God, His Word, & His People.

Introduction

If you have been with us lately then you know that we have been studying the book of Romans together. And next week we will pick that study up again with Romans chapter 12, but this week I wanted to take an opportunity to talk about our God, His Word, & His People.

Why? Every two years since 2014 Ligonier Ministries alongside Life Way Research has released a report on the state of theology in America. They make statements about God, people, the Bible, the gospel, etc. and ask people to mark their agreement or disagreement.

And what is really fascinating about this study is that they differentiate between evangelicals and non-evangelicals. So you get an idea of what the average American thinks about theses things and what the belief is within the professing church of Christ.

Just so you know the defining terms of the study. They labeled a person as an evangelical if they agreed with 4 statements.

The Bible is the highest authority for my belief.

It is important to personally encourage others to trust Jesus for their salvation.

Jesus sacrifice on the cross is the only sacrifice that can remove my sin.

The only path that leads to eternal salvation is trust in Jesus Christ.

And of the people that agreed with all these statements…what’s surprising...

Is, as we’ll see this morning, a large percentage of professing followers of Jesus believe some really un-biblical things. Which is concerning.

2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,”

Maybe we’re living in times such as these.

So this morning I wanted to take the main thrust of these things and respond to them.

And I’m not mainly concerned this morning with the state of theology in the average, unbelieving American.

It’s not surprising that people who are not saved do not have a biblical worldview or a biblical theology.

But what is surprising is that as I combed through the questions and made notes it seems that even church people are confused about God, His Word, and His People.

And so this morning I’m going to present to you some of the findings of the 2022 State of Theology and then respond to them as God’s Word does.

But first let’s pray because I think there is the potential here for arrogance and a lack of humility.

Pray for humility.

Belief About God

“God accepts the worship of all religions including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.”

How many people who are professing followers of Jesus believe this to be true?

56% of church folk believe this to be true.

I was having a conversation with a frend the other day about the exclusivity of Jesus—that unless you come to Jesus you cannot be saved—and our conversation steered to distress for those who are not saved.

And I told him and I’m telling you that we should be concerned for those who are not saved. It is a tragic thing that people will go to Hell—it’s not an unfair judgment or an unjust judgment—but it is tragic. If the idea of people in Hell doesn’t bother you then you either don’t really think about it or you have a compassion problem. It’s bothersome!

But what we must not do, what we cannot do is create other avenues by which people can be saved.

In our compassion or in the name of political correctness or to not be offensive or to keep ourselves comfortable—we cannot tell a faithful follower of Hinduism, for example, that they are okay with God.

Nor Judaism, Nor Islam, nor Bhuddism, or Wicca, or worshippers of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Because they are not. Their worship is not acceptable to God.

What does scripture say?

And for times sake I’m going to fight my temptation to list 15-20 verses for each topic this morning. Even though we could do that, we don’t need to do that. The authority of God’s word is not found in its repition. God need only say something one time. Amen?

So what does God’s word say about other gods, other religions?

Exodus 20:3-5 ““You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,”

God has revealed himself to mankind in his word and by the testimony of His people. He has not revealed himself in different ways to different peoples. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that the God of all religions is basically the same.

And I’m not trying to offend, but that is an ignorant statement. The God of Islam is not the Gods of Hinduism or the God of Judaism or the God Mormonism.

If you read those texts they present very different Gods.

“Well you are missing the point pastor—God presented himself differently to different peoples that more people would be saved. These multiple expressions of God is an act of God’s kindness towards humanity.”

Is something that I would expect an unbeliever to say—but not a person within the church.

Why? Becasue that is not what God’s Word says.

Deuteronomy 4:35 “To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him.”

Transition: So much more could be said here—but our next question is related and sheds more light.

“Does God learn and adapt to different circumstances? Does God change?”

How many people who are professing followers of Jesus believe this to be true?

48% of church folk believe this to be true.

On it’s face this question seems harmless. As does it’s answer.

Sure, as God sees things He learns and adapts to what is happening. If I make a decision then God makes a decision based off of what I’ve done. That’s normal. That’s what people do and that’s what God does.

But friends, God is not people. People are imperfect and must learn and adapt because we are not sovereign.

But God has no need to change. Perfection doesn’t need to change because it is perfect. God has no need of change becasue He is perfect in His power, his knowledge, and His ways.

If God learns and adapts as he observes the world—if God changes then He is not God.

But what does God’s Word say?

