Words to Live By: A Biblical World View

Introduction

Barna Clip

(Sunglasses???) When it comes to Christians living with a Biblical Worldview...“We need to change the process, What we are doing isn’t working”.

I borrowed these Sunglasses from Rachel’s Sunday School class where she is in a very creative way teaching out children about the importance of having a Biblical World View. Because every one of us has a “world view” no matter who we are, but we may not be aware of the make up of our “world view”. Research tells us that most people establish their world view by the time they are 13 years old…this is why we are introducing it to our kids and why it is so important that we as adults recognize the influential power of a world view…but many of us don’t even know what it is.

In short, a Worldview is the lens through which we see our world…so Rachel wrote “Bible” on these glasses to illustrate the idea that as Christians we are to have a “Biblical World View”. To have a Biblical World View is to look at everything we see and experience through the lens of who God has said He is and who God has said that we are in the Bible.

If you have been joining us on Wednesday nights for our Biblical Citizenship Class you might recognize George Barna as one of the contributors in that series. He is the founder of the Barna Research Group and they have been tracking trends in American beliefs that make up a Biblical Worldview since 1995. They reach out to Christian pastors and congregants from all different flavors and denominations.

If fact, I don’t know how I got on their list, but I often get emails from them asking me to fill out a survey and I try and do it as often as I can…but it got me thinking. I wonder what they would find here at Friendship Church?

Because I can imagine that I would be on of those pastors who says that we do a “good job at helping people to develop a Biblical World view”. I believe it is one of the distinctives of our Church is to be Biblically focused and Biblically led. That is why every week I say “Open your Bibles to -such a such- passage and if you didn’t bring yours then grab one from the chairs and turn to page such and such” because as a Church, as an Ekklessia, we want us be grounded in something deeper than just our history and traditions - we want to know and follow God’s leading right here and now and we believe that God uses the revelation of His Word to do that.

So I would be one of those 4 out of 5 pastors who said they believe that they do a good job helping people to develop a Biblical Worldview…but maybe I am wrong. I wonder what they would find if they surveyed us?

Tension

Of course if you are anything like me then you want to know what kind of criteria they used for their study. I mean a lot of people call themselves “Christians” but that doesn’t always mean the same thing. So what were their parameters for what someone with a “Biblical World View” must hold to? They used 6 markers in their survey to identify “Christians” who opperate with a Biblical World View. They are...

Absolute Moral Truth Exists

Jesus lived a sinless life on earth; and

Satan is a real being or force, not merely symbolic

The Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches

A person cannot earn their way into heaven by trying to be good or do good works

God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today.

Now I would certainly affirm all of these as being essential to a Biblical World View, but if you ask me, these categories are still a little too broad. Especially the glaring absence of the most important belief of the Christian Faith The one we celebrated last week when we said: Christ Is Risen…He Is Risen indeed.

But even using these somewhat broad definitions, Barna found that only 17% of us hold to a Biblical World View as evidenced by these 6 Biblical truths.

And you might say, “Wait a minute Pastor why are you picking on us? I mean, I showed up this morning so obviously my faith is very important to me and I love the Bible and I love Jesus and how can you say that only 17% or us are Christians?”

I am not saying that. This is not about whether you are or are not a Christian it is about whether or not you are living your Christian life with a Biblical World View. 65% of American’s claim that they are Christians but they mean all kinds of things by that, but this research was not based on “self-identifying Christians”. The 17% that this research identified was out of a pool of people whose surveys demonstrated that their faith was important to them and they attended Church on a regular basis.

That makes it only 17% of people who are like us operate with at Biblical Worldview....that leaves 83% of us wearing a different pair of glasses…looking at our world through a different set of lenses.

Natasha Crain is a former marketing executive and professor who has become a prolific influencer on this issue of having a Biblical World view. She just recently came out with a book called Faithfully Different: Regaining Biblical Clarity in a Secular Culture. Many of the statistics that I shared with you already are summarized here in her book.

What first captured my attention was an interview that she did a couple of months ago for this book and in the interview she provided an answer to what she believes is the World View of most of the other 83% of Christians. And even though I heard this interview a couple of months ago, as I read through our text for this morning I could not help but see how it describes exactly what she was talking about.

You see we are returning to our series on the early Church, called “Ekklessia: The unstoppable movement of God” this week. Before the Easter break last week we were in the book of 1 Timothy where Paul gave young Timothy instructions. First on the priority of prayer for the Ekklessia and then on how to choose Godly leaders for the Church. This week we will be in 2 Timothy, taking a look at Paul’s instructions on how the Church should help Christians to develop and opperate out of a Biblical Worldview.

So open your Bibles with me to 2 Timothy chapter 3, it is on page 996 in the Bibles in the chairs, you can grab one of the those if you didn’t bring yours this morning. I’ll pray and then we will look into what is drawing so many of us away from operating out of a Biblical World View.

