Are You a Teacher Yet?
Heb. 5:12
Intro.:
l. A number of years ago I preached on the importance of
being a witness for Christ wherever we are. A short time after
that sermon in a little country church in Iowa, a big strapping
Iowa farm boy said he wanted to talk with me. Bill had
been a Christian for several years, but now he was going off
to Iowa State to college and he was bothered by the sermon
suggesting that everybody ought to be a witness for Christ.
He asked me, "Is this something that I am supposed to do?"
I tried to assure him that as a Christian he had a responsibility
not only to Christ, but to himself as a Christian that he
might grow and share his faith in Christ. I was struck with
his candid concern since I am sure that many Christians
are not willing to face up to the issue as he did
2. The readers of Hebrews apparently were such people, at
least some of them. listen to that tragic comment: v:l2 "For
though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need some one to teach you again the first principles of God's word."
Take in that phrase--for though by this time--The letter
was written over thirty years after Pentecost. We don‘t know
how long any of them had been Christians, but it is possible
that many had been professing Christians up to that time.
The book of Acts tells us that many were scattered by persecution from Jerusalem to various parts of the world. God has ordained that we bear fruit, and we are not doing it.
3. I want to talk about the phrase, "you ought to be teachers."
This relates only to the vocation of the spirit, in which we
are to be qualified in talking about Jesus Christ, and the
gospel about him.
I. What is a teacher?
1. Other books of the New Testament speak of about witnessing. That word is appropriate since it involves a first hand experience.
On the day of Pentecost Peter preached that God had raised
up Jesus and "of that we are all witnesses.“ (Acts 2:32)
In another sermon of Peter in Acts he said to those who
were responsible for crucifying Jesus, "you denied the holy
and Righteous one and ask for a murderer to be granted to
you and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from
the dead. To this we are witnesses." Acts 3:14,15. When
Saul was converted, Ananias told him, "The God of our Fathers
appointed you to know his will, to see the Just One, and to hear
a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to
all men of what you have seen and heart."
How was it that first-century pagans became interested
in Jesus Christ and His way of salvation? What was it that
gave early Christians that ring of authority that demanded
response? Simply that they witnessed, instead of just repeating
what others said about Jesus. It wasn't that "I heard Apostle
So and So report. Rather, it was "that which we have seen and
heard we proclaim also to you. (l Jn l:3) "We were eye-witnesses of his majesty." (2 Pet. 1:16) In short they testified to
what they knew from personal experience about Jesus Christ.
2. This goes to the very root of our failure to make
disciples of all nations. Many of us are quite willing to
pass on second-hand information about Jesus, argue down objections to Christian thought, refrain from certain worldly practices--but we are not willing to come to the first hand account—Jesus Christ is my Saviour, He has changed my life, and I invite you to accept him as your Saviour and Lord.
3. When I was in high school I used to go down to Madison
st. in Chicago to a mission. Skid-row was a novel for me.
During the winter months these down-and out men--called bums--
would come in for the service and hope for a hot meal and
bed. We high-school students would give our testimony and
relate what Jesus had meant to us. It seemed pretty innocent
and lacking in influence as I reflect upon it now. But we
would hear some converted people give their testimony. A man
would rise and say, A year ago I was a booze hound, I slept
in gutters, alleys, flop-houses, I drank up every penny I
could get my hands on. I felt my wife and family and drove
them to poverty. But now, by the grace of God, I can say
firmly, with satisfaction in my mind that Christ has changed
my life. I am re-united with my family, I love and care
for their physical and spiritual needs. Christ has changed
my life--I love Him for it--
5. Do you want to be a teacher for Christ?
II. HOW is it done?
1. When you delve into the life of another concerning his
salvation it requires the utmost in the way of Christian
grace and sincerity. The abrupt brusque manner of some
people who used to stop people on the corner and say, "Say,
Buddy, are you saved? If you are not, you're going to hell."
Everything he said was true, but it was not giving the truth
in love.
2. Jesus never told us to post office hours and wait for
people to come to us. The word was: Into the highways and
hedges you are to go and seek the lost. We must learn to
witness according to what fits our personality, and not somebody' else's.
I have always chuckled at the experience of the Scotch
preacher J. McGinlay who had a wit and humor that could use
almost any opportunity. Once in a gas station in Glendale
California, a big 6 foot, one inch 275 pound gas station attendant with red hair and the toughest looking face you ever saw, came to the car. He said, "It is pretty hot today, isn't it?"
The attendant answered, "It’s hot as hell." "My friend,"
McGinlay said, "put her there." His hand was so big that his
thumb filled his hand, so He held onto his thumb. McGinlay
said, "Do you know, a lot of people in this country don‘t
believe in hell, and a lot of them who do believe in it,
don‘t believe its a hot place." He was now trying to pull
his thumb away but McGinley continued, “You've no idea how
refreshing it is to meet a man of God like yourself who not
only believes in hell, but believes it’s hot. The cold
sweat was now pouring down his face. McGinlay said, "Isn't
it wonderful, though, that the Lord Jesus Christ died for
us on the cross and shed his Precious blood so that you and I might spend eternity in a place where the climate is a little
more temperate.” I released his thumb and he staggered
away. I even had to call him back to ask how much I owe him
and that took grace, because I‘m still a Scotchman."
3. I couldn't do this, that's not my personality. I feel
that for me, I simply say to a person, depending on the
situation, I want to talk to you about your spiritual life.
Or, I want to talk to you about Christ, and receiving him
as your Saviour. Sometimes I ask, are you a Christian? How long have you been a Christian. Out of this I can tell
which direction I want to go.
4. The failure of so much witnessing is closing the sale.
We lack this factor. This last Monday a student told me
that she had become a Christian over the summer holiday.
I thought she was one. But she said that everyone said
you must be reborn, you must meet Jesus, but no one told her how. We must go slowly thru the steps--confession
of sin, asking Christ to save us, and do it!
III. Why don‘t we do it?
l. Fear of what people will say. How can I talk with my neighbor who lives by me and knows what I used to be like? He knows that I am not the greatest Christian: I holler at my wife, bark at the dog, and grouchy with my kids. We must let Christ’s commands rule us in these matter as well as in witnessing.
If you will be obedient to the Lord in this matter may be condemned as a religious fanatic given dirty looks, and your name may be ridiculed by some openly, but the Lord's word is: don't be afraid. Phil. 1:20 "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him,
but also to suffer for his sake." The only suffering Christian
ever does come as a result of his standing up for Christ. People will never bother you when you stay home and mind your own business.
They won't say much against you when you go to church, but say a word to them about Christ and you will have to suffer for it. Jesus said, Mt. 10:28 “Fear not them which
Kill the body , but are not able to kill the soul; but rather him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Mt. 5:11,. “Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake." Are you willing to suffer for Christ’s sake?
2. Fear...because of being unprepared... I've never
much in the way of selling. For a short time in Texas
sold real estate on the side. To be a broker, I had to pass
an exam. I studied the book and took the test and flunked it. I didn't study very hard. I re-took it and passed it. There was a basic pool of information one needed and the only way you could pass was to study. After that I had to learn
something about the houses I was trying to sell. I pointed
up the advantages and argued down the disadvantages.
My point: you can sell real estate with confidence
if you have done your home-work.
You can teach others of Jesus ` if you have done your home-work. There are some basic aids available to anyone who is willing to learn....from a marked N.T. that leads you thru the way of salvation to a study course book on witnessing. We have excellent materials in the WIN series on witnessing. But what is
is required is the initiative. How long have you been a Christian?
3. The kind of fears that we have are most frequent
vanity-centered. If we have given ourselves to Christ
this should be no issue. |