1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,400 Well, we're gonna be in Romans chapter 12 if you have not been with 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:04,720 us. 3 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:08,520 We have been going through the book of Romans for quite some time. 4 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:11,880 And now we've made it to Romans chapter 12, and we're just 5 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:14,080 gonna set in and we're gonna learn. 6 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:18,480 The thing is, is that when we get to Romans chapter 12, we see 7 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,240 everything that we've learned from Romans chapter one through Romans 8 00:00:21,240 --> 00:00:23,840 chapter 11 by way of what we should believe. 9 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:28,440 And now In Romans chapter 12, Paul is telling us through the inspiration 10 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,600 of Scripture that this is how you're supposed to live out what 11 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:32,280 you believe. 12 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,720 And part of living out what we believe is serving within the body 13 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:37,320 of Christ. 14 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:39,360 It is God's desire. 15 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:44,720 It is God's plan for us to walk in unity together, to serve 16 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:49,320 one another for the bigger purpose of proclaiming the gospel 17 00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:53,880 and glorifying him through lifting up others in his truth. 18 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,850 And so In Romans chapter 12, he started out in verse one with 19 00:00:57,850 --> 00:00:58,490 the challenge. 20 00:00:58,490 --> 00:01:03,850 And the challenge was this, to present ourselves a living sacrifice 21 00:01:04,170 --> 00:01:05,130 unto the Lord. 22 00:01:05,450 --> 00:01:09,210 He says, it's your reasonable service, it's your logical service 23 00:01:09,690 --> 00:01:12,890 to serve the One who gave you everything. 24 00:01:13,610 --> 00:01:18,010 Folks, I think sometimes we just need to be reminded again and 25 00:01:18,010 --> 00:01:22,930 again and again about how good God has been to us. 26 00:01:23,570 --> 00:01:27,170 How, how forgiving, how loving, how patient. 27 00:01:27,890 --> 00:01:31,930 The greatest example of love is by giving his only begotten Son 28 00:01:31,930 --> 00:01:32,330 for us. 29 00:01:32,330 --> 00:01:34,450 And so Paul says, do that. 30 00:01:34,450 --> 00:01:37,570 He says in verse two, don't be conformed to this world. 31 00:01:37,730 --> 00:01:41,810 Don't be pushed into the mold that the world wants you to be in. 32 00:01:41,970 --> 00:01:45,170 He says, no, be transformed, be changed. 33 00:01:45,490 --> 00:01:48,640 Second Corinthians, chapter five tells us that we're new creatures 34 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,120 that were new creations in the Lord. 35 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:55,160 So he says, be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that 36 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:59,440 you can demonstrate that good and acceptable and perfect will of 37 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:00,560 God in your life. 38 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:05,200 I hope it is your desire to walk in the will of God in your life. 39 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:10,080 And to walk in the will of God means to serve at whatever capacity 40 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:11,840 that he has called you to serve. 41 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,330 The Bible tells us here in verse 3 of Romans 12, that it is 42 00:02:15,330 --> 00:02:17,690 through his grace that we're able to serve it all. 43 00:02:18,170 --> 00:02:21,450 And he gives different people in different ways. 44 00:02:21,450 --> 00:02:26,410 And so when we got to verse number six, we see that it says having 45 00:02:26,410 --> 00:02:30,490 then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us. 46 00:02:30,809 --> 00:02:34,250 And he begins to list these motivational ministry gifts. 47 00:02:34,250 --> 00:02:35,690 And so we've gone through two already. 48 00:02:36,090 --> 00:02:40,650 We've gone through the gift of prophecy or perceiving the, the idea 49 00:02:40,650 --> 00:02:42,610 of proclaiming the truth of God. 50 00:02:42,610 --> 00:02:45,770 So it's recognizing and proclaiming the truth of God. 51 00:02:46,460 --> 00:02:49,980 And then we looked at last week, the idea of ministry or service. 52 00:02:50,780 --> 00:02:55,300 Using our hands, using our feet, behind the scenes, serving 53 00:02:55,300 --> 00:02:58,300 so that other people can do what God has called them to do. 54 00:02:58,540 --> 00:03:01,740 And so now we're gonna look this week at verse number seven, 55 00:03:01,740 --> 00:03:06,380 and we see that it says, or he that teacheth on teaching. 56 00:03:06,940 --> 00:03:09,820 So this week we're gonna look at the motivational ministry gift 57 00:03:09,820 --> 00:03:10,540 of teaching. 58 00:03:10,940 --> 00:03:13,980 You know, we know that every believer has received at least one 59 00:03:13,980 --> 00:03:16,230 spiritual gift by the grace of God. 60 00:03:16,230 --> 00:03:19,190 And what we've learned so far is that these gifts are not earned. 61 00:03:19,510 --> 00:03:22,670 They are not rewards for spiritual maturity, because we are 62 00:03:22,670 --> 00:03:26,470 gifted these in the Holy Spirit even as we're immature Christians. 63 00:03:26,870 --> 00:03:30,710 But they're graciously given to us by God for the purpose of building 64 00:03:31,190 --> 00:03:33,670 his church and glorifying Christ. 65 00:03:33,830 --> 00:03:37,870 These gifts are not given to us so that we can be praised or that 66 00:03:37,870 --> 00:03:40,870 we can have a claim or that people can lift us up. 67 00:03:40,870 --> 00:03:42,640 No, these gifts are given to us through. 68 00:03:42,790 --> 00:03:45,630 So that we can lift up the name of the Lord, so that we can 69 00:03:45,630 --> 00:03:47,910 lift up others in the name of the Lord. 70 00:03:47,990 --> 00:03:51,950 And so In Romans, chapter 12, it reminds us that every member of 71 00:03:51,950 --> 00:03:54,150 the body has a unique function. 72 00:03:54,630 --> 00:03:56,710 Some are called to proclaim the truth. 73 00:03:57,270 --> 00:04:00,310 Some are called to serve quietly behind the scenes. 74 00:04:00,710 --> 00:04:02,630 Some are called to encourage. 75 00:04:03,030 --> 00:04:07,590 Some are called to give, some lead, Some show mercy. 76 00:04:08,070 --> 00:04:11,670 We know that even though we're not necessarily spiritually gifted 77 00:04:11,670 --> 00:04:12,850 in all of these areas, we. 78 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,120 We're called to exercise these areas in our life and ask God to 79 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:17,560 help us grow in these areas. 80 00:04:18,280 --> 00:04:21,400 I said here that some are called to give, but all are called 81 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,840 to give, but some are just gifted more naturally to give. 82 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:28,400 And so there's that mechanism in which God works through us in 83 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:29,640 a more natural sense. 84 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,760 So we're gonna come today to the gift of teaching. 85 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:35,880 And I believe it's one of the foundational gifts within the church. 86 00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:40,080 And though not all of us are supernaturally gifted by the grace 87 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,300 of God to teach, I do believe that all of us, to some degree, are 88 00:04:43,300 --> 00:04:44,060 called to teach. 89 00:04:44,140 --> 00:04:47,100 And we're called to recognize good teaching with others. 90 00:04:47,100 --> 00:04:50,820 And so we're coming to this passage of Scripture with a lot on 91 00:04:50,820 --> 00:04:51,700 our minds with. 92 00:04:51,700 --> 00:04:55,860 But without teaching, the church becomes spiritually immature. 93 00:04:55,860 --> 00:04:58,780 If there's not truth explained, there's going to be a 94 00:04:58,780 --> 00:05:00,460 limitation in spiritual growth. 95 00:05:01,180 --> 00:05:04,460 So we looked at two weeks ago the gift of prophecy. 96 00:05:04,460 --> 00:05:07,100 And part of the gift of prophecy is proclaiming truth. 97 00:05:07,100 --> 00:05:10,060 So it would be someone who can identify the truth. 98 00:05:10,060 --> 00:05:14,220 Of God, clearly see it and clearly proclaim it to other people 99 00:05:14,220 --> 00:05:16,620 and let them know whether or not they're in the truth of God. 100 00:05:16,700 --> 00:05:17,980 So that's part of preaching. 101 00:05:18,380 --> 00:05:21,020 We need proclamation of the truth within the church. 102 00:05:21,020 --> 00:05:23,380 If I got up here and said, well, truth is whatever you want 103 00:05:23,380 --> 00:05:26,980 it to be, or truth is going to change, there's going to be a lot 104 00:05:26,980 --> 00:05:29,980 of hard times that we're going to face in our Christian walk. 105 00:05:29,980 --> 00:05:33,180 If we think that times are changing, therefore truth changes. 106 00:05:33,340 --> 00:05:34,940 We know that truth stays the same. 107 00:05:34,940 --> 00:05:37,860 We know that we're sanctified by God's truth. 108 00:05:37,860 --> 00:05:41,020 We know that even Jesus tells us in the Book of John that the truth 109 00:05:41,020 --> 00:05:42,100 will set us free. 110 00:05:42,580 --> 00:05:46,220 But the other aspect of truth is teaching. 111 00:05:46,220 --> 00:05:50,740 Because though someone can proclaim the truth to someone, there 112 00:05:50,740 --> 00:05:54,500 might be a hesitancy to explain the truth to someone. 113 00:05:55,140 --> 00:05:58,820 And so teaching and preaching come right alongside of one another. 114 00:05:59,140 --> 00:06:01,980 We have someone who proclaims the truth, and it might be the same 115 00:06:01,980 --> 00:06:03,420 person who explains the truth. 116 00:06:03,420 --> 00:06:03,640 But. 117 00:06:03,790 --> 00:06:07,870 But there is a great need for teaching within the body of Christ 118 00:06:08,670 --> 00:06:12,590 without sound doctrine and sound doctrine explained, churches 119 00:06:12,590 --> 00:06:14,910 can be vulnerable to false teaching. 120 00:06:15,710 --> 00:06:19,549 Folks, if we don't stand on the truth, if we're not vigilant 121 00:06:19,549 --> 00:06:23,270 in protecting ourselves from these false teachings, we're going 122 00:06:23,270 --> 00:06:26,350 to fall right into the trap that we thought we would never fall 123 00:06:26,350 --> 00:06:26,630 into. 124 00:06:26,630 --> 00:06:29,310 And that is believing something that is not biblical. 125 00:06:29,860 --> 00:06:33,580 And so without faithful teachers, believers remain what we 126 00:06:33,580 --> 00:06:38,020 would call spiritual infants rather than growing into mature disciples 127 00:06:38,180 --> 00:06:39,220 of Jesus Christ. 128 00:06:39,620 --> 00:06:43,060 The Bible over and over again in the New Testament likens the spiritual 129 00:06:43,060 --> 00:06:45,380 growth process to the physical growth process. 130 00:06:46,420 --> 00:06:50,100 We know that the Bible tells us that as Christians in First Peter 131 00:06:50,100 --> 00:06:53,860 chapter two, that we're supposed to desire the sincere milk 132 00:06:53,860 --> 00:06:58,360 of the Word so that we can grow, thereby meaning as a believer, 133 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:03,360 we cannot grow unless we have a desire and an intake of the word 134 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:03,840 of God. 135 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,520 And so, just as if we had a baby born here within the church, 136 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,360 which I praise God, we have babies being born in the church. 