The Teacher – Nutritional Truth

Lost Sheep series - Andrew McDonough

Webster the Preacher Duck is based on James 1:22

James 1:22 NIV

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

The Author writes that if your children are going to ‘fly’, this is going to involve you.

‘Ducklings’ learn to fly by imitating ‘ducks’. The best thing a parent or church can do for a child is to obey God and act out their faith, despite the risks. In this way, we are all teachers talking and giving examples to children of our faith in action, looking for moments to encourage them to use their gifts to serve God.

This kids' book hits hard on what James was telling the early church: to be ‘doers’ who use the gifts God has given them, rather than just being ‘hearers’.

Pray

Body Builders - training the church to full strength

Nutritional truth - eating a junk diet - Boaz growing big and strong

Good foundation - Newsletter front page

Feeding the body with sound doctrine. Sustaining growth and transformation.

People who score highest with a Teaching Position are Light Givers* in the Kingdom of God. They make the truth and knowledge about God accessible to all. They have the ability to break confusion and misinformation. They are strategic in helping people know the truth of God and also how it applies to their own life.

John 13:13

John 13:13 NIV

“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.

A great story of a teacher is Apollos: Acts 18:24–28

what they are not

What we see with an immature Teacher: The good thing about teachers is their love of Scripture. The bad news is that Scripture can be the end rather than God. Immature Teachers tend to forget that Scripture is a vehicle that brings us to God. Scripture isn’t the point. God is the point. They can suffer from worshipping the book in which they idolise Scripture and put it over their relationship with the living, breathing God that we come to know by means of reading and incarnating Scripture.

In addition, immature Teachers can rely on their own intellect to ‘wow’ people rather than on the authority that is given from Scripture and from the Holy Spirit. People commented about Jesus that his teaching possessed an authority that they didn’t see in the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees. likewise Hebrews 13:7

Hebrews 13:7 NIV

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

A teacher’s authority doesn’t come from how smart he or she is but from the Word of God and the power of a transformed life. An immature Teacher often forgets this.

Maturity - teaching and admonishing

Go to the whiteboard

Colossians 1:24–29 NIV

Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

Draw the diagram

A couple of weeks ago I was taught to consider it like this and now I was it on to you.

Teaching - Paradigm shift - Awareness

Admonish - Application - Practice

When it comes to understanding truth and proclaiming the Gospel

70% get the Concept - Conceptual Understanding: Knowing God and His Ways

This represents the cognitive grasp of truth — theology, doctrine, biblical principles, and moral clarity. It’s the part of us that says, “I know what’s right. I know who God is. I know what love looks like.”

Positives

Foundation for discernment: test spirits, interpret Scripture faithfully, and resist false teaching.

Vision clarity: a framework — loving God, loving others, rejecting idols.

Negatives

Knowledge ≠ transformation: Knowing doesn’t guarantee doing. We can affirm truth while living disconnected from it.

Risk of pride or legalism: Intellectual mastery can lead to self-righteousness or judgmentalism.

Paralysis by analysis: Overthinking can delay obedience or stifle the Spirit-led.

Disembodied faith: Faith becomes abstract, lacking relational warmth or embodied action.

Simply hearers and not doers of the truth

30% go off Instinct - Instinctual Response: Gut-Level Reactions and Habits

This reflects our default mode — how we act when we’re not consciously applying theology. It’s shaped by spiritual formation, emotional health, past experiences, and cultural conditioning.

Positives

Reveals true formation: What we do instinctively shows what’s deeply embedded — our spiritual reflexes.

Spirit-led spontaneity: Allows room for intuitive compassion, generosity, and courage.

Negatives

Unredeemed instincts: If not transformed, instincts may reflect fear, selfishness, or cultural idols.

Inconsistency: We may affirm truth, but when under pressure or fatigue, we behave differently.

Emotional reactivity: Decisions driven by impulse rather than prayerful discernment.

Hidden idols: Instincts may expose attachments we haven’t surrendered — approval, control, comfort.

Often these are people who are great at doing things solo or carrying a fair load, but not at discipling others and teaching them the concepts that enable them to do what they do. Meaning the ministry ends with them.

