M&A #7

Mentoring Like The Master
And apprenticing like His disciples

We've looked through the Old Testament so far to find examples of mentor/apprentice relationships.  In the Old Testament, we've found several great examples to help understand and utilize the mentor/apprentice relaionship going forward. Now we turn to the New Testament.  What can we learn from this Testament about being a mentor and/or an apprentice?  We start with the Master:

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of a successful mentor.  His training techniques got the most out of his disciples and equipped them to be successful after he ascended into heaven. He used a variety of methods to train his followers, but all of these methods can be organized into three specific techniques:

1. Action

Christ rarely started a dialogue without first acting so as to set-up the lesson.  At the Sermon on the Mount, he climbed the mountain before he said a word.  This showed his followers the value of sacrifice for revelation.  Christ didn't just use his actions to set up lessons, though.  Often, he did it personally with those in need and sent them on their way afterwards.  This showed his followers that their actions were not about receiving accolades.  He showed them their actions were only to help others and propel the gospel.  It is this mindset that would result in selfless acts throughouth the book of Acts and beyond.

2. Teaching

Christ was a man of action, but he was also a man or words.  There is rarely a scene depicted in the life of Christ where he does not say something profound or meaningful.  He was prepared to speak his ministry at dinner tables, in synagogues, on plains and on fishing boats.  What's more, Christ wasn't locked into one method of speaking.  He knew that he had a diverse audience, even amongst the Jews.  He spoke in parables, plain speach, scriptures and prayers.  It showed his disciples that they had to be versatile in their approach while maintaing a consistent message.  His disciples would perform this task admirably when they brought the message of Christ to multiple nations and various cultures.

3. Opportunity

Christ wasn't trying to do it all himself.  He provided multiple opportunities for his disciples to get involved in his ministry.  This included running errands, getting resources necessary for ministry, bringing people to Christ to be healed and actually going out and ministering while under the direct tutelage of Christ.  He didn't let them go around and do their own thing, but Christ offered his disciple ample opportunities for his followers to succeed before they ever had to do so on their own.  It was this training that gave them the boldness when the time came for them to stand on their own.

Tying them all together

We must have this system in place when we mentor our apprentices. Their must be action taken that shows the apprentice the power of God and the effectiveness of ministry, but it also must be backed up with teaching that relates to the apprentice and explains what is happening clearly. Their also must be opportunities given for that apprentice to succeed, though the mentor should be wise in when and where to allow those opportunities.

As apprentices, we must pay close attention to what our mentors are doing. Their actions can be a testimony to us when we break out on our own. We must also be open to their teachings, but not affraid to ask for clarification when we don't understand. After all, when they are gone, it will be us teaching those messages. We better know what they are saying before we get to that point. Finally, when the opportunities arise to do something, we need to seize them, but not to be overzealous. The mentor will know when the opportunity is right for us.

---

Mentor

• Start doing things that example God and His Kingdom in front of your apprentice(s)

• Figure out the best way to teach your apprentice by learning about your apprentice and observing how they receive and retain information

• Give them opportunities to go out and be successful in Christ, but bring them back in to discuss and train how to do better next time

Apprentice

• Observe every action your mentor takes.  Figure out what they do that makes them successful and emulate it.

• Ask questions when you don't understand something your mentor says and trust that they will retell it in a way that you understand

• Take on the opportunities that your mentor gives you and be willing to take feedback when you return from that opportunity.

Next week we look at how the men Christ mentored fared when they got the opportunity to be mentors.  Thanks for joining us in this weeks Service.  Visit us on our Facebook to get the updates on the website as they occur.