Using A Bible Timeline Chart When Preaching The Bible
A very active retired pastor of 40 years gave me quite a caning with this Scripture 1 Tim 1.4 "nor to be taken up with with myths and never ending genealogies.. ". After I had been preaching about the death burial and resurrection of Jesus had simply made some interesting observations.
He answered "No", when I asked him if I had said anything that was heretical. I went on to quietly explain that that particular Scripture was referring to the false teachings and philosophy of Gnosticism, not of genuine enquiry. He could not accept it.
You would think that with 40 years experience this past and would have had some understanding of what Paul was referring to in this letter and the problem of Gnosticism. We have a problem here, how can a congregation understand these things either and be able to interpret their Bible?
It is unfortunate that so many pastors in our churches will preach shallow and light weight messages, and the result is that their people will hardly grow in and Scripture and interpretation. Preachers love to give to us 'moral essays' and 'warming affirmations' because, supposedly, if we truly 'love' others this is what we will do.
It seems that, so long as we are positive and 'nice' to all, it really doesn't matter if Christians are falling between the cracks because of a lack of knowledge.
Let's face it, the more 'relevant' we become, to the world, the less relevant we Christians are in point of fact, to the world. 
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There is far more to the Kingdom than 'feel good' messages and favorite topics. Teachers preach on a text from Song of Solomon as well as a piece about a man of courage from 2 Samuel; topical sermon from Luke followed by the a firm belief in god of Jeremiah or the integrity of Lot.
We preach a portion from here and another from there, but we need to put it all together in a clear understandable format.
These days a flood of new ideas and publications come under various names that have a liberal bent. If we were to be taught the basics of Church history, we then would not be so doomed to repeat it.
Let's equip the Church in understanding God, His Great Plan and the Bible by sewing each piece together into a seamless beautiful tapestry.
This is not some gruelling, unachievable task, all it needs is study with prayer.
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the Truth: Thy Word is Truth. (AV)
