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

The road to greatness is never walk alone, that greatness is never achieved in a vacuum, it's forged in community today.

I'll share with you how to spot the kind of relationships that produce greatness in those you touch and how to find mentors that bring out the very best in you do not want to miss stay with thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge usage with future trips or Bible teacher for this international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians live like Christians here. There's no question that the people around us. Impact how we think and live our lives triple take it a step further.

As he continues his series. Good to great God's eyes will explain how healthy God honoring relationships can actually help us become all that God wants us to be and more.

So if you're ready your strip with the second half of this message, pursue great people from Proverbs chapter 13 are the people near Mount Rushmore. Mine was a coach another.

My sister another day than the fourth overhears Howard Hendricks and you've heard lots of stories but I learned from Howard Hendricks that you could take your gift and you could dream a dream and you can have clear. I still remember on the board him writing objectives, priorities, schedule discipline, God will never love you more than he loves you right now gentlemen, he said, but his blessing his blessing is dependent upon your obedience. You can never earn his favor.

There is no brownie points no gold stars on the refrigerators in heaven, but every man needs to make up his mind.

What do you want to do with your life so you need to have an objective in a target want to be a man of God determined to be a man of God and if you want to be a man of God has to be a priority. More important than anything or anyone else and he had to put that in your schedule and say what does it look like when we you get up what we read what we do and then you gotta discipline yourself to do it not to earn anybody's favor, but God's. Those four things in a prophet taught me that your given gifts and license stewardship and God really does want to bless ordinary people whose on your Mount Rushmore mentally right now. Who are those people because it's gonna tell you where the need surface it's gonna tell you what antennas because those needs. At those people met Harding to be the needs also probably in the future want to give you my last one right in the center were everyone else looks is the person who is impacted my life more than Howard Hendricks or punky or Dave Marshall or Coach and that is my wife. My wife is had more impact on my life than anyone else because she has more Integra live up close.

She has more integrity than anyone I know she has more devotion to God evidence by watching her get up for years and get up in the wee hours of the morning. Even we had small kids and I seen her on her knees I heard her cry out for God.

I watched her praying. I watched her support me. She is more mentally tough than any player in any game on any team I've ever played on, and it's something I'm up there just ain't no give up injuries and those of you that know her story. She was a single mom for a while and she had a tiny little boy on each hip and no way to support herself and trying to figure out what to do and she clung to God and came to Christ in God supplied and not say what we've been through some really we been two times they can quarters of the backseat. You know, just not in a 5678 dollars in the co-op and taken the fruit and vegetables to live on and you know what, no, I've never heard her complain about her lifestyle.

I've never ever hurt crap you not as so far every time we move she knows for sure.

It's God's will. And she knows you don't want to do it diminishes the pattern. Don't take me out to that little place and she cried in the Chinese restaurant and then we went from Kaufman to suit all the way out to California.

She and all the kids cried all the way to Amarillo and then when it was California back to Atlanta. She cried and you know what there's a lot of women who say you know honey if you want to go. You just go ahead. You know my families hear things are here. My wife submits to God and does what he wants her to when it feels good. And when it's terribly painful and when you live up next to that kind of loyalty, encourage, and integrity, and devotion, I tell you what mean that exaggerating and messages. You can only do that so long with someone after each time you do it say to apply July this people today and she looks really like sweet and everything and she is but she's a very very tough sweet and she's change my life when they want else she's filled the gaps in the wounds and the deficits more than anybody else. If you want to pursue great people start first with your rearview mirror and I would encourage you is just a little discipline you can change the face. As you know, it's okay to go through and jot down the 45 people the most impacted your life and you will begin to see exactly who God has used and likely the roles that are want to use in the future, but next I encourage you to look out of the windshield of your life and out of the windshield. We all need three kinds of people and since Howard Hendricks was my mentor. I want to give credit here.

This information is us from him. But see I caught it more than it was taught in profit. Hendricks would tell you and tell me we all need three kinds of people. Number one, we all need a Paul in our life.

