Week of Monday September 1 – September 7
Teaching Truth – Man as Instructor
“Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus… So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” - Acts 11:19-20, 25-26 ESV
Life is a matter of building. Each of us has the opportunity to build something -- a God-honoring life, a secure family, a good reputation, a rewarding career. But some of those things can disappear almost overnight due to bad decisions, self-inflicted setbacks, and other unforeseen difficulties. What about our legacy? What are we to do with those whom God has entrusted to us? Daniel Webster offered excellent advice:
“If we work upon marble, it will perish; if we work on brass, time will efface it. If we rear temples, they will crumble to dust. But if we work on men’s immortal minds, if we impress on them high principles, the just fear of God, and love for their fellow-men, we engrave on those tablets something which no time can efface, and which will brighten and brighten to all eternity.”
From the very beginning of the early church, we read that they “devoted themselves to the apostles teaching” (Acts 2:42). It seems that the very lifeblood of the early church was to read and understand the Scriptures. Yet these new believers needed someone to teach and disciple them. In Barnabas and Paul, the Lord had called and gifted men of God for this very moment in the life of the church! These men functioned as “Instructors” who brought to the believers in Antioch the needed explanation, clarification, and application of the word of God.
God has entrusted you and me as men of God with a similar assignment with those we love and lead. The instruction that is to be found in the Bible is needed now more than ever. The culture in which our children and grandchildren are growing up is filled with godless ideologies and demonic influences which prey on the tender hearts and minds of those we love, warping their worldview in ways that drive them far from the will of God for their lives. Men, that’s why we must take seriously our role as Instructors and seek to do it with excellence.
William A. Ward, who served during WWII as an Army Captain in the Philippines, later famously said: "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” May we as men of faith in God be found doing just that: inspiring our children and grandchildren to learn, follow, and apply the timeless principles of God’s word to every area of our lives each and every day. And may that instruction be faithfully accompanied by a godly character and example that reflects how to live out those truths daily and effectively. Whether we know it or not, we are making a lasting impact by engraving the truth of Scripture on the hearts and minds of those we love and cherish. God has called and gifted you for this very moment. Take full advantage of it!
- In what ways do you set in motion the daily instruction of the word of God in your life and family gatherings? What can you do to take that to the next level?
- Do you have a spiritual discipline in place that allows you as the man of God to have regular dialogue and conversation on biblical truth applied to real life issues with your family? How are you discipling the young lives with whom God has surrounded you?
- Pray and ask the Lord to deepen your insight into His word and the ability to communicate it with those you love and lead in a way that inspires them to follow Jesus.
Teaching Truth – Man as Instructor
“Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus… So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” - Acts 11:19-20, 25-26 ESV
Life is a matter of building. Each of us has the opportunity to build something -- a God-honoring life, a secure family, a good reputation, a rewarding career. But some of those things can disappear almost overnight due to bad decisions, self-inflicted setbacks, and other unforeseen difficulties. What about our legacy? What are we to do with those whom God has entrusted to us? Daniel Webster offered excellent advice:
“If we work upon marble, it will perish; if we work on brass, time will efface it. If we rear temples, they will crumble to dust. But if we work on men’s immortal minds, if we impress on them high principles, the just fear of God, and love for their fellow-men, we engrave on those tablets something which no time can efface, and which will brighten and brighten to all eternity.”
From the very beginning of the early church, we read that they “devoted themselves to the apostles teaching” (Acts 2:42). It seems that the very lifeblood of the early church was to read and understand the Scriptures. Yet these new believers needed someone to teach and disciple them. In Barnabas and Paul, the Lord had called and gifted men of God for this very moment in the life of the church! These men functioned as “Instructors” who brought to the believers in Antioch the needed explanation, clarification, and application of the word of God.
God has entrusted you and me as men of God with a similar assignment with those we love and lead. The instruction that is to be found in the Bible is needed now more than ever. The culture in which our children and grandchildren are growing up is filled with godless ideologies and demonic influences which prey on the tender hearts and minds of those we love, warping their worldview in ways that drive them far from the will of God for their lives. Men, that’s why we must take seriously our role as Instructors and seek to do it with excellence.
William A. Ward, who served during WWII as an Army Captain in the Philippines, later famously said: "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” May we as men of faith in God be found doing just that: inspiring our children and grandchildren to learn, follow, and apply the timeless principles of God’s word to every area of our lives each and every day. And may that instruction be faithfully accompanied by a godly character and example that reflects how to live out those truths daily and effectively. Whether we know it or not, we are making a lasting impact by engraving the truth of Scripture on the hearts and minds of those we love and cherish. God has called and gifted you for this very moment. Take full advantage of it!
- In what ways do you set in motion the daily instruction of the word of God in your life and family gatherings? What can you do to take that to the next level?
- Do you have a spiritual discipline in place that allows you as the man of God to have regular dialogue and conversation on biblical truth applied to real life issues with your family? How are you discipling the young lives with whom God has surrounded you?
- Pray and ask the Lord to deepen your insight into His word and the ability to communicate it with those you love and lead in a way that inspires them to follow Jesus.