“Teach Me The Way Of Life” Psalm 16:11

The FIV5FOLD BIBLE takes one verse at a time and examines it through each of the five lenses. How would an Apostle look at this verse? How would a Prophet? An Evangelist? A Pastor? A Teacher?

This section looks at how an Apostle might read this passage. 

1. Like free guitar lessons, the apostle knows that the Lord will teach (experientially) a new way of life, a new rhythm, a new soundtrack for anyone’s life. The trick is getting out there with a guitar and a song that makes others want to be taught to play. A metaphor…see what we did there?

To go a little further with the “teaching/knowing” paradigm in the Bible check out Knowing Isn’t What You Think

2. Like the Sia song, most party people are looking for the wrong celebration. The apostle plants worship and presence in the space where “1, 2, 3, Drink” is the liturgy. Acts 17:19-34

3. The Apostle is a living illustration of God’s kingdom breaking into the world, and it is beautiful: awakening hearts to dreams that people were afraid to dream, awakening hearts to the dreams that the Lord dreams for them.

If you were going to preach an apostolic message on one of these points, you could start with one of these titles:

Message Titles: “Free Music Lessons” “The Work of the Party People” “I’m Wide Awake”

This section looks at how a Prophet might read this passage. 

1. The prophet speaks up when someone(s) needs to be strengthened and encouraged to keep moving forward in the way of living that God is teaching them (Acts 15:32) // on the flip side, the prophet speaks out when someone(s) are learning a way of living from someone who is not the God who is supposed to be teaching them.

2. The lost art of the prophet: soaking in the celebration. The prophet knows how to be present in the presence; how to marinate in the celebration and teach the way of Jesus as a way of living.

As with all gifts, there are two dynamic sides of the same coin working at the same time. 

3. Heads: the prophet proclaims the beauty we aren’t seeing or celebrates the beautiful things of God that we are embracing together // Tails: and tells us to stop participating with ugliness. The prophet ain’t afraid to call ugly what it is: U.G.L.Y.

If you were going to preach a message with a prophetic lens on one of these points, you could start with one of these titles:

Message Titles: “Building Up Or Tearing Down” “Marinate Before Serving” “You Ain’t Got No Alibi”

This section looks at how an Evangelist might read this passage. 

1. The evangelist tells the story of God, who causes us to learn Jesus’ new way of life and tells the story of that new life transformation in the learning of others. There’s a kind of solidarity in being able to hear the words, “It happened to me and it happened in them…”

2. In the presence of Jesus, the narrative preaching of the gospel of Jesus (how Jesus has been at work in the lives of others, causing them to learn a new way of life) is a total celebration! And the gospel leads to soul transformation, which is totally celebrated in heaven.

3. The evangelist helps people see themselves as beautiful things, life in Christ as beautiful and the hope of transformation as beautiful. The evangelist is a master of beautiful speech, speech that colors hearts in beauty.

If you were going to preach a message with an evangelist lens on one of these points, you could start with one of these titles:

Message Titles: “It Could Happen To You”* “Soul Transformation Celebration” “Coloring Hearts”

*a YES song and a Nicholas Cage movie in one reference! What?

This section looks at how a Pastor might read this passage. 

1. The pastor serves as guide as a person unlearns their way of living and begins to learn the new way, the way of Jesus. They sit in the gap between the new life Jesus is teaching AND the old life that we retreat to.

2. The pastor is a celebration planner, helping us see the victory of the Lord, even in the midst of what seems to be painful defeat. The pastor find beauty in our ashes, giving grace instead of guilt.

3. I think that this is what is best about the pastoral gifting: they consistently point to the truth that what God holds in his hand is the beautiful things. The Lord doesn’t hold onto our ugliness. His hands are too full of beauty. There is no room for ugly in the grip of the love of God. The pastor shows us how through Christ, what is ugliest about us become beauty in his presence.

If you were going to preach a message with a pastor lens on one of these points, you could start with one of these titles:

Message Titles: “You Can Be My Gandalf” “A Plan To Party” “Beautiful Things”

This section looks at how a Teacher might read this passage. 

The focus of this section has shifted, the paradigm of “teacher” moved. Check out The Next Wave Of Teachers Is A Game Changer

1. Describe the move from Athens back to Jerusalem in terms of Western thought toward Rabbinic understanding. Instruct the Hiphil Imperfect of “teach” and then teach how to be taught, how to experience God in life.

2. In the class: Psalm as celebration, how to pray the Psalms

In the field: how to celebrate, to find total satisfaction in the presence of Jesus.

3. In the class: Scripture, Prayer, Justice, Spiritual Discipline, Tradition, Doctrine, Discipleship as Beautiful Things.

In the field: What do beautiful things look like when exercised in every day life, ministry, home and with your neighbor. This is going to get messy. It’s life on life, professor. Get out of the class and hit the street with your disciples.

Check out the beautiful things in this video