WEBVTT 00:00:11.560 --> 00:00:14.800 Ever feel like your life is going nowhere? Fast? 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:17.179 Have you ever asked the question, I mean recently, 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:20.500 why am I here? What's my purpose? If you'd like 00:00:20.500 --> 00:00:23.820 to learn to move from success to significance, 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:28.960 stick around. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, 00:00:29.219 --> 00:00:32.820 why am I here? Not just existing, but truly living 00:00:32.820 --> 00:00:35.880 with purpose? Today on Living on the Edge, Chip 00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:38.060 Ingram helps us answer life's most fundamental 00:00:38.060 --> 00:00:41.030 question. He reveals that your mission in life 00:00:41.030 --> 00:00:43.409 isn't about owning a home, being comfortable, 00:00:43.590 --> 00:00:46.250 or making sure your kids turn out right. God 00:00:46.250 --> 00:00:48.829 placed you on earth for one specific reason, 00:00:49.009 --> 00:00:52.469 to know Christ and make Him known. But here's 00:00:52.469 --> 00:00:55.149 the question, where does that happen? The answer 00:00:55.149 --> 00:00:57.890 might surprise you. It's not somewhere far away. 00:00:58.009 --> 00:01:01.009 It's right where you are. Here's Chip Ingram 00:01:01.009 --> 00:01:04.030 continuing our series called Experience Breakthrough. 00:01:04.489 --> 00:01:07.780 Never forget the... illustration a guy shared 00:01:07.780 --> 00:01:09.379 with me. I was a young Christian, just a couple 00:01:09.379 --> 00:01:12.219 years. I can't remember where I was, but I still 00:01:12.219 --> 00:01:14.959 have the picture in my mind of the napkin. And 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:19.459 he pulled out a napkin and he drew about six 00:01:19.459 --> 00:01:23.420 different buckets with the picture from a source, 00:01:23.620 --> 00:01:27.400 my life, rainbows. Rainbows going into these 00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:30.859 six different buckets. He said, you know, Chip, 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:32.959 everyone has a dream in their life, whether they 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:35.280 verbalize it or not. And they're following the 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:38.859 rainbow into the pot or the bucket of gold. You 00:01:38.859 --> 00:01:40.780 know, some people follow the dream. And then 00:01:40.780 --> 00:01:43.200 he drew the little bucket and he wrote the word 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:46.019 fame. He said, other people, it's not fame, it's 00:01:46.019 --> 00:01:49.180 popularity or looks. And then he made another 00:01:49.180 --> 00:01:51.200 rainbow and he drew a little bucket and he put 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:52.920 a dollar sign on it. And he said, you know, some 00:01:52.920 --> 00:01:55.140 people think if they just get enough money and 00:01:55.140 --> 00:01:57.260 can own enough things and impress enough people, 00:01:57.340 --> 00:01:59.879 then life will come through for them. And then 00:01:59.879 --> 00:02:02.459 he drew another rainbow and he put a bucket and 00:02:02.459 --> 00:02:06.019 it said success. And then he drew one that surprised 00:02:06.019 --> 00:02:10.159 me. He said family. He said, Chip, we could draw 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:13.759 buckets where people follow rainbows and every 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:18.520 bucket in life is empty except two. There's only 00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:22.139 two buckets that if you give your life to these, 00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:25.800 they'll always come through for you. Number one 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:29.080 is God's word because it's eternal. Every time 00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:31.560 you invest in God's word, anytime you take it 00:02:31.560 --> 00:02:35.180 in, read it, apply it, pass it on, share it with 00:02:35.180 --> 00:02:37.699 anyone else, you're investing in something that 00:02:37.699 --> 00:02:42.560 will never, never fail. The second bucket that 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:46.159 will always be full are the souls of men and 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:49.280 the souls of women. Every human being on the 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:53.199 face of this planet eternally matters to God. 00:02:53.770 --> 00:02:56.590 Anytime you invest in a relationship, anytime 00:02:56.590 --> 00:02:59.689 you love a person, pray for a person, care for 00:02:59.689 --> 00:03:02.289 a person, provide the needs of a person, encourage 00:03:02.289 --> 00:03:05.789 a person, you're marking into something that's 00:03:05.789 --> 00:03:08.590 eternal. And by the way, remember, there is a 00:03:08.590 --> 00:03:11.509 resurrection coming and everyone gets resurrected. 00:03:11.650 --> 00:03:14.689 You're aware of that. Scripture says some to 00:03:14.689 --> 00:03:17.490 be with the Lord forever, some to be separated 00:03:17.490 --> 00:03:20.490 for all eternity. You need to know your mission. 