BLOG #10: PROCLAIM A CLEAR MESSAGE

BLOG #10

PREACH AND TEACH TO CHANGE LIVES

Step 3:  PROCLAIM A CLEAR MESSAGE (concluded)

We have one more item under Step 3 that we need to discuss.  Then we shall proceed to Step 4.

LAYER 3: REPROOF, CORRECTION, TRAINING, EQUIPPING (cont’d)

(4)  Please look over our diagram again (below).  We have been dealing with Layer 3, and we have discussed REPROOF, CORRECTION, and TRAINING.  Now we will focus our attention on EQUIPPING.  Let’s review our key scripture in 2 Timothy 3:15-17:

15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

(a)  What then is the end product of preaching/teaching when we have faithfully done all the aspects of the ministry the Word as indicated in Levels 1, 2 & 3 (please see diagram)? Let’s review our key scripture in 2 Timothy 3:15-17:

15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

(b)  The end product is the man (and woman) of God (who are) complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.    Let’s note the words: complete, thoroughly equipped.   “artios  fit, complete, capable, sufficient; i.e., able to meet all demands (BAG)….  Exartizo completely outfitted, fully furnished, fully equipped, fully supplied.  The word was used of documents which were completely outfitted or of a wagon which was completely outfitted or of a completely outfitted rescue boat.” (Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament)

(c)  In our diagram we are putting EQUIPPING as an aspect or activity separate from teaching, reproof, correction and training.  Our key scripture, however, seems to indicate that the state of being complete and equipped is the end result of doing the ministry of Word in its aspects of GOSPEL (SALVATION), DOCTRINE (TEACHING), REPROOF, CORRECTION, and TRAINING.  But we are using the word EQUIPPING to describe “the finishing touches” (if you will) in the preparation of the servant of God who has to fulfill a four-fold role, according to 2 Timothy 2:3-7, 15 (please note the words in bold letters):

3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops… 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

·      SOLDIER.  What knowledge, disciplines, skills, attitudes, and character qualities should be possessed by a complete, capable, sufficient, fully equipped soldier disciple?  Ephesians 6:10-18 suggests the answer.

·      ATHLETE. What knowledge, disciplines, skills, attitudes, and character qualities should be possessed by a complete, capable, sufficient, fully equipped athlete disciple? The answer must be based on truths found in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

·      FARMER. What knowledge, disciplines, skills, attitudes, and character  qualities should be possessed by a complete, capable, sufficient, fully equipped farmer disciples?  The principles highlighted by the agricultural parables used by Jesus should guide us in formulating an answer (Mark 4).

·      SERVANT OF THE WORD.  What knowledge, disciplines, skills, attitudes, and character qualities should be possessed by a complete, capable, sufficient, fully equipped servant of the Word?  The answer should include solid grounding in the principles, methods and practice of our diagram PREACH & TEACH TO CHANGE LIVES: A FRAMEWORK (2 Timothy 3:15-17).

(d)  Please note:  The complete, fully equipped man and woman of God pictured in 2 Timothy 3:17 is the end product of faithful preaching/teaching of God’s Word in the bottom  half of our diagram; the same person is also the end product in view of the completed growth process in the top half of our diagram.  To that top half we shall now turn our attention.

NOTE:  In our next blog posting we shall proceed to Step 4.

BLOG 8: PROCLAIM A CLEAR MESSAGE (cont'd)

BLOG #8

PREACH AND TEACH TO CHANGE LIVES

Step 3:  PROCLAIM A CLEAR MESSAGE (cont’d)

In our previous blog posting we wrote:

Layer 2 and Layer 3 may roughly be described as focused on discipleship or Christian growth.   Please notice that Layer 1 and Layer 2 both cover the whole period of the Christian journey from beginning to end, from spiritual babyhood to spiritual parenthood (please see top half of our diagram).  This means that these two emphases are constant and on-going.  In contrast, there are seasons and situations when you need to focus on REPROOF or CORRECTION or TRAINING or EQUIPPING as the need arises, but Layer 1 and Layer 2 will always be in view. 

LAYER 3: REPROOF, CORRECTION, TRAINING, EQUIPPING

(1)  How do we define and differentiate these four components of Layer 3 from each other?  Actually, we need to define and differentiate the four in relation to DOCTRINE (TEACHING).  Here’s a simple way to do it:

·      DOCTRINE (TEACHING) tells the Christian what to be and where to go in his discipleship journey.

·      REPROOF tells him to stop when he strays away from the straight and narrow path.

·      CORRECTION tells him how to return to the straight and narrow path.

