We must appreciate that there are whole generations of students coming through an educational system who know nothing of the Bible. They have never heard about creation, Noahs flood, or the message of the Cross. It is hard to believe that there are literally millions of people in Western society who dont have this background, but it is becoming increasingly obvious.

When I was working at the office of the Creation Science Foundation in Brisbane, Australia, we called a florist to send one of my secretaries a bouquet of flowers to cheer her up. The young girl on the other end of the phone was told three times, in very clear English, what to write on the card to be delivered with the flowers: John 14, verse 27. When the card arrived, the girl had handwritten the following message, "John 14 birth 27." This young woman had no understanding of the Bible or Christianity and so did not have any idea what that request was all about. My secretary was able to decipher the message easily enough (she knows the verse by heart) and was somewhat cheered by the strange presentation. This is a humorous but sad reflection on what so many young people of today are becoming.

In an increasing number of instances, it is apparent that before we can effectively proclaim the message of Christ we must establish the creation foundation upon which the rest of the gospel can be built.

Let me be emphatic here. The doctrine of the cross, though regarded as absurd and powerless by non-Christians, has more power and wisdom than anything that ever proceeded from man. The preaching of this doctrine is the great means of salvation. To this, all other teachings, however important, are either preparatory or subordinate. The doctrine of Christ crucified produces effects that nothing short of divine power can accomplish. So, in saying that we need to start from the foundational basis of creation, I am not detracting from the message of the Cross. What I am attempting to show is that there is a particular method of approach that is necessary when presenting the gospel message to certain people. The beliefs that they hold can be barriers to their even listening when you preach the message of the Cross.

Perhaps, too, we should rethink the method prevalent in Christian circles of handing unbelievers numerous copies of the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. If they were directed to Genesis 1 through 11, as well as the New Testament, the basis would be provided for the gospel presentation in the same sense as Paul used it in Acts 14 and 17. We believe there would be greater effectiveness in the lives of those who read these Bible portions a greater preparedness to accept the whole of the Word of God as truthful and inerrant.