Isaiah 46:10 “declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’”

1 John 3:20 “for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”

God knows all things, has declared all things, and no part of His perfect plan needs to change. Everything that has happened and everything that will happen is known by our God.

And this is good news because if God didn’t know all things—wasn’t aware of all that makes up a man—then surely his mercy would change too. For we are not worthy of mercy or grace. But God knows all that is in a man and as He died on the cross for our sins he knew how lost and broken and evil humanity is.

Malachi 3:6 ““For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

Transition: There is no thing, moment, second unknown by our perfect God. But what do God’s people in His churches say about God’s attention to their daily lives?

“God is unconcerned with my day to day decisions.”

How many people who are professing followers of Jesus believe this to be true?

23% of church folk believe this to be true.

And because these other numbers have been so high—you might be a bit unphased by this one.

But that means that out of a church of 100 people about 23 believe that God doesn’t care about what they do on a day to day basis.

This idea is that God is too high. He is to mighty. He is too otherworldly to be concerned with the affairs of humans.

This is a wild disconnect from the teaching of the Bible.

The cross of Jesus Christ is a loud objection to this idea that God is not concerned with people. God has endured much to save people.

“Well yea, but God is not concerned with what I wear, or watch, or whether or not I exercise. He doesn’t care about these things.”

If you hold this belief you are either not reading the Bible or you are not processing what you are reading.

What does God’s word say?

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Luke 12:7 “Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

I love my kids but I couldn’t tell you how many hairs are on their heads. You love me but you couldn’t tell me how many hairs I have.

But God knows. He knows every hair that I’ve had and every hair that I used to have. That is an attention to detail.

And as we read the Bible God is certainly concerned with every detail of your life and how you express it.

God doesn’t care about what you wear?

He tells men and women to dress modestly. He uses the Pharisees love of their appearance to warn people from finding their value in their looks.

God doesn’t care about what you watch—what your eyes dwell on?

Matthew 6:22 ““The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,”

Psalm 101:3 “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.”

God’s word is clear. He cares about your life and he cares about the “small details” of your life. And he cares about your day to day decisions and interactions. He cares about your holiness—He cares about your obedience.

Transition: Unfortunately church people are not just confused about God the Father, but also about God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity is butchered here. Listen to these questions and answers.

“Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.”

73% of church folk agree with that.

“Jesus was a great teacher but not God.”

43% of God’s professing people agree with this.

Transition: What about the Holy Spirit?

“The Holy Spirit is a force of God but not a personal being.”

60% of professing followers of Jesus believe this.

God’s people are confused about God.

Some rapid fire real quick.

Jesus is God. He is not a creation of God. Being God he has always existed together within the Godhead.

John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Likewise the Holy Spirit is not just a force of the Father and the Son but is Himself God.

Acts 5:3-4 “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.””

God is one God in 3 persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And while this idea is hard to grasp it is biblical—the Bible teaches it.

But a fair number of professing believers are wildly confused about who Jesus is and who the Holy Spirit is.

Transition: And as we transition you probably wont’ be surprised to find that God’s people are confused about God’s word too.

Belief About God’s Word

At this point I want to encourage you to not be discouraged. I’m not going to leave you with a bunch of depressing statistics. We will end with some positives and application.

But before we get there: what do professing followers of Jesus say about God’s Word?

“The Bible is 100% accurate in all it teaches.”

How many people who are professing followers of Jesus believe this to be true?

You are probably thinking, at this point, I don’t really want to know.

95% of church folk believe this.

That’s good! But there are some real inconsistencies in people’s hearts and minds as they apply this truth to specific situations. What do I mean?

“The Bible contains helpful accounts of ancient myths but is not literally true.”

26%—1 out of 4 people in the church believe this.

It’s 100 percent accurate about all that it teaches 75% of the time.

I had a pastor who preaches every week ridicule me when I was in seminary for believeing in the miracles of the Bible.

“Do you really believe that Jonah was inside a great fish for 3 days?!”

Matthew 12:40 “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Friends, if Jesus believed it then I sure do!

If God can’t preserve Jonah for 3 days in the stomach of a great fish then He can’t save me either.

Transition: Here’s another one.

“Modern science disproves the Bible.”

30% of church people believe this.

What does God’s Word say?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

2 Peter 1:21 “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Friends in the scriptures we have the gracious words of God. God has inspired the writing of all of scripture and He has preserved scripture throughout the ages so that His people would have His Word.

