A Teacher Is a Very Serious Calling

Just a little over a month from now, Darla and I and Mr. Ben Leich from Salem, Oregon are going to be packing our bags and heading off once again to West Africa. We're going to be participating in the Nigeria Youth Camp, but before that happens, we're going to be stopping off in Ghana for a week. We have a leadership workshop planned, a two-day workshop taking place in Accra.

The focus of this is actually to bring together various leaders and spouses from both Ghana and Nigeria who are, if I can use the phrase, in the pipeline in their service to the church. We're looking to help to bring some focused education, to bring them along to more further, greater future service in the Church of God. I've mentioned to you before there's a serious need for ordained leadership to serve in the 13 congregations we have between Nigeria and Ghana.

As such, this conference, again, is to provide some focused education and to hopefully give them some of the tools that they can use in their further service. My sermon today is a presentation of one of the topics I plan to deliver at the conference. The title for the message is, A Teacher is a Very Serious Calling. Teacher is a very serious calling. I get to thinking about it. I thought, well, it's been a while since I've had a speaker's meeting for the men on the circuit.

Frankly, so many of us have opportunities to teach. Teaching doesn't just happen from the lectern. It happens within the family. It happens from parents to children. It happens from the older women teaching the younger women, the older men mentoring the younger men. And as we have opportunity in whatever circles we run to give an answer for the hope that's in us, teaching is a part, hopefully, of all of our lifestyle.

Paul says, by now, you ought to be teachers. Right? So, although this is geared primarily towards those who would teach God's people in a congregational setting, I think you'll find the principles included apply to whatever aspect we teach. The past several years have been a time of transition for the United Church of God.

As we usher in the 30th anniversary of our organization here, many of the ministers, many of the teachers who were most active in the beginning of United's foundation have begun to step down. I've begun to retire. For a number of them, retirement has come due to matters of age, matters of health. And frankly, a number of men have died over the course of 30 years, thus bringing to a conclusion their service of teaching in the body of Jesus Christ.

Through all of this, a transition has been slowly taking place in the Church as a mantle of responsibility has been passed and is being passed from the older ministry and teachers to the younger ministry and teachers in our midst as well. And to those who will continue to fulfill that role, again, teaching the word of Jesus Christ to the next generation. My mom came into the Church when I was at a very young age, and I've grown up knowing a lot of ministers, a lot of teachers in the congregation, ordained and non-ordained, interacting with them.

And frankly, I've watched as the baton gets passed generation by generation. And once upon a time, when I was ordained, I was one of, if not the youngest elder in the United Church of God. Now I'm sort of in the middle of the pack, and there's men younger than me, there's men older than me, and there's men retiring, and there's new ones coming on. But the point is, there is a handoff that is continually in process so that the word of God, the teaching of the word of God is preserved, then down into the next generation.

In Nigeria and Ghana as well, we're in a period of transition, and in recent years I've conducted leadership workshops in those places trying to support the effort as we move forward, and we've come to a place now where the handing off of greater responsibility to younger men is imminent. And it's my hope down the line as we go forward in the next year to two, there will be a number of new elders within Nigeria and Ghana who will carry forward those congregations. But again, this type of transition is that of passing on. It's passing on to another generation.

It's equipping another generation to carry forward the word of God and the biblical truth. And this is actually a model that's biblical, the pass it on model. It is something that is biblical that we see in the church in the first century, and it's something that we emulate today. And I would want to start by beginning with that model. Let's take a look at what it is we have recorded as this transition takes place indeed in the time of Paul, in the time of Timothy.

Let's start in 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 1 today. 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 1. The book here is written from Paul, a senior minister, an educated man in the word of God, a teacher. And yet now he is coming near to the end of his life, and he's passing on to Timothy, a young man in the faith. Someone that actually he picked up in his travels that he brought along with him. He mentored him. He taught him. Timothy was ordained. Now he's serving as a pastor. And notice what Paul has to say to him. 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 1 and 2. Paul says, Therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

He says, In the things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. And so we see that the word of God, the transmission of truth, is meant to be a pass-it-on proposition from one generation to the next.

