Two weeks ago, I wrote the first article on the increasing need for preachers to be developed in the church. At that time, I had no plans to write much about this, but the more I have thought about it, the more I see that these matters need to be discussed. You can have a modern “Hannah or Lois or Eunice,” but there is an urgent need for a modern “Eli or Paul” to help develop a modern “Samuel or Timothy.”
In past years, parents saw their children as gifts lent to them by God to train them to be lent back to God. These parents were helped by many members of the church who played a part in the development of our youth. This has changed, and the lack of church leaders today is the evidence for this.
Have you ever thought about those influences which developed Mark? Nothing is said about his father, but his mother is specifically mentioned as using her house as the place for the church to meet (Acts 12:12). Such had to impact this future leader of the church and helped develop him to become the author of one of the gospels. Mark had a cousin, Barnabas, who was part of his development (Col. 4:10). There is no way to know the details as to what happened, but when Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch after taking benevolent help to Jerusalem, both of them were part of taking young Mark from his hometown to be part of the work in Antioch. Mark became part of the team which first took the gospel throughout the island nation of Cyprus. Mark’s mother started the young man in the right direction, but would he have ever developed had not members of the church played a vital role?
Barnabas took another young Christian and helped develop Saul of Tarsus. He likely was not young in age but was young in the faith. As a youth Saul was taught, most likely by his parents, a vital truth. Paul said, “I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men” (Acts 24:16, see also Acts 23:1). This truth enabled those in the church to develop the future apostle. The “young” Christian, Paul, was taken under the wing of the “older” Christian, Barnabas, when the church did not even want Paul to be used by the church (Acts 9:26-27). Later Barnabas traveled over 150 miles to bring the “young” Christian from Tarsus to help the church in Antioch. There may have never been a Saul without his parents laying the foundation, and there may have never been a Saul without a Barnabas helping develop him.
There are other illustrations which show this truth even more vividly, but let me urge you to look inwardly to see what role you can play in impacting the destiny of the church—not as a parent, but as one who sees the worth of young Mark, or “young” Paul and does all they can. We all can do more!