May 21, 2017 “God’s Teacher Tracking System” (James 3: 1-2 & 2 Tim 2:15)
Walk Thru The Word for Today:
James 3: 1 – 2 and 2 Tim 2:15
1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.
Key Verse 2 Tim 2: 15 in Multiple Translations
KJV – Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
BSB – Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth.
BLB – Hasten to present yourself approved to God, a workman not ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
ESV – Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Key Supporting Verse for Today: 2 Tim 2: 15
NAS – Be diligent … [to be one who] accurately handling the word of truth.
NIV – Do your best … [to be one who] correctly handles the word of truth.
NLT – Work hard … [to be one who] correctly explains the word of truth.
Message Map: James 3: 1, 2 “God’s Teacher Tracking System
- The teacher’s Role & role model
- The teacher’s relationship
- The teacher’s Responsibility
- God’s teacher tracking system
- Our grace-based Role as teachers of God’s reconciliation through Christ
Christ is The Teacher’s Role Model
James 3: 1 1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
In Matthew 4:23 we see Christ as a teaching role model… “He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”
[bctt tweet=”Faithful works are evidence of salvation” username=”LibertyCF3″]
A teacher is one who disseminates, instructs and imparts knowledge of the scriptures, the written Word of God!
Can one be called to a teaching role that is … a) formal, b) informal, c) full-time, d) part-time, e) vocational, f) avocational (a hobby or minor occupation) g) All The Above!
There are formal & informal Teaching Roles (James 3: 1 & 2 Tim 2:15)
Which of the following is teaching & is it formal/informal?
- Getting a formal degree in Bible Theology. You may get a degree but never function in the role.
- Speaking to someone about what the Bible says. (This is an informal teaching activity.)
- Posting a blog about the Bible. By doing this are we formerly or informally setting ourselves up and putting ourselves out there as a teacher?
- Getting a job as a Bible teacher/preacher. This is formal or informal teaching activity?
- Presenting Sunday School materials. (Is a formal or informal teaching activity?) It is formal, though mostly conducted through volunteer service.
Our relationship with God requires presenting ourselves for approval per 2 Tim 2: 15
The teacher (like all believers) is to have a solid relationship with God that is characterized by 1) presenting ourselves approved to/by God . We present ourselves for God’s approval.
Presenting ourselves means we come up to and stand by, or before God, openly, so He can examine, reprove and remake us after His image.
Approved means we are received and welcomed by God, and tried and proven and found “acceptable.”
Tried and approved means we properly do what passes the necessary test or scrutiny. Hence we are acceptable because we have been genuinely validated and verified.
We are to have a workman’s relationship with God, per 2 Tim 2: 15
Our relationship with God is one in which we are
- workman (laborers) who are not ashamed.
Workman are people who labor to propagate and promote Christianity among men.
Not being Ashamed means not disgraced, because we have discharged responsibilities to appropriately accomplish what God assigns.
Our Relationship with God Must be rooted in his word (2 Tim 2: 15)
3) study of God’s Word is the foundation for of having a relationship with God.
On the Emmaus Road, Christ explained Himself from the Scriptures. Luke 24: 27 says, “27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
The teacher’s ability to accurately handle and rightly divide and explain God’s Word results obeying 2 Tim 2:5, which says in the KJV “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Study is the devotion of time and attention to acquiring knowledge about God by repeatedly and routinely conducting a detailed investigation and analysis of His Word.
Remember our Resurrection Day message about how on the Emmaus Road Christ explained Himself from the Scriptures- OT & NT Luke 24: 27 says, “27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Teaching is a primary part of God’s discipleship making process
Eph. 4: 11-1611And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherdsc and teachers,d 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,e to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
According to Eph 4: 11 – 16 teaching helps accomplish which of the following:
- 12equip the saints for the work of ministry
- build up the church,13to attain “the unity” of the faith
- mature us in knowledge to reach the full stature of Christ
- 14prevents us from being tossed by the waves and winds of cunning, crafty, deceitful doctrinal schemes
- 15helps us speak the truth in love
- 16helps the whole body of Christ work properly by every joint coordinating effectively together to grow and build itself up in love
Let’s participate in God’s preaching-teaching evangelistic & discipleship system 2Tim 4:2
2 Tim 4:2 4preach the word; be ready in season (when it is convenient) and out of season (when it does not seem convenient); reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
Preach = to proclaim God’s message publicly with conviction to persuade others to accept it.
To minister with complete patience and teaching, means we gently and creatively keep repeating the same information, often coming at it from different angles that suit the context of the conversation.
The Holy Spirit uses our proclamation of the Gospel of God to bring eternal accountability to all who hear it.
Once others hear the Gospel through us, God holds them eternally accountable to respond appropriately to it.
God’s teacher tracking system
James 3: 1 1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged (separated, distinguished & tried) with greater strictness/more strictly, which means “from a comparatively wider view-point and with more criteria that holds us to a more exacting standard.”
This judgement process means we will enter God’s court of law to receive either a positive or an adverse verdict or condemnation, which could result in a loss of the eternal benefits that come from the Lord’s justice by which he favors the redeemed. (cf. Rev 20:4).
The concept dramatically links cause-to-effect, so every decision and action we make carries inevitable eternal results (cf. Ecc 12;14).
God’s human tracking system
Ecclesiastes 12: 9-14 tells us that God tracks all disciples. He actually tracks sinners too – for He will judge them on the basis of what they do.
Ecclesiastes 12: 9-14says 9In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs. 10The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.
11The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. …
13The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
Our grace-based Roles as reconcilers of the good news of God’s grace
2 Corinthians 5: 18-20
18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Despite the “risk of stricter accountability,” we must ask God to work in us so we do not commit the sin of commission to speak to others.
The beautiful feet of those who bring the gospel’s glad tidings
Rom 10: 14 – 17 14How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?c And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
God says, when one begins teaching the Bible, which of the following happens?
- One assumes the role of representing God.
- One has the responsibility to study show thyself a workman approved.
- One begins growing in a new avenue of discipleship.
- One becomes a beautiful Romans 10:14-17 vessel who is sent by God to bring others the glad tidings of the good things of The Gospel of Peace.
Loving God Most Means Letting God Use To Teach Others
Altar Call: If we want to be used of God, let’s raise our hands in our hearts and say, God I am here. Choose even me! And we can pray this prayer:
Dear God, please work within me to make me the type of person You can use to teach others about …
- Who You Are
- How You Love Us
- How You Reconcile Us To Yourself Through Christ
- How Your Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness Overcomes Our Shortcomings
- How You Motivate Us To Be All You Want Us To Be
To view the recorded message, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWk-BiyJ9NU