Truth

So before we get into 2 Timothy 3, which is really the primary go-to text on the importance of a Biblical World view, let’s first identify the World View that is competing so successfully against it. This world view is called... “Secularism”

And this may not surprise you at first, because many of us have been warned about the “ways of the world” and the temptations of secular culture....but don’t forget that we are not talking about people who have left the faith in any visible way. These are still people who would say that their faith is important to them. They worship at Church regularly, maybe even teach a Sunday School class or lead a small group. They invest their time, talent and money into the Christian faith. That sounds like the exact opposite of what you would expect from someone with a “Secular Worldview”, but that is not necessarily so.

This is what I believer Natasha Crain has summarize so well for us. She sees 4 inter-working statements to be the best identifying markers of a “Secular World View” among Christians or anyone else. And I hope you will be able to see how each one flows in and out of the other three. You also may recognize them as they are very prevalent in our world, maybe even so prevalent that we can see some of their influence in ourselves:

These four governing statements are:

Happiness is the ultimate goal

Feelings are the ultimate guide

Judging is the ultimate sin

God is the ultimate guess

I invite you to take a close look at these 4 values and ask yourself…are ask yourself if you haven’t seen these statements well represented in the messages that we receive from our world each day.

And you see how they flow one into one another don’t you? If my happiness is the ultimate goal than I have to be guided by what makes me feel happy and the last thing I would ever accept is for someone to judge that something that I think makes me feel happy is somehow wrong or a sin…even if that someone is God himself.

But that doesn’t mean that I have to reject the idea that a “god” exists, it just means I keep my understanding of “god” open and fluid so that my belief in “god” comes with no expectations to live up to nor to have to defend.

He is just a “guess” that may or may not want me to be or do things one way or another and I just get to decide according to what make me happy.

This is the Secular World View that Natasha Crain says is so compelling - even for Christians.

And this is not a new idea, because nothing is new under the sun, so let’s turn to 2 Timothy 3, where we will find the warnings against living with this Worldview.

1. We default to a Secular World View because our natural bend is to desire self-rule. (2 Timothy 3:1-9).

Since our first parents Adam and Eve ate from the tree, humanity has followed suit by doubting the goodness of God and thinking we can do a better job at finding our own happiness. We wanna be in charge. We don’t really want to be responsible for the results…but we want to be in charge.

Listen to how the Apostle Paul describes where this mentality will bring us. He begins by saying...

2 Timothy 3:1–9 (ESV)

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.

I have to stop us for a moment here on verse 1 to help us to understand this word translated “difficulty”. I am not sure my mind lands rightly on the extent of what Paul was trying to say here. Because when I read “difficulty”, I get the sense of something like an “it’s an up-hill” climb. It is going to be difficult means that we can do it, but it just won’t be easy. It won’t be downhill…but this word is much stronger than that.

Other translations use the word “distressing” (NSRV) or “terrible” (NIV). The Greek word is the word χαλεπός (chelepos) and it means “dangerous, formidable, injurious, harsh, severe, painful, hard to do or deal with”. In fact, there is only two places that this word is used in the Bible, here in 2 Timothy and then to describe the threat of a couple of demon possessed men that Jesus healed in Mat 8

Matthew 8:28 (ESV)

28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way.

The word “fierce” is the same word. So there will be fierce times coming - like two demon possessed guys coming out of a cemetery - that kind of threatening, difficult, painful, and hard to deal with times.

And how will we arrive at these “times”? Paul gives us a thorough description, and you can see how it is all about people defaulting to a “Secular Worldview” where our personal happiness become the center of all that we think is right.

2 Timothy 3:1–9 (ESV)

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, (without interest in the public good) 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Did you know that “love” can be evil? Yeah, it depends on the object that you are “loving”!!!

When your happiness is the ultimate goal, then anything or anyone else that might deter your from your happiness has to be dealt with. So you have to either lift yourself above everything in your pride and conceit or push everything and everyone beneath you in shame and defeat.

And maybe you are saying right now…yeah, I know a lot of worldly people like this, but listen to how the sentence continues in the very next verse:

5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

Paul is talking about people who look like they are righteous and Godly on the outside...but it is all a facade. It is all done in human effort, they have no supernatural knowledge of God, only the self preservation of working hard at these things to look good to others. This is how someone who lives with a Secular World View can still seem to be a person of faith. They might be that person that shows up whenever the Church doors open, a Sunday School Teacher, Small Group leader…they may even be the Pastor…religiously active but still far from the God of the Bible.

Jesus said in Matthew 7

Matthew 7:21–23 (ESV)

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

These verses have always wrecked me guys! To do miracles and cast out demons and still be cast out…God’s will is a heart issue guys, not a “good works” one. We can’t just have an appearance of godliness - we have to be right with God through knowing Jesus. And Paul says that the truth will be found out. If we are just posers, our true colors will be shown.

