Pass it on

2Timothy 2:1-2 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

1Corinthians 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

1Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

1. God's Command:
1. The command is to follow godly leaders and pass on what we received the same way as we received it.
2. In 2Timothy 2:1-2 we are commanded to pass on what we have received.
3. That command is added to the command to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  The grace that is in Christ Jesus  is the grace to spiritually mature after we get saved and this grace is offered to all saved people.  If we are to get strong physically, we must exercise our muscles.  In order to grow strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus  we must exercise that grace in our own life.  Added to this command is the command to teach others also.  You can not teach what you refuse to learn.
4. Next, when our verse tells us to commit thou to faithful men 'the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses,  we see that we are commanded to follow a godly example given by a man who follows Christ.  Our verses in 1Corinthians also command this.  Thus we see that our command is to do the same things as our godly example did.  Please notice that this is a command to do the same thing not a command to go to the same source and receive the same blessing from the same source.  We do not go to the same source but we pass on what was passed to us.
5. We are to pass on the things that thou hast heard of me.  Lots of Filipinos want to go to America to get money.  That is putting your faith and hope in the Americans instead of in God.  The most important thing that Dr. Nono has brought from America is godly teaching, not money.  It is the godly teaching that our Bible reference is telling us to pass on.  If we concentrate on serving God then it is God's responsibility to provide for us.  If we concentrate on the things then we are disobeying the command of Matthew 6:33 (seek ye first').  Our command is to concentrate on the godly teaching and concentrate on passing on the godly teaching.  It is only after we obey that we can depend on God to provide for our physical needs.  The example is Tata (a Filipino missionary to Thailand).
6. Next we need to look at who we are to pass these godly teachings to.  The man of God is commanded to pass on what he received to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.  If the receivers are not faithful  or if they are not able to teach others also  then the man of God has failed.  However, if he does pass on what he received to several others who have proved that they meet the qualifications, and those others fail to do the same then the consequence is on the receivers and not on the original man of God.
7. Our reference says that we are to commit.  The dictionary definition is inadequate in that it says 'To give in trust; to put into the hands or power of another'.  However, when we commit  something we turn it over with no possibility of taking it back.  Therefore, what has been passed to Filipino preachers through PAME has NO chance of a repeat.  Neither Dr. Nono nor I can do the same again as PAME has already done.  There are many reasons but this ministry will not be started again.  If the PAME preachers do not pick up the responsibility and obey this command then they waste everything that has been done so far but should expect that there will NOT be another chance.  However, if the preachers do pick up the responsibility and pass on what they received to other Filipino pastors, then other knowledgeable preachers can be convinced to contribute more.  IF the Filipino pastors do not pass it on, then the knowledgeable pastors will see a wasted effort and not get involved.
8. Simply put: either the receiving Filipino pastors prove that they are faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also  or they prove that they are not.  If the receivers do their job then others in America may see and be persuaded to help further.  If the receiving Filipino pastors refuse to do their job, then they will prove that past efforts were a waste of time, money, prayers and more.  Wise people will refuse to get involved in such a waste.  Thus, this is your test which determines if more help comes or not.
9. Dr. Nono is your God given example that you are to follow in order to follow Christ.  He has passed on what he received by providing Bible School, teaching to church members, training for pastors.  He doesn't just have a preacher fellowship so that preachers can preach to each other but there are planned lessons which are given every time that the pastors meet.  In addition, to how he provides training for pastors, he likewise provides training for others within his ministry.  He doesn't just have preaching every service but there are planned Sunday School lessons which match the theme of other events in the church.  For example, Sunday School lessons which are related to missions are taught leading up to the Missions Conference.  There is an annual plan and schedule with things like events like Tent Meetings every year.  Lessons before the tent meetings teach the responsibility of every believer to do the Great Commission.  Everything follows a plan and is done decently and in order  (1Corinthians 14:40).
10. When Dr. Nono goes to meetings in America he doesn't just sit and get encouraged.  He is paying attention to what he can bring home to help others.  He does not just get material for himself but gets material to pass on to others.  Really look at the books in his office.  He has multiple copies of several books.  The only reason for multiple copies is so that several people can use them at the same time.
11. When he attends meetings he takes notes to remind himself what to follow up on and to remember what to pass on to others.  You can see him teaching from books written by others.  This requires his time to study what he brings from America and see what will help the Filipinos.
12. He does not lift himself up in pride and only preach what comes from his own study because that is foolishness.  He takes advantage of what God teaches through others.  Preachers who refuse to do the same are full of pride and denying their people what God makes available through others.
