What Do You Believe About the Bible?...Continued from page 2

I have seen these kinds of races many times in my life, and I have noticed that one team can easily have the fastest runners on the field but still lose the race, because at one point or another in that crowded field one of the runners fails to successfully pass the baton on to the next person. It does not matter how fast the next runner is -- by the time you stop and pick up that baton in a competitive field of runners you are too far behind to ever catch up to the field, much less to win the race. The critical component of a relay race is not only how fast each runner can cover their distance, but also how successful each runner is passing on the baton.

I begin with this image of a relay race and the passing of the baton; because that is the best way that I can think of to illustrate what each generation of Christians has done with the Bible. You and I have two sacred duties, two spiritual obligations so far as the Bible is concerned. The first obligation is to be certain that we live our own lives and govern our own conduct according to the teachings and values found in that holy book. Each one of us must make the words of Psalm 119:11 true in our own lives; Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. Each one of us must also make sure that we appropriate for our own daily conduct the words of Psalm 119:105 that says, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. The first challenge that we have, so far as the Bible is concerned, is to be sure that we are living by its lessons ourselves.

However, as in a relay race, there is something else that we must be mindful of beyond how well we run our own portion of the race. We also have the obligation to be sure that we are passing the Bible on to the generation that comes after us so that its wisdom can be of the same benefit to them that it was to us during our lifetime. I want to remind you that those generations that ran the race ahead of us preserved this book first by living by its truths themselves, and then by passing it on to us. I also need to urge each one of you to recognize that one of the most urgent tasks confronting the adult members of Antioch Baptist Church is to be sure that we are doing everything in our power to pass the Bible on to the younger people who are coming along behind us.

Let me tell you why it is so important for us to remember the importance of the Bible as an influence on our lives. As in a relay race there are other teams on the field who are also trying to win. There are Muslim or Islamic groups who are trying to win over the hearts and minds of our young people. There are cultural values that are being communicated through movies, TV programs, hip-hop music and videos that are trying to shape the values of our young people. There are movies, songs and video games that glamorize and cheapen sexual activity of all kinds; despite the fact that we live in a world where sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS is the single largest cause of death among many groups in the African American community. There is the endless celebration of the drug culture and the use of cocaine, heroin or other illegal substances. Everything I have just named represents another team on the field that is competing for the hearts and minds and values of our children.