Not long ago I read a remarkable thing by the Christian writer Oswald Chambers. He observed that people called by God first “do” and then they “teach.” I partly agree with that. After God’s initial dramatic call on my life, I studied and prayed, wrote, and did other things. Then there was a period of focusing almost entirely on healing, always accompanied by teaching. There is nothing like being in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit and seeing God work – especially when for many present this might be the first time they have ever seen God work. As I moved along I found myself teaching more and more.
One day about five years ago Jesus clearly said to me, “John, tell them who I am and that I am coming soon.” He has repeated that, sometimes with elaboration, several times since. So I do. Now we still heal the sick and do other things in ministry, but the focus is on teaching and preaching all about who Jesus is and that he is coming soon. So in reality, first I “did” and then I moved into more “teaching,” still “doing” along with “teaching.”
I have seen this pattern in others. One famous world-wide minister was for years focused on miracle healing programs. He held those everywhere. Then while still doing healing programs his focus seemed to move to teaching. He held programs on teaching about how to minister. He referred to his ministry as an “end times” ministry. Why? Probably because he in some way heard something similar to what I heard. Jesus really is coming soon. It’s a time of picking up as many for the kingdom as possible.
Maybe doing builds the faith needed to teach the Word with boldness and confidence. Maybe.
Why is teaching so important? Because knowing Jesus – receiving him as your Lord – is more important than anything else. Remember, the Bible does make the point that teachers of the Word are held to a higher standard. (James 3:1).
Once years ago we were asked by a relief organization to go to a difficult war-torn country and oversee provision of certain necessities to the people. One problem to us was that we were told we could not tell the people in that country about Jesus. We could just provide the necessities of life that the people did not have – in this case housing. Well, we realized, what does it matter if they have housing and do not know Jesus? Very little. Years later, I was asked to interview to be head of that organization, but the same issue troubled me, so I did not follow up.
What does it matter if you are healed physically but do not know Jesus? Nothing, really, except that for a miniscule moment in time you are healed. Because long-run, you will live in absolute torment unless you do receive Jesus.
If you are thinking about teaching the gospel, never forget that teachers are held to a higher standard. Jesus is preaching and teaching through you. It is the Holy Spirit who is impacting the listeners.
There is another insight to all this, a warning not only for all preaching and teaching the Word of God but also for all listening to such. Once in a city when I had begun to speak to various local ministers, one said to me, “John, when you’re going about meeting all these preachers, you’re going to find that many of them haven’t even been born again.”
Now there is an indictment! He was saying that many of those preaching and teaching the Word don’t know Jesus, don’t have a regenerated spirit, and quite obviously don’t know the Holy Spirit. And they are preaching and teaching others, on Sunday mornings in churches and elsewhere. Yet teachers of the Word are held to a higher standard.
We need to be wise about whom we listen to and sit under, in person and on television and in books. Always, always be guided by the Holy Spirit in such matters. As regards a local church, here are a couple suggestions – Do you see God moving in the church, people actually healed, miracles happening? If you can’t answer yes to that, you need to consider where you are and why you are there. When you listen to preaching on Sunday mornings or whenever you do listen, is it inspired? Do you receive any confirmation in your spirit from what you hear? Does it line up with the Bible? And is the fullness of the gospel being preached, all those many things Jesus did for us and told us to do that are so often not ever mentioned?
Something to ponder seriously.
