TEACHING
The Bible Teaches That … 1. TEACHING IS A GREAT PART OF THE WORK OF THE CHURCH AND OF INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIANS. Teaching is a necessary thing and a necessary work. If we could but realize that all that we do in serving God is based upon teaching and learning, we would be much busier in the service of the Lord than we are now.
Teaching the people was a great part of the work under the old covenant law and also in the new. In Hosea 4:6 we read: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” In Romans 10:1 we read: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge.”
Jesus said: “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you..."”
In each of these verses we see the responsibility of disciples of Christ to teach. Jesus said in Mark 16:16: “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature…” To teach and to preach then is the duty of the disciples.
Paul wrote to Timothy and said: “And the thing that thou hast heard of Me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men that they may be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2.
When we begin to read of the work of the apostles in the book of Acts we find that they went forth just as faithfully as seems possible and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They preached the gospel unto the whole world and when men heard, believed, and obeyed they became children of God. Then after this, many letters of instruction were written to them that they might continue in the faith realizing that being baptized was only a beginning point for them.
The Bible Teaches That … 2. WE ARE TO BE LEARNERS. The word disciple means learner or follower. We should be learning the will of God. We find admonition in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
This was a letter by Paul to Timothy who was a young Evangelist and even he was admonished to study.
The Bible Teaches That … 3. WE WILL BE COMMENDED IF WE STUDY. In Acts 17:11, we find that the Bereans were commended as being more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether these things were so. Surely if we are willing to take the word of God and study it and then after learning it teach it to others, we will be commended for it.
The Bible Teaches That … 4. PARENTS ARE TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN. In the Old Testament, in Proverbs 22:6 we read: “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
In the New Testament, Ephesians 6:4 we read: “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
One of the greatest failures of this day is the failure of the parents to teach their children. A great cry goes up about juvenile delinquency but actually a great portion of this responsibility is upon the mother and dad who does not care enough for their child to see that it has a proper teaching. Many parents mourn the waywardness of their children when they should be repenting of the sin of neglect, in failing to teach their child. If we learn nothing else in this lesson, let us learn that the responsibility of parents is to teach their children the way of the Lord.
The Bible Teaches That … 5. EVANGELISTS ARE TO PREACH THE GOSPEL. Paul told Timothy (2 Timothy 4:2) "preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”
In this admonition the statement is made; be instant. That is, always be ready and doing this work. We of course, as Christians, are also to be ready unto every good work and certainly one of them is to teach the way of God.
The Bible Teaches That … 6. ELDERS ARE TO FEED THE FLOCK. Some folks do not even know what elders are. Elders are men appointed in the church to take the oversight of church and lead the work of the church and to oversee the welfare of each of the members. In Acts 20:28 we read: “Take heed unto yourselves and unto the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with His own blood.” This was a statement made by the apostle Paul to the elders of the church of Christ at Ephesus. They were to oversee and feed the flock. Elders should do this continually. This of course, does not mean that others should not teach, but the elders should teach and see that the church is taught that they may be able to fulfill their every work in the service of the Lord.
The Bible Teaches That … 7. WITHOUT TEACHING WE WILL PERISH. If we do not have teaching and come to the knowledge of the truth we cannot be saved for it is the truth that makes men free (John 8:31-32).
Further, a person cannot believe the gospel until he has heard it. In Romans 10:17 we read: “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”
CONCLUSION:
Let us study the Word of God and what to do to be saved and then do it. After we have done this then we can continue to learn and be able to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we fail to study and grow when we are actually able to do so, we are failing in a most important work. Let us give diligence to make our calling and election sure by adding to our faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. If we will do this, we will have an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We hope and pray that you will do this very thing.
Section 1 - Fill in the blanks.
Question 1 Go ye therefore and ______ all nations.
Question 2 Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ______ them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.
Question 3 My people are destroyed for the lack of ______.
Question 4 For I bear them record that they have a zeal for God but not according to______.
Question 5 Go ye into all the world and ______ the gospel to every creature.
Question 6 A disciple is a ______.
Question 7 ______ to show thy self approved unto God.
Question 8 The Bereans were commended because they ______ with readiness of mind and ______ daily whether those things were so.
Section 2 - True or False
Question 1 Parents are responsible for much of the juvenile delinquency. TrueFalse
Question 2 Neglecting to teach children the Bible is sin. TrueFalse
Question 3 Evangelists are not to preach the word. TrueFalse
Question 4 Elders cannot feed the flock. TrueFalse
Question 5 Without teaching we will be all right. TrueFalse
Question 6 The truth will make men free. TrueFalse
Question 7 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. TrueFalse
Question 8 We must learn the Word of God before we can obey and be saved. TrueFalse
Question 9 We must learn all there is to know about the Bible before we become Christians. TrueFalse
Question 10 We should add other things to our faith. TrueFalse
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