Developing a Worldview Manifesto
INTRO.
“A world view is a way one views the whole world . . . a way of viewing or interpreting all of reality . . . A world view acts as the guiding pattern which enables one to integrate all the parts into a meaningful whole.”[1]
I became aware of the importance of having a Biblical worldview when George Barna came out with a study that showed how many people would identify themselves as “Born Again Believers.” The number of Christian who hold a Biblical worldview according to his study were:
· 17% of all Christians www.relevantmagazine.com
· 4% of Generation Z www.impact360institute.org
· 50% of pastors www.crosswalk.com
Many believers don’t truly hold to a theistic worldview or even understand what the Bible taught regarding the various points that would define what a biblical worldview is. He reports that many Christians:
· Did not believe in a literal Devil
· They believed that good people went to heaven
· Find it hard to believe that Jesus actually performed miracles
· Hold to some form of Darwinism
· Choose not to believe that God created the earth in a literal 6 days
After this I made it a point to teach the youth in my church, camps and family these points and to try to help them to become thinking Christians who read the scriptures in a way that would help them to understand the Bible as God intended.
CENTRAL MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE
“To unfold Gods Central Plan (eternal purpose), in which he sets apart for himself a people for all eternity, commissioning them to be witnesses of his purpose and supplying them with a book that contains all the essential insight and guidance that they need to effectively assist him in carrying out his purpose, which demonstrates his wisdom to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places.”[2] - Jeff Reed
A GUIDE FOR LIFE
I believe that Jeff Reed’s Central Message of the Bible is a theistic understanding of the scriptures whereby God regularly intervenes in the affairs of the men and world that He created. I believe that the Bible as a book recounts for us the ways in which God pursues mankind by attempting to establish various covenants (Promises) with them, ultimately leading to His new Covenant that is fulfilled by his going to the cross as the ultimate expression of his love and grace for all mankind of every race and generation. The scriptures and writings of his followers go on to provide teaching (didache) on the establishment of believers (disciples) and the church, through which God intends to use us as “jars of clay”, weak vessels that carry the most important message of all time, the kerygma/gospel. The message of the gospel and the teaching of the Apostles is transformative to our understanding of the world, our culture, belief system, and my vision for how I will live out my life.
WORLDVIEWS
There are seven major worldviews.
1. Theism: An infinite God is beyond and in the universe
2. Atheism: God does not exist beyond the universe or in it.
3. Pantheism: God is the universe.
4. Pan-en-theism: God is in the universe.
5. Deism: God is beyond the universe but not in it.
6. Finite Godism: A finite God is beyond and in the universe.
7. Polytheism: There are many gods in the universe[3]
“In summary, reality or all that exists is either the universe only, God only, or the Universe and God(s). There are seven basic mutually exclusive world views. Only one can be true.”.[4] I believe that this is Theism in which an all-powerful God is actively involved in the world, and in our lives.
MY LIFE DIRECTION & GOALS IN HARMONY
My purpose in life is to walk with God in relationship through Jesus Christ, to make disciples in my family and community by sharing Christ (kerygma) and developing leaders (didache) who will grow our network of Churches.
Geisler and Watkins point out a number of beliefs that will be held by most people who hold to this world view. The majority of Evangelical Christians would hold to a Theistic World View in which they would believe in One, infinite, personal God; who created the World. He is a God who is both beyond and with the finite world He created. Miracles are both possible and actual. Man’s nature is made up of Soul-body, and is given the gift of eternal life, through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
“We will be resurrected to reward or punishment at the Lord’s return. Evil is a free choice and it will be permanently defeated one day by God. Our Ethical system is absolute and is grounded in God who is the author and perfecter of Truth. History is linear, purposeful, and has a God appointed end that only He knows the timing of.” (pp. 244)
My Faith:
Through my Judeo-Christian upbringing in the church and a Christian home, I have come to embrace these concepts that make up this Theistic World View. The significance is more than just intellectual, as these beliefs will form my decision-making, my lifestyle, my understanding of truth, how I view the world, and what I think of others belief systems. These beliefs will affect how I view social and political issues, how I vote, where I spend my time and resources and ultimately live out my faith.
My Vocation/Service:
The fact that I believe that God is actively involved with His creation on an ongoing basis, that what I do matters as far as good and evil, and that Jesus is coming again to raise the dead from our rest, makes a difference. I want to live out my faith in such a way that I make an impact on this world by establishing believers in their faith, multiplying leaders for the work of ministry, and churches to carry on Christ’s work is the greatest way I can spend my life, time and resources. Because I am motivated very strongly by my belief system, it is a natural fit for me to invest myself in what I am most passionate about which is the work of the Church.
