Crisis In The Church: Biblical Illiteracy And Discipleship

Remember the frog that landed in a pan of water and stayed until it boiled? Had the pan been hot, the frog would have noticed and hopped out. But the water felt cool at first, and the frog sensed no danger. It simply relaxed and conformed to the gradual change. Subdued by the rising heat, it grew too sluggish to act. By the time the water boiled, the frog was dead.

I want to share the burden of my heart with you concerning the alarming trend of Biblical illiteracy and state of discipleship in today’s church. I want to encourage you by saying that with every problem there is an opportunity and to envision the church as the Lord sees it. The following statistics reveal a crisis in the church.

Regarding Biblical illiteracy and discipleship, Christian researcher and author George Barna reports:
* Fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels.
* Many professing Christians cannot identify more than two or three of the disciples.
* 60 percent of Americans cannot name even five of the Ten Commandments.
* 82 percent of Americans believe "God helps those who help themselves" is a Bible verse.
* 12 percent of adults believe that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.
* A 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 Billy Graham preached the Sermon on the Mount.
* Six out of ten Americans reject the existence of Satan.
* Four out of ten Americans believe that when Jesus Christ was on earth He committed sins.
* Five out of ten believe that anyone who is generally good or does enough good things for others during their life will earn a place in Heaven.
* Four out of ten believe that the Bible, the Koran and the Book of Mormon are all different expressions of the same spiritual truths.
* Seven out of ten born again Christians said they do not believe in moral absolutes.
* Only one out of ten Christians base their moral decision-making on the principles taught in the Bible.
* 54 percent believe truth can be discovered only through logic, human reasoning and personal experience.

These statistics indicate a gradual change of temperature over time. In general, Biblical illiteracy is a growing trend and church discipleship is ineffective.

John Stott wrote, "The Christian landscape is strewn with the wreckage of derelict half-built towers. The ruins of those who began to build and were unable to finish. For thousands of people still ignore Christ's warning and undertake to follow Him without first pausing to reflect on the cost of doing so. The result is the great scandal of Christendom today, so called nominal Christianity. In countries to which Christian civilization has spread, large numbers of people have covered themselves with a decent but thin veneer of Christianity. They have allowed themselves to become somewhat involved, enough to be respectable but not enough to be uncomfortable. Their religion is a great soft cushion. It protects them from the hard unpleasantness of life while changing its place and shape to suit their convenience. No wonder the cynics speak of hypocrites in the church and dismiss religion as escapism."

I would suggest that many Christian churches have abandoned serious Bible exposition and theological teaching. Historical exegesis is becoming a lost art in the pulpit. The church should be intentional about teaching the background of the being and attributes of God, His sovereignty, His majesty and holiness. Preachers should stress the fact that the righteousness of God has been outraged by human sin and that apart from Divine, unmerited grace, man's deadly guilt (Romans 3:19) will bring upon him the wrath of God (Romans 1:18), the deserved judgment of the Lord (Romans 2:2), and ensuing death (Romans 6:23).

However, as Gary Burge writes, “Rather than explaining the historical setting of a passage, texts become springboards for devotional reflection,” he notes. “Biblical passages are taken out of context as the preacher searches for those stories that evoke the responses or attitudes desired.” As a result, “The heart of a ‘good’ sermon is fast becoming the ‘emotional work’ that can be done in 20 minutes preaching time.”

Perhaps we are where we are because there is an overemphasis on personal experience to the exclusion of serious Christian education or that spirituality is being built on private emotional attachments or because of the tremendous influence unbiblical philosophies and worldviews are having on churchgoers. Albert Mohler writes, “Christians who lack biblical knowledge are the products of churches that marginalize biblical knowledge. Bible teaching now often accounts for only a diminishing fraction of the local congregation's time and attention. The move to small group ministry has certainly increased opportunities for fellowship, but many of these groups never get beyond superficial Bible study. Youth ministries are asked to fix problems, provide entertainment, and keep kids busy. How many local-church youth programs actually produce substantial Bible knowledge in young people? Even the pulpit has been sidelined in many congregations. Preaching has taken a back seat to other concerns in corporate worship. The centrality of biblical preaching to the formation of disciples is lost, and Christian ignorance leads to Christian indolence and worse.”

As Barna reports, “Christians have increasingly been adopting spiritual views that come from Islam, Wicca, secular humanism, the eastern religions and other sources. Because we remain a largely Bible-illiterate society, few are alarmed or even aware of the slide toward syncretism - a belief system that blindly combines beliefs from many different faith perspectives."

So, whose problem is this? Who is responsible for this growing and alarming trend?

We are responsible and we will be held accountable.

Parents are to be the first and most important educators of their own children, diligently teaching them the Word of God (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Parents cannot delegate their responsibility to the church, no matter how faithful and Biblical it may be. God assigned parents the primary responsibility of teaching their children. Children must understand that their parents are teachers and fellow students of God’s Word.