00:03:21.099 --> 00:03:24.780 Jesus made it very clear in Matthew 28. As you 00:03:24.780 --> 00:03:29.659 go or go, therefore, make disciples of all ethnos, 00:03:29.740 --> 00:03:32.879 all people, all people groups, all nations. Make 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:37.280 disciples. Make followers of me. Baptize them. 00:03:37.580 --> 00:03:39.120 Identification in the name of the Father and 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:41.259 the Son and the Holy Spirit and all the things 00:03:41.259 --> 00:03:43.180 that I've taught you, pass on to them in order 00:03:43.180 --> 00:03:45.139 that they could not just learn them, but obey 00:03:45.139 --> 00:03:46.939 them. Put them into practice. And by the way, 00:03:47.020 --> 00:03:49.389 I'll be with you. I know you can't do it on your 00:03:49.389 --> 00:03:52.849 own. I'll be with you always. See, in a nutshell, 00:03:52.969 --> 00:03:55.729 here's your mission in life. If you're a housewife, 00:03:55.849 --> 00:03:57.330 this is your mission. If you're a carpenter, 00:03:57.409 --> 00:03:58.969 this is your mission. If you're a businessman, 00:03:59.189 --> 00:04:01.129 this is your mission. If you're a musician, this 00:04:01.129 --> 00:04:03.530 is your mission. If you're a student, it's your 00:04:03.530 --> 00:04:04.949 mission. If you're a woman, it's your mission. 00:04:05.030 --> 00:04:07.110 If you're a man, it's your mission. Your mission 00:04:07.110 --> 00:04:10.129 is to know Christ and to make him known. That's 00:04:10.129 --> 00:04:13.250 why you were placed on this planet. Period. That 00:04:13.250 --> 00:04:15.430 will come through your personality, your desires, 00:04:15.569 --> 00:04:18.180 your backgrounds. And you can do it in San Jose 00:04:18.180 --> 00:04:20.980 or you can do it in San Juan. And you can do 00:04:20.980 --> 00:04:22.600 it by working with your hands and you can do 00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:25.459 it by working with your head. Your mission, your 00:04:25.459 --> 00:04:29.079 reason for existence is to know him. And then 00:04:29.079 --> 00:04:31.920 out of the overflow of your relationship to make 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:35.660 him known. Your mission is not to own a home. 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:39.379 Your mission is not to be comfortable. Your mission 00:04:39.379 --> 00:04:41.379 is not as important as all your kids turn out 00:04:41.379 --> 00:04:46.379 right. Your mission is not you being happy. Your 00:04:46.379 --> 00:04:49.259 mission is not to save up enough money as though 00:04:49.259 --> 00:04:51.740 you know the future so that your retirement years 00:04:51.740 --> 00:04:55.339 will be secure. That's not your mission. That's 00:04:55.339 --> 00:04:59.759 a dead end. Your mission is to know Christ and 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:03.000 to make him known. Every person you walk by, 00:05:03.139 --> 00:05:06.240 believers to be encouraged, unbelievers, the 00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:09.480 average unbeliever grew up like me. I never met 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:13.360 a real Christian until I was 18, 17. I mean, 00:05:13.379 --> 00:05:15.959 I met church people and I saw a bunch of junk 00:05:15.959 --> 00:05:17.939 that happened in churches. I never met a real 00:05:17.939 --> 00:05:20.560 one. I mean, one that lives out. One whose life 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:22.660 and words matched up and told the same story. 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:25.220 One who would listen instead of talk at me. One 00:05:25.220 --> 00:05:27.259 who cared. One who lived it out. One who had 00:05:27.259 --> 00:05:29.319 a radical lifestyle. One who said, I'll give 00:05:29.319 --> 00:05:31.300 up two weeks of vacation and go to El Salvador. 00:05:31.980 --> 00:05:36.439 Or to Mexico. Or would stop in the middle of 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:38.319 their busy day and say, I've got time to talk 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:41.160 to you. And I know it's not politically correct, 00:05:41.220 --> 00:05:43.199 but let me tell you what Jesus has done in my 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:46.579 life without judging where you're at in your 00:05:46.579 --> 00:05:50.540 life. See, you want to be significant instead 00:05:50.540 --> 00:05:56.040 of successful? One, first and foremost, clarify 00:05:56.040 --> 00:06:00.480 your mission. Secondly, embrace your mission 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:03.620 field. You need to know where you're going, but 00:06:03.620 --> 00:06:06.800 you need to know where God wants you to know 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:09.730 Christ and to make him known. We get this idea 00:06:09.730 --> 00:06:11.589 that your mission field has got to be in Africa. 