WHAT SHOULD WE BE TEACHING

1. What should we be teaching? Introduction
   1. As I offer my thoughts as to what should be taught, I must admit that this lesson has a lot of opinion. I could claim experience, but many have more experience than me. I could claim that I am a good judge of Human nature, but that is even more speculative. So let me stress that in actual practice, it is the subject, you and the person whom you teach that must make the final determination. I see many discouraged after attempting to teach someone, others become discouraged that they have no one to teach and still others feel that they are inadequate to teach.
   2. Let me say at this point that this is not a get out and knock on doors lesson. You can do that, I wish that illustrious Someone Else would. This lesson deals with a few topics that might come up in conversation or teaching opportunities.
2. We can not teach about what we cannot know.
   1. Deuteronomy 29:29 (NKJV) "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."
   2. We are often asked questions about things the Bible doesn't talk about.
3. We can only teach what has been revealed to us through the word.
   1. We must deal with those things pertaining to life and godliness -- II Pet. 1:3
   2. We must worship according to the pattern
   3. We must do what the Book tells us.
   4. Sometimes we need to say I don't know. Other times we need to say that something is not in the Bible or I would like to see that verse, where is it at? Other times we need to say the Bible doesn't address that.
4. What should we teach about the basics? Hear Believe Repent Confess Be Baptized Live Faithful
   1. To many people try to win the argument. Remember the other fellow want's to win also. It's not about winning the argument. There are some things which I try to do that usually puts things in perspective. I suggest a Bible Study so that we are both at the same place and have the same respect for the authority of God's word.
   2. Authority is necessary Jesus said, "All authority is given me. . ." The apostles went out with authority to preach the Gospel. If we aren't coming from the same place as for as authority goes we cannot hope the win a convert.
   3. A structured study is good. The church didn't start out full grown. You can make your own lessons with goals and objectives. Or if you prefer, several are out there. I have one. This tends to put us in the same ball park. What I think I have developed is a course to bring people into a knowledge that will let them confidently trust and believe the scriptures. What I now use has proven itself successful to me in my use. Others might not could use it at all. I didn't get it over night. It was over a process of several studies. It's been a long time however, since I have gone to discuss whatever comes up and hope that I know something about what is asked about. We need to know who we serve. We serve Jesus the Christ, not ourselves, not the church but Jesus who is Christ, the son of God.
5. So what do we have.
   1. Authority -- Only from Jesus
   2. Knowledge -- ours and theirs
   3. Goals To reach the state of affairs where the person is capable of deciding what they should do.
   4. Confidence -- Theirs and ours
   5. A closure -- when the person is asked to make a decision, not necessarily an immediate decision but certainly an imminent one.
6. The Church --
   1. We can discuss Jesus' church from the standpoint of the New Testament and it's development. We have nothing else to discuss.
   2. A Bible study, same one as above should be appropriate here.
   3. What I have said many times and what I am sure has been said many time is I am a member of the church which Jesus built. Matthew 16:18. I meet with others who also claim to be members of that church. Our only creed book is the Bible and is the authority for all that we do. We believe if the same seed as was planted in the first century is planted now, it will produce the same fruit. Who can disagree with that? Our membership is based on The Lord adding to the church those who are saved and this is a result of obedience.
7. What about the Lord's Supper --
   1. I note the following: We offer it at all Sunday services so as not to offend anyone's conscience who may feel that they should partake. I also include that most of us could not conscienciously partake of it by ourselves. I try to show our love and respect for the conscience of others. If we do not offer it, are we not binding our understanding on others?
   2. I offer to study with them.
8. What about Marriage, Divorce and remarriage?
   1. This is a tough one. I don't know for sure what anyone else here believes about it and I'm not sure if anyone else knows for sure what I believe. I'm not sure if I can put into a 500 words or less simple statement what I believe about it. What I stress is that the person involved should be making the decisions about what he or she should do and those of us without the problem should not dictate or try to force our personal understandings on others. Even this statement would cause some to draw back in horror and they would then try to show us how simple it is to understand. What do I believe, hopefully this will not be offensive to any. I believe the only reason a Christian can divorce their mate is for the cause of fornication. I believe that when a person comes to be baptized for the remission of sins that he or she needs to practice that from that time forward. This is based on Paul's statements in I Corinthians 7 where he draws a distinction between instruction to married couples in the church and those who are married to those out side. For the few whose mates have left because they remained faithful to Christ (I have never known any), I could not condemn a remarriage -- based on Paul's "is not under bondage" I Cor. 7:15. Lastly I do not believe the piece of paper from the civil court means anything. -- regarding either the reason for divorce or the establishment of a marriage. Adultery which is included in fornication takes place when the marriage covenant established by God is broken in a sexual act outside of the recognized marriage. Jesus said if you put her away and it's not for fornication, it's still adultery. Therefore in God's eyes, the marriage still exists even when the paper says it doesn't. Once adultery is there, that fornication becomes the grounds for divorce. When everyone is happily married to someone else, I believe all have sinned by comitting adultery, all need to repent, and all have scriptural grounds for divorce. What is needed is repentance for not respecting God's laws and the marriage covenant. What is not needed is someone breaking up the existing marriage. There are a lot of amplifying factors.
   2. Any questions?
9. What about 70 AD?
   1. I try to stress the imminent coming scriptures. Can we understand those alike? In reality this includes most of the Judgment passages in the Gospels. I go to Matthew 3:7-12
   2. "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 "and do not think to say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 "And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 "His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
   3. Mala 4:1 (NKJV) "For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven,
   4. And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," Says the Lord of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch.
10. What about abortion?

