Finding Hope in the Spirit’s Gifts of Teaching and Exhortation

- Can you think of a teacher in your life who especially made an impact on you?...

- most of us probably can…I’ve heard a lot of “this was my favorite teacher” stories over the years…

- who comes to your mind, and why?...

- my guess is – for the “why part” – there could be a lot of different reasons…

- in some cases, it might have little to do with what you actually learned in class…but more about the teacher’s character…

- I’ve always thought my favorite grade school-teacher was a woman named Mrs. Werner – I had her for 4^th grade…and if you asked, what did she teach you, I could not list one thing I learned in 4^th grade…but what stands out to me after all these years was how kind she was…

- maybe that’s true for you too – your favorite teacher simply treated you and your classmates in a way that is memorable even to this day…(because a lot of water has gone under the bridge since I was in 4^th grade…)

- in other cases, it might be because they introduced you to a topic for the very first time…

- that happened to me in 6^th grade where a social studies teacher taught a unit on the Holocaust…I don’t think I knew anything about that subject until those lessons…but I remember being deeply moved by the horror of that period in world history…

- for someone else, it might be a teacher who convinced you about the importance or centrality of an idea so profoundly that it became one of your core beliefs to this day…

- most people who went to Baptist Bible College when I was there still talk about Dr. Rembert Carter …

- Dr. Carter received his PhD from the University of Edinburgh…and he taught Freshman and Sophomore level classes like the History of Western Civilization, and Baptist Distinctives, and Fine Arts…

- and his lectures were just mesmerizing…because he really believed what he was teaching and was very passionate in his delivery and he wanted you to believe it too…

- if you’re wondering how I did in his classes, I remember distinctly the day he said in front of an entire lecture hall crowded with students – Viars, you’re a cultural clod…there’s a nickname your friends won’t let you forget…

- he also gave eraser tests…

- so your test was different than the person next to you – they were multiple choice…but they were like a scratch off lottery ticket…where you had to keep scratching until you found the right answer…and your grade kept going down the more times you scratched off a wrong answer…they were maddening…

- but some of you know if you’ve asked me this question in Intro to Faith – hey, what are the Baptist distinctives…I can rattle those off from memory…you know why?...because Dr. Rembert Carter drilled that information into me like only a great teacher could do…

- this summer we’re talking about Hope for Fruitful Service…and the first messages focused on fruitful character from 2 Peter 1:5-7…

- now we’ve pivoted in the second half of the summer to a discussion of the spiritual gifts…

- because one of the primary reasons we can have “hope for fruitful service” is the amazingly encouraging truth that God has given each one of His children at least one spiritual gift for the building up of the body of Christ…

- Peter said it this way - 1 Peter 4:10 - As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

- that is some very, very good news for every man and woman who has become a follower of Jesus Christ…

- there are several passages in the Word of God that list some of the spiritual gifts…and we say it that way because the lists are not identical…which has led some Bible students to conclude that the lists are intended to be exhaustive, but illustrative…

- but the one we’re following this summer is…Romans 12:6–8 - Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

- we have the privilege this morning of seeking to…Finding Hope in the Spirit’s Gift of Teaching and Exhortation…and to learn more about that, I’d like to ask you to turn to 1 Timothy 4 verse 13…page 163 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…

- while you’re turning there – here’s just a couple of thoughts about the process we plan to follow this morning…

- the gifts of teaching and exhortation, especially as they are explained in the passage we’re about to study…is speaking first and foremost of pastors…

- but it is a very short walk to all sorts of teaching positions in the local church…

- it is amazing and encouraging to think about how many people in a given week at this church are doing some kind of teaching…SS teachers, youth leaders, small group leaders, etc…

- and many of us would – and I benefit from those teachers week-in and week-out…and so do other members of my family…

- so what is that?....it’s the Lord giving us gifts…men and women who have the ability to teach the Word of God in ways that help draw people to Christ and then equip us to become more like God’s Son…

- now, we could also extrapolate this out to other forms of teaching as well…much of what we’re about to study could also apply to parents…because moms and dads are teachers…and many of us learned some of the most important truths we believe and live to this day from one of our parents who faithfully taught us…

- there are also all of these teachers getting ready to head back to school…whether it be home school, or public school, or Christian school…

- there are general principles here that apply to them as well and we’ll try to weave that through the message as well…

- read 1 Timothy 4:13-16

- so we’re talking about Finding Hope in the Spirit’s Gift of Teaching and Exhortation…and with the time we have remaining, let’s scour this text for 5 challenges for those called to be teachers

I. Embrace the Teacher’s Focus

- 1 Timothy 4:13 - Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.