00:06:12.250 --> 00:06:14.889 I'm telling you, I hope some of you go, but I'm 00:06:14.889 --> 00:06:16.750 going to tell you, 99 % of you probably will 00:06:16.750 --> 00:06:19.709 never go to Africa. But we think, well, that's 00:06:19.709 --> 00:06:21.750 the mission field. And since you're not going 00:06:21.750 --> 00:06:24.829 there, if you're like me, you unconsciously slide 00:06:24.829 --> 00:06:28.910 into fulfilling the agenda and buying the commercials 00:06:28.910 --> 00:06:32.230 and looking to be happy, comfortable, prosperous, 00:06:32.490 --> 00:06:34.810 well -off, with a dash of Jesus on the side. 00:06:40.050 --> 00:06:42.970 embrace your mission field. Where are your greatest 00:06:42.970 --> 00:06:46.509 spheres of influence? Jesus said not become salt, 00:06:46.589 --> 00:06:48.870 become light. What did he say? You are salt. 00:06:49.050 --> 00:06:51.790 You are light. You're going to reveal. You're 00:06:51.790 --> 00:06:53.610 going to flavor. You're going to challenge. You're 00:06:53.610 --> 00:06:55.769 going to change. You're going to have an impact 00:06:55.769 --> 00:06:59.589 unless you're under a bushel, unless you've lost 00:06:59.589 --> 00:07:03.209 your saltiness. Let me give you the three areas 00:07:03.209 --> 00:07:07.629 where it is clear that you need to sprinkle the 00:07:07.629 --> 00:07:10.860 salt of Christ. The love of Christ and the holiness 00:07:10.860 --> 00:07:14.000 of God. First, your home. That's your first mission 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:17.560 field. Deuteronomy 6, 4 -9 says, Hear, O Israel, 00:07:17.660 --> 00:07:20.740 the Lord our God. The Lord is one. Love the Lord 00:07:20.740 --> 00:07:22.600 your God with all your heart, with all your soul, 00:07:22.660 --> 00:07:24.680 with all your strength. These commandments I 00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:27.279 give you today are to be upon your hearts. Now 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:31.100 get this. Impress them on your children. Talk 00:07:31.100 --> 00:07:33.160 about them when you sit at home and when you 00:07:33.160 --> 00:07:35.579 walk along the road, when you lie down and when 00:07:35.579 --> 00:07:38.149 you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands. 00:07:38.269 --> 00:07:40.829 Buy them on your foreheads. Write them on the 00:07:40.829 --> 00:07:42.670 door frames of your houses and on your gates. 00:07:42.790 --> 00:07:46.910 Do your kids, your family network, see that your 00:07:46.910 --> 00:07:50.069 number one concern and mission field is them? 00:07:52.110 --> 00:07:55.550 Spend time in the scriptures in your home? Do 00:07:55.550 --> 00:07:57.670 they catch you praying sometimes? Oops, sorry 00:07:57.670 --> 00:08:01.949 mom, sorry dad. Do they see the integrity that 00:08:01.949 --> 00:08:05.410 you talk about and this stuff about God lived 00:08:05.410 --> 00:08:08.699 out? in your life, that's your mission field. 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:12.600 If it doesn't work there, don't export it. Some 00:08:12.600 --> 00:08:13.920 of us are thinking, God, what do you want me 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:17.220 to do with my life? Start right where you are. 00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:22.439 Love your wife. Love your husband. Care about 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:26.699 your kids. Turn the stupid TV off and spend some 00:08:26.699 --> 00:08:29.660 time together. Find out who their friends are. 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:35.059 Ask them questions. Go on walks. Put your arms 00:08:35.059 --> 00:08:37.700 around them. Don't assume everything's really 00:08:37.700 --> 00:08:43.120 okay. Face the hard issues. Be God's man. Be 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:46.600 God's woman. Second field that God wants you 00:08:46.600 --> 00:08:48.440 to make an impact in, your sphere of influence, 00:08:48.860 --> 00:08:52.600 second mission field is your work. Do you ever 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:55.039 realize that the great majority of your time 00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:57.620 is spent not at home, not at church, not praying 00:08:57.620 --> 00:09:00.000 and not reading the Bible? Do you realize that 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:03.000 what most of us do is we get up every day and 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:05.870 we put in, I don't know anybody who works a 40 00:09:05.870 --> 00:09:07.830 -hour week, but God bless you if you figured 00:09:07.830 --> 00:09:11.429 out how to do that. Right? Most of us, it's about 00:09:11.429 --> 00:09:13.769 55 or 60, then you're getting kind of revved 00:09:13.769 --> 00:09:16.649 up. And if you're under some pressure, some of 00:09:16.649 --> 00:09:18.750 us do the 70 or 80 hours. Don't do much of that 00:09:18.750 --> 00:09:23.269 for this life. Now think about, multiply that 00:09:23.269 --> 00:09:26.529 out over all the years that you live. Where do 00:09:26.529 --> 00:09:29.129 you spend the great bulk of your entire world? 