no Bible training. I did not open a Bible till I was 18, but after a couple years.

I think he saw in Bible study huddle inside into the text and and pretty soon he asked me to lead a Bible study and then we dug out the basement of his house because we went from about six kids to about 250 and personal Bible study in the secular campus. We had all these little Bible studies gone and he would be the teacher and and he would tell you, you know, he's not like charismatic, very steady at times a little bit boring. I remember listening to tapes and falling asleep in like three years later.

Listen to it. Dave, this is awesome is that you heard that three years ago but you slept through most of it and but but when it when he saw this little light and pretty soon he let me teach you know was 50 and 80 and then 100 and some student and and he let me teach you firm and then afterwards everyone will even get a chip you want have a hot cup of tea and you know we'd sit at the little you know linoleum floor.

You just list what you did this really well, that was a great insight about that. I think they really probably tell me five or six or seven things that were really good about how I taught and then he would slip in maybe one or two you I think you can even make this better if you and you guys who avoided me and I can't wait till the next time, but he affirmed my strengths and then you need people to inspire their dreams. As a young pastor will never forget, and I had these thoughts coming to my head. I started little church about 35 people and it begin to grow and then we transplanted it into this metropolitan huge area of 4000 people with no stoplights. That was his big town in Texas and and little by little, I had this picture in my mind it. What I like to be the pastor of a large church and you know I didn't say that out loud because it sounded so arrogant, you know.

Gosh, I don't.

People want to be pastoral large church must be just ego centered, and I thought I had this desire in me there's a pastor named Don Geiger who was it of Churchill Reinhart Bible church and he became a mentor during my my time in seminary and I taught the little college group and never forget that would build a relationship and as I was in this church and it was so little church go for about 35 people to about 500 about seven or eight years and and grow in impact and team up with other churches, but there is this gnawing and finally I got on.

As I said Don you know there's a town of 4000 people in the other 16 or 18 churches within 2 miles of people want to hear the gospel here they can. I came to seminary to be a missionary and I'm not a missionary I'm in rural Texas and I love these people but they think things are going so great they want me to retire hear him feel like I'm not scratching the surface to be in a cutting edge place on a pastor large churches that wrong in a member him just look at me on Unit pastors a large churches are any better than pastors of small churches. He said it's a gift issue in large churches. You just need to have a combination of communication, leadership gift, and God just gives it to you and you know what it's really hard. He has lots of ways to keep you humble is it is not a bad thing. He said people call me all the time. There's there's vacancies all over America. It's really hard to find that gift mix and so he said if God put that on your heart. Of course, pray about your motives, but you want to be open to that within a year, you know, because okay Lord Santa Cruz Bible call see in this state. I needed someone to tell me it was okay to dream a dream. That's what someone needs from you. Someone needs to hear it's okay to think outside the box you want to affirm their strengths.

You and inspire their dreams and that you want to confront the flaws. I wish I could give you the number, but I think of days and I think of Don and I think of a guy named Jerry and and in the circles I was in early my Christian life I look back now, because I thought was normal because it's all I knew, but I I'm realizing many Christians never get this the codeword in our little ministry was hey you think we could have the rectus to McDonald's tomorrow.

That meant we need to talk about something pretty heavy and so I would meet with Dave or Jerry or someone in the ministry and you know about halfway through my little Egg McMuffin and when they open their Bible Proverbs 27.

You know it's going to be one of those meetings in Proverbs 27 about versus five or six it says you know they would read it out loud is how we were all taught to do it so we did it. You know, more blessed or better are the wounds of a friend than the kisses of an enemy. In other words, I love you so much and I mean how many people sat across the table from you and look you in the eye and said you are arrogant. You know what your mouth get you in trouble.

There's all kind of you understand what comes out of your mouth is that which fills your heart chip and by the way, you know what your secure self focused and you realize that in situations like this that you always always are finding yourself putting yourself in this in the center of attention chipping I was driving with you the other day and did you think the most important person on the highway and that these laws are just for other people and I mean Pam Pam and was might mean. On my first reaction was all thank you, brother man, you really love me. My first reaction was you. Not cool. I'm cold right now and I look back and they shared what few people I cherish those people more than all the other people combined in my journey because guess what, I still struggle with but I was arrogant. I did have a big mouth and what comes out of your mouth is what fills your heart and I was everything they said the unit you realize how you want to please people all the time.

