Unleashing the Bible in the church …
According to the REVEAL Spiritual Life Survey conducted by Willow Creek, only one in five churchgoers in the USA says their church offers in-depth Bible engagement. Although I’m unaware of similar studies in other parts of the world, I strongly suspect that many churches desperately need to train and equip congregations to read, reflect, remember, and respond to God’s Word.
Unleashing the Bible in the church should be at the top of the to-do list. This is because the spiritual health and growth of the local church are strongly correlated to Bible engagement. As the authors of the REVEAL Survey concluded, “The Bible is the most powerful catalyst for spiritual growth. [Its] power to advance spiritual growth is unrivalled by anything else we’ve discovered.”
Teaching Bible engagement.
To strengthen church Bible engagement, we must teach people the practical basics of interpreting, contemplating, journaling, studying, memorizing, praying, and obeying God’s Word. Pastors, preaching about the importance of Bible engagement isn’t enough. Your congregations need seminars and workshops where they can learn the essential practices (activities or methods) of Bible engagement.
Vigorous churches don’t just happen; they have to be nurtured. To attain kingdom outcomes, we’ve got to concentrate on the things that undergird long-term change. Do we want people to thirst for Jesus more, know Him more, contemplate Him more, magnify Him more, love Him more, and serve Him more? If we do, we’ve got to help them get into God’s Word so that God’s Word gets into them!
Removing obstacles.
To unleash the Bible in the church, we must remove the obstacles. Three things get in the way:
Pastors who don’t get it.
There are many reasons why pastors don’t prioritize Bible engagement. Some are traditionalists – more concerned with maintaining the liturgy or customs of the church. Others are liberal or progressive – more concerned with promoting values such as compassion, justice, mercy, and tolerance, often through political activism. Some are legalists – more concerned with right behaviour or morality. Others are denominationally inclined – more concerned with upholding the systems and distinctives of their group. And, some are dismissive, unaware, or blind to the vital role that Bible engagement plays in the health and growth of the church.
People who don’t want it.
Tragically, many people in the church want a Bible that starts and ends with “me.” But the Bible doesn’t start and end with “me.” It starts and ends with “Him.” We’re not the primary theme of the Bible; Jesus is. People don’t want Bible engagement because they don’t want Jesus. What they want is good morals, religion that helps them feel good, and a God who is more a concept. This is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD). MTD is at odds with Bible engagement.
Principalities that oppose it.
The rulers and powers of this dark world diametrically oppose the Bible being unleashed in the church. They have everything to lose when God’s Word is preeminent. Satan and his demons lie, confuse, confound, disrupt and generally do whatever they can to destroy every connection with the Bible. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” Ephesians 6:12.
These three obstacles can’t be taken lightly or dismissed. They have to be defeated.
Three things we must do.
To unleash the Bible in the church, there are three things we need to do:
Pray earnestly.
Bible engagement will only advance when we persistently call on God to renew the church and restore the preeminence of His Word.
Pursue Jesus.
We must look to Jesus for our help and strength. Apart from Him, we can do nothing to advance Bible engagement (John 15:5).
Proclaim truth.
The entrance of God’s Word gives light (Psalm 119:130). We strengthen Bible engagement when we explore and have conversations about the Scriptures.
That’s not to say we simply need to do these three things, and the Bible will be unleashed overnight. Far from it! The church didn’t get into the mess it’s in through a few years of slippage. The decline in Bible engagement (in the West) has been happening for a long time. We must be in it for the long haul to get where we need to go.
Yes, we require persistence and unwavering faith to overcome the obstacles hindering the unleashing of the Bible in the church. But that’s just our part in it. The good news is that Jesus wants His Word to run free. So, as we co-labour with Him, we can be assured that He’ll restore and unleash His Word in the church at the appointed time.
Please share, in the comments below, your perspective about unleashing the Bible in the church.
Related Articles
Improving Bible Engagement in the Church
Summary
The REVEAL Spiritual Life Survey highlights that only one in five churchgoers in the USA experience in-depth Bible engagement, suggesting a widespread need for training. Bible engagement is crucial for spiritual growth, and churches must prioritize teaching methods like interpretation, contemplation, journaling, and memorization. Obstacles must be overcome, such as pastors who don’t prioritize Bible engagement, people who are indifferent to it, and spiritual forces opposing it. To unleash the Bible in the church, we must pray, pursue Jesus, and proclaim truth, staying persistent in this long-term effort with faith that God will restore His Word in the church.
© Scripture Union Canada