We need someone to learn from. Second, we all need a Barnabas a friend appear, someone to share life with someone that you just hand in hand and arm in arm, you know you're on the same page.

At the same level.

And third, we all need a Timothy. We need someone were helping grow a Barnabas someone you share life with a Timothy someone that you give life to and appall someone who helps you. So let me ask you yet appall in your life you have a person in your life that is kind of a go to person that helps you grow that you know there a few miles down the road spiritually than you and you can talk to them and ask them and pray with them. Give a Barnabas have a soulmate I did have someone that you can just you know you're in this life together. You pick up the phone instantly on the same page and then do you have a Timothy do you have someone that you are building into their life and praying by God's grace that what Dave did in my life and what prof did in my life will be in yours give you three quick examples because it's very rare to have ones that are in your life for long. Of time right we move a lot of things happen.

What I find is that Paul may be this person this year another person.

Two years from now another person and at different roles for different seasons of your life and you know what you might but now and then you get a Paul that sticks around and a Barnabas that sticks around in a Timothy that sticks around that I think is both rare and precious, but I went to little country church and then II needed a father figure and his guy on the elder board there name AC and he just took me under his wing and we worked out together and I shared struggles within my older boys were like third grade that he's counseled rebuked invested painted bathrooms in the house with me and just dumb life.

I mean, you know, when I was coming out here you know I'm gone going through issues like you're going through issues and he's got issues in my life. You know I came out a day early and I came out a day early so we could meet with one other guy but I wanted just to get what they see. So there's one man I could unzip my heart and say hey man, here's the hot ones and me are they going in your life. I know it's what we took some walks.

We ate some meals we got a couple workouts and then we just kind a data dump heart dumped. I need that I got have a Paul in my life. I don't think he ever outgrow it and then were eaten lunch and you know this is what Paul's Duke as they have the freedom he had this little had this little card I could read it was real small we been eaten talking and you know were really close and he pulls out this little white card and he has his goofy the Lotta goofy stuff for the truth but he had this kind of goofy look and he said, and I could tell was re-not this card. Have you viewed any sexually explicit material in the recent past, and I'm thinking like what happened to pass the hamburger something and you know what I know what I knew was he was dead serious. I said no. He said have you in any way missed use your finances or use them in a way that would not a God in the past 60 3090 days enemy.

He went through my thought life.

My sex life.

My integrity and then the last question after he went through this list. He smiled. He said, have you lied to me in your answers of the last five or six question got a Paul. You know how much that protection. See got pursue great people gotta go after him.

You also need a a Barnabas that a fellow that that we just linked hearts first basketball trip out guy named Glenn Miller and Glenn was a man of devotion and heart and love.

And he went off later to be a missionary in Sri Lanka later became a pastor and end for 20 years. Glenn and I have stayed in touch and just been appear is a little bit older than me, he's like that little bit older big brother but I was little farther ahead early, spiritually, and so the first trip we went on we memorize the book of Philippians together.

The next trip we went on we memorize the book of James together. This guy's got zeal that is over the top. He leaves me voice messages in Tagalog see Jesus on the site. Gilani Thanh boom. Apply grout my buddy are you rejoicing in the Lord a day isn't it sweet. He's just he talks about God like you. Just in the room and he's just, I mean he's as winsome Barnabas and what what I know and what he knows is no matter where were at the world of the country. It's just where Pierce and he's got a dream was built in orphanages now in Africa along with pastor and church and someone who's just running, at the same place in the track with you that you can bounce stuff off of third areas a Timothy someone you get to invest in and there was a guy was a football coach in that little town and AC had me and him meet together we reviewed memorize these verses CCed that you do life together.

The thinking great thoughts and you know reading great books out about you in the discipline to do that but you find a couple guys or can you find a couple cows in a safe, let's do it on this morning at this time and we went to the feed store and we needle breakfast and we all go over versus memorize a couple verses in and little by little by little by little, you grow and pretty soon he's a football coach defensive back. His name was Steve and Steve came on staff at that little church and it started to grow and then I went to California he came to the college group 90 did the small groups that he did this and then he ran the staff and then hit 45 and never forget the day because we were together for 18 years.

