Why People Don't Learn

Mark 4:1

And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

The ministry of Christ was filled with times when He taught people. However, think about how many people did not show up to the teaching times and missed the great principles and truths that Jesus taught. These people missed truths and principles that they could have learned, which would have saved them in times of need had they shown up when Jesus taught. Jesus could only teach those who were present; it was those who were not present that missed the opportunity to learn something that would help them in their lives.

Much is said in our day about the importance of discipleship classes. Now, I am not much on discipleship classes because there is much more that needs to be taught to people than just a few lessons. I get it that we need to get people grounded in the foundational truths of God's Word; however, every truth in God's Word is a foundational truth. Therefore, every time you miss something being taught from God's Word, you are missing a foundational truth that can change your life for good.

As a pastor, one of my great heartaches and burdens is that so many people don't show up for the teaching times of God's Word. In the scriptures, we are commanded to both preach and teach God's Word. Now there is a difference between preaching and teaching. Preaching is often deals with problems that need to be resolved in people’s lives, whereas teaching is giving the listeners knowledge on how to avoid those problems and deal with those problems if or when they happen. Both preaching and teaching are critical to every person's life.

You will notice in the verse above that Jesus taught, and the multitudes listened. The sad part is that many people were alive in Jesus’ day, but only those who showed up heard Him teach them what they needed to do. Those people who did not show up when Jesus taught did not realize what they were missing and how it would help them in the future. Jesus was teaching them truths that would never be outdated and would always be relevant for every situation in their lives, but they missed them because they were not there.

You cannot be taught a truth if you're not present when the truth is being taught. This is why it is critical that you show up for Sunday school and Wednesday night Bible study. These are the two church services that are critical to learning what the Bible teaches, and the truths that will help you to deal with problems in your everyday life. Just because you don't think that you need the truth right now does not mean that you won't need it in the future. Sadly, many will miss teaching, and one day they will experience a situation that the time of teaching would have taught them what to do had they been there. Just because you don't think that you need the lessons does not mean that you don't need them. Every lesson has a truth that will seem like you don't need it right now, but it will help you in the future. You won't know when that time will be, and that is why you need to be present at all teaching times.

There is a responsibility for people to show up for the teaching, as much as there is a responsibility for the pastor to teach the people. Yes, the pastor should teach the people, but he cannot teach those who do not show up.