If we don’t believe that the Bible is the Wrod of God then we have no confidence in anything we believe because it is all derived from Scripture.

Throughout history Baptists have been knows as the “people of the book” and this is an appropriate title for any follower of Jesus. We should believe all that God has said.

Transition: We should believe all that God has said about Himself, about His Word, and about people. What do people believe about humanity?

Belief About God’s People

“Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God.”

65% of church people agreed with this statement.

What does the Bible say?

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—”

In Adam all mankind fell. All of us are born with a nature of sin. We are marked as disobedient in sin from the very beginning.

Ephesians 2:3 “among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

In Adam we are sinners from the very beginning.

Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

There are no innocent people in this world. All are guilty of breaking God’s law.

There was a similar question asked...

“Everyone sins a little but most people are good by nature.”

57% of the church agreed with this.

But it isn’t true...

And we hate this truth more than most because it paints a bleak picture. But listen...

I know good people. I know kind people. I know brave people. And I know sacrificial people. But neither I nor you have ever met an innocent person.

And even the best of us when compared to the matchless perfection of Jesus’ life, as he lived perfectly before God and man, even the best of us are found to be tarnished in light of his perfect example.

The truth is that you and I need a savior. Humanity is lost in their sin without the sacrifice of the perfect son of God.

And this is an important truth. People need to understand the seriousness of their situation. They need to know that they have no hope in being reconciled to God without Jesus.

Our flesh and the enemy will lie to us and tell us that we can build our way up to God, but the truth of God’s Word tells us...

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””

This includes your own name. If you are to be forgiven for your rebellion, if you are to be saved from the guilt of your sin, if you are to be redeemed back to the right purpose of your creation—to know God and to worship Him—then you must come to Jesus Christ.

You don’t deserve Him, but he lived in your place perfectly as you are called to. And he didn’t deserve it, but He died in your place on the cross—He received the wrath of God for your sins, not his.

So that you would be saved!

Romans 10:9 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

If you’ve never believed this before—if you’ve never come to Christ for your salvation then I urge you today to forsake trying to work for your salvation and cling to the one who has already won salvation for all who come to Him. Will you trust Jesus today?!

Conclusion

Friends, what we believe about God, about His Word, about ourselves is really important. And it is shocking that there are people sitting in the seats every Sunday that believe in a changing God, a faulty word, and an innocent people.

So what do we say about these things? What do we do with this truth about the state of theology in the Church of Jesus?

First, I told you I would share some good things with you.

“The Bible is 100% accurate in all that it teaches.”

95% in the church believe this.

“My works can’t save me; only faith in Christ saves.”

93% in the church believe this.

“Only those who trust in Jesus receive eternal salvation.”

99% in the church believe this.

“Jesus’ death on the cross is the only sacrifice that removes the penalty of sin.”

99% in the church believe this.

As you hear these things. Rejoice that the church believes these truths.

But even as you hear them you see the great contradiction between these beliefs and others that a person may hold in the church.

What is going on here?

Friends, I believe that a lot of our churches are literate in the gospel while being illiterate in the Bible.

The gospel has been pushed, and taught in our pulpits so when people hear the parameters of the gospel they agree.

But when it comes to applying these truths broadly across all of life—there are people in our churches that don’t see a problem with an imperfect God and a flawed Word.

The gospel must be proclaimed—it is by the proclamation of the gospel that people are saved.

But we can’t be a people who drink milk for the rest of our lives.

Hebrews 5:12 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,”

What do we do to turn the tide of biblical illiteracy in the church?

We study the Bible deeply—we read the Bible daily—we seek the knowledge of Gods Word.

We study good confessions. We teach our children catechisms.

We learn how the Bible connects and we learn the history, we proclaim the truths.

We do not form our thoughts and beliefs based off of feeling and cultural approval but we take every word of God and we Ingest it and believe it. And proclaim it. And we take every teaching and hold it to the word of God to see if it passes muster.

We commit to the words of our God—not just the salvation of our God.

What can you do about this contradiction of belief in the church of Jesus? I have 3 suggestions.

You can make sure that you and yours are not a part of the problem.

You can pray for the church at large. Add it to your prayer list. God is worthy of right worship in every church that proclaims His name.

Invite people to this church. We are not a perfect church, but we will seek God in His Word and seek to apply the Word to the life of this church. And that’s a good thing amen?

Let’s pray.