Lesson 11: A Teaching Sermon Series

Lesson Goal

I hope to encourage obedience to Jesus' command to teach in Matthew 28.

Lesson Intro

Jesus instructed the disciples to both preach the Gospel (Mark 16:15) and teach those who responded, to obey what he had taught them (Matthew 28:19-20). Preaching is more or less gospel work, and teaching is the work of feeding the Sheep. Much of what is called preaching in the church is actually teaching—and rightly so. What are some techniques which would improve the teaching in the churches?

Lesson Plan

We will discuss modifying the sermon outline to a teaching format, and share a brief introduction to how we can reach people who learn by different methods.

Lesson Body

1. A Teaching Sermon Outline

A simple three step plan for teaching is: -

Plan: tell them what you are going to tell them

Body: tell them, and

Outro: tell them what you told them

2. Teaching for 3 Kinds of Intelligence

Some people are bored with intellectual pursuits, while others are frustrated with mechanical things and prefer to think. How can we reach a variety of people? Let's look at three kinds of intelligence:

Tactile — some people need to touch things in order to learn. They are the mechanics, the fix-it people, who love to have a gadget in their hands and who learn best by doing things with their hands. This is the preacher's greatest challenge. It is not always possible to take an old fashioned plow into the church hall or take the church literally out on a field trip to preach about putting our hand to the plow (Luke 9:62), but it would be a great help to those who learn best by touching things. This is why Jesus' method of teaching his disciples along the way was so effective. Preachers, who use props which people can touch, or who give hand-outs for people to fill in, are really helping tactile people to find church stimulating.

Visual — some people have a more visual intelligence, and are aided by props and modern technology which uses pictures. In the absence of visual aids, a skilled preacher can paint pictures with his words. Far too few preachers are effective with word pictures any more.

Verbal — these people make up the traditional audience of a preacher, those who can listen and learn from verbal teaching alone. However, since the advent of television and computers, many people are culturally trained in a different kind of intelligence from childhood. Verbal preaching alone, is less and less effective in reaching the people of God, in some cultures I am tempted to say almost totally ineffective.

Combination — most people are a combination of the above three, but even then, one or the other form of intelligence is predominant.

Example Sermon

Title: "The Metanoia Experience"

Goal

To explain repentance in street terms

Intro

When people on the street hear the word repent, they either don't have any idea what it means, or think of some guy with boards over his shoulders walking down the street announcing the end of the world.

Teaching Plan (1. tell them what you are going to tell them)

Today we will learn that the Greek word for repentance means a change of heart, a change in the way we think about faith and sin, and that it is evidenced by good deeds.

Teaching Body (2. tell them)

A. The Metanoia Experience

The Greek word for repent is metanoia, meaning a change of heart. People today speak of having a metanoia experience, meaning a dramatic change of life.

Application

Have you have a dramatic change of life since coming to know Jesus?

B. Changed our Minds about Faith and Sin

We came to see Jesus as the One who takes away all our sins and offers us eternal life (cf. Luke 24:47, Acts 2:38, and Acts 11:17-18). We changed our minds (repented) about Jesus Christ and also changed our minds (repented) about our misdeeds. We came to see Him as the only One who takes away all our sins and offers us eternal life (cp. Luke 24:47, Acts 2:38, and Acts 11:17-18).

Application

What has changed in your life about faith and sin?

C. Fruits of a Changed Heart

Metanoia is a change of heart, a change of mind, but it doesn't stop there. It is evidenced by a change in what we do. Paul preached that people should have a change of heart and turn to God and do deeds consistent with a changed heart (Acts 26:20). We may claim to have faith, but remember that James said that faith without works is dead.

Application

What good deeds, works which are consistent with a changed heart, are we actively engaged in?

Teaching Outro/Conclusion (3. tell them what you told them)

Today we learned that the Greek word for repentance means a change of heart, a change in the way we think about faith and sin, and that it is evidenced by good deeds.