Jesus Our TeacherSample

Jesus’ teaching calls for a response. To merely admire Jesus as a great Teacher, without applying the truths He taught, is to forfeit the treasure of which He spoke. It also is to leave yourself vulnerable to life’s storms when they come.

Earlier I mentioned Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. He wrapped up the sermon with a short story about two men. One man built his home on a rock, a solid foundation; the other man built his home on the sand. Jesus’ point is the person who acts on His teaching is building on a solid foundation, but one who fails to heed Jesus’ words is setting himself up for disaster. Storms come into all our lives. Building our lives on the firm foundation of Jesus and His teaching gives us the ability to withstand the onslaught.

Let me say again:To merely admire Jesus as a great Teacher, without applying the truths He taught, is to leave yourself vulnerable to life’s storms when they come. It is the same as declaring you really don’t believe Him after all. Obedience to what Jesus teaches is proof that you believe Him. Belief, after all, is to be demonstrated, not just discussed. 

Acting in belief on Christ’s words requires faith. Faith is something we often misunderstand. We identify it as an emotion, something we hold to intellectually, or something we say we believe. Yet, faith is measured by your life, not your lips. It involves your feet, not just your feelings. It should be a lifestyle, not an event.  

In fact, to not live by faith is to call God a liar. It is to challenge His integrity because faith means you are taking Him at His word. Faith is only as powerful as the object to which it is attached. You could have all the faith in the world that your car was suddenly going to sprout wings and fly you to the moon, but you would still end up on the ground. Yet when you attach your faith to Jesus Christ and His Word—and you respond by obeying what He has revealed—that is the faith that moves mountains (Matt. 17:20). Responding to Jesus’ teaching means trusting Him enough to do what He says.

You wouldn’t hire a music teacher, computer programmer, or gardener to teach you how to do a certain skill and then not apply what he had shown you. That would be a waste of your time and money. Furthermore, a person who went to college to learn how to be an accountant, for example, but chose not to follow the rules of mathematics and business would not only be considered a fool, but would also be unemployed. 

Jesus is the greatest Authority on how to live our lives. And He has given us His teaching in His Word. To read it, study it, discuss it, and yet not apply it makes no sense at all. It makes about as much sense as building your house on top of sand. Listen to Jesus’ teaching and respond with trustful obedience.

How can you apply Jesus’ teaching to your daily life?

Read. Read one of the Gospels and as you come across Jesus’ teachings, identify how living by that teaching would benefit your life.

Commit. Make a conscious deliberate decision to live by the teaching of Jesus.

Teach. Consider leading a small group Bible study or teaching and working with kids or students. Let God use you to communicate to others the teachings of Jesus.

Sit at the feet of Jesus. Learn from Him. And experience your life to the fullest. 

Would you like to do deeper in living a life under Jesus' teaching? We have a gift download MP3 of a sermon titled "A Life Well Planned" by Tony Evans. Simply click here.