You Should Be Teachers
Hebrews 5:12-14
Introduction.
“As the Bible class goes, so goes the church.”
This is a saying that shows the importance of the Bible classes, and by extension, our Bible class teachers.
During the pandemic, we have limited our Bible classes to the adult class streamed online, but it won’t stay that way.
If you have children and don’t already have a plan to teach them, get in touch with Victoria. She has done an excellent job with our kids. I also know Kathy and Leatha have been working with their grandkids when they have them. They might have some pointers, too.
In any event, the Bible class is still so very important—we’ll discuss more why in the main lesson.
But like with everything else in this series, these are gifts.
Not everyone has been gifted with the ability to teach.
But there are some people who must be willing and able to do so.
We’ll discuss who ought to teach more as well.
Preview—this lesson is a 5 W’s and 1 H lesson.
Why Should We Teach?
Who Should Teach?
What Should We Teach?
When/Where Should We Teach?
Where Should We Teach?
How Can We Teach?
Body.
Why Should We Teach? – the importance.
The Bible tells us to.
Teaching is a big part of Scripture.
The English word in various forms (including “doctrine” and “instruction”) is found about 344 times in all of Scripture.
One of the primary things King Jehoshaphat did to become a great king of Judah was to send leaders, priests, and Levites “throughout all the cities of Judah and [they] taught the people” (2 Chron. 17:7-9).
He recognized the importance of teaching, and through the faithfulness of the people, as we had studied Lev. 26:1-13 last Sunday evening, they were blessed.
If we expect to the blessed, we must teach others.
It needs to be done.
If we expect future generations to learn about God and to be faithful, they need to be taught.
Molding these young minds is so important, because these young minds could become elders, preachers, and teachers themselves.
And if none of those things, they will likely have children they will teach one day.
“As the Bible class goes, so goes the church.”
If the Bible class teachers start teaching things that are false, then their students will one day teach these false ideas, too.
And if they don’t go to class or there’s no one to teach them, well… it’s no wonder the church is losing the youth.
If we don’t teach them, someone else will.
Every day our kids are inundated by the world.
They see it at school—it is even promoted at public schools.
They will tell you we’re all okay, that we’re nothing more than animals, that it doesn’t matter how you live (as long as you obey your teachers).
This doesn’t even cover whatever their friends and peers are teaching them.
But it’s not just schools and friends, it’s TV and the internet.
TV is a great teacher, but you must make sure it’s teaching your kids the right lessons.
The typical Disney refrain, “Follow your heart,” is rife with error (Jer. 17:9).
As Sam talked about a few weeks ago, the internet is full of dangers and false information, but also way more information than you probably want your kids learning (i.e. material above their maturity level).
It has a corrupting influence, and it must be set aright by the gospel truth.
You see, we are in a fight for the very souls of those we teach.
Satan wants them, and we must do our best to make sure he doesn’t get them!
We’ll talk about how to do that in our last point.
Ideally the parents ought to be teaching their kids every day (and they are, whether for good or ill), but in the church who should be teaching?
Who Should Teach?
Mature Christians (Heb. 5:12-14).
As this passage states, this is someone who is skilled in the word of righteousness.
On top of that, this person can discern both good and evil.
It takes someone who is mature in the faith to be able to do that.
Of course, elders are required to be “able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2), and preachers are required to teach as well (1 Tim. 4:6; 2 Tim. 2:2).
Even so, choosing teachers is such a grave and wonderful task.
But the sad thing is, in most churches, particularly small churches like ours, it’s not a matter of choosing great teachers, but urging people to volunteer.
I taught my first Bible class when I was a Christian for only a few years.
It was an adult class, so I had plenty of people in there more knowledgeable than I—it was a learning experience for myself just as much, perhaps more, than for the others in the class.
Just as some mature at a different pace physically, some can mature faster or slower spiritually.
There are some people who have been a Christian for decades, yet still is not mature enough to teach a class.
As this passage says, this should not be!
If, however, we do have an immature Christian teaching a class, it could end up being a situation where the “blind leads the blind, [and] both will fall into a ditch” (Matt. 15:14).
But just as the church I was worshiping with in college allowed me to teach, it can still be a learning experience for the teacher—we must make it possible for the inexperienced to learn to teach if we expect to get new teachers.
Someone willing to receive a stricter judgment (James 3:1).
One of the things I was told before becoming a preacher as that my family and I will be living in a glass house.
And it’s true, people will expect you to practice what you preach.
If you do not, you are bringing shame upon the Lord and His church (Rom. 2:23-24). Not that we are boasting in the law, but when we teach it, if we break it, are we not causing the name of God to be blasphemed among the unbelievers?
Because of the importance and great responsibility of molding the minds of others, if we mishandle it, we could be facing a stricter judgment.
That’s why it’s so important for us to be careful what we teach.
What Should We Teach?
We need to teach the Bible (2 Tim. 4:2).
That’s the very first thing we need to be teaching—the Word of God.
There are denominations out there, and even some churches of Christ, who will teach from other books and material—often self-help books and other absurd things like that.
Let me suggest, if you want to learn from those books, join a book club. That has no place in the Lord’s church.
That said, there is great material out there that help us study the Bible.
This is especially true for little kids who might have trouble understanding some of the bigger concepts of Scripture.
It needs to be broken down and taught at their level.
I’m also not saying we should never use books, but these books need to be Bible-based, on Bible topics or on the text of the Bible.
For instance, for our Mark class, I’m reading three brotherhood commentaries to help me prepare, along with doing research online.
But make sure that what you teach is from God’s Word and not from the mind of man.
And if you make a mistake, own up to it—we’ve all made them.
But the Bible is a large book—what should I focus on?
This is no doubt the hardest thing about preaching and teaching.
