LEARNING SHOULD NEVER STOP!

LEARNING SHOULD NEVER STOP!

Eph 4:11-13

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

           This month my granddaughter will graduate from high school right on schedule and with a few gold braids. Yesterday I graduated from college some forty years late. You see, in 1971 I graduated with an associates degree and immediately set out to begin a baby church. I became so busy that before I knew it forty years had slipped away. I decided to finish my final year and get my degree. It was both a humbling and an exhilarating experience.

I was able to challenge five classes and test out of five more. What I discovered was that in forty years of daily ministry I had learned much more than that final year would have taught me. Why would I, at my age, take the trouble to return to college? Because learning should never stop!

If we take a look around we see teachers everywhere. Some were prophets of old and others are evangelists, pastors and teachers. If we pay attention we can receive a pretty good “hard knocks” education.

Paul told the Ephesians their spiritual education had three purposes.

1. For the Perfecting of the Saints!

Katartismos means “the complete furnishing” of the believer. Our teachers help us to move from new born believer to wise old sage. It sometimes takes a long time to accomplish.

2 Tim 3:16-17

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Here the words “thoroughly furnished” are the Greek exartizo (ex-ar-tid’-zo) and it means “to finish out” or “to equip fully.”

2. For the Work of the Ministry!

Education is useless unless it is practically applied.

Phil 4:9

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

3. Full maturity in Christ!

1 Cor 13:11

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Dear Lord, let me learn all that I can and let me apply all I have learned for the work of the ministry. AMEN