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Sermon Notes for November 22, 2009
Sermon Series
On The Book Of Philippians
“The Absolute Necessity Of
Having A Spiritual Mentor”
Philippians 4:9
Introduction
A. The Necessity Of A Mentor
1. I play golf.
a. I did not say that “I am a golfer”
b. What I said is that “I play golf.”
1) because “true golfers” know where the ball is going after
they hit it and sometimes I don’t.
2) and the reason that golfers know where the ball is going is
that they know “how to properly hit a golf ball.”
3) you see, most golfers have had lessons; lots and lots of
lessons. In essense, real golfers have had a mentor.
4) my problem is that I am essentially “self-taught.”
a) I have had a few lessons
b) but usually I go back to my own way of
playing…and it shows.
c) when I hit a bad shot, I don’t know why I hit the bad
shot
c. Many Christians live their lives like I play golf
1) sometimes they do well: sometimes they “shoot a good
score”
2) but many times they do not do well, and they do not know
why
2. Golf is not the only area where we need to be mentored.
a. Doctors are mentored
b. mechanics are mentored
c. carpenters are mentored
d. coaches are mentored
e. my daughter, Beth, spent a week with my mother learning to cook
3. We all can use a mentor
a. as parents
b. in our marriages
B. The Necessity Of Christian Mentors
1. If we need to be mentored in other areas of our lives, WHY DOWE NOT
THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE MENTORED IN OUR
CHRISTIAN LIVES?
a. Do you believe that you know enough, on your own, to know how
to live the Christian life?
b. Do you think that you are able to read the Bible as your own and
figure it all out?
1) I assure you, if you depend on yourself only, your Christian
life will “resemble my golf game”
a) you will have some good days
b) but, then you will have a bad day and will not know
why
2) Let me encourage you NOT to make that mistake.
a) do not be “self-taught”
b)find yourself a spiritual mentor; it will make all of
the difference in the world
2. The Apostle Paul deeply believed in being a mentor
a. he, like Jesus, practiced the art of mentoring others; it was called
discipleship
b. in fact, Paul wrote one of the most used verses describing the need
to mentor, or disciple others.
c. II Timothy 2:2 – ”And the things you have heard me say in the
presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also
be qualified to teach others.”
d. today, we will CLEARLY see that, not only did Paul believe in
mentoring, he believed that he could be a mentor himself.
I.The Content Of A Christian Mentor
A. OUR Limited View Of Being A Mentor
1. Most of us, myself included, seem to view discipleship “as a course,” an
amount of information
a. that there is a “set amount of information” that must be covered
b. make a person a disciple.
c. whether it be 10 weeks, 20 weeks or 1 year
2. Then after going through the information, “you are then, a disciple”
B. PAUL’S Unlimited View OF BEING A MENTOR
Vs. 9 – “Whatever you have learned”
1. Paul’s definition of the content that he was to cover as a mentor was
WHATEVER he knew to be truth.
a. Paul did not “limit” his mentoring to a certain amount of
information
b. As far as he was concerned, it was EVERYTHING THAT HE
HAD TAUGHT THE PHILIPPIAN CHURCH.
2. Paul’s definition of the amount of this content was THE BIBLE ITSELF!
a. Acts 20:26-27 – “Therefore, I declare to you today that I am
innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to
proclaim to you the whole will of God.”
1) The “whole will of God” covered the whole of the Bible!
2) everything that the Bible had to say about EVERYTHING
b. as one has said, the Apostle Paul taught them:
1) about doctrine – salvation by grace through faith, baptism, the
Trinity, the resurrection, the second coming, original sin, the
human and divine natures of Christ, the image of God in man
2) about lifestyle – the importance of living holy and Godly lives,
obeying the law, presenting yourself as a holy sacrifice to the
Lord
3) about worship – how to conduct worship, use of members’
spiritual gifts, prayer, how to celebrate the sacraments, the
importance of giving to the Lord and His work
4) about leadership – qualifications for those in church office, the
need for order in church discipline, missions
II.The Components of a Christian Mentor
A.We Need A TEACHING mentor
Vs. 9 – “Whatever you have learned.”
1. The manualfor teaching is The Word of God.
a. this is the basis of all that we need to know as Christians.
b. But we need someone to teach it to us
1) who thinks that they are “smart enough” or “spiritual enough” to
be able to read the Bible and understand it as their own?
2) we will not be able to understand it by ourselves; WE WILL
NEED SOME INSTRUCTION!
3) I recently took a course in Digital Photography at UT
a) not only must you learn how to use a digital camera
b) you must learn how to use a computer as well
c) there were two classes of students, because one class as
not enough—I WAS NOT ALONE IN MY INABILITY
TO READ THE MANUAL.