00:09:29.730 --> 00:09:32.309 It's working, whether that's at home. or whether 00:09:32.309 --> 00:09:35.409 that's at an office or a job site, that's where 00:09:35.409 --> 00:09:37.750 you spend the great bulk of your life. Do you 00:09:37.750 --> 00:09:39.950 think that God has a plan for your life, for 00:09:39.950 --> 00:09:42.429 your family, for church, for the spiritual little 00:09:42.429 --> 00:09:45.250 wedge or window? And over here, your work life 00:09:45.250 --> 00:09:47.750 is like, well, you're on your own. You know, 00:09:47.769 --> 00:09:49.309 like God in the morning says, well, hey, have 00:09:49.309 --> 00:09:53.129 a good day. I'll catch you later. We live that 00:09:53.129 --> 00:09:56.070 way. Notice what the scripture says, Colossians 00:09:56.070 --> 00:09:59.909 chapter 3, verses 22 to 25. The application there 00:09:59.909 --> 00:10:02.649 is to slaves in this culture. I think we can 00:10:02.649 --> 00:10:05.649 make it to ours. Slaves, obey your earthly masters 00:10:05.649 --> 00:10:07.889 and everything. Now, basically, they had some 00:10:07.889 --> 00:10:10.730 terrible earthly masters. This is a tough command. 00:10:11.289 --> 00:10:14.029 And do it, not only when their eye is upon you 00:10:14.029 --> 00:10:16.549 to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart 00:10:16.549 --> 00:10:21.629 and reverence for the Lord. Now, is the Bible 00:10:21.629 --> 00:10:24.049 actually saying that I go to work and I do my 00:10:24.049 --> 00:10:28.389 job as though I'm doing it for God? As an act 00:10:28.389 --> 00:10:34.070 of worship? With a good attitude? On time? With 00:10:34.070 --> 00:10:37.210 excellence? You know, everyone's wearing these 00:10:37.210 --> 00:10:41.909 little bands, WWJD. What would Jesus do? I got 00:10:41.909 --> 00:10:45.009 one for you. Put that band on your wrist and 00:10:45.009 --> 00:10:47.230 get up on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 00:10:47.350 --> 00:10:48.870 Friday, and if you work on Saturday, Saturday 00:10:48.870 --> 00:10:52.470 morning, and say, if Jesus was inside your body 00:10:52.470 --> 00:10:55.309 going to your job, how would he do your job? 00:10:55.490 --> 00:10:58.110 When would he leave? And what kind of work would 00:10:58.110 --> 00:11:01.960 he do? And you know what? Some of us feel like 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:04.559 God could never use me. You start working like 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:07.039 that, with that kind of attitude, you will have 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:10.059 people lined up at your desk saying, one, could 00:11:10.059 --> 00:11:12.879 you come work for me? Or two, what is with you? 00:11:14.220 --> 00:11:16.860 You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip 00:11:16.860 --> 00:11:19.379 Ingram. We'll return to our message in just a 00:11:19.379 --> 00:11:21.600 moment. But first, did you know that you can 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:24.980 access this entire series anytime you want? Head 00:11:24.980 --> 00:11:27.500 on over to livingontheedge .org where you'll 00:11:27.500 --> 00:11:30.379 discover Chip's full teaching library, along 00:11:30.379 --> 00:11:32.620 with study guides and small group materials. 00:11:33.019 --> 00:11:35.399 Whether you want to replay today's message or 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:38.019 explore other topics, everything you need to 00:11:38.019 --> 00:11:42.080 grow spiritually is available online at livingontheedge 00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:46.340 .org. Let's get back to Chip's message. And by 00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:48.919 the way, you will take flack. Because the work 00:11:48.919 --> 00:11:51.230 culture is what? The work culture is... How can 00:11:51.230 --> 00:11:52.889 you do as little as possible and get as much 00:11:52.889 --> 00:11:55.830 as possible? The Christian culture is, how much 00:11:55.830 --> 00:11:59.629 do you get to do and do it unto God? Notice Colossians 00:11:59.629 --> 00:12:02.950 3, 23. Whatever you do, work at it with all your 00:12:02.950 --> 00:12:06.549 heart as working for the Lord, not for men. Can 00:12:06.549 --> 00:12:07.830 you imagine walking in and someone saying, hey, 00:12:07.850 --> 00:12:09.289 knock it off here. No, I'm doing this for God. 00:12:09.649 --> 00:12:12.250 I don't work for IBM. I don't work for Hewlett 00:12:12.250 --> 00:12:14.940 -Packard. I don't work for Plantronics. You know, 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:17.340 I'm doing these dishes. I'm changing these diapers. 00:12:17.659 --> 00:12:20.340 I'm landscaping this lawn. I'm going to do it 00:12:20.340 --> 00:12:26.039 in such a way that it honors God. Can you fathom 00:12:26.039 --> 00:12:31.419 the impact the body of Christ would have if we 00:12:31.419 --> 00:12:35.320 work that way? See, too many of us have bought 00:12:35.320 --> 00:12:37.620 a car from someone out of the paper and it has 00:12:37.620 --> 00:12:39.740 a little fish on it. And what do we immediately 00:12:39.740 --> 00:12:43.139 think? Uh -oh. Are they really telling the truth 00:12:43.139 --> 00:12:46.039 about this? See, a lot of people put a Bible 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:47.639 on their desk or they want to tell everyone to 00:12:47.639 --> 00:12:49.580 come to a Bible study. They don't show up on 00:12:49.580 --> 00:12:52.100 time. They don't do their