Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach
and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
Colossians 3:16(NLT)
Our study of the "each other" teachings of Jesus brings us to
the need of the body of Christ to instruct – or teach and counsel each other in
Christ’s love.
Teaching assumes there is learning going on. A favorite story of mine is about the
particular church denomination that believed in baptismal sanctification (the moment you are baptized, you are
sanctified, and therefore perfect – you won't ever sin again).
One winter an older man got convicted, and decided to join the group. It was winter time and he wanted to be
baptized right away; but the creek was frozen over. Well, he had a great desire to be pure, so he
convinced the elders to baptize him.
They cut a hole in the ice, took the old fellow and dunked him in the
hole, all the way, twice for good measure.
As he came out the second time from the freezing water hole, the old man
gushed: Oh; it's so wonderful. I'm sanctified. I’m so blessed; I don't even feel the cold.
The head elder said, Let's dunk him again boys, he's still lyin'!
Paul wanted to teach the believers at Colosse how to live as
Christians. In the first 15 verses of
this chapter Paul lists the Christian virtues and vices; he advises us to: Avoid the vices – live by the virtues.
It is important that new believers learn these; it is important that all
believers are reminded of these.
Why? Because the extent to which unbelievers
will get a true impression of genuine Christianity is the extent to which we
who claim to belong to Christ Jesus exhibit the virtues, and shun
the vices.
After all, are we not the only Bible most of the world will ever
read?
So, if you want to help the body of Christ be obedient to the Lord’s
command to be witnesses of His love to the world, you must make certain there
are some basic factors working. We do
that by teaching, or edifying one another.
The word “edify” means to build-up!
How do we build, or teach one another?
Well, after listing the virtues and vices, Paul then told the folks what
to do about them. Consider these three
ways we teach one another…
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly Colossians 3:16a(KJV)
SURRENDERED TO CHRIST
The word dwell means reside.
Christ takes up residence in the believer's heart. Christian virtues are not developed by practice
and putting on a façade; they're a result of Christ dwelling richly, or effectively filling your
heart.
A teacher must teach from the heart, and in order to teach Christ from the
heart, Christ must be living there. And,
as Christ takes up residence in our heart, our residence is changed as well; we
become citizens of the Kingdom.
Some of you may remember comedian Yakov Smirnoff. He said when he first came to the United
States from Russia he wasn't prepared for the incredible variety of instant
products available in American grocery stores.
He says, On my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk – you
just add water, and you get milk. Then I
saw powdered
orange juice – you just add water, and you get orange juice. And then I saw baby powder, and I
thought to my self, what a country![2]
Well, Christians can get the wrong idea that it’s all that easy…accept
Christ, and voilà, instant mature believer.
Not so; Jesus isn’t there just to be close to your heart like a friend,
or a convenient vending machine to get your prayers answered; he’s there to
take over your heart day by day, and change your heart so you’re less like you
used to be, and more like Him!
Surrendered to Christ is a lot different than agreeing to the idea that
Jesus is Lord and will take care of you.
And so, surrendered to Christ means you’re…
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
I'm certain that change is one of the least-liked
words in the English language. It seems
people despise having their routines interrupted about as much as a baby
complains about having the formula in his bottle changed.
However, when it comes to teaching, you can only give out what you
know.
And you will only know Christ to the degree you have allowed Him free
reign to change you into His image.
A teacher teaches from the heart, but also...
Teach and counsel each other
with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God… Colossians 3:16b(NLT)
YOU CAN ONLY TEACH WHAT IS PERSONALLY LEARNED
Notice that there are three categories of learning mentioned by Paul:
1.
Psalms (scripture),
2.
hymns (New Testament praise songs),
3.
spiritual songs (like our contemporary gospel songs),
These are the primary teaching vehicles.
Believers have always sung their faith.
However, it is important to recognize that knowing Christ (Php
3.10) is the object of the music.
Music is a means whereby we praise and honor the Lord; it is not the end to which we aspire.
The presentation of the music is secondary – what’s primary, first is how
that music praises God and communicates the gospel message to the congregation.
YOU CAN ONLY TEACH WHAT IS POSSIBLE TO KNOW
People learn differently. A good
teacher will recognize the fundamental differences in how people learn and
adapt accordingly. Helping the body of
Christ remember the Christian virtues requires that you teach effectively.
¨
To some you will simply live it, and they will get the message.
¨
To some, it is necessary to speak out plainly, admonishing or warning. Frankly,
some “teaching” just doesn’t take in our culture with its’ short attention
spans and ADD.
