I. Christians are commanded to teach
A. Mark 16:15-16. Here the command is given to preach the gospel to every
creature. Although this command is given specifically to the apostles, it
applies to each Christian as evidenced by the behavior of first century
Christians.
B. Matthew 28:18-20. We are to go and "make disciples," baptizing and
teaching the commands of God.
C. Acts 8:4. Clearly these commands were not restricted to the apostles because
the Christians from Jerusalem went everywhere preaching the word. Their
example is one we must follow!
D. 2 Tim 2:2. Faithful men and women were the ones who are to do the
teaching, in addition to the apostles and inspired evangelists. We must be
teachers today so that the chain of the gospel can continue today.
E. This passage also shows us how the gospel can multiply if we all do our part.
If each of us teach just two people, and those two each teach two, then the
gospel will greatly multiply.
F. 1 Pet 3:15. This command puts a burden on us to know why we have hope
and be able to tell others about this hope. Are we able to do this?
G. We also here have the command to "be ready." Teaching requires a ready
disposition, eager to seek the opportunities God is giving us.

II. What should we teach?
A. Often confusion exists as to what should be taught.
B. A good place to start is with the plan of salvation. Why must we do to
become a Christian? Can we scripturally recount what we have done? In
short, can we give a reason for the hope that is in us?
C. First we must __________. Scripture?_______________
D. We must ______________. Scripture? ______________
E. We must ______________. Scripture? ______________
F. We must ______________. Scripture? ______________
G. We must _____________. Scripture? _______________
H. These are things we all have done to become Christians. Now we are
equipped to teach others. We don't have to give elaborate discussions of
each point, simply point them to the Bible and Jesus. He is the only one
who can tell us what we must do to be saved.
I. We need to know that most denominations do not teach, for example, the
necessity of baptism. It is important that we show people that the Bible's
teaching differs from most.
J. If we do not have much time with someone, it is important to try to plant a seed
of truth. Perhaps we can point them to Jesus and the Bible and urge them
to follow Christ alone.
K. Whatever we get across, we must remember that even the shortest, smallest
interactions can bring great results when we are dealing with God's word.

III. We are not responsible for results
A. Matt 13:3-8, 18-23. The sower in this parable is barely mentioned. It is
foremost a parable about hearing, but we see that the sower spreads the
word everywhere.
B. It is not our job to determine if a heart is sincere or good ground, only to sow
the seed. The word will do the determining (Heb 4:12).
C. 1 Cor 3:5-9. We are servants, but God gives the increase. We are not
responsible for the results, but God is the one who gives the increase.
D. We must be sure not to be discouraged if our teaching efforts are
unsuccessful. God wants us to continue spreading the word. He will take
care of the results.

IV. A few methods of teaching
A. What can we do? How can we start teaching?
B. Personal study is an excellent method. Jesus taught Nicodemus and the
woman at the well by personal interaction (John 3, 4). When we study
with someone face to face, they can ask questions and we can gauge what
they need to hear.
C. Group study is also tried and true. Peter taught a group of Cornelius and his
friends in Acts 10. If we don't feel comfortable teaching alone, we may
ask several brethren to come.
D. Please feel free to call on me for any study or with any question you have.
E. Sometimes something small like simply offering an invitation can be a great
way to introduce someone to the truth. It was an invitation by his brother
that brought Peter to Jesus (John 1:40-42) and Cornelius' friends and
family to the gospel (Acts 10:24).
F. Invitations to services of the church or Bible study are easy to offer, but it is
often difficult to get people to commit.
G. Tracts are a good way to leave information with someone when you don't
have a lot of time to talk. There are a few tracts at the building. Try to
leave your contact information so they can get back to you if they are
interested.

V. A few final points
A. Don't be scared to say "I don't know"!
B. Don't be scared to start the conversation with someone! It's the most
important topic you'll ever discuss!
C. If the body of Christ will ever grow, it will only be because we are busy
teaching!
D. We can influence so many people for the Lord if we really try. Let us "be
ready" to teach at all times.___Jacob Hudgins