In his "Commentary," 14 October 2005, Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. informs us,
"Researchers George Gallup and Jim Castelli put the problem squarely: 'Americans revere the Bible--but, by and large, they don't read it. And because they don't read it, they have become a nation of biblical illiterates.' How bad is it? Researchers tell us that it's worse than most could imagine.
Fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels. Many Christians cannot identify more than two or three of the disciples. According to data from the Barna Research Group, 60 percent of Americans can't name even five of the Ten Commandments. . . .
According to 82 percent of Americans, 'God helps those who help themselves,' is a Bible verse. Those identified as born-again Christians did better--by one percent. A majority of adults think the Bible teaches that the most important purpose in life is taking care of one's family. . . .
A Barna poll indicated that at least 12 percent of adults believe that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife. Another survey of graduating high school seniors revealed that over 50 percent thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife. A considerable number of respondents to one poll indicated that the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Billy Graham. We are in big trouble."
This is on our watch. What can we pastors do about it? Here are a few obvious ideas. Please help me by adding your own:
1. Memorize the Bible together, as a church. One verse per week in your service. It can be fun, and it provides a moment of connectedness and participation together. It says a lot to guests about what your church is passionate for.
2. Gather a small group of eager men and go deeper. I believe every man should be able to think his way through the argument of the book of Romans, for example. That can happen, with great effect, in a small group.
3. Read the Bible in every worship service. Is this too obvious to say? I don't think so. And end the reading with the faith-filled declaration, "This is God's Word." That solemnizes the moment in a gentle, non-spectacular, factual way. It's a tactful way of saying, "Okay y'all, now we've got to deal with this for what it is."
4. Preach from the Bible, and from the Bible only. Again, does this need to be said? One thing's for sure. The Bible is fascinating, disturbing, offensive, sweet, alarming, comforting, stretching, shocking, controversial, caressing, strengthening. No way are you and I that interesting. Let's put the Bible front and center and let it be itself and do its thing, whatever the impact. Submerging the Bible for the sake of our cool personas isn't really cool at all. It's a way of avoiding risk, chickening out.
5. Approach church problems and opportunities with explicit reference to the Bible, chapter and verse. Some may expect us to preach from the Bible but will be surprised if we lean hard on the Bible when everything is on the line. A corporate experience of realigning ourselves with the help of a specific, powerful and relevant verse of Scripture at an important moment in a church's journey can be unforgettable.
6. Saturate your church's children and youth with the Bible faithfully and enthusiastically, week by week, year by year, and they will still be drawing strength from it fifty years from now. They might not remember our names, but we will still be there in their lives, speaking the Bible into their hearts and minds and consciences.
Contributor
- Ray Ortlund
- Pastor, Immanuel Church, 5253 Granny White Pike, Nashville, at the intersection with Otter Creek Road. Worship at 10:30.
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18 comments:
Amen brother!!
This is an outstanding exhortation.
Nicely placed here for the New Year! It's a godly resolution. One Presbyterian church I know of in Denver just embarked on a 90 day read through of the Bible (a church course well designed), and 510 people signed up out a church of 1400 - not bad at all! Rather than see this as a "gimmick" not worthy of Reformed churches, it is a necessary method, be this or others like it, to stir a congregation out of its stupor, or sound-byte approach to Scripture. I imagine that people in more mature churches (by reputation at least) could use a corporate jump start like this to re-awaken them to this blessing and discipline, for changes in life will come through just a scheduled reading the word prayerfully each day.
Pastor Ray,
I am about 1 and a half years into pastoring our high school ministry and am trying to effect the change that you are talking about in the men that serve as volunteers and interns under me. However the ministry environment that I am in does not lend any older mentors that I can lean on for advice and ideas. Do you have any suggestions for what I can do to go deeper? Books to go through etc. nNy suggestion would help. I have been reading a lot but the place that I currently minister at lends itself more to leadership and ministry strategies than biblical disciplesip and depth.
