John 4:24 - God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship
in the Spirit and in truth.
We are living in a time when biblical literacy is at an all-time
low. Very few people really know what the Bible teaches and many who claim to
know are less knowledgeable than they realize. What is perhaps even more
disturbing is that many leaders in evangelical churches do not seem interested
in correcting biblical illiteracy in their own congregations.
This point was made clear to me at a worship service I
attended a few months ago. It was at a well-known evangelical church. This church has a history of doing significant ministry, but in recent years
has been sliding toward neo-evangelicalism in an effort to keep the crowds
growing. At the service I attended the preacher addressed his lack of concern
for biblical accuracy when he said “One hundred million people watched the Bible
series on TV so it doesn't matter if it had a lot of theological errors in
it." Those were his exact words. Since I only watched a portion of that
particular TV show, I am not in a place to judge whether it was accurate or not. The point I want to make is that according to that preacher,
if a large enough group of people watch something, it does not matter how
theologically correct it is. I was
shocked to hear him say it. Truth is truth regardless of how many people
believe it. If that particular depiction of the stories of the Bible were as
inaccurate as that man made it seem, then one hundred million people now think
they know something about the Bible when in fact they do not. And that preacher
was okay with it! No wonder the American church is in trouble.
Biblical truth is important. Whether viewed, listened to or
explained to a large number or only a few. If it is not accurate, then it is
not biblical truth. Once we begin to accept that truth again, then our
understanding of the Bible will begin to grow again.
Lord, help us understand the importance of biblical truth.
Help us listen to Your Spirit’s voice when we hear error so that we recognize
that it is false. Give pastors discernment as they preach, to only preach your
Word. Amen.
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Dr. Terry W. Dorsett has served as a missionary, pastor and denominational leader in New England since 1993. He is happily married to his college sweetheart and enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren. He is the author of numerous books including “The Heavenly Mundane: Daily Devotions from Ordinary Experiences.” You can find his complete list of books at:
This so brakes my hart, as I run into it more often than not nowadays. Yet it is almost impossible to correct these errors even in the simplest of things. Over forty years of Bible study means nothing to someone with a TV and an internet connection. Everyone is offended at something, leaving the local congregation at the drop of a hat. Still we are called to solider on.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me that someone watches a three minute video on the internet and now they think they are a bible scholar, but I have those conversations all the time. Only the Spiirit can illuminate the minds of the lost, so let us join together in praying He does so.
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