I got way more credit. I can kinda dream that he could make it happen and he hit 45 and I hit it about a year or two before Amon, he said you know something into that agreement we had. We were gonna work together as long as we live until God brings us to a point where we think we do more good for the kingdom. Apart, and since were both a couple of coaches. He said hey dude, I think that the run is ended. As I think you're right. And we were were learning some things in leadership together and he said you not done every job in this church and is only one I really want to do and do not retire and I said no I'm not. He said that I gotta do what you're doing. I could be a senior pastor. Guess what he's doing and what he's doing.

He's doing what I got to teach him, and what I got to learn from prof C pursue great people and now you get on the phone and sometimes is Timothy's just turn into Barnabas's and I learned more from Steve and I'm sure as ever learn from me pursue great people and you know you'll never have time in your schedule to do it. Busyness is the curse of our day and I struggle with it as much as you you will have to come up with a specific plan but you gotta look out the windshield and ask yourself who out there could be a Paul in my life right now who out there could be a Barnabas that I could share life who can be a Timothy that and you what you only have to be half a step ahead of someone to teach them what you know you have to have it all together final thing I like to share here is get you started. Without getting you discouraged and so I want to give a warning to heed a warning to heed and the warning is this for Timothy's looking for Paul's often God's will use a variety of people don't believe there's some person that will have it all together. That's gonna be this person that is going to sustain and help you grow for the rest of your life. It'll be more like a revolving door of different people different seasons to meet different needs. As you grow, know sometimes you get that special person that you know that you stay in touch with them. I think it's more rare than it is normal so so when you're looking for that Paul don't get your expectations like they can meet with you every week and it's gonna be this way or that way. Secondly, a warning for Paul's looking for Timothy's you can't get where all you do is give some of you are in a season of your life where you're giving the people you're giving to people you're giving to people and and but there's no one given into you and you find you don't can't figure out why you're losing the joy in your tired, because you know what you got all you need some VEP people in your life. Very encouraging people when you're appalled when people are looking to you and you fit a time of maturity and you're helping this guy over here in a Bible study with these women over here and then your teaching over here and try to raise us. You can give give give an Paul's what happened is a lot of people really get burned out because no one's given to them. You don't give yourself permission to get renewed.

You don't give yourself permission to have fun. You don't give yourself permission to let someone build into your life or have a few relationships. This is hard for some you guys and some of you driven women have some relationships we don't have to get anything done you just get to hang out with me tonight at supper I get the eat with the a couple real buddies and in guys that you and I go way back with an part of it. I mean they so built my life, but one of the great things about him.

We just hang mean we laugh when we play golf we play tennis week domain we just cut up. We share our hearts, but just having some people in your life that I mean when I'm around them. I don't have to be anybody but Chip, I mean I don't have to be a pastor. I mean I don't have to perform.

I don't worry about that. They just love me. They just love and they like to be with me and I like to be with them and if you're appalled you got have some of that your life and if you don't, you'll find yourself hurting. Let me give you now word of perspective to consider is that I think what happens is we get these categories and I'm gonna suggest that in every category of Paul's and Barnabas is in Timothy's is God often will give role players in your life and I put a few of them here and give you couple highlights and you know they may be a Paul but their role as a Paul as a father figure that was AC for me huge huge impact in my life. But then some people God gives you a cheerleader someone who I just cares and it gets excited for you and I was a young guy in this church and little church was grown to become a medium-size church and I had this dream in my heart and I thought I'd even say it out loud. I wanted to be the pastor of a large church doesn't sound arrogant. Doesn't sound terrible does that sound like you trying to make a big something of yourself, but I just had this desire. I'd I just saw how they worked and where that kind of impact in.

I remember saying out loud to Don Geiger, Donna, I'm just feel so bad and so terrible because I got this desire uses what he feel that wasn't that ambitious and is in the wrong usable. Why do you want to be the pastor.

