Copyr. 1997, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D.
INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK WE LOOK AT THE GIFT OF TEACHING. SO LETS GET INTO IT!
I. TEACHING: THE CONCEPT
A. CHURCH TIME IS DIVIDED INTO TWO MAIN PERIODS: THE SERMON AND THE LESSON STUDY. WHY DO WE DO THAT?
1. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE CRITICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO?
2. LETS TURN TO COLOSSIANS 1:28. READ. DO YOU SEE THAT THIS TEXT SAYS THAT WE PROCLAIM JESUS BY ADMONISHING AND TEACHING?
a. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ADMONISHING AND TEACHING?
b. OUR LESSON SUGGESTS (MON) THAT "ADMONITION IS UTILIZED FAR TOO MUCH, WHEN TEACHING OUGHT TO BE THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE CHURCH'S TRAINING PROGRAM."
(1) YOU AGREE?
(2) WHY?
(LET ME SUGGEST THAT TEACHING IS (SHOULD BE) "INTERACTIVE," WHILE THE SERMON IS NOT. A SERMON CAN CERTAINLY TEACH, BUT IT IS MORE IN THE MODEL OF ADMONITION OR EXHORTATION: "THIS IS WHAT I THINK YOU (WE) SHOULD DO." TEACHING, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS THE INTERACTIVE PROCESS BY WHICH THE TEACHER AND THE STUDENT ARRIVE AT TRUTH TOGETHER.)
B. IN ROMANS 12:7 WE ARE TOLD THAT TEACHING IS A GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND NELSON'S BIBLE DICTIONARY SAYS (UNDER THE TOPIC "TEACHING" THAT JESUS WAS CALLED A TEACHER MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. OUR LESSON TELLS US THAT OF THE 90 TIMES HE WAS ADDRESSED, 60 TIMES HE WAS CALLED "RABBI," WHICH MEANS "MY TEACHER"
C. TURN WITH ME TO MATTHEW 23:8-11. WELL, SO MUCH FOR THIS GIFT!
1. WHY DO YOU THINK JESUS SAID THIS?
2. WHAT DOES THIS TEACH US ABOUT TEACHING?
3. WE HAD A FAMILY WHO USED TO ATTEND HERE, THEY HAVE NOW MOVED, AND THEY WOULD CALL ME "RABBI." A PART OF ME WOULD LIKE IT AND PART OF ME WOULD WINCE BECAUSE I WOULD THINK OF THIS TEXT.
4. LETS ANALYZE THIS. WHAT IS THE CONTEXT OF THIS TEACHING IN MATT. 23? (PRIDE AND HYPOCRISY)
5. WHAT DOES JESUS SAY IS THE PROBLEM WITH CALLING SOMEONE "RABBI," "FATHER," OR "TEACHER?" (MATT 23:8-10 AND ESP. v. 8: WE ARE EQUALS WITH ONE MASTER, ONE FATHER AND ONE TEACHER AND THAT IS JESUS.)
6. HOW ARE BOTH TRUE: THAT ONLY JESUS IS OUR TEACHER; YET WE HAVE TEACHING (ROM 12:7) AS A SPIRITUAL GIFT? (THIS IS A TEACHING ABOUT VANITY AND AUTHORITY:
a. IF YOU CALL SOMEONE TEACHER, TO SET HIM (OR HER) UP ON A PEDESTAL ABOVE OTHERS, THAT IS WRONG.
b. IF YOU LOOK TO SOMEONE AS THE AUTHORITY ON THE BIBLE, INSTEAD OF LOOKING TO THE BIBLE, THAT IS WRONG.
c. BUT SIMPLY ACKNOWLEDGING THE SPIRITUAL GIFT, AS ONE OF MANY GIFTS, IS NOT WRONG.)
7. DO YOU SEE THE IMPORTANT TEACHING HERE ON THE GIFT ITSELF? (TEACHING IS TO LEAD US TO CONSIDER GOD'S WORD AND MAKE OUR OWN DECISION. BECAUSE IF WE INTERPRET THE BIBLE BASED ON WHAT THE TEACHER SAYS, INSTEAD OF WHAT THE HS SAYS, THEN WE HAVE CREATED A "TEACHER" OTHER THAN THE "ONE TEACHER, CHRIST.")
