We Learn
Notes
Transcript
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Introduction
We are church – we gather, worship, serve, learn, rest, pray, give, go.
We believe the Bible is God’s message, written by people in their own language, literary style, and cultural setting as inspired by the Holy Spirit. We hold it to be a trustworthy account of God’s interaction with humankind to make God’s nature and purposes known to the world. ≥ ; ; ; ; ; ; .
We believe the Bible invites all people to experience God’s saving grace, ultimately offered through Jesus Christ, and to participate in God’s redemptive purposes for humanity and creation. ≥ , 4.
We learn. Difference between true learning and random teaching.
We believe the Bible, as God’s Word, is our final authority for faith and practice. As Christ’s followers, we commit ourselves to studying it together and building our lives on its truth. ≥ ; 5.
Big Idea: Natural desire for God.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the fullest revelation of God and is central to our understanding and interpretation of Scripture. ≥ ; , ; .
Or desire to know more of Jesus when we begin to follow Him.
What does it mean to learn?
We believe that the Old Testament should be interpreted through the lens of the New Testament while affirming the integrity of the whole Bible as God’s written Word. ≥ , ; 7.
We believe in the importance of determining the author’s primary purpose, the cultural setting, and the literary genre when interpreting the Bible. ≥ ; ; .
What are we to learn?
We believe that the Christian community, as informed by Christian tradition, is the most reliable context for the study and understanding of Scripture. ≥ , ; ; 9.
How do we learn?
What is the result of learning? Or How do we know we have actually learned what we are meant to learn?
We believe that diligent and prayerful study, illuminated by the Holy Spirit and accompanied by an attitude of humility and faith, are fundamental in determining the heart of God in Scripture. ≥ , ; ; , 10.
Points
Points
We believe that the proper interpretation of Scripture ultimately leads to a change of heart and a change in behavior, and makes God’s redemption available to every person and to all of creation. ≥ ; ; ; ; ; ;
What does it mean to learn? To teach?
We must know what we are working toward to know if we are successfully learning or teaching.
Teaching is not just transferring knowledge. We are commanded to equip. Equipping goes beyond just giving info and having a short discussion.
The goal of teaching/learning is not knowledge. Knowledge is necessary but not the end.
The goal of teaching is not just moral behavior. We aim for transformation.
The goal of teaching is not belief. Knowledge is needed for informed belief, but belief alone is not the end goal. Knowledge informs belief which drives behavior. Head, Heart, Hands – it all works together.
The goal of teaching is life transformation resulting obedient living in united mission.
In other words – following Jesus and obeying Him to serve others and make disciples. Sound familiar?
Focus of learning is proficiency in doing and teaching/equipping.
Can we learn by ourselves? Sure, but only partly – knowledge, maybe belief. But it is largely untested. In isolation we are not able to live out the commands. Practice what we learn.
Example – learning a language.
devoted to the apostles’ teaching
Continue to examine what we are being taught. Not just receiving from the apostles and then stopping.
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.
Berean believers searched Scripture – fact checking. many believed
Berean believers searched Scripture – fact checking.
Learning, growing, practicing, and putting it together to serve as they learn.
26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.
order in gathering, lesson, prophecy, prayer, etc. Each one doing their part.
order in gathering, lesson, prophecy, prayer, etc. Each one doing their part.
Learn = personal discipleship, collective discipleship, personal and collective disciple making, teaching, applying, holding accountable.
What are we to learn?
Teaching for understanding, belief, and application. Not for rule following or morality alone.
Example – Daniel prayed, he followed the dietary laws and wouldn’t eat the food, etc. So be like Daniel and follow the rules. Daniel wouldn’t stop praying in public and got thrown into the lion’s den where God spared his life, so be like Daniel and don’t stop praying. Makes it sound like God will spare your life. But what about ? What about Jesus – you will be persecuted for My sake?
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
take my yoke and learn from me
take my yoke and learn from me
teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you
What are we to teach? Jesus – Teach them to obey what I’ve commanded. Know what’s commanded and live it out.