And that doesn't just occur in the ministry. That occurs in your family, right? That occurs in our congregation, from parents to children, from the older to the younger. It's a pass-it-on effect that carries this word forward. It's about preserving these things among those who would be the teachers of the next generation.

Paul says to Timothy, You've heard me in my teachings. You've gone with me. You've traveled with me. You've heard when I've spoke to large crowds and small crowds. We had time together in which you were by my side just walking on the road, and we discussed. Joe Neff and I have this term of it's windshield time. You know, for us, we don't walk. We drive in the car.

But windshield time, it's very valuable time spent together. And Paul and Timothy had that. And he said, The things you've heard from me, you take them. You teach them. And then as you're doing that, you look around, you identify, and you pass those on to faithful men who are able to go and teach others also. Teach these same things in which you have been educated, and it continues this cycle.

That those you passed it to would then pick up that mantle and look for ways and people by which they could pass that on, even to the next generation. This is our model in the Church of God, because ultimately, it's not all about the teacher. Teacher is important. Teachers are blessings. We have teachers throughout our congregations that speak each Sabbath, and they are a blessing to us all.

But understand, it is not all about the teacher. The teacher is to be moldable in God's hands, and a representative, and someone who speaks the Word of God, in truth. But it's not all about the teacher. The teacher is the mouthpiece.

They are the messenger. They are not the message. Now, in some ways, we could say they're the message, because our life is to model what we teach. But they understand the message is not the person. The message is the Word of God. So the teacher is important, but the teacher is not everything.

Teachers come and go, don't they? Teachers serve for a season, then they rest for a season. In the United Church of God, what I have witnessed down through time is church pastors come and they go. Council members come and they go. Presidents of the church, the corporate president of the church, comes and goes. But what never leaves is the message. The message must remain. The message must always be carried on by the next, who would step into that position and carry on. Because this is ultimately about the Word of God remaining. It is about preserving faithfully that Word and declaring it to the next generation those things by which then they will take that and carry it forward as well.

The teacher is important, but it's ultimately about the message. And those who would take it forward must teach as they have been taught. I mentioned already that we're going to be having next Sabbath in Portland, a recognition for the retirement of Rex Sexton. Mr. Sexton is a pastor that goes back, right, years into our previous organization. He served in the Northwest for many years. And I'll tell you, it wasn't that long ago Mr.

Sexton said something to the effect of, you know what? I was the youngest pastor in the Northwest. And suddenly I turned around and I was the oldest pastor in the Northwest, right, in a very short period of time. And actually, if you were looking around, a good portion of pastors in the Northwest have been taught. They've been mentored by Mr. Sexton. They've come out of Portland or Tacoma region under what he passed on to them.

Okay, and this is how this cycle works. And they continue to carry forward. Again, as they have been taught. Second Timothy chapter 1. We're going to spend a bit of time coming back and forth to Timothy.

Second Timothy chapter 1 and verse 13.

Second Timothy 1 verse 13. Paul says, Okay, so understand being part of a faithful teacher in the Church of God involves holding fast the pattern of sound words.

And this is education from the older to the younger. Hold fast the pattern of sound words, he says, which you've heard from me.

This isn't about originality. This isn't about coming up with something new and exciting, something that are going to, you know, it's going to catch people's attention and put me on the map.

Okay, this isn't what it's about. This is about taking forth the truth of God, the faithful transmission of what you have received, and there is a sound pattern to those words.

There's a sound pattern to the doctrines we teach, is there not? If you go back and you look at what are the fundamental beliefs, I can speak for the United Church of God. We have 20 fundamental beliefs in this booklet. And if you walk through and you study that and you look up all the corresponding scriptures, what you find is that there is a sound pattern to our beliefs because they come from the Word of God.

I pulled out and put on the page, and we say, this is core to what it is that we believe, and it is the fact that it is throughout the record of the scripture. There is line upon line, precept upon precept, and there is agreement with the Word of God. That's the source, but that's the pattern, and that's what makes it a fundamental belief. So Paul says to Timothy, you take these things which you've heard and been instructed with a sound pattern, and you maintain that pattern, and you carry it forward in service to the Church.

So these doctrines are sound. These doctrines are not to be reinvented or reinterpreted along the way, where everyone does what seems right in their own eyes.