II. TEACHING: THE REALITY.
A. WE HAVE DISCUSSED SOME OF THE ABSTRACT CONCEPTS ABOUT TEACHING. LETS TALK ABOUT IT AS A PRACTICAL MATTER.
B. THINK ABOUT THE VERY BEST TEACHER YOU HAVE EVER HEARD TEACH. WHAT ABOUT THEM MADE THEM GOOD? (MIGHT TELL ABOUT NY JUDGE WHO TAUGHT RULES OF EVIDENCE)
1. INTERESTING
2. MADE DIFFICULT THINGS SIMPLE
3. SPEAKS IN AN ENTERTAINING WAY. (WHEN I SEE A REALLY GOOD TEACHER (OR PREACHER) I ASK MYSELF, WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM THIS PERSON? WHAT THING CAN I "STEAL" FROM THEIR METHODS THAT WILL MAKE ME A BETTER TEACHER OR PREACHER.)
C. TURN WITH ME TO 1 COR. 2:1-5. READ. ACCORDING TO PAUL:
1. DOES THE GIFT OF TEACHING INCLUDE A SPECIAL SPEAKING STYLE? ELOQUENCE? (NO. v.1)
2. DOES IT INCLUDE A SMART APPROACH TO MAKE COMPLEX MATTERS SIMPLE? (NO. v.4)
3. DOES IT INCLUDE A CONFIDENT APPROACH? (NO. v.3)
D. HOW CAN I (WE) BE SO WRONG IN MY (OUR) APPROACH?
E. LET'S READ ON. 1 COR 2:12-14.
1. WHAT DOES THIS TEACH IS CRITICAL TO UNDERSTANDING THE GOSPEL? (THE HOLY SPIRIT)
2. DOES BOTH THE TEACHER AND THE STUDENT HAVE TO HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO UNDERSTAND? (YES.)
3. I (HOPE) THAT PAUL IS NOT SAYING THAT LOOKING FOR THE BEST APPROACH IS WRONG, BUT RATHER IS SAYING THAT EVEN THE BEST APPROACH WILL NOT WORK WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT. (HOWEVER, 2:4 IS OF GREAT CONCERN.)
F. FOR THOSE WITH THE GIFT OF TEACHING, HOW AND WHEN DO THEY TEACH?
1. IS IT ONLY IN A CLASS LIKE THIS?
2. IF YOU WERE A TEACHER AND YOU HAD THE GIFT, WOULD YOU NEED A CLASS LIKE THIS?
a. DO I ONLY TEACH IN MY CLASS?
3. LETS TURN TO 1 TIMOTHY 4:12-13. DOES THIS SUGGEST THAT TEACHING TAKES PLACE AT MORE THAN A "FORMAL SETTING" LIKE WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW? (YES. SUGGESTS THE FOLLOWING WAYS TO TEACH:
a. SPEECH
b. LIVING
c. LOVING
d. FAITH
e. PURITY OF LIFE.)
4. DO YOU AGREE? IF SO, EXPLAIN HOW WHY THIS IS TRUE?
G. YOU REMEMBER LAST WEEK I CHALLENGED YOU TO DISTINQUISH BETWEEN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF "BASELINE" CHRISTIAN CHARACTER AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS.
1. IS THE SAME TRUE HERE? CONSIDERING ALL OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN TEACH, ARE WE ALL OBLIGED TO BE TEACHERS TO AT LEAST SOME DEGREE? (READ MATT. 28:19-20. THE GOSPEL COMMISSION SAYS: "[GO, MAKE DISCIPLES, BAPTIZE] TEACHING THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU." SO THIS MEANS THAT WE ALL HAVE A TEACHING OBLIGATION.)
a. DEUT. 6:6-9 TELLS OF THE OBLIGATION OF PARENTS TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN GOD'S COMMANDS IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE.
III. PASTORING.
A. A GIFT RELATED TO TEACHING IS PASTORING. (IF NEED MORE MATERIAL TO DISCUSS: HAVE CLASS TURN TO 1 PETER 5: 1-3 TO DISCUSS WHAT CHARACTERIZES THE PERSON WITH THE GIFT OF PASTORING.
IV. NEXT WEEK: LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATIVE GIFTS.. STUDY!