Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Welcome to church. So excited to, uh, continue this series on equipping the shapes, um, who has found this series helpful, um, or, or at least challenging or engaging in some way. I'm glad there are hands up in the room. Um, this is, uh, something we have been, uh, wrestling over and, um, doing ourselves in our own study, uh, for a long, long time. And we really believe it's pivotal, uh, to what God is doing in the church, not just here at rediscover, but we believe it's something is doing, uh, across the nations. In fact, uh, I spent a bit of time with mark on Thursday and was just saying how, uh, intrigued. I have been that as I have been checking into, uh, different churches and services over the last few weeks that actually, uh, the a P uh, Ephesians, uh, looking at this has been coming up a lot in different places.
Speaker 0 00:00:48 And, uh, I believe it's something that God is, is wanting to, uh, raise an understanding of, um, in the church, because the reality is, is when we read Ephesians, which we're going to in a minute is something that Jesus himself is graced as we and gifted us with. So we can actually see what we want to see, which is the church built his kingdom established and his mission going on. Amen. And I believe it's happening. Come on. Well today, uh, we're looking at teachers, uh, if you haven't, withs over the last few weeks, uh, this is a series we're on and effectively. Uh, it's looking, uh, uh, release in the AP P what is the APS? The AP P is often known as the fivefold ministry gifted, or, or grace is found, uh, in Ephesians Ephesians four. And, um, we have been presenting to you a, um, a belief and a hope that what Jesus is wanting to do in the establishing this church moving forward is that everyone that is part of the church body would find their grace and find their role of what God is calling them to do that the purpose that lays on every single person's life would come to fruition, but also the purpose resting on churches would come to fruition and we believe in order for that to happen.
Speaker 0 00:02:00 Jesus actually gave us the roadmap of how to do it. So we have been looking at what it means to be graced in the apostolic, in the prophetic, in the evangelistic, in the Shepherdin. And today we're looking at the teacher, the grace of being a teacher. And for so many of us, when we hear that word, we might think, well, a teacher in the church is just someone that's on a stage of a microphone that speaks to lots of different people or small groups. But my hope today is by the end, uh, of this sermon, you start to realize that actually the teaching graced is far more expansive than just standing in front of people and be in some form of an educator or an exposor that actually the teaching grace is absolutely critical to the church, but it is in itself, unique teachers. We've all had teachers, the influences us in some way, haven't we, perhaps you can think back of a school teacher that you once had that made a significant difference in your life.
Speaker 0 00:02:58 We all kind of had a favorite teacher didn't we? I know, I certainly did I look back at when I was in school or in college. And the name of that teacher for me, uh, was Mrs. Lockwood, Mrs. Lockwood was the most incredible teacher, um, in some of the worst days of my life, where I was so far away from Jesus, everyone wrote me off, but Mrs. Lockwood was one of the, one of the amazing teachers that stood by me, um, sometimes unfairly. So, uh, going against other teachers because Ms. Lockwood believed in me, teachers are critical and teachers are essential to the flourishing of the human race, but I believe teachers are also essential to the flourishing of the church so much. So then Ephesians four, when we read it now, Jesus gave teaching as a grace to the church to establish the church to its fullness.
Speaker 0 00:03:51 Here's where we get our anchor texts from today, Ephesians 4, 11, 13, and he himself, Jesus gave some to the church to be apostles some, to be prophets, some, to be evangelists, some, to be pastors or shepherds, and some to be teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry to build up the body of Christ until we all reach unity in the faith. And in the knowledge of God's son, growing in maturity with a steady measure by Christ fullness. So as we look at this, here's what, uh, I, I shared two weeks ago and, and mark has been sharing, uh, throughout the weeks. Um, Paul here, who reads, who who's right into the church in Ephesus, in, in chapter four, he's setting a vision out. Paul was an apostle, he was a visionary person. And this part here is his vision. His vision for the church is that all of us in the church part of the church body would reach and grow in a maturity with a stature measured by Christ fullness.