Love God, Love others. Make disciples. Compassion and justice. Helping those who are less able to help themselves.
Paul – the Good News of Jesus Christ, sin, salvation, living holy, equipping others.
Paul passed on the Good News of Jesus according to Scriptures. (Everywhere Paul went he taught what the Scriptures said about Jesus and then showed how Scripture was fulfilled.) invited to follow, incorporated in group to help with more teaching, growing, living, and then multiplying.
Paul’s instructions to Timothy. continue in what you’ve been taught because Scripture is useful/profitable for 16-17 teaching, rebuke, correction, training in righteousness. So that mature and equipped for good works.
Paul’s instructions to Titus. encourage with sound teaching proclaim things consistent with sound teaching.
hears my words and does them – build house on rock.
To teach, especially in the spiritual realm, you must first be taking in, but also applying to real life. How can you teach, model, and expect action on something you are not doing yourself? How do you have anything to pass on if you have not received it yourself and live it out?
Many places where instruction is given to learn and teach scripture and sound doctrine and to encourage others with sound teaching and pass on what you are learning. Also many warnings to avoid false teachers and beware deceit.
16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
word of Christ, teach admonish etc. (what leading into how)
word of Christ, teach admonish etc. (what leading into how)
How do we learn?
What goes into learning? Prayer, knowledge, belief, intentional obedience, accountability, teaching, prayer.
We learn individually, we learn collectively.
We learn by doing and then reflecting on what we’re doing. That reflection needs to be more than just in our own heads. Reflecting with others.
How do we learn? Interactive, watch, practice, teach, coach, correct = mentoring.
2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
pass it on to others. Both learning and teaching and learning while we’re teaching
pass it on to others. Both learning and teaching and learning while we’re teaching
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
proven before God rightly handling the word of truth.
proven before God rightly handling the word of truth.
9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
practice what you learned
practice what you learned
28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
blessed are those who hear word of God and obey it. (application/obedience)
hear word of God and obey it. (application/obedience)
doers, not just hearers.
What goes into learning? Prayer, knowledge, belief, intentional obedience, accountability, teaching, prayer.
How do we know we have actually learned what we are meant to learn?
If I give information to a group (sanctuary, Sunday school, etc.), and even present some potential application steps, how do we know anyone is benefiting? Is anyone growing? No follow through, no follow up, no reinforcement.
Approach for Audience: Wide to deep. Broad to narrow. Broadcasting to many, equipping some, nurturing a few. Modeling reproduction/multiplication in each.
Shotgun approach vs. rifle approach. Rifle designed to make one hole and bring power to that one point. Focused. Requires much more accuracy. Effective at a much longer range. One accurate chance. Shotgun is designed to make a lot of holes in a single direction but getting wider as the pattern goes out. Aimed in a general direction more than focused target. Many random chances. Effective at much shorter range but devastating at too close range.
Mass distribution vs. targeted communication. Send to a group or to an individual.
Planting seeds. Broadcast vs. single seed planting. Broadcast gets as much seed spread across an area. Think parable of the sower and where the seed fell. Seeds on good soil produced fruit.
Planting like Paul and Apollos. Paul’s example is so good. Peter’s as well. Broadcast to many, pull together to cultivate in smaller groups, tend and care and prune in 1-1 or band.
16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
the whole body is fitting together and each part doing its work.
the whole body is fitting together and each part doing its work.
Practicing together.
Conclusion
If I give information to a larger group and then break that larger group into classes or smaller groups, come back together to wrestle with that same information together, we can answer questions, learn from each other’s insights, collaborate together on an activity to practice what we are learning.
If we don’t put it into practice we are not really learning. Simply knowing about but not truly knowing.
If I break the smaller group that is interacting and practicing into triads and dig deeper, learn, live, and equip to multiply the process, it goes much further.
When all are united and working toward a common vision together in the same missional path, larger/deeper impact can be made by dividing the task among the smaller groups and bands. Make it part of what you are doing rather than something extra or outside of what you are focusing on.