The summer Olympics in Brazil just recently came to an end and one of the highlights of the track and field events for me was the one hundred meter relay race. The one hundred meter relay is a very exciting race involving both speed and teamwork. It is a race with runners attempting to exchange a baton while running at a very high rate of speed. Relay teams work very hard to make passing the baton a seamless event. Relay teams practice very hard to keep from dropping the baton!
In a relay race, one of two things happens. You either pass the baton successfully or you drop it. It is one or the other. Dropping the baton almost always ensures defeat. Passing it gives you a chance at victory.
Disciple making is in many ways just like a relay race. The key in disciple making is to successfully pass on to others what has been passed on to you. In 2 Timothy 2:2 Paul said it like this, “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Paul is reminding Timothy of how important it is to pass the baton successfully. Barnabas had passed it to Paul. Paul was passing the baton to Timothy. Now Paul was encouraging Timothy to pass the baton to people would be faithful to pass it to others.
My question to you is this: Are you one of the faithful ones? Are you going to pass the baton or drop it? If you are a believer you have been given a baton. You have been given the life and message of Jesus and it is your responsibility to pass it on to others. Don’t be the one who drops the baton. It is not a pretty sight and you don’t want to be the one that drops it. Make a disciple that will make a disciple
