Crystal L Samples

The majority of professing Christians are Biblically illiterate. Ask them basic theological questions, and they can’t answer them correctly. They couldn’t tell you what the Bible has to say about some of the most pressing moral issues of our day. The Church simply does not have time for frivolous Toy Story-themed sermons that fail to explain Scripture and preach the gospel. The main purpose of the church is to equip the saints for the work of ministry, not to make church services so distractingly entertaining that non-Christians will attend to see a free show. While outreach and evangelism matter, sensitivity to the seeker at the expense of Biblical exegesis is sinful and counterproductive. Sermons can be dynamic. The music can be beautiful. The sanctuary can be aesthetically pleasing. Creativity can be used for the glory of God. But putting Christ in the background just to fill seats will never work. His aroma is sweet enough. His gospel is powerful enough. His spirit is persuasive enough. The same cross that repelled the proud and compelled the humble 2,000 years ago still does so today. “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, *to mature manhood,* to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that *we may no longer be children,* tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to *grow up in every way* into him who is the head, into Christ,” Eph. 4:11-14