His Name Is...teacher Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

He knew the value of teaching

He spoke plainly

He spoke appropriately

He never avoided controversy

His material was practical

Ill:

• Did you hear the story about the teacher;

• Who was helping one of her nursery pupils put on his boots?

• She pulled while he pushed and the boots still didn’t want to go on.

• Finally, after the second boot was on, and after she had worked up a sweat,

• The little boy said, “Teacher, they’re on the wrong feet.”

• She looked and sure enough, they were on the wrong feet.

• Getting the boots off wasn’t any easier than getting them on.

• But the teacher managed to keep her cool as together they put the boots on the right feet.

• Once they were on, the little boy announced, “These aren’t my boots.”

• The teacher bit her tongue as she then took the boots back off.

• Once off, the little boy said,

• “The boots are my brother’s boots. My Mom made me wear them.”

• She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

• The teacher mustered up the grace and courage to wrestle the boots on his feet again.

• When she was finished, she said to him, “Now, where are your mittens?”

• The little boy replied, “I stuffed them in the toes of my boots.”

Ill:

• Bigger pupils can be hard work as well:

• Like the teacher who in the middle of a lecture, noticed one student sound asleep.

• “Billy, wake up your neighbour.”

• But Billy replied: “You put him to sleep, you wake him up!”

His name is...Preacher/Teacher

• The gospels calls Jesus "teacher" 45 times in the Gospel accounts

• Also what Jesus did is also called "teaching" 45 times.

• On 215 occasions those who followed Jesus;

• Were called disciples (learners).

• It is worth noting that greatest batch of his teaching the Sermon on the Mount;

• Found in Matthew chapters 5-7 are described as a time when Jesus;

• "Taught them" (Matthew chapter 5 verse 2).

• There is an element of teaching in any effective sermon,

• ill: A sermon needs teaching just like a gun needs bullets or a painters canvas needs paints!

Question: What made Jesus such an effective teacher?

Answer: Let me give you a few suggestions.

(1). HE KNEW THE VALUE OF TEACHING

• Like it or not, Christianity is a taught religion.

• It does not come upon someone without instruction in the Word of God,

• We come to faith initially by being taught the scriptures;

• And we also grow in our knowledge through the scriptures.

Quote: Someone has humorously said:

“Teaching is the inculcation of the incomprehensible into the minds of the ignorant by the means of the incompetent...is the transfer of material from the teacher’s notes to the student’s notebook, without it going through either’s minds”.

Quote: More seriously:

• Life is a matter of building. Each of us has the opportunity to build something;

• A secure family, a good reputation, a career, a relationship to God.

• But some of those things can disappear almost overnight;

• Due to financial losses, natural disasters and other unforeseen difficulties.

• What are we to do?

• Daniel Webster offered excellent advice, saying,

• "If we work on marble it will perish.

• If we work on brass, time will efface it.

• If we rear temples, they will crumble to dust.

• But if we work on men’s immortal minds,

• If we imbue them with high principles, with just fear of God and love of their fellow-men,

• We engrave on those tablets something which time cannot efface,

• And which will brighten and brighten to all eternity”.

One of Jesus most common activities was to teach:

• Matthew chapter 4 verse 23

• “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues…”.

• Mark chapter 6 verse 6:

• “Jesus went round teaching from village to village”.

• As you scan the gospels you see Jesus teaching in:

• The temple, in homes.

• He also taught outdoors; on a mountain, in the wilderness, and in the marketplace.

• Wherever he went he taught;

• Because he knew the value of teaching!

(2). HE SPOKE PLAINLY

Quote:

• C.S. Lewis went to visit a young friends and listen to him preach;

• Everything was fine until the man reached the climax of his message.

• And he said, in so many words;

• “If you will not believe in Jesus Christ, if you refuse to take him as your Lord,

• You will suffer grave eschatological ramifications”.

• He then went on and finished his message.

• Later C.S. Lewis had the opportunity to talk to his friend about his message;