The Lord spoke to the prophet Hosea about the condition of the church: Hosea 4:6
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. . . . ” sadly I see the same traits in many people in churches every week. After 25 years of itinerant ministry every week in a different church I have learned to discern the biblical IQ of the group I’m addressing in the first few minutes of my message. I observe the way they track, the way they listen, and how they praise. What interests them, and what doesn’t interest them. I note how they will come alive when an illustration is rolled out. But as soon as I get back to the biblical text, many go into a daze, as if to say, Wake me when the next illustration or joke is coming.
This is because many have never learned to love the Bible. They have never developed a hunger for it. This is what I want for every congregation—I want them to love the Word of God. We love worship, We love the coffee bars, and We love fellowship. Let me say, I love them too. But I believe the main event is the teaching and the preaching of the Word of God. That is what I want believers to care for.
Yet tragically, so many people in the church today are biblically illiterate. They don’t have a biblical worldview. I can’t tell you how many times I have gone to a church as a guest speaker and said, “Turn in your Bibles to . . . ” and no one has a Bible. I always think maybe its on there Smart Phone. But when I refer to certain biblical passages or a biblical story, they will look at me with blank expressions. This is not a good sign. I believe the cry of Hosea 4:6 rings true for many in the church today: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” In other words we make bad decisions in our daily lives because we don’t have the wisdom and knowledge of Gods word hidden in our heart. It’s as simple as daily reading the Bible.
Rev Ran 🙂