Teach

How do you view the world? Seriously. How do you view people, nations, issues. How do you decide on these things? How do you pick your friends, your church, anything really? More often than not, you will make these decisions based on your world view. A system of principles and ideas you have developed over time based on experience and knowledge. We do this all the time even when we aren't aware of it.

What do you think when you see someone driving a minivan? Which car manufacturer is better? Do you prefer Mac or Windows? Why? These are simple ones. What about the bigger issues? Race, religion, politics. How do we make decisions on these things? You can do all the research in the world, you will still have a bias.

Acts 2:42 NLT

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

Teaching means to impart skills or knowledge and has been part of the Christian life from the beginning. Jesus was called Rabbi, teacher. He taught everywhere He went. The word disciple is similar to student. The disciples that followed Jesus eventually came to be known as apostles. Apostle means messenger.

This life of following Jesus was new and revolutionary. It still is. It is counter-intuitive to our human nature and our culture. So we must have those around us who have been doing it longer to teach us what it means.

Another word for world view can be filter. We all see, hear, and think through a filter. But where did that filter come from? How did we develop it?

Growing up, I did not go to church. All that I knew about Jesus was either self-taught or through my mother (who also didn’t attend church). This meant I didn’t understand a lot of things about walking with Jesus in community. I didn’t understand why we had music before preaching. I really didn’t get the whole preaching thing. And why would you want someone in your business all the time? That seems crazy. Over time I was taught that worship is how we corporately prepare our hearts for God’s Word. I learned that preaching is how the pastor teaches the people God has trusted him to lead. And I learned that accountability is necessary for us to walk this life correctly.

My world view had to change. The only way that could happen is through teaching.

This is exactly what happened to Saul of Tarsus. Saul had study the Scriptures at the feet of a great teacher, Gamaliel. Here, Saul had developed a great passion for the Law of God. His passion, zeal, was so great that he developed a reputation for squashing rebellions. This is what Saul set out to do with this new group called the Way, later Christians. In fact, Saul was so determined, so extreme about destroying Christianity that he condoned the killing of the first martyr, Stephen. Acts 8:1

Acts 8:1 NLT

Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.

And even after the believers in Jerusalem scattered, Saul would not stop. Acts 8:3-4

Acts 8:3–4 NLT

But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.

Saul would not give up. He had been taught a certain worldview. Now that this thing called Christianity was threatening and challenging that worldview, it had to be destroyed. Then Jesus showed up and knocked Saul off his….. well, you’ll see…. Acts 9:3-6

Acts 9:3–6 NLT

As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

What does this have to do with teaching and worldview? I’m so glad you asked. Acts 9:10-20

Acts 9:10–20 NLT

Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied. The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.” “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.” But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.” So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”

“Saul stayed with the believers for a few days.” What do you think they were doing there? Was all of Saul’s education all of a sudden thrown out the window? Or did he learn from them? Could Jesus have used the other believers to teach Saul, who would later become Paul and write most of the NT, that Jesus was the fulfillment of that Law he loved so much? Could it be that Saul’s worldview had changed by the power of the Holy Spirit through the teaching of the believers?

This is why the apostles teaching were so valuable. Because once you see the world the way Jesus see’s the world, His worldview, you gain the boldness to walk in Him each and every day.

I want you to notice another thing. Does it say that Saul started out learning from Peter and James and John and the other apostles? Does it trace his conversion back to a man? No! Because the teaching of the word is not just the responsibility of leaders and pastors and preachers. Teaching is too big of a task!

Teaching cannot fall on one person. If the only time you are learning is on Sunday morning’s, that isn’t enough. This teaching that Acts 2 is talking about is not one man. It is happening in homes. Christians are teaching each other while being submitted to leaders. Those leaders were teaching the new believers a new way of thinking and looking at the world. Now, these principles that were being taught were not completely foreign to the new church. Jesus had shown them that their understanding of those teaching was not wrong, just too small. That these principles, laws, were not about simply acting a certain way. It is so much deeper than that. Jesus had taught the disciples, who were now teaching the people, that it was about a heart change.

Matthew 5:5 NLT

God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

That world view shift has to start with a heart change. It doesn’t just happen when you accept Jesus. Saul the persecutor didn’t become Paul the apostle on the Road to Damascus. It happened because Saul was humbled and humbled himself under the teachings of the believers. Now, the Bible does say Jesus gives us a new heart, but the old one still tries to creep in. Where teaching comes from the outside, humility is on the inside. What do I mean? You can have the best communicators, the best programs, the best teaching in the world. Saul had all of those at his disposal. He also had a pride filled heart. If you have a pride filled heart, nothing will get through. James 4:6

James 4:6 NLT

And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

I heard it put this way best, humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. Saul, who is now Paul, quit thinking he was the savior in his story. He realized that Jesus is the only savior worthy of honor and glory and praise. That is why he wrote Phil 2:3

Philippians 2:3 NLT

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

This is not normal. It’s not natural. We are programed for self preservation. Why do babies cry when they are hungry? Why do toddlers throw a tantrum when they don’t get what they want? We are naturally prideful and think only of ourselves. Our worldview is selfish because we are our world. We would never know this without being taught. This is why teaching is such a fundamental part of being the church. So we can see and show others that there is a better way.

Humility is a huge part of our world view. Why? Humility is understanding that God is in control and we are not. That does not mean we are not active in the world. We must understand the authority and power we walk in as God’s children. We cannot undervalue or overvalue ourselves. The humble will inherit the earth because Jesus will put them in places of influence, not themselves. When He does place us, we have to have the correct world view in order to do what He is calling us to do. And without humility saying “you didn’t get here on your own”, we may be tempted to do what others want instead of what God wants.

Our worldview, how we have been taught to see everything around us, is so important. We have all met that person who is easily offended, or wants everything to be about their convenience. Maybe you are that person. They way we view the world influences how we treat those around us. We are all image bearers of God. Our worldview should influence us to treat each other as such. Which brings us back to Jesus.

Our view of life will always be slightly distorted without Jesus guiding us. He is the author of life, so it makes sense that He would know the best way to live. He doesn’t hide this either. He says in John that HE is the way, the truth, and the light. Saul encountered this light and his whole perspective on life changed. The same Jesus is here, now, to offer you the same eternal life. Will you accept it?