Perhaps, the biggest challenge to any disciple is how to teach, model, and encourage those people he is discipling to work and apply what he is teaching them. And I’m pretty sure, this is the struggle by most disciplers. I’m definitely not an exemption. It’s the idea of “teaching to reliable men who are able to teach others” (2 Tim.2:2) that makes discipleship a harder task. Teaching is the easy part. But finding and building up reliable men who are able to teach others is a hard find.
These people can be hard to find, but it’s not impossible. Some people is like a box that needs to be unlocked. When it opens, you’ll see what’s inside the box. But then again, opening the box was never easy.
Yesterday, I attended a baptism event. It’s a joint baptism of 3 Churches whose pastors are some of the people that I am training, ministering, and working with. It was an overwhelming feeling to see the disciples become disciplers, pursuing God’s calling despite the limitations.
Ptr Vince Teaching Baptism
Ptr Orly Baptizing one of the new believers
We baptized 16 new believers yesterday. About 6 people comes from the new mission point that we are working on and soon will start a new house Church and will be named “Lighthouse Christian Ministry – Tinago, Merida”. Another soon to be born Church waiting for delivery.
Some insights
Going back in our passage in 2 Timothy 2:1-7, it’s quite interesting how Paul encouraged Timothy in the way how he should serve God. He used some metaphors:
As a good soldier of Christ – A good soldier will not only obey his commanding officer, but will try his best to please him and carry out the task that was given. He does get entangled with civilian affairs rather, his focus is to the completion of the mission set for him.
This is the kind of obedience that is expected to every worker of the Lord. We only do the things that pleases the Lord, obeying his commands and carrying the mission of spreading the gospel, and discipling people.
As an athlete – Paul emphasized here about competing “by the rules”. As an athlete, we ought to compete by the rules or else we will be disqualified. Even if it seemed that we have defeated other competitors but if we did not played by the rules, we will be disqualified and most likely will not be allowed to enter in the competition again.
We are like an athlete where we compete for victor’s crown. That’s our goal, to win the race. But winning the race is bound by the rules. And so we cannot afford to be disqualified.
As a hardworking farmer – This is the last metaphor that Paul used. We ought to be like farmers. We plant, nurture and harvest. We plant the gospel seeds, we nurture it and the person to whom we planted the seed, and then in proper time there will be a harvest.
“First to receive a share of the crops” may refer to whatever blessings of sufferings for Jesus sake. While some people also believes that it refers to the benefit of salvation of the Lord, while others view it as a material provision, while some view it as harvest of converts (NIV Study Bible).
In verse 7, “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight to all this.” Then, it’s what we need to do now.
