L3 | Fundamentals of The Faith Pt. 3

This lesson focuses on the critical principle that effective spiritual leadership requires not just knowing truth, but understanding what truths to teach, when to teach them, and how to communicate them appropriately. Using the milk and meat analogy from 1 Corinthians 3:1-2, Pastor Josh emphasizes that while both milk and meat are truth, giving someone "meat" when they need "milk" can cause them to choke spiritually. Leaders must discern whether they're dealing with an unbeliever, a babe in Christ, or a mature believer, and avoid the dangerous tendency to make secondary issues (like food laws or other non-salvific matters) into primary concerns. The lesson warns against the pride of "showing what you know" at the expense of destroying weaker brothers, as described in Romans 14, where even correct doctrine can harm others when communicated without charity, patience, and proper timing.

The lesson outlines a crucial progression for teaching believers: first the Gospel, then the Operation of God (what God did at salvation through Spirit baptism and circumcision without hands), followed by Identity in Christ (understanding how God views you—as His workmanship, sealed, righteous), and finally Good Works (the walk that flows from that identity). This sequence is captured in Galatians 5:25: "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit"—emphasizing that understanding where you live spiritually must precede instructions on how to walk. The teacher stresses that effective leadership requires the character described in 2 Timothy 2:24-26: being gentle, patient, apt to teach, and meek, not just knowing doctrine but demonstrating it through a life that validates the message. The goal is not to impose truth forcefully but to allow people to "recover themselves" as they see truth in God's Word, supported by your loving, Christ-like testimony that shows the power of the gospel in action.