137 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:10,920 That's a good thing. 138 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:13,560 That's one way to grow the church, is to have more babies born. 139 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:17,280 But as a baby is born, we see this child and we know that this 140 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:18,720 child needs nutrients. 141 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:22,240 We know that this child needs some sort of protection. 142 00:07:22,670 --> 00:07:26,470 This child needs to be able to be taught what it means to walk and 143 00:07:26,470 --> 00:07:27,710 to eat and to talk. 144 00:07:27,870 --> 00:07:32,190 And that's the same thing as a spiritual babe in Christ. 145 00:07:33,070 --> 00:07:36,790 Sometimes we see people come to Jesus and we just say, hey, figure 146 00:07:36,790 --> 00:07:37,710 it out on your own. 147 00:07:38,190 --> 00:07:39,630 That's not wise. 148 00:07:39,710 --> 00:07:42,430 That's not something that's going to be successful. 149 00:07:42,750 --> 00:07:45,630 Sometimes we see someone that's a babe in Christ and they 150 00:07:45,630 --> 00:07:47,710 act like a babe in Christ and we get upset with them. 151 00:07:47,710 --> 00:07:51,640 We say, why don't you act like you were a Christian saved for 50 152 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:51,920 years? 153 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,840 It's the same reason why I don't hold my 2 year old and my 11 154 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:57,480 year old to the same standard. 155 00:07:57,640 --> 00:07:58,840 You say, I think you should. 156 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,520 Well, it's kind of hard to expect a 2 year old to be the same 157 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:02,560 way as an 11 year old. 158 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:08,240 If my 2 year old has a tantrum, I don't justify it, I don't 159 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:09,000 celebrate it. 160 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:11,840 But I understand that that two year old tantrum is something that 161 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:12,680 needs to be taught. 162 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,360 But if my 11 year old is throwing the same tantrum as my 2 163 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,240 year old, there's gonna be a big issue there because he needs 164 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,360 to know better than that, he needs to grow in that. 165 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,960 And so when we teach Christians the truths of God's Word, 166 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,360 we're teaching them at the appropriate stage, at the appropriate 167 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:29,000 time, with the appropriate amount. 168 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,480 And so the teacher serves Christ by helping people understand 169 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,120 what God has already said. 170 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,280 God has given us truth and we find the truth in the Word. 171 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:42,040 We can't find our truth elsewhere. 172 00:08:42,390 --> 00:08:44,230 We have to find our truth in Scripture. 173 00:08:44,630 --> 00:08:48,630 As hard as it might be, truth is found in the word of God. 174 00:08:49,190 --> 00:08:51,910 But I think we all can understand that there's going to 175 00:08:51,910 --> 00:08:55,390 be times in all of our lives that we get to a passage of Scripture 176 00:08:55,390 --> 00:08:59,350 and we say, okay, I see what it says, but what does that mean? 177 00:09:00,390 --> 00:09:03,990 I see what that says, but how do I live that out? 178 00:09:04,150 --> 00:09:06,630 Well, that's the role of the teacher. 179 00:09:06,950 --> 00:09:12,050 The role of the teacher is applying the truth of God to a practical 180 00:09:12,050 --> 00:09:16,290 setting so that a person can tangibly understand the truth and 181 00:09:16,290 --> 00:09:19,650 then believe the truth and then apply the truth to their life. 182 00:09:19,810 --> 00:09:23,250 And so In Romans chapter 12, verse 7, we see that this is a gift 183 00:09:23,410 --> 00:09:26,290 given by God within the church so that people can grow. 184 00:09:27,010 --> 00:09:31,570 This simple command reminds us that teachers are to devote themselves 185 00:09:31,970 --> 00:09:36,860 to the careful study and faithful communication to God's Word. 186 00:09:37,180 --> 00:09:40,140 So let's understand this gift of teaching. 187 00:09:40,140 --> 00:09:44,060 The gift of teaching is a spirit given grace, a spirit given 188 00:09:44,060 --> 00:09:49,979 desire and motivation to serve God in the body by careful, in depth 189 00:09:49,979 --> 00:09:54,380 study of God's Word and related biblical materials and organizing 190 00:09:54,460 --> 00:09:59,140 those truths into a systematic format so that it can be clearly 191 00:09:59,140 --> 00:10:00,300 communicated to others. 192 00:10:00,980 --> 00:10:01,500 For what? 193 00:10:01,500 --> 00:10:04,340 For the building of Christ's church and the glory of God. 194 00:10:04,420 --> 00:10:09,660 So just as much as a teacher should be explaining the truth A 195 00:10:09,660 --> 00:10:11,460 teacher should be studying the truth. 196 00:10:12,100 --> 00:10:15,500 And so some of you that are teachers in the world, whether it 197 00:10:15,500 --> 00:10:18,580 be in a school setting or another training setting, within 198 00:10:18,580 --> 00:10:21,660 your job, you understand that you can only teach what you know 199 00:10:21,660 --> 00:10:23,220 and that you have to prepare yourself. 200 00:10:23,460 --> 00:10:27,100 And so part of the gift of teaching is the gift of preparation 201 00:10:27,100 --> 00:10:29,940 to get to a place where, where we can explain the truths of God 202 00:10:29,940 --> 00:10:30,620 to other people. 203 00:10:30,700 --> 00:10:34,940 So unlike prophecy that we talked about a few weeks ago, it's 204 00:10:34,940 --> 00:10:39,100 often motivated not just by declaring the truth immediately, 205 00:10:39,580 --> 00:10:43,740 but by being motivated to understand the truth deeply before 206 00:10:43,900 --> 00:10:45,020 communicating it. 207 00:10:45,580 --> 00:10:49,940 Folks, if I just read through a verse one time and try to get up 208 00:10:49,940 --> 00:10:54,140 and teach you that verse, I may or may not have all of the tools 209 00:10:54,140 --> 00:10:56,940 needed to equip you for the work of the ministry. 210 00:10:56,940 --> 00:11:00,700 By the way, the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 4 that it is the 211 00:11:00,700 --> 00:11:04,220 role of church leadership, particularly the pastor and teacher, 212 00:11:04,380 --> 00:11:05,980 to equip the saints. 213 00:11:06,140 --> 00:11:10,780 Or as the King James says, perfect the saints for the work of 214 00:11:10,780 --> 00:11:11,500 the ministry. 215 00:11:11,500 --> 00:11:12,540 Now, who are the saints? 216 00:11:12,620 --> 00:11:14,100 Well, those are the real special people. 217 00:11:14,100 --> 00:11:17,500 No, biblically speaking, the saints are those that are separated 218 00:11:17,500 --> 00:11:19,260 for the cause of the gospel. 219 00:11:19,340 --> 00:11:22,550 So if you're a believer this morning, if you're saved, you are 220 00:11:22,550 --> 00:11:23,150 a saint. 221 00:11:23,550 --> 00:11:27,390 Therefore, the role of the church, particularly church leadership 222 00:11:27,390 --> 00:11:31,830 and the teaching that comes in the church is to equip you as the 223 00:11:31,830 --> 00:11:34,270 believer for the work of the ministry. 224 00:11:34,910 --> 00:11:35,630 So it's not. 225 00:11:35,950 --> 00:11:38,149 I'm not the only person supposed to be ministering within 226 00:11:38,149 --> 00:11:38,670 the church. 227 00:11:38,990 --> 00:11:42,270 It's actually supposed to be every men, every member is a minister. 228 00:11:42,670 --> 00:11:45,950 Therefore we are called to explain and equip the truth. 229 00:11:45,950 --> 00:11:46,990 So what are we doing here? 230 00:11:47,070 --> 00:11:52,350 Well, it is a motivation to declare truth, but to declare it 231 00:11:52,350 --> 00:11:56,550 in such a way that people can use it for the cause of the gospel. 232 00:11:56,550 --> 00:11:58,630 So the prophet asks, is it true? 233 00:11:59,670 --> 00:12:01,830 The teacher asks why it's true. 234 00:12:02,230 --> 00:12:07,590 The prophet confronts, the teacher explains, the prophet warns, 235 00:12:08,070 --> 00:12:09,750 the teacher builds understanding. 236 00:12:09,830 --> 00:12:14,600 Both are gifts of love and truth, but they are just approached 237 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:15,200 differently. 238 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,360 So we know that teaching is both a serving and a speaking gift. 239 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,120 And therefore teaching certainly involves some level of 240 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:22,440 speaking. 241 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:23,360 We has to be. 242 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:26,720 But even before it's a speaking gift, it has to be a serving 243 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:27,040 gift. 244 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:30,840 Because teachers have to spend countless hours looking at things, 245 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:34,760 studying things, comparing scripture, researching history, bringing 246 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:37,960 in context, organizing thoughts, and preparing lessons so 247 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,320 that people can come to a place of understanding. 248 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:42,360 And don't forget about the prayer right. 249 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,640 To be a teacher, we have to pray and prepare ourselves for the 250 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:46,840 application of truth. 251 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,160 So most of the time, people only see 30 minute lessons, or if 252 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,640 you're in Pastor Josh's sermons and he's really wordy that 253 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:57,560 morning, an hour long sermon, you say, well that's, that's what 254 00:12:57,560 --> 00:12:58,000 we see. 255 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:00,360 And pastor, I thought you only worked one hour a week. 256 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,720 Folks, a teacher of the gospel should be working more than one hour 257 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:05,080 a week. 258 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:09,400 There should be hours of prayer, hours of preparation that 259 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,240 go into what we do, especially even with our children. 260 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:14,960 A lot of people think that teaching our children and we just 261 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,400 give them a Sunday school lesson and go, folks, pray over those 262 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:23,760 lessons, prepare, give as much interest as we can to the excitement 263 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:27,080 of the word of God so that people can taste of that excitement 264 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:27,800 and apply that. 265 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:29,280 So what's a teacher's motivation? 