True teachers of God's Word have the responsibility before God to hold fast the pattern of sound words and to reinforce those things which they have received.

Titus was another young man whom Paul mentored.

Let's flip over to Titus chapter 1 and verse 9 briefly.

Titus 1 verse 9, once again reinforcing this form of transmission older to the younger. Titus chapter 1 verse 9, Paul says, Holding fast the faithful Word as He has been taught. Okay, this is in the qualifications of an elder.

Holding fast the faithful Word as He has been taught, that He may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

In the history of the Church of God, the biggest challenge has not been the discovery of new truth.

Okay, understand there's no new truth. There is the faith, once for all, delivered to the saints.

And we can always deepen our understanding. We can always mature in what it is that we understand in the depths of these things which have been delivered.

But, you know, the challenge, the big challenge that the Church has faced in its history is holding on to the truth.

Holding on to the truth.

In one sense, it's very simple. In another sense, it's full of entanglements, right, down through history. But that has been the challenge. Holding on to the truth, once delivered. Not allowing someone with a slick argument to talk you out of the truth.

Not being challenged and giving in and compromising what the Word of God says. This has been the greatest challenge in the Church from the first century to our day. And it will continue to be the greatest challenge of the Church from our day to the return of Jesus Christ. To hold the truth. To hold the pattern of sound words. And to continue to teach as you have been taught. This is the seriousness of the calling to teach.

It's serious. And all who have an opportunity to teach, all who have been given the responsibility of teaching God's people, ordained or non-ordained, are expected to hold fast the pattern of sound words according to the truth of God's Word. Because God's Word must always be the standard by which we teach.

It's not what someone else says that makes it true. It's what God says that makes it true. And as a source in the foundation, it must be of our teaching continually.

Several years ago, we took a family trip. My wife and I and daughter Tabitha was with us. Austin got to stay home and feed the horses, I guess. But we went down to East Texas, down to visit my brother and his wife, and attend a niece's wedding. And while we were there, I had the opportunity to attend in one of Dr. Ward's congregations, when he was then pastor of the Big Sandy congregation there in East Texas. And Dr. Ward, as you know, was a long-time teacher in the church.

At the time, Dr. Ward was the chairman of the Council of Elders. And after the church service ended, I had an opportunity to spend some time with him, to talk with him. And I said, Dr. Ward, what piece of advice would you give to a newer minister?

And I'll never forget what he said, and I think of it often. He looked at me and he said, young man?

You see, you have to understand, I was 17 years old when I sat in Dr. Ward's class as a freshman in Big Sandy all those years ago. So I guess it's a matter of perspective, right? It always will be. He said, young man, preach the Word.

He said, be instant, in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. If you know Dr. Ward, he likes to quote in the original King James, okay?

But he said it twice. He said it twice because he wanted to make sure I got it. Preach the Word. That's the advice. That's the counsel. Indeed, that is the command. And I appreciated his words. And you know what if they sound familiar to you because they come from the Apostle Paul. Paul wrote these same words to Timothy. In fact, these words were from the very last letter, the very last chapter, written by the Apostle Paul, then to Timothy just shortly before his execution. These were his dying words. From the elder to the younger. He said, preach the Word.

Let's finish that thought. Please turn back to 2 Timothy chapter 4.

Again, these were Paul's concluding comments, his concluding chapter.

Second Timothy chapter 4 and verse 1. Paul says, I charge you, Timothy. Therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. Preach the Word. He says, be ready in season and out of season. You know, the Word of God is never out of season, but there's a season and a time when not everybody wants to hear it.

Convince, rebuke, exhort. With all long suffering and teaching. Says, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. But according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers. And they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. Stories, Paul says. Things that aren't of the Word of God.

Things that are of man's devising. And Paul's saying there's coming a time when sound doctrine, a solid pattern of words, the sound teaching from the Word of God, a time will not be received by some, because those who, I don't know, maybe they grow tired of the sound pattern.

They want to hear something new, something exciting, something maybe that's novel. And Paul says, preach the Word.

Preach the Word. This is the answer. It's the admonition. Don't deviate from what God has given, no matter the desire others may have to hear something different, no matter whose ears are itching.

