A. INTRODUCTION
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NLT).
1. An exponential soul-winning church is powerful, but has no future if it is not a teaching church.
a. Converts taught for individual growth.
b. Second generation to reproduce itself.
2. Definition. Teaching is the preparation and guidance of learning experiences.
a. Solid preparation gives direction and depth.
b. Spiritual guidance. “The Spirit of Truth . . . will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
c. Human guidance. “How can I (understand), unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:31).
d. Learning. Teaching is not just talking or telling. Learning is knowing the lesson, commit your heart to it, and obeying what is taught.
3. Jesus the example. “Taught them as one having authority” (Matt. 7:29).
4. Early church foundation. “Devoted themselves to apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42). Church focus. “Every day, in the temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach . . . Jesus the Messiah” (Acts 5:42, NLT).
B. BEREAN CHURCH EXAMPLE
1. Results. “Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women” (Acts 17:4, NLT).
2. Learning strategy. “They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).
a. Willing to receive, listen, examines, think, and apply.
b. Intentional. Ready to pursue truth.
c. Word for word. Search means sift flour.
d. Regular routine. Daily.
e. Propose. “Whether those things were so.”
3. Spiritual strategy.
a. Pray. “Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your law” (Ps. 119:18).
b. Yield. “We . . . with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). Look at Jesus to become like Him.
4. Stepping stones to Bible mastery. “God has given us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).
a. Point. What is the passage saying?
b. Parallel. Where else does God say this?
c. Problem. What are the problems?
d. Practical. What does it mean to me?
5. A Bible study is more than Bible reading, but read several times in different versions.
a. Study words.
1) Etymology—original.
2) Using Loquendi—context.
3) Koine common meaning.
b. Memory. “Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11).
c. Meditate. “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Ps. 1:2).
6. Summary and application.
a. To be an exceptional believer, be grounded in scripture.
b. The power of scriptural foundation to build an exponential church.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
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