266 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:33,200 A teacher's motivation is to research, to understand, to organize, 267 00:13:33,500 --> 00:13:35,180 to communicate biblical doctrine. 268 00:13:35,820 --> 00:13:39,180 There's a desire for accuracy, there's a desire for clarity, there's 269 00:13:39,180 --> 00:13:40,700 a desire for understanding. 270 00:13:40,780 --> 00:13:44,700 And the greatest joy that a teacher has is hearing someone say, 271 00:13:44,700 --> 00:13:48,460 I've never understood this passage before, but now I see it, 272 00:13:48,700 --> 00:13:50,140 now I can apply it. 273 00:13:50,380 --> 00:13:53,300 Some of you that have taught in your life, you've, you've realized 274 00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:56,100 that light bulb moment and that that's kind of like an addictive 275 00:13:56,100 --> 00:13:56,260 thing. 276 00:13:56,260 --> 00:13:59,340 You want that happening more because you see someone explaining 277 00:13:59,340 --> 00:14:03,270 truth and then obtaining truth and then applying truth. 278 00:14:03,270 --> 00:14:06,790 That is really the goal for all teachers within the church. 279 00:14:06,790 --> 00:14:10,430 That is to communicate and apply those truths that God has given 280 00:14:10,430 --> 00:14:11,110 us in our life. 281 00:14:11,110 --> 00:14:14,910 So as we've been studying, we know that each person who's exercising 282 00:14:14,910 --> 00:14:18,670 these gifts can exercise them within the spirit or within the flesh. 283 00:14:19,550 --> 00:14:23,110 So if we're walking in obedience to God, it'll look a certain 284 00:14:23,110 --> 00:14:23,430 way. 285 00:14:23,430 --> 00:14:26,510 If someone's teaching in the flesh, it's going to look a certain 286 00:14:26,510 --> 00:14:26,830 way. 287 00:14:27,300 --> 00:14:29,700 And I want to quickly just kind of go through that here now. 288 00:14:30,180 --> 00:14:36,140 So someone who's walking in the Spirit as a teacher, they validate 289 00:14:36,140 --> 00:14:36,500 truth. 290 00:14:37,140 --> 00:14:40,020 They're like the Bereans in Acts, chapter 17, verse 11. 291 00:14:40,660 --> 00:14:42,820 They check what's being stated. 292 00:14:43,620 --> 00:14:47,980 There's something about knowing that this is true truth, 293 00:14:47,980 --> 00:14:50,100 not tradition is the authority. 294 00:14:50,100 --> 00:14:51,740 So there's a validation of truth. 295 00:14:51,740 --> 00:14:55,470 But also we see that a teacher walking in the Spirit collects truth, 296 00:14:55,870 --> 00:14:59,950 finding every resource that they can to explain the word of God, 297 00:15:00,030 --> 00:15:03,550 to understand historical background, to cross reference scripture, 298 00:15:03,550 --> 00:15:06,510 to come to a place of understanding, context. 299 00:15:07,550 --> 00:15:11,670 A person who's gifted in the spirit that's walking as a teacher 300 00:15:11,670 --> 00:15:12,910 is going to enjoy research. 301 00:15:13,630 --> 00:15:16,910 They're going to love asking questions like why was this written? 302 00:15:17,070 --> 00:15:18,270 Who was the audience? 303 00:15:18,820 --> 00:15:21,980 What does this word Mean, what does this fit into the whole counsel 304 00:15:21,980 --> 00:15:22,580 of God? 305 00:15:22,740 --> 00:15:26,860 And so research is not just academic, it's actually worship for 306 00:15:26,860 --> 00:15:28,340 the person who is a teacher. 307 00:15:28,580 --> 00:15:29,980 They desire to be thorough. 308 00:15:29,980 --> 00:15:33,140 They verify their sources because truth matters. 309 00:15:33,140 --> 00:15:36,020 They come to a place like Second Timothy, chapter two, verse 310 00:15:36,020 --> 00:15:39,300 15 says, Study to show thyself approved unto God. 311 00:15:39,300 --> 00:15:41,300 A workman needeth not to be ashamed. 312 00:15:41,300 --> 00:15:43,300 Rightly dividing the word of truth. 313 00:15:43,540 --> 00:15:46,630 A teacher walking in the Spirit does everything he or she 314 00:15:46,630 --> 00:15:51,470 can do to rightly divide, to rightly understand the word of truth. 315 00:15:52,030 --> 00:15:53,710 They respect faithful teachers. 316 00:15:53,790 --> 00:15:55,150 They learn from other people. 317 00:15:55,550 --> 00:15:58,670 Paul mentored Timothy, and we know Timothy was a teacher. 318 00:15:58,830 --> 00:16:01,710 Moses mentor Joshua, Joshua was a teacher. 319 00:16:01,790 --> 00:16:03,590 Elijah mentored Elisha. 320 00:16:03,590 --> 00:16:06,190 And we see that process going on and on. 321 00:16:06,350 --> 00:16:09,070 So they seek to clear up confusion. 322 00:16:09,070 --> 00:16:12,030 They're uncomfortable with subjective teaching. 323 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaking as someone who has, I believe, some indication to be a 324 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,040 teacher, I struggle with someone who gets up and says, well, 325 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:22,840 things can be this way or things can be this way. 326 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:24,000 It's however you want it to be. 327 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:28,080 No, there is a clear way to teach certain passages of Scripture. 328 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:32,200 And so there is a desire to make things objectively true, which 329 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:34,080 we know God's word is objectively true. 330 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:37,640 They reserve judgment until they know the full facts of the whole 331 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:38,160 situation. 332 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:41,600 They become troubled when Scripture is taken out of context. 333 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:45,200 They believe Bible study is foundational to spiritual growth. 334 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:47,640 They naturally turn to Scripture for answers. 335 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:52,280 And they believe exposure to biblical truth truly changes lives. 336 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:54,160 As we saw in John 17:17. 337 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:56,160 Sanctify them by thy truth. 338 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:57,680 Thy word is truth. 339 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,440 A teacher that's walking in the Spirit will celebrate all of 340 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:02,000 those things. 341 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:07,930 But a teacher who is walking in the flesh, a teacher who is walking 342 00:17:07,930 --> 00:17:12,370 in their own wisdom, will operate in different ways. 343 00:17:12,930 --> 00:17:15,570 Maybe they'll emphasize credentials over character. 344 00:17:16,210 --> 00:17:18,530 Someone comes up and is going to teach and they go, yeah, but what, 345 00:17:18,530 --> 00:17:19,810 what school did they go to? 346 00:17:20,290 --> 00:17:21,970 What, what degrees do they have? 347 00:17:22,290 --> 00:17:23,810 How long have they been preaching? 348 00:17:24,050 --> 00:17:24,650 Well, what. 349 00:17:24,650 --> 00:17:26,210 What title is after their name? 350 00:17:26,290 --> 00:17:29,250 So there's an emphasis on credentials over their character, 351 00:17:29,250 --> 00:17:29,970 which is a problem. 352 00:17:30,620 --> 00:17:32,620 Sometimes they become overly critical of others. 353 00:17:33,820 --> 00:17:36,340 There is a place for constructive criticism within the 354 00:17:36,340 --> 00:17:39,460 church, but there is a level of overly criticizing someone just 355 00:17:39,460 --> 00:17:42,540 because you don't appreciate their credentials. 356 00:17:43,020 --> 00:17:47,460 Sometimes there's a demand before of perfection before accepting 357 00:17:47,460 --> 00:17:48,780 someone else's ministry. 358 00:17:49,660 --> 00:17:52,140 Sometimes they neglect practical application. 359 00:17:52,300 --> 00:17:55,900 Sometimes a teacher will get up and talk about all these truths, 360 00:17:56,210 --> 00:17:58,610 but then not be able to apply it even to their own life. 361 00:17:59,330 --> 00:18:02,450 Sometimes a teacher walking in the flesh will become prideful in 362 00:18:02,450 --> 00:18:03,090 their knowledge. 363 00:18:03,410 --> 00:18:05,970 Sometimes they'll become discouraged when others don't appreciate 364 00:18:05,970 --> 00:18:07,010 the details like them. 365 00:18:07,650 --> 00:18:10,330 Now, folks, I'm going to tell you, as a preacher is preaching, 366 00:18:10,330 --> 00:18:12,369 I am feeling this cut in my heart, okay? 367 00:18:12,690 --> 00:18:15,610 Sometimes I get frustrated when people don't get excited about 368 00:18:15,610 --> 00:18:17,090 the etymology of a word. 369 00:18:17,090 --> 00:18:19,690 I'm like, guys, don't you understand that this Greek word has 370 00:18:19,690 --> 00:18:22,130 three parts and it means this word and this word and this word. 371 00:18:22,220 --> 00:18:22,460 Books. 372 00:18:22,460 --> 00:18:24,140 Not everyone's going to get excited about that. 373 00:18:24,300 --> 00:18:26,780 And if we're walking in the flesh, sometimes we can become bitter 374 00:18:26,780 --> 00:18:29,380 and judgmental if someone doesn't see it the same way that 375 00:18:29,380 --> 00:18:29,820 we do. 376 00:18:30,300 --> 00:18:32,980 And so at the, at this point, we have to understand that there 377 00:18:32,980 --> 00:18:37,100 is a level of sinfulness when our gifts are being acted out in 378 00:18:37,100 --> 00:18:37,580 the flesh. 379 00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:40,780 Sometimes they become discouraged when other people don't 380 00:18:41,100 --> 00:18:42,500 follow their lesson. 381 00:18:42,500 --> 00:18:45,660 Sometimes they refuse to move forward unless every question is 382 00:18:45,660 --> 00:18:46,220 answered. 383 00:18:46,460 --> 00:18:48,300 Sometimes they overlook evangelism. 384 00:18:48,300 --> 00:18:52,920 And instead of going out and sharing their faith, they're more 385 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:55,560 about coming into their own and studying for themselves. 386 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:59,240 Sometimes they depend upon study more than the Holy Spirit. 387 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:01,400 One commentator said it this way. 388 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,560 They're about their studies more than the Savior. 389 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:07,920 They hold people's past mistakes against them, and sometimes 390 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,880 in the flesh, fall in love with theology more than Jesus himself. 391 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:15,080 The warning against this is in First Corinthians, chapter 8. 392 00:19:15,290 --> 00:19:18,810 It says, Knowledge puffeth up, but charity Edifieth. 393 00:19:19,930 --> 00:19:23,690 And so even the greatest theologian in the world is not someone 394 00:19:23,690 --> 00:19:27,250 who knows the most about God, but the greatest theologian is the 395 00:19:27,250 --> 00:19:30,330 one who knows the most about walking with the Lord. 396 00:19:30,330 --> 00:19:32,570 It's the one who loves Christ the most. 397 00:19:33,450 --> 00:19:38,130 And so we look at some godly spirit filled examples of a teacher, 398 00:19:38,130 --> 00:19:42,100 but then we look at those flesh filled examples, and we do 399 00:19:42,100 --> 00:19:45,700 that so that we can all identify, so that we can all evaluate 400 00:19:45,700 --> 00:19:46,420 where we are. 401 00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:48,780 But one of the other things that we've been doing in this study 402 00:19:48,780 --> 00:19:51,700 is that we've been looking at other biblical examples of people 403 00:19:51,700 --> 00:19:52,980 who have these gifts. 404 00:19:53,540 --> 00:19:55,740 So let's look at one of those examples even now. 405 00:19:55,740 --> 00:19:57,540 It's found in Acts, chapter 18. 406 00:19:58,180 --> 00:20:02,060 We could go to a lot of people when it comes to the example of a 407 00:20:02,060 --> 00:20:02,700 good teacher. 