Please turn in your Bibles this morning to Hebrews chapter 5 as we look at Biblical illiteracy or what I like to call, the dumbing down of Christianity. Now that may be offensive to you and it should be because in the society we are living in, with the resources we have in regards to Bibles and Biblical material, with the books that are out there, we should be more knowledgeable of the Bible than any other nation in the world. And yet, we have become illiterate in regards to the Bible. Let me explain:
Pollster George Gallup Jr. has long referred to America as a “nation of biblical illiterates.” Only four in 10 Americans know that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. A majority of citizens cannot name the four Gospels of the New Testament. Only three in 10 teenagers know why Easter is celebrated. Two-thirds of Americans believe there are few, if any, absolute principles to direct human behavior. A new poll by the Barna Research Group suggests that religious illiteracy has increased. For example, three out of four Americans (and nearly half of “born-again” Christians) believe the Bible teaches that “God helps those who help themselves.” George Barna argues that self-reliance is not only not scriptural, but that it contradicts revelation. Only God determines a person’s destiny, the pollster notes. To believe otherwise “exposes our false theological cornerstone – that we are the center of things, that it is up to us to determine our destiny, and that God is merely our assistant . . .”
A similar number of born-again Christians deny the existence of the Holy Spirit and Satan. One in five denies Jesus’ physical resurrection and believes he was a sinner.
Earlier surveys of mainline Protestants revealed that barely half of Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians believe in the devil, but 56 percent of Lutherans and 49 percent of Methodists believe in UFOs. One-third of Methodists and Presbyterians have faith in astrology. While nearly three-fourths of all Americans believe in hell, hardly any believe it to be their likely destination in eternity.
The new Barna poll is intended to help Christian pastors and groups focus their ministries. The sheer number of “errant theological positions” among believers underscores “the magnitude of the challenge facing churches today,” Barna notes.
University of Wisconsin historian Thomas Reeves indicts popular religious belief and service. “Christianity in modern America is, in large part, innocuous,” he writes. “It tends to be easy, upbeat, convenient, and compatible. It does not require self-sacrifice, discipline, humility, an otherworldly outlook, a zeal for souls, a fear as well as love of God. There is little guilt and no punishment, and the payoff in heaven is virtually certain.”
Former Secretary of Education William Bennett concludes that “We have become the kind of society that civilized countries used to send missionaries to.”
These are harsh judgments. Perhaps we have been so busy pursuing the American Dream of the good life that we have neglected to nurture the faith on which the Dream is founded. If so, our only fault is inattention. If at the millennium our common faith has faltered, or has shriveled for lack of nourishment, or has been supplanted by sentimentality, at least we have not succumbed to cynicism. Faith has not been lost, only misplaced. As a people, we can retrieve it together.
- David Yountd, Beggaring Belief, 2000 Scripps Howard News Service, September 4, 2000
Folks, this is not an isolate issue but it has become an epidemic in churches across America and what we are dealing with today, the writer of Hebrews was dealing with and he is going to rebuke these Jewish believers for their arrested Spiritual development. With that said, let’s begin reading in Hebrews chapter 5, starting in verse 11, and see what the Lord has for us this morning regarding this issue that is upon us and growing!
In this portion of the Scriptures, the writer of this letter, whom I believe is Paul, wants to teach them the deep things of God, he wants to give them meat and not milk. You see, many of these Jewish Christians were believers for a long time, some maybe as long as 30 years at this point and instead of drinking out of a bottle they should have been feeding on the Word of God, the deep things of God, their faith should have grown to the point where they could not only share it with others, but teach it to them.
Now I am not saying that everyone has the gift of teaching, but everyone should be able to defend their faith, tell others why they believe what they believe and use the Scriptures to support it. But these believers were not able to do that, they remained spiritual infants, they had an arrested spiritual development. But why, how did this happen?
In this letter Paul has told them the problem and it centers around God’s Word because the Word of God opened up to us by the Spirit of God helps us to become spiritually mature. Thus, if you don’t take in the Word of God, you don’t read it, or if you are being taught over and over again the ABC’s of the Christian faith, you are not going to grow!
In Hebrews 2:1-3 Paul said that these Jewish believers had drifted away from the Word of God because their lives were not anchored in the Word of God. He said, “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.”
In Hebrews chapter 3 Paul said that they were doubting God’s Word and they became dull to it, the Word of God no longer impacted their lives but they were driven by outward circumstances. Paul said, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:12-13.
