Lisa Scott's Blog

I have a deep concern that I feel compel to voice out.  I’ve been grieved tremendously in what I’ve seen among many Christian men.  Much that can be seen in churches and Christian forums.

So many men want to rise up quickly and be teachers of the Word.  They will spend much time studying the bible and reading other men’s teachings so that they can learn to expound on scriptures and teach others.  They have much zeal, an earnest desire to teach others.  You may ask, “what is wrong with that?”

My brethren , should we not first have an earnest desire to imitate Christ?  To be found blameless before God and men?  That there would be no hypocrisy in our teachings to others.  Where is the earnest desire of wanting to make my life an example for the flocks to follow?

Paul says, “imitate me”(1Cor.11:1), I urged you to imitate me (1 Cor.4:16), You became imitators of us and of the Lord…(1Thess.1:6).  He was not being boastful, but confident that he was obeying God, taking heed to His commands.  He knew he was obeying the Lord in all His commands that he could say with confident, "follow me".  There was no hypocrisy in his teachings.  What he commands of others to follow Christ in, he has done already.  Paul says:

Rom 15:18  For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—

That is a very sobering verse.  Paul’s life was not about sharing doctrine through mere words, but what God has worked in him.  A holy life lived for God was Paul’s doctrine.  Christ living through Him was what he believe will help the gentiles be obedient to God.  It wasn’t mainly about teaching His sheep through word, but more about  being an example of the power of His word living in him.  “Christ in you, the hope of glory!”  It is Christ living and moving through you that will bring hope to others!   It seems that so many Christians are more focus about teaching doctrine to others instead of being an example for the flocks to follow.  Its very easy to share your belief than it is to obey what you believe.  It will take the death of you to be an example for the sheep to follow.  Paul says he dies daily that others may have life.  Wow!  Now that’s real love for His people.

If we say we love God’s people, that we care about their growth then we would be like Paul and die daily so that others may have life.  We would want to be an example to the sheep, showing forth our obedience to His word, that the sheep see Christ in us, giving them hope.  It is what God has accomplished through me that will help others to be obedient to His teachings.   Not just in word, but in deed.  May I be found blameless in all that I teach to others!

Let us not be like the Pharisees who teach and command others to obey God, but we are not doing it ourselves.  That’s hypocrisy!  We are not fit to be teachers if we are not obeying His word.

There is so much teaching and preaching going on, but hardly anyone is showing the life of what they believe and teach.  Let us first, desire to be examples of obeying His word, before we want to be teachers.  Let us desire to be found blameless and not with hypocrisy, in obedience in what we desire to teach.

Remember what James says about teachers.



Jas 3:1Let not many of you become teachers,  my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.

Teachers receive stricter judgement.  Teachers should not tell others to do something that they have not done themselves.  
It is a fearful thing to be entrusted with the gospel.  It should not be taken lightly as so many Christians have been  careless in handling His Word.  

Power and authority does not come by merely teaching His word.  It comes by our obedience to His word.  No one can easily rise up and be entrusted with the gospel to preach with power and authority.  God will first test you, just like He tested Paul before he was approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel (1Thess.2:1-6).

Many men fear to go through trials, but they do not realize that God test them with those trials.  That the trials are there to help us learn to stand firm and not waver on the truth no matter what.

Do you really believe what you preach and teach to others?  If you do, it will show in your life.  Do you fear God above men?  Paul says that if he still pleases man he could not be a bondservant to Christ.  If we still please man we will easily add to God’s word, fearing persecution from others.  We will compromise His word so that the sword of His word will not come down and bring sepreration with our family, friends, ect…How can we be a bondservant of Christ, to be entrusted with the gospel, if we can allow family, friends, religious people bring doubts about God’s commands, hearing the lie of the evil one say,”did God really say that?”

Think about how heavy that is to proclaim to be a teacher of His word.  If Paul had to go though much testing before He was approved by God to be entrusted with His word, what about us?  There is nothing wrong with sharing His word with others through bible study and encouraging and exhorting one another with His Word.  However, let us not be quick to rise ourselves up to be teachers of His word while at the same time avoiding the trials that will help us to grow mature and stand firm no matter what.  There is an order that God takes us through before He approves us to be teachers and preachers of His Word.  Let us fear God in this.

I wish to see men desire more to be examples of what they believe before they teach and command others to obey his Word.  There is a seriousness in teaching and preaching God’s Word.  It comes with a great cost that I believe many cannot handle because they have not allow the Lord to have His way with them and go through many trials that are needed to refine and conform them to Jesus, instead many run away from trials, not understanding that trials are the very thing God uses to make us more genuine in the faith.

If you really care about God’s sheep and desire to see them come to maturity and obey all His commands then first, be an example for them to follow.  Not by words only, but  by a life of obedience to His commands.