Don't you understand that God can never use you and you see what Jesus said that you know how can you glorify God, how can you believe if you're seeking to please people, and they went to the jugular. I mean, they went to the heart of the heart of the issues of my character and they love me enough to tell me and you know what that's produced been doing it my marriage been doing it with my kids back my kids. The joke in our family, you know you when they get older they tell you all the funny stuff that you know it's funny now, but it wasn't then that you know all my boys especially because you know they went pretty rowdy good good group of guys and they all love God and walk with him now and and you know they did they did what you hear and joke with each other. The goal you dad was the talking and the big line was guys, this is a spiritual issue. Once on the site. How does cleaning your room in school and up a spiritual issue out the character because she was about discipline and yeah I can hear dad and you know it's neat. I pass that on to them because got past me, Jesus, for full process begins. You bring a man.

It's about exposure.

You build them up right the word nurture. It's about nurture then you need to train them for. And that's about structure you want to train them for the task notice Luke 640, a student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher use. You see when you fully trained and whether you like it or not, it's your kids with people there can be a lot like you. And so in the structure time you need to instruct their mind their head. You need to develop their heart and you need to equip their hands and this was the phase of my life were a guy name Howard Hendrickson. Many of you may have heard of them came in my life and Howard Hendricks in three or four years in seminary and after that I traveled with him in the next 25 years by phone and tape in book and he has been mentoring my head and my heart in my hands and I mean he instructed my every course prop Hendricks taught I've taken almost anything he's ever spoken on I listen to for what God gave me a chemistry with this guy that he has shaped how to think biblically about relationships, about money, about discipleship about preaching about life, about confrontation he each is been imprinted as a mentor but was in the training phase, but he also went beyond that to develop the heart, and I remember being in a hotel with prof but he was he was Patty was teaching a big pastors conference and I saved all my money up so I could travel with them and I asked him questions on the plane and it was back in the days of use as overhead projectors, and you know he would be speaking I would be putting the little slides on in the back room and you know he have all the people not be walking behind them.

You know, and then his. It was staying with his wife and his wife had to go somewhere. So I room with him for a couple nights you know there's times like you do. I think everyone's had this where it's at camper with a guy you're close to or a girl do this even more. Were you you lay in bed and start talking lights are out and you realize it's like 230 in the morning I had one of those times with prof.

I shared stuff with prof. I'd never shared with anyone. I shared some struggles with prof never shared with anyone and prosecutor.

What want to help me know on normal number to give him some wise counsel and number three, then he pointed me in some directions.

Why because he was safe, but he understood he was training he was investing in me. He trained my head. He developed my heart and finally you have to equip people's hands there certain skills you begin to say they need to learn how to study the Bible, they need to learn to manage their finances wisely. They need to learn to articulate their faith there certain skills in the Christian life that you know you need to train people if they're going to go on and prof did that for me and then a fellow named Bill Lawrence. I'll never forget he was. I was in a deal called lead leadership, evaluation, development, and they had these modules may look to your preaching a look at your family and they look that your ministry and they interviewed all these people and so you sit with your wife and he watched two videos of my preaching and this is like a 1988, 89, and he starts off by doing so he cared about me. So if there is some relationship he turned to me and then it's turned to Tracy because Chip like I just can't figure out what the real issue is here. I'm thinking of what I can't figure out whether you're just plain lazy or you don't believe in preaching. I'm thinking my wife's in the room here. Real men don't do this to real men with Bill.

Give me a break. As a what any and I'm growing this little church and I got a discipleship mindset and I studied the tax want to start of the tax and obviously I can get up in front of people and kinda go with it. I wouldn't doing that last 15 writing out the transitions illustrations. You know what that real life change happens in small groups are running all the small groups you know spending is minimal times I can in preaching work in 70 or 80 hours and he calls me lazy.

I'm hot. He says laziness isn't being an active laziness is not doing the right thing at the right time to fulfill the right assignment said you lazy. He said you got gift man and he said I'll tell you this is that God's not canasta yet. Here's the thing. Your problem is you got enough gift. All those people that little town they think you're pretty good. Don't think I said you and you think you pretty good to yeah pretty good is light and is worry you not near as good. You think and said the differences is that the difference when your preaching is there between a flashlight and a laser beam and a flashlight spreads light and every gets a little touch and it doesn't do a whole lot and a laser beam can cut through a door and said it's about focus in the last 15% of a good message is hard work and you're not doing it and God's giving you significant gift and you stand before the judgment seat of Christ, Chip and you better figure that out and you better give yourself to preaching any open the Bible and read God has chosen to change the world to the foolishness of preaching, and he's given you a gift and I thought who boy and then my wife piped up in Lubbock as well. I don't know if he's lazy or not because he does work a lot but he doesn't believe preaching and you know I'll never forget because I I went from that point and I blocked off the first two hours of every day and all of Wednesday to noon and did nothing but after I spent time with God. Work on messages I begin to work on the last 15% of what changes a message from a shotgun to test one bullet one how many people love you enough to climb in the car of your life in the QII and tackle something that everyone really kinda sees but no one has the love or the guts to tell you and my my question would be if you want to be a good Christian don't have those conversations and don't receive them. If you want to be a great Christian that leaves a legacy now do I think less of Bill Lawrence you kid I just got a video from and wash it and thought that guy change my life.

