Do you really know the Bible?

5. Biblical Illiteracy!
Heb 5:12-14 For when for the time ye
ought to be teachers, ye have need that
one teach you again which be the first
principles of the oracles of God; and are
become such as have need of milk, and
not of strong meat. For every one that
useth milk is unskilful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe. But
strong meat belongeth to them that are of
full age, even those who by reason of use
have their senses exercised to discern
both good and evil.

6. How many of us are daily Bible
readers?
How many of us can honestly raise our
hands?
♦ Too often we fail to see our need to
feed ourselves spiritually!
♦ Right food! “Word of God” (1 Pet. 2:2)
♦ Right nourishment! “Comes from Christ”
(Col. 2:18-19)
♦ Right exercise! “Unto godliness” (I Tim.
4:7-8)

7. The problem of “Biblical
Illiteracy” is not just affecting
the world, but the church!
♦ A man by the name of George Gallup,
from where we get the “Gallup poll” once
said our our country, “Americans revere
the Bible, but by and large, they don't
read it, and because they don't read it
they have become a nation of biblical
illiterates!”

8. What is “Biblical Illiteracy?”
Biblical = relating to the Bible; illiterate = unable
to read or write; ignorant in a particular subject
or activity!
♦ This is not a new problem, it is one that many
have always had! (2 Pet. 3:15-18)
♦ Rom 10:1-3 Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for
God, but not according to knowledge. For they
being ignorant of God's righteousness, and
seeking to establish their own righteousness, have
not submitted to the righteousness of God.

9. No real direction!
Without a proper understanding of
God’s Word!
♦ Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my
feet And a light to my path.
♦ Ps 119:165 Great peace have those
who love Your law, And nothing causes
them to stumble.
♦ How many are stumbling through life?
How many people’s lives are being
destroyed because they remain in
darkness? (Cf.2 Tim. 2:15)

10. I. The Poison!
There are 3 areas to consider!
♦ It affects the individual!
♦ Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed
for lack of knowledge. Because you have
rejected knowledge, I also will reject you
from being priest for Me; Because you
have forgotten the law of your God, I also
will forget your children. Cf. Hosea 4:1!
♦ When there is a lack of God’s Word
the people faint! (Amos 8:11-13)

11. It affects the community!
Our standard of morality becomes
corrupted!
♦ Is 5:20 Woe to those who call evil
good, and good evil; Who put darkness
for light, and light for darkness; Who put
bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
♦ No Bibles, no prayers in schools, but
they want them in prisons!
♦ We kill the innocent (abortion) and
then spare the guilty!

12. It affects the Church!
♦ Many congregations have turned away
from the truth of the Bible because of
“biblical illiteracy!”
♦ I am told that 50 years ago you could go
to any congregation of the Lord’s church
and know the Bible would be preached, and
that every member could tell you the plan of
salvation, but is this true today?
♦ There has always been a danger of this
happening! (Heb. 5:12-14)

13. II. The Antidote!
Antidote = a medicine taken or given to
counteract a particular poison!
♦ When do we need an antidote?
♦ When we have been bitten!
♦ The serpent is still active today!
♦ 1 Pet. 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because
your adversary the devil walks about like a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
♦ Jas 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist
the devil and he will flee from you.

14. We need to be daily Bible
readers!
♦ Ps 1:1-2 Blessed is the man Who
walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor
sits in the seat of the scornful; But his
delight is in the law of the LORD, And in
His law he meditates day and night.

15. We need to give time to Bible
study!
♦ 2 Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present
yourself approved to God, a worker
who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
♦ Jn 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those
Jews who believed Him, "If you abide
in My word, you are My disciples
indeed. "And you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free."

16. Need for mutual edification!
I need you, you need me and we all
need Jesus!
♦ Heb 10:24 And let us consider one
another to provoke unto love and to good
works:
♦ Heb 3:12-13 Beware, brethren, lest
there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief in departing from the living God;
but exhort one another daily, while it is
called "Today," lest any of you be
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

17. We need preachers that are
willing to stand for the truth!
(1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Tim. 4:1-5)
♦ It is only by the truth that one can be
set free! (Jn. 8:31-32)
♦ When one fails to teach the truth,
they fail to save themselves and
others!

18. Conclusion:
♦ It is my hope & prayer this lesson
today is an eye opener for us!
♦ That we will see our need to know
God’s Word and to apply it!
♦ Have we come to know and believe
in the God of the Bible?
♦ Are we seeking to live by God’s
Word in your life?
♦ Are we continuing in the Word so
that we will know it?

19. Are we truly standing
on the promises of
God?