Training the generations to come
Christa McAuliffe was the
first teacher in all the world trained to fly and work in a
space shuttle. She was the winner of the NASA Teacher In
Space project over 11,500 applicants. She was scheduled to
teach two lessons from the space shuttle, Challenger. Christa
summed up her purpose in life with these words, “I touch the
future. I teach.”
Unfortunately, Christa died
with the rest of the seven member Challenger crew when it
exploded 73 seconds after launch on January 28, 1986. By any
standard she continues to “touch the future.”
THE
NECESSITY OF TEACHING THE GENERATION TO COME.
The
apostle Paul also knew how essential it is for each mature
generation of Christians to pass on to the following
generation the great truths of the Christian faith. He wrote
his protégé Timothy. . .
“You
therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ
Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many
witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to
teach other also.”
2nd Timothy
2:1,2.
The earthly ministry of the
apostle is drawing near to its end. More than any other
apostle he has evangelized Asia, Macedonia, and
Europe.
A myriad of churches has been established. Faithful men have
been taught and trained to properly teach and train others in
every one of these churches.
These churches started out
as small groups of believers meeting in private homes but many
had grown to be large congregations. They would impact the
Roman Empire and from them would go forth missionaries to
spread the gospel to other nations. Paul would shortly be
executed by the guillotine. This was a settled decision. The
only thing unknown was the time. In chapter four, verse 6 he
writes,
“For I am already being
poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure
is at hand.”
Of all the preachers Paul
had mentored, Timothy was the one in whom he had the greatest
desire to reproduce himself. Paul revealed to Timothy God’s
plan to train leadership for all generations that follow:
“The things you have heard
from me. . .”
Timothy
heard the gospel from Paul on Paul’s first missionary journey
and joined Paul’s mission team on his 2nd mission
journey. He rose to become a representative of Paul to
churches and Paul’s “Fellow-worker’. (Romans 16:21).
During this time Timothy heard the teachings of Paul many
times over.
At the time of this writing
Timothy was pastor of the church at Ephesus. He was looked
upon as the most respected leader of the churches in Asia
Minor. Paul
encourages Timothy to pass on everything he has learned to
“Faithful men.”
“Commit these to faithful
men”. As Timothy taught God’s truth and how it was to be
applied he would see what Paul had seen in him. From each
congregation there would rise certain ones who were committed
as servants of Jesus Christ to learn, to live pleasing to God
and minister to the spiritual growth of their fellow
believers. Paul exhorted Timothy to entrust all he had
learned to them.
“Who will be able to
teach others also”.
I have asked missionaries
who have been unusually successful on the mission field how
they did it. Most often they would give an answer to this
effect. . .”My main objective on the mission field is to work
myself out of a job.” By this they meant they would win
people to Christ, teach them God’s truth and how to be a godly
Christian. They would then teach them how to teach and train
others. When certain ones grew in spiritual maturity enough
to lead, teach and train others, the missionary would move to
another area and do the same thing again.
The Process
The Teacher In
Decline Who Has Taught
The Teachers
In Their Prime Who Teach
The Faithful of The Time Who Will Teach
The Generation Now In Line. . .
Repeated over and over.
THE TRUTH TIMOTHY WAS TO
TEACH
By his life he was to provide
the example of a servant of God cleansed from sin.
“Therefore if anyone cleanses
himself. ..he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and
useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee
also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love,
peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
2nd
Timothy 2:20-22.
Regarding Instruction, Paul
directed Timothy,
“Be diligent to present
yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2nd
Timothy 2:15.
Every Faithful Man should
possess a clear knowledge of the five major themes in both the
Old and the New Testament. They are as follows:
I. The Character
and
Attributes of God
1) God is the Sovereign
Ruler of the Universe
which He created.
2) God is Spirit:
A non-material personal being Who is self-conscious and
self-determining.
3) God is Infinite.
(There are no limits to God.)
Infinite in His being:
He is everywhere. (Psalm 134:7-12.
Infinite in His wisdom: God knows everything.
Infinite in His power: With God nothing is
impossible.
Infinite in His holiness: Separate from all that is not
good and righteous.
“…Be holy; for I am holy” Leviticus
11:44
Infinite in justice: “Righteousness and justice are
the foundations
of Your
throne…” Psalm
89:14.
Infinite in His goodness: His goodness is seen in His
love, compassion, kindness,
grace, and mercy. “God is love.” 1st
John 4:8.
Infinite in His truth: “…It is impossible for God to
lie…” Hebrews 6:18.
In addition. . .
4) God is eternal:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,
says the LORD, “who is and who was and who is to come, the
Almighty.” Revelation 1:8.
5) God is unchangeable:
“For I, the LORD, do not change. . .” Malachi 3:6. “Jesus
Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8.
II. The Divine Judgment for Sin and Disobedience.
Of the 1189 chapters in the
Bible only four do not refer to the fallen, sinful ways of
mankind. The first two chapters of Genesis, speaks of mankind
before sin was committed. The last two chapters of Revelation
speak of mankind in the new creation of heaven and earth.
Every chapter in-between makes reference to man’s disobedience
to God. The second coming of Jesus Christ will be a time of
judgment for all who do not repent of their sin and experience
redemption by receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior.
III. THE DIVINE PROVISION OF
A SINLESS SAVIOR TO BE THE SACRIFICE FOR MANKIND’S SIN
God is holy, righteous, and
just. The Old and New Testaments declare that man is sinful:
“God looks down from
heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who
understand, who seek God. Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt; There is non who does good,
No, not one.”
Psalm 53:2,3.
Romans 3 quotes the above
verses plus several others and concludes, “Therefore by the
deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in His sight, for
by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:10-20.
By Scriptural statements and
types God revealed that the coming Messiah would become a
sinless sacrifice to receive the just punishment for mankind’s
sins.
“He was wounded for our
transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The
chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we
are healed.” Isaiah 53:5.
The risen Christ affirmed
the above truth to His disciples in the upper room:
“Then He said to them,
‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ
to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.” Luke
24:46.
IV.
THE DIVINE FORGIVENESS OF MAN’S SIN THROUGH REPENTANCE AND
FAITH
The
apostle Peter wrote the Jewish pilgrims in dispersion. . .
“. . .Knowing that you
were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or
gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from
your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was
foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was
manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe
in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so
that your faith and hope are in God.” 2nd Peter
1:18-21.
Because God accounted the
sacrifice of Jesus for sin before the foundation of the world
He could exercise grace, mercy, and forgiveness in all ages to
those who repudiated their sin and asked God in sincere faith
to forgive them of their sins.
“For there is no
distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same LORD over all
is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the
name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans
10:12, 13.
V.
THE DIVINE PROMISE OF THE GLORIOUS KING AND KINGDOM
The
Old Testament promises an earthly kingdom ruled by God’s
Messiah. Included in that promise, is the salvation of
believing Jews and Gentiles by way of resurrection or
translation. King Jesus will return in power and glory and
reign for a thousand years. The effects of the curse on the
earth will be removed.
The present heaven and earth
will pass away and be replaced by God’s creation of the new
heaven and earth which will be the eternal home of God’s
children.
These are the major themes
that God’s “Faithful Men” must learn well and pass on to each
generation that follows.