Churches must recover the centrality and urgency of Biblical teaching and preaching, and resist the temptation to exchange entertainment for enlightenment. Perhaps pastors and churches have become too busy, distracted, and weary to make Biblical knowledge a central aim of ministry. The Cross, repentance, and acceptance of Jesus as both Lord and Savior should be of paramount importance.

Charles T. Crabtree writes, “The reason people are so desperately apathetic in the church is because they do not plan to do one thing about what they hear in church. They do not understand discipleship.”

It is time we intentionally train, equip, disciple, empower, release, supervise and hold accountable disciples as Jesus did. Every church should have at every exit door a large sign that reads, “You are now entering the mission field.” Value of ministry should not focus singularly on the annual report and presentation by a supported missionary out of Africa and where much fanfare is afforded. Equality of ministry should include released disciples whose mission fields are the home, neighborhoods, workplaces and who are real estate agents, painters, carpenters, bankers, car salesmen, homemakers, waiters, and others who collectively, as they are discipled and commissioned before the church, encouraged, and supported, could play a vital role in God’s Kingdom here and now.

Discipleship
We must understand that the essential thing, the thing God is after above everything else is our becoming Christ-like. As disciples, our goal is that "Christ be formed in you," (Gal. 4:19). Paul declares that: "Those whom [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son" (Romans 8:29). Paul says to the church at Corinth, "All of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image" (2 Corinthians 3:18; emphasis added in all three). The goal of discipleship is our being formed, conformed, and transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Disciple-makers are to lead people to Christ and help them mature spiritually. Disciple-makers should have an intense love, concern and lifelong care for those to whom they are spiritual parents. When we lead people to Christ, we are to stand by them, helping them grow in Christ until they are fully trained.

Discipleship is not an 8-week program, an occasional small group study, a sermon series on the Great Commission or trying to be godly. Discipleship is what Jesus lived and breathed and taught and commanded us to do. Discipleship is doing what Jesus did in His ministry of power, personal transformation, and following in His footprints. Discipleship embraces Jesus’ words, Jesus’ model of taking only a handful of people committed to the process, surrendered to allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, accountability, humility, submission, confidentiality, and a brave heart willing to live the life of Christ Jesus here and now, forsaking everything until Christ is fully formed within. Discipleship is the process wherein a person becomes Christ-like.

What Is a Disciple?
From Mark’s gospel we learn: “And He went up to the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed the twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out demons” (Mark 3:13-15).

A disciple learns that discipleship is a life-long, continuous process of making the will of God the Father his or her own. Jesus chose to obey, even though obedience led to suffering and death. Disciples must choose to obey, even though obedience can lead to suffering and death.

The result of such obedience was that Jesus suffered the Cross, was lifted up, and now draws all men to Himself: “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself” (John 12:32). Lord Jesus was crucified.

Paul was stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19); and this was only one instance of much suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-33 Paul summarized his lifetime of suffering for the sake of the gospel. Paul labored tirelessly, was whipped 195 times, beaten with rods three times, stoned, three times suffered ship wreck, traveled incredible distances, endured storms, was attacked by robbers, abused by his own countrymen and unbelievers, was exhausted, thirsty, hungry, hurt, cold, naked, weak, offended and carried the burden of care for the churches: “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings--what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them” (2 Timothy 3:10,11). According to tradition, all of the apostles were killed. Only John died a natural death.

Today, many teach that “If you have faith you will not suffer” or “If you just believe and confess it, God will deliver you from your troubles” or “If you declare God’s favor, God will prosper you.” Jesus rebuked such theology: “Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23). Jesus also said in John 15:18-19, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." Paul said: “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). We are never to seek favor by teaching people what they want to hear. God’s perspective is never man’s perspective.

There cannot be a disciple without the Cross and there cannot be a cross without a disciple. Jesus taught that there is no true authority without sacrifice, no true spiritual maturity without suffering, no true discipleship without the cross. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24,25).

Jesus taught by word and life that a disciple is born in brokenness, produced in pain, honed in humility, perfected in praise, forged in the fire of suffering and known by their love.

Who Is a Disciple of Our Lord?
Anyone who is called of God, deeply and personally committed to Jesus Christ by faith, empowered by His Holy Spirit, who is sent out in the power and authority of our Lord, and who continues and extends His life and Great Commission ministry.

Christ’s Discipleship Process:
1. Jesus called His disciples (John 15:16).
2. The relationship between Jesus and His followers was up close and personal (John 15:15)
3. The pathway of a disciple of Christ was the pathway of self-sacrifice and service (Luke 9:23,24)
4. Christ’s discipleship was a blessing, never a burden (Matthew 11:28-30).

The Requirements of Discipleship:
1. The disciple of Jesus Christ must put Jesus above everyone and everything – he or she must value following Jesus Christ above life itself (Luke 14:26) - there are no shortcuts.
2. The disciple of Jesus Christ must place his commitment to Christ above material possessions (Luke 14:33).
3. The disciple of Jesus Christ must daily die to self-interest (Luke 14:27).
4. The disciple of Jesus Christ counts the cost of discipleship (Luke 14:25-33).

