Teacher qualifications
1)
I recently came across a statement about the Amish that
was new to me.
2)
This is surely not universal and may not apply in this
area, but it is apparently true in some places.
a)
Here is a paraphrase of the author’s words:
b)
“When the Amish build something, they ensure that three
flaws are built into the product.”
c)
This author was persuaded some sects of the Amish are
opposed to flawless craftsmanship.
d)
These flaws are based on the fact that only God is
perfect.
e)
Since man is flawed, some Amish want this fact
reflected in their work.
3)
James once said (Jas. 3:2) that “in many things we all
stumble.”
4)
That is true – we all make a lot of mistakes.
5)
It may be a mistake we make on the job; mistakes as we
interact with people, or mistakes in judgment.
6)
Just prior to this verse James said we are to use
caution when thinking about teaching.
a)
No teacher is going to be perfect.
b)
Teaching is a serious matter, especially in the
religious realm, so we want to use care.
7)
Tonight we want to think about some more qualifications
for teachers.
8)
First and foremost should be a desire to teach.
a)
In 1 Tim. 3:1 Paul said an elder is to “desire” this
office.
b)
This does not mean a man is campaigning like a
politician to become an elder.
c)
Some have done this in various congregations, but that
is not what is meant.
d)
Paul described a man who has set his heart on this
objective.
e)
He wants to help and he wants to do what is right for
the betterment of his local congregation.
9)
This point is also true for teachers.
a)
A teacher should not be like a steer who is roped into
submission.
b)
We see roping done at rodeos, but this is not to be the
way things work in the church.
c)
Christians may sometimes need to be encouraged to
teach.
d)
Elders and fellow teachers should never try to force
someone into becoming a teacher.
e)
One of the great things about Christians is the
“free-will” nature of this faith.
f)
Christianity really is a “you choose” religion.
g)
2 Cor. 9:7, in speaking of giving, says “not
grudgingly.”
h)
This principle is essential when dealing with teachers.
10) Students
are good at seeing a teacher who wants to teach and someone who is forced to
teach.
11) Forcing
someone to teach is also a violation of the golden rule (Mt. 7:12).
a)
At various times I have brought up the principle from
Josh. 1: balance.
b)
God said Joshua was not to go to the “right” or “left”
(extremes are almost always wrong).
c)
Applied to teachers, one extreme is twisting arms so
people will teach—this is wrong.
d)
A second extreme is sitting back and hoping people will
come forward (i.e. we do nothing).
e)
Congregations need to encourage people to teach.
f)
Young people – and I mean children 5, 9, 10,15 –these
children can encourage adults to teach.
12) Children
can often spot the people who could do very well in a Bible class setting.
13) Encouragement
to be a teacher can come from other places as well.
a)
Bible class students should be encouraged to look
forward to a day when they can teach.
b)
Part of our teaching should take the form of
encouraging our young to have some goals.
c)
This is part of the reason why children need to come to
class and pay close attention.
d)
Rather than being in the “student chair,” one day
children can be in the “teacher’s chair.”
e)
Because they cannot teach what they do not know, they
need to listen and study hard.
14) Another
qualification for teachers is being a good example.
a)
Timothy is a fairly important New Testament character.
b)
According to what is said about him, he was a
teacher. We know he preached.
c)
He likely also taught something similar to what we call
a Bible class.
d)
Paul said in 1 Tim. 4:12, “be an example.”
15) Our
world expects teachers to practice what they teach.
a)
Imagine an English teacher that repeatedly uses bad
English.
b)
We would not think too highly of such a teacher.
c)
What would we think of a fireman who teaches fire
safety, but is always tossing away lit. cigarettes?
i)
What about a nutritionist who teaches about eating
healthy, but his diet is fast food?
16) No
teacher will be flawless, but we want to be the best example we can be.
17) Part
of this involves every single lesson we prepare and deliver.
18) When
we teach a lesson in a Bible class, the first student to hear it should be the
teacher.
a)
What I am describing is a big challenge for preachers.
b)
Before a sermon is preached, many preachers in the
church first look at themselves.
c)
They look at their material and say, “How well am I
doing in this area?”
d)
They may find that they are weak in some places and
need to work on some things.
e)
We want to live the best Christian we can.
19) Jas.
1:27 says our religion is to be “before God.”
He is the one we seek to please.
a)
If God is the one we see to please, our life will look
good to others.
b)
If we are striving to please God, our Christian life
will be a good example.
c)
It will be a good example to our neighbors, coworkers,
and the Bible students we teach.
20) When we have a desire to
teach and we are trying to be a good example, we have met 2 important
qualifications.
21) If
we are going to be a good example, we must know what God requires of us.
a)
If we do not know what it means to be a faithful
Christian, being faithful will be very difficult.
b)
In order to be a faithful teacher, teachers need to be
familiar with the scriptures.
c)
This knowledge personally benefits them, and it is a
necessary part of the teaching process.
d)
Imagine a math teacher who does not know the basics
about match.
e)
How effective can an accounting teacher be if he knows
knowing of accounting?
f)
Imagine someone who is called a computer teacher, but
he has never before used a computer.
g)
We need to study God’s word and be familiar with the
Bible to be a great teacher.
h)
There is more to teaching that giving someone a class
book and saying, “Here you go.”
