The comic strip “Peanuts” (by Charles Schultz) often had a Biblical theme to it. In one of his comic strips, Lucy and Linus were staring out the window watching it rain and Lucy says… "Boy! Look at it pour. What if it floods the whole world?" Linus says: "It won't. In Genesis 9, God promised Noah that that would never happen again. The sign of that promise is the rainbow." Lucy smiles and says: "You've taken a great load off my mind." And Linus answers: "Sound theology has a way of doing that."
Today, we’re going to talk about teaching SOUND theology. And we’ll be talking about how WE should be the ones teaching that theology. Hebrews says - if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you ought to be a teachers. There comes a point in every Christian’s life when we need to grow up. And part of growing up is to begin to help others grow in their faith.
The writer of Hebrew was amazed at how lax Christians had become: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” In other words – God expects us to GROW UP! And the thing we should be doing once we’ve grown up is to decide to deliberately find ways to teach others.
Now, we need to realize that - back in the days of the early Church. They didn’t have Sunday School; Mid-week elementary youth groups (JAM); High School Youth Groups; Summer Camps/ Family Camps; No publishing houses that would sell you printed materials... and they didn’t even have church bldgs.
So, how do you teach if you don’t have that stuff? I mean how can you teach if you don’t have those advantages? Well, all you really need in order to be a teacher is to have someone to teach. You don’t need a pulpit, or a classroom to teach. You just have to use what you have to teach what you can. Cartoonists (like Charles Schultz) don’t use pulpits or classrooms. They use humor along with 3 to 4 panels of a comic strip to encourage believers. That’s what they do! They use what they have to teach what they can.
Now, the 1st thing we need to think about today is this - WHY should we want to teach?
ILLUS: Years ago I was talking with a man who was very impressed with himself. He was complaining to me about why more church folks didn’t what he did. He had a whole list of things he did that he was impressed with. He was a very self-absorbed man… and (frankly) he was very self-righteous. I struggled with how to help him understand what he needed to do - and I believe God gave me a scripture I could share with him.
2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass (in a mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (KJV)”
When I read that scripture, an image of a staircase came to mind: when it comes to spirituality, some folks are 4 to 5 steps up the staircase. The more mature may be 10 to 15 steps up. But then there’s these new folks (teenagers or new converts) and they may be standing at the bottom of the staircase not sure what they have to do or what they have to believe.
So I explained to this “self-absorbed” individual that he was probably 4 or 5 steps up the staircase and it was his job was to reach down to the newcomers and find a way to lift them up to where he is - so they could be changed and reflect more of the glory of God. Then he should look at those further up the staircase and try to figure out how to get to where they were.
My point in telling you this story is this: This illustration explains why you and I should find ways to teach people. We need to help people change so they can reflect more of God’s glory. We need to help them climb the staircase from glory to glory. We need to help the younger believers grow in their faith, so that the church (in turn) can grow stronger and more powerful for Jesus. And we need to take this seriously, because IF we don’t teach new folk to do and believe what we do and believe - one day you and I won’t be around and things might not go well for the church then.
Years ago, I read this comment from Judges 2:7 & 10 “The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel… all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.”
During the days of Joshua and the Elders, the people were faithful to God. But when those leaders died, things fell apart. That is WHY we should teach the next generation of believers - so that that next generation to be faithful to the God that we serve. And we should teach them to love God like we do.
The next question is this: WHAT SHOULD WE TEACH? Remember, your objective is to guide the next generation to be faithful to God. So where are you going to get the information to guide those folks? The Bible! As Christians… you and I need to focus on what the Bible says. We need to read the book and make it so much a part of our thinking that it becomes part of our daily conversation.
Now, you can teach Scripture in Sunday School, or in JAM or Youth Group; in home Bible studies/ or studies with your neighbors; or at the dining room table with your family. All those are valid ways of being a “teacher.”
BUT TEACH SOMEBODY, SOME PLACE because sharing God with someone can make all the difference in their lives.
ILLUS: Last week, our family minister baptized 3 young people into Christ. These youth didn’t magically decide to become Christians. Somebody taught them in Jam and in Youth Group. Somebody said “I’m going to invest my life in those kids. I’m going to tell them about Jesus!” YOU could have been that somebody.
