Teaching - Do Not Be Arrogant

"These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don’t repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence."

1 Corinthians 10:12 in the Message Paraphrase Version

[This is the 17th lesson of this series]

Many of us may have seen teachers or professors like these, those being full of themselves and their abililities, and thinking they know everything they need to know because they have been teaching the same course for a very long time. And they are not called terror teachers for nothing.

But teaching the gospel is not like teaching a class in English 101 or Algebra.

The gospel or the Word of God is alive. To teach it is not a matter of memorizing bible verses, telling amusing stories and quoting the words of famous people or merely expounding on an outline or a syllabus.

The gospel is a boat sent out to save someone lost in the open sea. It is a matter of life or death.

It is important both for the person in the boat and the one in the water needing rescuing. And it is most important to the Father of both.

Teacher

The Holy Spirit is the Teacher of the one bringing the gospel to the lost, tired, hopeless and hungry/thirsty souls.

The Word of God is the instrument who brings their salvation. The teacher is the vessel through which the message is passed. And it is important that the message is passed on.

The teacher will eventually be taken out of this world and into the next. It is necessary that they have taught those who will continue what they have done and what has been done since Jesus first gave the teaching ministry and evangelism to His first disciples.

Jesus was the first teacher, then His disciples, then the ones they have taught, and the ones after them -- all of whom have relied on the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Jesus).

They were the ones who came before us, there are those among us who are teaching the gospel today, someone else will take their place after they are gone, just like in a relay race. There is a baton that needs to be caught as they run this race before the appointed time comes. This baton will have to be passed on, so the next runner can continue with running until there is time left to run.

Let us not take this responsibility and opportunity lightly. More importantly let us not be naive or self-confident. So many have stumbled, been tripped up and fell on their faces. It wouldn't be too hard to follow in their foot steps if we rely on our own selves.

We are just empty cups with nothing to pour out or drink from, apart from the Holy Spirit and the Word of God -- even if we have been studying and teaching all our lives. The pharisees and the teachers of the law are a prime example of who we shouldn't be like.

Don't be like them. Be like Jesus. And who better to teach us how to be like Him than the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of the Living God.