The other day our pensive nine year old son, Augustine, voiced his concern about the future leadership of God’s Kingdom: “Mom, you and dad are getting older. When you are older, I am going to need to lead in God’s Kingdom and make disciples! I can’t do this by myself. Are there going to be other leaders I can lead with? After all, you and Daddy have the Mejia’s in DC and the Broom’s in LA. Who am I going to lead with?” My wife hugged him and said, “Honey, you know these young campus leaders like Richard Hernandez, Chris Jones and Calvin Pichardo? These are the church leaders and elders of tomorrow! They will lead the way! You have nothing to worry about!” Even our nine year old understands the need for young leadership! Throughout the scriptures we see God choosing young, humble, zealous men and women to lead in his Kingdom.
Samuel was set aside for God’s purpose and used by God at an early age.
1 Samuel 2:26 – And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people.
1 Samuel 3:1 – The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
Timothy was a young, zealous disciple, who trained to be a powerful evangelist under Paul the Apostle!
1 Corinthians 4:17 – For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
Phillippians 2: 22 – But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.
1Timothy 4:12 – Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
David, the youngest boy in his family, was chosen by God to be anointed King of Israel. Even as a boy, he was zealous for God’s honor and glory!
Acts 13:22 – After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.”
1 Samuel 17:46-47– This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
Esther was a young woman when she became queen (Esther 2:2,17), using her royal position to bring deliverance to all the Jews! She risked her position and her life to save the lives of her people.
Esther 4:12-17 – When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
Jesus, the greatest leader of all, began to learn and implement the scriptures as a young boy. After years of faith refining challenges, his ministry began at age 30. In three short years, he made disciples, planted the dream in their hearts to evangelize every nation and turned the world upside down. He zealously led the way of self-denial and died on the cross for the sins of the world!
Luke 2:42-52 – When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you. ”Why were you searching for me?” He asked.“Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them.Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
With all these young, zealous forerunners in God’s word, it is not surprising that Paul targeted the lecture hall of Tyrannus, which was the young, intellectual campus of his day. In Ephesus, “Paul took the disciples with him and had daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.” (Acts 19:9) He targeted young, enthusiastic, opinion leaders that would take the good news back to their home towns and nations! In just two short years Paul and these young men and women were able to evangelize all of Asia! Acts 19:10 says, “This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.”
In the same way, we are fired up about passionately preaching the Word of God to all the campuses in the Orlando area. We understand that the future of God’s Kingdom relies on our youth! College students are passionate visionaries for many causes! Disciples of Jesus have the greatest cause of all: To evangelize the world for Jesus! We are excited for all of our Bible Talk leaders at University of Central Florida, Seminole State College and Valencia College! The campus interns, Chris Jones and Brittney Miller, as well as our other awesome campus disciples, are leading daily Bible Talks in the Student Union at UCF, the way Paul had daily discussions in Tyrannus!! The campus ministry also has daily individual Bible studies, prays together, has Friday Night Campus Devotionals and is focused on reaching out to every student! In the fall, our young zealot Richard Hernandez will be leading a Bible Talk at Seminole State College and Brittney Miller will lead the Women’s Bible Talk at Valencia! From these campuses will come our future evangelists, elders, deacons and women’s ministry leaders! To God be the glory and honor!
-Anthony Eckels