Back to 2 Timothy 3, it says...

Avoid such people. which I think is a little weak, the NIV says “Have nothing to do with these people” which I think is better, but then it tells us why. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

To me, this screams “Secular Worldview” as we have defined it this morning. To keep God as the ultimate guess, never landing on anything solid so that you are not responsible for what you do or do not do. And in this case, Paul is seeing these women as victims of these evil men who are leading them into this “fluid” understanding of a right relationship with God. He continues to say that...

8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, (a couple of Pharaoh's magicians back in Exodus 7 when he was told to “Let God’s people Go”, just like them...) so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

Living with a Secular Worldview may fool people for a while, but eventually it will be evident that you are not who you are pretending to be. But Paul tells Timothy that this is not true with him, and it gives us the ability to see what being committed to a “Biblical Worldview” looks like.

1. We default to a Secular Worldview because our natural bend is to desire self-rule...but...

2. We are opened to a Biblical Worldview when we are supernaturally changed by the gospel (2 Timothy 3:10-15).

2 Timothy 3:10–15 (ESV)

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived

We have to be supernaturally changed because it is hard!! We are going to be challenged. Those who hold to a Biblical Worldview will be opposed because following the written commands of God flies in the face of our natural bend to self-rule. That is why the posers will be found out, because you will not remain committed to a Biblical Worldview without a supernatural change in your heart and mind. You just don’t have what it takes to stand against this kind of opposition on your own.

Many of us are watching the news and wonder “What is happening right now?” Why do I all of the sudden feel this pressure against me....like I cannot be open about my faith in the public sphere anymore…what is this? Nothing new. Suffering has been a part of the Christian experience ever since the founder of our faith walked the earth. Jesus Christ, the suffering servant was celebrated in a parade and then mocked, beaten and crucified all the same week. As Christians, we bear the name of Christ so suffering is a part of the assignment…we have just been insulated from it here in America for a long time.

Natasha Crain describes it with the words, “Welcome to your place in a Worldview minority”. Holding fast to a Biblical Worldview is now the exception…even among self-proclaiming Christians. We are not alone, but we are not the majority. Because suffering doesn’t make anyone “feel happy” and so why would you willingly choose to commit to something that will bring suffering? Because that is not all it brings...

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

We don’t commit to a Biblical Worldview, to the sacred writings, because we value suffering. It is because we value our salvation. Our Justification, Sanctification and Glorification that we spent so much time on last week.

1. We default to a Secular Worldview because our natural bend is to desire self-rule. and a Secular Worldview gives us the allusion of that, but...

2. We’re opened to a Biblical Worldview when we are supernaturally changed by the gospel and lastly...

3. We operate with a Biblical Worldview when our new natures bend is to pursue God’s will. (2 Timothy 3:16- 17).

Finally we have worked our way to the Key verse for the Biblical Worldview

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Remember that 2 Timothy is one of the letters that Paul wrote to Timothy to tell him how one should behave in the Church, the Ekklessia of God. How God has inspired the Scriptures to allow His people to know Him and become like Him through teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training.

For teaching, the Bible gives us what we need to know

For rebuking, the Bible tells us when we are getting it wrong

For correcting, the Bible shows us how to do it right and get back on track

For training, the continued reliance on the Bible in this process will grow in us the righteousness that we will need...

Need for what? Need to be the righteous men and women who can face being a “Worldview minority” in order to accomplish that good work that God has given us to accomplish.

The word for “breathed out by God” or “God-breathed” in some translations is a combination of Theos meaning God and Pneuma meaning wind or Spirit. As in the Holy Spirit. This brings us back to our theme verse for the whole series:

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Gospel Application

And one of the ways that God has provided for His people to be able to do this is to through the Holy Spirit inspiring the Apostles and others to write down the words of the New Testament for us to know who God is and who we are in light of who He is. And we then in turn can both read it, study it and share it with others.

I am always amazed at how God works to put our services together. Months ago this weekend was chosen for a Gideon presentation and the only reason we are rolling out the RightNow Bible Study resource this week is because I couldn’t make it happen last week for Easter when I had planned…but God knew better. The Gideon ministry is here today with an opportunity to get out the Bible and with RightNow Media we have a new resource to get into the Bible! 

Landing

65% of Americans still self identify as Christians, but less than 17% of the dedicated ones hold to a Biblical Worldview. My hope and prayer is that we are beating those odds here at Friendship Church. We have never been a Church that has aimed our message at what people might feel they want to hear, but on the truth that they so desperately need to hear. The truth that we know and trust because God has chosen to reveal it to us in His Word.

Let’s pray into this together and then next week, we will talk about the priority of Preaching God’s Word in the Ekklessia from 2 Tim 4