What is our biggest problem?

My wife and I had some guests round for Sunday lunch and over the course of lunch a wide range of subjects was discussed everything from Agape F.C. to the state of the England cricket team.

But one of the most interesting things that we discussed was what is the biggest problem facing the church today? Most of this discussion was prompted by a sermon that we had heard at the start of the year. Obviously all the normal answers where discussed, there was the problem of sin, the problem of increasing liberalism, but the discussion then turned to our biggest problem being that we are not taking the Word of God seriously, we are not allowing the Word of God to change and affect the way that we live.

But why? Why are we not allowing the word of God to change and shape us? Well I think it all comes down to what we view the Bible as, is it just a handy guide that has some nice advice when we are in times of trouble? Is it just an irrelevance to us? What does the bible say about itself? 2 Timothy 3:

"All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in rigtheousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

So the Bible is the word of God, the Bible is how God communicates to us today, God tells us how He expects us how to live, what His standards are for our lives and how we can relate to a Holy God. So knowing this about the Bible, which any of us who are in any way reformed will know, the question we come back to is why are we not allowing the bible to change us and shape us?

I don't know the answer to that question but the only thing i can guess is that when people hear the word of God preached, they hear a nice sermon, a nice talk but they don't think that what is said applies to them. That what is said from the pulpit is something that applies to someone else but not to me. I want to encourage us to listen to the bible being taught, listen as it is applied to our lives and more than that actually live out what the bible says. Take what James says seriously:

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."