408 00:20:02,700 --> 00:20:07,180 But one example that I think is a great example, but also one 409 00:20:07,180 --> 00:20:11,130 that isn't talked about as much, is a man named Apollos. 410 00:20:11,610 --> 00:20:14,090 Acts 18:24. 411 00:20:15,130 --> 00:20:21,610 Acts 18:24 tells us about this man named Apollos who had a desire 412 00:20:21,610 --> 00:20:25,250 to teach and who saw many things happen in the name of the 413 00:20:25,250 --> 00:20:28,810 Lord because he was faithful to the gift that God had given him. 414 00:20:30,170 --> 00:20:35,130 Acts, chapter 18, verse 24 says a certain Jew named Apollos, 415 00:20:35,890 --> 00:20:40,130 born in Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures, 416 00:20:40,530 --> 00:20:41,730 came to Ephesus. 417 00:20:42,290 --> 00:20:43,410 So what do we know so far? 418 00:20:43,650 --> 00:20:48,610 We know that Apollos knew the Bible, he researched scripture. 419 00:20:48,930 --> 00:20:53,210 He was a man who desired to know more truth about God. 420 00:20:53,210 --> 00:20:56,090 And the Bible says not only did he know a lot, but he was also 421 00:20:56,090 --> 00:20:56,690 eloquent. 422 00:20:56,690 --> 00:20:58,290 So he was well spoken. 423 00:20:58,530 --> 00:20:59,410 Verse 25. 424 00:20:59,410 --> 00:21:02,050 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord. 425 00:21:02,700 --> 00:21:05,900 And so we know that he was a man not just of teaching but also 426 00:21:05,900 --> 00:21:06,700 of learning. 427 00:21:07,020 --> 00:21:08,180 He had been instructed. 428 00:21:08,180 --> 00:21:09,380 So let me say it this way. 429 00:21:09,380 --> 00:21:13,020 For someone to be a good teacher, they must be a good learner. 430 00:21:13,820 --> 00:21:19,260 For someone to be able to tell others what to do in the Lord, they 431 00:21:19,260 --> 00:21:22,140 must understand themselves what to do in the Lord and what to 432 00:21:22,140 --> 00:21:22,460 believe. 433 00:21:23,020 --> 00:21:25,700 So we see that he was instructed in the way of the Lord 434 00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:28,780 and he was passionate and being fervent in the Spirit. 435 00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:30,800 So we see that he's acting in the Spirit. 436 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:38,560 He spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only 437 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:39,560 the baptism of John. 438 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:43,040 So we see that there were some limitations to Apollos understanding. 439 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,520 He didn't know everything he knew up to a certain point, and he 440 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:48,960 taught faithfully in what he knew. 441 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:51,720 He was mighty in the scriptures, he was eloquent, he was 442 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:55,680 accurate up to a point, and he was bold in his public ministry. 443 00:21:55,680 --> 00:22:00,070 But we see here something very amazing that isn't often seen with 444 00:22:00,070 --> 00:22:01,990 those that are gifted in the area of teaching. 445 00:22:01,990 --> 00:22:03,270 It says in verse 26. 446 00:22:03,270 --> 00:22:07,430 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, whom when Aquila 447 00:22:07,430 --> 00:22:11,110 and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them and expounded 448 00:22:11,110 --> 00:22:15,030 unto him the way of God more perfectly or more accurately. 449 00:22:15,750 --> 00:22:19,230 So one aspect we see here of Apollos is that he was willing to 450 00:22:19,230 --> 00:22:23,350 be corrected, he was willing to learn, he was willing to adapt 451 00:22:23,710 --> 00:22:25,870 his teaching style and his teaching content. 452 00:22:26,990 --> 00:22:29,910 I. I know that there's times in my life where I'm tempted to think 453 00:22:29,910 --> 00:22:30,630 that hey, you know what? 454 00:22:30,630 --> 00:22:33,630 There's nobody that can tell me what to do in this because I know 455 00:22:33,630 --> 00:22:35,830 what I'm about to teach, I know how to do this. 456 00:22:35,830 --> 00:22:38,590 And so there's going to be people that sometimes can get stuck 457 00:22:38,590 --> 00:22:40,910 in a certain way and not be teachable. 458 00:22:40,910 --> 00:22:43,710 But for us as Christians, particularly those that are called 459 00:22:43,710 --> 00:22:47,910 to teach, we must understand that there is a call for us to be 460 00:22:47,910 --> 00:22:48,510 teachable. 461 00:22:48,830 --> 00:22:51,960 So when Aquila and Priscilla recognized that his understanding 462 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:56,560 was lacking, they privately and properly explained to him the 463 00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:58,240 way of God in a clearer sense. 464 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:01,880 And so I would say it this way, a gifted teacher like Apollos 465 00:23:02,120 --> 00:23:03,800 never stops learning. 466 00:23:04,999 --> 00:23:06,000 Never stops learning. 467 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,200 A good Christian never stops learning. 468 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,720 After receiving further instruction, Apollos becomes even 469 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:13,320 more effective in ministry. 470 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:17,550 Look at verse 27, says, and when he was disposed to pass into 471 00:23:17,550 --> 00:23:20,670 Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive 472 00:23:20,670 --> 00:23:27,470 him who when he was come help them much which had believed through 473 00:23:27,470 --> 00:23:27,950 grace. 474 00:23:28,750 --> 00:23:34,430 For he mightily convince the Jews, and that publicly showing by 475 00:23:34,430 --> 00:23:37,710 the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ. 476 00:23:38,190 --> 00:23:39,390 So what happened was this. 477 00:23:39,630 --> 00:23:43,150 Apollos had a gift from God to study the Word. 478 00:23:43,310 --> 00:23:44,590 He studied the Word. 479 00:23:44,590 --> 00:23:48,030 He faithfully preached what he knew, then when was confronted with 480 00:23:48,030 --> 00:23:51,630 more information, was willing and ready to learn more. 481 00:23:51,710 --> 00:23:55,870 And when he was taught more, he went and presented that in a clearer 482 00:23:55,870 --> 00:23:56,190 way. 483 00:23:56,430 --> 00:23:59,990 And what we would say is a compelling way in verse 28, that 484 00:23:59,990 --> 00:24:02,870 there were people that were convinced not that he was a good 485 00:24:02,870 --> 00:24:06,750 teacher, but that the Scriptures taught that Jesus was 486 00:24:06,750 --> 00:24:07,150 Christ. 487 00:24:07,550 --> 00:24:09,950 You see, the centerpiece for his teaching was Jesus. 488 00:24:10,030 --> 00:24:12,830 The centerpiece was that people would come to know the Lord. 489 00:24:12,990 --> 00:24:16,830 And so his teaching strengthened believers and helped 490 00:24:16,830 --> 00:24:19,790 convince unbelievers that Jesus was the Christ. 491 00:24:19,790 --> 00:24:22,350 So there was a pattern to his life. 492 00:24:22,830 --> 00:24:27,950 He studied, he learned, he grew, and then he helped others grow. 493 00:24:28,190 --> 00:24:30,110 And that's the heart of a teacher. 494 00:24:30,670 --> 00:24:33,470 Study, learn, grow, help others grow. 495 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:35,360 It's very simple. 496 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:39,560 Second Timothy, chapter two, verse two tells us the pattern that 497 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:41,120 we're supposed to have within the church. 498 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:46,360 Paul tells Timothy, the things that you have learned of me among 499 00:24:46,360 --> 00:24:47,360 many witnesses. 500 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:51,760 So Paul says, timothy, you've heard me preach and teach many different 501 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:53,080 things of the truth of God. 502 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:57,640 He says the same, commit thou to faithful men so that they may 503 00:24:57,640 --> 00:24:58,720 teach others also. 504 00:24:59,610 --> 00:25:03,010 The idea would be that within the church, all of us are supposed 505 00:25:03,010 --> 00:25:04,730 to learn from mature people. 506 00:25:05,130 --> 00:25:06,490 That's a call from God. 507 00:25:06,570 --> 00:25:08,650 Second Timothy, the Book of Titus. 508 00:25:08,650 --> 00:25:11,770 We're all supposed to be mentored by somebody else. 509 00:25:11,850 --> 00:25:15,050 But then it's not just so that we can hold on to that knowledge, 510 00:25:15,290 --> 00:25:17,930 but that we can teach other people that. 511 00:25:18,010 --> 00:25:19,770 So that they can teach other people that. 512 00:25:20,330 --> 00:25:24,050 I'm so thankful for Sunday school teachers, thankful for children's 513 00:25:24,050 --> 00:25:24,650 church workers. 514 00:25:25,190 --> 00:25:28,350 I'm thankful for my youth group leaders who were willing to 515 00:25:28,350 --> 00:25:31,710 invest in my life, even probably when I wasn't open to the 516 00:25:31,710 --> 00:25:31,990 investment. 517 00:25:33,030 --> 00:25:35,030 Some of you maybe understand what I mean by that. 518 00:25:35,030 --> 00:25:37,390 There was most of the time when I was sitting in Sunday school 519 00:25:37,390 --> 00:25:39,950 class, I was thinking about who my favorite football team was 520 00:25:39,950 --> 00:25:45,630 playing that day or what I was going to play after class or my baseball 521 00:25:45,630 --> 00:25:49,110 game that was coming up next week, my mind was in a other place. 522 00:25:49,510 --> 00:25:52,390 But I was thankful that there were people who wanted to fight through 523 00:25:52,390 --> 00:25:54,950 that, to teach me what they had been taught. 524 00:25:55,830 --> 00:25:59,350 And praise God, I'm able now to be able to tell others like my 525 00:25:59,350 --> 00:26:03,630 children what it means to trust in Jesus so that, Lord willing, 526 00:26:03,630 --> 00:26:06,990 if God tarries, that there will be a time when my children can 527 00:26:06,990 --> 00:26:08,870 pass that on to the next generation. 528 00:26:09,430 --> 00:26:10,310 That's what it's all about. 529 00:26:10,310 --> 00:26:12,670 We don't just to make sure that the kids have fun. 530 00:26:12,670 --> 00:26:14,390 Even though we want them to have fun. 531 00:26:14,710 --> 00:26:17,510 Please understand that we want them to have a good time at church. 532 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:23,480 But we don't just do vbs and Kids Church and Kids Club so that 533 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:27,320 they can just have a fun place to go because one day that fun might 534 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:31,280 run out or they might want more fun or a different type of fun. 535 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:32,800 The idea would be this. 536 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:37,200 We want to teach grounded truths that will change their life 537 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:39,520 so that they can pass that on to others. 538 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:40,960 And that's what Apollos did. 539 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:43,200 Apollos learned and he grew. 540 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,400 And then he wanted other people to grow, so he taught them 541 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:47,360 in that way. 542 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:49,320 We see the. 543 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:51,880 There were teachers even to Apollos. 544 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:54,040 I don't know if you caught that there, but there was a husband 545 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:56,200 and wife, Aquila and Priscilla. 