July 5, 2000, WE: Transform into Teachers

July 5th, 2000, Wednesday Evening

"Time to Transform into Teachers"

Are you ready to teach the gospel yet?

OPENING: Hebrews 5:12; Acts 13:1, KJV

This sermon is about growing up into the role of a teacher.

Acts 13:1 and Acts 11:26: These disciples were the curators of the first organized missionary effort. The word Christian started here in the city of Antioch.

Before the Antioch gathering, the various prophets and teachers formed loosely organized churches in Jerusalem that scattered due to persecutions.
The evolution of television, telephones, and email didn't change how well the Word of God was spread.
- Look how well "word of mouth" worked back then. Think of what Paul could do today if he wrote a letter to the churches in Galatia and hit "SEND"?
People have time to send so many e-mail jokes but how much more would it be a blessing to "SEND" scripture to a friend--especially a lost soul.

KEY INGREDIENTS TO SUCCESSFUL TEACHING:

#1: MINISTER UNTO THE LORD (Acts 13:2)
- Because they ministered God's Word to the people, they actually "ministered to the Lord."
  - Luke 9:48: How do you minister unto the Lord? This verse says whoever receives/comforts children (for example), does the same unto the Lord.
- Practice Evangelism, education, and exhortation of the Word.
  - Acts 11:19-21: Evangelism at work.
  - Acts 13:2: Education in progress before the Lord saw fit to separate and send Barnabas and Saul to work.
  - Acts 11:22-23: Barnabas arrives and exhorts to add firepower.
- Acts 11:26: Paul, Barnabas, Saul... they're joining a church (what Christians must do, as well). By doing so, they taught many people. Their enemies called them "little Christs" because they acted like Christ did. This is something to be proud of. This term is how the word "Christian" came about.
  - Those who listened practiced what they heard... unlike many today. People come to church, scornful, full of excuses to blame others for what they do wrong. Want revival? Then you must get AND PRACTICE the Word of God. The problem is going to church and listening is not successful until practiced.
#2: GROW BEYOND LISTENER INTO TEACHER
- Who listens? God's people. If they aren't listening, get their attention.
- When God speaks, how dare we don't listen to Him?
- Acts 11:21: These people listened, believed, AND turned. Just as back then, when you receive Jesus Christ, you must turn from your idols.
  - Idols, today, can be characterized as cars, money, video games... anything that you LOVE that is inanimate. You don't love things--only people.
- Acts 13:1: Keyword in this verse is teachers. In order to teach we must have teachers. Today, most want to be taught but do not want to teach. Well then what have you been doing with what you've been "fed" now? We're not here to critique the pastor but to get the Word from him. If he makes a mistake, that's even more reason to pray for your pastor.
- We all must grow into teachers--a transformation.
  - 1 Corinthians 12:29: As the verse says, "are all teachers?" No. But we can all grow into Godly teachers.
  - IMPORTANCE OF WHY: Ephesians 4:11: For the perfecting of the saints and the edifying of the body of Christ, God has given us "pastors and teachers" so we may grow and be equipped with what the teacher has.
  - WHY DO WE NEED TEACHERS: Influence... it can be good or bad. Teachers instruct, inform, educate, protect (i.e., an electrical engineering teacher preventing students from shocking themselves), prepare, illustrate, model, and are overall a walking blackboard to educate.
- Proverbs 1:8: Parents are teachers, too. And we're talking about a mom and dad and nothing else because God created Adam and Eve not "Adam and Steve" (Leviticus 18:22).
- TYPES OF TEACHERS:
  - 2 Peter 2:1 and 2 Timothy 4:3: There are bad (false) teachers as well as good.
  - And the Holy Spirit is the other type of teacher (through him derive truth-saying men)
    - 1 Corinthians 12:28
      - Acts 11:24: Barnabas, for example...
- Hebrews 5:12: Teachers build up the church by telling it what it should hear--not puffing it up with what it wants to hear.
- Stop and consider how long you've been saved and in that time have you ever aspired to work towards being a teacher?
  - This includes children, also. A spiritually maturing 13 year old knows much more than a recently saved adult. Older brothers are especially influential on younger brothers. Younger brothers look up to watch and emulate what their old brother is doing.
- Aged women can teach younger women.
  - Titus 2:3-4
  - 1 Peter 5:5
- We must grow to the point of being able to teach.
  - 1 Timothy 3:2
  - 2 Timothy 2:24: ...and with patience.
- The scripture indicates sufficient time has elapsed from the time you're saved to the point you should be able to be teaching. The older should always be teaching the younger.
#3: HOW TO BECOME A GOOD TEACHER
- 2 Timothy 2:15: To be a good leader, you must be a good follower--an axiom of the military. Be a good student: listen and learn just as the people of Antioch did. To "shew (pronounced 'show') thyself approved unto God" is to obey God's rules, surrender to His will, and submit to learning.
- Isaiah 28:9: Get off the formula--the milk of the Word. Be a grown-up, giving saint. Give yourself to God for service. Some refuse this because it requires much preparation and accountability for their actions.
- 1 Timothy 4:15: Believe what you're preaching!

CLOSER

Romans 12:1-2:

1. Submit and present yourself as a living sacrifice--a student to God.
2. Renew your mind with the Word of God--the transformation. Just as the butterfly forms a cocoon to transform into a flying butterfly, so a newly saved Christian must evolve into a teacher above the followers.
1 Thessalonians 2:13: That Sunday morning sermon is the cocoon that "worketh in you."