·      TRAINING (INSTRUCTION) helps him to obtain the knowledge and to learn the skills,  and develop the attitudes, and character qualities that will help him stay on the straight and narrow path.

·      EQUIPPING provides him with the know-how and resources needed to serve God effectively.

(2)  Let’s talk about REPROOF and CORRECTION.  Again, let’s remind ourselves that we are communicating God’s message using two tracks: PREACHING TRACK and TEACHING TRACK.

(a)  In delivering the message of REPROOF and CORRECTION the PREACHING TRACK is usually the more flexible vehicle; the pastor can easily decide to preach on a problem  topic as the need arises.   This is probably why the sermon is usually viewed by many as a tool for REPROOF and CORRECTION.  In the Pilipino language we say, “Sinermonan niya ako” (He preached a sermon at me).  The need for reproof and correction naturally arises when problems are observed in the lives of certain members or with the Christian congregation.  However, we must always distinguish between problems that were already there before the person(s) became Christians and problems that have developed recently.  We must also remember that Christ has provided very clear guidelines about how to reprove and correct a sinning brother or sister.  We must never use the sermon as a substitute for following these clear guidelines.  Let’s read Matthew 18:15-17:

15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’  17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

(b)  We know for a fact that every newborn again believer carries a lot of non-Christian baggage into his new Christian life; this is called the old life.  Growth in discipleship is the process of learning to put off the old life and to put on the new life.  Between the putting off and the putting on, the new Christian needs a lot of REPROOF and CORRECTION.  How can this be done effectively and systematically?  The TEACHING TRACK provides the reproof and correction as the new Christian goes through the normal course of discipleship studies.  The PREACHING TRACK can also do this without being resented as “sermonizing” when the pastor preaches expositorily book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse.  For example, if a pastor preaches through the Book of 1 Corinthians he will have a lot of opportunity to deal with the many problems that Christians face in their journey of discipleship.  When the pastor preaches on any of these problems he will not be accused of intentionally attacking any person because he is dealing with the problem as it happens to occur within the scripture passage under current study.

(c)  Another proactive way to do REPROOF and CORRECTION is for the congregation to choose certain relevant topics to be studied by the whole church (or by certain groups within the church) through either the PREACHING TRACK or the TEACHING TRACK.  For example, if the church decides to study the topic HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE, this topic itself naturally includes dealing with very specific problems that threaten marriage.

(d)  Of course, if a grievous problem occurs, which threatens the spiritual health of the congregation, the pastor must never be afraid to give the needed reproof and correction, albeit with all wisdom and Christian love.  He must be wise and bold and zealous for the Lord like prophet Nathan was before the king himself (2 Samuel 12:1-14).  Or like Paul with the Galatian Christians.

(3)  Next, let’s deal with TRAINING (INSTRUCTION).  As messengers we communicate the Word of God that will provide Christians with TRAINING (INSTRUCTION) IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.  The original word is PAIDEIA, which literally means the nurturing and rearing and educating of a child for life.  Indeed, the goal of Christian preaching and teaching is to change lives, lives which are characterized by righteousness, being right with God and right with people.

(a)  To be effective our preaching and teaching must set before the people the WHAT of righteousness.  They must have a clear picture of what a righteous life looks like.  God Himself provided us with the PERFECT IDEAL, Christ Himself.  This brings us back to what we said earlier: the main theme of the Old and New Testament is Christ, who He is, how He lived a perfect human life on earth, what He taught, what He accomplished through His death and burial and resurrection and ascension.

(b)  Our preaching and teaching must also show the people the HOW of righteousness.  When we tell them that the Christian must overcome temptation and sin, we must also show them how they can overcome temptation and sin and Satan.  Christ gives us both the model and the method.  We can take a passage like Matthew 4 about the temptation of Jesus, from there preach/teach both about the perfect Person of Jesus as the overcomer and about  His sure-fire method of overcoming sin and temptation and Satan.  The Bible gives us not only the positive HOW TO; it also gives us the HOW NOT TO.  This is why the Holy Spirit inspired much of the Bible to be written in the form of stories, because these stories dramatize for us in very practical ways the HOW TO and HOW NOT TO.  We have already talked about the Old Testament as essentially talking about Christ; what about those parts, specially the stories, that do not seem to talk about Christ?  A couple of scripture passages give us the key to the practical use of the Old Testament stories:

1 Corinthians 10:6-11:  6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”  8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

Romans 15:3-4:  3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” ^] 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

(c)  This TRAINING (INSTRUCTION) aspect of preaching/teaching underlines the importance of the fourth component of effective communication in our model HEY! YOU… SEE? SO.  Our preaching/teaching must always contain practical, relevant, do-able suggestions about what our hearers can do in order to apply and obey the truth we have just preached/taught them. 

