So Elijah went from there (Cave on Mount Horeb) and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother good by,” he said, “and then I will come back to you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and become his attendant. 1Kings 19:19-21
Three roles of relationship?
1. Who are you following?
- Elijah is going to mentor Elisha over the next 7 years.
- Elisha gives himself completely to Elijah’s leadership. He slaughters and burns his present situation so he cannot stay or return.
- Are we willing to pay the cost of discipleship or will you make an excuse?
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62
2. Who are you leading?
- Elijah = My Lord is God
- Elisha = My God saves
- What is discipleship? In Rabbinical teaching: 1.) Submit to teacher 2.) Memorize the Teacher’s Words 3.) Learn & Imitate Teacher 4.) Disciple Another
- What is the process?
- What is the progress?
- Transformation = long range change into his likeness
Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
3. Who are you walking with?
- God gave lonely Elijah a friend
- No one walks alone
God sets lonely in the family. Psalm 68:8
EVALUATION TIME:
Who are you following? (Who is discipling you?)
Who are you leading? (Who are you discipling?)
Who are you walking with? (Doing spiritual life with?)
Are you follower of Jesus?
Are you growing in your faith?
Pastor Todd THANKS!
In the recent past at the Mount I was very blessed to have recieved a wonderful lady as mentor and friend. Your messages these past few Sundays have really spoken to me in terms of dicipleship, and mentoring. I am not a baby chrsitian, but one that sometimes allows life’s busy-ness to trap me in a place where I can sometimes feel isolated in “things to do” in life and not being able to delegate time to properly study and read as I should. BUT RECENTLY….. I have been very diligent these past few weeks with my study and realizing that being bottle fed by you every Sunday has helped(!) I realize now as I should have on my own, that the only way to get the truth is to pray for understanding, continue to read and study on my own, and simply hear and do what God calls us to do! Thanks again Pastor, you are such a blessing to us at the Mount!