2. The method for learning the Word is through a mentor.
a. The word “learned” in the Greek manthano, from when we get the
word mathetes – to disciple
1) in classical Greek: a man is called a mathetes when he binds
himself to someone else, in order to acquire his practices and
theoretical knowledge (i.e. a blacksmith, carpenter, Doctor) 2) in essence, Paul is saying to the Philippian church,
“Whatever you learned when I discipled you.”
3) that was what Paul considered that he was doing to the church
as Philippi – HE DISCIPLED THEM!
b. THIS WAS EXACTLY THE SAME METHOD JESUS USED WITH
HIS DISCIPLES!.
1) look at amount of time that Jesus spent with the masses
and the amount of time that Jesus spent with His disciples.
a) Scriptures reveals that there were 17
times that Jesus spent with the crowds
b) And 46 times that Jesus spent with His
disciples.
2) Apparently, Jesus, consciously intended to spend more time
individually with the twelve than he did with large groups of
people.
a) Didn’t Jesus understand that He could make a bigger
impact if He taught more people?
b) Why didn’t Jesus do everything that he could to
“create” bigger crowds to speak to?
c) Why would Jesus, who knew that he would be on this
earth a short time, spend so much time with a few
men?
d) JESUS KNEW THAT HE WAY TO MAKE THE
LONGEST AND STRONGEST IMPACT ON
THIS EARTH WAS TO POUR HIS LIFE INTO
THE LIVES OF A FEW!
e)Dr. Billy Graham, when asked a similar question,
said “If you were a pastor of a large church in a
principle city, what would be your plan of action?”,
Mr. Graham replied: “I think one of the first things I
would do would be to get a small group of eight or
ten or twelve men around me that would meet a
few hours a week and pay the price! It would cost
them something in time and effort. I would share
with them everything I have, over a period of
years. Then I would actually have twelve ministers
among the laymen who in turn could take eight or
ten or twelve more and teach them. I know one of
two churches that are doing that, and it is
revolutionizing the church. Christ, I think, set the
pattern. He spent most of His time with twelve
men. He didn’t spend it with a great crowd. In fact,
every time He had a great crowd it seems to me
that there weren’t too many results. The great
results it seems to me, came in His personal interview
and in the time He spent with His twelve.”
3. The MISTAKE we have made as a church in teaching others:
a. WHY HAVE WE NOT LEARNED FROM THE MENTORING
STYLE OF JESUS AND PAUL?
1) we tend to think that the greatest impact is made with the
biggest crowd.
2) we have bought into something that I call the “pulpit model”
a) that the best way to disciple the church is through the
pulpit.
b) Jesus did not practice that model and approach and
neither did Paul.
c) while the pulpit is absolutely essential to the church
and its growth, it is not the best way to make
disciples.
b. if the “pulpit model” truly worked, why do we see such an ineffective
church in this country?
1) 80-85% of all churches are in a decline. That’s roughly 9 out
of 10 churches
2) between 3500 and 4000 churches close each year
3) when Christian adults were asked to identify their most
important goal in life, not a single person said it was to be a
committed follower of Jesus Christ, or to make disciples for
Christ.
4)less than 1% of all believers perceive a connection between
their efforts to worship God and their development as a disciple
of Christ
c. and because most churches are depending on the “pulpit model” as the
main method of discipling, there is no real plan to disciple other than
that.
1) pollster George Barna notes:
a) that most believers state that their church does little
to help them grow as a disciple
b) few believers said that their church lacked programs,
but most Christians complained that little is done to
effectively motivate and facilitate their development
as genuine, fervent followers of Christ.
2) Thomas Rainer and Eric Geiger wrote in their book,
Simple Church, “Most churches have no clear definition of
discipling and no functional process for making disciples.”
B. We Need An UNDERSTANDING Mentor
Vs 9a – “Whatever you have learned or received.”
1. HERE IS ANOTHER REASON THAT I BELIEVE IN MORE THAN THE
PULPIT MODEL”;
a. for, after Paul says “whatever you have learned, he then adds received”
b. the word received means:
1) to receive something transmitted
2) to receive with the mind
3) to receive what is offered
4) to make it one’s own
c. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THE WORD
RECEIVE?
1) it reveals that there is more than merely listening to a teacher
2) it means that what has been taught has been transferred into
your heart
2. Can we be honest here….
a. How much impact do you really think is made by a person talking for
30 minutes non-stop?
1) Do you think that those in the pews truly transfer ALL of the
information of a sermon?
