Instructing One Another by Randy Rowley 4/18/14 ©

Have you ever been called on at a work meeting, training conference, during a class, etc., to lecture on things or demonstrate skills others assumed you knew?  People have stood there stammering many times in such cases because they weren’t prepared or sure of themselves.

On a Saturday in June, I manned an FCS table at a Legacy Outfitters Outdoor Expo at Brushy Creek Lake Park in Austin.  They had demonstrations on setting up campsites, building fires, cooking meals, etc.

All was going well.  Then their leader came over and asked me to give a no more than 30-minute-long lecture and demonstration on bass fishing with lures.  (I’d brought one of my rod and reel combo’s and a small tackle box in case I had an opportunity to fish.)  I said “sure” but then learned I would be on in five minutes!  I hemmed and hawed through my presentation because I didn’t have adequate preparation time.

The crowd appeared to be unimpressed with my knot tying and casting lessons and instead focused on watching me catch a bass, but I couldn’t deliver.  I explained it was the worst time of the day to fish (noon) and one of the worst months, but their body language seemed to say, “If you know so much about bass fishing, why can’t you catch a bass?”

Romans 15:14 says, “I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.”  1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”  Hebrews 10:22-24 says, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

Competent teachers must first be full of goodness and knowledge.  We can’t effectively instruct, encourage, urge, or counsel other Christians without a thorough understanding of the Bible – we must be grounded in God’s Word!

Teaching fellow Christians the most important tenets of Christianity is more important than teaching people the finer points of hunting, fishing, and sports shooting, which is why we have devotionals at many FCS events.

Ephesians 4:11-14 (NLT) says, “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.  Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.  This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.  Then we will no longer be immature like children.  We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching.  We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.”

1 Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Whether you have the title of “teacher” or not, we all have opportunities to teach, whether your audience is children, your spouse, a neighbor chatting at your shared fence, or a room full of adults.  If you enjoy researching, putting thoughts in a logical order, and expounding on God’s truths, I encourage you to seek opportunities to teach, formally or informally.

But be aware God will hold teachers more accountable than other Christians.  James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

Answering God’s call to teach should be treated with the utmost seriousness.  It’s not for people who are looking for the limelight.  Each lesson must be bathed in prayer.  Unlike when I was pressed into service to give a lecture and demonstration on bass fishing, teaching the Bible requires preparation (time and effort) and can’t be winged.

Randy