In Hebrews chapter 4 Paul says that they have not mixed the Word of God with faith or they have not trusted in God’s Word. Yes, the Bible has many promises of God to us but unless you believe, those promises are meaningless to you, they will not impact your life. It is as Paul said in Hebrews 4:1-2, “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”
They did not exercise their spiritual faculties, their faith and because of that they were growing dull, they were ineffective in their spiritual lives. They didn’t know what was right and what was wrong. They didn’t know what was good and what was evil. Paul said in Hebrews 5:14, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Instead of going forward, instead of growing, they were going backward, they were not growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
So, according to the first few verses in Hebrews chapter 6, they tried to hide themselves with the basic principles of the faith, things they could have in common with their unbelieving Jewish friends and family who were persecuting them. Thus, this compromise helped to keep them in this arrested spiritual development! They liked to walk in that safe common ground they had with the Jewish religious people, not believers!
One writer put it like this. He said:
“Because Christianity did grow out of Judaism, it was a more subtle temptation for a Jewish Christian to slip back into Judaism than it was for a formerly pagan Christian to go back to his pagan ways. Of course, these Jewish Christians did not want to abandon religion, but they did want to make it less distinctively Christian. Therefore, they went back to this ‘common ground’ to avoid persecution. Living in this comfortable common ground, you would not stick out so much. A Jew and a Christian together could say, ‘Let’s repent, let’s have faith, let’s perform ceremonial washings,’ and so forth. But this was a subtle denial of Jesus. This is entirely characteristic of those who feel discouraged, and wish to give up. There is always the temptation to still be religious, but not so ‘fanatical’ about Jesus.”
Like back then, this problem still exists today and it is becoming very dangerous. You see, once you start to compromise your faith, where does it end? It truly doesn’t but it slowly erodes away so you can fit in with those around you, your light must go out, it must be hidden under a basket so as not to expose the darkness! You see, to be on that safe common ground you have to ignore the solid foundational truths of God and find the common ground you do have with others. Today, that common ground is being good, loving people, we are moving into a more mystical faith, into a faith that accepts unscriptural things!
Listen to a couple of things regarding the moving away from the meat of God’s Word and what it opens us up for. And as you listen to these few articles, you tell me if there is a problem in the church. You tell me if we are moving away from the truths of God found in the Word of God. You tell me if you think people are Biblically illiterate! I will just start out with this unbelievable story, Christians, Muslims Worship Together. We are told:
PINELLAS PARK Beneath a skylight in a Christian church, surrounded by stained-glass images of Jesus Christ, Omar Kassem led the Muslim call to prayer in Arabic.
“God is great,” the University of South Florida student said to the congregation at Good Samaritan Church, which ended the hour long Sunday service by announcing, “salaam,” the Muslim greeting for peace.
Church leaders say the acts served as bookends for a service meant to promote peace and a better understanding between Christians and Muslims four years after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Good Samaritan Church in Pinellas Park is a union of Presbyterian and United Church of Christ denominations. What better church to reach across faiths to destroy stereotypes, said the Rev. Susan Sherwood.
And who better than church leaders to lead the effort toward peace throughout the nation and the world?
“We need to speak up, be heard, take action – even while worshipping together,” Sherwood said.
The meeting was initiated by Ahmed Bedier, spokesman for Central Florida’s Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Even four years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Muslims nationwide still are persecuted by people seeking revenge, Bedieer said. [Think about that, worldwide who is persecuting who? It is Muslims that are persecuting non-Muslims!].
Muslims still struggle to communicate that not all who preach Islam adhere to the ideals of Osama bin Laden.
Of bin Laden and his followers, Bedier said Muslims “are using our voices to condemn them.”
“They misuse and misinterpret their religion,” he said.
But of Americans who attack Muslims in retribution, Bedier said, “We have to be a better nation that does what it preaches. We can’t lower ourselves to the level of animals.
Church member Harry Miller, of Pinellas Park, said Sunday’s service was appropriate because the church “walks the walk.”
“We live what we believe,” Miller said. [But what do you believe?].
Bedier also visited the Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater on Sunday. He had offered similar services to churches throughout the region, but many declined, Bedier said. [Praise the Lord for that!].
- Adam Emerson, Christians, Muslims Worship Together, September, 12, 2005
Listen to these statements, the concerns of some from The Theology Web Campus Forum. We are told:
Lately, I have been receiving different curriculum for Sunday school VBS. I am getting disappointed. It seems that there is little Bible in the Bible lesson. Most of the lesson involves games, crafts, and a cutesy story. What happened to the day when kids brought their Bible to church. Seems today’s kids can’t find where the New Testament is without having to look at the table of context (if they can even figure out where that is). . . . Back when I was a kid and a non-Christian, I knew more Bible truths than some of the Christian kids today. I am so worried that kids are gonna grow up and not be strong in their knowledge and thus be weak in their faith. EVERY Christian has trying times. In those times you need to be able to know your Bible and know your faith is strong. (not how to play red rover). So please tell me that there are Christians out there that know more than John 3:16. Tell me that there are Christians out there that care more about what the Bible says than if the PowerPoint presentation is broke.
