The Gift of Teaching
“Again, He began to teach beside the sea.” (Mark 4:1)
“Here we go again” is one of those Southern mannerisms which needs little explanation. Those last two syllables fall like the dropping of a hat, the raising of a flag, the sending off of a signal to all who can hear that familiar paths are ahead. Mark gives us that same signal, and it tells us a great deal about Jesus Christ. What did Jesus spend His time doing? Teaching! After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, what do we find His apostles doing? Teaching! As those apostles near their death, what do we see Timothy, Titus, and the other elders doing? Teaching! We should not be surprised that the Savior who spent His time teaching gave to His church gifts at His ascension, gifts that all revolve around teaching (Eph. 4:9-11).
Before us today is a simple question – what is most important when joining a church? Is it young, cutting music? Activities for our children? Programs galore? Scripture says gives a resounding “no.” The most important thing is a clear, faithful teaching of Scripture. I don’t mean “Is your pastor using biblical words?” Cults do that. I don’t mean: “Is your pastor reading from the Bible?” That’s a start, but I have heard plenty of sermons where the sermon had nothing to do with the Scripture. When Jesus taught, he explained scriptural truths in an accessible way and applied them concretely to the lives of His hearers. A good diagnostic is to ask two simple questions – “What was the passage about? What does the passage require me to respond?”
But as Paul Harvey would say, “Now, for the rest of the story.” Each and every Christian is being conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:28-30). If Jesus spend His time teaching, what should every Christian be doing? We may not be able to explain all the intricacies of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, we may not be able to plumb the depths of the triune God, but can we open the Bible to our children? Can we teach our spouse the rudimentary principles of the faith? Can we discuss the truth of God’s Word over lunch? The general rule of thumb is that you don’t know something until you can explain it to someone else. Who is that someone else we are explaining it to?
