Counseling, Preaching And Teaching

Members: LIM, ZARAH JANE BACOLOD, JESSIE MENDOZA, JEIHO MRS. QUIAMBAO

Submitted to: Ptr. Abner Abatayo Date: September 7, 2008

TEACHING

TEACHING “The Church must teach, just as it must preach, or it will not be the Church... Teaching belongs to the essence of the Church and a church that neglects this function of teaching has lost something that is indispensable to its nature as a church.” - James D. Smart

In the teaching ministry, we need to have God as our model. He is our Great Teacher. What we will be sharing will be from and about Him. Therefore teachers must be well-acquainted with God through personal relationship and regular study of His Word. We owe God our best efforts because He himself gave His best for us. Every time we teach, we must aim for quality. 1. WHAT is the teaching ministry all about? The teaching ministry exists to educate people about the fundamentals of a certain concept. In basic education, students are taught concepts and principles to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills needed to be able to succeed in life. In Christian education, teaching aims to make each student learn about God, grow to be like Jesus, so that eventually, they will also be able to lead others to Christ. Ephesians 4:12-13 encapsulates the goal of teaching in the Christian education aspect: “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be build up, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

2. WHY should we teach? Every believer must undergo training and learning because no one can be a Christian and immediately became knowledgeable of its truths and concepts. This is why the teaching ministry exists. Teaching is a crucial task in the advancement of God’s Kingdom because this is the basic training ground for all believers. We teach because there is a need to learn. New believers need to know the following: • who God is; • what Jesus did; • what happened at conversion; • what is expected of a Christian after conversion; • etc. Without the teaching ministry, baby Christians will be left to fend for themselves. Though they can still learn through personal study of the Word, it will be very hard for them without having someone there to guide them and explain things for them.

TEACHING Another reason why we teach is to follow Jesus’ example. He taught the disciples of the things of God. Teaching and making disciples was one of the priorities of Jesus while he was here on earth. People need to know about God, His love and His gift to mankind; the only way for people to know is if someone will teach them.

3. HOW should we teach? We should teach by example. Following Christ’s teaching methodology, he effectively taught his disciples what they needed to learn because He himself showed them what to do. He never expected them to do things without showing them how to do it. Similarly, everything he taught His disciples were consistent with his actions. In other words, he “walked the talk.” As teachers, much is expected of us. Because we teach our students to “grow in Christ” and to “be like Christ,” we must have standards for ourselves. Teachers must be: • Actively pursuing a growing relationship with God; • Filled with the Holy Spirit; • A good model of the Christian life; • Pro-active in improving and upgrading skills and abilities.

References:

The Teaching Ministry of the Church (Daryl Eldridge) ICI: Helping Christians Grow (Dwayne E. Turner)

PREACHING PREACHING Just like in the teaching ministry, preaching requires an intimate relationship with God and a vast knowledge of Him and His truths. This ministry is only for a select people called by God. They are given a big responsibility of imparting God’s message to believers. An effective preaching ministry can only happen with the anointing of God. 1. WHAT is the preaching ministry all about? The preaching ministry is the communication of God’s message and Christian truths to people. The message of New Testament preaching is the gospel or the good news of Jesus Christ. The preaching ministry differs slightly from the teaching ministry in the following aspects: delivery and feedback response. In teaching, the delivery is more interactive and informal with a big possibility of an immediate feedback. Dialogue is allowable in teaching ministry. Preaching, on the other hand, is more formal and less member interaction. 2. WHY preach? One avenue that God uses to speak to his people is through preaching. The goal of preaching is first and foremost, to relay the message of salvation to the lost. Preaching is also done to encourage, strengthen, and equip members in faith and in the knowledge of the things of God. 3. HOW should we preach? ON CONTENT: a. Carefully Everything that we are about to say must be carefully guarded because we are standing in front of the people, giving them a message that is supposed to be from God. We must be careful of every word that comes out of our mouth. Make sure everything is accounted for in the Word. b. Honestly When we preach God’s Word, we must do so with honesty. We must not be afraid to tell people about God’s message, even if it is one of correction or rebuke. We must be able to convey the message entrusted to us with completely, clearly and lovingly. c. Authoritatively Remember that we are speaking with God’s authorization so we must do our task smartly and efficiently. When we stand in the pulpit, we must make sure that our message, as well as our appearance, can be regarded as one coming from someone in authority.

PREACHING ON PERSONALITY: a. Be yourself. Cultivate your own preaching style. God called you and equipped you for this specific task. Stop comparing yourself and trying too hard to be like others; work your strengths and work on your weaknesses. b. Be a clean vessel. The Bible says, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” This is especially true in preaching. If your heart is full of criticism, bitterness, and all kinds of negativity, it will come out in your speech and body language. Constantly ask God to help you maintain a pure heart so that you can be an encouragement as well as a good leader for your congregation. c. Be sincere. It is vital for preachers to be a model for their flock. Standing on the pulpit exudes authority, making you someone that people look to as an example. We must be careful to live a righteous life so that we can safely say that we are practicing what we are preaching.

KINDS OF SERMON: 1. Textual – based on a portion of the Scripture. 2. Topical – based on a certain topic. Scripture references are woven in the sermon to show what the Bible says concerning that particular topic. 3. Typical – using types in the Bible where a person, object, or event is symbolic of the future. 4. Expository – expounding the meaning and truth of the passage. 5. Biographical – looking for the lesson based on a character’s life story. 6. Analytical – analyzing of a certain subject to draw out the greatest amount of truth in it. 7. Analogical – using a natural subject to teach a spiritual truth.