Thanks
Excellent. Evan's point is well taken. In addition, I highly recommend pastoral leadership in area of interpreting the Bible to help correct the common misconceptions about Biblical interpretation. If we see the Bible as unity and believe in Sola Scriptura, we should also be teaching the Analogy of Faith from the Bible. This can clearly be done from and throught he Bible without bringing presuppositions and preconditions to the text.
This is an excellent post. It reveals a problem within the church and then practically outlines the steps to alleviate the problem. I appreciate the practicality! God bless.
~mark
I love your ideas. I pray that more churches would take such actions--even working through one or two of the items could make a big difference.
I would add an addendum to #2 however. WOMEN also need to be meeting in small groups to go deeper and should also be able to "think their way through the argument of the book of Romans." Don't let us off the hook so easily. :-)
God bless.
Thanks, Leon. Not an easy question to respond to, since I can't visualize your situation. Maybe your team could get traction by reading one of John Piper's books. His writings are filled with the Bible, but they can catch the imagination of people whose sense of the Bible has yet to be developed.
Don't Waste Your Life might work. That book should have a warning label on it! It will radicalize a person or anger a person or thrill a person, but it sure won't do nothing.
So thinking out loud here, Leon, maybe you could challenge your friends to read Don't Waste Your Life by saying: "This book is making a big impact. But we're not going to take this guy at face value. We're going to look up for ourselves every single biblical reference in this book as we read through it, and we're going to find out for ourselves if this man is really backing up his strong assertions from Scripture. If he isn't, then we'll know. But if the Bible really does back this guy up, we'll then have to ask ourselves, before God, how he wants us to start changing." Maybe an indirect approach like that could make the Bible itself the issue it deserves to be.
Hey -- my suggestions are worth what I charge for them!
Lisa, what was I thinking?!?
Re #2: Is there any good reason why women can't "think through the book of Romans"? Are woman supposedly incapable of intense study of the Scriptures? sjb
Re #2: Is there any good reason why women can't "think through the book of Romans"? Are woman supposedly incapable of intense study of the Scriptures? sjb
It is more emphatically the parents' role to teach the Scripture to their children.
"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." Deut 6:6-7
Parents, let's do our jobs.
To be honest, the thought of "a small group of eager men" going deeper into scripture is one of the most refreshing ideas I've heard in quite a while.
We women would benefit greatly if this became a regular component of our churches.
Thank you so very much for lending words to the Holy discontent of my heart. it is encouraging to know that there are other brothers and sisters that are realizing the literal tragedy that we as pastors find ourselves dealing with week in and week out. following in Nehemiah's example, we need to pray for our cities, churches, and people, CONFESSING our shortcomings and the shortcomings of our peers and asking God to forgive us and empower us to preach HIS WORD unabashedly and without apology. Soli Deo Gloria!
Marie is at the root of the problem. Parents have abdicated, and there is no way pastors/teachers can, solo, fill the gaping void. Sure, DO what is outlined here. But along with that, spend significant time pointing to verses such as the ones she quoted laying the charge squarely on the Fathers to TEACH YOUR CHILDREN... and then pointing those same verses AT the parents with the clear charge to take up the mantle of priest in their own home. ONLY then will the CHILDREN learn what they ought, and become the next generation of the church. This is NOT happening today, figures as high as 90% of the children in the church today will be outside before they finish college, or are out of the home two years. Parents, DO THIS at home, daily. WITH your youngsters. They can, and do, absorb and internalise a lot, even if its only that YOU do it. They will DO what they see their parents doing.
Thank you for the post and a hearty AMEN!
Good points! It is hard to believe that we'd actually have to recommend that to pastors, but here we are. I think part of the problem is that many pastors don't study it and use it as well, so they don't it in service.
I've been to many churches where they don't even read it at the beginning of their sermons. It is treated like some kind of bad medicine where they get it over with then tell touching stories for 20 minutes.
P.S. I've been encouraging people to read the New Testament this year. Just one chapter a day, five days a week. Even if they didn't read any study notes along with it they could do that in less than five minutes.
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