Always remain faithful to the Word as it has been delivered. Again, it's a responsibility given to teachers that is very high.

Brethren, teaching the truth of God is not a profession.

It's not like, you know, I think when I grow up I'm going to go into this career.

It's not a profession in that way, and it's not a hobby, and it's not a way of putting yourself into the spotlight. It is a calling from God, and it is a divine appointment by Jesus Christ. And because of that, the responsibility associated with being a teacher of God's Word is very, very high.

Teachers are a blessing. Teachers are necessary.

But a reminder to teachers is this is a serious calling. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11.

Ephesians 4 verse 11. Let's notice the intended outcome of the calling to teach.

Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11 says, And if you understand the Greek and the original, that pastors and teachers are inextricably linked together. It's like shepherding teacher, pastoring teacher. But I want you to understand as well that the principles that will follow, they apply to teachers as well.

Ordained or not, the principle still remains the same. But there is a purpose that Jesus Christ set these roles into place.

Verse 12. It's for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry. It's for the edifying of the body of Christ. It says, And carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, and the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. It says, The truth must always be spoken in love, And so teachers are important, brethren. And this message is for the teachers among us. And there are some that are ordained today.

There are some who will be ordained someday.

There are some who perhaps will never be ordained, but they teach and they serve and they give of their resources to the best of their ability. But even if you carry no title, the responsibility to honor the role of a teacher, whatever form it takes in your life, even right in the home, in the family, at the job, when you give an answer, whatever form it takes, the responsibility is just as serious.

The teaching of God's Word is not just about information.

It's not just passing information. The purpose is actually transformation. It's changing lives. It's going to the stature of the fullness of Jesus Christ. So if a teacher is only invested for the transmission of information, they have fallen short into the purpose for which they were called. Jesus told us why we have these positions in the church.

A faithful teacher of God's Word grounds people in sound doctrine.

They edify. They build up.

They help to encourage faith.

They help to point people to what God is doing and why He is doing it.

A faithful teacher in these things grounds people in sound doctrine, helping them to understand not only what God's Word says, but why it says it, and how to apply it.

How do we live in light of these things? How does it impact our lives? The blessing is that Jesus was the good teacher and the good shepherd and the one who set the example in these things. And there's others who come along behind by His calling and direction, but He is the teacher.

He is the rabbi, and so any teacher must point you to Him, must point you to His Father. Not to themselves. It's not about the man. It is about the message.

And again, spiritual teachers, by definition in the Word, are to be mentoring, and to passing on, and to be teaching as they have been taught.

This is a sacred trust, and sometimes it can seem like, hey, that's exciting. To be a teacher, you're in the spotlight. To be a teacher, people come to you with their questions. To be a teacher, people think, you know a lot.

You know what? The teacher is a blessing, but for those who would be in that position, it is a sacred trust. And it also comes with a solemn warning, one that every teacher of the Word of God must take to heart.

I believe any time we put up a sign in the church that says, teachers wanted, right next to that we must hang another sign. It needs to be a warning sign, and it must contain a warning message. And the message of that sign is found in James chapter 3 and verse 1. Let's turn there. James chapter 3 and verse 1.

Do you desire to be a teacher? That's a wonderful thing. And it's an incredible blessing to God's people if it's used well. But it comes with a warning. James chapter 3 and verse 1.

And that's the warning sign that should hang right next to the sign teachers wanted. Let not many of you become teachers knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. Now judgment isn't always negative. I think we hear the word judgment, and we think that's, you know, quaking in fear under the wrath of God.

Judgment is not always negative. It can be good, or it could be bad in our perspective. But judgment is simply when a judgment is passed. It can be a commendation. That can be a judgment. Well done, good and faithful servant. We see that in the word of God. That is a judgment. It can be also a condemnation as well. So if you go both ways, you could be judged faithful and upright in your responsibilities as a teacher of God's word, or you could be judged unfaithful. But the warning, let not many become teachers. You will receive the stricter judgment.

And this passage isn't to deter teachers fully. Maybe it sobers us a bit. Maybe it gets one to think about it carefully. What is not meant to be a deterrent from teaching, rather it's a clear warning for everyone who stands before the congregation to teach the precious truths of God. Be careful. Be careful. This is a very serious calling.

