First, spirituality.  They must know theology well, know how to interpret God’s Word, and above all, with that knowledge, they must use them to walk close with God.  Second, communication skills.  They also need to be good communicators that comes with the gift of teaching and lots of preparation.  They need to make the lesson attractive, hoping students would enjoy the lesson.  Third, exemplary.  They need to be exemplary: whatever they teach, they must first be doers of God’s Word. 

The above three requirements mean that teachers need to work hard to be intellectually informed , be creative, and be spiritual people.  Only then can the teacher “bear good fruit” (Luke 6:43), be like “a good man [who] brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, for the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45).  Only then they achieve the ultimate objective: change lives and save souls.

No teacher is able to meet such high standards.  That is why teachers need to unceasingly pray and ask the Holy Spirit, the Great Teacher, to help us.  Imagine, at every lesson, they are tasked with making the lesson enjoyable and life changing.  This is very hard work.  Hence, the church and all of us owe you our appreciation.  Thank you, dear teachers.

Dear students, it is easy to criticise and demand that your teacher does this and that, and not do that and this.  But besides being demanding, rightly or wrongly, you must know that every teacher desires to teach the lesson well and win your approval.  You can be sure that they put in a lot of effort which you may not understand and see.  Teaching demands that they rest and play less, crack their brains to understand God’s Word, and always keep close to God, in order to cook a sumptuous spiritual meal for you.  You can be very sure that teaching is more demanding that than what you can imagine.  What is taught in one hour takes them many hours to prepare.  It requires them to make sacrifices.  Thus, I urge you, please appreciate your teacher.  Encourage them.  Be attentive in class and attend the lessons faithfully.  Or would you prefer them to be discouraged and not teach?  If they do that, the church will rot spiritually.  Appreciate your teachers not only on Teachers’ Day but also during every lesson.  I remember a few students, not many, who after every lesson would say a soft “thank you.”  Have you ever thanked your teacher?

The one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.” (Gal. 6:6)

Dear teachers, the Lord remembers your labour of love:

Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”  “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Luke 18:28-30)

Press on, teachers, because when you teach God’s Word, the Lord promises you in Isa 55:11 that

so is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.