Title 「Human duty and mission of education」
Contents
The duty of man and the mission of education
(Deuteronomy 6:1-9)
“Oh, by the grace of God”
Today is Christian Education Promotion Sunday. I remember the dedication of the teachers who work hard even during this time. And, recognizing the importance of Christian education, we commend the teachers for their hard work with encouragement and support.
Immanuel Kant said, “Education is the work of making people human.” That's right. Education must be the work that makes people human. However, Christian education is not only about making people human, but also about making people like God's people. God gave Moses a law for this.
Deuteronomy 6 is the main body of Moses' second sermon. He first mentioned the outline of the law that the Israelites had to keep in the land of Canaan. Here, he introduced the purpose of God giving the law to the people through him (verses 1 and 2) and the blessings to be given when it is kept (verse 3). And he presented specific action points (verses 4-9). I meditated on this verse for several days. And finally, I was inspired during the early morning prayer last Friday and decided the title of the sermon to be the duty of human beings and the mission of education.
1. It is the duty of man to fear God and obey God's commands.
Let's look at Deuteronomy 6:1-3. “These are the commands, ordinances, and ordinances that the LORD your God has commanded you to teach them. You will do it in the land that you are going to cross over to possess, so that you and your sons and your grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your life, and keep all his ordinances and commands that I have commanded you, and that you may live long.” Hear, Israel, and beware of doing it, so that you may be blessed, and you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you.”
From these words, I realized the principle of development of Christian education. It can be seen that the basis of Christian education stems from God’s command to ‘teach’. Also, the content of Christian education is God's commands, ordinances, and laws, that is, God's Word. And the purpose of Christian education is to glorify God by fearing and obeying God. In addition, the text also describes the results of Christian education. It is the threefold blessing of personal well-being, national prosperity, and spiritual Canaan, that is, the blessing of eternal life to be enjoyed by entering the kingdom of heaven. That's right. Man's duty is to fear God and obey God's commands. God is glorified through those who are faithful to their human duty. And I believe in blessing those who are faithful to their human duties so that they can enjoy happiness.
Lincoln's mother, Nancy, died when Lincoln was nine years old. She left these words to her two young children, Lincoln and Sarah. “Be a person who enjoys reading the Bible rather than being rich or a great man”
Lincoln later recalled of his mother: “When I was still young, when I couldn’t even read well, I grew up listening to the Bible that my mother read to me every day. I have kept those words in my heart, so they contain my mother's upbringing. And the sound of my mother's prayers spread all over the cabin. Not only in the house, but also in the fields, when I grew up and worked at the workplace, the sound of my mother’s prayers never left my surroundings.”
Here is another confession from Lincoln. “I believe the Bible is God's greatest gift to man. All the good things of this world come to us through the Bible.” That's right. The Bible is the greatest gift God has given us. The wise are the ones who value this supreme gift. Such a person glorifies God by fearing God. And God blesses such people and makes them happy.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, “Now that we have heard the end of the matter, fear God and keep his commandments. This is the duty of all men.” Yes. Everyone's duty is to fear God and obey God's commands. God is glorified through such a person, and He makes such a person happy. Dear brothers and sisters, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will glorify God and receive blessings from God by fearing God and obeying His commands.
2. The mission of education is to teach and do the duty of human beings.
Let's look at Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
“Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God is the only LORD; you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength. These words that I am commanding you today will be kept in your heart, and you will teach them diligently to your children, and you will preach them when you sit at home, on the way, when you lie down, and when you get up. and put it on your forehead as a mark, and write it on the doorpost of your house and on the outside door.”
That's right. The mission of education is to hear, to engrave, to teach, and to do the duty of man. God is glorified through those who are faithful to the mission of education. And I believe in blessing those who are faithful to the mission of education so that they can enjoy happiness.
“It is important to have a clear sense of purpose why you are preparing for this exam. The thought that God, not me, is the master of what I want to do regardless of whether I pass the exam. When I have the idea of being a steward, I have a calling and hope.”
It is the words of Proverbs 22:4,6. “The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord is riches, glory, and life… Teach a child in the way he ought to walk, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Yes. The mission of education is to teach and practice human duties. It is a responsibility that families, churches, schools and society all have to bear. God is glorified through people who fulfill the mission of education well, and He makes those people happy. Dear brothers and sisters, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will glorify God and receive blessings from God for riches, honor, and longevity by teaching and performing human duties well.
As a Chinese proverb says, if your vision is “If you look ahead one year, plant crops, if you look ten years ahead, plant trees, and if you look 100 years ahead, plant people.” People plant according to that vision as much as the vision. However, the vision of each of us Christians is not 100 years, but eternity. God has planted the word of God for eternal life and a vision of eternity. And through those words, He enlightened us on the duty of human beings and the mission of education.
Man's duty is to fear God and obey man's commands. And the mission of education is to teach and practice human duties. In the name of the Lord, I pray and bless you to become a family and church, parents and children, teachers and students who pursue God's glory and human happiness together by learning and teaching human principles, believing and doing well. Amen!
“Only for the Glory of God”