This study was first taught on September 16, 2018

Topic: Church Life (2): Teaching for Living

(use the audio to study)

---

Background
Last week, in Part 43, we began to look at “Church Life” and we distinguished between the performance of rituals and the building of relationships. We defined rituals as a set of activities, actions, or rites that are performed, especially for religious purposes, as fulfillment of some requirement which could make God pleased with us; and we defined relationships as the interaction between an individual and another individual or other individuals, and God, in a very personal way.

Thus we noted that while many Christians believe that fulfilling religious obligations (rituals) is what pleases God, what God Himself has always been interested in, has been relationships—among us (believers in Jesus Christ), between us and the unbelievers, and more vitally, between us and Him! So, even though a person attends church meetings regularly, he may in fact, be engaging in rituals—which we also said are traditions, bland, and for which we do not know why we are doing what we are doing. But if a person has relationship with God, which implies that He knows Him and what pleases Him, and he knows how to relate with Him (worship—reverence, adoration, service, holy living, etc.), he will recognize that he is in church (among other believers) to have fellowship with them and with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:1-4).

We stated that the baptism of the 3,000 in Acts 2:40 was more than a passage of rites (ritual); indeed it signified their departure from the kingdom of Satan and darkness along with its evil engagements, to their entering and welcome into the kingdom of the Son of God and light, and as such, they were expected to live like those in that kingdom (the result of relationships—putting off the “old man” of hatred, jealousy, envy, anger, sexual immorality, worldliness, etc., and the putting on of the “new man” which is by the renewing of our minds according to the teachings of Christ.

It is our prayer that we shall cease from ritualistic activities and begin to have meaningful relationship with God and with the brethren, as well as with unbelievers.

Scripture Text(s)
Acts 2:41-42; Titus 2:1—3:11
Once the church was born, it became imperative that the people who had been baptized—a mark of identity in Christ—are made to know how to live the new life they have come into. Our second text emphasizes the need for doctrine—which also means teaching. Indeed, the summary of it is that, although we now have the Spirit of God living in us, and working in us to will and to do of the Father’s good pleasure; if we are not taught nor learn about the new life, we shall be unprofitable in, and to, the kingdom of God here on the earth, and most certainly will be disqualified from eternal life! This is because, church life is equivalent to eternal life from hereon!
Teachings are divine instructions (what, why, how, when, where, what else, what next) that seek to inform us on how to live the life of the Spirit—what we have called here simply “Living”. By “Living” we mean living for God, living for eternity, real living; not ‘bios’—the rudimentary earthly live—but ‘zoe’—the life of God through Christ (John 3:36; 1 John 5:11-12, 20). For the apostles, doctrine or teaching the unadulterated word of God—the whole counsel of God—was really their primary function (Acts 2:41; 6:2-4); but as crucial as this is, more crucial is learning; hence, if no learning is taking place, then the teaching can very easily become a ritual!
James 1: 19-25; 1 Peter 2:1-2; Matthew 13:10-23; Joshua 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; Proverbs 9:10; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Proverbs 1:7; Job 28:20-28; 2 Timothy 2:19-23; Psalm 111:10; James 1:19, 21-25; Ecclesiastes 5:1-2; Matthew 7:21-23; Proverbs 15:32; 4:7; 13:1; Titus 1:10-14; Proverbs 29:1; 2 Timothy 3:10-17; Luke 24:45; Ephesians 4:17ff; John 5:24; 6:63.

Conclusion
The goal of teaching, especially of scripture, goes beyond mere learning—it requires that the learner understands why he is being taught, and this is really that he lives out what he has been taught. One major aspect of learning about spiritual things is the matter of understanding. Understanding is more than a mere intellectual comprehension of what is being taught, rather it is the good sense that comes as a result of such teachings which makes the learner to be able to distinguish between what is holy and what is not holy; to be able to depart from evil and keep company with it; and to always want to do the Will of God.

Understanding is obtained by a combination of the inner working of the Holy Spirit, and your desire to know God intimately. Hence, in the parable of the sower, the man who had no interest in God enough to want to depart from evil, was said to lack understanding, the man who was only in church for what he wants rather than for God discovered that he could not endure hardship, and the man who did not dispense with the “old man” or “the flesh” ends up being unfruitful; but the man who had understanding was eager for God, was said to have a good heart that yielded forth fruit in varying degrees of abundance.

Hence, the flow of teaching that results in living for God must involve our hearing with the intention to do, as well as our desire to gravitate towards God in all things (which is understanding), and then the doing of the word of God as a matter of intimacy with God, rather than as a bland performance of a ritual. The way we live is indeed a reflection of what we are being taught, how we are learning—with understanding or without—and, by what spirit we are being taught. If we are being taught Christ and Him crucified, and are desirous of not wanting anything to do with Satan and his cohorts, and are being taught by people who have been prepared and filled by the Holy Spirit, it will our lifestyle will manifest the life of Christ, and so will the church, which is a conglomeration of Holy Spirit filled individuals, living for God and eternity!

---

Back to all Bible Study Outline List