Another wrote:
When I was in 4th grade Sunday School, we were expected to know the 66 books in order, the 12 disciples and many other factoids, such as book authors. These many factoids were cool, and made me good at Bible trivia, but even back then (early 1980s) they didn’t teach us the basic church doctrines (Southern Baptist) to the point where we could defend them. . .
- December 29, 2004
Parents, I am going to challenge you on this one. Make sure your children bring their Bibles to church, to class, it should be natural for them. Obviously age appropriate Bibles, but let them carry them in so they can use them in Sunday School. For the older children and even the adults, I have been struggling with removing the Bibles we have on the tables because I am seeing some of you that have your own Bibles not bring them. Those are for people who don’t have Bibles, their own! I don’t understand why you would not bring your Bible, your sword to church. What is up with that? Bring your Bible to church, use it as we go through the Scriptures and then bring it home, don’t leave it here because one week apart from the Bible makes one WEAK!
One more article to show you what it is like out there and how we need to be prepared and how our children need to be prepared. We are told:
She’s bright, home schooled, and devout. She is definitely college material. So her parents, having read about the relativism and debauchery of the nation’s secular universities, send her to a Christian college . . . Her classes, though, are confusing.
In her Introduction to Bible class, her professor explains that the Bible was written by many different authors over many centuries and so cannot be taken literally. The professor in her psych class, who calls herself a feminist, teaches that “homophobia,” not homosexuality, is a mental illness. In English, she has to read a modern novel filled with profanity and graphic sex scenes. Her biology class teaches Darwinian evolution and makes fun of “creationists” who believe in Intelligent Design.
When she asks her professors about the disconnect between what is going on in the classroom and the college’s professed Christian identity, they tell her, “We are just trying to open your mind. That’s what a college education is all about. Yes, we are Christians, but we have to challenge our incoming students’ narrow fundamentalism in order to broaden their perspectives and make them well-educated.”
This scenario plays out over and over again, to the consternation of many students and their parents. As John Mark Reynolds, a professor and director of the honors program at Biola University, observes, “Many profs view their mission as helping poor, right-wing Christian children outgrow their parents’ faith.”
- Veith World, 09/10/05
A few years back, professor Gary Burge from Wheaton College reported these results to Christianity Today. He did a little Bible literacy test in this Christian school for incoming freshmen and the results were shocking because most of these students came from strong evangelical churches. One-third of those students didn’t know that Paul’s missionary journeys were recorded in the book of Acts. They didn’t even know the Christmas Story was found in Matthew – the birth of Christ! He asked 45 seniors who were in an advanced class to paraphrase, from memory, the Ten Commandments. Only one student could do it!
The problem, according to Burge is the trend towards a therapeutic emphasis in preaching. He said, “There’s not an educational dimension any longer. We’re all about the experience, not the facts.” Like I said, it is an epidemic, it is very dangerous as we see New Age philosophy being introduced into the church by well known pastors, big church ministries! We like to be entertained and have all the glitter, all the excitement of some kind of sporting event but there is no sound doctrine being taught and the results are clearly seen. The church in America may be 3,000 miles wide but only an inch deep!
In Hosea chapter 4 we are told, “Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land.”’ . . .’My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.’” Hosea 4:1, 6. Why are God’s people destroyed? Because they lack the knowledge of God and they lack the knowledge of God because they are not being taught sound doctrine, healthy doctrine and they have no desire to dig into the Scriptures themselves!
What are the results of this lack of teaching of God’s Word, the knowledge of God? In Amos 8:11-12 we are told, “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, But shall not find it.’” There is spiritual malnutrition, the people were unhealthy because they are not being fed what they need, the Word of God.
Paul warned Timothy of this very thing in II Timothy 4:2-5, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
Some pastors today refuse to teach God’s Word, they don’t want to go verse-by-verse through the Bible, they don’t want anyone to be offended by God’s Word so they leave out those controversial topics, those difficult verses, they feel the people are not interested in the Word of God anymore. That is exactly what Paul said to Timothy as he was warning him of what was coming and has come upon our society today, people don’t want the truth, they just want their ears tickled, they want to laugh, they want to feel good about living in sin. In this warning to Timothy was also the call to continue feeding the people God’s Word even if they don’t want to hear it, even if they don’t like it, in season or out of season because it is what they need.
You see, for Timothy to fulfill his ministry he was to teach God’s Word and folks, for any pastor to faithfully fulfill his ministry he must teach God’s Word line upon line, precept upon precept, verse by verse so the sheep can get the whole counsel of God, the people of his congregation can be spiritually healthy. Now, granted, if the people reject it, that is their problem, Timothy was to teach it and let God’s Spirit work!
