Jump Start # 3112

Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The core component of Christianity is teaching. God sent out His servants not to build homes, dig irrigation ditches or feed the homeless. They were preachers of God’s word. Our faith is wrapped around a message that is taught and we believe that message. Teaching God’s word, from young ages all the way up through adults until God calls us home. Teaching takes place in the home. Teaching takes place one on one. Teaching takes place in our public Bible classes.

Two things are very common in so many congregations today when it comes to teaching. First, many are reluctant to step up and teach. Second, and this may be the reason for the first, is that many have never been shown how to teach. Handed a class book and pointed towards a classroom, the one teaching feels overwhelmed, scared and unsure. It’s even worse when it comes to teaching an adult class. Very few like teaching an auditorium class full of adults. The challenges can be great. Once the quarter of classes ends, many a teacher says to himself, “never again.” And, never again is what takes place.

We need to help people feel comfortable, confident and useful as a teacher of God’s word. Here are a few thoughts:

First, teaching children is not the same as teaching adults. Teaching little kids is not the same as teaching middle school or high school aged children. Some are good at one and not so good at others. Because one can teach one age group does not mean that he can teach all the age groups. Children talk. Adults stare. Children will shout out answers, even obvious ones. Adults stare in silence.

Second, the atmosphere on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening is totally different. For children, on Sunday mornings, many are sleepy and not very alert. On Wednesdays they are charged up and ready to go. For the adults, it’s just the opposite. After a long day of work on Wednesday, many adults are tired and lifeless. On Sunday mornings, they are more alert and engaged.

Third, there are always challenges to teaching. For the young children’s classes, it’s keeping them in their seats and focused. One class clown can take the class over and it quickly becomes a headache for the teacher. It’s best for the teacher to have a helper in the smaller classes. One can quickly see which children are respectful and have had lessons at home and those who have not.

For the adults, there is the one in class who wants to dominate. He does all the talking. He answers all the questions. Everyone sits in silence, because they know this one person will do all the talking for them. The teacher cannot let one dominate nor take over the class. Some what to teach from their seat without being the official teacher. Others want to challenge the teacher and think it’s cute to put the teacher on the spot or in the hot chair. Their goal is to be controversial and stump the teacher. And, rather than lowering the nets into God’s word and deepening our faith, the class turns into a debate session and people feel frustrated.

The teacher must teach. The teacher must control the class and the flow of the class. Rather than allowing the same person to do all the talking, pick someone else to read a passage or to answer a question. Keep the flow moving. Don’t get bogged down chasing rabbits that have nothing to do with the topic being studied. The bottom line is that you are teaching God’s word and that must be done.

Fourth, some teachers fear running out of things to talk about. The solution to this is to have much more material than you will use. It is better to have too much than not enough. So, the teacher must be busy during the week doing his homework and getting his notes prepared so he can teach.

Finally, it would be helpful to spend some time helping teachers learn how to teach. Lecturing adults is not the same as with children. Asking questions that are so obvious usually gets no response. Team teaching with someone more experienced and can share some tips is helpful. Watching how others teach is very useful.

Our verse today shows the emphasis Jesus placed upon teaching. New disciples were to be taught. That continues on today. In many ways, more good can come from classes than from sermons. Classes need to be practical, Biblical, useful and informative.

God bless all the men and women in the kingdom who teach. You are making a difference.

Roger

Jump Start # 2689

Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all that I command you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Our Lord spoke these instructions to the apostles in the context of the great commission. They were being sent out. They would travel to places that they had never dreamed or possibly ever wanted to go to. They would do things they had never done before, particularly stand and preach. And, the Lord expected and anticipated that people would respond to their words. People would believe. They were to baptize those that believed. But that wasn’t it. There was more. They were to teach these new believers to keep the commandments of the Lord. These new believers were to be obedient. It wasn’t just rules that were taught, but it was a new heart and a new thinking that was involved. They were no longer independent, selfish and doing what they wanted. World-wide, people were being taught to obey Jesus. World-wide, different languages, cultures and histories, a unified movement was expanding. Jesus was shaping the world, one heart at a time.

And, for us, many lessons come from this:

First, the importance of teaching those newly baptized. Some leave as quickly as they came. They heard enough to know to be baptized and once that was done, they were left alone, or more accurately, they were ignored. And, being just one step out of the world, it was so easy for them to turn around and go right back to the world, again. But, it’s more than rules that need to be taught. People need to understand that they need Jesus. They need to walk with Jesus. Their way didn’t work. Their way got them into the mess that they were in. “Teaching them to observe,” is a way of thinking, looking at things and understanding that Jesus is right in all things.

Second, what and how to teach is important. This teaching ought to be both one-on-one as well as in congregational settings. Private and public. In congregational settings, the new disciple sees that he is being taught the same thing as others. He sees that others are with him and we are all in this together. In private settings, details and specifics that are personal can be talked about. Questions are more likely to be asked in private settings. And, through this a relationship, friendship and fellowship is developed.

Third, thought needs to be given as to what to teach. A new disciple starting where the congregation is, which might be in the midst of Jeremiah, or Romans, will quickly be lost without some context, history and background being explained to him. In our homes, we do not give a new baby the same food as we do a teen. The teen has been around a while. He can eat just about anything. The little baby cannot and should not be given the same food. So, classes for new people are very helpful. It’s easy to assume that everyone is  in just about the same place spiritually. That is a bad assumption. It’s not true. Some do not know the books of the Bible. Some do not know the abbreviations of the books of the Bible. Some do not know the structure of the Bible. Simple core principles and teachings about the Bible itself is very useful.

Congregationally, insight needs to be given into what the needs are. Just teaching verse by verse, book after book, isn’t the only nor always even the best method. Nor is it the best just to buy a ready made class book. Look at where the congregation is and what they need. Topical studies are valuable as well as textual studies. Having a plan for a year is good. Having a plan for five years is the best. When a college freshman begins his course of studies, the pathway for his degree is laid out. He knows what he is taking the first semester all through the last semester. His course of studies will not be the same for someone in a different major. Imagine a congregation mapping out a four year, quarter by quarter plan which lays out the fundamentals and grows in depth as the student develops knowledge and faith. It takes a lot of planning, forethought and work to do that, but it can be done. Rather than a hodgepodge of whatever the teacher feels like teaching, a specified and designed map is drawn up so each person knows, years in advance, what they will be studying, and learning.

Fourth, the Lord did not intend for the apostles to do all this teaching on their own. Ephesians tells us that God sent apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists and shepherds to train and teach the congregation. Had each apostle been responsible for doing all of this, they would not have traveled beyond the first city they went to. They would have been doing all the teaching right there. As it is, they preached and taught. Others followed. There was Apollos. There was Timothy. There was Titus. There were others. When the weight of teaching falls upon one or a handful of the same ones, they become burdened. Teachers need not only a break but they need time to be taught more. Developing a team of teachers is powerful for a growing church.

Finally, teaching others is such a joy and a blessing. Having a working team that helps with the new disciple, and those that can teach publically is the backbone of a strong church. Want to know how a church is doing…look at what and how they are teaching. Look at the one year, five year plan. Look at what direction their classes are taking them. Look at who is doing the teaching and how many are involved.

Teaching them to observe the Lord’s commands—we still do that today. Some only teach the Lord’s commands. Others teach how to observe. It’s a matter of giving someone a fish or teaching them how to fish on their own. The Lord knew.

Roger