My Family:
It is also very important to me to pass on my beliefs to my family as their Pastor, spiritual leader, and role model. Charles Barkley was once called a “Role Model” to American Youth, and he took offense at that, saying that he didn’t want to be anyone’s role model. There was a lot of debate back and forth over this issue and many felt that as a star athlete, he was a role model whether he wanted to be one or not. This is difficult in our technological society, where youth have such easy access to all kinds of media, but I want to be my kids role model, because I want them to adopt my world view and not some actor, musician, reality TV star, or athlete. So, developing a Biblical World View where God is at the center of all that we believe is very important to us as a family.
My Goals:
As I think about my life direction and all the things that make me who I am, I realize that I have been heavily influenced by my Christian worldview already. However, as I look forward, I want all that I will be and do to be brought into line with my Theistic worldview as well:
Reading: Reading a variety of works including history, literature, theology, scripture, newspapers, magazines, educational journals, course materials.
Lifelong Learning: Fulfilling my goals to continue growing over a lifetime. Developing my worldviews, engaging in paradigm development. Continuing in both formal and informal learning that will help me to grow in wisdom and broaden my understanding of God’s plan for this world.
Family Business: Assist my children to become established in life by teaching them how to handle finances, helping them to get an education without the weight of tremendous debt, assist them in establishing or joining a family business that can provide full time or bi-vocational income so they can be engaged in ministry.
Developing a network of churches: I would like to develop 3-4 networks of churches across New England out of our existing network of churches. I want to develop and lead a Sodal team, create Hubs, and see a number of multiplying House churches developed in each cluster. I feel called to Sodal ministry among our churches.
Make an impact in my community: I would like to map our community and find ways to establish a house church in each neighborhood by living out our faith within our witnessing families and by serving and loving the people God puts us in relationship with.
Make an impact in the world: I would like to use my gifts and education to help establish the church in foreign cultures by working with BILD international.
A Life out of Order:
A Life Ordered by my Worldview:
The graphic above[5] (based on the one by Walsh and Middleton), shows my priorities based on a life that is ordered by the things of God. Walsh and Middleton said, “A world view is never merely a vision of life. It is always a vision for life as well. Indeed, a vision of life, or world view, that does not actually lead a person or a people in a particular way of life is no world view at all. Our world view determines our values. It helps us interpret the world around us. It sorts out what is important from what is not, what is of highest value from what is least.”[6]
In my diagram, I envisioned a life filled with all kinds of stuff that people in our culture naturally fill their lives with. You even see the church added to all of the other stuff in our lives. It’s just one more thing piled on top of an already busy life that has no rhyme or reason other than to go from day to day. The second diagram shows us a life that is ordered by a Theistic worldview. One where everything else in the person’s life is affected by the knowledge that God is actively involved in his creation, where our decisions matter, and where we know that he is coming again. Therefore, I took out some of the things that kept me busy. They weren’t bad necessarily, but they didn’t help me reach my goals. I prioritized the things in my life with the more important things at the top. I showed that my work and education were affected by Biblical understanding, my ministry is affected by what Christ did on the cross and the coming of Holy Spirit in my life, and finally my involvement with my family as my number one ministry as I prepare for Christ’s Second Coming. All of this helps me to think through my priorities and how they fit with a Biblical view of the world in stark contrast to so many others who are motivated by other worldviews that are shaped and motivated by things, money, various philosophies, and cultural agendas.
Helping people to break free from our post-modern, post-Christian culture is a high priority for me. I believe that each of us who are Christian leaders and disciple-makers, need to do the hard work of teaching people to be Christ followers who are influenced more by scripture than they are by the world around us.
[1] “An Invitation to Other Worlds,” chapter one taken from Perspectives: Understanding and Evaluating Today’s World Views, by Norman L. Geisler and William Watkins, copyright 1984 by Here’s Life Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 1576, San Bernardino, CA 92402, used by permission, PP 11-12.
[2] Thesis and By Statements on the Whole story of the Bible, by Jeff Reeds. Interpreting 1 Project Guide and Models.
[3] “An Invitation to Other Worlds,” Chapter 1 taken from perspectives: Understanding and Evaluating Today’s World Views, by Norman L. Geisler and William Watkins, copyright 1984 by Here’s Life Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 1576 San Bernardino, CA 92402, used by permission. Pp. 15.
[4] “An Invitation to Other Worlds,” Chapter 1 taken from perspectives: Understanding and Evaluating Today’s World Views, by Norman L. Geisler and William Watkins, copyright 1984 by Here’s Life Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 1576 San Bernardino, CA 92402, used by permission. Pp. 17.
[5] “Analyzing World Views,” chapter two taken from the Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian World View by Brian J. Walsh and J. Richard Middleton, copyright 1984 by Inter-varsity Press, a division of Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515. pp. 33
[6] “Analyzing World Views,” chapter two taken from the Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian World View by Brian J. Walsh and J. Richard Middleton, copyright 1984 by Inter-varsity Press, a division of Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515. pp. 31-32