Is it so you can be a big someone was in no I just think that's where I would really flourish. He said Chip I get people calling all the time was a pastor of a large church. He said there really hard to find its unique gift mix and you have big effects.

It's God calling you to do that. He was my cheerleader. He does it go for it man. And you know what. Within a year and 1/2, Santa Cruz called and but I couldn't of gone there if that cheerleader wasn't in my life. Sometimes gotta bring a prophet in your life. I've got a bill Lawrence, my wife and I sat in a little room and he evaluated my preaching and he looked me right now. I said Chip you get some real gift. Get some real gift, and communicating and thinking. Thank you. He said, but I can't figure out something I said what side so I can't figure out whether you're just downright lazy or you don't believe in preaching.

I mean a real man would never do that. Front of your wife. I said skews me city I just can't figure out he said I can see how your mind works. All you do good job at the tax the last 10% you just lazy.

You shoot shotguns you don't shoot bullets pay what you need for another five, six, seven hours, and on that last part of the sermon needs to be clear needs. Be concise and is be focused you need to shoot a bullet a Teflon bullet goes through, and God uses and is given a gift to do that you shoot shotguns little babies doesn't take you much time to pair you like to study but you're not doing the hard part at the end now. Is it because you're just lazy.

You don't believe in the power preaching man I'll take what he he rock my world and you and I looked over to the sweet lovely Teresa looking for compassion like told me it's not so and she looked at me because he doesn't believe in preaching. He's not lazy. They didn't believe Holly doesn't want to do these discipleship group discipleship groups and he just cuts gets you don't believe in preaching and a man I'll take what I decided that I before God I wrote on a card. My goal is to preach great messages for God that sound arrogant. We think God wants. Okay once bad ones so so once I decide whatever it would take for me to learn to preach great and then I listen to people preach. I went to people preached. I listen to tapes I read books us and then I did that last 7 to 10 hours to get it from a shotgun to a bullet. Got any profits in your life.

People that aren't worried about offending you see will be Paul's at times Timothy's at times, but their role players about a sponsor ever been in a situation where you needed someone to lift you up and and move you to a place that you can never get there on your own. I was in a little breakfast nook in a guide come by the church and said hey you know we got a wonderful plan for your life and we think to be really good on radio and we could use you on our station but you really ought to consider it as Eaton breakfast with a guy named Dick and men were doing five services video overflow with five services about the dumbest thing the whole radio who listens to radii in writing that crazy I can't believe that because he was a mentor in my life and in we play golf about every Thursday or every other Thursday and I'd bounce my sermon off them and I had asked him all my leadership questions and he always was helping me grow personally and learn how to lead and ask him all kind of questions and just clean and a member of sin across he said I'm to call you tonight okay then towards the end he said that I don't need to call you it's okay need to do the radio thing. So what you need to do it to me this is not this is a sponsor. This is it like to be good idea when to pray about it.

God has shown me is need to do it. I said I don't know anything about radii don't how much cost I don't.

He said does matter, so need. It doesn't matter will have to do. He said just do it possible will help. So I'll pay for the first year I saw how much will cost you said I don't know is about what results pay for God's in this God used him to launch. I'd wanted to. Gotta bring people into your life that will sponsor you. But guess what, you gotta pursue and get around people find great people who pray find people with great marriages find great leaders find people are raising good kids find people that are doing the kind of things that you want to become like and figure out a way to get next to him pursue great people and God will bring sponsors and cheerleaders and you know, a counselor, a hero Joe Stowell at you I wouldn't can. He's one of my heroes.

I think you always want to have someone to say the like is in your line of work I want to be like him. I will be like him. So I listen to Joe when I have a big decision I culture hero. I think God wants a counselor in our life, someone that you can open up your heart and share guy named Dick Meyer he was a counselor counselor and unit unit is wounds in those things we talked about. Sometimes you gotta pursue a great person. You gotta pay them because her stuff you don't how to figure out got friends and their counselors and you just say hey I Annie I don't my ball is lost in the weeds, as prof would say, but I how to get untangled. I sit down with you and they and they share insight in life and truth.

