Rom. 12:3-8
Introduction:
A. The Greek word for teacher, "didaskalos" means Master, Teacher, or Doctor.
B. The teacher is one who communicates knowledge, guides, makes known or relays facts.
1. The person with the gift of teaching is Not The Average Teacher in the Sunday School class.
2. The "TEACHER" (with the gift of teaching) is the Scholar --- the person who learns and Teaches More Depth --- than the average Sunday School teacher.
C. He/She Would Rather Gain Knowledge than to eat, sleep or just about anything else.
D. The most common place to find the Christian with the gift of teaching is in a church with a Bible Institute or a Christian College.
E. However, the Best Sunday School teachers May Not have the spiritual Gift of Teaching.
1. As a matter of fact --- the person with the gift of teaching May Not Make The Best Teacher for most classes.
2. A person with the gift of Service may make a Fantastic Teacher --- but she is motivated by her gift of service.
3. A person with the gift of Mercy may have the Ministry of teaching because --- she loves the children.
4. A person with the gift of Prophecy may make a great teacher --- but he is motivated by wanting to be sure they are Taught Right.
F. What you are looking for (in seeking your spiritual gift) is: --- What Motivates you? What Drives you? What give you the Greatest Contentment?
G. In other words, Your Ministry may be Completely Different from your Spiritual Gift --- but it is your Spiritual Gift that Motivates you in your ministry.
LUKE --- Had The Spiritual Gift of Teaching.
Luke 1:1-4, "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seem good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed."
Characteristics of The Gift of
--- "Teaching"
I. The Desire To Present Truth In A Systematic Sequence.
A. Everyone else may "Chase Rabbits" or run off in several different directions --- but not the person with the gift of teaching.
B. Luke emphasized his Chronological Approach: "...to set forth in order...from the beginning...to write unto thee in order." (Luke 1:1-3)
C. A person with the gift of teaching will select a subject, then a theme for that subject --- and all his points will lead in a systematic way to that theme.
II. An Emphasis On The Importance And Accuracy of Words.
A. They place a great deal of importance on the detail or exact meaning of words.
B. It is very important to them that What They Convey is accurate and also that What They Hear is accurate.
C. Sometimes they can almost be irritating because they demand such accuracy --- "what did you really mean by that?"
III. A Delight In Researching And Reporting As Many Facts On A Subject As Possible.
A. Luke's Gospel is the Longest Gospel.
1. It includes material left out of the other Gospels.
2. He emphasizes the Completeness of his work
3. Luke wrote More of the New Testament than any other author.
B. A person with the gift of teaching spends a great deal of time researching, checking resources, and validating their information.
1. So when they acquire all that information, they don't want to just give you the surface...
2. They want to share with you all the details --- Even Though You May Not Always Want All That.
IV. An Alertness To Factual Details Which Are Not Noticed or Mentioned By Others.
A. Luke's account is filled with More Details of names, offices, cities, dates, events, and side points than the other Gospels.
B. Some professions demand exact details --- doctors --- lawyers --- etc.
V. The Tendency To Test The Knowledge of The One Doing The Teaching.
A. Luke's purpose in writing was "That thou mighest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed." (Luke 1:4)
B. They have the tendency to give teaching credentials before speaking and to request them of others before listening.
1. Luke emphasized that he was an eyewitness, a qualified minister, and "had perfect understanding of all things from the very first" (Luke 1:2-3).
2. They want to know if you are qualified to speak on the subject that you are speaking on.
C. They Need To Validate or Certify statements which have been made by others.
1. "Where did you get your information?"
2. "Are you sure those statistics are accurate?"
D. It's not that they are nosey or hard to get along with --- they have a genuine interest --- that's The Way God Made Them.
E. Their Motivation Is Pure even though it may not always come across that way.
F. It's very important that God places in the body of Christ people who have the gift of teaching.
1. It helps to Keep The Theology of The Preacher Clean And Pure.
2. In any church you ought to check out what the preacher says.
VI. A Greater Joy In Researching Truth Than In Presenting It.
A. Different people have different motivations:
1. The Prophet is motivated by a desire to get the message out.
2. The Exhorter is motivated by a desire to give you certain steps by which you may grow spiritually.
3. The Teacher is motivated by the research and study spent in discovering the truth.
B. The person with the gift of teaching is satisfied many time if they never tell anybody.
1. They have Discovered the truth --- they have Acquired knowledge.
2. They have Gained the truth --- therein lies their satisfaction.
C. Sometimes, a great teacher, a real scholar, Has Real Difficulty In Communicating what they know where others can understand them.
