Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!
On several occasions the Lord Jesus commanded His disciples not to fear. He told them not to be afraid of men who, after all, can only kill you (Matt. 10:28)He instructed them to sell all they possessed and follow Him, and not to be afraid, when they do, that they might miss a good and happy life, since they are gaining the Kingdom of God(Lk. 12:32, 33). He warned that in this world we could expect to have many trials and tribulations, but added that, since He had overcome the world, we should not be afraid (Jn. 16:33). There is no reason, Jesus insisted, for any of His followers to fear anything here on earth. At the same time, as we have seen, Jesus clearly and unequivocally commands His disciples to fear God. What Jesus understood is what the psalmist also knew, that it gives God pleasure when His people fear Him as they should; and, as we have seen, that fear is based on God’s awesome holiness, justice, power, and might.
Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!
Believers are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matt. 22:37). Every Christian knows this, and no small part of effective discipleship involves the cultivation of that frame of mind and disposition of heart that leads to loving obedience to God through Jesus Christ. But the same God Who commands our love also commands us to fear Him: “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul…” (Deut. 10:12). The Lord Jesus echoed this command in Matthew 10:28: “‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.’”
Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!
By far and away, the most important teaching aid that you bring into any teaching moment is the example of your own life. Peter believed that, when Christians are living out their hope, they will stand out so starkly in this shallow and materialistic world, that others will be drawn to them in order to find out what makes them tick. School teachers spend a lot of time getting their classrooms just right – just the right pictures on the wall, books on the shelves, order of desks and chairs, and all the rest. They know how important a pleasant, stimulating, and reinforcing classroom can be. We must learn the same as well.
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” John 4:26 Listen Now | download
Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!
In His conversation with the woman at the well, Jesus commanded the teaching moment and took the conversation where He wanted to go. We can learn to do this as well, whether we’re trying to bear witness to an unsaved friend or colleague, or simply helping some Christian friend go a little deeper with the Lord. Having started the conversation, Jesus quickly proceeded to introduce the unseen realm and to direct the conversation toward a more serious consideration of spiritual matters. And all the while, Jesus knew exactly where He was going with this conversation. Sooner or later, He would bring this teaching moment around to Himself.
Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10
A teaching moment begins when we – who are called to be witnesses and make disciples – discern an opportunity, under the prompting of God’s Spirit, to engage a conversation with someone around us. Not all these efforts will result in a teaching moment. But we need to initiate them anyway, if only for the purpose of developing and improving this ability. Further, some of the conversations we will initiate won’t last very long. That’s OK, too. Even though we don’t get beyond the step of initiation, our doing so will create a good feeling – most of the time – in the one with whom we’re seeking to engage. He or she will come away thinking that we pay attention to them, are interested in what’s of interest to them, and can talk to them courteously and in a friendly manner. That kind of opening may lead to further teaching moments later on.
Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!
Teaching moments pop up in front of us all day long. But we need to be paying attention. If we can set our minds to focus on our primary calling throughout the day – the calling of being witnesses and making disciples – then we might begin to be more alert to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as He calls class to order and opens the book of Truth with the people around us. In the Church today we have become so accustomed to teaching and learning taking place in classrooms, at scheduled times, and at the feet of “qualified” teachers, that we just don’t have the mindset for making the most of every teaching opportunity that presents itself all day long.