God holds teachers responsible. God holds teachers accountable. You might wonder why. Why the heavy accountability? Well, it's because of the profound impact they have on others. You know, a teacher doesn't just speak into the air, hopefully. People are listening. People are considering. People are being educated by what they say. People are perhaps ordering their lives, according to the words of the teacher. Lives are being shaped by what he says, and just as importantly, how he lives.

How many times in Israel's history, in Judah's history, do we see when a righteous man sat on the throne, you know, appointed people to God, and people by and large followed? And when an evil and idolatrous and an unrighteous man sat on the throne, what happened in the nation?

Well, I suppose you had a few righteous people that were not, you know, swayed by that, but as a whole, the nation swung with the tone of the leader, the tone of the king, the tone of the teacher. And God held that individual to very high account because of the position they held. When truth wasn't upheld by those in authority, compromise quickly followed.

Teachers of God today, in the Church of God, carry a similar influence. Recall 1995, in our own history. Recall those who turned away from the faith once delivered in the solid pattern of words that are given in this book. And what happened to, can I say, a majority?

God judges those things at a higher standard. Rather than a careless teacher can mislead people even unintentionally, maybe they're careless, maybe they don't mean to, maybe they don't understand even their mistake, but people can still be misled. It is a serious calling. And frankly, a false teacher can cause people to stumble spiritually, possibly to the point of losing out on their own salvation.

Right? Hymenaeus and Philetus were of this sort. Paul said they strayed concerning the faith, saying that the resurrection was already passed. And what did he say? They overthrow the faith of some. That's 2 Timothy 2, verse 17 and 18. They overthrew the faith of some. And so when a teacher teaches, and when they speak, and again, bring this all to the level of all of us, we all have opportunity in one way or another to teach the Word of God. You ought to be teachers by now. When we all speak, we must do so with accuracy. Actually, do your homework. Look into the Word of God. What does it say? What does it mean? When you teach, do it with the understandable accountability that is applied. Teach accurately. Teach with humility. There's no room for pride, and there's no room for the teacher to think, it's about me. I'm the message. Pride has derailed a number of teachers over the years. Teach with humility, and teach with reverence, brethren. Recognize who we represent. As our Father in Heaven, as our elder brother, it is their Word we represent. And remember with reverence who it is you are educating. It is the people of God, or a future child of God. One doing such is ultimately accountable to the one who called us into this service to begin with. And as we understand, we shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. That could be a wonderful, glorious blessing. Or that could be a very sobering experience. But the calling is, be careful, be aware, be a blessing. Be a blessing. Notice Jesus' own words pertaining to this level of accountability. Matthew 5, verse 17-19.

Matthew 5, verse 17.

Jesus says, Well, don't a bunch of teachers in the world around us today get that one wrong. Be careful.

That takes it now even to another level.

So as the teacher of God's word, I am personally responsible to God for what I say.

And when you teach, you are personally responsible to God for what it is that you teach. Are our words true? Are they accurate? Do they glorify God? The glory always goes to God. The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy, again, back to 2 Timothy.

There are so many bedrock principles, frankly, to his last message for this young minister. 2 Timothy 2, verse 15. I'll just quote it for you. Paul said, That's a high calling and a high standard. Rightly dividing the word of truth. So how a teacher handles the truth is of the utmost importance to God. And a teacher must not distort the truth. Be careful how you present it. Be careful what your motives are.

Be so careful with your motives. Motives can have a big impact on presentation. Teacher must not distort the truth. He must not twist or force the scripture to say what he wants it to say. He must not add to or take away from them. And he must not teach his own opinions as the doctrine.

If he does express an opinion, it should be rare. And he should say, this is my opinion. This is not the word of God. This is my opinion. An opinion can be valid. An opinion can be truth, but recognize what is the word of God and what is opinion. Teachers, let us be careful with those things.

Additionally, a teacher's life must be a reflection of the message he teaches. Again, he is the messenger. He is not the message. But his life must be a reinforcement of what it is he teaches. There's actually a scripture on this point I find personally sobering and a little frightful. And every time I go to it, I think, okay, well that just sobered me up a little more.