2) We all know that this is not happening.
a) we absorb 10% of what we read
b) we receive 20% of what we hear
c) we retain 30% of what we see
d) we absorb 50% of what we hear and see
e) we understand 70% of what we say
f) we utilize 90% of what we say and do
3) As I see it, each of you is only “receiving” only 20% of what I
am saying today.
a) Don’t get me wrong. That does not offend me. It is
what you an expect from hearing a speaker.
b) and please know this
(1) preaching God’s word is an absolute necessity in
the life of the believer
(2) it is a noble craft and am honored that God
called me to do it
(3) BUT IT IS NOT THE MAIN WAY THAT WE
LEARN!
b. only 20 to 30% of all of those who walked down at a Billy Graham
Crusade, eventually found a relationship with a local church
3. Biblical mentoring must be done “in such away” that the person can
“receive it”
a. that is why I love what we do in Children’s Ministry with workshop
rotation
1) video
2) computer
3) crafts
4) puppets
b. our Youth have D groups
1) small groups for youth of all ages
2) where 7 – 10 youth meet for deeper study
c. our adults can be discipled
1) either one-on-one
2) or groups of 4-6 people
3) CLC groups for Men – I want to see CLC groups all over our
church!
4) Small Groups
4. ThIS verse is saying THAT Biblical mentoring has not
taken place until the one discipled “gets it”
a. Allen Hadidian – Discipleship – “Discipling others is the process by
which a Christian, with a life worth emulating, commits himself for an
extended period of time to a few individuals who have been won to
Christ, the purpose being to aid and guide their growth and maturity
and equip them to reproduce themselves in a third spiritual
generation.”
b. John 8:31-32 – “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you
hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know
the truth, and the truth will set you free."
C. We Need A COMMUNICATING Mentor
Vs 9a – “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me.”
1. We must understand the real meaning of heard
a. this is not the “hearing” that most husbands interact with their wives.
1) a husband and wife at the mall talking as they shop
2) a husband and wife walking with the wife talking and the
man listening
3) many wives will ask their husbands “Have you heard a word
that I have been saying?”
b. no, this word heard means that you actually “heard” what was said
1) to give audience
2) to consider what is said
3) to comprehend, to understand
2. Thus, true mentoring has not taken place until the disciple:
a. has been taught the Word of God
b. has received the information into his life
c. has UNDERSTOOD IT!
3. THIS IS WHY WE CAN SAY THAT PAUL IS NOT TALKING HERE
ABOUT THE PULPIT MODEL !
a. the listener will, most likely, NOT truly understand all that a preacher
says in a Sunday Sermon; maybe 30% “at best”
b. more than likely, the hearer will think about it …
c. BUT THEN, THEY WILL GO TO LUNCH!
4. The truest sense that we get here is that
a. Paul taught them directly. THE PHILIPPIANS HEARD HIM TEACH
THEM PERSONALLY.
b. and Paul used a method of teaching that insured them that his audience
UNDERSTOOD IT!
1) can this be done in a monolog…in a sermon?
2) I submit that Paul’s method of teaching was very personal and
made was applicable to his audiences.
a) Isn’t this what Jesus did?
b) Jesus spent hours and hours, days and days,
months and even years with His disciples
c) at times the disciples would ask Jesus what he meant.
THIS IS HOW LEARNING TAKES PLACE!
c. as I have said before, I have been discipling men for some 30 years
1) And I realized some time ago how much this audience really
“understands” in a sermon
2)I can’t tell you how many times I have taught a truth from
Scripture in a Sunday Sermon…
a) and the particular point in the sermon that was also
going to be taught in that week’s discipleship lesson
b)and the disciple STILL acted as if he had never
heard it!.
c) Now, either I am a very bad preacher or people do not
usually understand something totally when they just
“hear” a sermon.
d. you see, the truest evaluation of Biblical teaching of whether a person
“heard” the teaching is if they are actually obedient to that teaching in
their lives
1) Ephesians 5:25-33 – “Husbands, love your wives." Well…
are husbands, truly loving their wives?
2) James 1:26-27 – “If anyone considers himself religious and
yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives
himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our
Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after
orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself
from being polluted by the world.”
3)The story is told of a small fishing village where, for many
years, a flock of sea gulls fed on the scraps the fishermen
left. All was fine and good for the sea gulls until eventually
the fishing became poor and the villagers moved down the
coast to a location where fish were plentiful. The seal gulls
did not follow the fishermen and because they had lived off
the scraps of the fisherman and had never learned to feed
themselves the entire flock of birds died. Believers who
feed only on what others teach them are like these foolish sea
gulls.
4) (Story of the Sechlers)
D. We Need A VISIBLE Mentor
Vs. 9 – “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in
me.”
1. Not only did the Apostle Paul teach them the Word of God and how it
applied to their lives, HE SHOWED THEM!
a. Paul was not merely a “traveling preacher”, who had his 5 to 10 best
sermons that he preached and then moved on to another church.
- Paul got down “eyeball to eyeball” with the Christians in Philippi
2. Biblical Theology is never to be seen as separate from a person’s day
to day life.
a. that is the inherent danger of “studying theology” in seminary
1) you go to class, hear a lecture from the professor and go to the
next class
2)you never really “see” that theology worked out in the lives of
the professors
a) it is as if you were watching a video of the class
b)and then turn off the video
b. after a while, theological students do not see the need to connect a
professor’s words with a professor’s life.
c. the Church at Philippi “SAW” Paul’s theology lived out in his daily
life.