The Teaching of Jesus
Categories: Sermon Outlines, Topical Sermon OutlinesINTRODUCTION:
A. Teachers are some of our most unforgettable characters.
1. I remember my high school football coach, who instilled within me a love for competition and the need for teamwork.
2. I remember one of my history teachers – he always took a special interest in his students individually
3. I remember one of my Bible class teachers…
B. When Jesus walked this earth, He was called by a number of titles -e.g. Rabbi, Master, Lord.
1. One of the most common was “Teacher.”
2. Forty times in the four gospels Jesus is called “Teacher.”
C. Christianity is a taught religion – it is not inherited, nor does it just randomly affect this person or that.
1. Jesus charged His apostles to teach people all things that He had commanded – Matthew 28:20
2. That responsibility comes to us not only by implication from Matthew 28, but also from passages such as 2 Timothy 2:2.
D. Let’s look at the Master Teacher so that we may better appreciate Him and imitate Him.
DISCUSSION:
A. JESUS TAUGHT WITH AUTHORITY
1. Matthew 7:28-29
a. The scribes based their teachings on what various respected Rabbis had said (often cited a chain of Rabbis)
b. Many today base their authority on what some man says, or on some book other than the Bible
2. But Jesus strongly appealed to Scripture
a. Matthew 21:42
b. Luke 24:27
c. Jesus strongly emphasized truth – John 8:40, 45-46
d. Our authority derives not from ourselves,
1) Our authority comes from God’s word
2) Colossians 3:17
3) John 12:48
4) We must emphasize God’s word, and be loyal to truth
3. Jesus had low regard for human tradition – Matthew 15:9
a. Even traditions that were essentially harmless were not to be bound as law
b. Traditions that conflicted with Scripture were to be abandoned.
c. We are duty-bound to teach the truth regardless of human tradition
d. We must resist temptation to compromise the truth for the sake of tradition.
B. JESUS ACCOMPANIED HIS TEACHING WITH ACTION
1. Acts 1:1
2. For example – Matthew 9:35, he helped people as well as teaching them
3. He practiced what He preached (e.g. praying for His persecutors
a. Matthew 5:44
b. Luke 23:34
4. If we would teach successfully, then we, too, must accompany our words with action
a. Don’t be “so heavenly-minded that we are no earthly good”
b. Our spirituality must be shown on action
b. Show that we care
C. JESUS’ TEACHING WAS MOTIVATED BY COMPASSION
1. Mark 6:34
2. It is interesting that Jesus’ response to these shepherd-less sheep was to TEACH them!
3. People today are wandering every which direction trying to find meaning/purpose/hope
4. Let us have compassion on them and TEACH them!
D. JESUS’ TEACHING WAS BALANCED
1. God’s love & care – e.g. parables of lost sheep, lost coin, lost son (Lk. 15)
2. God’s judgment against sinners – e.g.
a. Parable of unforgiving servant (Mt. 18:21-35)
b. Parable of the talents (Mt. 25:14-30)
3. Like Jesus, Paul preached “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27); we, likewise, must resist the temptation to go to extremes one way or the other; we must be balanced in our teaching!
4. We must also avoid hobby preaching or teaching
E. JESUS’ TEACHINGS CORRESPONDED WITH THE ABILITY OF HIS LISTENERS TO COMPREHEND
1. John 16:12
2. Paul compared it to “milk” and “meat”
a. 1 Corinthians 3:2
b. As we would not feed steak and potatoes to a new-born, so Jesus (& Paul) taught what their listeners were capable of understanding
3. We, likewise, need to start with people where they are, and lead them to where they need to be.
F. JESUS TAUGHT AS HE HAD (or Made) OPPORTUNITY
1. Formal settings and informal settings
a. In the synagogue, Mt. 13:54
b. Daily in the temple, Lk. 19:47
c. In Simon the Pharisee’s house, Lk. 7:36ff
d. Sitting in a boat speaking to people on shore, Lk. 5:3
2. Spoke to large multitudes (Mk. 2:13), small groups (e.g. 3 disciples on the Mt. of Transfiguration, Matt. 17; also occasions where He was alone with the twelve), individuals (Zacchaeus, Lk. 19; woman at the well, John 4)
3. We, too, should teach as we have opportunity
a. The Great Commission not only commands us to “GO” but also commands us to make disciples “as you are going” (i.e. as you go hear and there in your day-to-day life)
b. Sometimes we can make opportunities where they would not just appear by themselves (e.g. by asking a question, handing someone a tract and asking “Will you read this and tell me what you think of it?” — etc.)
CONCLUSION:
A. Jesus was the Great Teacher.
B. We are privileged to be His disciples, and to teach what He taught
C. Let us practice what we teach, and teach what we practice!