Mentoring The Next Generation: Be a Barnabas!

THE CHURCH NEEDS LEADERS TO BECOME MENTORS!

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OUR CURRENT PROBLEM:

The Western Church is producing less ministers of the Gospel than at anytime in the last 500 years.

Every denomination is the West has been struck by this.

Even independent fellowships like ours need to be producing more pastors, planters, and ministers if we want to grow and survive into the future.

GOD HAS A BUILT MECHANISM IN ALL HE HAS CREATED TO SUSTAIN AND GROW -

Genesis 1:28 NASB95

God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 1:11–13 NASB95

Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

EVERYTHING GOD CREATED IS BUILT TO REPRODUCE AFTER IT’S OWN KIND!

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MENTORSHIP IS THE NATURAL ORDER OF REPRODUCING AFTER OUR OWN KIND.

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LOOK AT PAUL

God brought about his Spiritual new birth - Road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-9)

God began his learning process and healing process through His Church body. (Acts 9:10-19)

Saul was called and gifted by God to be an Apostle of Christ but he needed a mentor to grow and mature into his calling.

Acts 9:26–27 NASB95

When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

There would be no Paul if there was no Barnabas!

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MENTORSHIP TAKES 5 MOVEMENTS

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DISCERNMENT AND COURAGE.

You have to discern the call of God in unlikely people.

My pastor discerned it in a drug addict - me.

It takes courage because these people are often messy, young in the faith and in age.

They often seem like more trouble than they are worth.

The Church was scared of Paul, Barnabas saw the Spirit of God and the Gifts of the Spirit in Paul.

You will never find what you are not looking for.

Humming birds find nectar, vultures find dead animals.

Pastors looking to find trouble in people will always find it.

Pastors looking to find Paul’s to mentor will always find them.

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INITIATION:

After discernment their needs to be a time where the mentor and mentored grow in appreciation for one another.

The mentor recognizes the call of the student and appreciates it.

The mentored sees the mentor as an example who can protect and guide the student.

The mentor bring the student into their ministry life and has them follow and learn.

Acts 11:21–26 NASB95

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Barnabas went to get Paul after he was gone for 3 years.

Barnabas lead the initial mission with Paul acting as the sidekick and student.

Paul followed Barnabas, saw ministry and power of the HS in action.

Barnabas and Paul took an offering to the Judean church from the Gentiles.

DURING THIS TIME PAUL LEARNED 2 IMPORTANT APOSTOLIC LESSONS.

How to minister to the spiritual needs of the people

2. The need to minister to the physical needs of the people.

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CULTIVATION

During this time the emerging leader feel stretched and amazed at all they were able to accomplish; the mentor feels a deep satisfaction knowing they have positively influenced the emerging leader.

In the first missions trip Barnabas is leading and Paul is watching.

Barnabas feels it is time to push Paul into the deep end and allow God’s gifts to begin to flourish.

Acts 13:9–12 NASB95

But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? “Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

Acts 13:15–16 NASB95

After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, “Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:

The mentor here is willing to take organizational risks for the benefit of the emerging leader.

This is a time of deep faith for the mentor, faith in God’s call and gifts in the emerging leader and faith the emerging leader will humbly learn and not get puffed up in pride.

Barnabas was willing to suppress the need to always lead.

from 13-15 Barnabas is mentioned first 4 times, Paul 2 times.

The mentor is leading and then stepping back allowing the emerging leader to grow and mature.

The Lesson here is the leader needs to fall back and give the emerging leader the opportunity to lead under a watchful eye.

If Barnabas needed to step in, he was right there ready to do it.

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SEPARATION

THIS MAY BE THE MOST PAINFUL POINT BUT IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

An awareness that the relationship is no longer as fruitful as it once was.

This can happen in a structural way or through a fall-out of relationships.

The emerging leader is excited and nervous about being out from under the wing of the mentor.

The mentor will often have

The mentor will also feel a sense of loss and will often need to find a new person to mentor and restart the process.

Acts 15:36–41 NASB95

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

The separation does not have to be a falling out but there must be an understanding that full growth in the emerging leader will take a separation .

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REDEFINITION

This is the time when the relationship is redefined from a mentoring relationship to a peer to peer relationship.

After the separation the relationship will need to be redefined by both members.

While the relationship of Paul and Barnabas came to an abrupt end, the Scriptures show hints that a deep respect for each other still existed.

Barnabas a John Mark - went to Cyrus and ministered.

Paul and Silas to Syria and Cillcia.

Later Paul called for John Mark to come help him realizing the benefit of JM and the mentorship he was under with Barnabas.

2 Timothy 4:11 NASB95

Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

If the separation phase is down on time and with respect, redefining the relationship is often one of joy.

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PAUL LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM BARNABAS INCLUDING THE NEED TO MENTOR.

2 Timothy 2:2 NASB95

The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Paul went on to mentor

Timothy

Silvanus

and Titus.

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BEHIND EVERY PAUL THERE IS A BARNABAS!

If the world needs more church planters, more pastors, more missionaries, then the church planters, pastors, and missionaries need more Barnabas’s.

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Discern - Go find younger people you can mentor in your church

Initiate the relationship - Begin to meet them on the regular and speak into their lives. Point out the gifts you see in them, prophecy over them, and let them follow you in ministry.

Cultivate - Give them opportunities to grow in their gifts. Step back and let them do the work of the ministry under your watchful and protective care. Have their back, correct, and encourage, and do not let others stomp out God’s call on their lives.

Separate - When it becomes obvious that the relationship has changed and it is time for them and you to move away from mentoring, be the one who suggests they set sail. Give permission when the time is right for them to go. Don’t wait for a fall-out.

Redefine the relationship - The likely hood is you will not be best friends, but partners in ministry even from a distance is the goal.

Then like Barnabas go find a John Mark and repeat the process over and over again.

If you will mentor them and send them, you will create a mentoring DNA that will be passed from generation to generation - You will have been fruitful and multiplied after your own kind.