Thursday, August 16, 2007

NEED TO KNOW.

This past week, I was studying Luke 12 in preparation for a message. One of the things that is really helpful for me is reading other people's thoughts on the scriptures, as these often help me to understand the meaning of GOD's word more clearly. One of the resources that I often use is bible.org, which has a wealth of studies and Godly wisdom covering a lot of the bible and other topics.

I was reading this article by Bob Deffinbaugh, and I came across a quote that I thought was very powerful. He was talking about the teaching methods of Jesus, and he said this:
"Good teaching does not tell others all that we know, but it conveys to them a few things that they desperately need to know."
For me, this is a hard principle to follow, because I like to pack all that I can into everything that I say, but I think that this statement illuminates one of the most effective and powerful elements of Jesus' teaching. When he spoke, he spoke relatively briefly and in simple language, but with a wealth of meaning and nuance that we are still in awe of 2,000 years later. He told simple stories of fishermen, mustard seeds, servants and their masters, and good neighbors to communicate GOD's eternal truth.

I think the question for me is this: What is it that we desperately need to know? And how can I say it? Jesus, I pray you would teach me to teach, and to communicate your truth in a way that people will know in their hearts the things you desperately want them to know. See you soon.

1 comment:

Bronwyn said...

Great thoughts, Max. I remember reading a quote from an experienced and godly preacher - whose comment on sermon preparation was "your trash can should be filled with gold"...

Somehow, to a seminary student tempted to always put as much good stuff into every talk as possible, this struck a chord with me... Sometimes in the search to leave people with what they need and let the Word do its work - it means discarding other 'nuggets'...

All the best as you keep working on being an "approved workman who is not ashamed"...