homework. They're not 00:12:52.100 --> 00:12:53.440 prepared. You know what they're doing? They're 00:12:53.440 --> 00:12:56.820 disgracing the name of Christ. Martin Luther 00:12:56.820 --> 00:13:00.139 put it well. He said, when a milkmaid goes out 00:13:00.139 --> 00:13:03.659 and milks a cow and does it as an act of worship 00:13:03.659 --> 00:13:07.639 unto the Lord, she is in a more holy state and 00:13:07.639 --> 00:13:11.450 holy ground than when a priest or a pastor does 00:13:11.450 --> 00:13:14.409 not take care of the Word of God and doing that 00:13:14.409 --> 00:13:17.690 job in a way that honors Him. I've got news for 00:13:17.690 --> 00:13:21.610 you. There aren't two sets of scales. See, people 00:13:21.610 --> 00:13:23.350 sometimes, especially if I travel some, they 00:13:23.350 --> 00:13:24.909 always get around to, what do you do? And I'm 00:13:24.909 --> 00:13:26.730 always a little uncomfortable. In my mind's eye, 00:13:26.870 --> 00:13:29.649 I still don't think of myself as a minister, 00:13:29.769 --> 00:13:33.929 you know, or like clergy or even pastor. See, 00:13:34.009 --> 00:13:35.610 I didn't grow up around people like that. The 00:13:35.610 --> 00:13:37.750 bricklayer helped me. You know what I knew? He 00:13:37.750 --> 00:13:39.090 was a bricklayer that was going to make disciples. 00:13:39.899 --> 00:13:42.500 I think of myself as a coach. It's just a different 00:13:42.500 --> 00:13:45.940 team. I am. I'm just a coach. And when I stand 00:13:45.940 --> 00:13:47.879 before God, he doesn't say, oh, this is what 00:13:47.879 --> 00:13:49.899 I expect of Chip. And then all these lay people. 00:13:50.220 --> 00:13:53.159 Baloney. I'll tell you what he says. Now, the 00:13:53.159 --> 00:13:55.240 ruler is going to be a little different because 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:58.179 I teach the word, James tells me. But he's going 00:13:58.179 --> 00:14:00.899 to evaluate. What I do is no more spiritual than 00:14:00.899 --> 00:14:02.500 what you do. And most of you don't believe that. 00:14:03.019 --> 00:14:05.980 But you need to believe it because what you do 00:14:05.980 --> 00:14:11.990 at work. That's your sphere of influence. Can 00:14:11.990 --> 00:14:15.029 you imagine the impact? And some of you are making 00:14:15.029 --> 00:14:17.029 it. Some of you are my heroes. As I put this 00:14:17.029 --> 00:14:19.049 point down, you know, a number of people just 00:14:19.049 --> 00:14:23.370 came to my mind. I thought, wow. Third, sphere 00:14:23.370 --> 00:14:26.309 of influence is your network. Colossians 4, verses 00:14:26.309 --> 00:14:29.250 5 and 6, notice what it says. Be wise in the 00:14:29.250 --> 00:14:33.090 way you act toward nonbelievers. Making good 00:14:33.090 --> 00:14:36.330 use of how many opportunities? Every opportunity 00:14:36.330 --> 00:14:39.879 you have. Your speech should always be pleasant 00:14:39.879 --> 00:14:42.500 and interesting, and you should know how to give 00:14:42.500 --> 00:14:46.639 the right answer to everyone. See, you have a 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:49.059 network, and probably in our day, it's not your 00:14:49.059 --> 00:14:51.379 neighborhood. It's probably the other moms or 00:14:51.379 --> 00:14:53.039 dads on the little league team or the soccer 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:55.559 team. It's probably the person that, you know, 00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:57.299 every week some of you go to the dry cleaners. 00:14:57.320 --> 00:14:58.879 Are you building a relationship with that person? 00:14:59.210 --> 00:15:01.649 Some of us pick up coffee at the same place almost 00:15:01.649 --> 00:15:04.090 every morning, right? Have you ever thought that 00:15:04.090 --> 00:15:06.049 this relationship could begin from where you 00:15:06.049 --> 00:15:08.590 are and you could love them and build a relationship 00:15:08.590 --> 00:15:10.730 into the kingdom? Some of you have your cars 00:15:10.730 --> 00:15:13.250 repaired the same place. Did you realize God 00:15:13.250 --> 00:15:16.110 has brought that mechanic into your life for 00:15:16.110 --> 00:15:18.350 a reason? Some of you play bridge. Some of you 00:15:18.350 --> 00:15:20.629 have hobbies. Some of you crochet. Some of you 00:15:20.629 --> 00:15:26.210 play softball. What's your network? We always 00:15:26.210 --> 00:15:27.870 are thinking, who am I going to share with, you 00:15:27.870 --> 00:15:30.070 know, Christ and build this evangelistic relationship 00:15:30.070 --> 00:15:35.549 with? Here's the secret. Help out all the people 00:15:35.549 --> 00:15:41.690 you already know. I mean, I've been sharing the 00:15:41.690 --> 00:15:45.610 Lord with a guy at the coffee shop for close 00:15:45.610 --> 00:15:48.799 to seven years. I just made a major breakthrough 00:15:48.799 --> 00:15:51.860 after about a year with the lady at 7 -Eleven, 00:15:51.860 --> 00:15:54.500 and she saw my Bible, asked what I did, found 00:15:54.500 --> 00:15:56.440 out her son's a Christian, is sharing Christ 00:15:56.440 --> 00:15:59.399 with her, and now we have 30 to 2 -minute conversations 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:02.299 about the Scripture. I have a neighbor that I've 