Which of those in that list you need in your life which specific role player what what you need. What kind of person what even as I'm speaking what kind of names or faces are coming to your mind that aren't on your old Mount Rushmore. But if you were to build a new Mount Rushmore, who could go on there to say I think this person can have a positive impact in my life.

I want to be more like him how to be more like her.

Have you got it going to give you an action plan to go on number one action plan to follow.

I gave you perspective to consider role players amount action plan to follow number one pray earnestly and we just learn what earnestly met right and I don't think these people hang on trees all guarantee their their schedule is full and so you pray earnestly Lord show me number two take initiative. I just I just over the years. I just have an antenna. As soon as I got to Atlanta I thought who Lord who like to find some guys or walk with God. I do find some guys really love you gotta find someone that you know is is farther down the road and million.

I just started looking for I know I need a cheerleader.

I need a confident, I need a sponsor. I need role players caught another to be my Paul and so in a call on the phone and actually arrange my schedule. What I've got to find people who are going to be a Paul in my life and that I go to find some Barnabas is and I got asked myself. Okay, it's a new world's a new day is are some people that you want me vest my life in but you take initiative in three start in your relational network. The Paul Timothy's and Barnabas's are probably already in your relational network start their four is asked for help that this is amazing it's it's sometimes I don't. I was just in Florida and I had a chance to meet with us and people who been very kind and generous to the ministry and there was a guy there that had been a mentor with a leader that I really respect is a Christian leader who I think may be just in terms of sheer leadership gift may be the finest that I know and I've I've read and listen then and this guy I found out as we played nine holes of golf had mentored this guy and he talked to me about it and I just I just couldn't resist.

I thought you not know.

I don't know what role he's gonna play my life but you know what if you mentored that guy is pretty good so you know I play golf. We had a dinner and then I thought a Bible study and and I just you know what you have not because you asked not.

I walked over to Scott's excuse me junk I get word with you before I go get catch a plane yeah John, you know what you did for that guy. Yeah, would you help me this organization is growing so rapidly. I'm over my head and he's in a way, way bigger organization. This way, my more complex, would you help me the way you helped if I called you, would you give me time on the phone and if I ask you questions would you help me. He said I'd be glad to.

And I said great. Why don't have any contact and you know what someone else was talking in the sky walks back to me to goes here is my personal card and his mother card and he said, just give me a call anytime see the kind of people to let God use their life they're looking for eager Timothy's who want to grow and want to learn, pursue great people pray earnestly take initiative start with relational network asked for help. Here's the want persevere. They often say no 10 times before they say yes, I could tell you my prof Hendrick story. You don't want to hear it.

I don't want to tell.

It took me three years, persevere, persevere, persevere, or do it by proxy. A lot of people at a mentor may, I just I can't get close to them, but they got books I've listen to them. I find someone close to my asked them questions. Bob would as a church was gone. I went around to every Major Pl. in America where things were growing and I try to get near the guy who did it and if I could and I got next to the guy who's next to him. I could not get what I'm to get as close as I can.

Or I'm gonna read what they wrote or I'm gonna listen to it because there's a lot of different ways to keep growing and finally make time in your schedule, you'll never have known to call you on the phone say would you like to be mentored. You like to really grow.

Would you like to put in some time to be very disciplined, very focus the next 5 to 7 years. It will totally transform your life and probably the life of your entire relational network and possibly could change the world. A radical way no one can call you and say that you what you can do you can pursue great people and you can look for your call and you can look for a soulmate Barnabas and then all the while you find someone that you have my a little bit more than they have you start giving it away and I'm telling you become great. Got the right's application this message pursue 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 remap is a great way to catch up anytime or Bible teacher Chip Ingram is with me know and trip as we look around.

