Passing the Leadership Baton

A Final Charge to Timothy

10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse,deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
As Paul finishes his letter to Timothy he gives him a final charge.  He starts with his own example and how he shared his life with Timothy.  What a great description of leadership development.  Timothy learned from Paul what a man of God looks like.  Paul demonstrated what a disciple of Christ looks like from his teaching, his life, and his purpose which was lived out in the face of severe persecution.  As Paul passes the leadership torch to Timothy there is nothing in Paul's life that he has kept from Timothy.  Timothy has been fully trained and prepared to lead like Paul did. 
Often in the church we fail to train leaders.  Pastors leave churches without training a successor. People are given leadership positions without being mature in their Christian faith. The church suffers because of it.  Christian leadership begins with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Jesus is our true leader.  We learn from him and model our lives after his servant form of leadership.  But God brings other mature people into our lives to be a model of the godly life in Christ Jesus. 
These principles hold true for all who claim to follow Christ.  Though not are all called to be leaders or pastors, we are all called to lay down our lives to follow Christ.  And to grow to Christ-like maturity everyone needs mentors that pour into their lives like Paul did with Timothy.  If the church is to continue to grow, we are going to need more training like Paul has given Timothy.  Do you have a Paul in your life?  Do you have a Timothy?  If not why not?

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