What does it mean to teach something to someone? If they don't know how to do it, or they don't do it, after you've "taught" them, did you really teach them?
Is it possible to talk at someone on a high level, sharing principles & concepts, but never really help them to change? If so, whose fault is it if they don't change? The teacher whose teaching was ineffective or the person who doesn't change?
Although most Christians are taught every week--many of us have attended 100s of sermons--most of us don't seem to be much like Christ. We don't really pick-up our cross & follow Jesus, live sacrificially, love our neighbor or exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. Why is this?
Here are some possible reasons:
1) Maybe we don't care? All we measure is attendance & giving. Perhaps whether people are really living what we are teaching is not our responsibility?
2) There is little follow-up. When a teaching relationship is an anonymous, one-to-many transaction, with no accountability, there will be no change. Imagine if there was no homework in school? Would anyone know how to do math? Or if a dance instructor only danced in front of the class, but the students never had to perform?
3) Our church culture allows this behavior. If it didn't then the behavior wouldn't exist. But as it is, something about what we're doing makes it okay to attend for years & not be changed. Perhaps this is because it feels judgemental to expect change. Or it's uncomfortable to confront our brothers & sisters? Maybe we don't know them well enough to confront them? Maybe we never know each other on a personal level to know if change is happening? Maybe we never expose ourselves to one another to allow that depth of knowing.
Should we change this? Maybe I'm wrong & we really are like Christ. Or maybe it's not the church's responsibility to make sure attendees are growing mature, able to teach others.
If we should change, how could we do it? Or what have you found to be an effective method of helping church attendees mature? Is there any way to measure it?
