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Lyn's talk at the Fall Meet Artizo Night:
Why Artizo training is so valuable
Good Evening! Thank you so much for coming tonight. I am very thankful for the opportunity to have been an Artizo Intern for this past year and a half. I know that without the prayers and support of the people in this room and others, that this incredible privilege would not have happened – thank you so much!
I have had many chances to learn to teach Godʼs Word. Preaching at the 7:30 am service here at St Johnʼs Vancouver, and at the Church of the Good Shepherd, co-leading a Women@10 Bible Study, and being a part of a Christmas mission with St. Johnʼs Richmond are just a few of the things I have been able to participate in. It has been invaluable to have encouragement, but also to have the freedom to fail, and to have someone evaluate me, exhort me, and pray with and for me, so I can learn from my mistakes and successes and grow.
I am convinced that the training that interns get in Artizo is more necessary now than ever. Godʼs Word has the power to change lives, as it points us to Jesus, who is The Way, The Truth, and The Life...and the ONLY Way to The Father. How our city...our country... our world needs to hear this! I've been taking an Old Testament course at Regent. The OT is so good. There is a verse in the book of Ezra that I think sums up well what we are trying to accomplish in Artizo. It is found in Chapter 7:10. It says: “for Ezra had set his heart to STUDY the law of the Lord, and to PRACTICE it, and to TEACH His statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
I think that is an excellent model for us as the teachers- and preachers-in-training take on the great privelege, but also great responsibility of teaching Godʼs Word. So...what does it mean to study Godʼs Word? It means to get it right, before we get it out there. Primarily, we pray, and ask God, by the power of the Holy Spirit to open our eyes as we come to His Word. We donʼt come with our own views, and try and put them on the text. Rather, we let Godʼs Word breathe, and speak for Itself. We allow it to change us, rather than try and change it to say something that we think is more “comfortable” or “appropriate”. We confront the details, look at the flow of the passage, and see where the text fits with whatʼs happening before and after it, in the Book of the Bible where itʼs located, and finally where it fits in the whole of the Bible.
Next, we practice Godʼs Word. This means to live out the truth of the Biblical text in our lives. Once again...we pray, and humbly submit ourselves to God in truth. We allow the text to wash over us, convict us, and be convinced of the truth of the passage. In the power of the Holy Spirit we walk in obedience to God, and thank Him for working in our lives. Finally...we teach Godʼs Word...we get it out there, so to speak. We pray for clear delivery, and the anointing to speak Godʼs Word. We pray for soft hearts to receive the Word, and for the Truth to go deep, and transform lives...our own, and others. Finally, after this process, we have the joy of teaching as an act of worship to God. So, once again, thank you for coming tonight, and for your support of this valuable program. May the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, continue to go forth.
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