What’s In A Worldview? Part 1

What’s In A Worldview?

Part 1

“What is a Worldview?”

Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

This verse illustrates a Biblical worldview.

SIMPLY PUT: Your worldview is how you view the world.

Notice how the writer sees the entire universe as being created by God.

His worldview is the lens through which he views everything, including how the universe began.

He is not an evolutionist, or atheist, or agnostic, nor is he undecided—God made it all, and that’s his guiding worldview.

I want to talk to you today about the importance of your worldview—what a worldview is, and the two kinds you can have.

Everyone hearing this message has a worldview.

Whether or not we realize it, we all have certain presuppositions and beliefs that affect the way we view all of life and reality.

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ILLUS: Red tinted sunglasses.

Your worldview answers questions like:

*Is there a God?

*If so, what is He like?

*What is truth?—Is it absolute and unchanging, or is it relative and subject to change?

*Where did the universe come from?

*What is the meaning of life?

*Does my life have a purpose—and, if so, what is it?

*Is there life after death?

*Are humans basically just smart apes with superior hygiene and fashion sense—or is there more to us than that?

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Your worldview determines how you view and respond to abortion, euthanasia, same-sex relationships, evolution, and almost any other hot-button issue of the day.

It is also the seedbed from which all your daily decisions are made.

We all BEHAVE in accordance with what we BELIEVE, and what we BELIEVE is reflected in our WORLDVIEW.

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NOW—There are only 2 world views available to us: A worldly worldview, or a Biblical worldview.

A worldly worldview is when you think like, hold to the values of, and view the universe like an unbeliever.

You’re saved, but you don’t yet see the world through the lens of Scripture—but through the lens of an unrenewed, natural mind.

This is why Paul made a plea to all believers in Romans 12:2-3:

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (NASB).

So, according to the Bible you will either be CONFORMED to this world in your thinking, which is to have a worldly worldview.

Or you will be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind, which is to develop a Biblical worldview.

And notice that the more you develop a Biblical worldview, the better you will understand and walk in the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God for your life!

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With this in mind, let me share a startling statistic with you:

A recent Barna survey of 2,033 adults discovered that only 4 percent of Americans have a Biblical perspective on life.

And only 9 percent of those who called themselves Christians have a biblical worldview.

This means that only a small minority of professing Christians:

*believe in the existence of absolute moral truth

*that God is the basis of all truth;

*believe that human beings were created by God, in His image,

*that He loves them unconditionally;

*pray and worship regularly,

*and seek God’s will for their lives.

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So today I want to begin a series on what someone with a Biblical worldview believes:

First, if you have a Biblical worldview, you will believe that:

Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven

People with a worldly worldview don’t embrace this crucial Bible truth.

We live in a day where believing there is only one way to heaven is considered narrow minded, anti-intellectual, non-inclusive, and even bigoted.

I read this week of a pastor of a 10,000 member congregation in the northeast part of the country who recently told his startled congregation:

“If you believe that not believing in Jesus will send you to hell, that’s insanity...the key is whether you believe in God. And whatever your path is to God, I celebrate that.”

When confronted with this heresy, he bragged that his viewpoint is more inclusive and less divisive, so therefore it’s a better position than the clear teaching of Scripture!

The only problem is, he’s dead wrong and is viewing salvation thru the lens of a worldly worldview.

The problem is that his view is the increasingly POPULAR VIEW of our culture.

Rather than the one-wayness of Jesus, our society preaches tolerance and believes in the equality of all religions—one is no better than the other.

Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, New Age—all are equal and equally able to get you to heaven.

As the wrong-headed megachurch preacher said, “Whatever your path is to God, I celebrate that!”

Today, it’s far more popular to believe that any old way to heaven will do, as long as you’re sincere.

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We find that the Bible predicts this would be the mindset of the world in the last days.

In Bible prophecy, the book of Revelation predicts that the Antichrist will join hands with what is described as a GREAT HARLOT.

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, 5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” 6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.”

The great harlot described here is a false religious system, a fake church if you will, that is impressive and beautiful on the outside—“adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls” (Rev. 17:4 NKJV).

But in her hand is a golden cup full of abominations and spiritual fornication.

John calls her “the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth” (17:5).

Antichrist will use this false religious system to convince the world that he is the answer to their problems.

And one of the key marks of this fake harlot church is that the message of the unique and exclusive saving blood of Jesus Christ is nowhere to be found!

This fake church is what Paul described as “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof” (2 Tim. 3:5 NKJV).

This is the apostate church of the end times, all impressive on the outside, but knowing nothing of Jesus’ salvation.

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But what does the Bible say about the one-wayness of Jesus?

“For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ 12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12 NLT).

Jesus said of Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT).

“And they (chief priests and scribes) all said, ‘Are You the Son of God, then?’ And He said to them, “Yes, I am” (Luke 22:70 NASB).

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5 NKJV).

I could go on, but these verses suffice in showing that a Biblical worldview is to believe that Jesus Christ is the unique, exclusive, one and only way to gain entrance into heaven!

He is the narrow road that leads to life,

The Door that leads to glory,

The Great Shepherd who alone can guide us through heaven’s gate,

The only one that holds the key to heaven’s lock.

Without Him we are forever LOST; with Him we are forever FOUND!