The Search For A Mentor

Series: A Disciple-Making Mindset (Part 1: Being A Disciple)

Titus 2:1-8

Thesis: Having a disciple-making mindset begins with not only knowing what it means to make disciples, but what it means to be one of those disciples.

Tonight, we’re going to explore what it looks like to find a mentor through asking a series of questions and providing answers to them

Introduction

Recap:

The church is the visible, local congregation of believers that form the community of reconciliation

Reconciliation with God is God removing rebellious and sinful man’s enmity toward Himself (BKC, 568)

The ministry of reconciliation is serving those around us by sharing the message of reconciliation with them

Sharing the Gospel with the lost

Practicing forgiveness of others (believers and unbelievers)

When thinking about mentorship, there are some questions we first have to ask and answer?

What is a mentor?

What am I looking for?

Is it wisdom, or just someone to listen to my problems?

What is the kind of wisdom I’m looking for? How should I get this wisdom?

What is my role (mentor or mentee)?

Who should it be?

Where should they come from?

How many should I have?

Whereas these are all valid questions, they require specific answers, and tonight we’re going to answer some of these question under two categories of people:

Those Responsible To Teach Wisdom (v. 1-3)

Background:

Titus travelled with Paul and Timothy for a while and after they dropped Timothy off in Ephesus Paul dropped Titus off in Crete to provide leadership to it’s churches

The Bible Knowledge Commentary Introduction

- The

(reference this before saying what’s next) Miles Hannan - Men’s Bible Study this morning

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

We see here that knowledge begins with “the fear of the Lord” - being in awe of Who God is and the deeds He has done

Proper view of God’s “awesomeness”

We want to increase in our knowledge/understanding of God (knowing His awesomeness). We also want to increase in our wisdom in the Lord, which is what we’re going to be focusing on for a minute

What is the wisdom they are teaching? Is it, application of what we learn from God about His awesomeness…?

What is this wisdom, this application of knowledge?

Exemplified in this passage

Exemplified in the life of believers around you (“let’s paint a picture together”)

Spiritual milestones in your life (be personal - salvation, baptism, being discipled, being called to ministry)

I know I should be in awe of God in light of events that happen - when people are saved, baptized [this can help them picture what it looks like to be in awe of God] - Noah Blount

Wisdom is living out biblical principles, not just out of obligation, but out of love for God, and when those principles are lived out in the life of the believer they are putting on display the character traits listed here in Titus 2.

What is a mentor? (Let’s look at what Paul told Titus)

Paul first encouraged Titus to teach what is fitting (what is suitable - LK, 509) for sound doctrine

Titus, as a young ministry leader, had a responsibility to teach this to all of the older and younger believers in Crete

Titus, despite his age, was tasked with training up believers - not exactly the same idea of mentorship that we’re talking about because he was teaching this to all members of the church - and what this teaches us is that age is not necessarily the main factor in determining spiritual maturity. Age should play a factor, as in the older should naturally be wiser than the younger and therefore be able to teach them these things, but do not let your age stop you from making disciples yourself (we’ll talk about that more in the coming weeks)

1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”

Older Men:

Temperate (sober) - restraint from indulging in your desires (LK, 509)

Dignified - honorable; worthy of respect (Logos Word Study)

Sensible - self-controlled (Logos Word Study)

Where else have we seen “self-control?” It’s one of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5

Sound (accurate - Logos Word Study) in:

Faith - trust in God

Love - not just love of God and people, but an active display of the same type of love God has for us and believers have for each other (Who can tell me what kind of love that is? What does it mean?)

Perseverance - steadfastness; “the power to withstand hardship or stress;” patience (Logos Word Study)

Older Women:

Reverent in their behavior - respectful

Not malicious gossips - not practicing evil speech about or towards anyone

Not enslaved to much wine

Enslaved - be under obligation

Not controlled by alcohol

Teach what is good

Teach - not formal instruction, rather advice and encouragement given privately by word and example (LK, 509-10)

Encourage the young women - train (Bible notes)

“so that” (v. 4)

Young Women:

Two parts: (1) What the wives and mothers are to be, and (2) what they are to do

Love their husbands

Love their children

Rightly practicing familial love (rooted in the Greek word φιλὲω - brotherly love)

Be sensible - self-controlled

Pure - uncorrupted (LK, 510; Logos Word Study)

Workers at home - fulfilling part of their role as wives, being homemakers

Proverbs 14:1 “The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.”

