Topical - Responsibility, teacher...
Introduction:
A. The Responsibility of the teacher.
1. Responsibility of prayer (1 Samuel 12:23).
a) The necessity of prayer for godliness.
(1) If the teacher is to deliver God’s message with power, prayer must permeate your life.
(2) Your spiritual example causes others to take your message seriously (Gen.19:14 lots son in laws did not take him seriously).
(3) As you call others to obedience, God uses your leadership to mark the way. All desirable spiritual qualities, particularly godliness and dependence on God, are basic ingredients in the experience of a praying teacher.
(4) The Teacher’s Greatest Example Is Jesus.
From boyhood, the heart of Jesus was fixed on “the things of My Father” (Luke 2:49).
His passion as He entered public ministry was “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15).
Taking His stand for God against the devil, He experienced severe testing and made godly value choices based on the Word of God (Matt. 4:1–11).
Near the end of His life, He celebrated it as having been godly: "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” (John 17:4, NASB95)
(5) Jesus started and finished His ministry on earth in prayer:
At His baptism we read that "When all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”" (Luke 3:21-22)
At His ascension, He said "Behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. “(Luke 24:49-51)
(6) Jesus took the awesome demand on His time as a call to keep prayer as a priority.
When the news about Jesus was spreading, and often large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses: Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. “(Luke 5:15-16)
Before appointing the twelve disciples, Jesus “went off to the mountain to pray” (Luke 6:12).
b) The Necessity of prayer for power in teaching (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
(1) Behind every good biblical preacher/teacher is much hard labor in preparation:
Paul wrote to Timothy saying, "The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching…" Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (1Tim.5:17; 2 Timothy 2:15, NASB95)
(2) However, only prayer can assure that his work is not wasted and that his message will spiritually impact the hearers. As you interweave prayer with your preparation (study time), you should focus on certain petitions:
(a) that you will receive God’s message … in spiritual as well as mental comprehension (1 Cor. 2:9–16).
(b) that God’s message will first grip your own heart in strong conviction (1 Thess. 1:5)
(c) that you will clearly and correctly convey God’s message in the power of the Spirit in effective communication … (1 Thess. 1:5)
(d) that the Spirit will use the message to produce proper response and change … spiritual transformation, (2 Cor. 3:18)
(e) that the finished product will accomplish God’s purpose (1 Cor. 10:31; 1 Pet. 4:11).
2. Responsibility of the word (John 3:10).
a) Know the word (John 3:10).
When the blind man eyes were opened, the Pharisees asked him who did this and "The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!” (John 9:30, NKJV)
Jesus said to the Pharisees in John 5 that "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." (John 5:39-40, NKJV)
b) Love the word (Psalm 119:97, 159)
(1) The way you treat your Bible is the way you treat Christ. To love Him is to love His Word. The Word is a delight (vv. 16, 24, 16, 35, 47, 70) and not a disappointment; we rejoice to read it (vv. 14, 162).
c) Study it (2 Timothy 2:15)
d) Teach the word (James 3:1).
(1) A Teacher is responsible for the lives and spiritual growth of those under him or her.
(2) A person should commit his or her life to teach only if he cannot keep from teaching.
(3) Teaching is a high calling and great responsibility before God.
(4) God will judge us for the way in which we teach His Word, For God hold’s His Word higher than His own name (Psalm 138:2).
(5) Teacher’s will give an account of their ministry in the future (Hebrews 13:17).
(6) All of you sitting here tonight are teachers in some capacity (Matthew 28:19).
e) Obey it (Psalm 119:1-8)
(1) All of us teach with our actions, we must practice what we teach Romans 2:1, 2 quote “You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day…”
Paul writing to those in Rome said "You are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.” (Romans 2:1-2, NKJV)
(2) Romans 2:17-24 read this
f) The Dangers of an Inconsistent Life.
(1) Solomon was, in intellectual terms, the wisest man who ever lived.
1 Kings 4:29 says that “God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. (1 Kings 4:29 NKJV)
God Himself told Solomon, “I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. (1 Kings 3:12 NKJV)
(2) His instructions were wise, but he failed miserably by way of example.
(a) Solomon included several warnings about the dangers of being seduced by the wrong kind of women (Prov.2:16-19, 5:3-13, 20; 6:23-29, 7:5-27; 22:14; 31:30).
(b) But Scripture says this about Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-2, 9-14)
3. Responsibility of keeping 1st love (Revelation 2:1-7).
a) A love that grows cold!
(1) At one time the Ephesians had love (Eph.1:15; 3:17-19; 6:23), but forty years later their love had grown cold.
(2) Israel’s love for God cooled. Through Jeremiah, God rebuked His people for forsaking Him (Jer.2:2-13; Ezek.16:8-15).
(3) They had the Martha mentality (Luke 10:38).
(4) They lost the “cutting edge” (2 Kings 6:1-7). The servant lost the ax-head (cutting edge)!
(a) The ax-head didn’t just fly off, but it gradually began to become loose by using it.
(b) When we serve the Lord the ax-head (cutting edge) begins to come loose, but we keep on cutting away.
(c) Then one day the ax-head (cutting edge) falls off.
4. Responsibility of worship.
a) Real acts of worship must be the overflow of a worshiping life (Matt.4:10).
(1) Psalm 45:1, David says, “My heart is overflowing with a good theme.”
(a) The Hebrew word for overflow means “to boil over,” and in a sense that is what praise is.
(b) The heart is so warmed by righteousness and love that, figuratively, it reaches the boiling point.
(c) Praise is the boiling over of a hot heart—it is a reminiscent of what the disciples experienced on the road to Emmaus: “Were not our hearts burning within us?” (Luke 24:36).
(d) As God warms the heart with righteousness and love, the resulting life of praise that boils over is the truest expression of worship