Give Me The Bible

SERIES:       COURSE CORRECTIONS 2

SERMON:    GIVE ME THE BIBLE STAR OF GLADNESS GLEAMING.....?

INTRO:         A brother in Christ tells of an incident he witnessed while studying in Israel. He said, "One day we visited the Western Wall in the old city of Jerusalem. A large open courtyard fronts the wall, and since 1967 it has served as a synagogue. This particular day was the festival Simchat Torah- "Joy of the Torah"- a day celebrating God's gift of Torah to Israel at Mt Sinai.

Families had gathered, men and boys on one side of the courtyard, women and girls on the other. These Jews came from all over Israel and the world. some were very old- perhaps survivors of the Nazi concentrations camps? Gradually they began to form a circle and then to dance and sing. Fathers wearing blue and white prayer shawls carried sons on their shoulders. some held high above their heads scrolls of the Torah. above them soared the wall that is all that remains of Herod's Temple, where Jesus himself had been circumcised. The songs, chanted, shouted, came from Genesis 1. Here people remembered God's creation, not as an event of long ago, but as on ongoing work, ever new."

Mark Hamilton, God's Holy Fire, p.121

This beautiful sight can be seen in our minds and can give us a nudge to not let the declining appreciation of God's Word and Work influence us to give up. Instead, let us find a whole new way of exalting God's Word the Bible.

Recall that we are considering the need for course correction, as small as they may be, in order to stay on the narrow path and receive the reward at the end. What about Bible Interest and Use?

 THE PRESENT COURSE

1. There Is A Continuing Decline In Interest In And Knowledge Of The Bible
1. “The Christian body in America is immersed in a crisis of biblical illiteracy. How else can you describe matters when most churchgoing adults reject the accuracy of the Bible, reject the existence of Satan, claim that Jesus sinned, see no need to evangelize, believe that good works are one of the keys to persuading God to forgive their sins, and describe their commitment to Christianity as moderate or even less firm?”- George Barna
2. Other disturbing findings that document an overall lack of knowledge among churchgoing Christians include the following:
1. The most widely known Bible verse among adult and teen believers is “God helps those who help themselves” (used to be John 3:16 and Psa. 23)
2. When given thirteen basic teachings from the Bible, only 1% of adult believers firmly embraced all thirteen as being biblical perspectives.
3. Wheaton College where the biblical and theological literacy of incoming freshmen have been monitored, found startling results. The students represented almost every Protestant denomination in the United States from every state in the country:
1. One-third could not put the following in order: Abraham, the Old Testament prophets, the death of Christ, and Pentecost.
2. Half could not sequence the following: Moses in Egypt, Isaac’s birth, Saul’s death, and Judah’s exile.
3. One-third could not identify Matthew as an apostle from a list of N.T. names.
4. When asked to locate the biblical book supplying a given story, one-third could not find Paul’s travels in Acts, half did not know that the Christmas story was in Matthew, half did not know that the Passover story was in Exodus.
2. Preachers Have Helped Us Reach This Point As Well
1. Burge, from Wheaton College, says "the emphasis on personal development has affected what is coming from our pulpits."
2. Sermons are requested that are more therapeutic and less instructional. Requests:
1. Might come to the preacher by a simple complaint
2. Or the speaker might be complemented each time the lesson is pleasing.
3. Either way, the point is, we want you to tell us this and not that!
4. When we do this we forsake our very mandate from God- II Tim.4:1-5
3. Teachers are discouraged from "getting too deep" or creating a "study" atmosphere:
1. It is normal while studying Philippians to look into Acts 16. That's the background.
2. “Rather than explaining the historical setting of a passage, texts become springboards for devotional reflection, Biblical passages are taken out of context as the preacher searches for those stories that evoke the responses or attitudes desired.”
3. As a result, “The heart of a ‘good’ sermon is fast becoming the ‘emotional work’ that can be done in 20 minutes preaching time.”
3. While Trying To Help, Translators Have Hindered Restoration Of Knowledge.
1. They are on the same side we are: getting more people to read the Bible.
1. They have given us versions that might reach other segments of the population
1. But that only underscores the weak state of things
2. While KJV was on a grade 12 level, and NASB- grade 11 level, and RSV-Gr.10
3. The NIV- is for grade 7 l; NLT- gr.5; CEV-gr.4; NIrV-g.2- (for ESL)
2. We do not fault them for their sincere efforts, but there is a cost.
2. ALERT! If we were only describing non church folks, it would be expected, but
1. The research looks deeply into those "born again," from Christian homes. (above)
2. "In many ways we are living in an age of theological anarchy... the church is rotting from the inside out, crippled by abiblical theology.- Barna

WHAT WOULD A COURSE CORRECTION FOR US LOOK LIKE?

1. While The Results Of "Others" Are Alarming, Do We Need To Take A Look?
1. The Bible says- "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith."-2 Cor. 13:5
2. When we speak about making a course correction it is better to do it now, because, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil."
2. Each Person Would Thank God Everyday For His or Her Bible
1. All people do not have Bibles and we have many
2. We would carry it with us, at least to worship and Bible Class.
3. We Would All Read Our Bibles Everyday Without Fail
1. There would be an excitement about holding God's revelation in our hands-2 Tim. 3:16
2. God revelation gave the Apostles all they needed for life and godliness- 2 Pet. 1:3,4
3. That means that we be "partakers of His divine nature!?" since we have changed.
4.  Lessons That Require "Study" Would Be Welcomes, As Would Homework.

CONLCUSION: Experts do not expect the trend toward biblical illiteracy in churches to change. This does not alter, though, the responsibility of church leaders to do all they can to reverse this dangerous trend. The church is called to be the “pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). And those who are its leaders must follow the apostle Paul in proclaiming “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).