Tag: teach

Teach Your Children Well

Sunday Morning Sermon
August 20, 2017
Deuteronomy 6:1 – 7
John McKeel

Five Functions

Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

If the church were a building then:

  1. The foundation of the Church is worship (vv. 42; 47).
  2. One wall is education (v. 42).
  3. The other wall is fellowship (v. 42).
  4. One side of the roof is ministry/service (v. 45).
  5. The other side of the roof is evangelism (v. 47).

Of course, the biggest challenge is learning to see these functions as God intended them. For example, “fellowship” means much more than “potluck” and education is more than the classroom experience!

What is the biblical model of education?

When we think of education, we think about a teacher, a student, and a subject and maybe a classroom. It is difficult for us to envision any other model, but I’d like to try.

Let’s go back in time and learn from Moses and the Israelites. His life is coming to an end. The last of the slaves who fled Egypt have died. The Israelites are preparing to enter the Promised Land and Moses, now well over 100 years old, addresses them one last time. Open your Bibles, please, to Deuteronomy chapter 6.

1 “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his command-ments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. [1]

Principles

  1. “Boil it down.” Yes, there are many commandments but what is the one guiding principle? v. 4.
  2. Know the Lord! v. 5
  3. Teach your children. v. 7
    • Diligently
    • Talk about these things constantly
    • What does it take to raise godly children? Godly parents!