546 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:58,760 They were a godly couple who invested in Apollos. 547 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:01,840 They saw Apollos desire and they said, hey, you know what? 548 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:03,400 We're not going to embarrass you publicly. 549 00:27:03,559 --> 00:27:06,920 We're going to pull you aside and teach you privately so that you 550 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:07,960 can affect others. 551 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,400 And so one aspect of teaching is patient teaching. 552 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,550 It often has a greater impact on public ministry. 553 00:27:16,590 --> 00:27:19,710 Their ministry reminds us that not every teacher stands behind a 554 00:27:19,710 --> 00:27:20,270 pulpit. 555 00:27:21,070 --> 00:27:24,550 Many of the greatest teachers have one on one investment in people's 556 00:27:24,550 --> 00:27:24,830 lives. 557 00:27:25,230 --> 00:27:29,390 So I think even within that story, we see the diversity of teaching 558 00:27:29,790 --> 00:27:32,030 because we see Apollos getting up in front of people. 559 00:27:32,110 --> 00:27:35,110 We see Apollos getting up behind a pulpit and preaching to 560 00:27:35,110 --> 00:27:37,230 people publicly and compelling them in. 561 00:27:37,230 --> 00:27:39,390 Probably, in a large sense, there was probably a lot of people 562 00:27:39,390 --> 00:27:41,340 around Apollos when he was preaching. 563 00:27:41,340 --> 00:27:44,580 But we see just as much of an impact that Aquila and Priscilla 564 00:27:44,580 --> 00:27:48,020 had in a private setting, pulling one and one over and saying, 565 00:27:48,020 --> 00:27:50,740 hey, Apollos, here's some things that maybe you need to learn. 566 00:27:50,740 --> 00:27:54,060 And so you see that teaching always doesn't just happen with a 567 00:27:54,060 --> 00:27:57,420 big crowd, in a classroom setting, with a curriculum. 568 00:27:57,500 --> 00:28:01,500 Sometimes teaching can happen on the one on one over a coffee or 569 00:28:01,500 --> 00:28:03,780 over a meal or in an activity. 570 00:28:03,780 --> 00:28:06,730 And we can teach people not only by what we say, but by. 571 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:08,240 But also by what we do. 572 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:11,560 And so I'm gonna tell you here this morning that some of you may 573 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,720 or may not be gifted in what we would say, corporate teaching, 574 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:18,520 but you're gifted in such a way to teach someone around you something 575 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:20,640 that God taught you in a personal way. 576 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:24,600 Some of you might say, well, I'm not someone who's gonna dissect 577 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:25,080 the Greek. 578 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:28,880 I'm not someone who's gonna get really tied up in the context 579 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:29,440 of the history. 580 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:31,280 That's fine. 581 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:35,120 Because what we see is that there are people who learn differently. 582 00:28:36,210 --> 00:28:36,490 You know what? 583 00:28:36,490 --> 00:28:36,730 There's. 584 00:28:36,730 --> 00:28:38,730 There's people who learn better by visuals. 585 00:28:38,730 --> 00:28:41,410 There's people who learn better by being hands on. 586 00:28:41,490 --> 00:28:43,810 There's people that learn by experience. 587 00:28:44,290 --> 00:28:46,810 And so there's people that learn all different ways. 588 00:28:46,810 --> 00:28:50,010 And that is why we need to have so many different things within 589 00:28:50,010 --> 00:28:52,850 the church to accommodate for different types of people. 590 00:28:53,810 --> 00:28:56,850 If we just have one class that teach people how to learn about Jesus, 591 00:28:56,930 --> 00:28:58,610 that might work for this segment. 592 00:28:58,610 --> 00:29:00,290 But what about this segment over here? 593 00:29:00,940 --> 00:29:03,820 We need to have more ways in which people can find connections 594 00:29:03,900 --> 00:29:05,740 of discipleship within the church. 595 00:29:05,980 --> 00:29:07,580 And we see that in the life of. 596 00:29:07,580 --> 00:29:11,980 Just right there in that short passage of Apollos and Aquila and 597 00:29:11,980 --> 00:29:12,460 Priscilla. 598 00:29:12,460 --> 00:29:15,580 Later on we see something amazing about Apollos. 599 00:29:16,060 --> 00:29:18,300 If you know anything about First Corinthians. 600 00:29:18,300 --> 00:29:21,180 First Corinthians, chapter 3, Apollos is mentioned again. 601 00:29:22,620 --> 00:29:26,620 And it says, who then is of Paul and who is of Apollos in verse 602 00:29:26,620 --> 00:29:26,940 five. 603 00:29:27,370 --> 00:29:31,010 But ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to 604 00:29:31,010 --> 00:29:31,530 every man. 605 00:29:31,610 --> 00:29:33,090 I have a. I have planted. 606 00:29:33,090 --> 00:29:34,890 Verse 6 of 1 Corinthians, chapter 3. 607 00:29:34,890 --> 00:29:35,690 I have planted. 608 00:29:35,690 --> 00:29:36,610 That's Paul talking. 609 00:29:36,610 --> 00:29:39,930 Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 610 00:29:40,890 --> 00:29:45,130 Apollos was at the very beginning just a young man excited 611 00:29:45,130 --> 00:29:46,250 about teaching the Word. 612 00:29:47,130 --> 00:29:50,290 But if he would have just went out on his own and didn't receive 613 00:29:50,290 --> 00:29:53,160 the teaching of Aquila and Priscilla and eventually Paul and 614 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:55,840 many others, he wouldn't be able to see this type of impact. 615 00:29:55,840 --> 00:30:00,000 And it says here that he had a part of watering the plants of the 616 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:00,880 power of God. 617 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:02,600 And then eventually God gave the increase. 618 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:06,160 Folks, if we want to see increase within our ministries, we 619 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,000 need to be ready and willing to have training opportunities for 620 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:10,560 many people within the church. 621 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:13,840 And not just theoretical training opportunities, but practical 622 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:14,920 training opportunities. 623 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,560 Folks, if you teach a class or you have a ministry, or you just 624 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:21,650 personally have learned things about the Lord, take someone with 625 00:30:21,650 --> 00:30:23,370 you and grab an apprentice. 626 00:30:23,530 --> 00:30:25,290 Pass it on to somebody else. 627 00:30:25,930 --> 00:30:27,130 Don't leave it with you. 628 00:30:27,690 --> 00:30:30,010 Pass the torch on to somebody else. 629 00:30:30,410 --> 00:30:32,010 Find a way that that works. 630 00:30:32,890 --> 00:30:34,730 For some, it's through athletics. 631 00:30:34,810 --> 00:30:36,810 For for some, it's through academics. 632 00:30:36,970 --> 00:30:39,290 For some, it's through working with their hands. 633 00:30:39,370 --> 00:30:44,490 For some, it's a situation of maybe a common like or a common interest, 634 00:30:44,810 --> 00:30:46,090 whatever it might be. 635 00:30:46,620 --> 00:30:50,260 Find an avenue in which you can teach others the power of Jesus 636 00:30:50,260 --> 00:30:50,540 Christ. 637 00:30:50,540 --> 00:30:54,620 Because if you look in that passage in Acts, chapter 18 at the 638 00:30:54,620 --> 00:30:58,100 end of it, it wasn't that Apollos taught them, you know, the 639 00:30:58,100 --> 00:31:01,420 language or that Apollos taught them every single thing about 640 00:31:01,500 --> 00:31:01,980 God. 641 00:31:02,060 --> 00:31:05,260 No, it said that he taught them about Jesus being the Christ. 642 00:31:05,500 --> 00:31:08,220 The centerpiece is always about Jesus. 643 00:31:08,220 --> 00:31:10,460 The centerpiece is always about the Gospel. 644 00:31:10,860 --> 00:31:14,250 I don't care if I get up here and preach about Moses or, or Elijah 645 00:31:14,410 --> 00:31:17,210 or Abraham or Paul or Apollos. 646 00:31:17,210 --> 00:31:20,650 It always has to be centered back on Jesus Christ. 647 00:31:20,810 --> 00:31:23,290 It always is revolving around the Gospel. 648 00:31:23,450 --> 00:31:26,770 And if you go anywhere that teaches you about God or about the 649 00:31:26,770 --> 00:31:30,290 Word and doesn't circle back to Jesus Christ and the power of 650 00:31:30,290 --> 00:31:33,370 the Gospel, then we're preaching an incomplete truth. 651 00:31:33,530 --> 00:31:36,010 And so a teacher really is just teaching other people about 652 00:31:36,010 --> 00:31:36,570 Jesus. 653 00:31:37,210 --> 00:31:38,330 That's the greatest thing. 654 00:31:38,410 --> 00:31:39,690 That's the greatest message. 655 00:31:40,190 --> 00:31:42,510 And so we have people like Aquila and Priscilla who did that. 656 00:31:42,510 --> 00:31:43,630 Of course we know Paul. 657 00:31:43,630 --> 00:31:46,310 Paul says, timothy, I'm teaching you what I have been taught. 658 00:31:46,310 --> 00:31:48,590 By the way Paul had been taught by people. 659 00:31:48,830 --> 00:31:50,590 Think about the guy named Ananias. 660 00:31:50,590 --> 00:31:53,110 Another guy, another guy. 661 00:31:53,110 --> 00:31:57,390 He comes and Paul has this moment on the road to Damascus. 662 00:31:57,390 --> 00:31:59,710 And remember he was a persecutor as Saul. 663 00:31:59,790 --> 00:32:02,750 And then now God speaks to this guy and he says, hey, go to 664 00:32:02,750 --> 00:32:04,030 Paul or Saul. 665 00:32:04,030 --> 00:32:05,070 And he's now Paul. 666 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:08,360 Go to him and minister to him. 667 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:09,640 And he's like, I don't want to do that. 668 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:10,600 That's scary. 669 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:11,560 He might kill me. 670 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:13,160 But he followed in obedience. 671 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:15,560 And we see people investing into the life of Paul. 672 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:17,560 Paul invests into the life of Timothy. 673 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:19,320 Timothy becomes a teacher. 674 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:21,479 Paul says, hey, this is what it is. 675 00:32:21,479 --> 00:32:24,280 Healthy teaching always multiplies. 676 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:28,440 Truth is not meant to terminate with us. 677 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:29,880 It's not meant to end with us. 678 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:31,640 Truth is meant to be spread. 679 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:34,800 It is meant to continue through us. 680 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:36,880 We see other people like Luke. 681 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,280 If you've ever read the book of Luke or the book of Acts, Luke 682 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:41,720 was detail oriented. 683 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:42,760 He was a physician. 684 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:45,280 He was all about making sure the truth was clear. 685 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:51,320 But I think we can conclude here with the greatest teacher that 686 00:32:51,320 --> 00:32:54,240 is the great teacher of Jesus Christ. 