Hebrews 13, verse 7.

As it goes to example, Hebrews 13 and verse 7. It says, Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith you follow.

Right? So if somebody is following their imitating, Paul said, Imitate me, right? As I imitate Jesus Christ. So that's not a bad thing in and of itself. But frankly, it should be quite sobering if someone is following your lead.

Again, those who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith you follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Scrutinize them. Look at their life. Look at their examples.

The Scripture kind of scares me a little bit, because teachers live in a glass house.

And people are watching. People are considering. And frankly, with your actions, you are always teaching.

We've all had teachers we've looked up to. People that have inspired us, encouraged us in this way of life.

And we grab hold of that. I have sermons and teachers that are people I go to. They're kind of like, whenever this person speaks and is posted, I listen.

Because I appreciate their words, and I have appreciated their example along the way. Nothing wrong with that in a proper balance. But from a teacher's perspective, let this put the fear of God in you to know that you're being watched. Not just listened to, and that your faith is being imitated by others. That's sobering.

And it ties back into the warning of James as to why a stricter judgment is there.

And teachers' example must always match his message. Because the authority of God's Word is not only declared through words, it's demonstrated. Because people not only have to hear about it and have it make sense, they have to see that it works. In action. In demonstration. And the teacher has that responsibility placed upon them as well.

We've probably all heard the phrase, I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day.

Right? So actions speak louder than words. People will forget the words you said pretty quickly, but they'll remember what you did for a very, very long time.

And again, we're called to not only speak the words, but to live what we teach as a reflection of God's way in action.

1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 contain the qualifications for the ministry, and the point it comes down to is that you must be living what you teach.

And indeed, that would apply to all. Doesn't mean that he's perfect or that he'll never make a mistake, but it means he must be blameless and above reproach. And not just he, she. Again, if we're carrying the Word of God and carrying it as a light to the world, don't put that lamp under a basket, but on a table where it gives light to all. But you reinforce it as that light as well.

It doesn't mean, again, you're perfect, but it means your example is always teaching, whether standing here at the lectern or not.

So let's take a few minutes and notice the high standard God set then for the physical priesthood.

Okay, those who were in the position of being teachers of his people in the Old Covenant, in the Old Testament, okay, these were the priests. These were ones who guided and directed God's people to him, who ministered in the temple, who set the example by which the people will follow. Notice the accountability that God placed at their feet.

Ezekiel 44, verse 20.

Ezekiel 44, verse 20.

Again, speaking of the priesthood, it says, Neither shall they shave their heads, or let their hair grow long, but they shall keep their hair well trimmed. This wasn't just about hygiene, this was about holiness.

Quite a number of the nations around them, the people, worshipped their gods by, you know, shaving the sides of their head, marring the corners of their beard in their worship. And God said, My people are to be different than that. Certainly the priesthood at this standard.

Verse 21, it says, In other words, when he's conducting his temple duties, he's not to be under the influence of some kind of substance. He's not to be drunk. He's to be sober in his service. And I would say for all of us here, teachers, and specifically those who would teach within the congregation, don't drink alcohol while you're preparing your message for the congregation.

We have many people that give sermonettes and sermons, and I know what Friday night is like for most of you, right?

It's been a hard week of work. You're kind of crashing into your chair in your office or your dining room table now, because I've got to finish up that sermonette tomorrow after a long week, and sometimes it's nice to unwind. And you know what? That seemed like a great idea after the second hit of Fireball.

Let us not be consuming in our service to the people of God. Leave that aside when you're working on your messages. Don't drink a number of hours before presenting a message to God's people. Skip the beer. Skip the wine. You know, there were a lot of years here we had in-home Bible studies, right? At someone's house after the church service. We go over, we have a potluck meal together, and sometimes with the meal somebody brought wine that was sat out. And you know what? If I was giving the Bible study that evening, I never touched it.

