What Is Teaching?

Text: Hebrews 5:6-6:3

 

I.         Teaching is a duty within the church

            A.        Ephesians 4:11 - Listed with apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors.

            B.        Acts 13:1 - Antioch had prophets and teachers

            C.        I Corinthians 12:28-29 - Listed among apostles and prophets.

            D.        Romans 12:6-8 - Teaching is a gift to be exercised to our best ability

            E.        Paul performed the duties of apostle, preacher, and teacher - II Timothy 1:11

            F.        Some elders were also preachers and teachers - I Timothy 5:17

II.        What is teaching?

            A.        Helping people learn - Nehemiah 8:7-8

            B.        Presenting concepts to be clearly understood. Imparting knowledge.

                        1.         Not just facts, but helping people see the connections between facts

                        2.         Being able to explain, prove, illustrate, and apply what is being taught

            C.        Persuading students to apply lessons to their lives

                        1.         Knowing is useless if it is not done - James 1:22-25

III.       The purpose of teaching is to build up the members of the church - Ephesians 4:12-13

            A.        Teaching so as to make a man complete - Colossians 1:28

            B.        The goal of our instruction is love from a pure conscience and sincere faith - I Timothy 1:5

                        1.         Teachers instruct for the love of their students

            C.        Teachers must be strong Christians

                        1.         They are the mature Christians - Hebrews 5:12

                        2.         Doctrine is intrusted to faithful men - II Timothy 2:2

            D.        Some get carried away by fruitless discussion because they do not understand what they are teaching - I Timothy 1:6-8

IV.      Teachers deliver the message of God, but they cannot make a person accept the truth - Ezekiel 3:17-21

            A.        Seek to persuade men - II Corinthians 5:11

            B.        Reasoning and persuading - Acts 19:8

            C.        How Paul taught Christ through persuasion - Acts 28:23-24

V.        Why can’t a student learn without a teacher?

            A.        Information is scattered and unconnected to the beginning student.

            B.        David killed Goliath is a fact anyone reading the Bible can pick up.

                        1.         Why were the Israelites afraid? Why was David not afraid?

                        2.         Why was David’s brother angry with David for talking with the soldiers?

                        3.         What is the significance of David going without armor?

            C.        The teacher helps a student find the appropriate information and helps him make the interconnections (reasoning) - Luke 24:25-27

                        1.         This means the teacher cannot be a slave to the textbook.

                                    a.         He has to know when more explanation is needed

                                    b.         Worse teachers are those who read straight from the text.

                                    c.         Know and have more material than is in the text, even if not all used.

            D.        The teacher stirs the student’s interest in the subject - Luke 24:32

VI.      Teachers are held accountable for what they teach - James 3:1-2

            A.        Teachers exercise authority, which is why women are forbidden to teach men - I Timothy 2:12

            B.        Teaching them to observe all things - Matthew 28:19-20

            C.        Teachers are not the source of law, but an explainer of law - I Peter 4:11

                        1.         Too often teachers are offended if they are unable to persuade a man to the truth or if a person disagrees with what they believe.

                        2.         It is not the teacher being rejected but the author of the law – God

            D.        Teachers must know what they are teaching - Titus 1:9

                        1.         Something doesn’t come from nothing

                        2.         Imperfect knowledge will result in imperfect teaching - Matthew 15:14

                        3.         There has to be an appreciation of its importance - I Peter 1:22-23

                                    a.         Then there is enthusiasm

                        4.         It is students of a subject who become teachers - II Timothy 2:2

VII.     Getting ready to teach - Ezra 7:10

            A.        Restudy the lesson to have it fresh in your mind.

                        1.         Find new material to add to it.

                        2.         Improve it

                        3.         Go deeper than what you plan to present

                        4.         A quick glance before presenting doesn’t count

            B.        Sketch out a logical order for the steps in the lesson

            C.        Understand the lesson until it is clear in your mind

            D.        Find ways to illustrate the lesson with aids and current analogies

            E.        Determine how the learners can apply what they learn to their lives.

            F.        Think about and prepare possible side issues, just in case they come up.

VIII.    We need people willing to shoulder the responsibility to teach, who have a love for God’s truth, and a deep knowledge they are eager to share with others