Speaker 0 00:04:48 So Paul is saying the vision for the church, the vision for you, and for me, and for rediscover and beyond that is that we would eventually reach the fullness of Christ himself that we can in this day, in this season, in this moment of history reflect the person of Jesus together and individually to your broken world. That's good news. Amen. That's what Paul's vision is. And then Paul basically backtracks on himself and he said, I'm gonna show you how Jesus wants us to do that. How do we get there? How do we get to the fullness of Christ and growing in full maturity while he said, Jesus showed us. And he gave us apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. So Jesus gave the roadmap to be able to meet the vision today. Teachers, teachers are needed within the church because teachers make more of a difference on our lives than sometimes we realize, I wanna show you a short one minute video and it was recorded many, many years ago.
Speaker 0 00:05:51 So the quality isn't great. So I apologize for that. Uh, but this is a video that I once saw and it really impacted me. It's a video of a football player called Ian Wright. Anyone know who Ian Wright is. Okay. A few of you, Ian Wright played for arsenal, played for England. Uh, he had, he's got an incredible story, which you'd be able to find online. And, uh, this is a moment where Ian Wright was being, uh, his documentary of his life was being recorded. And, uh, during the, the documentation and recording, he started to speak about a teacher that once impacted him, that he had found that this teacher had passed away. And one of his, like one of his, uh, one of parts, major parts of his story is just, I wish I got chance to be able to tell this teacher how much of a difference he made in my life, but have a look at this video and see, we'll take spots.
Speaker 1 00:06:36 Ian's
Speaker 2 00:06:37 Still the highest scoring striker ever to play for arsenal. And he owes a lot to the man who first taught him to kick a ball. His old school teacher, Sid Pickton
Speaker 3 00:06:46 As I haven't seen him for what, 23, 24 years. And so he would now be expecting me to be six feet under. I would think, I, I don't actually think he probably won't recognize because he won't believe it's me. <laugh> hello? Are you long time? No, sea,
Speaker 4 00:07:10 It's a pig.
Speaker 1 00:07:11 <laugh>,
Speaker 3 00:07:13 You're alive. I'm alive. He says, how are you doing?
Speaker 4 00:07:21 I can't believe it. Someone said you was dead.
Speaker 1 00:07:27 And
Speaker 3 00:07:28 As you see, I'm very passionate and I'm so glad you've done so well with yourself.
Speaker 4 00:07:37 He was so, um, supportive all the time. He, he, he kind of like had me as, as he's kind of like special guy
Speaker 1 00:07:46 <laugh>
Speaker 4 00:07:51 I don't know what to
Speaker 3 00:07:52 Say,
Speaker 1 00:07:56 God,
Speaker 4 00:07:56 I can't believe it. I can't leave it. You know, now I realize how important he was in my life. The first main imposing figure male figure in my life. He was trying to guide me on the, the right road,
Speaker 3 00:08:12 How far we're going back now, 40 years, 30 years anyway,
Speaker 4 00:08:15 Easy, 30, 30 or 32 years.
Speaker 1 00:08:19 <laugh>
Speaker 0 00:08:26 You see teachers make more of a difference than we realize don't they
Speaker 0 00:08:32 And teachers is a wonderful grace that God has given the church. And I believe the best teachers. They actually go beyond themselves. Teachers that are filled with the spirit and long to see the church loving the scriptures and loving Jesus. They're not in it to be seen. They're not in it to be intelligent or to that way. They're not in it to be even looking smart or to have authority. But actually the best teachers are always the teachers that are looking to go beyond themselves to re to value the recipient of the teacher more than merely being right. I believe some of you in the room are graced to be teachers and you don't even know it. And the good news is Jesus does. What would it look like to see teachers raised from across the nations and across the churches, not just to teach on platforms and stages, but to have a heart and a passion that wherever they go, they can teach the ways of Jesus.
Speaker 0 00:09:35 The methods of Jesus, the understanding of scriptures, two people to build them up, to call out purpose and to push them into the destiny that God has got for their lives. I believe God is wanting to restore the wonderful grace that is teaching teaching. It is something that many of us may feel equipped for, but some of us probably have nightmares over it, right? Some of you probably think, man, I would never want get on that stage and speak to these people every single Sunday, because teaching is, uh, it's a peculiar thing, and it's not an easy thing to share in front of crowds or people, or even put your thoughts out there to a few people at times is even difficult, especially when you're speaking about a book that is so complex. And so, uh, rich in its depth, it, it can be really challenging.