13. If you are not teaching others and providing them material to learn from and pass onto others or do not have an overall plan for teaching in your ministry then you are not obeying these Bible commands.
2. What pastors are to do: teach
1. In the Great Commission of Matthew 28 Jesus tells us to teach  twice.  This is NOT the same as preaching.  Matthew 28:20 says Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
1. Notice that the promise to be with you alway, even unto the end of the world  is added, by the word and  to the command Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.  If we are not Teaching  or are not teaching people to obey in great detail ('to observe') or are not teaching all things whatsoever I have commanded you  then we should not expect Jesus Christ to stay with us even if we are saved.  Emphasize this truth.
2. The reason that many Americans are turning away from God is because they feel like God is no longer with  them.  In most cases, this is true.  However, God did not abandon them but they failed to obey the command which would preserve their relationship with God.
3. They are not taught to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded.  The word observe  means to watch closely and over a period of time.  Bible commands to watch  also carry the implied command to obey.  Many American church members do not know the details of what the Bible says.  Many believe that Bible commands are optional.  They do not obey because they lack knowledge of what the Bible actually says and of what the consequences are of disobedience.  They do not receive the blessings and even receive punishment in the form of sickness and death.  Instead of confessing their own sin of disobedience they believe the lie that God's word is not reliable and turn to false bibles, false religious promises and false religions.
2. Romans 10:1-3 says: Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
1. Most American churches are doing the same thing as Israel did because they also lack knowledge.  They have preaching which gives them zeal,  but they lack teaching  and, therefore, do not have knowledge.  Isaiah 28:9says Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?  Notice that the Bible says that God gives knowledge  through teaching.  Isaiah's preaching did not do the job.
2. Filipino Christians received their religion from American churches.  Many Filipino churches will go the way of Israel and the way that American churches are going unless they stop following the American example and obey what the Bible literally says.  They must add teaching  to their preaching if their church members are to spiritually mature.
3. The growth of cults and false religions, which claim to be Christian  shows the extent that this problem also exists in the Philippines.  Very few of these sources of false doctrine try to win the lost.  Instead, they try to fins newly saved people and offer to teach them more doctrine than the salvation messages that they get in their home church.  As Dr. Nono preached, the back door of the church is bigger than the front door because people are leaving to get teaching that they believe their home church will not give them.
4. When PAME first gave lessons to preachers, 5 preachers and churches converted from false religions to Baptist.  Since then, several members in Abundant Life have also converted.  These conversions were a direct result of teaching.  Prior preaching did not produce these results.
3. The example of the church at Antioch.
1. In Acts 11:19 we see non-preachers starting a church in a new mission field.  Today we do things backward from the example of Acts.  We send out a preacher to start a new work.  In Acts, the non-preachers got people saved and meeting in a Bible Study before a preacher came to the group to organize a church.  Today, most non-preachers don't know their doctrine well enough to follow the Bible example.
2. In Acts 11:22-24 we see the mother church send Barnabas to be their pastor and the result was and much people was added unto the Lord.
3. In Acts 11:25-26 we read Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
4. Notice that the result was And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.  Sounds wonderful but don't take the devil's method and take things out of context.  Notice that our verse says that they taught much people,  not preached.  Barnabas was a preacher and the result of preaching was much people was added unto the Lord.  That is: professions, baptisms church membership and church attendance.  However, the people did not act like Christ until after they were taught  for a whole year.  Preaching gets people to respond to an invitation.  Each preaching message is independent from every other preaching message.  However, teaching builds one lesson upon another and all are related and follow a plan.  Notice again that they were taught  for a whole year.  This is not the same as a year of independent preaching messages and the difference is proven by the different results between Barnabas preaching and Paul teaching.
5. Notice that much people  were taught but only the disciples were called Christians.  We've been taught to accept that everyone is a Christian  as soon as they make a profession or maybe after they get baptized.  However, there were many baptized believers regularly attending church in Jerusalem and Antioch but NO ONE was called Christian  until after they became a disciple.  That is, only after they had a disciplined life of personal prayer and study that went beyond the preaching in the church.
3. Teach your people doctrines which go beyond the basics.
1. John 10:10 says I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  We see similar messages in Philippians 3:12, 1Thessalonians 2:14, 1Peter 1:11 and 1Peter 2:21.
