Posted By Michael Breznau on Aug 30, 2019

A timeless truth to put-into-play jumps off the page:

“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)

I’m blessed with iron. Howard Hendricks often commented to us in seminary: “Everyone needs a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy.” Each time I heard him reinforce this idea I’d inwardly respond, “Thank you, God, for bringing so many mentors and encouragers into my life.” I’ve never had to search for a Paul or a Barnabas because good, faithful men had already identified me as their Timothy.

Today, I’m reminded of two men much wiser and further down the trail of life, who’ve taken time to invest in me. One up close. The other far away. They’ve asked me heart-level questions and remarkably remembered specific details about my life and ministry. The one nearby knows me much better than the other. But they both have deeply impacted my heart and mindset about the calling and work of a pastor.

As I was filing away some old notes and scribbled quotes this week, I uncovered a short series of heart-searching questions from Ken Pierpont, the up-close mentor, under whom I once served as an inner-city missionary in Flint and later as a pastor of youth and education in metro-Detroit. Let these words soak of your soul:

Heart-Searching Questions

“You’re growing older, but are you growing better?”

“Are you becoming more like Jesus?

“Is your loyalty and love for God increasing or decreasing?”

“Are you growing sweeter with the aroma of Christ or sour with concentration on yourself?”

Think about it. Don’t hurry past these questions. Respond with the answers they demand.

Just a couple weeks ago, I heard that the mentor at-a-distance, Ray Ortlund Jr., had fully retired from his lead pastoral role. We’ve spoken in-person only a few times. But I make certain to read everything he writes. His words are saturated with scripture, marinated in God’s overflowing grace, and seasoned with pastoral wisdom.

The last time I spoke with him was at The Gospel Coalition conference this past April. After gleaning as much as I could from his breakout session, I hurried out to find the rest of our team and make it into the next main gathering. But later on, amid the torrent of activity in the booksale area, he stopped me in my tracks to specifically ask how I was doing with my family and ministry. He’d greeted me prior to his breakout session. But he wanted to probe into details based on a conversation we had years before. His piercing blue eyes didn’t rush over my heart concerns. He intensely listened to my answers to his questions and offered to continue our conversation.

Another young pastor who had the joy of working much closer with Ray, wrote a poignant article this week about three reflections on being pastored by Ortlund. Here’s short a excerpt with a link to continue reading the entire piece:

3 Memories of Ray Ortlund as My Pastor

“Ray Ortlund Jr. is an honorable man of God. I’ve been hanging out with him for the last decade, and in all that time, I’ve seen no breach in his integrity. I have heard him confess many sins and watched him wrestle through many difficulties. But I’ve never seen him shy away from following God into the fray. The reason, I think, is simple. Ray fears and loves God.
My memories are filled with the evidence. . . .”

Continue reading here: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/memories-ray-ortlund/
_____________________

Just as I’ve seen modeled through my mentors…
May Christ continually expose my sin, immaturity, and self-interest.
And with His patient grace form within me…

purity,

wisdom, and

selfless love. 

In Christ Alone,