How Do You Prepare God’s People For Works of Service? Part II
- Question: How do you “prepare God’s people for works of service”?
I never thought this way before, but maybe one reason for Jesus to send disciples out in pairs was that one disciple was “equipping” the other “to serve” others by first “serving” the one with them by example. What better way to teach “serving” than by leading by example and serving the one with you. There is power in standing beside someone who is older in the Lord, more mature in the Spirit, and “experience” with them the power of their spiritual walk and journey.
As a 24 year old, I had the opportunity to walk with a man through the streets of my city. Growing up in a conservative, plain dressed, religious community of faith who believed their lifestyle was their witness, I did not know how to verbalize my faith and “birth” others into the kingdom of God, called evangelism. I use to watch in awe as he would lead others into the kingdom. I have used some of his techniques throughout my life to “birth” others into this kingdom. I am eternally grateful that I got to stand beside this man and learn by his example of “doing it”, not just talking about it.
Jesus led by example, with usually another disciple by his side watching everything he did. He didn’t teach “about” healing; he just healed. His disciples “experienced” the power of healing literally right before their eyes. He didn’t teach “about” God’s, his Father’s, provisions; he just fed the 5,000. He later had to discuss the principles of the kingdom with them to enhance their understanding of what they had seen and experienced. Although he often spoke in parables that only were understood by the power and openness to the Holy Spirit, it was the doing, the actually playing out before his disciples that proved the most effective way to teach.
Paul and Barnabas were sent out together. Barnabas, the older of the two, was known as “the encourager”, just the person needed to balance Pau’s intense personality. Later Paul would take Mark, Timothy, and others with him, now as the elder, teaching the younger how to advance the kingdom of God.
If we, the Church, are to “equip” or “prepare the saints for service”, maybe we should “pair up” with another Christian for a season to learn from them by experiencing daily activities in life’s journey or to pour into someone else’s spiritual life preparing them for the future. The price: our time, our availability, our dedication, our unselfish giving, and our unconditional love.
When Jesus paired up the 70 to prepared towns before he would come to them, the results were astounding as Jesus literally saw satan falling from heaven. There is power in preparation, and we must begin to prepare those younger in the Christian faith than ourselves by walking beside them, teaching them what we know through example and experience, equipping them for their life long spiritual journey. That is the principle of power pairing in the kingdom of God.