One of the things I learned
when I was studying to be a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor, was something called the Tell, Show and Do Method. Tell, Show and Do are elements of good instruction. They each play a part in the proper transfer of information from the teacher to the learner. It involves the instructor telling the student what they need to know, and then showing them how to do it. Then, the student begins to move to copy it. Through the use of three learning styles, the auditory, visual and kinesthetic systems, students are more inclined to retain information which leads to full integration and application. In addition, if a mistake is made, then the instructor is there to support them, and offer proper correction. I believe this is what Jesus did when training his disciples to be the Apostles. "The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." Specifically, in Matthew 13, Jesus tells his disciples a parable and then He explains it. He later goes on to show them how to do it. And then, as we all know, the students are given an opportunity to practice what they have learned and stand corrected - before being sent out to apply it. In this passage, Jesus told a parable. He said, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop - a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 13:3-9 Very rarely does Jesus explain what the parables mean. He usually just says and then carries on. But in this case, Jesus explains it. He said, “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.” There it is - the seed represents the gospel message about the Kingdom of Heaven, where Jesus is King - the life-giving Spirit who rules and reigns it. This is very different from Adam - the living being who was made from dust to rule and reign over God’s physical creation. The land represents the soil of the heart - the condition of a person to receive the gospel message and to bear fruit from it. The evil one represents a thief. A criminal spirit who unlawfully takes God’s blessing away. In this instance, if a persons heart is totally resistant to Christ, then the seed is diverted, and is sown along the path. The great thing that I just noticed is that the seed is not changed! It simply is diverted to a different location until it falls into good hands and locates a heart that is ready to receive it. “The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” To me, this is pretty straightforward. It reminds me of the temporary friend who is only there to have a good time. As soon as trouble comes, they leave you alone to fend for yourself. This is the heart that is all about self - Completely narcissistic in nature based on what in it for them. “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word out, making it unfruitful.” This is the person who is lukewarm. They have more faith in the world than they have in God. They also put more emphasis on themselves. They may root, but they do not bear fruit, and this is not okay with God. God in His mercy grants us another day, another hour, and another breath. Christ stands at the door of each man’s heart knocking and seeking to gain entrance and requiring repentance from sin. But if there is no fruit, no repentance, His patience will come to an end, and the fruitless, unrepentant individual will be cut down. (Quoted from Got Questions) They weeds and thorns squeeze out the true witness. Due to their allegiance to the world, these people are not able to die to self and point people to Christ to be transformed. “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:18-23 You see, The heart of the believer is more than able to testify to Christ because they have died to self and have been transformed. They are willing and able to recognize and respond to the Voice of God. Their whole desire is to draw in and pay attention to the Word of God, because they know in their heart and soul that Jesus is sovereign. You see, the Bible is more than a book. It’s the revelation of Jesus Christ, and it not only explains where man comes from, but it explains the Kingdom of Heaven and how we transform from being a living being to an eternal spirit. It also tells us what is to come on the Day of the Lord. And in this age, which is known as “the Church” believers are called to be ambassadors for Christ - reconciling men back to God. I used to think that a disciple, an apostle or an evangelist were man-made positions that required special certifications from Bible colleges. I thought that a Priest or a Pastor who was ordained by another had to be the one to give a person that special recognition. But that is NOT what the Bible says! My God, how we have twisted the Word of God! We have it so wrong! An apostle, missionary or evangelist, is simply one who is sent by God to convey the gospel message. They are the names that people give to explain a follower of Christ, who has been sent by God to spread the gospel message through the testimony of their faith in Christ. Their sole mission is to point people to Christ to reconcile men back to God. Why humans have to elevate themselves is beyond my understanding! It reminds me of the disciples squabbling over who was the greatest! I love how Jesus rebuked them. He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever takes the position of the least is the greatest.” Matthew 18:3-5 So I ask you, what kind of heart do you have? Are you able to receive the Kingdom of Heaven? Are you willing to be a personal trainer for Christ by teaching people how to apply the Tell, Show and Do method? Are you a person who is caught in the man-made system? Or has Jesus ordained you for the great commission? Do you elevate yourself through bragging rights and labels? Or is your audience solely Jesus Christ?
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