All of us as teachers, this is a part of our service in the inner court, in the temple, among the people of God. And again, the admonition here to the priesthood, and it would apply to the teachers, I believe, in a responsible way. Just, you know, kick your feet up later. You know, relax a little later. I like Saturday night, after the message is done, and I'm home, and I put my feet up and just unwind for a couple of minutes. But let's understand where our priorities need to be in these things. Be aware of your example, even at social gatherings. Use discretion as to when it's appropriate or not appropriate to drink. People are watching. And you know what? There is nothing wrong. The Bible says, a little alcohol, in the appropriate setting, time and place and amount, can be a wonderful thing. I'll just say there's times where I go to a social event that is not an official church function, it's a social event. And maybe there's some alcohol, and sometimes I might have a drink as I'm socializing, fellowshipping with my friends. But you know, you've got to know the room. There's other times I walk in the door, and it's a purely social event, and I look around, and I say, you know what? I'm going to skip today, because when does a minister ever stop being a minister? And frankly, there are times when I say, you know, in this place, in this setting, I don't need the cobwebs in my head, and I don't need that hinge between the brain and the tongue lubricated to say what I'm really thinking. I don't know. What can I say? Be careful. Understand where you are and who you're with. In the example you set, you are always teaching. For teachers, again, this is our temple service. And when we teach God's people, we're ministering in the inner courts of the house of God, and we must conduct ourselves appropriately. Verse 22, priesthood again, And it says, That was the responsibility.

You know, these were to be teaching, to set an example, to point people to the Holy Days, to the Sabbath, to the clean, to avoid the unclean, and again, to simply live their lives in a way that upheld the truth of God. It's a very high standard of speech and conduct that God expects from those that would be teachers of His people.

What they say and do, the example that they set, is very important to God because their service is meant to point others to God. Not to themselves. Their example is not meant to say, well, if this is what the Church of God is, I think I'll go somewhere else. That has happened before. Again, it's to point people to God by the Word and by the example. Notice God's reaction towards those who would mishandle that responsibility. And let's notice the standard of responsibility as well, by which God would judge these things. Jeremiah 23, verse 1.

Again, the title is, a teacher is a very serious calling. Jeremiah 23, verse 1. It says, Woe to the shepherds! Woe is like a warning. Watch out. Beware.

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, says the Lord. For thus says the Lord God of Israel, against the shepherds who feed my people, you have scattered my flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. He says, Behold, I will attend to you. For the evil of your doing, says the Lord. So, for those who are given the responsibility to guide God's people, to shepherd them, and they do not take it faithfully, that's an affront to God. God takes it seriously, and God will respond.

The primary focus is on, here, the shepherds. In the Old Testament, it was the priesthood. Today, it is the ministry. The ministry are shepherds of God's people. We are not priests. But we serve in a capacity that, in many ways, is similar. We are to point people to God. But even the non-ordained teachers guide and direct people to God in what they teach.

And the warning is that we must all be careful how we do it. God is watching, and each one will give account for what service they provide. Ezekiel 22, verse 23. Ezekiel 22, verse 23. Again, the failure of those who would be appointed to do such things. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.

Since the conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey. You know, who are the prophets? These were people that were to come and deliver a message from God. Oftentimes it was a warning. It's like, you know, turn to God to receive this blessing. And it says, Your prophets are like roaring lions tearing the prey. It says, They devoured people. They have taken treasure in precious things.

They have made many widows in her midst. Again, these prophets entrusted with the duty of proclaiming God's word to his people. It was to be clear. It was to be faithful. It was to be without compromise. But it says, They failed. And instead of speaking the truth, they distorted the truth.

They turned to people from God. And frankly, they abused the people for their own gain. God does not take such things lightly. Verse 26, her priests, let's take it to the next group of teachers, her priests, have violated my law and profaned my holy things. They have not distinguished between the holy and the unholy, nor have they known the difference between the clean and the unclean. And they have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths, so that I am profane among them. Verse 27, her princes, okay, now take it down the line.

We have royalty now, the family, those that were to stand before the people and lead in this regard as well. Also answerable to God. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain. Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions and divinings, lies for them, saying, Thus says the Lord God, when the Lord has not spoken.

It says, the people, you know, as the leaders go, what happens to the people? The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy, and they have wrongfully oppressed the stranger. You know, even the people were corrupted because of the condition of the leaders. They followed the tone that was set, and the fact was then judgment was going to come, not just upon the leaders, but upon the people as well, because each are accountable.

