1 Cor 12:28
These verses talk about the many different gifts God bestowed on the believers in the church. The reason for this bestowment is for the use of this gifts in the church to help promote the various ministries. One of the areas of service is that of being a teacher.

One important thing for us to recognise while we’re teaching is that this calling/appointment is from God. Sometimes we may or may not appreciate this when we’re busy or overwhelmed.

There are some ministers who take their ordination lightly. Do we as teachers take our appointment lightly? If we can recognise this is a calling/appointment from God, the speaker hopes we can realise how sacred and holy this work is, and the responsibility we ought to have in discharging these duties.

The speaker asked some young people in the world, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Many of them say they don’t know. When the speaker probes further and asks, “Would you like to be a doctor?”, he’s gotten a really flippant ‘ack no’. And it’s not because they’ve thought out that they’re not strong in the sciences or are not interested in this job, but because they’re afraid of responsibility; because someone’s life is in their hands. “I don’t want this responsibility.”

If we don’t want the responsibility, then the most responsible thing you can do is not to take up the position.

The question is: why are people afraid of responsibility?

Most of the answers given back to the speaker were ones that didn’t require them to take responsibility and accountability; where they are free to do what they want.

Since we are already teachers with responsibilities, we need to reflect deeply on this. And this responsibility has been entrusted by God. What has God entrusted us with? With the next generation of God’s children. It’s our job to proclaim and teach the word of God.

We are:

1. Teachers
   Heb 5:11-6:2
   “of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain”
   There is a lot more the author of Hebrews/apostles wanted to impart to the people, but they found it very hard to say these things. Why? Because they were dull of hearing.

“by this time you ought to be teachers”
“unskilled in the word of righteousness”
“[unable to] discern both good and evil”
We ought to be teachers; we are already teachers.

Have we continued to progress into maturity; to be more and more skilled in the word of righteousness/truth? Have we been more able to apply these teachings to discern good and evil; to give assurance and proper guidance to the young ones that come through our classes?

There’re some things that are very basic in the Bible. A few years ago, there was the need for all RE teachers to declare that they fully believed in the 10 basic doctrines of the True Jesus Church.

It’s a non-negotiable between God and ourselves. The truth is truth anywhere. The truth is the truth even if no one believes. The number of people who believe doesn’t affect the truth. Only Noah’s family believed him and that didn’t change the truth of the flood coming. Even if no one believes God exists, the truth that He exists remains. Even if 1 person believes True Jesus Church is the one true church, the truth that it’s the one true church remains.

If we want the church to progress, we need to progress way beyond this. The foundation does not need to be laid again.

We need to have the relentless, constant thirst for the word of God. Not just in the reading of the Scriptures but also the interest to attend our regular services and seminars; to constantly learn and upgrade ourselves.

1. Fathers
   1 Cor 4:15-16
   “though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers”
   These were the words of Paul to the Corinthian church. Paul was an apostle and apostles did teach, but Paul went the extra mile. He stayed with the churches, revisited them, wrote letters to expound in the truth.

Let’s reflect on this verse. We instruct our students in the word of God. Paul says that many can and many do instruct. But there aren’t many fathers.

“I have begotten you through the gospel”
As teachers, the speaker hopes we can progress from just being an instructor to being a father.

Sometimes we take what children say with a pinch of salt. But sometimes what they say has truth. “This teacher is not good. He spent half the lesson scolding. I learnt nothing.”

Let us not just be an instructor, but go above and beyond to be a parent. As parents, we know it’s not just in that hour that we care for them.

How do we progress beyond just an instructor in Christ to becoming a parent who really cares; who is prepared to make sacrifices?

Col 1:28
“Him we preach…that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus”
This is the ultimate goal. If we go beyond being an instructor only, we have to nurture them like a parent, with the aim of presenting them perfect in Christ.

The prodigal son was really undeserving of the love and grace of his father. He wasn’t chased out of the house, he left on his own accord. Not only that, he took his inheritance way in advance. The father owed him nothing and suffered grief. Only when he’s in dire straits did he crawl back. 该死. But that wasn’t the heart of the father. He was disappointed, waiting day after day for the son. But once the son came back, the father was quick to receive him.

“I’ve got 10 students. So what about the 1 naughty boy?”
A brother once shared with the speaker that he was treated like scum in school because he was in a rowdy class, even if he did well academically. The students were rowdy because they felt that even if they weren’t, the teachers still treated them like scum. Thank God this brother matured as a he grew and became a decent member of the church.

Do we treat naughty students in our RE classes likewise? It is important to be seriously interested in the development of the children.

1. Shepherds
   It’s eas(ier) to be teachers and prophets because we just need to talk. “We’re old ginger already lah. I’ve taught this so many times. Close eyes close ears half asleep also can teach.”
   So teaching and preaching is not so difficult, especially for topics we know well.

But being a shepherd is not easy. A good shepherd is willing to lay his life down for his sheep. A hireling is different. A hireling runs away. Do we as teachers watch out for dangers that come their way and are we prepared to protect them? If it was our own children, what would we do?

Some trends in the world are quite subtle. We need to care enough to protect the sheep; to keep them out from dangers. From false teachers, dangerous worldly trends. This is our duty.

As shepherds, when sheep get hurt, nurse them.

It’s not a one way traffic. The word of God is good for many things. Rebuke. Encourage. Comfort. So when to apply which method/what to do is important to consider as teachers.

We are teachers. We are fathers. We are shepherds. Let us also be priests.

1. Priests
   Becoming a priest means making intercessions for these sheep under our care. Just like Jesus who prayed for His disciples. Because Jesus knew there would be times He wouldn’t be with them while His disciples were in the world. Like how Satan wanted to sift Peter as wheat but Jesus prayed for him that his faith should not fail. Jesus showed an example. He prayed for His disciples. Just like Moses prayed for the people. After the incident of the golden calf, Moses prayed for his name to be blotted out too if God wanted to wipe out the people. Moses was a shepherd, prophet and priest.

We are teachers today. Can we be a father too? “I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me.” (1 Cor 4:15-16)
Can we do the same? We tell them to pray and attend service. But do we do it? Do our True Jesus Church children wake up to the quarrels of their parents or the sound of tongues? “Let our children wake up to the sound of hymns/prayers rather than the sound of quarrels.”

We are teachers. How do our children see us? Our children watch us as well. If it’s prayer time and we tell them to go into the hall, do we do the same?

Be a parent caring for them right to the end. Be a shepherd using different methods; knowing when they need comfort, when they need healing, when they need scolding. Be a priest praying for them all the time.

The speaker used to preach to a kid on Saturday morning (there was no morning service [in Indonesia?] then). His parents did not allow him to come to church. He would play badminton usually, but before that, Bible study 😂 Years later, the speaker found out this kid was the chairman of one of the churches and he was absolutely delighted ☺️

If we nurture our kids well, they can really grow up.