{"id":3759,"date":"2015-10-22T00:01:11","date_gmt":"2015-10-22T07:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/?p=3759"},"modified":"2015-10-21T22:45:37","modified_gmt":"2015-10-22T05:45:37","slug":"3759","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/2015\/10\/22\/3759\/","title":{"rendered":"10\/22: Pass On the Baton (\u8bd7119:81-88 \u63d0\u540e1:1-18 \u803648:1-49:6)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u8bfb\u7ecf\uff1a\u8bd7119:81-88 \u63d0\u540e1:1-18 \u803648:1-49:6<\/h2>\n

Pass On the Baton<\/h2>\n
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\u2018Great leaders all have one thing in common. They know that acquiring and keeping good people is a leader\u2019s most important task\u2019, writes John Maxwell in his book, Developing the Leaders Around You<\/em>. He urges his readers, \u2018Find the best people you can, then develop them into the best leaders they can be.\u2019<\/p>\n

Paul is condemned and in a dark, dank dungeon with just a hole in the ceiling for light and air. He is in \u2018chains\u2019 (2 Timothy 1:16), \u2018like a criminal\u2019 (2:9). He is lonely, bored and cold (4:9\u201313). Death is inevitable. According to tradition, he was condemned to die by beheading under Nero\u2019s persecution.<\/p>\n

This is probably the last letter Paul wrote. Paul chose to write to an individual rather than to a church. Timothy was a leader whom Paul had found, trained and developed. Paul is probably in his sixties and Timothy in his early thirties.<\/p>\n

As Paul becomes aware that he is handing on the gospel to the next generation, his greatest concern is that Timothy should guard it (1:11\u201314). The older I get, the more I appreciate the wisdom of the generations before me and the more I realise the responsibility we have to pass the baton on to the next generation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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1. The right foundation for the next generation<\/h2>\n

Psalm 119:81-88<\/a>This psalm is both a personal reflection on life and also a resource produced by the psalmist to help others build their lives and leadership on the right foundation.<\/p>\n

In particular, he sets an example of faith in God\u2019s word: \u2018I have put my hope in your word\u2026 All your commands are trustworthy\u2026 I have not forsaken your precepts\u2019 (vv.81b,86a,87b).<\/p>\n

Lord, help me to be faithful in spite of all the \u2018pitfalls\u2019 (v.85) and persecutions (v.86). Help me to do all I can to train up the next generation of leaders.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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2. The way to develop the next generation<\/h2>\n

2 Timothy 1:1-18<\/a>All of us can have spiritual children<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Paul probably had no natural children but he had spiritual children<\/em>. He describes Timothy as \u2018my dear son<\/em>\u2019 (v.2). He had led him to faith in the Lord (Acts 16:1\u20132). For fifteen years Timothy had been Paul\u2019s companion and had accompanied him on his second and third missionary journeys (Romans 16:21; 1 Thessalonians 3:2 and Philippians 2:19\u201320). Now Timothy is in a position of leadership in Ephesus.<\/p>\n

Paul mentored, trained and discipled Timothy and passed wisdom on to him. He sets a model and example of what we should do to develop the next generation of leaders.<\/p>\n