That depends on many factors.
Some churches already have a curriculum that they use, so your choices there are limited.
Make sure you teach something that is applicable to your students.
This probably requires getting to know them a little before you jump into the classroom or behind the lectern.
Ask the previous teachers, ask the (former) elders, or maybe even ask the students themselves if they’re teens or adults.
Make sure it’s also age-appropriate. You don’t want to teach a group of 3rd graders about issues facing those in high school.
And above all, pray about it.
When/Where Should We Teach?
Church times.
When we resume in-person classes, right here.
On Sunday mornings at 9:30 and Wednesday evenings at 7.
There, that was easy…
Anytime/anywhere.
The truth is, we are teaching our kids, both those we have and those in our classroom, all the time, in whatever contact you may have with them.
Ever hear the phrase, “Monkey see, monkey do”?
There’s nothing like having kids—they mirror us in so many unflattering ways.
Our kids copy each other all the time!
But as teachers, we need to set a good example ourselves.
I remember when I was subbing in a pre-K class …
You had to sit with the kids at the end of the day to make sure they got onto the right bus.
One day a particular bus driver wouldn’t take one of my kids, and I panicked.
I wasn’t sure what to do and I reacted poorly.
I had reflected on what I had done, and realized I was setting a poor example for the kids.
The next day, I brought the kids to that same bus and apologized for my reaction so the kids could have a good example of how adults should resolve their differences.
After all, how many of them have parents who yell and carry on all the time?
They shouldn’t have to deal with that at school from their teachers, too.
I have no idea if anything stuck with the kids, but I pray I left a good example.
In truth, life is full of such “teachable moments” as these.
Let us take advantage of them!
How Should We Teach?
Different age groups require different styles.
In little kids classes, you have more singing and more fun activities that aid in learning—and let’s not forget the timeless felt board!
In classes with older kids, you might have object lessons and discussion.
In the adult class, well, I like to have discussion questions as I do with the teens, along with visual aids when it makes sense.
Some tend to think we shouldn’t divide classes up by age like this.
But we learn in different ways depending on our age.
And the best teachers will do what they can to cater to their students’ learning styles, having various elements to teach all their students.
Our Bible classes are an excellent way for our children to learn Bible stuff as well, and to help supplement what the parents are teaching their children.
N.B. The Bible classes are meant to supplement what the parents are doing.
But not all the kids have parents that are teaching them Bible things on a regular basis, and all they get is what the Bible class teacher tells them.
Such opportunities should be taken to teach them at their level, and we find authority for it in Titus 2:1-8.
In any event, if you’re not sure how to teach the younger ones, but are interested in stepping out of your comfort zone, sit in on a class to see what it’s like.
If you’re not sure how to teach adults and an opening comes up, Sam or I could always give you some pointers if you’re interested.
Over 30 years ago, 3000 high school seniors in Colorado were asked what made the ideal teacher. Four things:
A genuine concern and interest in the students as individuals.
This was the first of the four things.
How important is it for us to show that interest in them, and even more for Bible class teachers.
We are teaching them the most important things of life and godliness.
They have so many issues and concerns that we would be gobsmacked if we knew what all they had to go through.
We can’t be their buddy, but we must be someone they feel comfortable talking to.
We typically have much smaller class sizes than a high school, so we can give more personal attention to each of our students.
Get to know them. It may not seem like such a big thing now, since most of our kids are rather young, but when they become teenagers it will pay in dividends!
As they are trying to figure out that uncertain time of transition into adulthood, you can be there to help them set the course for their lives toward heaven.
Requiring the students to work.
It’s difficult to do with a class when you can’t hang their grades over them to get them to learn.
But most of the time, they’ll have no problems doing it.
And even if they do, you ideally have some kind of relationship with their parents.
So if the child is unwilling to participate and you can’t get them to do anything, you can always discuss it with their parents.
Even if you don’t have that relationship, make a sincere effort to do so.
Dealing with students impartially.
As Christians, we must strive to be impartial in our dealings with everyone.
Since God shows no partiality, neither should we (Rom. 2:11).
James even calls it a sin (James 2:9).
This is probably talking about how students are disciplined.
Sometimes a student needs to be disciplined, and you can find ways that work for you.
If all else fails, you can rely on the relationship you have with the child’s parents.
Obvious enthusiasm about teaching.
If there’s any subject that we should be enthusiastic about, even zealous, shouldn’t it be the message of Scripture?
That enthusiasm is contagious.
On the other hand, if you don’t seem to care about the subject, why should they?
So be enthusiastic when you teach.
Conclusion.
Teaching and the Bible class are so vital to the life of the church.
Parents, I encourage you to have your children attend.
I know we’re in this pandemic situation now, but ask Victoria and perhaps Kathy or Leatha about what they do.
Everyone, I encourage you to tune in to the Bible adult classes that we’re having online: 5 PM this evening and 7 PM on Wednesdays.
Tonight we’ll be in Mark 9, and on Wednesday I anticipate Sam will be in Galatians 2.
The teaching that we get in those classes is a good deal more comprehensive and in-depth than anything I can do in a sermon.
This lesson is really meant to encourage our teachers, but also to encourage others to try or perhaps to try again.
Sam, Sara, Lynn, La’Tonya, and Victoria do such a great job.
And I know Donnas Floyd and Potter have helped out a lot, too.
But we always need more, if for nothing more than to give our regular teachers a break for a quarter or two during the year.
I don’t have anyone in mind who can help—maybe there is someone, maybe there isn’t—but we all need to ask ourselves, “What can we do to help?”
If you’d like to give it a shot, let Sam know.
I’m sure he’ll work with you to put you in the best place.
And recall, what we are to teach: the Scriptures.
That Scripture is the good news of Jesus Christ.
Obey that gospel today!