From Bill Mounce:
Jesus does not tell us to teach data; he commands us to teach people to obey what they are learning. How do you do that?
This is one of those questions that is more easily answered by saying what it is not.
- Lecturing to a class does not make people obey.
- Knowledge that doesn’t move to wisdom isn’t obedience.
- The purity of academics, while essential to the process, is only half the process.
The only way I know to teach someone to obey is to do so in community, in relationship. Jesus preached to thousands but discipled 12, and it was those 12 who turned the world upside-down by fulfilling the Great Commission through the power and leading of the Spirit.
2 comments:
This is one of my favorite blogs, thank you for posting this important quote.
Jesus chose the disciples that they might be with him. We teach disciples to obey by being with them, showing them what a life of love and obedience looks like, both one to one, and in small groups.
We help people grow deeper into a loving relationship with Christ, and to understand that if we love him, we will obey His words.
We teach obedience by modeling a life of surrender to Christ, and consecration to Him, and letting them see our obedience lived out.
We help them see and understand that this alone can be called true discipleship.
Thank you for all the work that you put into this blog.
Thanks, Don. I appreciated reading your comments today. We have around 170 subscribers, but not too many people have been commenting as of late!
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