This message was preached by Stanley Mehta of Gateway Ministries at the Regions Beyond Leaders gathering in India in July 2017.For the audio please Click HERE
PASSING ON THE BATON – Stanley Mehta
A relay race is successful, when the baton has been passed on
successfully to the next runner. This is true in the Christian life too. Across
our country, we have mission organisations that have been around for the past
200 years. They made many sacrifices to build what they have but they have not
passed on the baton successfully.
We too have a similar challenge before us. Will we pass on
from one generation to the next and well?
Let’s look at some character sketches
1. ABRAHAM
Three visitors came to visit Abraham It appears that one
of them was Jesus and the other two were angles.
We have known of God as the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. We see that the father’s faith is passed down. Abraham lived for 175 years
( Gen 25:7-9). Isaac and Ishmael were there to bury him. We see that there are
successors. The promise given to Abraham was not just for him but for
generations to come. Are we concerned for the next generation? We need to think
about this – in the natural and the spiritual.
2. DAVID
A man after God’s own heart (1 Cro 29:26-28). He ruled Israel
for 40 years. He died at a good old age. His son succeeded him as King i.e
Solomon. The definition of having success is having a successor. Do we have
one? Are we raising them up?
Solomon wrote 3000 proverbs. HE often says “my father said to
me” i.e the proverbs are none other than that of David. It means that David did
spend time with his son and passed these on to him.
We need to be careful to pass on to the next generation.
3. SOLOMON
He was considered the richest and the wisest man that ever
lived in his time. All the coins were made of gold. His throne was made of
ivory. His vessels were of gold. His throne has 12 gold cast lions . He had
14,000 chariots etc. Though wise, we do not think he was wise in every area. He
has 700 wives and 300 concubines.
HE was successful by worldly standards. He wrote Song of
Songs. HE wrote 1005 songs.
He wrote the book of proverbs in his middle years. In his old
age he wrote Ecclesiastics.
Eccel. 2:17-23 you see deep regret about all that he has
done. He is despairing about his labour and who would succeed him.
You can imagine Solomon on his deathbed. He was feeling that everything
was meaningless.
Solomon did not have time for his children. No sooner did
Rehoboam become king tragedy struck. Ten tribes broke away and formed the
Northern Kingdom. What had been grown between David and Solomon is lost in an
instant. Solomon can see it coming but it is too late. He knew that the baton was
going to be dropped. So, if we ask Solomon what is true success, he would say
it is to have a successor.
PAUL
Paul is in prison writing his last letter i.e 2 Timothy. He is
about to be beheaded. He knows his time is up.
2 Tim 4:6-8 I have fought the good fight… Paul has no regrets –
he is sure of his crown. He has no regrets because he has reproduced himself in
Timothy and Titus. Different people accompanied Paul on his journeys – 19 people
in all. He deploys them in different areas.
Paul instructs Timothy to carry passing it on.
Elijah passes on to Elisha. Moses passes on to Joshua.
When the baton is passed on , a portion of authority and anointing
gets passed on as well. His DNA is passed on.
The prodigal son looses his inheritance. Then he thinks about
his father’s house and goes back. He took his father’s inheritance but not his father’s
heritage. He has not caught his father’s principles. Now he wants to learn and
get the heritage so that he can handle the inheritance.
Joshua passed it on to his people towards the end of his
life. Whatever God said He would do, he does.
He asked them to choose whom they wanted to serve. “As for me
and my house we will serve the Lord” was Joshua’s reply. Jud 2:7 People served
God all the days of Joshua and the elders who outlived him. But in Jud 2:10
came a generation that did not know God and went after other Gods. This is a
warning. The life we have can be lost very quickly.
WE need to start now
1. Who is the one
you are following
2. 2 From whom
will you pick up this baton? WE need someone to mentor us. Who are we modelling
after? If you do not have a close life with your mentor, his DNA won’t be in
you.
3. 3 Who are
you mentoring? How are you training /shaping that person so that skills are
imparted, flaws addressed, the person of Christ is imparted, spiritual disciplines
are imparted, helping that person achieve their destiny in God.
4. Are you faithfully
passing this on? You will run together for a few years before you pass it on.
To be continued - Click here for PART 2
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