00:16:02.299 --> 00:16:05.259 been praying for for 8 years, and one day I just 00:16:05.259 --> 00:16:07.659 had an impulse from God. He brought a verse to 00:16:07.659 --> 00:16:10.740 my mind. let your light so shine before men that 00:16:10.740 --> 00:16:13.419 they can see your good deeds and glorify your 00:16:13.419 --> 00:16:15.220 father in heaven. And just at an impulse, I went 00:16:15.220 --> 00:16:17.340 over and cut her grass. She's a single mom. And 00:16:17.340 --> 00:16:19.039 I'm thinking, no big deal. I mean, yards here, 00:16:19.139 --> 00:16:21.059 where I grew up, when you cut grass, it was an 00:16:21.059 --> 00:16:24.019 hour. You know, here it's 12 minutes, you're 00:16:24.019 --> 00:16:27.960 done. And I mean, you would think I was passing 00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:30.659 out bags of gold to this lady. She's a sweet 00:16:30.659 --> 00:16:33.440 lady. She's a great lady. And I don't know really 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:35.559 where she's at spiritually, but, you know, I 00:16:35.559 --> 00:16:37.159 live close to her, but I've never really connected. 00:16:38.110 --> 00:16:40.710 I came home last night and there were two cartons 00:16:40.710 --> 00:16:43.190 of eggs and two things of jam on our front door 00:16:43.190 --> 00:16:46.690 from her saying thanks. What's your network? 00:16:47.690 --> 00:16:50.690 It's not some way, someday, somehow, when you, 00:16:50.889 --> 00:16:54.210 it's right now where you're at. Let me give you 00:16:54.210 --> 00:16:56.710 number three because you need to know how to 00:16:56.710 --> 00:16:59.929 do this. There's six steps. I call it everybody 00:16:59.929 --> 00:17:05.210 evangelism. You move from success to significance 00:17:05.210 --> 00:17:07.759 by one. clarifying your mission. Why am I here? 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:10.339 Two, embrace your mission field. Where are my 00:17:10.339 --> 00:17:13.539 spheres of influence? The home, work, my network. 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:17.460 Three, engage in the harvesting process. First 00:17:17.460 --> 00:17:20.259 Corinthians three says that we can't make anything 00:17:20.259 --> 00:17:23.460 grow. Only God can do it. But some water and 00:17:23.460 --> 00:17:26.640 some plant and we all work together. I know I 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:29.039 have only a handful of relationships where I 00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:31.960 build a relationship, I water, I do this, I do 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:34.160 this, I do this. And six months or two years 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:36.420 later, I lead that person to Christ. There's 00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:37.920 people I meet that people have been working on 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:39.559 for 20 years and I get to lead them to Christ. 00:17:39.740 --> 00:17:41.299 There's other people that I build a relationship 00:17:41.299 --> 00:17:43.980 with. You know what? Boy, I sure hope God does 00:17:43.980 --> 00:17:45.940 something because I haven't seen anything. But 00:17:45.940 --> 00:17:48.279 I'm not discouraged about that anymore. In fact, 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:50.299 I took the gun away from my head. I don't have 00:17:50.299 --> 00:17:53.220 to do it. See, I am not and you are not a prosecuting 00:17:53.220 --> 00:17:55.880 attorney. You know what we are? Witnesses. You 00:17:55.880 --> 00:17:57.880 know what witnesses do? Witnesses step up on 00:17:57.880 --> 00:18:00.140 the plate and say, this is what's true of me. 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:02.700 This is what Jesus did in my life. Now, let me 00:18:02.700 --> 00:18:05.470 give you a way to get involved in this. Notice 00:18:05.470 --> 00:18:08.089 the little chart. I took this out of a book called 00:18:08.089 --> 00:18:10.650 The High Impact Church. Linus Morris did this, 00:18:10.710 --> 00:18:14.109 and he ministers in Europe. Notice there's about 00:18:14.109 --> 00:18:17.630 six steps. First, look at your network. Make 00:18:17.630 --> 00:18:20.029 contact with the unchurched is your goal. Action 00:18:20.029 --> 00:18:22.589 step, establish visibility in the community. 00:18:23.150 --> 00:18:26.130 Identify and pray and contact people and social 00:18:26.130 --> 00:18:28.450 networks. It's like helping out with a little 00:18:28.450 --> 00:18:32.450 league team. Two, after the network, befriend 00:18:32.450 --> 00:18:36.440 people. The goal, build trusting relationships, 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:39.700 like really care about them. The action, build 00:18:39.700 --> 00:18:42.779 bridges socially, show love and care, look for 00:18:42.779 --> 00:18:45.079 divine appointments, just start serving people. 