Some of you may be wondering why I am so passionate about this subject, why my underwear is in a bunch you might say? Sorry! Because I believe this is what leads the church to become lukewarm and leads the church to join together in the one world religion, which we are moving quickly towards! In fact, if you read in Revelation chapter 3, one of the seven letters that Jesus wrote to the churches in Asia Minor, He wrote one to the church in Laodicea. As you read this letter you see Jesus is not even in this church but is on the outside knocking to get in. What a horrible church, they must have been totally ineffective, very small, not doing much, right? Not at all.
Let’s read through this short letter starting in Revelation chapter 3, verse 14 and see what the Lord has to say. We are told, “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. . . .
. . . Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”’” Revelation 3:14-22.
From an earthly perspective this church was happening, it was growing, they had money to do whatever they wanted, they needed nothing at all. You could go to this church and exercise, they had yoga classes, you could play basketball on their courts – indoor courts of course, they had weight rooms, they had counselors for every kind of issue they were going through, they had food courts, concerts, the latest speakers, they had it all, you didn’t even have to leave the church to go out into the world. They had their services that were non-offensive, seeker sensitive, entertaining to all, you didn’t even have to bring your Bible!
You see, their religiosity made them lukewarm and Jesus saw it for what it was and said that He wanted to vomit them out of His mouth, not a pretty picture but that is how Jesus looks at a church like this where He is on the outside knocking to get in! This kind of church is distasteful to Jesus! Why? Because, like I said, Jesus wasn’t even allowed into the church because Jesus causes divisions, He causes trouble.
Why is that? Because He said, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am [He], you will die in your sins.” . . . Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 8:24, 14:6. You see, all roads don’t lead to God, only Jesus does and if you don’t believe that He is God, if you don’t ask Him into your life and to forgive you of your sins, you will die in your sins! You see, that is the only solution and that is what causes so many problems for this ecumenical movement, as we move towards a one-world religion of the last days! That is why Jesus is outside knocking to get in!
There is an interesting verse in I Chronicles 12:32a-b, which says, “of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do . . .” You see, we know what to do, we know the will of God because we read the Word of God. Martin Luther said, “I study my Bible like I gather apples. First, I shake the whole tree that the ripest may fall. Then I shake each limb, and when I have shaken each limb, I shake each branch and every twig. Then I look under every leaf. I search the Bible as a whole like shaking the whole tree. Then I shake every limb – study book after book. Then I shake every branch, giving attention to the chapters. Then I shake every twig, or a careful study of the paragraphs and sentences and words and their meanings.”
I am going to challenge you again this morning to bring your Bibles to church. Most of you do and that is great but if you don’t, you need to start to bring them so you can go through the Word of God as we do, as we study God’s Word. Start reading through God’s Word, in our church bulletin we have the chapters you need to read each day to go through the whole Bible in one year. Pick up right where we are now and then by this time next year you would have read through the entire Bible. It takes about 15 minutes a day, it is not that long but it will make a difference in your life as you pray and ask God to open up the Scriptures to your life, to your heart!
Go to the Bible studies we offer here at Calvary. We have Tuesday Women Studies and they are going through the book of Jeremiah right now and it will be a challenge to you with the format we are using. You will be going through the Scriptures each day, you will be allowing God to open the Word up to you. We have our Through the Bible studies on Thursday evening as we are now in the book of Hebrews. We have Youth Group on Thursday’s for our teens. We have God’s Kids Club on Thursday’s also for the younger children. The whole family can come out on Thursday’s to worship God and study His Word! You see, there really is no excuse because what is important to you, you will make the time to do it!
As I begin to close this morning, listen to what Albert Mohler said in an article: The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy: It’s Our Problem. He said:
Churches must recover the centrality and urgency of biblical teaching and preaching, and refuse to sideline the teaching ministry of the preacher. Pastors and churches too busy – or too distracted - to make biblical knowledge a central aim of ministry will produce believers who simply do not know enough to be faithful disciples.
We will not believe more than we know, and we will not live higher than our beliefs. The many fronts of Christian compromise in this generation can be directly traced to biblical illiteracy in the pews and the absence of biblical preaching and teaching in our homes and churches.
This generation must get deadly serious about the problem of biblical illiteracy, or a frighteningly large number of Americans – Christians included – will go on thinking that Sodom and Gomorrah lived happily ever after.
- Albert Mohler, The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy: It’s Our Problem
You see folks, are we willing to get deadly serious about the problem of Biblical illiteracy? If you are then get back into God’s Word or continue on in it as James tells us, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Or as The Amplified Bible puts it, “So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.” James 1:21. May we do that, take in God’s Word into our lives and see that it is living and powerful and it will transform our lives if we allow it! Earnestly contend for the faith that has been entrusted to you!