That's what you want to be that guy you want to be that gal. 20 years from now if the Lord doesn't come back and they'll say you know what you know it was at this restaurant, or in this room were at this time and you were the bearer of truth in love at a level the change their life.

Jesus said if you if you want to leave a legacy you bring them in exposure.

You build them up. Nurture and then you train them for was structure and then finally you send them out to what he say what he do therefore he says to his disciples go to all the world right and do what make disciples.

It's the only verb make disciples were disciples, a follower cow baptize them in name. The father and the son of the Holy Spirit and do what teach them all the things I've taught you teaching want to hear. Teach them to obey and then what what Jesus promise I'll keep on mentoring. I will be here physically and low I'm with you always, even to the end of the age and so he sends them out and when you send them out. You have to clarify the mission. This is what I want you to do. You confirm their calling.

You know I am for you. This is what you can do this is where your gifted you help people understand how God made them because once when people move out they can get a lot of opposition and then finally you continue to mentor them you discontinue along the way where it's their ministry and what you want you want them to grow you want them and I'm glad I don't understand it and I appreciate I have a set of gifts you have a set of gifts. I have a personal conviction that there are no superstars in the kingdom of God that there would there were a body that are interdependent summer more visible and they get some hassles and most people don't know and some are less visible but it is in honoring and walking with God and us working together that makes a difference but everyone has an opportunity leave a legacy and I praise God for we know some messages going out on the radio or going out on a DVD, but in my heart of hearts. When I look back on my life and say where's the joy may not that's that's encouraging but it's like flashlight stuff. It's great.

I'm glad to little help to someone here and there, my joy is my three boys and my daughter and how they walk with God. I mean you what, that's the legacy my joy is that the five guys that we develop the teaching team in California and for the five guys are now senior pastors and they are growing churches, I just visited got to preach one and I came to and there is about 400 when he got there and there's a 1600 to 2000 in the worship service and the quality and I literally no false humility here. I walked into that area and I watch what Steve was doing and I got to visit Fred and other senior pastor, nothing. I just thought that they are doing this better than I could do it. These these guys are amazing pastors. If I live in San Jose. I go to his church and I would preach awesome and I think for 18 years.

I got to be a part of being a little bit of a Paul and he was a Timothy and guess what he's doing every Monday morning. He has key men of the church eight or 10 of them every year. And he takes them through a full year faces you know of all the things I've done ship. I gotta tell you the real difference in the churches in the preaching music this or that. So I think I got about 80 guys now that I've taken through that systematic time and you know what is doing amazing bring a man to build them up but he trains them for, and then he sends them out and are leading and running ministries.

Let me close with the ups of prof Hendrix and he gives us three reasons why most people do not leave a legacy wise. Why do so few Christians leave a legacy. I just want you to look at the potentiality of what will keep you from doing and being what we you want to do and I want to do. Number one lack of discipline. This quote we cannot impart what we do not possess. When you look at first convince for 16 and 17 what's pulsate imitate me, you, you can't eat we get exactly who you are is like with your kids. I tell parents you what you need to be what you want them to become. And that's challenging.

I mean to sit and mentally.

I kind of sit on my couch and say to my kids or people in front help spiritually drive your car how you see me drive my car spend your money, how you see me spend my money spent time with God. What you see me spend time with God's love your wife the way I love my wife and you know and when you start say that you boy.

