Apt To Teach?

We were out for a drive today and as often happens, an idea put forth by someone in the car caused a stirring in my spirit.  It says in Genesis 1:26 that God made man in His image and His likeness and gave man dominion over all the Earth as He Himself is over all creation.  He didn’t give Jews and Christians dominion over all the Earth because those groups of people did not exist yet.  This is not a bid to say that God has multitudes of ways to come to Him.  That doctrine is false and comes from the pit of Hell.  For human beings on this planet called Earth, Jesus is the only way to come safely before the Father and live. 

My point is this:  mankind as a whole was created in the image and likeness of God.  The requirements for each of us are not less because we may or may not know God.  If we raise our children outside the church and turn them loose on humanity with no knowledge of God and His requirements and they die in their sins, their blood rests on our hands.  If you are an unsaved heathen down to your toes and you raise your child to be the same, their blood is on your hands.  It doesn’t matter that you didn’t know better.  At some time in your life God sent someone to try and reach your hard heart.  That you turned your back on the person or persons does not free you from the guilt of that act.

I have often heard men and women say, “I am going to let my children find God for themselves.”  Several years later when the child is in their teens and a hellion you drag them kicking and screaming to church and say, “I need your help.”  Okay.  Build a time capsule and go back ten or fifteen years and bring them to me.  King Solomon said, “Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).”  Of course he then went out and had 250 wives and 750 concubines.  His children eventually tore the kingdom apart.  It does no good to teach and not practice what you teach.  People know.

2 Timothy 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

I know young adults who are in prison right now because one or both of their parents used the bright, happy child they once were as a pawn in their fight against an ex-husband or wife.  All the examples that a child was proud to emulate at four or five became a time of deliberate disobedience against the parent who used them.  Sadly, an angry child or teen will turn against their own life to hurt the parent who hurt them.  Satan himself will keep them blind to the stupidity of this action until it is too late. 

2 Timothy 3:2 Now a bishop (superintendent, overseer) must give no grounds for accusation but must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, circumspect and temperate and self- controlled; [he must be] sensible and well behaved and dignified and lead an orderly (disciplined) life; [he must be] hospitable [showing love for and being a friend to the believers, especially strangers or foreigners, and be] a capable and qualified teacher, 3 Not given to wine, not combative but gentle and considerate, not quarrelsome but forbearing and peaceable, and not a lover of money [insatiable for wealth and ready to obtain it by questionable means.

A bishop in this context is someone who superintends or oversees more than one ministry in service of an Apostle in the house of God.  In its absolute context, a bishop can be a father or mother, aunt or uncle, teacher or preacher, boyfriend or girlfriend and anyone else who has been awarded the ability to help direct someone’s life.  A bishop is a shepherd who brings order into the lives under him or her.  A pastor is a bishop of the flock God has given him.  An elder is the bishop of those who are in his sub-flock.  These are obvious examples from the church.  Teachers and evangelists can move as a type of bishop in those they teach or minister to.

There is a secular type of bishop as well.  Every mother and father is the bishop of their children’s souls.  You oversee, direct and guide them toward the goals they will fulfill in life.  Some of these mother or father bishops sell their little girls or boys to a pimp or dealer for a fix.  We already discussed a couple weeks ago how drugs and a lack of proper bonding have often destroyed the love of a mother or father.  The point here is that as an overseer a parent is the most responsible person to teach a child and raise them up in the Lord.  God won’t want to hear that they didn’t know or that I had to leave my wife because I couldn’t stand her.  All God wants to know is what did you do with that living soul I placed inside you to grow?

A little girl came into a classroom recently and when it was time to pick a gift from the gift box asked the teacher, “Are there any 40’s in there?”  For you who don’t know this reference, 40’s are large bottles or cans of nasty malt liquor that alcoholics drink.  The child was trying to act all grown up, just like her parents.  The bishop of her soul (parents) had failed her.  I brought my daughter into the hospital with appendicitis and the nurse ran my wife and I out so she could ask her questions about her sex life and drug habits.  My daughter told the nurse, “I don’t do drugs and I live for the Lord.  You can let my parents back in here.  I have no secrets from them.”  As she left the nurse told me my nineteen year old daughter was immature for her age because she’s not a sex pot, addict or a drunk.  What a world we live in when they call evil good and good evil.

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

It’s not always convenient to teach.  Sometimes you want to smack the person in the head to knock some sense into them and other times they are gracious and listening to every word you say.  We have no excuse to teach lies or half truths.  We have no excuse to teach nothing.  We have no excuse to give our God given responsibility over to someone else.  Men cannot forsake their children out of anger or because they do not like the mother.  Just because you were foolish enough to find yourself in a situation where you and the mother of your children can’t stand one another does not free you to abdicate your parental responsibilities.

I knew a fairly religious Catholic woman who married a fairly religious Jewish man.  I spoke to her before they married and asked how the children would be raised.  She said they would just let the children find their own way as if it was some noble action that would ensure the happiness of their offspring.  My personal belief is that Hell is too good a place for a parent that abdicates their parental responsibilities because they can’t control their passions and have destroyed their marriage or because they no longer want to serve the Lord.  Hell IS the final place for the unsaved that lead their own children astray.  In the case of Madyln Murry O’Hare, she fought to have prayer removed from the school classrooms and after successfully doing so was murdered with her unsaved daughter and buried in an unmarked grave.  Her son, who she did all this damage for, was befriended by some gracious Christians and became a Christian himself.  He is still living.

Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

God is not slack in what He expects from mankind.  Sadly, many will die in agony without Christ, some even having Christian parents who could not be bothered to raise them properly or perhaps chose to ‘let them decided when they were older.’  Their saved parents will live an eternity in Heaven knowing they failed their children and children’s children.

Matthew 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

The Word of God is alive and powerful.  It doesn’t lack power or ability, just a committed, submitted servant vessel who will get the Word OUT!  God’s problem today is many churches have watered their doctrine down to the point where Christ’s name isn’t even mentioned and the miraculous power of God can’t be felt.  Everything is an allegory or story, when God knows it is a literal interpretation.  We’ve traded the miracle working WORD OF GOD for psycho-social mind games that help no one. 

Mark 6:33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. 34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

People will go out of their way to touch the real and living God.  Jesus is looking for one of us to become the shepherd who will teach God’s doctrine without apology and without question.  These people had shepherds.  The scribes and Pharisees taught all the time.  What it means is they had no blood bought holy shepherds.  I may not have been the best father in the world but one thing is certain; my children know who Jesus is and from little children have always known He loved them.  Even today I still strive to speak into their lives and hope and pray they will live the same life so their children can grow up to the standard of excellence God requires.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

What a wonderful gift.  God’s Holy Spirit comes into our lives and just serves.  He expects no special honor, only that we listen when He speaks and for that very minor thing He will recall all we have ever learned for us and present it to the forefront of our minds at the right time.  He teaches in nudges and moments of sorrow.  He reveals the will of the Father in so very many ways. 

How about you?  Are you a comforter?  I’ve seen school teachers who treat the children like trash.  Some have even said, “I moved into administration so I don’t have to teach or deal with those nasty kids or their nasty parents.”  I suppose I ought to say, “Thank God for that.”  At least they won’t add to the poison the parents pour into their kids or try to defeat the good things a good parents is trying to develop in their children.  God’s requirement is for you to be good teachers.  He doesn’t care that you aren’t saved or know His Word.  You are a teacher.  You work for Him.  You have a requirement to pour all the love and grace and training that you can into these damaged children.  You may never be able to overcome the years of abuse some of these children receive from their own parents but you have a responsibility to try.

Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows 'houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Remember, if you are a teacher or in a teacher’s position (parents, siblings, boyfriends, girlfriends, teachers, pastors, etc..), you are working for God whether you believe in Him or not.  All teachers are working for God because teaching is a gift God gives.  One day you will be judged for every word you spoke to those children or adults.  Every angry word and every pathetic word you will answer for.  Every act of kindness and grace will be added to your account.  There is no place for unbelievers.  God requires that all teachers believe.  There is no place for absentee fathers or mothers.  All parents are required to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  There is no place for angry, wounded, underappreciated teachers.  God does not forgive devilish teachers in any venue.  He does not accept a complaining spirit. 

This one thing I promise; if you pour your heart into your teaching God will honor it.  Scripture says that God would rather you teach in the wrong areas well than to be a lukewarm teacher in the right area.  He can work with a passionate teacher who is in error.  He can get you saved and delivered like he did with Apostle Paul and the physician Luke.  God has given you this talent and expects you to use it fully.  Parents, you are all given a teaching spirit whether you use it or not.  The window of opportunity is a narrow one of only several short years and you’ll be shocked how quickly they go by.  You can’t teach your children from prison or another address because you couldn’t control your actions.  You can’t comfort the crying child in the middle of the night and become their hero when that child lives somewhere else.

There was a report of friends who have chosen to raise a child together.  Some of them have produced a child together and some through artificial means.  The point is that they have agreed to raise that child together even though their relationship is one of friendship and not passion.  They each take responsibility to train up the child in the way he or she should go so that the child never lacks either parent.  While I do not think God is particularly honored by someone who is not willing to be husband and wife, I do believe He is honored by their joint passion for raising that child.

Whether you are a preacher, pastor, parent, public educator, private person or just an ordinary guy or gal you are a teacher.  Someone is watching you and God Himself will hold you accountable for what you have taught.  For the man who teaches a woman pain and degradation by forcing her into prostitution, there is a particular place in Hell where you will never again be cold.  If you are the school teacher who detests the black children and showers affection on the white children or vice versa, you will be his neighbor.  There is no greater sin than one who takes the ministry of the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things and pollute those lessons until a life is lost or destroyed. 

Never forget that you are not your own property.  You were bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23).  A doctor should teach us how to live healthy.  A woman should teach men how to respect her and treat her with honor.  A man should teach what responsibility is and how to stand against the world to support the family.  A child should teach those who come after and make their journey easier. 

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This verse says it all.  God is not impressed with your insistence that He does not exist.  You will be judged.  He is not impressed that you were angry and kept a son or daughter away from a loving parent.  You will be judged.  He is not impressed that you will not meet the needs of your husband or wife because you aren’t feeling it.  You will be judged.  He will judge the crooked preacher and the false teacher.  He watches over the innocent to protect and guard them.  All his judgments are true and thankfully His mercy endures forever.  You can start over and begin again.  It’s harder than doing it right the first time but He will help.  Do not trust in your salvation to whitewash your devilish attitudes toward others and don’t insult God’s intelligence by faking that smile toward them.

It is your Heavenly Father’s good pleasure to give you the keys to the kingdom.  He will help make you the best teacher in the world by His Spirit.  On the other hand, if your heart is set on mischief and sin, He never forgets a face.  He’ll remember at the gates of the city you will never enter. 

Beloved be a teacher.  Be one who is likely (apt) to teach and loves the lessons God has placed within you.  Reach out to as many as He will place in your path and never forget…He is watching YOU.

Bishop J