687 00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:58,160 Jesus was repeatedly called teacher or rabbi through the Gospels. 688 00:32:59,060 --> 00:33:03,420 We know that not only did he teach with great authority, great 689 00:33:03,420 --> 00:33:07,300 Compassion, and I would even venture to say greater clarity. 690 00:33:07,540 --> 00:33:11,820 His teaching also accomplished more than just informing people's 691 00:33:11,820 --> 00:33:12,900 minds with the truth. 692 00:33:13,140 --> 00:33:15,380 His truth transforms hearts. 693 00:33:15,620 --> 00:33:19,380 And so before ascending into heaven, Jesus says, okay, disciples, 694 00:33:19,460 --> 00:33:21,380 I've taught you all these things. 695 00:33:21,780 --> 00:33:24,060 Now, if you know what the Great Commission is, In Matthew, 696 00:33:24,060 --> 00:33:28,210 chapter 28, he says, now you go and teach all nations. 697 00:33:28,530 --> 00:33:31,010 You go show them what it means to follow me. 698 00:33:31,330 --> 00:33:34,050 So Jesus lays out the groundwork of truth. 699 00:33:34,210 --> 00:33:36,690 And then he says, now don't just keep that with you. 700 00:33:36,850 --> 00:33:40,810 Teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the 701 00:33:40,810 --> 00:33:42,770 Son, and the Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost. 702 00:33:42,850 --> 00:33:46,090 Then he says, teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded 703 00:33:46,090 --> 00:33:46,370 you. 704 00:33:46,770 --> 00:33:51,490 So it is the role of the believer to say, yes, Jesus has taught 705 00:33:51,490 --> 00:33:54,430 me so much through the Spirit, through His Word, through. 706 00:33:54,430 --> 00:33:58,190 Through all these experiences in our life of having a relationship 707 00:33:58,190 --> 00:33:58,710 with Him. 708 00:33:59,030 --> 00:34:03,910 Now it is my goal to teach others to continue in that same truth. 709 00:34:04,870 --> 00:34:08,190 So the person who exercises the gift of teaching continues the 710 00:34:08,190 --> 00:34:11,670 ministry of Christ by faithfully explaining His Word. 711 00:34:12,230 --> 00:34:14,750 And so in the Great Commission, it's not just about making 712 00:34:14,750 --> 00:34:18,230 converts, even though a lot of times people reduce the Great Commission 713 00:34:18,310 --> 00:34:20,360 just to getting more converts. 714 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:23,720 And we should evangelize and there should be more converts. 715 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:27,040 But that would be an incomplete viewpoint of the Great 716 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:27,400 Commission. 717 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:31,080 It's about making disciples by teaching them to observe everything 718 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:32,680 that Christ commanded. 719 00:34:33,240 --> 00:34:36,040 So, for example, if I had someone come forward this morning, 720 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:38,200 and we would all celebrate if this happened. 721 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:40,480 Someone said, I need to have Jesus as a savior. 722 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:43,600 I've been trying to do my own thing, but I do believe that Jesus 723 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:45,080 Christ died on the cross for my sins. 724 00:34:45,380 --> 00:34:47,140 I believe he rose again on the third day. 725 00:34:47,300 --> 00:34:50,300 I believe that he's the only one who can save me, and I want to 726 00:34:50,300 --> 00:34:52,020 have forgiveness in Him. 727 00:34:52,020 --> 00:34:53,380 I want to receive that gift. 728 00:34:53,540 --> 00:34:56,660 That would be an exciting moment, and we would all celebrate. 729 00:34:56,660 --> 00:34:59,620 But, folks, I would encourage you to see it from this perspective 730 00:34:59,620 --> 00:35:01,060 that that is just the start. 731 00:35:02,020 --> 00:35:03,540 That's just the starting line. 732 00:35:03,860 --> 00:35:05,940 There's a race now that's beginning to happen. 733 00:35:06,020 --> 00:35:09,780 And if we leave someone out, if we neglect them in that early 734 00:35:09,780 --> 00:35:14,960 stage, we can really do a disservice to a believer from leaving 735 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:15,720 them alone. 736 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:20,240 Someone asked me recently, whose job is it to disciple other 737 00:35:20,240 --> 00:35:20,600 people? 738 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:23,240 Is it the pastor's job? 739 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:27,200 Well, part of it is, yeah, sure, I should disciple the whole 740 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:31,240 church to be able to be disciples in an individual sense, 741 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:33,320 equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. 742 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:35,920 But let me just tell you, let's say every single one of you 743 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:38,240 came up to me after the service today and said, I want you 744 00:35:38,240 --> 00:35:39,720 to personally disciple me past. 745 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:43,720 I want you to walk me through the Book of Isaiah together. 746 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:48,520 I'm going to tell you the time is not available to do that with 747 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:49,320 every single person. 748 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:50,440 It's not possible. 749 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:52,760 So what does that look like then? 750 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:53,720 It looks like this. 751 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:58,160 Each member who is a believer in Jesus Christ says, I want to know 752 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:02,280 more about how I can become a discipler and a teacher so that I 753 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,440 can take that opportunity to teach someone else. 754 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:07,770 Because I might not be able to teach 200, but 200 people are able 755 00:36:07,770 --> 00:36:08,450 to teach one. 756 00:36:08,690 --> 00:36:10,290 And we can take that with us. 757 00:36:10,290 --> 00:36:13,290 And we can say, you know, whose responsibility it is for discipleship 758 00:36:13,290 --> 00:36:14,370 to happen within the church. 759 00:36:14,450 --> 00:36:16,450 It is ultimately God's responsibility. 760 00:36:17,410 --> 00:36:20,450 But then we know that it's the leadership's responsibility to encourage 761 00:36:20,450 --> 00:36:21,890 a discipleship culture. 762 00:36:22,130 --> 00:36:25,610 But in the most granular sense, it is the responsibility of 763 00:36:25,610 --> 00:36:29,490 the individual believer to say, I need to take responsibility 764 00:36:29,810 --> 00:36:33,090 to find someone that needs that growth and I want to come alongside 765 00:36:33,090 --> 00:36:33,890 them and teach them. 766 00:36:34,420 --> 00:36:37,860 And so where does this gift of teaching operate? 767 00:36:37,940 --> 00:36:40,700 Well, teaching happens in far more places than the pulpit. 768 00:36:40,700 --> 00:36:41,220 We know that. 769 00:36:41,300 --> 00:36:44,220 It happens in Sunday school classes, it happens in small groups. 770 00:36:44,220 --> 00:36:47,060 It happens in Bible studies, it happens in children's ministry, 771 00:36:47,300 --> 00:36:48,780 it happens in youth ministries. 772 00:36:48,780 --> 00:36:51,860 It happens in discipleship relationships that happen outside 773 00:36:51,860 --> 00:36:52,580 of the church. 774 00:36:52,660 --> 00:36:55,860 It happens within Christian schools, it happens in Bible colleges, 775 00:36:55,860 --> 00:36:58,620 it happens on the mission field, it happens in conferences 776 00:36:58,620 --> 00:37:03,280 and counseling and family devotions, one on one mentoring books, 777 00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:07,760 curriculums, devotionals, conversations over coffee, conversations 778 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:08,680 at the dinner table. 779 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:09,760 It happens everywhere. 780 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:11,320 So someone might say, you know what? 781 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:12,960 I don't think I'm qualified for that. 782 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:14,960 I don't have a Bible school degree. 783 00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:17,160 I haven't read all the Bible. 784 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:20,160 You know what the truth is, is that all of us, if we're believers 785 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:23,680 in Jesus Christ to some level, are qualified to tell other people 786 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:25,440 what Jesus Christ has done for us. 787 00:37:26,410 --> 00:37:28,050 And all of us are gonna hit our limit. 788 00:37:28,050 --> 00:37:30,090 All of us are gonna hit that place where we say, you know what? 789 00:37:30,090 --> 00:37:34,010 I don't know what the answer is, but we can find the answer in 790 00:37:34,010 --> 00:37:34,810 scripture together. 791 00:37:35,290 --> 00:37:37,250 Folks, I'm gonna tell you, there's been times in my life where 792 00:37:37,250 --> 00:37:40,650 I'm teaching and I reach a point where I'm like, I don't know. 793 00:37:40,650 --> 00:37:43,330 I don't know the answer to this, but we can go to the one who 794 00:37:43,330 --> 00:37:44,250 does know the answers. 795 00:37:44,570 --> 00:37:47,690 And so I would encourage you to think about the gift of teaching 796 00:37:49,130 --> 00:37:52,930 every place that God's word is faithfully Explained becomes a classroom 797 00:37:52,930 --> 00:37:53,850 of discipleship. 798 00:37:55,650 --> 00:38:00,770 And so think about teaching and discipleship outside of the box. 799 00:38:01,650 --> 00:38:02,930 Why does this gift matter? 800 00:38:03,330 --> 00:38:05,810 Well, the church is strengthened when believers understand 801 00:38:06,050 --> 00:38:06,930 God's word. 802 00:38:07,330 --> 00:38:11,250 And so it's the methodology in which we explain the word of God 803 00:38:11,250 --> 00:38:11,810 to people. 804 00:38:12,370 --> 00:38:15,650 Paul tells pastors and teachers that they are called to 805 00:38:16,050 --> 00:38:18,130 perfect the saints for the work of the ministry. 806 00:38:18,370 --> 00:38:24,510 Peter encourages believers in two Peter 3:18 to grow in grace and 807 00:38:24,510 --> 00:38:26,630 in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 808 00:38:27,670 --> 00:38:29,590 I think about that phrase grow in grace. 809 00:38:29,590 --> 00:38:30,950 I don't know if you've ever thought about that. 810 00:38:30,950 --> 00:38:34,950 I used to think that grow in grace meant like, if I love God enough, 811 00:38:34,950 --> 00:38:36,310 He'll give me more grace tomorrow. 812 00:38:36,389 --> 00:38:38,790 Like, oh Lord, just please give me more grace. 813 00:38:38,790 --> 00:38:39,830 I need more grace. 814 00:38:39,830 --> 00:38:41,470 God, just please smile down on me. 815 00:38:41,470 --> 00:38:44,630 And though we need more grace, God abundantly pours out his grace 816 00:38:44,630 --> 00:38:46,950 upon us as children of God at the moment of our salvation. 817 00:38:47,700 --> 00:38:51,020 Growing in grace is tapping in and understanding that grace that 818 00:38:51,020 --> 00:38:54,140 he has for us in particular ways in our life and to perceive 819 00:38:54,140 --> 00:38:55,220 that grace around us. 820 00:38:55,540 --> 00:38:59,780 And so the teacher helps that understanding and that growth possible 821 00:38:59,940 --> 00:39:03,060 by showing people what it means to have a relationship with 822 00:39:03,139 --> 00:39:03,619 God. 823 00:39:04,020 --> 00:39:06,180 Knowledge alone does not mature believers. 