1. The Abundant Life Ministry was started because churches in Bacolod were only teaching the basics.
2. In addition, to the Abundant Life Ministry Sunday evening service and midweek service are dedicated to teaching.
3. The references in 1Corinthians that we read at the start tell us to follow the example of godly leaders who follow Christ.  At least one meeting per week should be used to teach doctrines which go beyond the basics if you are going to follow the example of Dr. Nono.
4. Our example in Acts of the church at Antioch showed us that preaching gets people saved and adds members.  However, the church members did not live a life which caused others to call the, Christians  until after they were taught for a full year and then only the people who personally applied the teaching, and became disciples,  had the changed life.
2. Hebrews 6 tells us the difference between basic doctrines and advanced doctrines.
1. Basics include:
1. Repentance
2. Not relying on works for salvation nor for sanctification
3. Act in true Biblical faith
4. Baptism
5. Healing and getting other prayer requests answered
6. Our resurrection
7. Our judgment
3. Please Study the book of Hebrews after Chpater 6 for some of the more advanced doctrines which we are to teach.
4. The Test of Spiritual Maturity  and other tests provided allow finding out how mature your church members are.  Testing is part of teaching.  If you don't give tests then the retention of the listeners is limited.
5. We are commanded to cause God's people to have a changed life.
1. People who do not have a changed life may be saved but they are still spiritual babes.  No one has a baby to have it still in diapers 30 years later.  God says that the pastors will give an answer for the level of spiritual maturity received by the people put into the pastor's care.
2. We see many Filipino churches following the American example and the result is the growth of cults, false doctrines and reliance of man-written English bibles.  If cults are growing around you and you are losing converts to them then you have a failure in your teaching ministry.
3. It is the job of God's preachers and churches to converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins  (James 5:20).  If God's people are holding onto sinful lifestyle s then you failed to converteth the sinner from the error of his way.  Also, if most of the prayer requests are for health issues then God's people are probably being punished for sin.  Not all sickness is due to sin but some is and when health is the main concern of people they are ignoring the truly important spiritual concerns.
4. How to do
1. Get the Biblical attitude.  The Bible tells us to use what God gave you.
1. Exodus 4:2 says: And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.  We think that what God provides is not enough because it is not enough for us to do the job in our own ability.  However, if is enough for God to do the job if we have faith in God's ability.  I've heard lots of Filipino preachers complain because they can't go to America to get help.  But that is trusting in the Americans and not trusting in God.  Moses started our saying here am I lord but send Aaron  but repented and let God use his life and was blessed.
2. David used a sling.  His older brother accused David of pride because he would rather see God's children go into slavery than to admit that God refused to use him but used his younger brother.  The older brother refused to fight until he has a sword and spear and armor and shield and even then he was afraid.  David was accused of pride but he let God use him and gave the glory to God.  The older brother claimed to be humble but refused to let God use him.  He compared what he had and did to what David had and did instead of looking for how God could work through his life with what God provided.  He refused to act in faith.
3. When the 12 spies were sent into the land 10 came back and discouraged God's people because they looked at the giants and their lack of ability to fight them.  They brought a judgment of death upon all of their generation of God's people.  However, two spies tried to encourage God's people based upon God's promise to be with them and to fight for them.  They were the only ones of their generation to survive and they became the leaders that God used to lead His people to victory.
4. The Filipino pastors have been given much which most have not used.  Instead of using the lessons and training in God's word which has been provided, many Filipino pastors want to go to America to get financial support.  They6 are like the 10 spies who wanted physical means, money, to do a job which God said is a spiritual battle.  God protected and provided for and used the two spies who trusted the spiritual promise from God.  Likewise, the Filipino pastors who get God to provide and protect and use them are the ones who will the spiritually based aids which God has provided.
5. Moses said I can't  but did the job when he let God work through him with a tool which could not do the job in the flesh.
6. David's older brother was jealous because he was rejected by God after he refused to use the inadequate tool  and trust in God.  David was accepted and used by God because he proved his faith in God by doing a job which was impossible in the flesh with the tools that God gave him.  No one could say that David killed the giant in his flesh.  Everyone gave the glory to God.  If you go to America for financial support, the glory goes to the Americans.  If you use what God provided and do what is physically impossible then, and only then, will your ministry give the glory to God.
2. Obey the Bible and add a teaching ministry.
1. Make sure that your church ministry has an annual plan and stick to it.  Do all things decently and in order.  Failure to plan is a plan to fail.  Consider the main areas of ministry that your church is involved in and plan a major event to emphasize each within the year.
