The Responsibility of the Sunday School Teacher

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

                                                                        2 Timothy 2:1-2

Sunday School. From my childhood and growing up I have been a part of Sunday School, but it has baffled me. It is not “school” in the sense of sitting in a class and studying to get a grade. I have never been sent to detention for Sunday School, though I have had friends who should have been sent there. We all went to school five days a week, but I don’t believe anyone has ever spoken of that sixth day of school and how rough it is. Most everyone I have known has enjoyed this Sunday morning time of reflection and study of God’s Word.

Speaking of school, I know teachers who are passionate about teaching. They go above and beyond to get their message of history, math, or science across to their students. They can be creative and paint their picture so clearly that students come out of that class inspired… well, at least they didn’t fall asleep. The teacher made the message important, so they listened and took in the knowledge being passed down. Many teachers today can point to a teacher in their past who was passionate about a subject and influenced them to become a teacher as well. The flame was passed on to the next generation and the lesson goes on. I have a Bachelors Degree in English thanks to three teachers in my past. Mrs. Noffsinger was my drama teacher and taught me how to look at the words and interpret them how the author truly wanted. Mrs. Hudson inspired me to write, to share what is within me with the world. Mrs. Smith was my speech coach and pushed me to relay my message to the point that every person could understand. All were English teachers; all three impacted my life to where I wanted to pass along that same inspiration. Though I did not go into the teaching profession in public schools, I have taught in private schools and worked with plays and speech teams over the years.

            How many Sunday School teachers have shared that same inspiration? How many have been so passionate that they had to share the message within the Bible pages or felt like they would burst if they didn’t? I have had great Sunday School teachers in my years growing up and served along side some excellent teachers as a minister, but I have only seen a few teach as if it were their life’s greatest ambition, as if the next generation depended on it.   

When Paul speaks to Timothy in this last letter to him, Paul knows he is at his journey’s end. Over in chapter four, Paul speaks of how he is already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of his departure has now come. This is a picture of how he will die. He was a citizen of Rome. With that he would have earned the respect enough to die quickly. Men were beheaded, and then hung up side down so that the lifeblood drained from the body. This is the “poured out” picture Paul paints that is his future, but this is a double illustration. He is pouring himself into Timothy. All of his knowledge and teachings he has shared are going to his legacy, a young man as passionate about sharing the good news as he is.

This is the passion a teacher needs. “You have heard from me, now entrust this to many men who can turn around and teach others.” Paul’s legacy would not die with himself or even with Timothy, because Timothy carried on the tradition of telling others. Our legacy is to passionately dig into these biblical truths, hide them within our heart, and share them with so many others who need to hear the gospel.

"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

                                                                        Isaiah 1:18 NIV

            As Christian teachers in Sunday School or small groups, we are responsible for sharing the good news with understanding, using creative methods. Jesus used creative methods to share the good news. He spoke with parables, or familiar stories that the local person could understand. In other words, Jesus was culturally relevant to those He spoke with. Paul understood this when he said, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22b)

            The point to all of this simply comes down to those teaching others in a small group/Sunday School setting must stretch our minds to grasp more of the Gospel, to turn around and share that good news and excitement with others, that they may pass it forward as well. The legacy of Bible teaching must and shall move forward until the Lord returns for His children. So, dig into the Word of God and fall madly in love with the Maker of the universe. Let Him speak to you through the Bible, through prayer and fasting. Then share that goodness with others that they, too, may share in the goodness of the Lord.

FOCUS

I love Norman Rockwell paintings. They are classic Americana and define who our nation was at one time. Past tense. Back when. The good-old days. Life is different now. Divorce, low morality, lack of respect for self and others, not to leave out the corruption of the financial institute in our country has brought about a change in culture. We have noticed a rise in benevolence requests, in teens in need of a mother or father to care, in homes falling apart because of broken relationships and broken spirits, and an all time low of morality here in the United States. People need help.

So what is the solution? To find the answer, we must first look at the two-fold problem. First, the need is not financial. It is not even hunger. The need is focus. Overall, we have taken our eyes off of Christ and looked either at the world or in a mirror. We must realize that people need more than the simple fix in life. Get focused or refocused on the cross, looking to Christ as our source of life and light. The second problem is within the church. We, the church, are not getting passionate about our ministry as mandated in Matthew 28 and Acts 1:8. We are called, and should be abundantly passionate about, meeting people’s needs at the core, then finding ways to fix from the inside out. We must offer Christ as the initial, foundational, anchor solution. When that is settled and set, then the building process takes place. If Christ is our foundation, our house will not fail. When a quick fix of groceries or a light bill is all that is needed, then we set those things on a sand foundation. The person then moves to another solution or returns for help again.

We as the church must get passionate about God’s work for us. We must take our talents and gifts and bring them to the storehouse. Those good in accounting can help those who are failing in setting a budget. Those good with people skills can be an ear to listen and a gentle voice to pray with. Those who have discernment to counsel can help bridge gaps within broken families. When we, the church, can get to the root of our problem, that of lack of focus, then we can help bring others to help with their problem, which is a lack of focus. This process may take us to a different place in the life of the church. It is a new day. We are not the church of the fifties and sixties. We are the church of 2013. The message has not changed, nor will it ever, but we must look at our methods of delivery to see how we can be most effective in relaying the message of Jesus Christ. That means breaking down a few walls.

When will people come for help when in need? When they know you are there. People in need of benevolence will not show up at 6:30 p.m. on a Tuesday night, but at 9:00 a.m. on a Monday morning. Naturally, this is when the church should be helping them. Look at when Christ did many of His healings. There were many done on the Sabbath. (John 5:6, Luke 13:10-17, etc.) Why? They knew there would be religious people there who would take pity on them. Jesus healed them, against religious tradition and regulations. Matthew 12:1-8 declares the Sabbath as a time to meet man’s needs, not burden them with legalistic rhetoric. Jesus healed them anyway. There were many (Pharisees and Pharisaical sympathizers) who saw this as a negative act. It went against what they knew and how they were comfortable. It turned their spiritual world on its ear. There were upset people, people claiming this was wrong, and statements such as, “How can this man do such a thing as this on the Sabbath? Doesn’t he know the rules?”

We as a church must become relevant. Listen closely… THE MESSAGE MUST NEVER CHANGE. However, THE METHOD OF MINISTRY MUST CHANGE OR DIE! That is it. If the church does not adapt to the culture, then the church is as good as an empty building. This is why there are so many churches with many, many empty seats. In all honesty, no two churches should look alike, simply because the surrounding culture demands a difference in the church’s personality. For example, the church I serve in rural Kentucky would not survive long if transplanted from here to a Caribbean island. The culture is different. The needs are different, or maybe they are similar, but the personality of that church will differ greatly from this church.

The scariest ideology is when the church expects the people to come in and immediately completely adapt to the church traditions and regulations… eerily similar to the expectations of the Pharisees. A church on mission for Christ, living out the Matthew 28/Acts 1:8 calling cannot be a Pharisaical church.

So why should the church be culturally relevant? To let the community around us know that we are ready with open arms to show them the Christ, no matter what our traditions or regulations have been in the past. We are willing to be an open door with a message of hope that will change you to the core, then build on that foundation within you of Jesus Christ.

The Norman Rockwell collection reminds us of a peaceful time, when hard working men and women made a way for their children to live happy lives. A look into the church’s past should remind us of the hard work, sacrifice, and even martyrdom that took place to make a way for us to stand firm and deliver a message of saving grace to a lost and dying community. Let’s take our communities back for Christ, our neighborhoods for the sake of the cross, and by all means, reclaim our families in the grace of God.