David’s Story Series

Series OT Bible Heroes:

We are going to discuss over the months of May, June and July OT Biblical Heroes. Many current day Statistics show that there is a shocking lack of knowledge of basic Bible knowledge among Americans. This is particularly puzzling in view of the availability of Bibles and Bible related materials in this country. The Bible has been and still is the best-selling title in America. Twenty-five million copies of the Bible are sold annually. Americans spent 2.4 billion dollars on Bibles in 2006. But those pesky surveys show that the majority of Americans are biblically illiterate. Illiteracy ranks high among the Christian community. There are two basic reasons why Bible illiteracy rates are high. Americans simply are not reading the Bible. Many churches do not emphasize Bible learning in their educational programs or services any more.

http://www.studycenter.com/downloads/Bible_Literacy_Crisis_in_America.pdf

Barbara Miller in her paper “Bible Literacy: Crisis in America”, Sept 2006 states the following:

The Baptist Standard, a publication of the Texas Baptist Convention, reveals that the Gideon’s International distribute annually in excess of 45 million Bibles. This computes on the average at 86 Bibles distributed every minute. With the rampant availability of Bibles and Bible related materials and given the obvious respect the Bible garners in America, how can there possibly be a Bible literacy crisis in America? Statistics quoted in the December 2000 issue of The Baptist Standard confirm accounts of Bible illiteracy:

• A Gallup survey shows that fewer than half of Americans can name the

first book of the Bible (Genesis), only one-third know who delivered the

Sermon on the Mount (many named Billy Graham, not Jesus), and one quarter

do not know what is celebrated on Easter.

• A 1997 Barna Research poll showed 12 percent of Christians think

Noah’s wife was Joan of Arc. Eighty percent of born-again Christians

believe it is the Bible that says "God helps them that help themselves."

• In conjunction with the October release of the animated feature, “The Ten

Commandments”, Kelton Research questioned 1000 Americans on their

knowledge of the biblical Ten Commandments. The Baptist Standard, December 4, 2000.

Even though 80 percent could name the ingredients of a Big Mac

(McDonald’s), only 6 in 10 could name the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not

kill.” Most of the participants in the Kelton Research survey recalled the

names of the four Beatles but many could not recall one single commandment.

Bible illiteracy is not just confined to the unchurched secular population

of America.

According to Gary Burge, professor of New Testament studies at

Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, there is a crisis of basic Bible knowledge in

the church also – especially among youth.

• In an article published in Christianity Today in 1999, Burge wrote about

surveys which are administered by Wheaton College to incoming freshmen to

assess their knowledge of the Bible. These students, who represent every Protestant denomination in America, are asked basic Bible questions. Following are some of the results quoted by Professor Burge:

• One-third of the students tested could not put the following in sequential

order: Abraham, the Old Testament prophets, the death of Christ, and

Pentecost.

• Half could not sequence the following: Moses in Egypt, Isaac’s birth,

Saul’s death, and Judah’s exile.

• One-third could not identify Matthew as an apostle from a list of New

Testament names.

• One-third could not identify the book of Acts as the location of Paul’s

missionary travels; half did not know that the Christmas story was in

Matthew, half did not know that the Passover story was in Exodus. 5

Burge decided to test yet another level, high school youth, with a

25-question test.

• Eighty percent could not place Abraham,

Adam, Moses, David, Solomon, in chronological order.

• Only 20 percent knew that Paul’s travels are recorded in the book of Acts.

• Only 33 percent could locate the Sermon on the Mount in the New

Testament.

• Eighty percent could not locate the Lord’s Prayer.

• In a report on America’s religious illiteracy, USA Today reported that 50

percent of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were married.

With 92 percent of Americans owning a Bible, why is there such a lack of

basic knowledge of the Bible?

We all need to be reminded why we should read and study the Bible. Here are some good reasons from http://www.studycenter.com/downloads/Bible_Literacy_Crisis_in_America.pdf

A. We are commanded by Jesus and God to read it.

B. The Bible is God’s living letter to humanity.

C. The Bible provides the answers to all of life’s issues.

D. The Bible reveals the future.

It is time for Christian America to get back to the Bible and learn the eternal lessons from it. I believe our existence as a nation depends on our reverence for God and His Word.