Monday, October 10, 2011

Bible Illiteracy

In my devotion time, I read an article by Dr. David Jeremiah that simply amazed me.  Let me share it with you and then I will make some additional comments at the end.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, & Ringo

Listen to the statutes... teach them to your children and your grandchildren.
Deuteronomy 4:1, 9
Recommended Reading
Deuteronomy 4:1-9
Recently comedian Jay Leno asked his television audience to name one of the Ten Commandments.  One person ventured: "God helps those who help themselves.”  Leno asked if anyone could name the four Gospels.  No one could; but responding to another question, almost everyone in the audience could name the four Beatles.

As biblical instruction wanes, large numbers of young people are biblically illiterate.  Our society is developing a profound ignorance of Jesus.  Many do not understand the term "Good Friday" or the meaning of our basic Christian vocabulary--grace, sin, redemption, and salvation.

The number of people who read the Bible "occasionally" has declined from 79 percent in the 1980s to 59 percent.  Only 16 percent of Christians say they read the Bible daily.1

Read your Bible every day.  Teach it to your children.  Do not depend on others to do it.  Offer to lead Bible classes at your church, and volunteer to work in the children's ministry.  Reversing the tide of biblical illiteracy is going to take all of us doing our part.

Many Christians expect the world to respect the book they neglect.
Quoted by E.C. McKenzie

As a pastor, I began to wonder if the Faith Family I lead where among the illiterate.  After pondering on it for quite a while, I am convinced they are not.  We have amazing teachers throughout our education programs and I know they are very familiar with the Word of God.
I see the problem as being a generational problem.  The ones following the baby boomers has for one reason or another, seem to have dropped the ball in going to church and teaching their children even the basics of the Bible.

So, how to we change these sad facts?  Discipleship!  Go after that generation, bring them into God’s family, and teach them.  Disciple them and teach them to do the same at home.

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