Kind - good

Being subject to their own husbands - fulfilling part of their role as wives

“so that the word of God will not be dishonored”

Dishonored - to blaspheme; slander (Logos Word Study; LK, 510)

“Likewise”

Young Men:

Sensible - self-controlled (Logos Word Study)

An example of good deeds - living out their walk with Jesus

Purity in doctrine - uncorrupted doctrine

Dignified - honorable; worthy of respect (Logos Word Study)

Sound in speech beyond reproach - appropriate in word without blame of misuse of language (words, phrases, improper jokes, etc.)

Application:

What is a mentor?

A mature believer teaching a less mature believer how to walk in godliness through word and action

What am I looking for? More specifically, what should I be looking for?

Someone of the same gender displaying these character traits through word and action

There is a time for us to be the younger believer and there is a time for us to be the older believer. This process creates a pattern in the church - the younger age become the older to teach the next generation of the younger and then they become the older, and so on and so forth

All you do is listen…

This brings us to the second category of people

Those Responsible To Take Wisdom (v. 4-8)

Proverbs 19:20 “Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days.”

Describe what the taking looks like:

Bad Example:

Adam and Eve taking wanting to know good and evil but taking it improperly (Gen. 3 - eating the fruit against God’s command)

The people at Mount Sinai went to the mountain with Moses, but they stopped and made another god while Moses was up with God

Good Example:

Timothy and Titus taking Paul’s council as a pastor and a church leader

The taking of wisdom is taking from Christ’s followers not from the experiences of life

Proverbs 14:27 “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death.”

What is this kind of wisdom?

Wisdom is living out biblical principles not just out of obligation, but out of love for God, and when those principles are lived out in the life of the believer they are putting on display the character traits listed here in Titus 2.

What am I looking for? (self-reflective question)

We have to ask ourselves, when it comes to searching for a mentor, what we really desire - Is it wisdom? Or just someone to listen to my problems and make me feel better? A good mentor doesn’t always make you feel better… (they will encourage you, but they will point out sin in your life and give you honest feedback about your walk with Christ and give you truth about advice you may ask them)

What is my role as someone being discipled (mentee)?

Very simply put… Listen to your mentor!

Don’t live and die by every word they say, but heed their wisdom - it is the wisdom you asked for…

You gain wisdom two ways:

Listening to God

God will always speak to yo through His Word, through prayer, and through the direction of the Holy Spirit

Listening to Your Mentor

You can’t gain wisdom from older men or women if you don’t listen to them

James 1:19 “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;”

Don’t be angry with them for telling you what you asked (needed) to hear and not what you wanted to hear

I don’t want to be someone who disrupts the pattern of reproduction of discipleship in the church

Application:

“so that” (v. 8)

The opponent (those against Christians) would have no ammunition for their attacks, and when they do try and say something against believers they would be ashamed because they would have to lie about it

Our role is clearly defined as being those who need to listen to those who have gone before us… (they know more we do)

Conclusion

Paul ends chapter 2 by writing this to Titus

Titus 2:15 “These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 2:15

Paul told him to teach these … things, i.e., the specific aspects of godly behavior listed in [these] verses

One final, closing question to answer:

What is the purpose of finding a mentor?

So that one day we can become like the older men and women, exemplifying the Gospel with our lives (growth as a believer)

To continue the pattern of discipleship in the church

Close…

“Amen? Let’s go? Northside? Joshwelle, come show us our symbol!”

Announcements:

Northside Unlimited and Student Ministry buddy on Wednesdays from 6:20pm-8pm

Leading Worship in the Kid’s Church on Sunday AM at 10:30am

Volleyball signups tonight

Tournament begins next Thursday, Sept. 18

Sept. 25 - Next Meal

Sat., Sept. 27 - First Tailgate Hangout

Begin at 6pm and go through the end of the GA vs AL game

I encourage you to bring a “gameday” food with you