Verse 30 is probably one of the most heartbreaking statements in the Bible. Ezekiel 22, verse 30, So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before me, on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found no one. What a sad, sad commentary. God said, I looked for someone who would stand up for my people, who would turn them to me again, somebody to stand in the gap, and he says, and I found not one.

Verse 31, Therefore, in light of this, as if this is going to be your standing, therefore I have poured out my indignation on them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath, and I have recompensed their deeds, on their own has says the Lord God. And so the failure of the leaders didn't result just in their own destruction, but it brought judgment upon the nation, and their negligence affected people who trusted in them to teach, people who trusted in them to lead.

But they led falsely, and they fed foul food. While each person is ultimately responsible for their own decisions, brethren, leaders will be held accountable for the guidance they provide, as they fail to provide those who are entrusted in their care. And that's why James chapter 3 verse 1 says plainly, Let not many of you become teachers, knowing we shall receive a stricter judgment. God's judgment does not change. His standard does not change.

You know, His mercy endures forever. We're all under God's mercy. But there's a standard, he says, as well. We need teachers in the Church of God today.

Absolutely we do. And they're a blessing to us all. This isn't a deterrent to teachers. Frankly, by God's grace, He is providing them. But we must never lose sight of the weight of that calling. Good teachers are a blessing. They're a blessing because they point people to God. They equip the Church of God for works of service, for ministry, as we're told.

They build up the faith. They build up the maturity of the people of God. They model the Christian way of life. And they preserve sound doctrine. Teachers are to be defenders of the doctrine. Defenders of the pattern of sound word. Bad teachers lead people to error. They spread destructive heresies. They undermine people's faith. And they distort sound doctrine. And so the question for each and every individual who teaches God's word is, What kind of teacher will I be? What kind of teacher will I be?

After all, teaching God's word is not just a casual task. Again, it's a sacred trust. God calls teachers to teach truthfully, to live consistently, and to lead His people and feed them with the spiritual food that gives life. These are the words of eternal life.

Why would you mess them up? Why would you muddy them up? Why would you alter them for your own gain? These are the words which lead to life. To the active teachers among us, I want to say thank you. Thank you for your time. Thank you for the energy and the effort you put into serving.

Thank you for the unwavering dedication that you put into studying. It takes hours to put together a message, I know. I know what it's like to work a job and to put together a message. Did it for a lot of years. You put in the effort. I thank you. I know your role is not always easy. In fact, it often comes with challenges, but you've committed to studying, to praying, and to faithfully delivering God's message to His people on the Sabbath.

I hope for all of that we are thankful. God has blessed us in this congregation with teachers. To those who are not currently active teachers in the congregation, I would say, please pray for all of us who are, because your prayers mean so much. Pray that we would remain humble and teachable in God's service. Teachers must be teachable. Never think again. It is about them. They are the messenger. They are not the message.

Pray that we would stay grounded in the truth of God, not swayed by the pressures of the world around us. Pray that we'd have the strength to live what we teach each and every day. Pray that we would have the courage to stand and speak the truth of God, no matter the opposition, no matter whether it is popular or not, no matter what the world is doing around us, that we would be willing to cry aloud and spare not, according to the truth of God's Word. Please pray for us as we pray for one another as well.

Brethren, your prayers really do make a difference to encourage and to sustain those who teach among you.

So in conclusion, I'd like to point to a verse that I find encouraging, and one that should be encouragement to all the teachers among us. I'll quote it for you, Daniel 12, verse 3, because it speaks to the context of the end of the age. Following the return of Jesus Christ, in Daniel 12, verse 3, it says, He's talking about our glorification, our change, and to the likeness of God in Christ. They shall shine. It says, And those who turn many to righteousness, those who guide, who support, who point, who teach, again, I think that's all of us. By now, we all ought to be teachers. Those who would do these things and turn many to righteousness, they will shine like the stars forever and ever.

Brethren, the Bible gives a strong warning to the teachers among us. It says, beware, beware. But it also declares a wonderful blessing to those who fulfill this role in responsibility. Indeed, their approval will be from God and not from man, and they will receive a glorious reward which will never fade away to the teachers among us today. I thank you.

Thank you.