Speaker 0 00:10:17 And as teaching itself holds away on shoulders, it's a grace that I believe God has given to the building of his church. It's vital and it's needed. And I wanna do a few things this morning, uh, over the next, uh, 20 minutes. What I'd love to do is I'd love to give you an understanding of what teaching is. I'd love to break down the difference of teaching and preaching, which I'm going to do in a second, because I believe there is a difference, which I think is helpful to understand and know I wanna then also allude you to, and hopefully this will be one of the main points. The greatest teacher that ever lived that is Jesus Christ himself. And if we wanna follow Jesus Christ to wanna follow in his ways, amen, that unfortunately, for some of us, unfortunately for some of us means that we're all called in some way to be part of the teaching of Jesus and the sharing of his teachings.
Speaker 0 00:11:02 So as you have seen already in the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and the teachers, the same narrative has come through multiple times. We're all called to grow in these areas, but some of us have specialist grace on them. And that's the same with teaching. I would argue that all of us are actually called to be part of the teacher, mechanics of the church. We're all called to encourage one another. We're all courage to dig into this Bible, to be, uh, hungry for it, to learn it, to want, to devour it and then want to share it with the world and with the people around us. I believe we're all called to that, but some of us as specialized in grace specifically do that. And I wanna show you the, the teacher that is Jesus. And then finally, I wanna show you how I believe teachers function in the church and outside of the church.
Speaker 0 00:11:44 That's where we're gonna go this morning. So you are aware, let me help you, firstly, with teaching and preaching many believe that teaching and preaching the same thing, but actually I would argue that they are different. They're actually different. They have many similarities, but the objective and the goal of teaching and preaching are actually different in their focus. Let me help you understand this teaching is bringing understanding and drawing out faith in those listening. That's what teaching is. Good. Teachers will come and they will bring understanding to the word of God. They will bring understanding to a Christian worldview. They'll bring understanding to how we can live our lives of followers of Jesus. And hopefully they will draw out in you faith in order to be able to exercise and do that. Amen. That's what good teachers do. Preachers. On the other hand, preachers have a, a similar aim, but slightly, slightly different preachers want to proclaim the truth and see cultures shift towards faith.
Speaker 0 00:12:49 So preaching is actually not about drawing. The faith from you. Preaching is about instilling faith in you. Preaching is about proclaiming God's truth to a people group that we would come and we would be able to do what we have done this morning. Many of you unbeknown to you have already been part of the teaching exercise this morning, because when you prayed, you were proclaiming truths of who God is. And you were saying, God is faithful. Despite the season around me, that in itself is proclaiming the good news of Jesus it's exercise in preaching. As teaching wants to up build robust walls inside of us, preaching actually looks to knock down walls. Teaching wants to up build and bring a culture that that is, uh, learning and inquisitive, but preaching itself. It wants to come and break down the stereotypes. We may have ingrained in us and show the people who God is in all of his truth.
Speaker 0 00:13:46 Preaching and teaching are often very similar, but their objectives are very different. Let me show you how Jesus did they. Matthew chapter four of us, 23, it said Jesus was going through our all Galilee teaching in their synagogue, proclaiming the gospel, the kingdom and healing, every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. Three parts, three steps that we see in Matthew 4 23 of how Jesus operated in teaching in preaching. He went into the synagogues and he to, he went into the streets and he proclaimed the gospel, the kingdom, and then he healed every kind of sickness to eat. Here's what we see here, teaching preaching and demonstration. How many people know that the best preachers and teachers also flow in demonstration of God's power as well. In fact, I would argue that we are actually missing the demonstrative power of God, like never before in the church.
Speaker 0 00:14:43 I believe God is want and restore to restore, not just teachers of truth and not just preachers. That, that look good and sound good on a stage, but actually are willing to step into the demonstration of the power of the holy spirit that he still heals today. Sickness still can be healed. He can still move miracle signs and wonders can still be found in the person of Jesus Christ. And I believe there's a time coming where the Lord wants to do that. The Bible says the kingdom of God is not in word but of power. And Jesus modeled this and spirit filled teachers. They don't just rely on theological insight, but they rely on spirit filled formation because the Bible itself, it wasn't given merely just for inspiration. And it wasn't given merely for information. It was given for transformation. This book wants to transform our heart.
Speaker 0 00:15:44 Amen. This is the only book that when we read it, it reads us. It tells us how we can live. It shapes our understanding. It shapes our posture. It brings in us. When we read this book, it starts to shape things in our lives that we need to work on. It empowers us to callings and, and it starts to speak to every part of our lives. And we need teachers that are gonna come back to the Bible and the Bible alone. We need teachers that are gonna be restored to the church that don't wanna just have good illustrations. They don't wanna sound cool. They don't wanna look cool. They're not bothered about what it looks on Instagram, but what they wanna do is they want to get this book and portray it to the people because good teachers realize that it's not their voice. That brings transformation.
Speaker 0 00:16:22 It's this book that brings transformation and teachers are being restored at the moment to understand that in order for us to see hearts change, we need to come back to this book. And that's a, a lot of what I'm gonna be speaking about this morning, because those who are graced to be teachers long to see transformation, take place, seeing hearts that are shaped and lives that are changed is what brings teachers and those that are grace of teachers to life. And know what a joy it is to see souls transformed by Jesus. Amen. Oh, what a, what a joy it is and what an honor, it is to be a part of Jesus breaking through, into darkness and rescuing people from the pits of hell and bringing them into the glory of heaven. May we never get bored? And may we never get stale of what Jesus is doing around this world?
Speaker 0 00:17:10 May we, even when we don't see it, even when we don't know it, may we know that God is on the throne and he's still doing that, which he always said he was doing. And he invites us to be part of it. There's no stop in his reign, no limit in his power for no eye has seen. And no ear has hurt that, which God has prepared for those who love him, Jesus himself in the Bible. And I believe he is the greatest teacher that has ever lived the greatest teacher that will ever live. And he's the model to every single one of us that follow him of what it looks like to be, to be a good teacher, filled with grace, filled with compassion, filled with love, but also filled with truth and authority and power. You know, in the Bible, the triune Godhead in Genesis 1 26, 27 says we're made in the image of God.
Speaker 0 00:18:03 So every single one of us marks the image of God. So there's things inside of us that we long for innately, no matter who we are, whether in the church or outside of the church. And the reason why we long for them is because it's actually a marker of how we've been made. God has created us in his image. So therefore parts of his character is things that we are desperately needing in our lives. And one of them, I believe we don't speak about often is actually teaching in Proverbs chapter three, verse 11. It speaks about how the father himself teaches John 13, 13. Jesus said, I am the greatest teacher. It speaks about how Jesus teaches John 14, 26. It says the holy spirit was sent to teach. And if we're all made in the image of this, God, I believe there's something within us that also longs to help other people understand the teaching of Jesus.
Speaker 0 00:18:51 That whether we're introvert or extrovert shy or bold, whether we have experienced public speaking or not, I believe every single one of us carries a mandate and a call and a desire that longs to see other people come to a revelation of who Jesus is. And I believe teaching is one of the greatest ways that we can show and give revelation to who Jesus is. Jesus has mentioned as a teacher in the gospels 39 times. And I guess just as with all these five full ministry gifts, we should seek to grow in, it speaks about seeking to have vision for our lives. It speaks about, of all the gifts of the spirit seek to prophesy, speaks about being part of the commission, the evangelist core, the, the part of the mission of God. And I believe the shepherd in heart as well. I believe there is a call for us all to grow in teaching, to grow in teaching. I dunno what that looks like for you. I dunno how that can function even this week. Perhaps it's starting to read more, perhaps it's starting a Bible study, perhaps it's going on a theological course, just like we've heard this morning that Owen is perhaps it's joining a life group or whatever it is. There is a need for us to increase our understanding of the teachings of Jesus and his word. And I would go one step further in saying in, we cannot just expect Sunday mornings to fulfill that need.
Speaker 0 00:20:25 There is a call for us in our own private, personal life to devour this book, to meditate on it, to read it to fall in love with it, to feast on it within our best days and to survive on it within our worst days. There's a call and teachers long to cultivate that call the love of God's word. Although we're all called to engage with teaching. Not all of us are grace specifically as teachers. So how do we have the grace of teaching and how does it function in the church? How the people that grace to teach go about their everyday business? Well, I wanna show you a slide here. That's gonna give us a bit of understanding here of how the teaching function exists because the teaching function does exist in the church, but it also exists outside of the church. And, and here's what Alan Hirsch, who, uh, he writes, uh, a book that we've been really devouring as we look at the a P and, and here's some of the things that he would argue that the teaching function exists to do within the church.
Speaker 0 00:21:41 The teaching function exists to interpret and explain the scriptures to cultivate a love for the scriptures, to bring wisdom and understanding, to create a culture of lifelong learning, to ensure theological discourse, to develop a theological word view worldview, and to invite people towards lifelong discipleship. That is the teaching function. Now, for some of you, you read those things and you, think's not me at all. Like I don't, I don't have any kind of natural interest to that. None of those things for me are kind of just like, that's me, like this is jumping out, but for some of you in the room, you're reading these things and you're going, yeah, well, this is me actually, this one, I understand some things now because I do have a real passion to cultivate a love for the scriptures. I get frustrated when people aren't opening the Bibles and not see in what God has got.
Speaker 0 00:22:28 Some of you, when you read these things, you'll understand it. Some of you will just naturally be like a fountain of wisdom that when you speak with people and you spend time with people, you long to bring wisdom and understanding to their lives, you know, sometimes the best teachers are actually the best mentors. We have been confused sometimes in church because we believe the best mentors are best shepherds. Actually, I would argue that as much as that is true. Also sometimes the best mentors, the one to one guides in someone's life are actually really, really good teachers. I, I, in my, a pest my results when I did the test, teaching came out the highest in mind, it was around the 40% mark. It was way higher than any of the other four in my life. And I think some of us would look at that and think, well, perhaps that's true.
Speaker 0 00:23:10 You you're on a stage often speaking and teach in. Here's what I would say that I've learned over the last few years, that my teaching grace, that I believe God's given me that I've wrestled with and I've tried sharpening as much as I can. And I will continue to do for the rest of my life. The majority of my teaching grace is not done on a Sunday morning or even in front of a people group whilst I'm preaching and teaching. The majority of my teaching, grace is done over coffees in coffee shops throughout the week. And I've never understood it because I'm an introverted person. I'm not an extrovert. Someone who came to me a few weeks ago and said, I did not know that. And I am naturally a real introvert. I like my own space yet, even though within that truth, I long.
Speaker 0 00:23:53 And I love to spend time with people at Coffs and be able to help them navigate life. And that sometimes is the greatest teaching grace that rests on people's lives. It's not always about speaking in front of people. It's not always just being about an educator in a school or an educational setting. Sometime teaching grace looks very different to that, which we understand. They love to create a culture of lifelong learning. They love to ensure theological discourse. If you have a passion for areas of theology, you have a passion for area of truth and right teaching and understanding this, this book, it's likely that you have a teaching grace on your life. If you love to develop a theological worldview, what does that mean? It means our worldview is distinct and distinctive to the rest of the world. Friends. Can I encourage you this morning?
Speaker 0 00:24:39 We're not meant to think the same as the rest of the world. We're meant to have different understandings and opinions because our worldview is shaped by this book. We see things differently. Colossians free too says, say, see, in the ways that are higher, rather than ways that are lower and a teaching grace always longs to see in ways that are higher and develop a worldview from that higher place. And they also long to invite people towards life long discipleship. If you know someone that's constantly speaking about discipleship, it's likely that they have a teaching grace on their agenda. What's the desired social impact to, to a teaching grace or, or someone that whether they long to see if they are in a teaching grace, they long to see a, a wise community, a community, and a church, a a, a body, a family of people who operate from wisdom.
Speaker 0 00:25:28 That's what the teaching grace longs to see that every single one of us that is part of the church, part of the, the ministry of Jesus, the, the body of Jesus, the family of Jesus, that we would long to see that we would act in wisdom, a teaching grace longs to see a wise community, loving God with all their minds, all their strength and all their soul. That's that long game again, that the teaching function often exists to think long and sometimes slow but healthy. I wanna highlight to you those first two here, because I believe it's really important to understand why teachers and why we as the church should love this wonderful, wonderful book who, who loves the Bible. Yeah. Come on. Some of you not put your hands on and that's a little bit concerning, but, um, there we go. Um, <laugh> teachers love to interpret and explain the scriptures to cultivate a love for the scriptures and to ensure a theological discourse in O in other words, to study, study the scriptures.
Speaker 0 00:26:33 You know, the Bible is the most beautiful text we have been given in this world. This book is the most glorious resource that Jesus has placed into our hands for us to use every single day. It sometimes astonishes me that we walk around with this book. It's sometimes on our phones, in our pockets, and we have this Bible sat at home, sometimes collecting dust on the shelf. And so often in our lives, we're desperate for God to speak into our situation. And yet we forget that he's already given us a book full of his words and a book full of guidance. This book transforms lives. It was given to us as a love letter from God to humans, so that we can navigate this world wisely and well. And we need teachers in the church who create a love for this book, that when you hear teachers, you go away and you long to read the Bible, because, you know, that's where the power comes from.
Speaker 0 00:27:27 That we would be people of spirit and of word that we would know the Spirit's power and presence through the illumination of God's word to our hearts and to our lives. We need teachers and we need people. And we need the church to fall in love with this book, like never before. And the reason why I say that is because good thinking will fade away. Good preachers will fade away. People will fade away, but this book will never fade away. All the best teachers in the world will go. Nikki gumball will go and be forgotten. Mike bill have actually will go and be forgotten. Steven Furtick will go and be forgotten. Billy Graham has gone and he will eventually be forgotten, but the person of Jesus and his word will never go, and it will never be forgotten. We need to hang onto this book before anything else, because it's this book that makes a difference in our lives.
Speaker 0 00:28:13 And if our Bibles are sat on our shelves, we've just collecting on them. We need to do something about it. Friends. It's the kindest thing I can say this morning, that as a call, to be part of the teachings of Jesus, we need to get into this book, this church, if we don't have our heart in this book, if we don't have the words of this book, we will never see transformation in our own lives. And we'll never see transformation in our lives around us. No matter how good we may look, it's his word and his presence that changes people. It says the word is like a double edged sword that can come and Pierce between bow and marrow. In other words, it's this book that can change our lives. If you're going through a difficult season, this book can help. If you're going through a good season, this book can help.
Speaker 0 00:28:59 It is this book that can guide you through every season of life. I don't know where you find yourself this morning. I dunno what you're going through in your life. But I do know that God has given you a book, which is designed to help propel you through every season of life. When life is good. His word is enough. When life is bad, his word is enough in moments of great frustration and great difficulty. It's his word that can pull us through. It's better than any Escapers than we can find in the world, because true hope and true perspective comes from this book. You might not believe me, but hopefully these stats will help you at how much change this book brings to a person's life. Have a look at this, for those people that read the word four times a week on average or more for people who come around this book and make it a priority in their life, that I am gonna be committed to this book, cuz it's a gift that Jesus has given me the teaching call upon us. All the teaching call upon specific graces and the church is to invest in this book that I would do so that a minimum of four times a week of reading the beautiful words of this book, reading them. So that nourish my soul and show me Jesus. Here's what happens according to a study and survey that took place in America, loneliness drops by 38% in a person's life.
Speaker 0 00:30:23 Just think about that for a moment just by reading this book four times a week, loneliness drops by 38% anger issues dropped by 32% bitterness in relationships drops by 40%. That's nearly half friends when we are going through a divorce pandemic and epidemic across the nations. I think the answer to a lot of marriages becoming healthy is reading this book together. It's a really, really crucial part of relationships. Alcoholism drops by 57% viewing pornography drops by 61%, over 80% of males and 60% of females currently have an addiction in the world to pornography reading this book four times a week will cancel that by 60% gambling drops by 74% in people's lives. Now have a look at the increases. This is what I love. Even more. The outlook in life increases by 60%. Check these two out here. Sharing faith increases by 228%. When we read the word four times a week or more look into disciples, others increases by 231% in a follower of Jesus life.