Colossians 1:28 NIV

He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

Maturity - Concepts (knowledge/awareness), instinct (practice/application), multiplying (A disciple, discipling, great commission)

To move from concept to maturity, you need to be Incarnational - face your fears, Trust Jesus to be with you and have a go. Submitting to others and being willing to be admonished towards the right way to apply your knowledge - Apprentice.

Admonish

To speak to someone in a way that expresses disapproval or caution, often to encourage better behaviour or deeper reflection.

1. Biblical/Spiritual Context

Paul admonished the early churches to remain faithful and avoid false teachings.

This means Paul gave strong, loving warnings to help them stay on the right path.

2. Everyday Use

The Golf instructor admonished the students' swing, for if they didn’t, they would continue to develop a bad habit.

Here, the teacher corrected the student’s behaviour firmly but not harshly.

3. Pastoral Leadership

Daniel gently admonished the ministry team to prioritise prayer over planning.

This shows a wise, relational correction — not just pointing out a fault, but guiding toward spiritual maturity.

Move our concepts into practice, and have someone willing to watch and correct and be willing to listen to that feedback or guidance, so that we can grow in maturity.

Andrea - with my preaching

Barriers to incarnation

We may want to avoid or procrastinate as we are tempted in our culture to do, but we will never grow mature.

Now, to move from Instinct to Maturity takes Intentionality - which will cause frustration. Frustration because it would be easier to just go and do it yourself, but this will only lead to burn out, isolation and bitterness as we lament no one else is stepping up (70%) but that’s because you haven’t spent time making a pathway for others to follow and understood the concepts so others can be taught to do what you do.

Position descriptions

It takes time to understand and communicate those concepts.

Application

Colossians 3:16 NIV

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

So which pathway do you need to take today?

Listen closely to which pathway you need to take. Do you want to stay in immaturity, not willing to face your fears, just going to procrastinate or avoid, waddle home rather than fly? Or is it all too hard to be willing to ask for help or submit to someone else teaching?

If you sit in the concept camp

Incarnational Pathway

Truth becomes flesh — we begin with understanding, embody it through practice, and grow into maturity.

Ask

“Where does my theology fail to shape my reflexes?” Let the Word shape your instincts, not just your intellect.

“Do I instinctively reflect Christ in hard moments?” Practice Spirit-led responses in conflict, disappointment, and difference.

“What part of my faith remains theoretical?” Faith must be embodied, not compartmentalised.

Intentional Pathway

We begin with action, reflect on meaning, and grow into maturity through disciplined practice.

Ask:

“How do I respond when someone calls me higher?” Correction is a gift, not a threat.

“Where am I serving without understanding the ‘why’?” - The Why is discipleship, maturity, how are you using your gifts? how can you use them to build the church? How are you growing in maturity and discipling someone?

“What habits are forming me — and where are they leading?” "Habits shape instincts; instincts reveal formation; formation becomes visible, imitatable, and multiplied."

Concluding Summary

Invite the music team to the stage

Throughout this series, we've explored how Christ has gifted His church with five distinct ministry functions—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—not as titles to be admired, but as tools to be activated. Like a well-trained body, the church grows strong when every part is equipped, aligned, and engaged.

We’ve seen that:

Apostles lay foundations and mobilise movements.

Prophets discern God’s heart and call us to alignment.

Evangelists extend the reach of the gospel with urgency and clarity.

Pastors nurture the flock and cultivate a healthy community.

Teachers ground us in truth and build spiritual resilience.

But strength doesn’t come from isolated muscles—it comes from integration. The church reaches maturity when these gifts work together, training every believer to serve, speak, and shine with purpose. This is not just leadership development—it’s body development.

As we conclude, we’re reminded of Paul’s vision in Ephesians 4: that these gifts are given “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ… until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, becoming mature.”

So let us continue the training:

Equip every member to discover and deploy their gifts.

Build teams that reflect the full spectrum of Christ’s ministry.

Strengthen the body through love, truth, and shared mission.

The gym is open. The Spirit is active. And the church is being built—not by might, nor by power, but by the grace of the Builder Himself.