March 4, 2023 -- Acts 20:1-4 -- The Acts of the Apostles: Mentored and Mentoring
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After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. 3 There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.
Acts 20:1-4 ESV
The Apostle Paul did a huge amount of traveling. He went from place to place bearing witness to the powerful Name of Jesus. When you look at the names on this list, names which are repeated in Paul’s letters to various churches, you learn something interesting. Paul was discipling the men who’d themselves become leaders to the next generation of the followers of Jesus Christ. They lived with Paul. They saw what he was like in public and what he was like in private. They saw him when he was persecuted, in prison, beaten and as he encouraged the other believers through-out all his joys and afflictions. They knew his character and his utter devotion to Jesus.
These men who were discipled would, in turn, know how to make disciples. These men would know how to go back to their home communities and preach the word, bear witness to Jesus among those who do not yet know Him, and they’d be led by the Spirit to mentor the next generation of leaders. They'd learned to endure persecution and to make the most of times when the persecution slackened and this to the glory of God and the building up of His church.
Who are you mentoring in the faith? By the Spirit’s direction, into whose life are you investing time and teaching so that these grow up in the faith? You do not have to be an evangelist or a traveling missionary to accomplish this. Wherever you are, ask the Spirit: who should I be teaching? A parent can disciple an adult child to gain more and more godly skills in parenting. A boss can be an example of Jesus to his employees and have one or two particularly who are keen to grow in the knowledge of Jesus. Friendships that are most meaningful are the ones where the faith of one friend continually blesses, challenges, and helps another person in his walk with God.
A Christian believer’s life should be one of mentoring and being mentored. It is like a compass.
There should be one friend to the North, a Christian who is more experienced in an area of life than you are. Ask that person to pour into your life. If you are a senior, have you met someone who is living well and preparing to die well and you admire their confident preparation for eternity? Are you a learning a trade, find someone whose walk with God you admire who is in that trade as well so that you will be influenced for holiness.
Then, like a compass, there are the East and West points. Look for two peers with whom you can share your walk with God. Being open, vulnerable. Confessing sins. Encouraging towards holiness. People with whom you pray at least once a week.
Finally, by prayer and attention to the Spirit’s leading, look for a person who is younger in the faith, someone you can mentor. Teaching another person is a great encouragement and strengthening for your own faith. It is through such mentoring the Christian community raises up leaders. It is through mentoring that errors are corrected and wrong-teaching is addressed.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Thank You for the example of Jesus, Who taught His disciples in community. Thank You for the powerful work of Your Spirit in the lives of believers through-out every generation whereby in Your gift of true community, believers grow up together into Christ, the Head of the Church. Direct us, Spirit of God, to be attentive to Your promptings so that we can both disciple and be discipled in all truth with genuine humility. Thank You, faithful God, for all those who so faithfully mentored us and gave of their time and talents and teaching so that we could grow in our precious faith. Amen.
https://youtu.be/lbKxsTimrbg
Teach me, O Lord, Thy Way of Truth -- URC Synod 2012
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