New Testament Discipleship for Today:
1. Discipleship is a life-long process by which we become servants and friends of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:14,15).
2. There are distinct stages in discipleship - it was a number of years until those who were with our Lord were qualified and released by Him to carry on His work; Paul spent years in preparation also (Galatians 1:15-18).

What is a Discipleship Process/Curriculum?
Some misconceptions about discipleship are that it is thought of as a component of teaching, the number of sermons you listen to, the number of books you read, how many Bible verses you memorize, how often you attend church services, etc. And though discipleship may include these elements, it is much, much more. Discipleship is all about becoming Christ-like ... becoming a doer of the Word. Think of biblical discipleship as spiritual parenting. Taking a look at Deuteronomy 6:1-25, we see some significant discipleship principles:
• The aim of discipleship is obedience to God’s Word, not just head knowledge.
• Discipleship is founded on a relationship with God and with others; it is both vertical and horizontal (Matthew 22:37-40).
• Discipleship recognizes that one is a teacher and another is a student, both mutually submitted to one another, both on the journey, both learning to walk as Jesus walked.
• Discipleship recognizes that learning involves transparency, safety, confidentiality, content, environment, experiences and relationships. An effective discipleship process is built upon strong foundational biblical principles.
• Discipleship creates an environment where no one stands alone, struggles alone, serves alone, develops alone, seeks alone, or grows up alone.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Jesus - Matthew 28:19,20).

At this point you may be thinking that your church is the exception. In response I would challenge you to prepare a simple doctrinal questionnaire about the basics of the Bible and theology and ask your congregation to respond. Nothing difficult. Just ask simple questions like, “Do you believe Jesus lived a sinless life?” or “Do you believe Satan is real?” or “Who are you discipling?” The results, if you are courageous enough to take this challenge, may surprise you.

What you believe determines who you are, what you do, how you live and most importantly, your final destination. The writer of Hebrews tells us that certain foundational teachings are essential for all believers to understand (Hebrews 6:1,2) - basics including the importance of faith, the foolishness of trying to be saved by good deeds, the meaning of baptism and spiritual gifts, and the facts of resurrection and eternal life. I am deeply concerned about the lack of understanding regarding the basic essentials of our faith.

Perhaps America has become the greatest mission field in the world. Perhaps it is time we get back to basics.

To that end, I have developed the following free resources for your use:
Back To Basics (Part I): Who Is God?
Back To Basics (Part II): Who Is Jesus?
Back To Basics (Part III): Who Is The Holy Spirit?
Back To Basics (Part IV): Who Are We?
Back To Basics (Part V): The Bible
Back To Basics (Part VI): Salvation
Back To Basics (Part VII): Eternal Security
Back To Basics (Part VIII): Eternity

Jesus’ Discipleship Process:
Selection
Made Disciples
The Master’s Plan

Developing A Discipleship Ministry:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

Additionally, I have developed a work book entitled Foundations: Essentials Of Our Faith. The foundational doctrines presented in this 68-page workbook are from Hebrews 6:1-3. These principles include: Repentance From Dead Works, Faith Toward God, The Doctrine Of Baptisms, Laying On Of Hands, The Resurrection Of The Dead, Eternal Judgment and a section on Maturity.

*Christian Classics Ethereal web site: <http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/top/bibillit.htm>
*George Barna web site: <http://www.barna.org>
*Foundations: Essentials Of Our Faith free work book: <http://www.coregroups.org/ebooks.html>

The time has come for these basic truths to be conveyed to all of God’s people. The church is called to be the “pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). And those who are its leaders must follow the apostle Paul in proclaiming “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

Though churches will express discipleship in many ways as the Spirit leads, we must move from an ineffective discipleship process to a ministry that will take babes in Christ and disciple them into productive spiritually mature adults who can repeat the process. We must heed the Word and faithfully preach the Word (1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Tim. 4:1-5). This generation must get deadly serious about the problem of biblical illiteracy and the impact this is having on discipleship - are you willing to proclaim the Word of God and become intentional in your discipleship processes to stamp out Biblical illiteracy and ineffective discipleship?

If we agree that the mission of the church is to make disciples, to bring people into an intimate relationship with God through faith in Christ Jesus, then, our churches should be filled with disciples who believe the gospel, who have turned from their sin to embrace the forgiveness of God, whose lives are being transformed so that they are motivated to obey what Jesus has commanded. If not, perhaps we should remember that the only way to the Crown is through the Cross.

It is our prayer that you are impacted by this presentation and moved to make a difference right where you are today. We agree that there is nothing more eternally rewarding than introducing people to the Lord. Yet, it is not enough to lead people to a saving faith in Christ and then hope that they grow up in Christ on their own. We believe God is calling us to make disciples, teaching them to observe all that He commanded. We can make a difference and it is never too late to start. The only way we can impact our nation and our world is to begin today through our faithfulness to God and our obedience to the Lord. It begins with you, the power of One living in one.

Grow in grace and truth,

Doug Morrell

CORE Notes From Doug