The Goal is Whole: Empower Others E3: Plans, People and Prayers

FULL STUDY:

“Freely you received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)

In the Vision we discourage rigid methodologies, but rather promote a growth plan centered on a lifestyle of receiving and giving. We receive, learn, grow, and develop, and then we help others receive, learn, grow and develop. But this is not a linear plan, because we are all constantly receiving and giving, both learning and helping others grow. It is an organic community, with the life of the Holy Spirit flowing through. Jesus is always building His church!

The Vision plan promotes strong community, but also encourages actively learning from others more mature around us. This can be a kind of mentoring, or relationship-based discipleship:

“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 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.” (2 timothy 2:1-2)

Notice the multiplication in that exhortation. It is not just take what you heard from me and teach others, but rather, take what you heard from me and teach others that will go on to teach others also. Faithful people. We will be looking specifically at faithfulness tomorrow.

If you are fairly new to new creation life, you might like to ask someone to help you grow. Look for people that carry a strong sense of the presence of Jesus, and have a degree of maturity already. A good test is the “follow me” test, as Paul expressed it:

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)

It’s sometimes a good idea to meet regularly with one or more people like this, whose hearts are strongly motivated to help you grow in new creation life, embracing the presence of Jesus. Just being around them can cause an impartation and an increase in your personal zeal.

We see with Paul that his mentoring of Timothy was not just teaching Timothy through his words, but rather Timothy observing his whole life:

“Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!” (2 Timothy 3:10-11)

Being around people of faith, people who walk closely with Jesus, is His way of us growing quickly ourselves. This is how Paul expressed this to the Corinthians, again contrasting his approach with that of simply “teaching”. His analogy was one of being a father to a son, more than a tutor to a student. Of course, God Himself is THE Father, and we are all brothers, but it is an expression of nurture:

“I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.” (1 Corinthians 4:14-17)

Notice how Paul had his “ways” that he taught everywhere in every church. These are the life lessons from years of service. Such people are invaluable.

Properly translated, this verse from Hebrews also carries this same thought:

“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8-9)

The root of the word translated “led” is those who have “gone ahead” of you. In other words, we are to be impacted positively by those who have experiences in Christ beyond our own, who share the word of God with us (this is a good test of a worthy candidate). The writer’s exhortation to “imitate their faith” is explained by the verse that follows, Jesus is always the same. So, as we learn from those who have walked with Him, we will find that He is still the same, so that the life of faith they enjoy can be ours too!

As we learn from others, our purpose is fruitfulness, opening opportunities in turn for others to learn from us too. “Freely receive, freely give”. The focus always is Jesus, as He begins to stir within us that desire to help others flourish. It becomes part of our walk with Him. We don’t have to learn a curriculum or enroll people in a class, this is about shared life.

Let us always remember that a mentor or spiritual father's role is to lift up, encourage, and support, and be an example of maturity in Jesus in all aspects of life. Discipleship is never an attitude of lording it over anyone, or creating any kind of relationship where personal obedience is implied or taught. As Jesus stated:

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)

Peter explained this in the sense of eldership too:

“Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:2-35)

The other very strong part the spiritual father figure can play in helping others grow, is praying for them. And in this we find another key to multiplication, just as Jesus demonstrated in His prayer for His disciples. First, He states:

“I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours.” (John 17:9)

Jesus is keenly focused just on “those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours”. How clear that is! In this, even Jesus didn’t claim that His disciples were His. He was nurturing them for the Father. Similarly, as we have seen, we have a heart to nurture those wanting to grow, into a deeper personal walk with Jesus, rather than with us.

As we pray for those we encourage, our primary emphasis is that they grow into the fullness of the new creation life. Take time to review the prayers of Paul in Ephesians 1:15-23, Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 1:9-11, and Colossians 1:9-12. Some powerful phrases in those prayers include:

1. The eyes of the heart becoming enlightened to know:
   1. The hope of His calling
   2. The riches of the glory of the inheritance
   3. The surpassing greatness of His power
2. Being strengthened with His power within
3. Knowing the love of Christ
4. Being filled up with all the fullness of God
5. Having love abounding
6. Approving things that are excellent
7. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness
8. Being filled with the knowledge of His will
9. Walking in a manner worthy of the Lord
10. Bearing fruit in every good work
11. Increasing in the knowledge of God
12. Being strengthened with all power for steadfastness, patience, and joyfulness

Investment in prayer of this kind can transform a person’s life. But it doesn’t end there. Remember, as fruit starts to manifest in that person’s life, so the nurturing increasingly turns to encouraging them to nurture others also. Jesus went on to include this also in His prayer:

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:20-21)

Jesus extended His prayer from just praying for those He had been “given”, to those who would believe in Him through their word.

A true nurturer, helping someone grow in Jesus, focuses also on praying for those the person is seeking to impact themselves. By including that next step, the forming of a multiplication plan comes into view. If you are focused on helping someone grow or begin to soon, ask about those that the person has on their heart. Pray for them by name!

Let’s close by remembering the strong purpose in building unity. Jesus’ goal in praying for His disciples, and those they would reach, is simply, “that they may all be one.”

Growth relationships happen best as part of a vibrant community that is following Jesus together. God bless you! As you walk with Jesus, and encourage others to do the same, so fruitfulness and multiplication will follow. This is all part of INN-life!