Do you really want to do that and if not then change. Discipline yourself the godliness be the man be the woman you want them to become what they require. Probably turning off the TV, get up a half-hour earlier deciding this really matters. It's amazing how disciplined people can be in our world. When the issue is money. This is leaving a legacy. The second thing prof teaches us is lack of vision or failure to see beyond our own life span is a real hindrance. I love you prof you know I'm I made a list of this is this is probably half. Here's the guys prof Menard Chuck Swindoll David Jeremiah Joe stole Tony Evans Dennis Rainey Andy Stanley Michael Easley, Bruce Wilkerson, John Trent, that's that's only ones I can think off the top my head every one of us go back to his prof Prost on radio prof had written a bunch of books. Prof just developed and created all the guys on the radio right in all the books Lessing but we all go back to who, why, he understood he saw beyond his own life span. His legacy is mammoth in the last is because last reason is focus. Lack of focus is prof would often say a life of impact is about this one thing I do not these 20 things I dabble at the course in Philippians 3 we get Paul saying this one thing I do, pressing ahead, reaching forward, and I would just say to you discipline vision focus to do what very simply, you want to bring a man you want to build him up you want to train them for, and then you want to send them out and you do that by modeling it right.

Discipline by vision, seeing what really matters and then by focus you can impact and touch a lot of people you can only train a few start with those under your roof, then find faithful available teachable people because good Christians live the life great Christians leave a legacy letter about you, right this application for this message. Our great people from a series good to great in God's eyes you may be thinking isn't wanting to be great a bad thing in this 10 part series trip assures us that our ambition to be the best Christian we can be isn't a prideful thing at all infected comes from God himself. Stay with us as we better understand the specific practices that will help ensure our faith and delight the heart of God. If you missed any part of this series. The chipping roadmap is a great way to catch up anytime I'm joined now by our Bible teacher, Chip Ingram and Chip in the series you've been talking about moving our faith from good to great know is there really such a thing as a great Christian. I mean, what is that even look like what I think there is a difference between a good Christian and a great Christian and you know I say that because sometimes people feel like well that's arrogant to be a great Christian, but I asked him, so would you want to be a good dad or a great dad.

You know, a good mom or a great mom.

Would you like to be a good employer a great employee. I think sometimes we don't realize that we need to have positive ambition, you know, Paul said he did everything he wanted to be pleasing to the Lord, you know, he passionately says I beat my body.

I put into submission in order that I might present to you, Lord, my life than my work and so I think there's this passion that we should have two want to be great not in the world's eyes, but in God's eyes. And as I was in a very significant season of my life. I begin to think about what are the practices not the theology but what are the practices that great Christians have in common, and as I went through old New Testament church history, and I mean people that it really impacted my life. There were about 10 things that came together that they didn't let me great Christians.

There's 10 things they do they actually practice them and so I jotted those down and then I went from the what to the how to win and so actually this is one of my favorite books is one man told me he said Chip if anyone is everyone to hang around you very long. They ought to read this book because it is your DNA. It's the very things that God taught you over the years that imperfectly, but you are practicing these things, so I want to encourage people to get the book walk through it slowly and put the practices in your life, and this is one of those books that you get a person or two to do it with you, and I think I do really speak to you. Thanks, Chip will to order your copy of good to great in God's eyes go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003. This is the perfect tool to jumpstart your faith and help you live a more authentic purpose filled life. During the series chips book good to great in God's eyes is discounted so let me encourage you to order yours today.

Simply go to LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at AAA 333-6003 Listeners type special offers. Chip, you close today with some really interesting thoughts as to why Christians don't leave a godly legacy. What can almost do to get past our lack of vision and focus be more intentional when it comes to investing in others, but will first when I would say is I think those are hard to overcome. I think the inertia of life of busyness avoids easy to get unfocused and this is a real discipline to say I am going to choose to spend some time with people that won't pay off now that will really pay off later. I don't want to have the regret that my kids say, while boy, I wish you would've invested in me or you know I look up after 25 years and say wow when we drifted completely apart in our marriage or unit.

Here I was a Christian and the Bible says go make disciples that I can't name three or four people that I specifically invested my life in to help them grow spiritually because as you get older. What happens is you realize real greatness is think I'm going to make time for that and and I just want to tell you one you don't want the regrets into the reward is awesome, I look back and I'm glad I invested the time and I needed a group of people to keep me on course.

How about you choose your group the keeps you thinking about the long haul. That's a great challenge.

Chip facts as we wrap up I want to thank those of you who make this program possible through your generous financial support. Your gifts help us create programs purchase airtime and develop additional resources to help Christians live like Christians you've been blessed by the ministry of Living on the Edge.

Would you consider sending a gift today go to LivingontheEdge.org or text the word donate 27 4141. That's the word donate to 741 41 or visit LivingontheEdge.org listeners Donate until next time, this is Dave saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge