March 9, 2014 YOU CAN TEACH AS JESUS TAUGHT 2 PART SERIES PART 1 Let’s take a look at some of the more prominent arguments we typically hear: 1. Jesus was God. He possessed supernatural insight that helped him in his teaching. We can never measure up to that. Yes, Jesus was God. His knowledge was vast, his wisdom flawless. He knew the Scriptures perfectly, and could see clearly into the hearts of the people he encountered. And these are all qualities none of us possess within ourselves. Perhaps we’re overlooking a very important truth. It isn’t quite accurate to say only that Jesus “was” God. Jesus is God. He rose from the dead! He lives forever now, never to die again. And where does he live? In you! “I have been crucified with Christ and I have no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20) “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph 3:16-17). Jesus was God, and he still is. He still has supernatural insight. The Bible puts it this way: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all – surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Cor. 4:6-7). 2. I don’t even understand God myself. So how can I expect to be able to teach as Jesus taught? Do you think the original twelve disciples understood Jesus? They were people just like you and me (maybe even a little more rough around the edges than you or me). And though they followed him, they did not fully understand him. Very often, Jesus would say things, do things, or tell them to do things they didn’t understand, but they followed him anyway, and God blessed them. • Examples of confused but obedient disciples, take a look at Mark 4:35-41; Luke 9:10-17; or John 13:1-9, to name a few. Another passage, Mark 6:7-13, briefly describes the time Jesus sent out the twelve on a sort of short-term missionary journey. Jesus knew they didn’t yet fully understand him or his purpose, but he sent them anyway. And they obeyed. And do you know what happened when his disciples obeyed? Scriptures says, “They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them” (Mark 6:12-13). Apparently obedience pays off, even when we don’t fully understand the reason behind God’s command. 3. Jesus used teaching methods that were effective for Jewish culture in his time, but they would never work today. Examples: • He had no permanent classroom. • He didn’t use a set curriculum. • He didn’t follow a set schedule. • There was no formal grading or reward system. • He never gave a written assignment. • He never gave a written exam. • He often taught “on the go” from one place to another.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 06:40:03 +0000
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