SHARPEN 2017 - Passing On The Baton Part 2 | Stanley Mehta

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 BATOPN 2 – HOW DO WE RAISE LEADERS Stanley Mehta

In order to pass on the baton we need someone to pass it on, to.

So how do we raise leaders?

1Sam 22:1-2

David had 400 disgruntle men. Would you like such people? How do you handle this? Some even wanted to kill him

It’s a tough job being a leader. 2Sam 23:8 David raised a top notch army of 30 people from the 400. They also became giant slayers. One of them killed 800, another 300 and one fought for so many hours that the sword got stuck to his hand.

So, if you have distressed people, you can do it. You have to take up the role of a father to them. Fathering is a strong word we want to embrace this evening. We need to be tender with the people and also spur them on. The spur will hurt you but it will accomplish the purpose

1.    SONS NEED TO BE CHOSEN BY REVELATION

Jesus spent a whole night in prayer when he was about to choose the 12 from the 70. This needed revelation. God directed Elijah to choose Elisha. Moses was told to choose Joshua. You need God’s hand in that. You need to spend time together. Mark 3:14 that they might be with Him. Acts 4:13 they took note that those disciples has been with Jesus. So it’s important how we choose. Proverbs 13:20

2.    SPEND TIME

If we limit out time of training to Sunday mornings alone you will not raise leaders. Its what you do with them during the week. Take them everywhere you go. Involve them in your daily life. What we do in our daily life rubs off on them. This should hopefully be a provocation and an example. Take them on ministry. Share your weakness and failures. Share your most treasured truths with them.

3.    GIVE ASSIGNMENTS

Matt 21 : 1-2 Jesus sent them on assignment. To fish for that fish with a coin in its mouth, to fetch that particular donkey etc. The assignments are  designed to test obedience and trust.

Obedience is crucial and needs to be tested. This will accomplish things in them – add skills to them.

Assignments can be to visit people, read something, watch something, and hear God for something. We think maturity comes with age. Not true – you only grow older with age. Maturity comes with responsibility.

4.    PRAYING TOGETHER

When you pray together they catch your heart and vision and passion.

5.    IMPARTING YOUR LIFE MESSAGE

We all have our own message, which the Holy Spirit has etched, on our hearts. This becomes our life message and that propels us forward.

2Tim3:10-11 You know my way of life… you continue in what you have learned and become convinced of. Timothy spent a lot of tie with Paul therefore knew his life.

6.    BRINGING CORRECTION AND DEALING WITH CHARACTER FLAWS

When we detect a character flaw, we should deal with it. Paul warns Timothy about lust, the love of money. Prov 10:17, 12:1

The root word of discipline and discipleship is the same

Heb12:7,11 - We train people for life not just the Bible.

7.    DRAWING OUT THE GIFT

God has placed a deposit of Grace in each one of us. Moreover, we need to draw them out. Gifts are not to be exploited, but to be released.

8.    ESTABLISHING SOUND DOCTRINE.

2Tim 2:15 who correctly handles the Word of Truth. Titus2:1 Teach what is in accordance with sound doctrine. Jesus was full of grace and truth.

9.    PROVIDING TRAINING AND EXPOSURE

In order to reach his full potential in Christ. Do not do the wrong things but train yourself to be Godly. Luke 6:40. Heb5:14

Do you have a training /equipping track?

10.ENCOURAGE TRANSPARENCY

To walk in the light and not hide. They need to allow you to adjust their life. If people resist you, you have to let them go.

11.INSTILL DISCREETION, CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRUDENCE

Prov 8:12 If they can keep a confidence they can be trusted with more.

12. ALLOW LIFE STRUGGLES TO BECOME TRAINING GROUNDS

Some acts of kindness can cripple them. Allow them to develop spiritual muscles. Without sorrow, you will not know God’s comfort

Without financial struggle, you will not know God as a provider

Without pain, you will not know God as a healer etc.

It’s my prayer, that we will raise up valiant leaders from what God has entrusted you with. Amen!

SHARPEN 2017 . Passing On The Baton Part 1 | Stanley Mehta

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