How to be a Big Mac!
II Timothy 2:1-2
You Can be a spiritual mentor/investor!
I. Introduction
a. Bad investment story
i. Anyone here ever made a bad investment?
ii. About a year or so ago… I got inspired! I was going to get myself buffed! (not that I’m not already buffed… but… you know…)
iii. So I went out and bought me a weight bench and some dumbbells… I also bought a pull-up bar.
iv. Well… some of you know where this is going… I bought some dumbbells… but I was the only dumbbell there.
v. I used that weight bench MAYBE a week… and now it is just a seat to sit on between ping pong games!
vi. That was not a good investment on my part!
b. This morning I want to talk to you guys about a good investment… in fact… the BEST investment that you can make… and that is investing in the life of another.
c. You guys should know, that I am standing here today, preaching and leading these wonderful youth b/c someone (actually several people) invested into me.
i. When I was in college I was just beginning to live for God… I had been one of those church kids who knew God, but was now just getting to the point where I was internalizing my faith!
ii. And God sent into my life a guy named Chris McGaha… Chris was a big guy (football player) so we called him Big Mac!
iii. And for two years Big Mac poured his life into me… he invested time, energy, resources, love, etc. into my life!
1. It was Chris that taught me how to study the Word of God and have a passion for HIM.
2. It was Chris that inspired me to reach the unchurched!
3. It was Chris that gave me wisdom about my relationship with Denise.
4. It was Chris that encouraged me to respond to God’s call to the ministry.
5. I’m telling you guys… I would not be here today if it were not for Big Mac! He was my Paul and I was his Timothy!
d. This morning I am challenge you with two thoughts… do you have a Big Mac in your life… and are you Big Mac to someone else.
e. If you do not have someone like this in your life, then I strongly encourage you to pray that God would send a mentor into your life.
f. But I want you to know this… you too can be a mentor… you to can be a Big Mac… and God’s Word is going to show us how this morning!
g. Read II Timothy 2:1-2
h. Briefly explain the relationship between Paul and Timothy!
i. What does a Big Mac look like?
II. Big Mac’s are Constant Learners!
a. “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses…”
b. Timothy was now in a leadership role of his own… investing his life into other people.
i. But he was not doing this on his own power and strength.
ii. First, you need to notice that he was to stand strong in grace… not in his own ability or not in his own wisdom… but in grace.
iii. Big Mac’s have to learn true dependence on God and His amazing grace.
1. Some of you are saying to yourself… “I can never be a mentor… I don’t know enough… I’m not qualified!”
2. Good… then you are a perfect candidate! Because God wants to use His strength… not yours.
iv. But also notice that he learned much from Paul!
1. I can imagine that Timothy spent many an hour reading Paul’s letters, asking Paul questions, studying the scriptures… being a learner.
c. You guys know this already… but we have a wonderful shepherd here at Gethsemane in Jerry Cooper… LEARN FROM HIM!!!!
d. A huge part of investing your life into another is your own growth in Christ.
i. We must spend time in God’s Word!
ii. We must take advantage of our Pastor’s teaching
iii. We must take advantage of opportunities like Martha Neale’s bible study!
e. There are resources all around us to help us learn and grow!
f. Simply put… we cannot invest what we do not have!
g. If I’m pouring out into another… eventually I’m going to be left dry unless I am also being poured into!
i. Maybe example with bottles of water or Wyatt’s bath toys!
h. We have to be constant learners if we are going to be Big Mac’s!
III. Big Mac’s are Living Examples
a. “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses…”
b. You ever known somebody that spoke one message but lived another?
i. Ex. Pic of escalator going to fitness place.
c. Paul did not just teach Timothy in private settings… he taught in public… I think BOTH in word and deed!
i. II Timothy 3:10-11 – “No you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings…”
1. Timothy saw how Paul conducted his life in everyday settings.
2. Timothy saw how Paul lived life with purpose… how if you cut Paul he would bleed a desire to know Christ and make Him known.
3. Timothy saw Paul exercise patience in tough situations and as he dealt with difficult people.
4. Timothy saw how much Paul loved people… so much so that he would put his life at risk to get them the gospel.
5. He saw him persevere in the face of terrible persecutions.
d. If you are going to be a Big Mac in someone’s life… then you have to spend time with them in settings other than church or bible study.
e. I remember on multiple occasions being taught by Chris in our bible studies the need for evangelism and how to do it.
i. We would study Scripture about it and we even practiced on each other.
f. But this point was driven home to me one night we all went out to the movies.
i. While waiting in the ticket line, we saw some skateboarding kids doing tricks in the parking lot.
ii. Big Mac proceeded to walk over there and engage them in conversation… before you know it he was sharing the gospel with these young men.
iii. Let me tell you… none of the lessons we did together on evangelism spoke as loudly to me as that living example!
g. Timothy heard Paul teach about being unashamed of the gospel and being bold in the Spirit… and then he saw him live it to the point of imprisonment!
h. One of the best ways to be a Big Mac is to spend time with those you are investing in outside of church and live your faith before them.
i. Even your failures can be teachable moments if we are not too prideful to admit them!
