Got People?

"Your 'hit-by-a-bus' person," that's what Pastor Sean called it. He asked, is there a "job" or a "calling" you are doing that is important enough that it should continue if you are hit by a bus? If so, then you need a person or a few people to carry on the work you are doing once--or if--you are gone. He said to start raising them up early, because it takes time to raise up new leaders.

This isn't a new concept that Pastor Sean had. And even when it was passed on to him, the previous person wasn't the first one to come up with it. Granted, this may have been the first time it was called a "hit-by-a-bus person," but the concept goes all the way back to the beginning. Not the beginning of our church, but the Beginning.

In Genesis 1:27, God created man and woman. In Genesis 1:28, God told them, "Be fruitful and multiply." The phrase, "be fruitful," comes from the Hebrew word, "parah," meaning, "to branch off, to increase, to grow," (blueletterbible.org). The word for "multiply" is the Hebrew word "rabah," meaning, "to become great, become many, become numerous, to increase greatly and exceedingly," (blueletterbible.org). Now, fast forward in time to when Jesus walked on the earth with His disciples. In John 15:16, Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit..." Just as Jesus' disciples were chosen--hand-picked--to learn Jesus' ways and to bring up others in the same ways, you have been hand-picked, chosen before the beginning of time, to raise up others to follow Jesus and to lead others to do the same.

This concept became a reality to me when I was injured over a month ago and was unavailable to lead Bible study at work. There have always been a couple people whom I felt could do it--could lead if I was not available. Fortunately, one of those people stepped in and picked up the slack while I was out. Do you have a "job" or a "calling" that's important enough that it should continue if you become unavailable? If so, do you have at least one "hit-by-a-bus" person? Paul had Timothy, Jesus had the disciples, who do you have?