(d)  What we said above primarily deals with TRAINING in the sense of making the sermon or Bible study relevant and applicable to daily life.  But training also involves the impartation of SKILLS.  For example, here are some basic skills that a disciple must learn: Quiet Time (Devotional Time); preparing and giving a personal testimony; giving a Gospel presentation (Roman Road, Bridge Illustration, 4 Laws, Gospel Hand); etc.  My Navigator mentor shared with me an approach to training, which I will share in a separate blog posting.

(e)  But how do you train disciples to develop GODLY CHARACTER QUALITIES?  Obviously, you must first preach/teach on these qualities.  After that, how does a disciple receive training in these qualities?  One way that I learned from the Navigators was getting disciples involved in a project or work training program in which they have the opportunity to practice the qualities in their relationship with each other.  For example, one time we got a group of guys to repaint and refurbish the apartment in which one of our Bible study members lived.  I can’t remember exactly now but this project lasted probably about two weeks.  You can be sure that we had lots of opportunities to practice the qualities of hard work, faithfulness and excellence in the work we did, patience, understanding, cheerfulness, helpfulness, etc.  Godly character qualities are learned in real life situations, whether in programmed training programs or in the ordinary course of living.

BLOG 7: PROCLAIM A CLEAR MESSAGE

BLOG #7

PREACH AND TEACH TO CHANGE LIVES

Step 3:  PROCLAIM A CLEAR MESSAGE

At the conclusion of our previous blog we promised to deal with the question below:

• How do we get God’s message from the Bible today?

Let’s review our diagram:

Our diagram shows that the Bible (Word of God) is the foundation and source of our message. 

But exactly what form will that message take?

Let’s read 2 Timothy 3:15-17.

15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction (training) in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Please note the words in bold letters in the passage.  This passage shows the forms that the message will take:

• Gospel (Salvation)
• Doctrine (Teaching)
• Reproof
• Correction
• Training
• Equipping

Please study our diagram.  Note that the first layer on top of the foundation is labeled GOSPEL (SALVATION); the second layer, DOCTRINE (TEACHING); the third layer is divided into four sections: REPROOF, CORRECTION, TRAINING, EQUIPPING.

LAYER 1:  GOSPEL (SALVATON): 

(1)  This means that the Gospel message of salvation must always be the initial content of our preaching/teaching.   Study the following verses:

Luke 24:46-47: 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

John 20:31: 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Acts 10:36-43: 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

1 Corinthians 15:1-4: 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

(2)  After a person receives salvation through faith in Christ (has been born again and has received the assurance of forgiveness and of eternal life), he then needs to grow in his faith in a process we call discipleship.  The succeeding layers in our diagram give the forms that the message will take to help a Christian in his discipleship growth.  But in all the succeeding forms of the message, our preaching/teaching must always be grounded in and connected to the core Gospel message.  What do we mean?

(a)  We must always remember the difference between LAW and the GOSPEL OF GRACE.  Study the following passage:

Galatians 3:21-27: 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Philippians 3:8-11: 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

(b)  Someone said it very well: “Christ did not come to make bad people good; He came to make dead people live.”  For example, when we preach/teach on the duties of discipleship we must always remind people that the Gospel of Christ provides all the resources to fulfill all those duties by grace.  What Christ commands He will also enable His disciple to fulfill.  We must avoid the pitfall of preaching any part of the Bible as a new law that Christians must fulfill by their own effort.  This is the Galatian heresy that we must avoid:

Galatians 3:1-5:  1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?  5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

(3)  Important:  Even when we are preaching/teaching on discipleship or any other topic, we must make sure that, somewhere in the sermon or Bible study, we must always insert a brief but clear explanation of the Gospel.  And at the end of the preaching/teaching, during the decision or response part, we must always remember to include a challenge to receive Christ.  Equally important: All preaching/teaching (from the initial proclamation of the Gospel of salvation on through the whole Christian journey) must in some clear way be related to Christ (His person, His death, resurrection, ascension, present High Priestly ministry, and Second Coming).

LAYER 2:  DOCTRINE (TEACHING)

(1)  As we mentioned above, Layer 2 and Layer 3 may roughly be described as focused on discipleship or Christian growth.   Please notice that Layer 1 and Layer 2 both cover the whole period of the Christian journey from beginning to end, from spiritual babyhood to spiritual parenthood (please see top half of our diagram).  This means that these two emphases are constant and on-going.  In contrast, there are seasons and situations when you need to focus on REPROOF or CORRECTION or TRAINING or EQUIPPING as the need arises, but Layer 1 and Layer 2 will always be in view. 