- it’s interesting how much of this entire section of Scripture has to do with what a teacher is going to focus on, or prioritize…

- if God has given you the gift of teaching in any way, shape, or form…you have to decide what you’re going to do with it…and how much of an emphasis you’re going to place on developing that gift…

- and when we’re talking about teaching in the church…the focus first and foremost has to be…

A. Give attention to God’s Word

- Timothy was Paul’s son in the faith…and he was a dear man…

- you may recall the Paul told the Philippians that… Philippians 2:19–23 - But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me;

- that’s high praise, coming from someone like the apostle Paul…

- many Bible teachers believe that this book was written after Paul had been released from his first imprisonment…and Timothy had been left behind to pastor the church at Ephesus and address a number of problems that were lingering there…

- well, what was going to be his source of truth as he sought to speak into these issues?...the Word of God…

- 2 Timothy 4:2–4 - preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

- that’s why any person who serves as a teacher in any way, shape, or form at Faith would say – thank the Lord for the men and women who attend here…

- because this church family doesn’t want their ears tickled…they want to hear what the Bible says, what the Bible means, and how the Bible applies practically to everyday life…

- and Paul describes that process with two primary words…

B. Give attention to exhortation

- this is the word parakalew – come alongside and speak

- it’s a very beautiful concept in Scripture…because it personalizes the process…

- last Sunday I was speaking at a friend’s church up in Crown Point…he’s been asking me to do that for some time now and we found a Sunday where I wasn’t scheduled to be at any of our campuses here so I went up and did that…

- and I’m thankful for those opportunities when they occasionally occur…but it’s not the same…because you don’t know the people you’re addressing and they don’t know you…

- exhortation includes the “coming alongside” part…as well as…

C. Teaching

- teaching – didaskalia – “the systematic explanation of the Word of God”

- you may remember this scene in the book of Nehemiah… Nehemiah 8:5–8 - Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground…Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah…the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place. They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

- that’s teaching…and Paul tells Timothy – give your attention to that…

- and if you say – how powerful a concept is that (giving attention in chapter 4 verse 13…well please look over at chapter 3, verse 3 about the qualifications for pastors – which word in chapter 3 verse 3 do you think is the same as “give attention” in chapter 4:13?...(addicted)…

- and I would encourage you to pray for your pastors especially on Mondays and Tuesdays on this particular point…because that’s when whomever is scheduled to speak at one of our campuses the following Sunday is going to be preparing (which sort of proves the point…explain why we prep early in the week)…

- and pray for everyone else who teaches at every level at Faith – that we exercise that spiritual gift in a way that embraces the teachers focus…give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching…

II. Avoid the Teacher’s Pitfall

- 1 Timothy 4:14 - Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.

A. Of neglecting the Spirit’s gift of teaching

- now, why might a person do that?...

- maybe out of fear that someone won’t like what the Word of God has to say or they just want to argue about all kinds of things…

- 1 Timothy 1:6–7 - For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

- who wants to take that kind of thing on week after week after week?...

- answer – someone whom has given the gift of teaching….don’t neglect it…

- we know that Timothy struggled with fear…which is why Paul will tell him in his next epistle, this time written from his next imprisonment… 2 Timothy 1:7–8 - For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,

- see, don’t neglect the gift…which is why Paul said in the verse just prior to the ones we just quoted…

- 2 Timothy 1:6 - For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

- and you might be here this morning and God has given you the gift to teach at some level…and the truth of the matter is – at least right now, you’re neglecting it…

- what do you think the Lord would want you to do this am?...stop neglecting it…stir it up…speak to someone around here who can help you get plugged into a teaching opportunity…

B. By respecting the church’s affirmation

- 1 Timothy 4:14 - Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.

- and you might say – well, we don’t do it that way anymore.

- true – but the principle is – let’s your church family help you determine whether you are gifted in this area…

- so if you’re regularly being asked to teach…or in your heart you believe you should…then please don’t neglect the gracious teaching gift that the Lord has given you…next Paul tells Timothy to…

III. Pursue the Teacher’s Priorities

- 1 Timothy 4:15 - Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.

A. Immerse yourself in exercising this gift

- Commentator John Stott said - …Paul goes on to Timothy’s need for concentration and perseverance. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them (15a). The second of these two exhortations means literally ‘be in them’, that is, immerse yourself in these matters, devote yourself to them with all your heart and soul. The Revised English Bible catches the emphasis well: ‘Make these matters your business, make them your absorbing interest.’