1. They may be dry as dirt.
2. They may be talking above your head and not even know it.
D. There are other Great Teachers who Are also Great Communicators.
VII. A Tendency To Avoid Illustrations From Non-Biblical Sources.
They Are Not Interested In Tear-Jerking Stories --- They Just Want To Stick To The Facts.
VIII. A Tendency To Remain Silent Until Information Has Been Heard, Observed, And Discussed.
A. The person with the gift of teaching is not the impulsive person in the class.
1. They are going to listen, think through it, calculate, do some comparisons --- then they are going to make their statement.
2. Peter (with the gift of Prophecy), when you start talking he buts in and gives his opinion (right or wrong).
3. A person with the gift of Teaching would Not Do That.
B. Therefore, they sometimes appear to be More Authoritative.
IX. The Tendency To Validate New Truth By Established Systems of Truth.
A. Luke not only relates Christ's words to Old Testament prophecies, but relates his writings to other Gospel accounts (Luke 1:1-3).
B. The Bible teaches us that we should all do this.
2 Peter 1:20, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any Private Interpretation."
Misunderstandings of The Gift of
--- "Teaching"
1. The Emphasis On The Accuracy of Scriptural Interpretation May Appear To Neglect Its Practical Application.
A. They are not as interested in giving an invitation as they are in presenting the facts.
1. He may appear to be more interested in presenting facts than he is in people.
2. Some may think he doesn't have time for them.
B. Whereas, the Prophet is not satisfied until he has challenged people to make a decision.
2. The Use of Knowledge In Relating To Others May Appear To Be Pride of Learning.
A. It would be easy for teachers to develop an Attitude of Pride as a result of all their learning.
1. "...Knowledge puffeth up, but charity (love) edifieth" --- (1 Cor. 8:1).
2. 1 Cor. 13:2, "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge;...and have not charity, I am nothing."
B. Pride could cause a teacher to be More Interested in "being right" than in helping a brother.
1 Cor. 8:11,"And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?"
3. They May Criticize Sound Teaching Because of Technical Flaws.
A. They may listen to 59 minutes & 55 seconds of absolute pure truth, but during the last 5 seconds a statement is made that is not exactly right --- they may reject the entire message.
B. It is difficult for a teacher to endorse the teaching of others if he's able to spot little factual errors.
4. The Desire To Impart Details of Research May Appear To Be Unnecessary And Boring To The Listeners.
A. The Great Delight of teachers is Their Research --- what they enjoy, they assume others will enjoy.
B. Teachers may give Extensive Background Details to validate a point or to display their research ability and knowledge.
C. In most cases, however, it is not as important to the listeners as it is to the teacher.
D. Sometimes it wearies the listeners to the point where they miss the purpose of the teaching.
5. Their Research May Come Across As Depending on Human Wisdom Rather Than on The Holy Spirit's Teaching.
A. The primary tool of teachers is Their Mind.
B. Yet, God warns that we are not to lean on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5).
1. Our thoughts are not His thoughts (Isa. 55:8).
2. There is a way that seems right to a man's mind, but it leads to death (Prov. 14:12).
3. The wisdom of man is foolishness with God.
C. True understanding is essentially a spiritual matter --- not a mental matter --- God's truth is "... spiritually discerned ..." (1 Cor. 2:14).
6. The Emphasis On Research May Appear As Though They Despise The Practical Wisdom of Uneducated People.
A. A person may be very intelligent in the Eyes of The World while being very foolish in the Eyes of God.
B. A teacher may tend to discount any learning which does not take place in the classroom --- "And the Jews marvelled, saying How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" (John 7:15)
C. There is a great difference in Knowledge and Wisdom.
7. The Need To Be Objective In Research May Appear To Lack Warmth And Feeling When Teaching.
A. He would sometimes rather just do research but "must teach" because others would not teach it the way he would.
B. He prefers groups over individuals when teaching.
1. He can have a small need for relationships with people --- he sometimes needs people only as an audience.
2. He is more likely to talk than to listen.
C. He finds Practical Applications Hard To Present.
D. He tends to measure others' spirituality by the amount of their Bible knowledge.
How Does A Person With The Gift of Teaching
Live When He Is Right With God
--- "Walking In The Spirit"?
1. Self-Control
2. Reverence
3. Diligence
4. Thoroughness
5. Deppendability
6. Security
7. Patience
How Does A Person With The Gift of Teaching
Live
When Not In The Will of God
--- "Walking In The Flesh"?
1. Self-control turns into Self-Indulegence
2. Reverence turns into Disrespect --- For The Word of God.
3. Diligence turns into Slothfulness --- Lazy
4. Thoroughness turns into Incomplete
5. Dependability turns into Incomplete
6. Security turns into Anxiety
7. PatienceRestlessness
If You Are Not Saved, Nothing Else Matters