22) Teachers
need at least a little advance preparation in the area of knowledge.
23) With
most people they have some things they would like to do but these things are
never done.
a)
We may want to see a place, but we are never able to
make the trip.
b)
Some activity may interest us, but the chance to do
that never arises.
c)
One of the things we can do is come to a good knowledge
of the Bible.
d)
A lot of people would like to have this knowledge.
e)
For one reason or another it is pushed back and pushed
back and people never learn.
f)
This is one goal we want to have and one goal we need
to achieve.
24) We
need to get to the point where we can answer questions about the faith (1 Pet.
3:15).
a)
We not only believe what is right, we come to the point
where we can prove what is right.
b)
No Christian wants to leave this life without having a
good knowledge of God’s word.
c)
We not only work to seek to obtain this knowledge, we use
that knowledge.
d)
Someone might ask, “What should I know if I want to be
a teacher?”
e)
This is an excellent question, and here is an answer.
25) We
should know how the Old Testament differs from the New Testament.
26) We
should be able to cite the verses that show the distinction between the
covenants.
27) We
should be familiar with New Testament worship and the basics of Christian
living.
28) We
should be able to walk someone through the steps of salvation.
29) We
should be able to show that Jesus established one and only one church.
30) We
should have some basic knowledge of heaven, hell, and the judgment day to come.
31) We
should know some basic information about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
32) We
should have a pretty good grasp of what sin is.
33) We
should be able to point to verses that deal moral issues that are right and
wrong.
34) Jesus’
death should be information that we understand and can explain to others.
35) We
should know the basics about the organization of the church.
36) We
should know that the preacher is not the “pastor” as the religious world uses
that term.
37) It
will also be helpful to know some things about common religious errors.
a)
If someone asks us about tithing, we should be able to
answer that question.
b)
If we are asked why we meet on Sunday, we should be
prepared to respond.
c)
We should be able to defend having the Lord’s Supper
each Sunday.
d)
These are many of the subjects that generate questions
in a Bible class setting.
38) With
our knowledge we need to remember that Bible classes contain a variety of
people.
39) In
some cases the people are unruly and may need discipline.
a)
We live in a world which has a lot of ideas about
disciplining children.
b)
Many of these ideas are far removed from God’s
teachings on the subject of discipline.
c)
In a Bible class, teachers typically have children who are
not their own.
d)
Yet, this lack of a “blood relationship” does not
remove the need for discipline.
e)
There are times when people are unruly and disruptive
and these times must be dealt with.
40) As
we think about this, I want to say that parents can often help teachers in this
area.
41) Several
years ago Teresa and I took Beth and two other children to a Christian camp.
42) The
parents of the other two children said, “We have told our children to be good
for the week.”
43) “If
they misbehave, tell us and we will address any discipline problems when they
come back.”
44) Knowing
the parents (who are not from here) I was absolutely certain the father was not
kidding.
45) The
kids also believed mom and dad and they were perfect for the whole week.
46) Parents
can help address or help worsen discipline problems.
47) We
hope that parents would help in this area and not hamper things.
a)
Parents can let teachers know that they are interested
in any discipline problems.
b)
This is another application of the golden rule.
c)
Parents who offer cooperation in this regard can be a
great blessing to teachers.
d)
Parents may say, “If you have some discipline problems,
please let us know.”
48) Many
and we might say most discipline problems can be handled right in class.
49) Occasionally
there are situations where parental involvement may be needed.
a)
It is impossible to offer any set guidelines on how to
discipline in a class.
b)
Every situation is going to be different. There are some common sense principles.
50) For
instance, the teacher needs to teach the class.
51) If
a teacher is not going to teach the class, he or she is not qualified to be a
teacher.
52) In
some congregations a class is run by the students. This is not teaching; it is babysitting.
53) This
type of arrangement shows a discipline problem and a very serious problem.
54) In
this type of circumstance, it is necessary for the teacher to regain control of
the class.
a)
If this cannot be done, the teacher should seek help.
b)
Parents might be one source of help. This is also an appropriate work for elders.
c)
It may be necessary to move (at least temporarily) that
teacher out of the class.
d)
It may be necessary to put a second teacher into the
class (perhaps an elder).
e)
If a lady is teaching a class, sometimes changing the
teacher to a male is useful.
55) When
a teacher is teaching a class, discipline needs to be maintained.
56) We
should recognize that a Bible class is not like the military.
57) We
are typically dealing with children.
58) The
attention span of children can and does sometimes wander.
59) Adult
soldiers can stand at attention for 45 minutes, but we cannot expect that from
children.
60) Teachers
need to balance that fact that children are not adults with discipline.
61) This
is one more qualification.
62) Often
it is hard to know exactly where to draw the line.
63) Some
are too light with discipline and others can be too hard.
64) A
teacher wants to try and find strike the right balance in this area.
65) If
we become a teacher, we are going to stumble (Jas. 3:1-2).
a)
The church is not after perfect teachers because there
are none.
b)
There is no perfect preacher, no perfect elder, no
perfect husband, wife, child, or Bible class program.
c)
We are flawed people who hopefully recognize our
shortcomings and try to do better.
d)
We not only personally try to do better, we try to help
others correct themselves along the way.
e)
Our one big goal is getting people to heaven.
f)
We hope you are part of that goal: Helping people find heaven as their eternal
home.