During Jr. Church, a lot of kids learn about Jesus while we we’re here worshipping God. One family told me how much their granddaughter loved Jr. Church and she literally BEGGED to come to church. She wanted to come because somebody said “I’m going to invest my life in those kids. I’m going to tell them about Jesus!” YOU could have been that somebody.
About twice a year, we have short term in-home Bible studies. Small groups of people will meet in someone’s home, and they’ll watch Bible videos or study the Bible together for a few weeks. And if you get involved this year you really need to ask: “WHO can I invite to this study that doesn’t go to church, or who is new Christian?” You don’t even have to TEACH that group to invite somebody! But by getting NEW folks there, you will have invested in their lives, and you may get a chance tell them about Jesus. YOU could be that somebody who helps change their lives for eternity!
Now, going back to my illustration about the staircase: I explained that Christianity is all about climbing the staircase of faith. So with every step we take up that staircase, we are changed more and more into the image of the God we love.
QUESTION: Where are you on that staircase? (Be honest with yourself). Are you 10 to 15 steps up the way; are you 4 or 5 steps up; or are you still in the basement? Since you became a Christian - have you grown? Are you doing stuff for Jesus?
Now, I brag about this congregation all the time. I brag about all the different ministries people do here and I tell folks that 90% of the work here is done by 60 or 70% of the congregation. I’m as proud as I can be of the church. And its you folks (the folks that DO ministry) that I’m focusing on now.
Remember, I told that man who thought he was so spiritual that he was so far up the staircase – and his job NOW was to reach down and help others get to where he was. But how do you do that? How do you reach down and lift others up? Well, have you ever heard of something called an “apprenticeship?” An apprenticeship is where someone learns an art, a trade, or a job from somebody else. So if you realize the importance of helping someone else climb the staircase you need to find someone to train! You need to find someone you can teach how to do what you do!
ILLUS: Years ago, my sister Donna Mae was in an adult Sunday School class. The regular teacher had moved away and now there was nobody to teach the class! So now, there’s NO teacher, but the class members knew that my sister knew the Bible really well, and they wanted her to teach the class. But there was a small problem. This was a mixed class of men and women and she was convicted that it wouldn’t be right for her to teach the Bible… to adult men. As Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:12 “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man….” But in spite of her telling them that Scripture, the class insisted that they wanted HER to be their teacher. So, she came up with a compromise. She looked over the class and saw 2 men who had spoken up in class in the past and she said “I tell you what. I’ll teach this class for a short time under one condition. I want Joe and Fred to commit to learn from me how to study the Bible so that one day soon, they can take over teaching the class. That’s the only way I’ll agree to teach… for a short time.” The two men agreed, and after a few weeks they had learned enough about reading and studying the Bible, and using commentaries… etc. that they were now ready to step up and team-teach that class.
You see, no matter what ministry you have you should be training an apprentice. Someone described the training process this way… 1) You watch ME work (see how I do what I do); 2) WE work together. (I give you “hand-on” experience); 3) I watch YOU work. (I step back and let you learn by doing)
CLOSE: So, remember why we should be training others. One day – you’re not going to be around anymore. And if you haven’t trained anyone to do what you do the ministry you love so much will die because you’re not there to do it anymore! This Is My Point - Jesus designed the Church to be a group that helps each other grow. The church is not about any ONE person, or any ONE GROUP - doing everything. Hebrews 10:24-25 tell us “let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.”
ILLUS: There was once a Vacation Bible School where a new little boy was brought into the room to join the others in a closing ceremony. It was then that the teacher noticed that this little boy had only one hand. It threw her off a little, but she continued with the program and as the ceremony came to a close she told the children: “Now, let’s all build our churches. Put your hands together now, “here is the church, here is the steeple ...” and suddenly, she realized how embarrassing this would be for the boy. HE ONLY HAD ONE HAND! But after a moment of awkward silence, the little girl next to the boy held one of her hands up so he could join with his hand, and she said “Here, let’s build the church together.”
INVITATION
