JESUS THE TEACHER
As we focus on the five main ministry gifts, the teacher seems to be the least revered. In Ephesians 4:11 we read, “It is he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers.”
It feels like the teacher is a tack-on to the pastor gift, but not so.Jesus is our example; as we follow Him we see the great apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher, but His ministry as Rabbi (teacher) left the greatest impact. The other gifts demonstrated His love and brought us to God, but the teaching gift revolutionized the world.
Each of the five main ministry gifts is supernatural. The teacher of Scripture is not the same as a schoolteacher, although a schoolteacher may possess this supernatural anointing. A five-fold ministry teacher brings Holy Spirit revelation from God and makes eternal and profound truths, easy to understand.
At age twelve, Jesus was teaching the Pharisees in the temple (Lk. 2:41-47). Our children should do the same. He personally taught the Samaritan woman, Martha, Simon the Pharisee, and the two on the Emmaus road. They said, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Lk. 24:32
He also regularly taught a small group, His disciples. Beyond this, Jesus taught congregations of thousands like when He was on the mountain that overlooks Galilee.Beyond this, Jesus taught congregations of thousands like when He was on the mountain that overlooks Galilee.
One of those personal teaching moments was with Nicodemus. “Nicodemus…came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ In reply Jesus declared, ‘…no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’” Jn. 3:1-3
As a teacher, Jesus performed miracles. Like the calling given to all believers, the teacher should heal the sick and perform signs and wonders. The late Derek Prince, my grandfather, was a powerful Bible teacher and he ministered with the healing and power gifts. Nothing excites a teacher more than teaching another teacher and Jesus taught Nicodemus. ““You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things?”” Jn. 3:10
He taught Nicodemus about being born of God’s Spirit, that the Spirit moves like the wind, that the Son of God must be lifted up to bring eternal life to the world, that God wanted none to perish but all to be saved, and that He had not come to condemn the world.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee who defended Jesus before the chief priests and in time, became a disciple. Later, he had the honor, with Joseph of Arimathea, of taking Jesus’ body off the cross and burying it.
Teachers should not be boring or dry in their delivery or style. When Jesus preached on the hillside, multitudes of people, of all ages and walks of life, listened to Him for hours, even ignoring hunger and meal times. Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount is recorded in Matthew five, six and seven. At the end of His message we read, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” Mt. 7:28-29
When Jesus preached to crowds of people on the temple mount, the Pharisees were jealous of Pharisees were jealous of His popularity and sent temple guards to arrest Him. Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards declared.” Jn. 7:45-46
Here are ten things a Bible teacher should not do –
followed by seven things to help you be a better preacher
1. Never spend a lot of time explaining why you are preaching a specific message.
2. Do not apologize for being unprepared and do not be defensive because of your gender, lack of education or your appointed time allotment. Just deliver the word with confidence.
3. Avoid using repetitive clichés such as “Amen, Amen” or “It’s good to be in the house of the Lord”, and try not to use Christianese.
4. Do not use vulgar words in your sermon.
5. Do not tell vulgar jokes or stories in your sermon.
6. Do not be arrogant but aim to be the most humble person in the room.
7. Do not misuse Scripture by taking it out of context; ignoring a true meaning; or by making it say something that the text is not saying.
8. Do not plagiarize; give credit where credit is due and
acknowledge those you quote or borrow an idea from.
9. Do not preach too long.
10. Do not be monotone, but use voice inflections that help
keep people’s attention.
1. Pray and be led by the Holy Spirit in choosing your sermon topic.
2. Study well and organize your sermon with a catchy title, short introduction, clear points (usually three), a wrap-up conclusion and a call to respond.
3. Connect with everyone in your audience using an appropriate preaching style; stories that people can relate to, culturally relative information; and a message that fits their faith and maturity in Christ.
4. Use a few key Scriptures from an easy-to-understand translation but without flipping through the Bible to find them and avoid long Bible readings.
5. To keep the attention of a congregation, use many enjoyable but relatable stories and illustrations. Explanations without illuminating stories will always cause you to lose your audience.
6. Look at the people in every part of the room, making eye contact as often as possible, and raise and lower your voice appropriately to avoid being monotone.
7. Preach with conviction as the oracle of God. You are representing Him so give what He gives you with humility but also with authority.
We pray our monthly teaching devotional
empowers & inspires you
to live a supernatural Christian life.
DR. PETER WYNS
Founder & President
Christian for Messiah Ministries
Pastor at Antioch International Church
Instructions in Righteousness is produced by “Christians for Messiah Ministries” (CFM). Dr. Peter Wyns is the President of CFM and the Head Pastor of Antioch International Church. He has served as a pastor for 54 years and ministered in more than 45 nations.
Leave a Reply