¨
And, with still others, learning only takes place via making mistakes and
suffering the consequences.
A student made a mistake of identification. He was in the college chapel for a required
lecture. He looked at the order of
service and groaned loudly. The
middle-aged lady next to him asked what was the matter. The student replied, It’s the preacher. He’s my
director of studies. I have to go to his lectures and he’s the dullest man
alive, utterly boring.
Oh, said the woman, Do
you know who I am? The student
looked at her and said he didn’t. Well, said the woman, I’m
the preacher’s wife!
The student said, And do you know who I am?
No, said the
professor’s wife. Hallelujah!, said the
student, and ran out the door.
We all make mistakes. If you are
going to help the body learn and remember Christian virtues, teach from the
heart, the head, and...
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16c(KJV)
THE PLACE OF GRACE IS THE HEART
It is important to remember that as Christians, we operate entirely by
grace. We have nothing to offer the body
of Christ apart from that which is first given to us. Humility should cradle everything we do.
A preacher told about [his] youngest daughter, Angi, [who] graduated from
the university and started teaching in an area college. One day, she went to a nearby restaurant for
lunch. The man who seated her asked, Are
you a teacher? Surprised, Angi replied, Why yes, I am.
She enjoyed a warm feeling throughout the meal; she looked like a teacher!
As she was leaving the restaurant, she asked the man, How did you know I was a
teacherYou have chalk dust on your seat, he replied.[3]
Humility teaches us that you can find, memorize and recite facts, but
wisdom must come from God. If you are to
help the body of Christ, grace must humble your heart.
A young boy of 4 went to big church for the first time on
Palm Sunday. He heard of the suffering
of Jesus, the cruelty of the soldiers and the mob. He listened with rapt attention as the cross
was described, and he sobbed when the minister said Jesus died for him. And then the service was over; the boy
expected the people to go out in hushed awe.
This child, awed by the incredible gift of a king's son for him, but was
even more amazed when the people broke into chatter, laughter and talk of
mundane, everyday things.
Didn't they know? Hadn't they
heard?
But, that is the point, isn't it?
Grace in the heart will humble you.
It will make you laugh after you've cried for a while.
That is....THE PURPOSE OF GRACE –
TO HELP WITH LIFE
Humble people are helping people.
Booker T. Washington was the renowned black educator, and an outstanding example
of what grace looks like when the heart has been touched...
Shortly after he took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute in
Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town when a wealthy white
woman stopped him. Not knowing the
famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few
dollars by chopping wood for her.
Because he had no pressing business at the moment, Professor Washington
smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had
requested. When he was finished, he
carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace.
A little girl recognized him and later revealed his identity to the
lady. The next morning the embarrassed
woman went to see Mr. Washington in his office at the institute and apologized
profusely. It's perfectly all right, Madam,
he replied. Occasionally I enjoy a little
manual labor. Besides, it's always a
delight to do something for a friend.
She shook his hand warmly and assured him that his meek and gracious
attitude had endeared him and his work to her heart. Not long afterward she showed her admiration
by persuading some wealthy acquaintances to join her in donating thousands of
dollars to the Tuskegee Institute.[4]
So, the Question Remains: How Shall I Begin To Teach?
Let me assure you that you do not need a Ph.D. after your name to be a
Godly teacher in the Kingdom.
Harry Ironside was a great pastor and expositor of the Word. He told of visiting a Godly man named Andrew
Frazer who had come to southern California to recover from a serious
illness.
Though quite weak, Frazer opened his worn Bible and began expounding the
deep truths of God in a way that Ironside had never heard before.
Ironside was so moved by Frazer's words that he asked him, Where
did you get these things? Could you tell
me where I could find a book that would open them up to me? Did you learn them in some seminary or
college?
The sickly man gave an answer that Ironside could not forget: My dear young man, I learned these things on
my knees on the mud floor of a little sod cottage in the north of Ireland. There with my open Bible before me I used to
kneel for hours at a time and ask the Spirit of God to reveal Christ to my soul
and to open the Word to my heart. He
taught me more on my knees on that mud floor than I ever could have learned in
all the seminaries or colleges in the world.[5]
Friends, it is the same for us.
God loves a contrite heart, a head that's teachable, and a spirit
that's humble.
Those are the things you need to teach one another.
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit!
James Emery White, Rethinking the Church, Baker, 1997, p.
55-57
David L. Roper, Judsonia, Arkansas, Christian Reader, "Lite
Fare."
