In The Eye of the Storm
Intro 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Part II
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The
Second
Phase of the Church
Corporate
Relationship Concept
Chapter 7T
God Gives Leadership Gifts
to Equip the Saints
Teacher
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Teacher's Ministry |
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Just as all believers have a responsibility to evangelize, they also should be involved in teaching to some degree. But, as mentioned before, not all have the calling or anointing on their lives to operate as an evangelist or teacher. When a teacher is truly anointed, he is enabled by the Holy Spirit to help others understand God's Word and His plan for their lives. This is the burning desire of every teacher.
Jesus was the Master Teacher. Noted for His teaching tactics, He loved teaching those who followed Him. Jesus knew the importance of helping others to understand God's truths.
When Jesus walked this earth, he taught in the temples, in the mountains, on the streets, even out on a boat. Everywhere he went, people flocked to hear Him teach. Jesus' ministry lasted only three years and much of it was spent in teaching. He had a popular following because he was anointed by the Holy Spirit.
Without the anointing of the Holy Spirit, teaching will lack power. As a young person, I attended church long before I was born again. During this time, I received strong teaching on the Scripture—memorizing God's Word and learning the history of the Scriptures and Bible doctrine. Intellectually I knew a lot about God's Word, but it was not until I became a born again Christian at age 23, that certain spiritual truths were illuminated to me by the Holy Spirit. The Scripture came alive to me and I was no longer simply reading with my intellectual mind.
Without Scripture being illuminated by the Holy Spirit , it becomes a dead law to the hearer. In other words, Scripture being taught from an intellectual only standpoint causes one to start making dead laws of fundamental principles found in God's Word.
For example, a teacher who has natural abilities to teach but is not anointed by the Holy Spirit will not be teaching from a heart of love. Instead he will be teaching with an intellectual understanding that reduces God's Word to hard-core fundamental laws. These teachers become "lawmakers" rather than "love-makers." However, when a teacher is anointed by the Holy Spirit to teach, the Word becomes alive to the hearers. All Scripture is subject to this divine revelation of the Holy Spirit.
What Teachers Do
A teacher should closely follow an evangelist's ministry, because after new Christians are born into the kingdom, they need clear teaching about basic Christian doctrines. An evangelist basically expounds the Word, but teachers teach the Word. There is a difference. Expounding is "shedding light upon" (in this case—shedding light upon spiritual matters).
Teaching is actual instruction or training. It is really taking people step by step from what they know to unknown spiritual realms. A teacher must discover what the people know and then take them into the unknown dimension of spiritual life and explain each step. So the importance of proper teaching to young Christians is vital.
It is equally important that young children be taught Gods Word so that they can be grounded in Biblical truths. The Holy Spirit is ready at any time to illuminate the truth to children as they grow in the Lord. Through teachers who have the ability to communicate well to children, the seed will already have been planted.
Some teachers are better at teaching within the cell group setting and others flourish in front of large congregational meetings (celebrations). Others use their gift of teaching through media, like radio or TV.
A good teacher will use many illustrations or stories to develop his point. Jesus was a master storyteller who spoke in parables to illustrate a lesson. He used many earthly illustrations with, heavenly meanings and thus taught the people spiritual concepts. People's minds are stimulated by illustrations, and these new truths can be stepping stones in their lives, causing their faith to increase.
Around the turn of the century in America and worldwide, churches experienced a tremendous revival in teaching through the Sunday School movement. Suddenly the Word was read and explained extensively. Lay people started reading the Bible and wanted answers to their questions. Teachers began teaching the Word, and this led to the missionary movement. Other revival movements followed, including the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. So you see, the teaching of the Word opened people's eyes and led them to action.
Teaching should never be merely a spectator sport where people listen and are blessed, but don't do anything about it. Teaching, anointed by the Holy Spirit, will cause God's people to put it to practical use by going out and making disciples according to the Great Commission.
In addition, proper teaching makes disciplined followers of Christ who are not led around by every whim of their emotions. Instead, they lead stable and powerful lives because they are rooted and grounded. in the Word.
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