When preparing any kind of lesson, a
Christian educator has four sources which are available to
him or her. All
of these sources are acceptable in certain situations but
one stands above and beyond the others.
The four sources of a Christian educator’s message
are tradition, observation, participation, and the Holy
Spirit.
Tradition can be great, assuming that
it is based on truth but it has a major pitfall as well.
With tradition comes the statement "this is the way we've
always done it." That statement is like fingernails across
a chalkboard to a pastor. Given the current state of the
church, the way we've always done it may have been effective
at some point in the past but it's not working now.
There is nothing wrong with doing things the way that
they’ve been done in the past so long as the system is still
working. There
is no point in reinventing the wheel just to be new and
exciting. But if
the system is no longer working and what has always been
taught is no longer getting through to people, it is time to
change the message or the approach.
Please not that this in no way means
changing the gospel or abandoning the teachings of the Bible
because people don’t find them relevant today.
In fact, it means just the opposite.
Our message cannot change but the way that it is
communicated needs to change.
Observation can definitely teach us but
the onus of applying it is left on us. We can teach someone
about something that we did not experience but observed
instead. For
instance, we can help someone who is dealing with an illness
because we watched a loved one who experienced the same
illness. While
we observed what happened, we don’t truly know what the
experience was like however.
Observation can only go so far however.
One can watch a thousand shows on home repair or cooking
but that doesn’t mean that they can fix a faucet or cook a
gourmet meal.
Seeing something done is not the same as actually doing it
and often one needs to learn from experience as they aren’t
naturals at it the first time.
Participation can be a very effective
teacher. Jesus sent His disciples out two by two to give
them a taste of what was to come. They preached and
performed miracles, then returned back to Jesus and reported
everything that happened. This was a very valuable
experience that would serve them later on. But
participation has to be based on good experiences where a
person learns from their mistakes and needs to have a sort
of shakedown period afterward to reflect on what has been
learned. Without
proper feedback from Jesus, the disciples’ experience would
have been beneficial but not as much as it could have been.
Inspiration of the Holy Spirit provides
the best source for a disciple maker.
When God is involved in the instruction of disciples,
it makes the entire process better. The easiest way to make
sure that one is teaching under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit is to teach the scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells
us "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly
equipped for every good work."
The other sources of disciple making
can be and should be affected by the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit. When
teaching tradition, it is far better to teach the tradition
of the Lord than that of man.
In 2 Peter 1:16, Peter writes, “We did not follow
cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
What Peter taught was tradition that had been passed
on by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
In regard to observation, the Holy
Spirit provides a mirror in which a disciple can view
themselves. 2
Peter 1:12 says, “So I will always remind you of these
things, even though you know them and are firmly established
in the truth you now have.”
A disciple may observe the truth in scripture and
compare whether their life is an accurate reflection of that
truth.
With participation, the Holy Spirit is
very much an active aid in discipleship.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, “I did not come
with eloquence…but with the Spirit’s power.”
He also says in Romans 15:18, “I will not venture to
speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished
through me…” Paul
would not teach nor have his disciples participate in
anything that was not something that he had experienced
through the Holy Spirit himself.
