THE TEACHING OF JESUS – Knowing Jesus Series

My father  - value of hard work – poles, wood, hay, stalls, Story of running up hills! Not GIVING UP! This affected my view on life.  I get disappointed, yet always stick with difficulty to overcome.

Teachers are some of the most unforgettable People in our lives- Teachers can be anybody!

My step mother - She taught me I could develop my mind through study if I chose to do so.

April’s grandmother – how to care for others.   One pie at a time...

John Hicks  - Showed me how to live a life by the scriptures.  By living a life dedicated to God.

Russ Costello - who taught me communication is important.

Don Murrell – taught me the value of a smile and a listening ear.

My roomates – Drank/drugs a lot, taught me to avoid letting substances control my life.

Group of kids – taught me how to break into homes. (age 10-11)

Observations about Teachers

1)      All things are learned by observation or instruction.

2)      Not all teachers are from a classroom.

3)      Not all things we learn may be good for us.

Christianity is taught - not inherited nor contracted

·         In Mt. 28:20 (no read).  Jesus charged apostles to teach people things He had commanded (From Father).

·         God’s Pattern: Flood God Imparted – Noah Taught, Tabernacle – Bezalel and Oholiab Taught, Bible – men taught, Creation Gen. 1:12 - All things seed after their own kind, Luke 8:11 – Word is seed, Apollos/Paul

·         Read 2 Timothy 2:2. – Paul’s instructing Timothy.

·         God’s truths are passed onward. – Teaching.  We are to be teachers!  Preaching God’s Word! 

How can we learn to reach our maximum potential as Teachers of Christianity?

Look at the Master Teacher – JESUS - so that we may better appreciate Him and Imitate Him.

When Jesus walked this earth, He was called by a number of titles - e.g. Rabbi, Master, Lord.

·         One of the most common was "Teacher." - 40 times in the four gospels Jesus is called "Teacher."

A. (Do not read title) JESUS TAUGHT WITH AUTHORITY

1.      In what is known as the Sermon on the Mount (chp. 5,6,7), Jesus teaches multitudes.“You have heard, but”

·         The scribes based their teachings on what respected Rabbis had said

·         In Matthew 7:28-29 - Jesus taught with Authority!

2.      Did Jesus Speak only on His Authority? NO! Jesus appealed to Scripture in his teachings.

·         At the temple with Chief Priests and elders of the people - Matthew 21:42 (No read)

·         After his resurrection, with the travelers - Luke 24:27  (no read)

·         John 8:40, 45-47 Jesus strongly emphasized truth to the Jews in the temple -– Truth came from where?  The word of God!

·         Our authority in teaching christianity is from God’s word - we must emphasize this and be loyal to it.

How Did Jesus View Teaching that Wasn’t based on the Words of God

3.      Matthew 15:7-9 – hypocrites!

·         Teach Truth not human tradition. No opinions as truth! Ex. Woman at Senior center on Music!

·         Ex. Christmas and belief of wise men at manger.  How many?

·         Order of services , songs, prayer, lord supper, sermon, etc.  Chairs have importance?

·         Don’t Stretch truth to Convert – Friendspeak!  Jesus did not mislead!

B. (READ) JESUS ACCOMPANIED HIS TEACHING WITH ACTION

·         Acts 1:1 “ The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,”

·         Matthew 9:35 “ And Jesus was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.”

1.      He practiced what He preached (e.g. praying for His persecutors)

·         He says: Matthew 5:44    He Does Luke 23:34   - Not easy under pressure

·         If we would teach successfully, then we, too, must accompany our words with action

·         Not be "so heavenly-minded that we are no earthly good"

·         Study, worship, close ourselves from the world, instead of loving/aiding our neighbor

·         Don’t be responsible for being a hypocrite – Ex. 10 yrs. Away.

·         Show that we care – What do we do for those in the world that shows we love them?  We are a loving people!

C. JESUS’ TEACHING WAS MOTIVATED BY COMPASSION

·         Mark 6:34 – 5000 men.... “… felt compassion for them… began to teach them…” 5 loaves 2 fish

·         Jesus’ response to these shepherd-less sheep was to TEACH them!  - Reminds me of the passage “ Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from out of the mouth of God” – Jesus had compassion and fed the multitudes first with the word of God then fish and loaves.

·         People today are trying to find meaning/purpose/hope; let us have compassion on them and TEACH them!  The lost need to be found!

D. JESUS’ TEACHING WAS BALANCED

·         God’s love & care - parables of lost sheep, lost coin, prodigal son (Lk. 15)

·         God’s judgment against sinners - Parables of unforgiving servant – threw fellow slave in prison – handed over to torturers (Mt. 18:21-35), talents hid talent – “wicked, lazy slave”(Mt. 25:14-30)

·         Like Jesus, Paul preached "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God." (Acts 20:27);

·         We, likewise, must resist the temptation to go to extremes one way or the other; we must be balanced in our teaching!  Judgement vs. Grace.

E. JESUS’ TEACHINGS WERE EQUAL TO THE ABILITY OF HIS LISTENERS TO UNDERSTAND

·         John 16:12-13 – Jesus comforts disciples before death – cannot share all truths with them at moment.

·         Paul compared it to ‘milk’ and ‘meat’ _ 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

·          As we would not feed steak and potatoes to a new-born, so Jesus (& Paul) taught what their listeners were capable of understanding

·         We need to start with people where they are, and lead them to where they need to be.

F. JESUS TAUGHT AS HE HAD (or Made) OPPORTUNITY

·         Formal settings and informal settings

·         In the synagogue, Mt. 13:54 (No read)

·         Daily in the temple, Lk. 19:47 (No read)

·         In Simon the Pharisee’s house, Lk. 7:36ff (no read)

·         Sitting in a boat speaking to people on shore, Lk. 5:3 (no read)

·         Groups of all sizes

·         Spoke to large multitudes (Mk. 2:13), (no read)

·         small groups (e.g. 3 disciples on the Mt. of Transfiguration, Matt. 17; also occasions where He was alone with the twelve),

·         individuals (Zacchaeus, Lk. 19; woman at the well, John 4)

3. We, too, should teach as we have opportunity

·         The Great Commission not only commands us to "GO” but also commands us to make disciples and baptize "as you are going" (i.e. as you go here and there in your day-to- day life)

·         We can make opportunities out of little (e.g. by asking a question, handing someone a tract and asking "Will you read this and tell me what you think of it?" -- etc.)

CONCLUSION

·         Jesus was the Great Teacher.

·         We are privileged to be His disciples, and to teach what He taught 

·         We should emulate how he taught (Authority, Action, Compassion, Balance, Understanding, Opportunity.)

·         Let us practice what we teach, and teach what we practice!

Wherever you are at this point in your learning/Teaching/ ......