824 00:39:06,580 --> 00:39:09,900 I could sit here all day and tell you about the Greek, I could 825 00:39:09,900 --> 00:39:13,300 tell you about the history, I could tell you about the statistics. 826 00:39:13,300 --> 00:39:14,820 I could tell you about all of those things. 827 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:18,920 But head knowledge does not equate heart growth. 828 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:22,400 Knowledge alone does not mature believers. 829 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:26,640 But knowledge applied through the power of the Holy Spirit transforms 830 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:26,880 life. 831 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:27,960 So think about it this way. 832 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:29,240 Knowledge versus wisdom. 833 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:32,400 Knowledge is the understanding. 834 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:33,960 Wisdom is the application. 835 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:37,080 Folks, we need to be wise Christians. 836 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:40,040 We need to be Christians that produce fruits. 837 00:39:40,690 --> 00:39:42,090 And how do we produce fruit? 838 00:39:42,090 --> 00:39:44,610 Well, we allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives. 839 00:39:44,770 --> 00:39:49,770 What does 1 Corinthians 3 said Paul planted, Apollos watered, but 840 00:39:49,770 --> 00:39:50,530 who gave the increase? 841 00:39:50,690 --> 00:39:51,410 It's God. 842 00:39:52,530 --> 00:39:56,050 Let the process happen God's way. 843 00:39:56,449 --> 00:39:57,410 God's plan. 844 00:39:57,650 --> 00:39:59,890 God's process still works. 845 00:40:00,050 --> 00:40:01,970 Sometimes we try to get in the way of it. 846 00:40:02,450 --> 00:40:03,010 We try. 847 00:40:03,010 --> 00:40:05,290 We try to formulate a different route. 848 00:40:05,290 --> 00:40:08,600 Well, that worked back in Bible times, but it doesn't work 849 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:08,880 today. 850 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:12,080 That happened back in the Great Awakening, but it doesn't happen 851 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:12,400 today. 852 00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:15,400 That happened back in the 1950s, but that doesn't happen today. 853 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:18,720 Folks, just trust that God is going to do what he says he's going 854 00:40:18,720 --> 00:40:19,200 to do. 855 00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:22,400 He's going to change our lives if we just submit to Him. 856 00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:26,320 People are going to grow and mature if we explain the word of 857 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:26,960 God to them. 858 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:30,320 So healthy doctrine produces healthy Disciples. 859 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:33,280 And healthy disciples produce healthy churches. 860 00:40:33,530 --> 00:40:35,370 I don't know about you, but I want to be a healthy church. 861 00:40:35,930 --> 00:40:37,610 I want to be a healthy person in general. 862 00:40:37,770 --> 00:40:39,290 But that's hard sometimes, right? 863 00:40:39,290 --> 00:40:40,970 It's hard when you have a Bible study. 864 00:40:41,050 --> 00:40:41,410 We. 865 00:40:41,410 --> 00:40:42,410 This happened on Friday morning. 866 00:40:42,410 --> 00:40:43,210 We had a Bible study. 867 00:40:43,210 --> 00:40:44,890 And I. I was like, I'm gonna try to be good. 868 00:40:45,450 --> 00:40:46,650 You know what someone did? 869 00:40:46,890 --> 00:40:50,530 They brought in 12 of those donuts from the Amish market right 870 00:40:50,530 --> 00:40:50,970 on the road. 871 00:40:50,970 --> 00:40:53,970 And I'm like, oh, man, please. 872 00:40:53,970 --> 00:40:55,130 I wanted to be good. 873 00:40:55,290 --> 00:40:58,610 And just when we make a decision sometimes on the physical 874 00:40:58,610 --> 00:41:00,820 side of things to do right, you know what happens? 875 00:41:00,820 --> 00:41:04,340 That temptation comes, and we're like, well, I'll start on Monday. 876 00:41:07,540 --> 00:41:08,580 That's what's going to happen. 877 00:41:08,580 --> 00:41:11,020 In our Christian walk, we say, you know what? 878 00:41:11,020 --> 00:41:12,660 I really want to get back to the word. 879 00:41:12,660 --> 00:41:15,380 I really want to start doing family devotions with my children. 880 00:41:15,620 --> 00:41:18,260 I really want to start serving in the church. 881 00:41:18,340 --> 00:41:19,220 And guess what? 882 00:41:19,220 --> 00:41:21,460 Right when we make that decision, there's going to be every 883 00:41:21,460 --> 00:41:22,580 reason not to do it. 884 00:41:22,580 --> 00:41:23,660 Something's going to pop up. 885 00:41:23,660 --> 00:41:24,300 Well, you know what? 886 00:41:24,300 --> 00:41:24,820 I'll. 887 00:41:25,230 --> 00:41:28,150 Next week, next year, when I get everything in order. 888 00:41:28,150 --> 00:41:30,670 Folks, let me tell you, it was the same thing when we told people, 889 00:41:30,750 --> 00:41:31,390 you know what? 890 00:41:31,870 --> 00:41:34,870 My wife and I were really, really immature when we got married. 891 00:41:34,870 --> 00:41:35,710 And we said, you know what? 892 00:41:35,710 --> 00:41:38,910 We'll have children when we're ready, when we're financially ready, 893 00:41:38,910 --> 00:41:39,470 when we have. 894 00:41:39,550 --> 00:41:41,430 And someone came up to me, I remember this brother. 895 00:41:41,430 --> 00:41:43,710 He says, brother, you're never going to be completely ready. 896 00:41:43,710 --> 00:41:46,070 So just whenever Lord leads you, just go for it. 897 00:41:46,070 --> 00:41:46,670 I said, okay. 898 00:41:46,670 --> 00:41:47,390 Praise God. 899 00:41:47,470 --> 00:41:48,830 And the idea would be this. 900 00:41:49,470 --> 00:41:53,840 At the end of the day, you're going to have every fleshly excuse 901 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:57,440 not to live a life of discipleship with other people around 902 00:41:57,440 --> 00:42:00,800 you, to sacrifice for one another, to learn from one another. 903 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:04,640 But what I would say is, understand the end game, understand 904 00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:05,800 the bigger picture. 905 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:10,280 To say, it is worth it now, because I want to be a part of a 906 00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:11,120 healthy church. 907 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:16,520 Oftentimes we forget how much of a gift that a healthy church is 908 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:17,040 around us. 909 00:42:17,590 --> 00:42:18,630 A family, a community. 910 00:42:20,070 --> 00:42:22,710 And sometimes people think church is just a place that we go 911 00:42:22,790 --> 00:42:25,670 or a place that we get entertainment or a place that takes 912 00:42:25,670 --> 00:42:26,630 up our weekends. 913 00:42:26,710 --> 00:42:33,030 But, folks, the church is God's avenue to give you edification, 914 00:42:33,030 --> 00:42:36,230 encouragement, education, community, family. 915 00:42:37,030 --> 00:42:39,830 Folks, it starts with us saying, you know what? 916 00:42:39,830 --> 00:42:42,230 It's all based around healthy teaching. 917 00:42:42,230 --> 00:42:44,230 It's all based around healthy living. 918 00:42:45,300 --> 00:42:50,300 And so do what it takes to see your church become that healthy church 919 00:42:50,300 --> 00:42:51,860 that God has ordained it to be. 920 00:42:52,900 --> 00:42:55,580 And so if God has given you the gift of teaching, love God's 921 00:42:55,580 --> 00:42:58,660 word, study it diligently, teach faithfully, remain humble, 922 00:42:58,820 --> 00:43:02,820 continue learning, depend on the spirit, and never allow the love 923 00:43:02,820 --> 00:43:06,660 for teaching exceed your love for Christ. 924 00:43:08,340 --> 00:43:10,340 You know, the greatest teachers are not remembered because 925 00:43:10,340 --> 00:43:11,220 they knew the most. 926 00:43:12,380 --> 00:43:14,940 They're remembered because they help other people know Jesus 927 00:43:15,260 --> 00:43:16,140 more deeply. 928 00:43:17,420 --> 00:43:20,220 And so what I would encourage you to do is not say, well, am I 929 00:43:20,540 --> 00:43:21,260 smart enough? 930 00:43:21,260 --> 00:43:23,100 Am I accomplished enough? 931 00:43:23,420 --> 00:43:26,020 Do I have enough resources at my fingertips? 932 00:43:26,020 --> 00:43:26,980 Am I a good speaker? 933 00:43:26,980 --> 00:43:28,460 Am I a good reader? 934 00:43:28,860 --> 00:43:33,260 You know, all of those things are outside what the Bible tells 935 00:43:33,260 --> 00:43:34,620 us is a good disciple. 936 00:43:35,500 --> 00:43:41,590 John 8, verse 31 tells us, Jesus says, if you are my disciples, 937 00:43:41,590 --> 00:43:46,310 if you continue in my word, it's an adherence to abiding in Christ. 938 00:43:47,750 --> 00:43:49,670 So think about that here this morning. 939 00:43:49,750 --> 00:43:53,430 But then you might say, look, Pastor, you might be gifted in that. 940 00:43:53,510 --> 00:43:54,950 She might be gifted in that. 941 00:43:55,030 --> 00:43:57,310 But I'm not spiritually gifted in the area of teaching. 942 00:43:57,310 --> 00:44:00,590 I don't get my desire and my excitement and my motivation off 943 00:44:00,590 --> 00:44:01,590 of research and study. 944 00:44:02,070 --> 00:44:02,670 That's fine. 945 00:44:02,670 --> 00:44:03,430 I understand that. 946 00:44:03,650 --> 00:44:06,850 But let me tell you in the same vein, I don't get my joy of 947 00:44:07,170 --> 00:44:11,570 life through, you know, compassion, mercy. 948 00:44:11,570 --> 00:44:12,050 Okay? 949 00:44:12,130 --> 00:44:12,970 Someone said, really? 950 00:44:12,970 --> 00:44:13,610 Some of you said. 951 00:44:13,610 --> 00:44:14,330 We knew that, Pastor. 952 00:44:14,330 --> 00:44:14,730 We know. 953 00:44:14,730 --> 00:44:15,690 The idea is this. 954 00:44:15,690 --> 00:44:17,250 I struggle with. 955 00:44:17,330 --> 00:44:20,450 With seeing a perspective of someone and going, oh, I'm going 956 00:44:20,450 --> 00:44:24,370 to cry with you because, you know, with my gift, okay, we're going 957 00:44:24,370 --> 00:44:25,010 to do at. 958 00:44:25,010 --> 00:44:27,330 At the very end of the study, we're going to do this big skit in 959 00:44:27,330 --> 00:44:28,890 front of the church, and you're going to see what I mean by 960 00:44:28,890 --> 00:44:29,170 this. 961 00:44:29,250 --> 00:44:30,330 But I'll give you a little taste of it. 962 00:44:30,330 --> 00:44:31,330 Now, let's say there. 963 00:44:31,410 --> 00:44:34,930 There was a person running by me here this morning, and they tripped 964 00:44:34,930 --> 00:44:36,770 and fell, okay? 965 00:44:36,850 --> 00:44:40,570 A person with a gift of mercy and compassion will get down on the 966 00:44:40,570 --> 00:44:42,730 ground with them and start crying with them and saying, oh, 967 00:44:42,730 --> 00:44:44,850 you know, I'm so sorry, you know, hugging them. 968 00:44:45,169 --> 00:44:47,010 Person with the gift of prophecy says, you shouldn't have 969 00:44:47,010 --> 00:44:48,050 been running around anyway. 970 00:44:49,170 --> 00:44:51,650 Person with the gift of teaching is going to say, well, if 971 00:44:51,650 --> 00:44:54,610 you would have just not ran this way, if you would have picked 972 00:44:54,610 --> 00:44:56,530 up your legs this way, it would have been a little bit easier 973 00:44:56,870 --> 00:44:57,750 for you not to fall. 974 00:44:57,830 --> 00:45:01,390 You see how everyone sees that same situation but comes at it from 975 00:45:01,390 --> 00:45:02,310 a different perspective. 976 00:45:02,950 --> 00:45:05,110 And so the idea for some people is they say, well, I'm not 977 00:45:05,110 --> 00:45:06,750 gifted with the gift of teaching, or I'm not gifted with 978 00:45:06,750 --> 00:45:07,550 the gift of mercy. 