Who Reads the Bible? 80% of You Don’t!

Okay, if I asked the question, “Who has a Bible?” I can easily expect that most of the hands will go up. What do you think will happen if I ask you, who reads their Bible…will those same hands stay raised? Or will they be reduced by 25%; maybe 50%…maybe more?

Why does this happen? Let’s spend a few moments trying to understand why the numbers change so drastically, when we honestly respond with what we personally do.

In fact, when we ask a similar question on prayer, much of the same dynamics happen. For instance, “How many people pray,” will include the hands of the people that hope we don’t dig any deeper. That is, if we go the next step and say, “not counting prayers at mealtimes and night-time,” we can expect that many if not most of the hands will go down.

In the same fashion, if we modify our original question, by saying, “Not including reading the Bible at church or Bible Study,” we would be shocked. In fact, it might not be too harsh in saying that most of the church is “illiterate!”

Now Hold On!

“Now wait right there brother teacher!” That’s right, statements that broad tend to make folks uncomfortable. But again, we are usually uncomfortable not because we are in the group that is inclusive—but rather because we have been cast among those who may not even go to church—and that’s upsetting!

As a child, I was asked in Sunday school if I had ever read the whole Bible, of course “I lied!” I had a children’s Bible and I had read most of it…. But the truth be known, there isn’t much sense in picking up a Bible and reading it from start to finish for the sake of saying I did it. (And it makes even less sense in lying about it!)

Effectively reading the Bible begins with understanding first, what it is. Otherwise, I can guarantee that you will get bogged down in Number, not even knowing what or why you read what you just read!

The facts

• The Barna Group says most Bible owners read their Bible less than four times a year.
• LifeWay Survey says that 80% of Christians don’t read the Bible.
• American’s love the Bible—don’t read it! (Barna Group)

Our Church

Our church is a mega-church, and while there is so much that is good, there is one area that we fail miserably. That area is perhaps the most important, and that is Christian Education.

Now, we do offer Bible programs both degreed and non-degreed, but those are only attended by a small percentage of the membership. Then there are discipleship programs and programs for men, women, children and family—but again, from such a large membership…only a few attend.

Now we have a great preached Word, second to none, but without a real foundation, what is it that the vast majority walk away with? It’s the old philosophical question of, “When I see blue—is that the same thing you see as blue? Or is it just we agree that the same color that we see differently as blue.” Confused yet? I hope not!

The truth is that when a storm comes, only those with a strong foundation will be able to stand. Not that all who may fall or simply go another way during a storm have weak foundations—but rarely do those with weak foundations remain standing is a storm!

The Word is Rich!

See the Word of God is so deep and rich, that it is easy to be tricked into believing that we have gotten all that there is to get because we heard a great message preached! We feel good; the people around us feel good; we are all smiling—surely we have gotten all that we needed to get!

In an extreme illustration, it is like walking into a fitness place and believing that because you see and smell the sweat rolling off of people’s backs as they bike, step, bench—that you actually worked out. But what you got was only a sensation of the fitness—without the real benefits. The real benefits of working out come when you own the sweat and you smell of the workout.

Make it Yours!

See, the preacher spent considerable time preparing for the Word that he ministered. The praise team rehearsed and prayed as they prepared to minister. The intercessors prayed constantly to ensure that the environment was ripe for God’s Word to fall down into the hearts of the People of God.

You woke up on Sunday morning and got dressed; drove to church and sat down and received the benefits from the work that everyone else has done. Unless you have done some work in the spirit to prepare yourself—the Word that you receive will not stay with you! You have not done what is necessary to make that Word yours!

Be Like the Bereans!

That’s why you have to love the Bereans! The Bereans were Athenians, citizens of Berea, and were surrounded by people who were “thinkers.” That is, they question, and postulated why things were the way they were. No doubt, the Bereans were of the same heritage—but had at some time given their hearts to the Lord Jesus.

The reason we say this is that they didn’t “check their reasoning” at the door when they came to hear the Word preached—but instead came eager with anticipation, ready to validate the Word that was ministered to them, but studying the Word. That is, they read their Bibles! In fact the scriptures record that they read their scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true.

Imagine what our churches would be like if they were filled with folks that were like the Bereans, who studied the scriptures—and made the Word part of who they were. That’s what happens when you read the Bible!

So Now What?

So where does that leave you? Well, it depends on what you want to do with this pronouncement of the illiterate church. Not illiterate because we don’t understand the words that are being ministered.

Not illiterate because we don’t have great intention to act on all that we have heard. We are illiterate because we don’t have the foundational knowledge of God’s Word to let us know if what we have heard was biblical—or simply just a great message!

See that’s the real truth of this whole matter. The Bible tells us—and even warns us that there will come a time that we will be so anxious to hear God’s Word—that we would be deceived by those who preach!

Many will be led astray simply because the words preached align with what they “want to hear!” Or for that matter, just words that make them feel good, right and even validated. Sure, for some, that sounds good to some and scary to others. But the Bereans weren’t afraid of the preached word—because they had THE WORD! They simply would check the scriptures and determine the truth of God for themselves. (Read about the Bereans in Acts 17:1-28)

Final Thoughts

In fact, the Word goes much further that in its warnings to those who will believe the words that are preached and be led away because they simply didn’t know any better. That would be a shame that we would lose a great heritage of faith, simply because we didn’t read the Bible.

Reading God’s Word sharpens our discernment and allows us to see how He moves; and hear how He speaks. So much so, that when a word is preached that doesn’t align with the Word of God—or even the Spirit of God, we will know and not be swayed.