00:18:46.019 --> 00:18:50.980 Step three, identify, look for a felt need. You 00:18:50.980 --> 00:18:53.200 know, it took me eight years. I mean, I must 00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:55.400 be like slow of speech, slow of tongue and way 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:57.859 low on brains. Took me eight years to figure 00:18:57.859 --> 00:19:00.160 out a felt need in my neighbor's life was cutting 00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:03.880 the lawn, so simple. What are the felt needs 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:07.920 of the people? Going through divorce? Have financial 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:12.500 problems? Struggle with aging parents? Pressure 00:19:12.500 --> 00:19:16.779 in their marriage? Here's the action step. Listen 00:19:16.779 --> 00:19:19.799 attentively. Show concern. You don't have to 00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:21.539 jam Jesus down their throat and give them five 00:19:21.539 --> 00:19:25.079 Bible verses. Just listen. You will be a minority. 00:19:25.220 --> 00:19:29.180 Just listen. Network, befriend, identify, then 00:19:29.180 --> 00:19:32.630 share. Share your story. Action step, look for 00:19:32.630 --> 00:19:35.730 receptivity and sensitively share your story. 00:19:35.789 --> 00:19:38.190 This takes most of you off the hook. You don't 00:19:38.190 --> 00:19:40.890 have to have all the answers. Just, this is what 00:19:40.890 --> 00:19:43.250 Jesus did in my life. This is what Jesus did 00:19:43.250 --> 00:19:45.309 in my marriage. This is what Jesus did in that 00:19:45.309 --> 00:19:47.049 relationship, but I'm still struggling with it. 00:19:47.750 --> 00:19:49.730 Just share your story. And then when they ask 00:19:49.730 --> 00:19:52.210 that real hard question that's so hard and the 00:19:52.210 --> 00:19:54.089 reason why we don't share, here's the answer. 00:19:54.170 --> 00:19:56.109 I'm going to tell you in advance. They ask this, 00:19:56.190 --> 00:19:58.289 what about da -da -da -da -da, right? The real 00:19:58.289 --> 00:20:00.589 hard question. Here's your answer. I don't know. 00:20:02.779 --> 00:20:05.680 I don't know. Here's what I know he did for me. 00:20:06.740 --> 00:20:10.000 But you know what? The way I've learned is through 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:11.660 the New Testament. And I'd like to give you one 00:20:11.660 --> 00:20:13.339 if you want to start reading it. If you have 00:20:13.339 --> 00:20:15.619 questions, I'd be glad to talk with you. And 00:20:15.619 --> 00:20:17.519 that's a good question. I don't know that one, 00:20:17.559 --> 00:20:19.259 but I'll go do some study. Would you like to 00:20:19.259 --> 00:20:20.539 get a cup of coffee and talk about it later? 00:20:21.539 --> 00:20:23.539 You're not under pressure. You don't have to 00:20:23.539 --> 00:20:26.119 have all the answers. Just share your story. 00:20:27.829 --> 00:20:30.349 Fifth, invite. The goal is to expose them to 00:20:30.349 --> 00:20:32.750 the gospel. Action step, bring an unbelieving 00:20:32.750 --> 00:20:35.470 friend or a contact to a weekend service or to 00:20:35.470 --> 00:20:39.529 a small group. Invite them. Finally, harvest. 00:20:40.410 --> 00:20:42.109 Encourage commitment to Christ and assimilate 00:20:42.109 --> 00:20:43.730 them in the life of the church. There's a point 00:20:43.730 --> 00:20:45.589 in time where people get ready and you need to 00:20:45.589 --> 00:20:47.750 cross over the line and say, would you like to 00:20:47.750 --> 00:20:50.630 receive Jesus as your Savior? Would you like 00:20:50.630 --> 00:20:53.150 to have your sins forgiven? And I'm always amazed 00:20:53.150 --> 00:20:55.809 because I have this unbelieving mind. How many 00:20:55.809 --> 00:20:57.980 times people would look at me and say, Yes, I 00:20:57.980 --> 00:21:00.700 would. And you know what kept them from it? No 00:21:00.700 --> 00:21:06.140 one's ever asked. You're hearing Living on the 00:21:06.140 --> 00:21:09.059 Edge with Chip Ingram. And what a practical reminder 00:21:09.059 --> 00:21:11.779 that your mission field isn't someday somewhere 00:21:11.779 --> 00:21:14.640 else. It's today, right where God has placed 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:17.660 you. Before Chip shares a closing thought, if 00:21:17.660 --> 00:21:19.720 you'd like to pass this message along to someone 00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:22.220 who needs clarity about their purpose, you'll 00:21:22.220 --> 00:21:26.519 find it at livingontheedge .org. As you think 00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:28.759 about embracing your mission field in your home, 00:21:28.880 --> 00:21:31.119 your workplace, and your network of relationships, 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:34.059 let me recommend a tool that can strengthen your 00:21:34.059 --> 00:21:37.039 daily walk with God. It's a free resource Chip 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:40.319 created called Psalms of Hope. Here's how it 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:43.500 works. Each day for 10 days, Chip guides you 00:21:43.500 --> 00:21:47.599 through Psalm 1, Psalm 15, or Psalm 23, providing 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:50.900 10 minutes of biblical insight. Then you spend 00:21:50.900 --> 00:21:53.079 10 minutes in personal prayer and reflection. 