It feels like things are starting to open up again and people are getting more and more comfortable meeting together face-to-face with that said, you have a very specific challenge for all of us don't. I sure do day I want to say to the Living on the Edge family do what ever you need to do this fall to get in community we cannot, we simply cannot allow the world to move forward and to fall back into simply watching online, unless we have health issues and is not simply even going to church, hearing God's word is absolutely critical. And it's make no mistake, a priority, but we have to have meaningful community. We need to pray for one another in the same room. We need to share meals together.

We need to hug one another. We need to cry and lament some of the difficulties and the challenges and and the pain that we've been through we literally can't live this life in Christ alone and yet I see so many people trying to do it then. Part of it is our habits changed. I get that literally are you ready it's an old word we've become slothful in our intentionality for face-to-face communion and then we begin to drift in ways that we don't see could I challenge you in gentleness do what ever you need to do this fall to get in community launch a small group join a small group. If nothing else, do it with your family, but let me encourage you. Don't let the pattern in the meeting face-to-face in a small group where you share hearts were you hold one another accountable were you bear one another's burdens.

Don't let that go on for another season you have to meet the Lord will show up in your presence. Let me encourage you make that decision and then decide when, how and with whom you'll do a group will never regret it. Great word ship well here is Living on the Edge. We have a growing library of small group resources on a wide range of topics they're so easy to use. Teacher provides the teaching, then you'll have time to discuss what you've heard with our helpful study guides. So if you're not in a small group yet or you aren't sure what to study.

Next, let me encourage you to check us out and for a limited time. All of our small group resources are discounted for more info go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 3336003X AAA 333-6003 or visit LivingontheEdge.org app listeners tap special offers trip today you explain why it's important that we all find Paul Barnabas Santa Timothy to join us on our life's journey, but I'm sure there's lots of people thinking that sounds like a lot of work, or how do I begin to seek out those relationships, how how would you respond to them well here's what I'd say Dave is that this is not like a burden. This isn't like here's the big assignment go find a Paul Barnabas and Timothy and get with it right now.

I think this is a recommendation for people who really want to grow and this is to say we all need someone farther down the road and I think sometimes we get this idea that it's a super formal relationship.

I think at this point, you just stop and say you know who has a marriage like the one I'd like to have or who walks with God or praise in the way that someday I'd like to pray and have that kind of intimate relationship or who has worklife balance in a way that really encourages me and you just say hey can we grab a cup of coffee or could I buy you lunch and that's where I've done over the years and sometimes it gets formalized after that but I just think finding someone that you admire some aspect of their life that helps you become more and more like Jesus. That's the Paul and then I think that the Barnabas situation is one where you just can't do life alone. I mean, you have to start asking yourself, whom I can do life with. Who can I be honest with who can I be vulnerable with who, loves me like I am but won't let me stay like I am in and then building that into your schedule.

I think we often have these people all around us, but were so busy trying to produce or get ahead that we don't take the time to build these relationships into our schedule and then I think the final one is just you have to pass it on and I don't think you necessarily have to say these are my Timothy's and you write their name down in tears all the things they need to learn from me, but I think it's starting first and foremost, I mean if you're if you're a parent having that kind of relationship with your kids, how do I invest in them.

How do I make the Bible exciting and not boring what are we going to do in terms of passing on my faith to them in good ways and fun ways and in times where were really, really intentional, so this is not a burden. This is a matter of getting some categories to say I want to be a great Christian.

I don't want to just maintain or be okay here.

My goal is not just to be happy. I want the father to see my life as I crossed the finish line and kinda nudge one of the Angels and say that was that was a great Christian God loves us all the same, but he's more intimate with some than others. He uses some more than others. This whole series is about being one of them and the disciples last question was an argument about who is greatest in Jesus didn't chide them. He said this is how to be great and I believe he was saying. Greatness is something the father values, but it's in humility and it's in pursuing him.

The greatness is achieved as we wrap up lately quickly tell you about a great way to listen to our extended teaching podcast your trip any time on your echo or echo.get started.

Ask Alexa to enable the chipping room podcast then just say Alexa played the Chip Ingram podcast. It's that easy will for Chip and everyone here, this is Dave Drury saying thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge