In recent years, there has been a lot of writing about "the dumbing down of America." It is indicative of the concern that many have about our educational system and the quality of information disseminated by the mainstream media.

While this concerns this writer, he is far more concerned with the dumbing down of the church - especially in doctrinal matters. In many ways, congregations have improved their teaching programs by implementing better planned and structured courses of study in their Bible classes that are designed to take them through the entire Bible every so many years. This cannot but help increase the over all Bible knowledge of a congregation. This trend is encouraging.

At the same time, almost paradoxically, there has been a dumbing down of the church. A lack of the basic concepts of what is involved in the gospel plan of salvation, God's overall scheme of redemption, the distinctive nature of the New Testament church, the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies, the other infallible proofs of the deity of Jesus, and such things that were fairly familiar to Christians only two or three generations ago are only marginally known, even to today's "leading members" in many congregations.

Much of the zeal for the Lord is based on emotion and herd mentality rather than a real knowledge of the text of the Scriptures. Much of the preaching is one dimensional. It is long on exhorting, but short on laying the foundation of knowledge needed to justify and anchor the exhortations. We need to take seriously Paul's charge to Timothy:

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:2-4).

All three aspects of preaching the word, reproving (convincing), rebuking and exhorting must be based on doctrine or teaching. Exhorting a congregation to be "more like Christ" is great if they know what Christ was really like, having learned Him from the scriptures. Exhorting folks to do more work of the Lord is fine, if they have been taught what the Lord's work really is all about from text of the scriptures. Exhorting people to love the Lord and one another more is great, if they have been taught the nature of biblical love. (Cf. 1 John 5:2-3).

The central element in biblical preaching is teaching/doctrine. The convincing, rebuking and exhorting are the uses made of the doctrine. Any convincing, rebuking, or exhorting is useless if it is not properly undergirded with a knowledge of what the word says. Knowledge of what the word says is imparted through the teaching element in preaching. The dumbing down of the church has run parallel with a shift away from "book chapter and verse" preaching in favor the smoother flowing style of the pop psychology of popular motivational speakers.

The ability, knowledge, and desire to make a clear contrast between what the Bible teaches and the doctrines and commandments of men has also diminished in recent years. This is a part of the dumbing down of the church. When have you heard a good meeting sermon that clearly delineated the difference between what the Bible teaches and what our religious neighbors teach? One of the qualifications for elders is to be able to "convict the gainsayer." Notice:

"Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain." (Titus 1:9-11 NKJV)

While this passage is referring to the qualifications of elders it, like other qualifications, is a trait that all Christians ought to seek to attain. One cannot convict and stop the mouths of false teachers without a good knowledge of sound doctrine (teaching).

We can remember when most of the more mature members of the church could refute most of the more popular errors of their religious neighbors. They knew what their neighbors believed and what the Bible taught on those subjects. Preachers made it their business to know what issues were threatening the soundness of the church and were able to show the truth on those issues. This is not as prevalent as it once was. There is such an aversion to controversy that fewer and fewer are willing put in the study needed to teach on controversial matters. All of this is a part of the dumbing down of the church.

As we work with young people in the church and listen their comments in person or on social networks, like Facebook, we are favorably impressed with their zeal to praise God and give God the glory for good things that are happening in their lives. Also, they are willing to share their joy of being a Christians with those who will listen. In this respects they may be excelling previous generations. However, we need to point out to them that their zeal must be tempered with knowledge.

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. (Rom. 10:1-2 KJV)

A zeal without knowledge is like a car with a souped up engine without either brakes or a steering wheel. Young people, and older as well, make sure your joy and praise is based on a sound knowledge of the scriptures rather a subjective feeling or a "herd mentality" where one emotionally jumps on a band wagon without having "searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things [are] so. (Acts 17:11).

Because the the failure of the Israel's priests to teach the people God's law, God said, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge ..." (Hosea 4:6). Let's not let this happen in spiritual Israel.