979 00:45:07,550 --> 00:45:09,510 We're all called to exercise mercy. 980 00:45:09,590 --> 00:45:11,990 And I would venture to say that just as much as we're all called 981 00:45:11,990 --> 00:45:13,870 to give, we're all called to have mercy. 982 00:45:13,870 --> 00:45:16,750 We're all called to teach to some capacity when God calls us to 983 00:45:16,750 --> 00:45:17,190 do it. 984 00:45:17,350 --> 00:45:20,630 It might not be in a classroom setting, but folks that might have 985 00:45:20,630 --> 00:45:22,550 children in the home that might look up at you and go, why 986 00:45:22,550 --> 00:45:23,510 should we go to church? 987 00:45:24,210 --> 00:45:25,490 Teaching moment right there. 988 00:45:26,210 --> 00:45:27,810 Why do I need to love my sister? 989 00:45:27,890 --> 00:45:28,930 Teaching moment. 990 00:45:29,010 --> 00:45:30,370 Why should I obey you? 991 00:45:30,690 --> 00:45:32,770 Teenager says that to you, right? 992 00:45:32,930 --> 00:45:33,970 And you're a parent. 993 00:45:33,970 --> 00:45:35,330 Teaching moment right there. 994 00:45:35,490 --> 00:45:38,090 And so teaching doesn't always happen behind a pulpit. 995 00:45:38,090 --> 00:45:40,450 Teaching happens on the battlefield. 996 00:45:40,530 --> 00:45:45,250 And so I would encourage you to look and be ready for teaching 997 00:45:45,250 --> 00:45:49,410 moments in your life, whether it be your family, your friends, 998 00:45:49,410 --> 00:45:52,600 your co workers, your church member friends, whatever it might 999 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:54,160 be, look for those opportunities. 1000 00:45:54,320 --> 00:45:55,760 So what's the takeaway? 1001 00:45:56,800 --> 00:45:58,000 The question would be this. 1002 00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:02,760 Am I using what I learned to build others up, or am I using it 1003 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:04,240 just to increase my own knowledge? 1004 00:46:04,400 --> 00:46:09,640 Am I teaching or living with humility, or am I living with a dependence 1005 00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:15,120 on myself, has a love for Scripture and study of scripture 1006 00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:17,000 increase my love for the Savior? 1007 00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:19,600 These are all things that we should look into in our own life. 1008 00:46:21,090 --> 00:46:24,050 The gift of teaching is not merely the ability to communicate 1009 00:46:24,050 --> 00:46:24,370 information. 1010 00:46:24,530 --> 00:46:28,650 It's the spirit empowered calling to faithfully study, explain, 1011 00:46:28,650 --> 00:46:34,210 and lovingly apply the truths of God to those for edification, 1012 00:46:34,850 --> 00:46:38,610 for encouragement, and hopefully and prayerfully spiritual 1013 00:46:38,610 --> 00:46:39,170 maturity. 1014 00:46:39,810 --> 00:46:44,970 I think this lesson pairs especially well with prophecy because 1015 00:46:44,970 --> 00:46:47,410 sometimes prophets and teachers are hand in hand, but sometimes 1016 00:46:47,410 --> 00:46:48,130 they butt heads. 1017 00:46:48,340 --> 00:46:50,300 And that's what's going to happen within the spiritual gifts. 1018 00:46:50,300 --> 00:46:52,900 Just like we saw in that situation with that person falling 1019 00:46:52,900 --> 00:46:53,220 right? 1020 00:46:53,460 --> 00:46:56,180 There's going to be the compassion person and there's going 1021 00:46:56,180 --> 00:46:57,620 to be the person of proclamation. 1022 00:46:57,780 --> 00:47:00,580 And they might not understand each other well, we should have come 1023 00:47:00,580 --> 00:47:02,100 up with a rule to not have them do that. 1024 00:47:02,100 --> 00:47:04,540 But the compassionate person goes, yeah, but we need to be there 1025 00:47:04,540 --> 00:47:04,980 for them. 1026 00:47:05,060 --> 00:47:08,780 But we can work together in the gifts so that we can work in 1027 00:47:08,780 --> 00:47:12,580 tandem as the body of Christ and not to get upset with someone 1028 00:47:12,580 --> 00:47:15,450 who sees it from a different angle, as long as we're aligned with 1029 00:47:15,450 --> 00:47:16,250 the truth of God. 1030 00:47:16,970 --> 00:47:20,090 And so here this morning, together, I think that we can allow 1031 00:47:20,090 --> 00:47:24,010 ourselves to strengthen our own life and strengthen our church 1032 00:47:24,010 --> 00:47:29,010 and strengthen the world if we are willing to learn from God, learn 1033 00:47:29,010 --> 00:47:32,570 from others, and then hopefully teach others how to learn 1034 00:47:32,570 --> 00:47:36,290 from God and learn from His Word so that we can apply these truths 1035 00:47:36,290 --> 00:47:36,810 to our Life. 1036 00:47:37,290 --> 00:47:43,630 And so here this morning, you might not be a natural teacher, but 1037 00:47:43,630 --> 00:47:47,710 all of us to some degree, can present what God has done for us. 1038 00:47:48,430 --> 00:47:49,630 Think about where we started. 1039 00:47:49,710 --> 00:47:50,830 God changed us. 1040 00:47:51,070 --> 00:47:52,030 He loved us. 1041 00:47:53,070 --> 00:47:54,190 He forgives us. 1042 00:47:54,830 --> 00:47:56,830 He sent his only begotten son for us. 1043 00:47:57,470 --> 00:47:59,710 Folks, if that's not enough, I don't know what is. 1044 00:48:00,110 --> 00:48:02,270 Are we willing to sacrifice for him? 1045 00:48:02,910 --> 00:48:05,230 Are we willing to be displaced for him? 1046 00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:07,240 Are we willing to say, you know what? 1047 00:48:07,320 --> 00:48:10,120 I'm going to come out of my comfort zone for him? 1048 00:48:11,480 --> 00:48:14,160 If you're willing to do that, make sure you make that commitment 1049 00:48:14,160 --> 00:48:15,400 and stay faithful to it. 1050 00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:16,760 Don't say you're going to start Monday. 1051 00:48:17,480 --> 00:48:18,960 Don't say you're going to start next week. 1052 00:48:18,960 --> 00:48:20,360 Don't say you're going to start next year. 1053 00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:23,160 Don't say you're going to start when this happens. 1054 00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:25,880 Make a decision today. 1055 00:48:26,040 --> 00:48:30,240 Make a conscious, intentional decision to say, lord, I commit to 1056 00:48:30,240 --> 00:48:34,170 you today because you're worth it, because of what you have done 1057 00:48:34,170 --> 00:48:34,610 for me. 1058 00:48:35,170 --> 00:48:38,410 And you become that living sacrifice wholly acceptable to God, 1059 00:48:38,410 --> 00:48:40,850 which is your reasonable service next week. 1060 00:48:40,850 --> 00:48:42,850 We're going to come back and we're going to continue to study 1061 00:48:42,850 --> 00:48:43,490 the gifts. 1062 00:48:43,970 --> 00:48:46,690 And some have asked, why are we going through one gift each Sunday? 1063 00:48:47,089 --> 00:48:48,530 Why can't we just buzz right through this? 1064 00:48:48,530 --> 00:48:51,730 Because I believe that understanding, number one, how you 1065 00:48:51,730 --> 00:48:54,810 are gifted, and number two, how to apply those gifts within the 1066 00:48:54,810 --> 00:48:58,610 church is vital and sometimes overlooked within the church culture. 1067 00:48:58,610 --> 00:49:02,630 Today we all should be able to inspect our lives, to say, this is 1068 00:49:02,630 --> 00:49:03,950 what God has for me. 1069 00:49:04,030 --> 00:49:06,670 And I'm going to tell you to walk in the will of God. 1070 00:49:06,670 --> 00:49:11,390 And the way of God is the most rewarding and blessed and joyful 1071 00:49:11,390 --> 00:49:12,510 experience you can find. 1072 00:49:12,670 --> 00:49:16,670 So it's my prayer that you find how God has gifted you and you 1073 00:49:16,670 --> 00:49:19,710 exercise that within the church, how God has called you to 1074 00:49:19,710 --> 00:49:20,430 exercise it. 1075 00:49:20,830 --> 00:49:24,830 And in so doing, we know that that will glorify God by presenting 1076 00:49:25,410 --> 00:49:26,530 that living sacrifice. 1077 00:49:26,530 --> 00:49:28,490 I'm going to ask if you're able to to stand with me, every head 1078 00:49:28,490 --> 00:49:30,330 bowed, every eye closed as the music plays. 1079 00:49:30,330 --> 00:49:32,850 This morning, we're going to have a time of response. 1080 00:49:34,530 --> 00:49:38,210 The message or the gift of teaching might not resonate with 1081 00:49:38,210 --> 00:49:38,530 you. 1082 00:49:38,850 --> 00:49:41,490 You might say, I'm not a teacher, never have been a teacher. 1083 00:49:42,050 --> 00:49:44,770 But the truth is, is that all of us to some degree, are called 1084 00:49:45,090 --> 00:49:48,130 to exemplify the truths of God around us. 1085 00:49:49,170 --> 00:49:52,690 And so maybe today you just have felt the challenge or the call 1086 00:49:52,690 --> 00:49:54,760 or the conviction to say, you know what? 1087 00:49:54,760 --> 00:49:58,960 I want to find what my role is as a Teacher within the body of Christ. 1088 00:49:59,760 --> 00:50:02,000 Maybe I just teach one person in my life. 1089 00:50:02,240 --> 00:50:02,880 You know what? 1090 00:50:02,880 --> 00:50:06,480 That one person is going to be impacted and changed for the cause 1091 00:50:06,720 --> 00:50:07,680 of the kingdom. 1092 00:50:08,240 --> 00:50:09,040 One's enough. 1093 00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:11,600 And so maybe it's just that one. 1094 00:50:11,920 --> 00:50:15,480 Maybe it's a child, maybe it's a spouse, maybe it's a coworker. 1095 00:50:15,480 --> 00:50:16,280 But you say, you know what? 1096 00:50:16,280 --> 00:50:19,360 I want to teach them what it means to walk in the truth of Jesus 1097 00:50:19,360 --> 00:50:19,680 Christ. 1098 00:50:21,080 --> 00:50:23,560 Maybe you're that one that says I can't be taught anymore. 1099 00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:26,440 I can forget more than that person even knows. 1100 00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:30,600 Truth is, is that we all need to get to that place where we all 1101 00:50:30,920 --> 00:50:35,000 have to recognize that we can always learn, continue to learn and 1102 00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:37,000 to grow in what God has called us to do. 1103 00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:40,680 Maybe you just need Jesus as your savior this morning. 1104 00:50:41,560 --> 00:50:45,440 The Bible says it's as simple as belief in him, in the person and 1105 00:50:45,440 --> 00:50:46,440 work of Jesus Christ. 1106 00:50:47,240 --> 00:50:48,200 Jesus is God. 1107 00:50:48,280 --> 00:50:50,920 The Bible says he is the way, the truth and the life. 1108 00:50:51,160 --> 00:50:53,240 No man comes unto the Father but through him. 1109 00:50:53,240 --> 00:50:55,320 And the Bible says, what did Jesus do for us? 1110 00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:57,120 He died on the cross for our sins. 1111 00:50:57,120 --> 00:51:00,680 And he didn't just stay in that tomb 2,000 years ago. 1112 00:51:00,680 --> 00:51:03,360 He conquered death through the resurrection, is ruling and reigning 1113 00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:07,200 today and offers you that gift of grace to have that same power 1114 00:51:07,200 --> 00:51:10,920 that rose him from the dead living within you as a believer and 1115 00:51:10,920 --> 00:51:11,520 child of God. 1116 00:51:11,520 --> 00:51:13,750 And so if that's something that you need today, come forward. 1117 00:51:13,750 --> 00:51:16,710 We've got folks here that will show you in the word of God, teach 1118 00:51:16,710 --> 00:51:19,790 you what it means to trust in Jesus and have salvation. 1119 00:51:20,190 --> 00:51:22,310 So Lord, I pray that you be in this time of invitation, working 1120 00:51:22,310 --> 00:51:23,070 hearts and lives. 1121 00:51:23,230 --> 00:51:28,190 I pray that you can convict us, comfort us, direct us, teach 1122 00:51:28,190 --> 00:51:29,710 us where you want us to be. 1123 00:51:29,950 --> 00:51:32,230 And we ask all those things in Jesus name, Amen. 1124 00:51:32,230 --> 00:51:35,070 As the Lord leads this morning, follow him obediently.