“Biblical ignorance within the church may well be deeper and more widespread than at any other time since the Protestant Reformation. If you doubt that, compare the typical sermon of today with a randomly chosen published sermon from any leading evangelical preacher prior to 1850. Also compare today’s Christian literature with almost anything published by evangelical publishing houses a hundred years or more ago.
Bible teaching, even in the best of venues today, has been deliberately dumbed-down, made as broad and as shallow as possible, oversimplified, adapted to the lowest common denominator—and then tailored to appeal to people with short attention spans. Sermons are almost always brief, simplistic, overlaid with as many references to pop culture as possible, and laden with anecdotes and illustration. (Jokes and funny stories drawn from personal experience are favored over cross-references and analogies borrowed from Scripture itself.) Typical sermon topics are heavily weighted in favor of man-centered issues (such as personal relationships, successful living, self-esteem, how-to lists, and so on)—to the exclusion of the many Christ-exalting doctrinal themes of Scripture.”
-John MacArthur, The Truth War
1 Timothy 6:20Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care.Turn awayfrom godless chatter andthe opposing ideas ofwhat is falsely called knowledge,21which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.Thus, not every knowledge is considered the truth. And there is a need to rightly divide the word of Truth.Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one whoreads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those whohear it andtake to heart what is written in it,because the time is near.Thus, there is a need to read, to hear, and to work out what is written. Isaiah 34:16 Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.Isaiah 1:18-20 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.Thus, God offers forgiveness and a lending ear and offers answers up to the extent of our mind’s capacity for Truth. The answers are only contained in the Book of the Lord and everything it shall refer. The bible even defines the word contained therein.Since the author generalized what he sees a "church" is nowadays, let me prove to you that we, in the members, Church of God, International is very different.Please visit <a href="http://www.esoriano.wordpress.comhttp://www.esoriano.wordpress.com<br />Glory and praise to the God of Israel!