Biblical Mentors

As I have been working on my sermon this week, I have been struggling with how I should approach mentorship for our last Bible study on this topic. But then it occurred to me that I have been spending a lot of time studying a Biblical mentor. So, instead of doing something drastically different, I wanted to bring you all on the journey that I went on this week as I examined this particular mentor and his unique approach to life.

This going to require us to read all of Matthew 16.

I want us to break out into groups, and we will read each portion of scripture in those groups. Then, as a group, you will discuss what you think about what you read, then come back together to discuss what we have read all together.

A couple guiding questions can be:

Who is the mentor? Who is the mentee? What is the mentor telling mentee? Why do you think the advice that is given is good? Alternatively, why do you think the advice that is given is bad? Are there any clarifying questions you need answered? (READ MATTHEW 16:1-12)

We are going have to start in Matthew 16:1-12:

“The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

So the first question would be, who is the mentor?

Who are the mentees?

What is the advice the Mentor has bestowed upon the mentee?

What do you think of that advice?

And finally, are there any clarifying questions that need to be answered?

I think there are a couple of clarifying questions we can automatically assume need to be answered.

Who are the Pharisees?

Who are the Sadducees?

Were they friends? (Acts 23:8)

Were all the Pharisees and Sadducees bad? (Nicodemus John 3: 1-2)

How did Jesus feel about the Pharisees and Sadducees?

Everyone take a glance at Matthew 23, what are some of the things Jesus says about the Pharisees?

“He calls them hypocrites multiple times, he calls them blind guides, and he calls them fools. He describes the Pharisees as whitewashed tombstones full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness. He calls them snakes and a generation of vipers.”

Just to add a little salt to the mixture, someone read Luke 11:44

So what was the issue, do you think?

Jesus knows the Pharisees and Sadducees are nothing more than blind guides. They aren’t concerned with the betterment of their neighbour, they are only concerned with advancing their own agenda. The problem was Jesus wasn’t scared of having these very direct confrontations because he knew these men were leading others dangerously away from where they should be going. The Pharisees and Sadducees were calling the people to submit to themselves, while Jesus was calling people to submit to God. To change the posture of their hearts and follow him to everlasting life. We see this play out in real-time in John 11:45-53

So thats where we are going to turn next.

I want each one of your groups to read this passage and answer the same following questions.

Who is the mentor? Who is the mentee? What is the mentor telling the mentee? Why do you think the advice that is given is good? Alternatively, why do you think the advice that is given is bad? Are there any clarifying questions you need answered? (READ John 11:45-53)

“Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.

But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.

Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs.

“If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,

nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”

Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,

and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.”

One of the things I believe is that the things that are not of God are designed by the devil to be a counterfeit. Counterfeit means it might almost look the same, or it might sound almost the same or have a similar feel. But ultimately one is a knock off of the other, the counterfeit is often easier to get your hands on, but it comes with major consiquences.

Where there is a heaven, there is a hell. Where there is life, there is death. Where there is light, there is darkness. The same is off the fruits of the spirit where there is love the counterfeit is hate. Where there is joy there is anguish as a counterfeit. Where there is peace, fear tries to counterfeit it.

Mentors are the same, and they show their successes through the fruit of the spirit or the counterfeit of those fruits.

Here is the final exercise. I want you to

Read both stories now. Side by side. What are the differences? What are the fruits in both situations? Why do the mentors react the way they do in both situations? And how are the mentees being encouraged? (READ Matthew 16:1-12 and John 11:45-53).