- I would encourage you to pause and think about all the teachers in your life and in the life of our church – people who make exercising this God-given gift a high priority…”they are taking pains in these things, and being absorbed in them…”

- What privilege and responsibility do we have as we watch such persons exercise their gifts…and benefit directly or indirectly from their work?...

- let’s start with parents…men and women who are genuinely seeking to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?...

- how about looking for opportunities to commend them?...to point out something about their son or daughter that is praiseworthy and thank that parents for his/her efforts?...

- what about parents who are getting ready this fall to home school one or more of their children?...you talk about an absorbing task…

- what about coming alongside and offering to help?...maybe you have a special skill or area of knowledge that could turn into a lesson or series of lessons…maybe that would lighten a home-school parent’s load?...

- what about the people in our church family who teach in public schools?...do we consider that to be a vital and valuable mission field?...what about becoming a prayer partner…or offering to come over and grade papers or make bulletin boards or drop off their favorite beverage?...

- I hope you’re thinking about the women and men who teach in our Christian school…what’s happening at FCS is a delight to behold – I hope we never take it for granted…I’m around our building enough to know that it certainly isn’t a 9-5 job…

- our teachers immerse themselves in exercising the teaching gift that God has given them…

- as a parent, I hope you regularly commend your child’s teacher…

- if you ever have to talk about a problem, I hope it’s after you’ve thanked and encouraged and praised them 10 times first…

- let’s bring that into the local church…think about the hundreds of teachers that serve in our various campuses and associated ministries week-in and week-out….they do exactly what Paul commanded Timothy to do – taking pains with these things….they are absorbed with them…

- parents – do you take the time to thank you child’s SS teacher or youth worker?...that might be a good time for a gift card or a note of thanks…for the way that teacher is partnering with you in having a positive spiritual impact on your child or children…

- thank the Lord for teachers who make this a priority by the way they immerse themselves in their craft…and also…

B. With authenticity

- 1 Timothy 4:15 - …so that your progress will be evident to all.

- John Stott went on to say… The example which Christian leaders set, then, whether in their life or their ministry, should be dynamic and progressive. People should be able to observe not only what they are but what they are becoming, supplying evidence that they are growing into maturity in Christ. Some Christian leaders imagine that they have to appear perfect, with no visible flaws or blemishes. But there are at least two reasons why this is a mistake. First, it is hypocritical. Since none of us is a paragon of all virtues, it is dishonest to pretend to be. Secondly, the pretense discourages people, who then suppose that their leaders are altogether exceptional and even inhuman. Paul himself conceded that he had not arrived. ‘Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on …’ In the same way we should not give the false impression that we have reached our goal; on the contrary, we are still on the road, still pilgrims.

- we see the truth of that principle played out week after week around here, don’t we?...

- when Pastor Goode hired me 36 years ago, he immediately placed me in the preaching rotation and also created a new Adult Sunday School class to teach…

- preaching isn’t just something you study in books…you have to do it…its like so many things in life…you have to practice…

- and I’m very thankful for the patience of this church family…

- now, Pastor Goode had some fun with it along the way…

- if you’ve followed the story, you know that before he was here, he and Mrs. Goode served in Gary – which is where I grew up…

- well, when I turned 13, they moved down here to Lafayette…(you can decide if you think my becoming a teenager had anything to do with them fleeing the city)

- I eventually started going to the Christian High School up in that area and was part of a choir that went on tour that actually stopped here in Lafayette…

- I was probably 16 at the time…a sophomore or junior in high school…and when the choir stopped at a church, we obviously sang…but then one of the students gave some kind of devotional…we preached in that church service…

- well, who do you think was the student preacher the night we came to Faith in Lafayette?...it was me…

- so when I joined the staff here 10-12 years later after finishing my education…what do you think Pastor Goode went back into the archives and found?...the cassette tape of me preaching as a 16 year old…and he would play it over the church’s sound system in the hallways during the week…

- let’s just say there was need for a lot of progress…

- but in all seriousness, aren’t you glad to watch the development of our younger pastoral staff members?...I’ve always believed that one of the ways I serve our church best is by having as many gifted preachers and teachers as possible…

- 2 Timothy 2:2 - The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

- and sure, every so often another church “steals” one of them away to become their senior pastor…but even that in and of itself teaches a lesson…

- and when one of these younger guys speak, and you take the time to encourage them in their ministry – that can go a long way in this negative world in which we live…

- 1 Timothy 4:15 - Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.