(2)  The impartation of DOCTRINE (TEACHING) is an on-going activity with the over-all objective of helping all Christians to know the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, by head and by heart.  This is accomplished by using two tracks, PREACHING TRACK and TEACHING TRACK.   Some people are not clear about the difference between preaching and teaching.  A seminary professor was asked: “What’s the difference between preaching and teaching?”  He replied: “When you preach you shout; when you teach you speak in a conversational tone.”  For our purposes, we distinguish preaching and teaching as follows:  PREACHING is primarily a one-way proclamation, from God’s messenger to the hearers; TEACHING is communicating the Word in an inter-active situation, where the messenger and the hearers can and may inter-act with each other.  Note the example of the apostle Paul:

Acts 20:20:  How I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house.  (Note: TRACK 1:  Preaching (proclaiming) publicly to the big group or the congregation; TRACK 2:  Teaching from house to house in small groups.)

Acts 20:27:  For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. (NKJV) – For I never shrank or kept back or fell short from declaring to you the whole purpose and plan and counsel of God. (Amplified)

(a)  The first aspect of the whole counsel of God includes the BASICS OF DISCIPLESHIP.  All church members must be taught and trained in the knowledge, disciplines, skills, attitudes, and character qualities that every Christian must have to be fruitful disciples of Christ.  These basics must be taught in such a way that a person is led through the three stages of the Christian life (please see top half of our diagram), from spiritual baby, to spiritual youth, to spiritual parent.   The basics are usually taught more effectively through a series of Bible studies which are done in a small group situation.  One example is the Campus Crusades’ 10 Steps made up of ten Bible study books.  The Navigators also have 10-book series called (back in the 1960s) as Lessons in Christian Living.  Based on my training and experience with the Navigators and many years of pastoral experience I have written a series called NewLife Discipleship Training (the revised version consisting of 10 Bible study books is available free (Word.doc) upon request at pastor.bien@yahoo.com).   Every local church must enroll all their members in a discipleship course in such a way that the members not only finish the entire course, but that they are also able to teach the same course to younger believers.  The Bible study books serve as the material for the TEACHING TRACK.  Through the PREACHING TRACK the pastor will preach on any aspect of discipleship which the congregation needs instruction in.  We will talk more about these needs when we discuss the top part of our diagram.

(b) A second aspect of the whole counsel of God is the mastery of the whole Bible.  Every local church must be a Bible school; all members are lifetime students in that school. All Christians, when properly taught, must have a basic knowledge and understanding of (1) the theme of the whole Bible; (2)  the theme of the Old Testament and of (3)  the theme of the New Testament, and (4) how these two parts of the Bible relate to one another.  Furthermore, all Christians must have a basic knowledge and understanding of (5) the different groups of books in the Old and New Testaments and how these groups relate to one another; and of (6) each individual book of the Bible.  Someone might object:  “That’s a very tall order!”  Still another might protest:  “An impossible ideal for the local church!”  Tall order or impossible ideal, that was the goal of the apostle Paul in every church that he planted, and it should be the goal of every preacher and teacher as well.  There are study materials available in Christian bookstores that can be used effectively for the TEACHING TRACK to help church members master the Bible.  For the PREACHING TRACK, the ideal is for the pastor to preach through the Bible book by book from Genesis to Revelation.   Some pastors find it easier not to preach consecutively on the books of the Bible; rather, they choose a particular book of the Bible whose theme and teachings relate to the current needs of the congregation.  Whatever approach you choose, your objective must always be clear: to preach and teach the whole counsel of God.

(c)  A third aspect of the whole counsel of God is the mastery of the basic doctrines of the Bible.  For example, my NewLife Discipleship Training has one book (available free upon request) entitled BASIC BIBLE TRUTHS FOR DISCIPLES devoted to basic doctrines, such as the following:

·       TRUTHS ABOUT THE BIBLE

·       TRUTHS ABOUT GOD

·       TRUTHS ABOUT CREATION

·       TRUTHS ABOUT SIN AND SALVATION

·       TRUTHS ABOUT THE CHURCH

·       TRUTHS ABOUT LAST THINGS

For teaching Bible doctrines, the TEACHING TRACK probably works best.  But the pastor must also include in his preaching program doctrinal topics that he will preach on as needed.  Actually, when a pastor preaches expositorily chapter by chapter or verse by verse, he will naturally have opportunities to preach on doctrines as these are mentioned in the Bible book he is currently preaching on.

NOTE:

In our next blog posting we will discuss Level 3: Correction, Reproof, Correction, Training, Equipping.