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ARE THE BIBLE AND THE CHURCH RELEVANT?

Introduction

To be relevant means to be “logically connected with and important to the matter in hand; appropriate, germane, pertinent.”

To some, the Word of God and the Church of Jesus Christ do not always seem “logically connected” or “important to the matter in hand.” They may be (and should be) relevant to us who are believers, but not to the unbeliever.

1 Corinthians 1:18–“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

In the January, 1966 edition of an American journal called The Christian Century, the editor wrote of receiving a small “assemble it yourself” package by mail. After spending an hour in frustration trying to put the pieces together, he discovered in the box a message from the manufacturer. Printed on a neat, white card were the words, “If all else fails, follow the directions.”

As I look at people today I see that most of them are puzzled, bewildered, confused, and many have lost their grip on life.

             Their homes are in trouble.

                          Many of their marriages are falling apart.

                          They are losing their children to an immoral and amoral culture.

             Their personal lives are in shambles.

                          They have no peace in their lives.

                          They have plenty of things, but the things do not satisfy.

Many have contemplated or are even now contemplating suicide.

As they look at their lives they are clueless as to what happened and where they went wrong.

Now comes the question, “Whose directions are they following?”

“If all else fails, follow the directions.”

There was a time when the majority of the people in this country used to take their directions from the Bible. However, over the past forty years or so, our nation has all but abandoned God’s Word. It has become irrelevant they think. As a result, we now see that our country is reaping the bitter fruits that come from neglecting God’s counsel!

- In the 1960s the Supreme Court ruled that prayer and Bible reading in public schools violated the Constitution.

- The teaching of evolutionary theory has replaced the teaching of creationism in the classrooms.

- God’s absolute standards of truth have been removed and replaced with personal choice and situation ethics.

- To determine whether the Bible is relevant, one need only look back over the last 40 years of our nation’s history.

- If people don’t believe the Bible is relevant today, it isn’t because we tried it and it failed. When we adhered to God’s ways, He truly blessed America!

But God’s way has been largely ignored by the masses and consequently we have raised a generation where the majority of this nation are unrighteous and unholy.

Understand that any Church that is founded upon the sound teaching of the Word of God is as relevant today as the Bible is. And the Bible is relevant!

The Church is a place where we learn 1) what God’s Word says and 2) how to appropriate those Biblical principles in our lives.

What seems to be the problem today?

Magnetic personalities have become more important than the message.

1 Corinthians 1:12-13–“Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”

1 Corinthians 3:4–“For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?”

People are more interested in programs than about progress in their spiritual lives.

They want entertainment rather than enlightenment.

The desire is more toward comfort and convenience, rather than conviction and confession.

People would rather have their “ears tickled”, than to be confronted with the Truths of the Scriptures.

The problem lies in the complacency of the Church!

When the Holy Spirit begins to convict of sin, many start looking for another, more compassionate Church to attend. That usually is a place with a watered down message.

If that’s what you’re looking for this morning, I just want to go on record as saying that you are in the wrong place! When it comes to communicating God’s Word, my prayer is two-fold:

1)         That we will always speak the truth in love, but

2)         That we will always speak the truth!

With no more time than we have to address this important issue this morning, we will only touch the tip of the iceberg.

It is somewhat difficult to find a starting place. So let’s begin by looking at: “Some Things That Show That People Do Not Think The Bible and The Church Are Relevant Today."

I.          SOME REGARD WORLDLY PHILOSOPHY AS BEING SUPERIOR TO GOD’S WORD.

             A.         Humanistic Philosophy Has Pervaded People’s Thinking.

People have been indoctrinated with humanistic philosophy in our schools for years. Not to mention that which comes across the airwaves of radio and television.

We know that those peddling the humanistic philosophy deny the very existence of God. So consequently:

                          1.          They dismiss the importance of God’s Word.

                          2.          They disregard the necessity of having a personal relationship with God and faith in Jesus Christ. They see them only as a crutch for weak minded people.

                          3.          They have deceived our society into pursuing the temporal pleasures of this life as a means to obtain fulfillment.

But there is nothing temporal that can give lasting joy, peace and happiness!

So what happens is that those who have forsaken God’s way to run after the things of this world wind up with a God shaped void in their lives.

             B.         The Sad Part Is That Many Christians Have Bought Into The Humanistic Philosophy And Humanistic Pursuits.

Therefore, there are many Christians who do not see the Bible and the Church as being as relevant as they should be.

They may come to Church when it doesn’t interfere with the rest of their life, but the Bible and the Church are having very little, if any, impact on their lives and the lives of their family.

The results are tragic for all concerned.

SOME REGARD WORLDLY PHILOSOPHY AS BEING SUPERIOR TO GOD’S WORD.

II.         GOD’S COMMANDMENTS HAVE BEEN LARGELY CAST ASIDE AND DISREGARDED.

             God’s commands were never intended to be "suggestions.”

             Let’s Consider Some Of God’s Top Ten (The Ten Commandments):

             A.         God Says To Have No Other God’s Before Him And Don’t Worship Any Graven Image -

Some of the gods of our day are materialism, self-gratification, education, entertainment and pleasure.

Anything we put before the one true God becomes our God, no matter how good it may be.

We must be careful not to put other things before God in our lives.

             B.         God Says To Not Take His Name In Vain

                          1.          Yet, the airwaves of both radio and TV are filled with people who blaspheme or mock God.

                          2.          And as you listen to how people speak in the workplace and marketplace, you come to realize that, by and large, our nation has no fear of God, nor respect for God!

