Ye Ought to be Teachers - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

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Ye Ought to be Teachers

Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Intro: When I was in high school, my school principal told me that I should pursue a career as a teacher.

I laughed out loud. I was ready to get out of school!!

Little did I know that I would be called to preach, and that my entire life would be consumed with preaching and teaching the Word of God to God’s people.

I never dreamed I would author nearly two dozen books.

I never dreamed that I would write a Discipleship Course that is being used literally all over the world.

I never dreamed that I would run a Bible College – (this is my third time) and write almost all of my own curriculum.

And that is not even talking about all the men that I have hired when I was in construction and taught them how to learn a skill that they could earn a living with.

Maybe my old school principal was on to something!

Reading our text, I am confronted with the simple fact that if you are saved, YE OUGHT TO BE TEACHERS!

Maybe not on Day One, but eventually, you should be able to teach others.

·        2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

The church of today has an obligation to pass along what we know to the next generation.

This message is for all of our many teachers.

This message is also for all the many church members that OUGHT TO BE TEACHERS.

A. The Instruction that is Rejected

·        11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

B. The Immaturity that is Rebuked

·        12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

·        13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

C. The Implementation that is Rewarding 

·        14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

I. The Operations of a Teacher 

A. Operating in the Home

·        Deuteronomy 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;

·        Deuteronomy 4:10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

Deuteronomy 6

·        6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

·        7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

B. Operating in the Church

The Bible has a lot to say about this role in the church.

Teaching is a God-given gift in the church.

·        Romans 12:7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

Teachers are a gift of God to the church.

·        Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

C. Operating in the Nation

·        1 Timothy 2:7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

·        2 Timothy 1:11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

·        Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

II. The Observations of a Teacher

The word TEACH is in the KJV 108 times.

The word TEACHING is mentioned 25 times.

The word TEACHETH is found 15 times.

The word TAUGHT is found 79 times.

This doesn’t include the hundreds of references to words like INSTRUCTION, WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, LEARN, LEARNING, LEARNED, HEED, OBSERVE, BEHOLD, STUDY, ETC.

The Bible is filled with references to this subject, but here are just a few vital points.

1. The First Mention Principle of ‘TEACH’ is God doing the teaching.

·        Exodus 4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

·        Exodus 4:15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

2. Every teacher needs God’s help to be effective.

Jethro told Moses in Exodus 18

·        19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:

·        20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

God told Moses on top of Mt. Sinai…

·        Exodus 24:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

The more time you spend with God, the better of a teacher you will be.

3. The student does not have to be limited by the teacher.

·        Psalms 119:99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

4. The one that is taught should not take the teacher for granted.

·        Galatians 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

III. The Obligations of a Teacher

According to our text, we can conclude that a teacher must:

A. Be Patient

·        12 “… ye have need that one teach you again…”

Sometimes you have to teach those that you’ve already taught.

Imagine how many people we could teach if we weren’t so busy teaching the same people over and over?

A teacher has to keep teaching until they get it.

B. Be Skillful

·        13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness

A teacher must know how to rightly divide the word of truth.

·        2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Many people do not realize how much studying teachers do.

The student is not the only one studying.

Teachers study far more than students.

C. Be Mature – vs. 14 “…them that are of full age…”

Notice the emphasis placed on the word “time” in verse 14.

·        12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers

A novice cannot be a teacher.

You see the emphasis placed on age in Titus 2.

Aged men and aged women were to teach…

That was one of the qualifications of a pastor.

Another word for PASTOR in the New Testament is ELDER.

Titus wasn’t old, but he wasn’t a novice.

Paul told Timothy not to let anyone despise his youth.

D. Be Practicing – vs. 14 by reason of use…

One thing that keeps a teacher qualified to teach is they “…by reason of use have their senses exercised…”

There’s nothing more disturbing than a teacher that doesn’t live what they teach.

Jesus condemned the Pharisees for this.

Matthew 23

·        3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

·        4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Paul condemned the religious Jews for this very thing.

Turn to Romans 2:17-23

E. Be Discerning

·        14 “…have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil…”

A teacher must be able to discern between truth and error.

·        1 John 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

F. Be Teachable

Turn to Acts 18

• 24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

• 25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.

• 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

• 27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

• 28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

Conclusion: Are you learning so that one day you can teach others?

You have an obligation!

How many times have you had to be taught the same thing because you were dull of hearing?