LEADERSHIP TRAINING JESUS STYLE

Notes by: Rick Sink

SUPERVISION

It was extremely important that Jesus follow up on the disciples missions. After their return they would all come together to share what they had experienced. This was a time He could help them understand the reason for some previous action or get them ready for another tour of duty. His questions, warnings, and admonitions were set in place to bring to light those things they needed to know to fulfill His work, which was evangelizing the world.

Mark 6:30-31

 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." NIV

Luke 9:10

 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida…, NIV

These meetings appear to be prearranged so the field assignment can be discussed and training continued. These gatherings provided rest for the body and soul, and allowed a time to discuss what worked and what didn’t.

Jesus kept a constant check on the disciples. Their success was vital in all that was accomplished and their confidence building was a necessity. They were about to be yoked with a world wide evangelistic responsibility.

JESUS was pleased in what he saw in his disciples.

Luke 10:17-22

 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." 21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 22 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." NIV

This is what Jesus was working for all this time, now he was beginning to see the fruit of his labor.

He was constantly in the training mode:

Luke10:20

 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

He was cautioning them to not get prideful.

REVIEW AND APPLICATION

As he reviewed some experience which the disciples had, he would bring out some practical application of it to their lives.

EXAMPLE:

Mark 9:14-29

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

16 "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.

17 A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."

19 "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered. 22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

23 "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." 24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer. NIV

Jesus had been away with Peter, James and John. And he of course took care of the situation at hand. Afterwards, in the privacy of group Jesus instructed and explained procedure. LET’S LOOK FARTHER:

Mark 9:33-35

 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?"  34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." NIV

PATIENCE TRAINING

One of the most penetrating of the Lord’s correctional lectures following the disciple’s activity was in connection with their attitude toward others in the work who were not members of the apostolic company.

Mark 9:38-41

 "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." 39 "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. NIV

Then making his point apply more generally to all innocent people, especially children, he went on to say,

Mark 9:42

"On the other hand, if you give one of these simple, childlike believers a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you'll soon wish you hadn't. You'd be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck.

(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

On other trips the disciples encountered some resistance to their work on assignment in Samaria. Reacting impulsively to destroy the people, they wanted to call down fire from heaven (Luke 9:51-54). But, Jesus standing near by corrected them and used it to instruct. “ You don’t know what spirit you are of, I did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.

Then he showed his disciples how they might solve this kind of problem and went to another village.

CONCLUSION:

He kept after them constantly, giving them increasingly more attention as his ministry on earth came to a close. He would not let them rest in success or in failure. No mater what they did there was more to do and learn.

The important thing about all this supervisory work of Jesus was that he kept the disciples going on toward the goal he had set for them. He did not expect more than they could do, but he did expect their best, and this he expected always to be improved as they grew in knowledge and grace. His plan of teaching, by example, assignment, and constant checkup, was calculated to bring out the best that was in them.

(Some notes were compiled from “The Master Plan of Evangelism” by Robert E. Colman)

Rick Sink