Playing The Supporting Role In Someones Life Story Series

I was reading about a Pastor one Sunday that had a lady leaving out of the church that said: “Pastor, that was a model sermon.” The Pastor felt pretty good about the statement until he got home and looked up the word “model” in the dictionary and read this: “Model, a small imitation of the real thing.”

In life we need models; we need role models that can do more than give us sermons; we need people who live out the calling of being a role model.

Paul saw the importance of real mentors and role models in our lives and the church and took on that calling himself as he said to one of the churches that he helped establish in Corinth saying: “Follow my example as I follow Christ.”

He literally was saying: “Follow the leader.” Following the leader is much more than a child’s game; it is a Kingdom mandate for our growth and transformation as Christians.”

Do you have a role model? If so, who is it?

Transition:

As we take our next steps as we study Paul’s letter to Pastor Titus who was establishing churches in Crete he compels him to “appoint elders” that would serve as role models and leaders in the church.

These leaders would lead the churches in love and influence.

We learn a lot about the importance of this type of influence as we see qualifications for these types of leaders. Why should our mentors and leaders meet a Biblical criterion for us to adopt them and accept their leadership in our life.

The qualifications set forth explains why. Let’s think about this deeply today as we seek out and identify the personal leaders and role models that we want to mimic and follow.

Transitional Sentence: Why should I find a godly role model to follow? It is because:

I. My Motives Matter

vs. 5-“For this reason I left you in Crete…"

Explanation:

Paul begins by saying: “For this reason, I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains to appoint elders in every city as I directed you.”

Notice the purpose Paul communicates the reason why he left Titus in Crete. He communicates: “that you would set in order what remains to appoint elders in every city as I directed you.”

There were some things that were left undone in the churches in Crete. There were things that needed to be “set in order.”

The word “order” (Ortho) is the same word from which we get our words: Orthopedics and Orthodontist.” They help set our bones in order. Whether those bones are our Teeth or our Tibia.

Paul was saying, without Godly leaders and mentors; the church is out of order. The body of Christ needed something set in order. It needed to appoint godly leaders and role models.

One of the greatest things we are to learn from godly leaders, mentors, and role models is “the why” in life.

There is a “why” in everything you do. There is a reason “why” you get up in the morning.

There is a reason “why” you come home at night. There is a reason “why” you do everything you do.

We call this “why” in our life, our motives. Motives motivate you. They get you moving.

They create goals and objectives; they even make you who you are as a human being.

Establishing and identifying people with the right motives in life is life changing. God designed us for more than a lecture; He designed us to learn from other people in life.

Jesus modeled this best. Instead of just going to work and building the Kingdom of God on His own; He called 12 disciples that He could instruct and influence. Jesus’ number one way of changing people was to model what He taught. Discipleship was and is the number one way of growing as a Christian.

Do you have anyone that is discipling you? Who is influencing you and what type of influence are they upon you.

Whoever they are; they are transferring their worldview into your life and helping shape who you are every day.

Illustration: Are you salty?

Did you know that the oceans cover 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and that about 97% of all water on earth is “salty” or “saline water.”?

There’s a lot of salty water on earth isn’t there.

Why did God fill the world with so much salt? Salt is imperative. Your body needs it. It needs salt to cleanse and heal. Years ago, I got a splinter in my foot that I could not remove. I soaked it in salt every night until it finally the salt pulled the splinter to the surface.

Salt also preserves. Meat can be dried and salted and last for all winter.