Speaker 0 00:31:42 When re read the word four times or more, if I can't get it into you, then let the stats get it into you. We need to read this book, France. This book brings life. It transforms souls. It breaks chains and bondages. It does what no other curriculum can do because this book brings life. We need to read this book and we need to read it graced by good teachers, Colossians three verse 16, and I'm gonna come to a close very shortly says let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another through all wisdom through Sam's songs of the spirit, sing into God and through gratitude. Let me read those first words again, that the message of Christ, the word dwell amongst you, richly, richly, richly. How rich is this word coming from your mouth? How rich is it a first go to in times of trouble, richly and teach and admonish one another. And that doesn't say here, that one person should do all the teaching admonishing does it. It says that everyone in the community should teach and admonish one another by the richness of God's word, here's the first thought. And you'll probably already gathered it from some of my thoughts. Being graced to being a teacher does not mean that you need a stage in a microphone.
Speaker 0 00:33:24 In fact, I would argue from my own life and my own fill-ins and mistakes at times that if you feel you need a stage and a microphone in order to step into the grace of being a teacher, you're probably not ready to step into being the grace of a teacher, because what I believe is the prophetic call to the church right now. And this is what I'm gonna end on in a moment is that the, the grace of teaching drastically needs to change in the church because it needs to desperately be infused with humility. First with humility first and often, teachers are so convinced about being right that humility often doesn't take root in the heart first. And I would argue prophetically, hopefully that what we need is teachers to step into their grace of teaching, but to step into it through the ways of humility, how do teachers look?
Speaker 0 00:34:33 Teachers look like the following. And, and again, it's not always, um, from the ways of a stage or a pool pit or a platform. If we go to the next slide, Jason teachers are often the following things, mentors, writers, educators, life coaches, theologians, truth, tellers, trainers, and instructors, philosophers managers, thinkers, leader of leaders, developers of training researchers and lovers, lovers of truth. Teachers are sometimes the best mentors, the best life coaches, the best disciple makers or information and givers. They're often graced in communication. Teachers are sometimes the best fathers and mothers and grandparents. Teachers are often the best spiritual parents who have a long loving for people's souls teachers. Sometimes aren't in front of the masses because they're deeply in the masses because they realize that often the best method of teaching is not just proclamation, but it's demonstration that we teach with our lifestyle and our ways, you know, Jesus' strongest words were for the religious teachers who use God's word to destroy people's lives.
Speaker 0 00:35:59 And in James, we hear that those who teach in front of people will be judged, double the amount to every single other person. That's a high high call when you seriously consider that. And I believe that God is wanting and willing to restore gentleness and humility with power and truth. We need power and gentleness to combine and teach in more than ever before. And here's, here's why I believe that because if gentleness are the fruit of the spirit and it's not a fruit of art theology, then art theology is probably not of the spirit. We cannot be mean spirited and spirit led at the same time. And if you come away feeling convicted by the word and confronted by the words because of a teacher around you, then I would suggest that that's healthy because that's what the spirit does. But at times we have to check ourselves because teaching can sometimes lead to cause and difficulties in people's lives. And we need teachers of humility. Teachers who love the word, love the truth, love helping, shaping, and guiding people, but more than ever right now, I believe we need teachers who are humble, gentle, kind, loving, but also powerful rich village as says this, our theology is only as good as the love that it provides. Our theology is only as good as the love that it provides. We have lived in a culture. Andrew, if you could join me here, I'm gonna pray in a moment. Thank you.
Speaker 0 00:37:46 We've lived in a culture over the last 20 years that has somewhat led to all kinds of problems within the church and the world. And I believe it stems from, from this area of teaching. Actually, sometimes teaching's a beautiful grace, but it can be really easily and unwilling and sometimes abused. It can be used from a place that even the person that's doing it doesn't understand that actually they're not operating in the grace of God and their lives even sometimes out of a good heart and what it is caused in lives. And I see this in young people and young adults and students who I work with day and out all the time. It has, it has caused this, a desperation for the spotlight and a desperation for gifting, a desperation for, for the spotlight to elevate ourselves into a spotlight and a desperation for gifting.