2. Teaching is to produce godly workers who can be used by God to help others.  You raise children to the point that they can leave your home and start another home.  Your church is supposed to do the same.  However, wise parents hold back their teenagers who can get pregnant but don't know how to raise godly children.  Wise parents test their children before letting them go out on their own.  Pastors are supposed to test their people to have a valid idea of their spiritual maturity and only sent them out on their own when they are sure that the members are spiritual adults.  In particular, the Test of Spiritual Maturity  in the Study on 1Corinthians is God's Bible based test which God's ministers should be using.
3. Teaching includes Study (2Timothy 2:15).  If your members do not have a personal disciplined prayer and Study life then they are not ready to be workmen.  If your ministry is not producing such workmen  then your ministry is not fulfilling part of the purpose that God gave to churches.
4. Isaiah 28:11 says: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.  If you only teach your people what God gives to you then you are hindering the work of God.  One famous preacher said: He who will not use the mind of others, and what God gave through them, is a fool.  Use the valid teaching lessons that God had others provide to you.
5. Constantly test your people for their spiritual knowledge and spiritual maturity.  Be sure to teach your people how to study.  Genius is properly defined as an extremely high ability to learn from books.  I have registered geniuses in my family and have studied the history of IQ tests and the definition of geniuses.  However, the point is that they can learn, and do, from books without anyone else guiding them.  Psalms 119:99 says: I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.  The only way that a godly person can have more understanding than all my teachers  is if they study and meditate  on God's word and let God's Holy Spirit teach them God's testimonies  and how to apply those testimonies  in their own life.  The goal of your teaching ministry should be to produce people who can teach things which God's Spirit showed them in the Bible and that even you did not know.
6. 1Corinthians 11:1 says: Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.  Who in your church is being prepared to replace me with their own knowledge of the Bible? Who is a non-preacher and yet someone that you can send to help missionaries because of their knowledge of the Bible?
3. Don't duplicate the godly ministries that sister churches have but support their ministries.
1. As God leads, start a ministry that is lacking in your area.  For example, I've heard of pastors starting their own Youth Camp.  Unless God convinces you that you can do a better job than is done by La Carlota's Youth Camp, do not start your own but support the existing camp.  Instead, start a missing ministry such as training soul winners and taking them to missions and helping them have a campaign for a weekend.
4. Obey the Great Commission  and extend the teaching ministry to other godly ministries and mission works near you.
1. Each pastor has preachers and missionaries near them that they can provide training and teaching materials to.  Preacher fellowships are fine but fall short of God's purpose if they do not include teaching, which is different from preaching by various preachers.  In addition, you receive material from this ministry and have access to material that you can use and pass on.
2. Moses had lots of excuses and said Here am I Lord, but send Aaron.  God answered all of his excuses and he was blessed by God and used by God only when he stopped making excuses and started asking God how to solve the problems.  So, are you an excuse maker or a servant of God who asks God for answers.
3. Many Filipino pastors complain that they don't use the internet and the material is on the internet.  However, all can learn and most, if not all, have some young person in their ministry who can access the internet for them.  The true problem is that the Filipino pastor needs to learn enough to know what is available so that they can direct their helper to get what they want.
4. Many claim that they can not afford to print material to hand out to other pastors.  Pray to God and if God does not provide a solution then talk to Dr. Nono.
5. Dr. Nono had to do the job of a Senior Pastor before he became one.  Teenagers learn how to care for children before they become parents.  Once a pastor builds his work to the point of organizing it as an independent church, he has a God given responsibility to teach others also.  This means helping other pastors whose works are not yet ready to become organized as independent churches.  In the process of helping these other pastors you will do the job of a senior pastor and become one.  God wants lots of replacements for Dr. Nono and it is not preachers to go to America because America is turning its back on God.  God is making the Philippines the main country sending out missionaries.  God wants Filipino pastors who can produce Filipino missionaries and workers who are dependent upon Filipino churches and not on American churches.
6. Related but separate are the financial considerations.  Jesus commended the widow who had the right heart attitude and not the religious people who gave a lot but gave out of their abundance.  I have given over 134% of my regular income to the Lord's work for the last 4 years and have more in savings than I had when I came to the Philippines.  It is not because I have a lot of money because I thought I had less than the Philippine government said that I needed to live in the Philippines as an American.  The point is that I have been blessed by God financially because of my heart attitude and not because of how much money I had.  So, who in your ministry are you training to replace me? What people will be sent from your church for the purpose of becoming a missionary who will financially support mission works?

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