In preparing for some new disciple-making initiatives in the coming year, a colleague of mine at church and I have been collecting some data on what Evangelicals believe. In the process of skimming some of the findings, I realized how important this data can be for our preaching.
[For years, I have watched the survey results reveal a slow, but steady movement away from orthodox beliefs. This has caused me to see at least part of my preaching ministry as an attempt to keep my listeners from losing important aspects of the Christian faith.]
If you’re interested, I suggest you look at what Ligonier and Lifeway present about the State of Theology (thestateoftheology.com).
What you will find is that Evangelicals are moving away from traditional beliefs about Christology, including things as foundational as whether or not Jesus was created by God.
When I presented some the findings to our Wednesday night crowd, two folks quickly replied: “Well, I wonder how the survey defined ‘Evangelical’?” That’s a very common Fundamentalist reaction. My reply was that it doesn’t matter. Even if the word wasn’t defined as tightly as some of us might want, the stats still show that some of our parishioners might be experiencing a similar shift.
If you’ve used such info before, then you know that the survey answers help us know what doctrines we need to highlight in our preaching. For instance, in one recent survey I saw, three of the five questions/answers involved the Person and work of Christ.
May our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) as we accurately preach Christ as God portrays Him in His Word.
Randal
How much of this problem do you think could be addressed through the pulpit? I know many in the world today don’t have the necessary esteem for the Word of God or for the positional authority of a pastor, so for those who may be straying is the pulpit a realistic answer? Or do you believe that it is best used primarily for preventative maintenance and ensuring those who are presently strong remain strong?
The Sunday sermon addresses the most people in any given faith-family so it is the best maintenance. It is up to us to preach the theology of the Word so that those with ears to hear don’t drift. The pulpit ministry provides an excellent opportunity for us to teach through the Bible so that our listeners truly learn God’s Word.
Is the Ligonier and Lifeway study the only research you are citing? I have found a shocking lack of understanding for such things as the Great Commission, but nothing as egregious as you share here. That understanding comes from Barna research as well as my own interactions with Generation Z and Millenials.
I have actually found the shift in belief to be a rather refreshing change. Again, I’ve not experienced some of the claims that you are talking about here, but I’ve found that there is a genuine desire to understand what scripture teaches as opposed to what has been held as a tradition for a long time. I value the church fathers and make no claim that I am the end of all knowledge, but there have been traditions that have little or no biblical backing that have long been held by the church. Take for example the idea that God does not give us more than we can handle. I find that scripture teaches quite the opposite through examples like Joseph, Abraham, and the disciples.
Correct. There are other places like, Barna, that provides good analysis of the culture and state of beliefs. Thank you for also bringing up the other side: there are some positive trends too that bode well for the church.
This was a great blog. In these times we see a lot of churches and ministries moving away from traditional beliefs. I’ve even heard some well know Pastors preach and say some things that was so not true. That’s why it is extremely important for us to study God’s Word continually so that we can rightly divide what is being preached and discern for ourselves what is truth and what is not, and when we hear it to separate ourselves from it.
One of the most important things seems to be keeping from allowing culture to redefine Scripture. I realize the hermeneutics at times is slippery but what we’re seeing is a lack of theological teaching in the pulpits of many churches.