IV. Adopt the Teacher’s Humility

- 1 Timothy 4:16a - Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching…

A. Pay attention to yourself

- this is similar to what Paul told the Ephesian elders back in Acts 20 - Acts 20:28 - Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

- and that’s true in many ways…including Timothy’s own temptation not to do what these verses are saying because of fear and timidity…are you willing to faithfully exercise this gift even when it’s hard?...

- something else we need to deal with somewhere along the line is – where should this gift be exercised first?...

- and that takes us back to where we started this am…1 Peter 4:10 - As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

- what that means is that these gifts are given to be used first and foremost in the context of local church ministry…

- so what about the person who might say – well, I teach (or exercise whatever gift we might be discussing) out in the world all through the week – or at my job all through the week – don’t ask me to do that same thing in the Lord’s house on Sunday, or in some other local church ministry throughout the week…what about that?...

- we’re not going to be legalistic because each situation is unique and ultimately is a matter between you and the Lord…but I remember having a conversation with a man who used his particular gift at work all week and when he was asked to serve at church in the same way, he responded with – that would be like asking the mailman to go for a walk on his day off…(referring to a mailman who walked his mail route)

- what do you think about that?...shouldn’t the Lord and His people receive our first and our best fruits?....pay attention to yourself and…

B. Pay attention to your teaching

- and when you see a teacher doing that…thank and commend them…

- about a year ago…I was asked to do a wedding up in NW Indiana where I grew up…

- it was for Mackenzie Chapmen and her now-husband Ryan…

- Mackenzie is from NW Indiana, but she came here to Purdue – met Ryan…and though they were going to have their wedding back up in the region…they wanted someone from Faith to do the wedding to keep that connection with their relationships here…

- well, part of what’s unusual about Mackenzie is that I went to school with her parents…which also means I knew Mackenzie’s grandfather, Kenny VanTrease…because he was the dad of the kids I grew up with…

- back then obviously he was a younger father and I remember him as being a godly leader in his church and in the Christian school in that area, etc…

- and what stood out about him and many others when I was in high school was that they were just encouraging us kids to live for the Lord…and celebrating every time we did…

- well, now he has Parkinson’s…which has resulted in significant mobility issues…and I hadn’t seen him for decades…

- so last summer I have the privilege of doing the wedding, and they brought grandpa in with assistance so he could sit on the front row with his wife and enjoy his granddaughter’s wedding…

- so I did the best I could to perform a Christ-centered wedding…and Mackenzie and Ryan asked me to stay on the platform for a bit longer because of some special dismissals…

- so while I was standing up there on the platform, I looked over at the crowd…and caught Mackenzie’s grandpa’s eye – and at that moment he brought his arm up with all his strength and gave me a thumb’s up…an atta boy…good job on the wedding…

- and I thought – that’s the impact that man has been having on me my entire life…

- and I’m not sure as a 63 year old man how many atta boy’s I should need or even deserve…but I did think this…I want to be more like Kenny VanTrease…

- encouraging younger teachers who are paying attention to their lives and teaching…

- now, it’s pretty amazing how this passage ends…

V. Celebrate the Teacher’s Impact

- and perhaps that doesn’t sound like a 5^th challenge, until we realize…you have to persevere in order to get to the benefits of this verse…

- we have teachers around here who count their faithfulness not just in months or in years…but in decades…

- in other words – they didn’t quit…and this verse affirms…

- I Timothy 4:16b - persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

- now I realize you might say – how could that be?...

A. Your perseverance will confirm your salvation

- well, we know it came mean that a faithful teacher earns his/her salvation by exercising the gift…

- but the fact that he/she has lived this way affirms to all who are watching the Spirit of Jesus Christ working in and through the ministry…

- because ultimately, who is the Great Teacher?...it’s the great teacher…

- so we’re not talking this morning about you becoming the best version of yourself (don’t you hate that phrase?)

- we’re talking about you becoming more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ so that the sincerity and genuineness of your salvation will be evident to all…

- and amazingly…

B. Your faithfulness may be used to draw someone else to the Savior

- 1 Timothy 4:16b - persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

- we’re to the place in life now where we’re not just seeing the impact of teachers on children, but on grandchildren…

- there’s nothing like hearing a grandchild pray, or quote a verse of Scripture, or sing a Christian song…that’s the product of teachers exercising their beautiful God-given gift of teaching.