IV. Big Mac’s are Teachers
a. “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men…”
b. This is where many of you will shut down this idea… “I’m not a teacher… I don’t have that gift.”
c. But I want you to know that you don’t have to have a seminary degree or even have the gift of teaching to entrust what God has taught you into the life of another.
d. Again… sometimes this teaching happens in everyday life as you are spending time with those that you are investing in!
e. Teaching is so much more than sitting down with a lesson plan or a workbook and doing a lesson!
f. Teaching happens naturally as you begin to get into another person’s life.
g. It may come out in your accountability with them… how did you deal with or how are you dealing with the temptation they struggle with? How do you start a conversation with a friend at work that you want to share Christ with? How do you love your wife when she pushes your buttons? How do you serve your husband when he’s being a bum?
h. Teaching is something we all do whether we realize it or not.
i. I do think that there is a time where it is appropriate to be very intentional with this aspect of investing in others.
i. Big Mac sat down with me and a couple other guys and we studied scripture… and guess what… he didn’t always have the answers to all of our questions and that was ok!
j. Anyone can sit down with God’s Word and ask good questions and search for answers when we don’t know!
V. Big Mac’s are Empowerers
a. “… entrust these things to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.’
b. Here is where it gets good!
c. Big Mac’s invest and then they empower… they release that investment to invest into others.
d. Paul didn’t just tell Timothy to teach men and invest his life into them… he told him to send them out.
e. Guys, this is God’s plan for growth in the church… it is His plan for reaching the world.
f. One of the best little books I have ever read is a book by Robert Coleman called, “The Master Plan of Evangelism.”
i. Coleman magnificently shows us in this book how Jesus put this very plan into action!
ii. Jesus’ time on earth was temporary, so what was His plan to reach the world?
iii. It was to invest His life into 12 guys, and to invest more intensely into 3 guys.
1. Think about it… yes, He spoke to the masses… but who did Jesus spend most of His time with?
2. The 12… and even more with Peter, James, and John, the “inner circle.”
iv. I’ve heard it said before that 12 guys turned the world upside down… and they did!
v. When Jesus ascended into heaven… the disciples, led by Peter, began to build the church one soul at time.
vi. It is the concept of multiplication!
g. That is exactly what Big Mac did for me… he poured into my life for a year and then he asked me to start praying about some guys that I could pour my life into.
i. At first, I was like many of you… thinking… I can’t do this.
ii. But as I began to pray, God began to lay people on my heart… He began burden me for a handful of guys.
iii. And that next semester, with Big Mac’s encouragement and help… I started to mentor three guys on my track team.
h. We are currently trying to do this with our small group ministry!
i. You just heard a testimony about what was happening in ????’s small group????????????????????????
ii. Over a year ago I was investing into Danny Tippens and Nate Marsden… and now I sent them out to mentor another group of teenagers and they’re doing an awesome job!
iii. They understand that the final goal of what they are doing is that those in their groups will someday mentor others as well.
VI. Conclusion
a. Here’s the thing guys… to be a Big Mac in someone’s life… you have to be willing to invest your time.
b. I understand that is probably the most valuable thing that you have in your life and that is the very reason why God is asking for it… He desires our best and most valuable sacrifice.
c. So this morning I pose this question to you… What are going to invest in?
d. I have two challenges for you this morning.
e. One, if you do not have a Big Mac in your life… commit to pray that God will send someone into you life that will invest in you.
i. I don’t care where you are or where you think you are spiritually… there is always someone who is further in their walk with Christ than you and can add wisdom and accountability to your walk.
ii. If God has already laid someone on your heart… then ask that person to meet with you and discuss meeting with them on a more frequent basis to just do life on life with them.
f. Two, I want to challenge you to mentor someone else.
i. I know you may not feel qualified… welcome to family b/c neither do I!
ii. But I challenge you to start praying for God to lay someone on your heart.
iii. If God lays someone on your heart as your praying even now… write their name down! Give them a call! Come talk to me about how to get started!
iv. But please… don’t blow this message off! Please don’t ignore God’s plan to reach the world and to develop fully devoted followers of Christ!