Speaker 0 00:38:41 So often I've spoke to young people and they've said things like this, if only I could preach like that person, that everything could be sorted. I mean, if only if I could teach like her that I've heard, teach her that limitless festival, we went through. If only I could prophesy like that person that came in and prophesied, if only I could have the gifting of that person's life. If I had their gifting, if I taught like them or preached like them or, or prophesied like them or pastored like them or shepherd like them, or had vision like them, if only I could have what they have, then surely I'd be able to be much more helpful and do a lot more in the world. Friends. Can I tell you are gay should never be fixed on anyone's gifting, but always fixed from the giver of those gifts.
Speaker 0 00:39:19 That is Jesus Christ. Gifting is, is only, only part of the process of what it means to follow Jesus a small part. And let me tell you more than ever, we need anointed over gifting right now. We don't need more gifted preachers or gifted teachers. We need anointed preachers and anointed teachers. We need anointed parcels and anointed profits because gifting can do all kinds of things. But anointing does things that transforms lives. Gifting can gather a crowd. Of course it can, but anointing is what changes. The crowd gifting can fill a room, but anointing is the only theme that can break chains off people's lives. Gifting can draw a crowd, but anointing it shifts atmospheres and breaks. Bondages gifting looks great on the outside, but anointing it longs to bring transformation on the inside. Gifting can be stirred up by works, but anointing can only be stirred up by the realms of heaven. And more than ever before, we don't need gifted teachers. We don't need gifted preachers. We don't even need any more gifted celebrity. Christians. Can I say that out loud? We need the anointing that only comes from heaven and teachers that step into that anointing with humility and gentleness to do that, which God is longing to do. We need Jesus, like teachers who use this teachers and use this teaching to love the unlovable and to confront the proud
Speaker 0 00:40:45 Here's the good news of what I see taking place. I see teachers currently being shaped in the secret place. And as we look around the globe and we see so many Christian teachers morally failing and falling from their Thrones, I believe God in the secret place right now is marking and shaping teachers like we've never seen before. And I believe in the years ahead, church, there's gonna be a marking of teaching that won't be gifting, but it'll come from a place of anointed humility, anointed humility teachers in the room. We need you. The church needs you. The people around you need you. I need you. The prophets need you. The evangelists need you. The apostles need you and the shepherds need you
Speaker 0 00:41:55 Because we need clarity. And we need to know what God is saying through his word. So maybe we see the teachers rise in this day and age, and maybe we see them joying with the rest of the body. See, to see the fullness of Christ reflected in the ways of the church. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for the wonderful graces that you've given the church. Thank you for the apostles. Thank you for the evangelists. Thank you. The prophets and the shepherds. And as we've explored today, thank you for the teachers, all of them so beautifully and uniquely graced to input into the body of Christ and this series that we've been exploring, that we kind of come to a conclusion of next week. It's not just a series that looks into trying to get people to serve more. It's not a series. That's just like a strength finders kind of test that we're looking to do.
Speaker 0 00:42:50 It's none of those things. What we long to do is we long to see your church established and built. And we believe that your words and Ephesians given through Paul to reach the fullness of Christ is through these five graces. You've given us. If that is true, may they rise in this place? And may they take the place that you have asked them to take father? I pray for every single person in the room that may have resonated with something of a teaching grace in their life this morning, or perhaps they've even taken the test and it's come out high in them. And they're thinking, I don't really know where I find myself. I pray in the weeks and the months ahead that there'll be a removal of fear in their lives. And there'll be an upbuilding of boldness and clarity of that, which you're saying, I pray Lord, that they lead people to your word day in, day out.
Speaker 0 00:43:41 And I pray Lord that your face is seen in their lives for every other person in this room, wherever they find themselves, whatever they're doing, whatever they feel their grace is in this season. And in this moment, I pray a blessing upon it, breathe your life upon it. God breathe your life fan to flame the gifts and graces of God that are in people's hearts. And may they thrive and may they grow and may they lead people to the person of Jesus. May we see apostles and full strength in this community? May we see profits and full strength, evangelists, and full strength shepherd in full strength. And may we learn from one another, have humility to one another, grow with one another. And may we see, even as this world grows darker, your light shining brighter.