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:57.079 Just 20 minutes daily, Ten life -changing days. 00:21:57.559 --> 00:22:00.000 These psalms speak directly to the challenge 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:02.480 of living purposefully in a world that constantly 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:05.359 pulls us toward meaningless pursuits. They'll 00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:07.660 help you stay focused on what matters eternally, 00:22:07.779 --> 00:22:10.759 maintain spiritual clarity in the midst of daily 00:22:10.759 --> 00:22:13.480 pressures, and discover the joy that comes from 00:22:13.480 --> 00:22:16.000 investing your life in things that truly last. 00:22:16.779 --> 00:22:18.720 If you need wisdom for living out your mission 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:21.440 right where you are, these ancient songs offer 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:24.339 timeless guidance. Begin your journey in the 00:22:24.339 --> 00:22:27.920 Psalms of Hope free online at livingontheedge 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:32.599 .org. Just search for Psalms of Hope. Friend, 00:22:32.759 --> 00:22:35.119 this teaching ministry continues because listeners 00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:37.900 choose to invest in it. Your financial support 00:22:37.900 --> 00:22:40.640 helps us equip people like you to live with purpose 00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:43.640 and significance. Would you partner with us in 00:22:43.640 --> 00:22:46.579 this mission? To give, visit livingontheedge 00:22:46.579 --> 00:22:50.099 .org or mail your gift to Living on the Edge, 00:22:50.220 --> 00:22:56.220 P .O. Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. You 00:22:56.220 --> 00:23:01.940 can also call 888 -333 -6003. Well, now here's 00:23:01.940 --> 00:23:04.250 Chip with some final thoughts. I taught this 00:23:04.250 --> 00:23:07.309 very recently, and there was two young couples, 00:23:07.410 --> 00:23:09.690 both that are fairly brand new Christians, I 00:23:09.690 --> 00:23:12.349 mean, like within the last year. And they contacted 00:23:12.349 --> 00:23:14.470 Teresa and myself because we all live in the 00:23:14.470 --> 00:23:17.190 same neighborhood. And the one lady had been 00:23:17.190 --> 00:23:20.990 through, I mean, super, super serious cancer, 00:23:21.089 --> 00:23:22.950 you know, like stage four. I don't know if she's 00:23:22.950 --> 00:23:25.589 going to make it, but they grew up in this area. 00:23:25.690 --> 00:23:28.789 And so they had all kind of friends. And we prayed. 00:23:28.809 --> 00:23:31.430 We anointed her with oil as elders. We prayed. 00:23:31.450 --> 00:23:35.180 We fasted. God miraculously intervened. She went 00:23:35.180 --> 00:23:37.720 through all kind of difficult times and then 00:23:37.720 --> 00:23:40.579 was restored to health. And in that journey, 00:23:40.700 --> 00:23:43.660 she and her husband came to a personal relationship 00:23:43.660 --> 00:23:46.640 with Christ. And then all these friends and neighbors 00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:49.759 and college and fraternity and people that they 00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:51.920 knew for like 25 years, they'd rallied around 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:54.400 them and they saw their life. And they came to 00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:57.000 Teresa and myself. And I said, you know, we want 00:23:57.000 --> 00:23:59.000 our neighbors to really hear about Jesus. But 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:01.539 I mean, you know, we don't even hardly know what 00:24:01.539 --> 00:24:03.480 we're talking about, but we really want to see 00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:05.859 this happen. What could we do? And we literally 00:24:05.859 --> 00:24:10.000 did what I talked about in this message. And 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:12.619 here, can I tell you something? God is preparing 00:24:12.619 --> 00:24:15.200 people. The people at work, the people in your 00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:17.539 neighborhood, you think they're not open. They 00:24:17.539 --> 00:24:20.880 just need someone to invite them, to love them, 00:24:21.019 --> 00:24:23.400 to care about them, take an interest in them. 00:24:23.519 --> 00:24:26.779 Find another person or two, pray for them. And 00:24:26.779 --> 00:24:30.119 here's how it starts. Absolutely small. It was 00:24:30.119 --> 00:24:33.619 six of us around a kitchen table six months before 00:24:33.619 --> 00:24:36.859 we started it. And then God began to work. What 00:24:36.859 --> 00:24:39.720 does he want you to do? It's absolutely small. 00:24:39.799 --> 00:24:43.019 It's just a mustard seed. Take the step and watch 00:24:43.019 --> 00:24:45.920 God work. Tired of the pursuit that leaves you 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:48.880 empty? I'm Dave Drewy. Discover the pathway to 00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:52.000 true fulfillment tomorrow on Living on the Edge. 00:24:54.980 --> 00:24:57.519 Today's program is produced and sponsored by 00:24:57.519 --> 00:24:58.619 Living on the Edge.