Leadership Matters (Part 4): Transformational Teaching

“(an elder) must be able to teach.”
1 Timothy 3:2

Theological Clarity is worth nothing in a vacuum. Unless a leader has the ability to communicate rightly and skillfully to people, life transformation is slowed. Teaching for life transformation takes two primary forms in the life of an elder:

Active Teaching

Teaching is typically thought of as the verbal proclamation of some body of truth. An elder must have the wisdom and ability to stand before a group of people and teach. The size of the group may vary, from a one-on-one conversation, to a small cluster of people in a living room, to a medium-sized class setting, to a gathered congregation. The issue is not the size of the audience, but rather the leader’s ability to take theological concepts and bring them to bear in the life of people.

Critical here is that the leader must teach the Scriptures. Sadly, the lack of quality, Biblical teaching in the church is pervasive. For some, it is a lack of knowledge of the Word. But for most, it is errors in practical methodology that leads them astray. In both established churches and young churches, there is an overwhelming temptation to “tickle the ears” and fail to teach the Word and make much of the gospel. Interestingly, this label is often placed on young churches (and young church pastors in particular); however, this is not always the case. My experience in sitting under teaching in many different church settings reveals that established churches with more formal structures and teaching patterns may be as susceptible to deviating from the Scriptures as are newer churches.  Simply because a sermon starts with Scripture reading, has four alliterated points, alludes to Biblical texts, and ends with a prayer does not mean one has taught the Bible.  Skimming the text and quickly moving to clever stories and anecdotes does not provide the level of teaching necessary for the equipping of the saints. Efforts to define a particular sermonic approach may be a bit overdone; however, it does seem that one can evaluate the active teaching of a leader:

• Does the leader teach the Bible and help the listener understand the authorial intent of the text?
• Does the leader teach the Bible in context and help the listener see how the text fits in the overall scope of redemptive history and the revealed Word of God?
• Does the leader teach to download information or to point to life transformation?  Seminary grads are particularly susceptible here. The goal of teaching is not simply to learn more about the text but to be transformed by the application of the text by the Holy Spirit.
• Does the leader spend more time talking about the Bible or talking about tertiary matters? For me, this means that at least 50 percent of the time I spend teaching is spent simply explaining the text (with the remaining 25 percent illustrating the text and 25 percent applying the text). This means that in a 50-minute sermon, I should be spending at least 25 minutes simply showing the listeners what is before them in the text. If I reach the end of a sermon and have spent the main bulk of my time telling stories, cracking jokes, or chasing rabbits, then I have not truly taught the Word. 
• Does the leader equip his hearers to feast on the Word themselves or to depend on a trained professional to do the work for them? Training people to depend on spiritual nourishment from the regurgitated food of a pastor once a week will lead to a congregation of spiritual anorexics.

Passive Teaching

Active teaching is not the only way leaders lead. They also teach passively. I would define passive teaching as the way in which one instructs those in his life regularly through what he does and what he prioritizes. 

This is where a teacher teaches.

By embodying the stated principle of truth that he articulates with his mouth, a leader earns the right to be heard, followed, and trusted. 

The danger happens when one’s active teaching and passive teaching don’t line up. For example:

• A leader who teaches salvation by grace through faith while privately measuring his spiritual prowess based on his works
• A leader who teaches the necessity of personal evangelism while failing to share his own faith
• A leader who teaches that God is the builder of a church, and yet gives himself a thumbs up or thumbs down each Sunday depending on how many people showed up and how much they give
• A leader who teaches the unity of the Body of Christ while being divisive and contentious in his personal relationships
• A leader who teaches that it is the gospel that saves people while actually depending on manipulation or creativity to do the saving work
• A leader who challenges his people to give and serve while being lazy and depending on other people to do the work
• A leader who teaches Biblical marriage while his marriage is in shambles.
• A leader who teaches the sovereignty of God while living under the tyranny of worry

This list could go on forever. And this is where leadership catastrophes happen. Long before the news breaks of divorce, scandal, addiction, or theft, a leader’s failure starts when they don’t live what they teach. 

It is my prayer that in our day God will raise up an army of teachers, both active and passive, to reorient the church to its primary task. May God put an end to the malnourished congregations that dot the landscape in our day by raising up leaders who will unashamedly teach – and teach well.