    Abortion - Disrespect for life.

    Let's look at a few passages of scripture.:

    Gene 3:13 (NKJV) And the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent:

    "Because you have done this,

    You are cursed more than all cattle,

    And more than every beast of the field;

    On your belly you shall go,

    And you shall eat dust

    All the days of your life.

    15 And I will put enmity

    Between you and the woman,

    And between your seed and her Seed;

    He shall bruise your head,

    And you shall bruise His heel." 16 To the woman He said:

    "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;

    In pain you shall bring forth children;

    Your desire shall be for your husband,

    And he shall rule over you."

    A Woman is supposed to bring forth babies. Not a man, not a test tube but a woman. A woman bearing a child is designed by God, part of his plan. Notice the sorrow was increased. I don't know what it was before. Eve hadn't had children yet so I don't know what it might have been. Notice also concerning the conception, desire was for the husband and he has the rule. The woman did not have a choice whether to have a baby or not. It is her role and that is what she does.

    Genesis 25:21-23 --

    Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If all is well, why am I like this?" So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her:

    "Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body;

    One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger."

    Now I don't think that the Holy Spirit revealed things in an accidental manner. The Spirit did not call them children if they were not children. How can something that doesn't exist be a nation.

    Exod 21:22

    "If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman's husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 "But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 "eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 "burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

    Some will disagree that the harm that follows refers to the baby but surely it does.. Since we must accept that the baby is considered a child.

    Proverbs 31:10&28

    " Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.

    &

    "Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:"

    These women probably don't claim virtue, but a virtuous wife has children.

    Judge 13:3-5

    And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 "Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. 5 "For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

    While pregnant the woman, present tense, could not drink wine or eat anything unclean.

    Luke 1:39-40

    Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 "But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 "For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

    This passage is filled with sanctity of life in the womb. The fruit was blessed. The Holy Spirit on this occasion directed Elizabeth to make a statement regarding Jesus.

    Rev. 21:8 (NKJV)

    "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

    Romans 1:28-32

    "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them."

    1. Life is sacred -- Gen. 9:5-6 (NKJV) -- Death penalty

       5 "Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.

       Numbers 35:33-34- 33

       `So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. 34 `Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.'

11. Point of all is to understand what we believe and then lovingly and patiently teach others. Primarily important is the understanding of how terrible sin is. Sin is the worst calamity that befalls mankind. Until we recognize the calamity of sin we can never effectively deal with others and their salvation. We must understand first what we have obtained by our obedience to the gospel.

    We must remember that the forgiveness of sin is of primary importance and teach others with that in mind. In the process we might need to deal with other things, but should never lose sight of the primary mission.

    We should also never compromise or downplay our own values. If you believe something is wrong or right you need to say so if the opportunity avails itself.