             C.         God Says To Honor Your Father And Mother.

                          1.          The first problem is that we have gotten away from God’s Word concerning Husband/Wife relationships and that has affected Parent/Child relationships.

                          2.          Many parents are, either too busy, too selfish or too ignorant about their parental responsibilities to be good parents.

                          3.          In addition, children are taught to disrespect authority today.

                          4.          It doesn’t "Take a Village" to effectively raise a child. It takes a father and mother committed to raising their children with the love and discipline outlined in the Word of God.

             D.         God Said Thou Shall Not Kill.

                          1.          Violence permeates our society. Abortion on demand.

                          2.          People kill people everyday and for no good reason.

Some are killed over disagreements, some for their possessions, some just for sick fun!

                          3.          Human life is valued very little, there is little fear of God, and no concern for eternal retribution, and people are just plain evil and wicked.

                          4.          This generation, for the most part, has been taught there is no God, that they came from animals and that they will simply die and go to the grave.

             E.         God Also Said Don’t Commit Adultery, Don’t Steal, Don’t Bear False Witness (Lie), and Don’t Covet.

                          1.          Yet immorality and adultery is rampant.

                          2.          People steal from their employers, from the government, from strangers and from God.

                          3.          People bear false witness, make false accusations, slander and lie.

                          4.          Covetousness has led to dissatisfaction and debt.

                                       People think they have to have stuff whatever the cost.

When you raise a generation people without regard to these eternal truths, is it any surprise that they grow up devoid of morals?

III.       OTHER SOUND BIBLE PRINCIPLES HAVE BEEN IGNORED.

             God’s Word has much to say about living in today’s world!

             But people are building their lives on what thus saith Dr. Phil, or Oprah,

or Dr. Laura, or some other self-help guru or book rather than on what “Thus saith the Lord!”

             A.         The Bible Talks About Relationships:

(According to the book of Genesis, God created the family. Could anyone else possibly know better how it should operate than the One Who created it?)

                          1.          Husband & Wife Relationships – Ephesians 5:22-33

Ephesians 5:33 -“Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”

                                       Is God’s Word relevant? You better believe it is!

Feminists say, “No way!” But look at what has happened to the family since abandoning God’s way of doing things and doing things the way of the flesh.

                                       The record speaks for itself!

                          2.          Parents & Children Relationships– Ephesians 6:1-4

                                       a.          Children - Obey and respect your parents - You will be blessed.

                                       b.          Fathers - Don’t provoke them to anger, but love them, encourage them, train them, discipline them.

But where has the way of Dr. Spock and the rest of the world gotten us?

We have a generation who for the most part know nothing about discipline in their lives.

So there is no wonder that they live undisciplined lives not having any self-control in their lives.

             B.         The Bible Talks About Who We Are.

If you don’t know what the Bible says about you, you may not feel that your life is really worth very much! All human life is valuable to God!

                          1.          We Were Created In The Image Of God.

Genesis 1:27–“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

                          2.          We Were Wonderfully Made.

Psalm 139:14–“Psalms 139:14–“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

                          3.          We Are Valuable.

                                       God sent Christ to die for us!

1 John 4:10–“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

             C.         The Bible Talks About Priorities. (Colossians 3:1-4)

                          Earthly things are only temporary!

Matthew 6:33–“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

              D.         The Bible Talks About Money and Possessions.

                          It tells us not to waste our life in pursuit of those things!

                          1.          Riches Take Wings And Fly Away.

Proverbs 23:5–“Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”

                          2.          Life Does Not Consist Of What We Possess.

Luke 12:15–“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

                          3.          Riches Can Be A Temptation And Snare.

1 Timothy 6:9–“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”

                          4.          Giving is the Way To Receive.

Acts 20:35–“I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

                          5.          No Matter How Much You Gain, You Lose If You Lose Your Own Soul?

Mark 8:36–“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

                          6.          Things cannot give you peace - Only Christ can give you real peace!

John 14:27–“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 16:33–“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Romans 5:1–“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

Have you trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior? If you haven’t, you’ve never really known peace!

Conclusion

As a nation, we are now reaping what we have sown.

Our society has rejected God, His Word and His Church, considering them as irrelevant for today! Even some Christians have neglected God’s Word and God’s Church..

For the most part, America has kicked God out!

1.         When you kick God out of your courts, you will get laws, lawmakers, judges and lawyers who will ultimately further victimize the victim, rather than bringing the offender to justice!

2.          When you kick God out of your schools, you get children who don’t respect authority, rampant drug and alcohol abuse, violence and killings, an abundance of teenage suicide, teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

3.          When you kick God out of your society and you accept all sorts of sexual perversion as alternate lifestyles. You will have broken homes, rising crime rates, empty lives and the legalized slaughter of more than one million and a half innocent babies every year, as well as a plague of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases!

Over the past 40 years, America has basically told God not to interfere with our legal system, the education of our children, with our government or our communities.

Yet, when planes hit the World Trade Center and or some other tragedy happens, we hear our leaders tell us to call on God.

When a nation’s says to God, "Leave us alone and let us live the way we want to," what do we expect?

KEY:   We need to get back to recognizing the Bible and the Church as being not only relevant, but necessary if our society is to survive and thrive!

If you have never come to Christ for salvation -

             Will you believe the world? Or will you believe God?

             Just look at the direction our nation has taken over the past 40 years.

             Do you have real inner peace? You can have it!

             Will you trust Christ as your personal Savior?

If you call yourself a Christian.

             Are you living by faith or by sight?

Are you living according to God’s Word?

             Or are you living by the world’s standards and philosophies?

             Will you be the kind of Christian that is relevant to others?

Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!