'Splainin to do

Here's a simple fact that many (many, MANY!) speakers in church settings forget: most people are not really very familiar with the Bible. And that's okay. In fact, that's great - it means they're right where they should be. HOWEVER, I once heard a speaker allude to six different Bible stories in 40 minutes without explaining a word of what she meant. She said things like...

"You know, like David at Ziklag..."

"I felt just like Mary , bringing my oil to Jesus' feet..." (seriously, how weird does that sound if you don't know that story - especially considering that most people unfamiliar with the WHOLE Bible associate Mary as the mother-of-Jesus and don't realize there are at least four other Mary's mentioned.)

"I want to pass my mantle on to you...the Elisha's in my world."

Really...truly...people are not very Bible literate. Even in churches that do that cool Bible chant before every single message, not everyone is going to immediately remember every story. And even if they do remember the story, they may not understand exactly what you're saying when you tell them you responded like David at Ziklag, you know? Finally, it can make people who are new to Christianity or just new to an obscure Bible verse feel unintelligent or alienated from the discussion...and that's bad.

The Word is powerfully sharp. Therefore, quickly mentioning Bible events, verses or illustrations without explaining the point of application can be like hacking away at a sliver in someone's hand with a chainsaw. In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul tells young Timothy how important it is to divide and portion out the Word of God in the right way. That remains true for us today.

Know the Bible. Use it well. But make sure and explain yourself.

Still learning,

Bo