Making complicated truths easy to understand #3 The Teaching Gift

Break it down, and present it in bite-size pieces until they get it for themselves

2 Timothy 3:16 NIV

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

Rom 12:3-8 NIV

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. (4) For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, (5) so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (6) We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; (7) if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; (8) if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Positives:

-Make it simple, Keep it simple

-Make it accessible and achievable to all. (anyone can have this. Anyone can do this).

-Not religious, or trying to build the ‘wow’ factor of the teacher. 

-Reproduce it. “The proof is in the pudding”.

-Loves to find a way of taking complex truths and making them simple. Take complex truth, work it, see it, dream it, squeeze it, and let one simple drop of easily receivable truth  drop out the bottom. Take it and then serve it hot with an illustration!

 eg. Jesus with parables. Trinity: St Patrick of Ireland and the 3 leaf clover, Today : H2O (water) in 3 forms etc.

-sees in stories, analogies, rhythms and seasons of learning. 

-No ’secret teaching’. Give it all. Lay it all out for anyone.

Needs attention:

-Don’t blame the people when they don’t ‘get it’. Own this problem myself, and help solve it. (

-patience - see where people are getting stuck and don’t get annoyed. Instead, find the ‘knowledge gap’ and fill it.

OT example: Moses - 10 commandments- 

Proverbs 1:1 TPT

Here are kingdom revelations, words to live by, and words of wisdom given to empower you to reign in life, written as proverbs by Israel’s King Solomon, David’s son.

-Proverbs contains thirty-one chapters, each comprised of twenty to thirty-five wise sayings that are each two poetic lines long = > at least 600 teachings in one small book

Proverbs 9:9 TPT

Teach a wise man what is right and he’ll grow even wiser. Instruct the lovers of God and they’ll learn even more.

NT example: -Jesus-

Matthew 7:28-29 NIV

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, (29) because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Matthew 18:1-5 NIV

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (2) He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. (3) And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (4) Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (5) And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Matthew 22:35-40 NIV

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: (36) “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (37) Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ (38) This is the first and greatest commandment. (39) And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (40) All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

NT example: -Paul- 

1.Love

Romans 13:9 NIV

The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:14 NIV

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

2.The essence of the Gospel  

1 Corinthians 15:2-4 NIV

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. (3) For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

My examples:

-Daniel Mays, my first CG leader

-Ps Chris Hodges

-My teaching team, CG leaders, dream team leaders