It is often taken for granted what the average Christian knows and understands concerning his or her beliefs.  I am talking about basic, foundational beliefs and teachings.  What I am about to say might upset a few people, but bear with me.  If  we were to be honest, most Christians view the Bible as a collection of disconnected stories.  They might even believe these stories are well meaning in their nature.  However, if you were to gauge the impact the Bible actually has on their day to day living the difficult truth is that the Bible might as well be an inspired Aesop's Fables.  The truth, of course, is that the Bible is much more than that.  It is not only inspired, but it is also the inerrant Word of a living God.  It is the means by which He has chosen to reveal Himself to us.  If you are a Christian, it is the source of life itself.  If someone were to read it from front cover to back cover they would not see disconnected chapters.  They would see a rich, flowing history.   They would see an over arching story gloriously being told to us as a much larger picture comes into focus.

   I will be the first to say I do not have it all figured out.  I am no the best teacher.  I could very well make the argument that I am not even an average teacher.  This is one reason I let God's Word teach.  If we as Christians believe that we do have access to the very Word of God then we should immerse ourselves in this Word.  I have the privilege of sharing this Word with a wonderful group of teenagers.  It is sometimes suprising what teenagers can grasp.  Just because someone is 40 or 50 does not make them any more qualified to understand the Bible.  One person recently pointed out to me that a younger person's mind might even be sharper and more able to grasp a difficult truth.  That being said, teaching a teenager today to be  a critical thinker can be one of the most frustrating things in the world.  However, I know from personal experience that it can also be one of the most incredibly rewarding things you can imagine.  Being able to witness the light bulb in their heads begin to flicker and then finally burst forth in radiance is such an awesome experience.  I do not want my students to shy away from the tough questions.  I would rather that they tackle these questions within our group than getting slapped in the face by the world with them.  I want my students to understand that God is the ultimate source of all truth.  I want them to understand that truth is liberating.  They must not be afraid to ask the tough questions, but they must also be willing to put in the work necessary to find the answers.

   This brings me to Wednesday night.  I saw Brittney's face when I made the statement "Jesus did not just show up at the beginning of the New Testament, but He was with God and the Holy Spirit at the Creation."  Brittney's jaw dropped slightly and her nose crinkled when she pondered what that could mean.  God bless her, she is one of the sweetest people you will meet and she meant no harm or distraction in what I knew she was about to say.  "I don't understand," she said.   Compound that statement with her thick Mississippi accent and you might expect the laughs that followed.  I do not tolerate when someone is laughed at for not understanding, and I made that clear to anyone that might have forgotten.  How do I expect them to understand unless they ask questions?   My point in telling you this story is because I believe it is emblematic of what goes on in our churches every week.   A teacher should never assume those being taught have any idea what they are talking about.  To drop someone into the middle of the book of Revelation or some deep point of theology with no background teaching is irresponsible and a waste of time for both parties involved.  This means whoever is teaching has to be willing to go the extra mile (or hours) of preparation.  Sermons catering to what the congregation wants to hear or what the preacher wants to say has led to a Church full of people that aren't even sure what they believe anymore.  Teach the word.  Expound upon the text.  Maybe the most novel of concepts is the preacher just teaching the Bible.  If you are a minister of the Gospel, that is your responsibility first and foremost.  Someone might respond that it is most important to address one's physical needs.  Others will tell us we can't teach the Bible because we can't be sure of what any written text is really telling us (but yet the argument is formed against my written text on this page).  Other say that the Bible is offensive so we must teach lessons that take Biblical principles and explain them in ways that are trendy and acceptable.  Some preachers will preach the passages we have heard 10,000 times but stay away from a controversial or lesser known passage for the sake of their reputation.  May God have mercy on us if that is the case.  If you want to address the most important needs of the hearer you must realize their most important needs are eternal ones.  If the Church is truly the Body of Christ it will provide for people's needs.  But this should be done with the proper teaching and application of God's Word as well.  I would also like to point out that the Bible IS offensive.  No one wants to believe they are a sinner deserving of God's wrath.  But for one to understand the Good News of Jesus Christ you must first receive the bad news that you stand condemned before a holy and righteous Judge.  Someone recently asked me what I thought was the most important thing a pastor should do.  Preach the Word.  Everything else will fall into place after that. 

   Christian, it has never been more important in the history of the Church that you know what you believe and why you believe it.  We must stand firm in the power of Jesus Christ in a world that is growing increasingly hostile to the Christian.  Do you really want to change the World for God?