Monday August 10 2009

[cc.slim]

and he began to teach them.

Matthew 5:2 NLT



Some were slow, some doubted, but all learned that they were being taught from the same Son of God that we are learning from today! Where is God? Ask Jesus, he'll answer you with the human touch!

 

[the_great_eskimo_pie]

Notice also. Jesus taught! He didn't preach... well most of the time.

 

[RiverTigress]

Notice also. Jesus taught! He didn't preach... well most of the time.

That may be so, but don't forget that the makeup of the spiritual world has changed since the ascension of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit. In this new landscape preaching is both necessary and God-ordained to allow the Holy Spirit a place to work on a person's salvation, or else we could boast that it was our own wisdom or teaching that accomplished this for people rather than God Himself.

1 Corinthians 1:17-21
"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which our saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of the world? Hath not God made the foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."

That being said, cc.slim brings up an excellent point, too. If Jesus made it a priority to take the time to teach His followers instead of expecting them to be able to figure out things on their own or assuming their understanding and obedience of God would be a natural result of their personal righteousness and worthiness, then His servants should make a point to do the same.

While preaching is necessary to get people to the Lord in the first place, once they are there teaching should start replacing it. Too many young Christians get driven out of the body of Christ early on to try to figure out how to serve on their own because of an unhealthy preaching to teaching ratio. No mortal human is going to be able to stand up long under constant conviction of how far away they are from living up to a holy and perfect God without being given some help and perspective from those who have walked the path before and can assure them of Jesus' promise that their yoke really will be made lighter, not heavier, for their choice to follow Him.