Worldviews Christian Theism

1
Worldviews Christian Theism

• Berea PCA Church
• Fall 2007
• kvworley_at_msn.com

2
Creation Fall

• A gentle breeze was blowing, the air was heavenly
  sweet, life was so complete,
• In a picture-perfect garden, while the sun went
  down, you could hear the sound,
• Of a man and woman crying, saying what have we
  done.
• We made our choice and now were dying. And
  weve got to leave this place and hide from Gods
  face.
• But this is where we belong! Where you and I
  were meant to be from now on.
• Made by the Father to live in his love. Its the
  purpose and plan for the heart of man.
• This is where we belong.

• Steven Curtis Chapman Where We Belong

3
Redemption

• The warm winds of change were blowing, after
  years and years of hopeless tears.
• One man became the doorway, that would lead back
  to the place where life was new.
• A place just like the gardenwhere we walk and
  talk with God. The way creation started. Where
  each heart and soul can come and behold.
• This is where we belong! Where you and I were
  meant to be all along.
• Made by the Father to live in his love. Its the
  purpose and plan for the heart of man.
• This is where we belong.

• Steven Curtis Chapman Where We Belong

4
Man has meaning

• Like the stars belong in the sky.
• Like a fish belongs in the water.
• Just like children, you and I
• We belong in the hands of the Father.
• This is where we belong! Where you and I were
  meant to be from now on.
• Made by the Father to live in his love. Its the
  purpose and plan for the heart of man.
• This is where we belong.

• Steven Curtis Chapman Where We Belong

5

• Creation
• Where did we come from? In the beginning, God
  created (Gen 11)
• Who are we? God created man in his own image
  (Gen 127)
• Fall
• What has gone wrong with the world? All have
  sinned and fall short of the glory of God
  (Romans 323)
• Redemption
• What can be done to fix the problem? Christ was
  sacrificed once to take away the sins of many
  people (Hebrews 928)

6
Outline

• How Should We Then Live? (video)
• Francis Schaeffer shows influence of worldview
  on progression of Western Civilization The
  Middle Ages
• Presentation of alternative worldviews
• Christian Theism

7
What is worldview?

• A worldview is a commitment, a fundamental
  orientation of the heart, that can be expressed
  in a story or as a set of presuppositions
  (starting assumptions) which we hold about the
  basic constitution of reality, and that provides
  the foundation of on which we live and move and
  have our being

• James Sire, The Universe Next Door

8
EST Scientology TM etc
Bahais
Jehovahs Witnesses Mormons
Only 12 of evangelicals know what worldview is,
and only 4 said they needed to know anything
about it.
Remember!!
9
Christian Worldview Summary

• What is really real? The Triune God
• What is the nature of the world around us?
  Orderly creation, not (Macro)Evolution
• What is man? Soul body, image-bearer
• What happens at death? Judgement, Eternal life
  or death
• Why is it possible to know anything? Absolute
  truth exists, God reveals truth generally
  specially
• How do we know right from wrong? By nature and
  moral law. Morals are absolute
• What is the meaning of history? Purposeful and
  linear (Creation / Fall / Redemption / Judgement)

Remember!!
10
What is really real?

• God is the prime reality, but be discerning.
  God is an empty term these days...
• God is not the same as Allah (Islam) or the
  Clockmaker (Deism)
• God is
• Infinite (existed before the universe)
• Personal
• Three personsFather, Son, Holy Spirit
• Who is Jesus? is great question to discern
  persons worldview
• Transcendent (above/separate from us)
• Immanent (with us)
• Good! (holy and loving)

11
What is the nature of the world?

• Christians are creationists. How was the world
  was created?
• God created out of nothing. Matter is not
  eternal. (Naturalism). Matter had a beginning.
• God created in a specific order, in six days, and
  created everything whole from the start.
• What about the Big Bang Theory??? Evolution???
• Creation is orderly (design is apparent)
• There is real beauty/pleasure but also
  pain/cruelty due to Fall.
• Creation is an open system
• Are miracles then possible???

12
Diagnostic Questions

• What is really real? (God, gods, Cosmos)
• What is the nature of the world around us?
  (Orderly, Chaotic, Closed, Open)
• What is a human being?
• What happens at death?
• Why is it possible to know anything?
• How do we know right from wrong?
• What is the meaning of history?

Remember!!
13
What is a human being?

• Issues? Abortion, Stem Cells, Euthanasia,
  Slavery, etc all tie back to this. Its hugely
  important!
• Why are you here as opposed to not being here?
• Man has a soul and a body
• Man has a problemhe is basically evil because of
  the Fall of Man
• Man has great worth, made in the image of God
• Personality (which comes from personal Creator)
• Dignity Purpose (man can be great)
• Freedom of will (were not robots)
• Intelligent (able to know and think logically)
• Moral

14
What happens at death?

• Each man will experience physical death as result
  of the Fall.
• Why are we so surprised that tragedies happen?
• Each man has one earthly life.
• No reincarnation (vs New Age, Eastern religions)
• Man faces eternal judgement by God
• Eternal life with God (Heaven)
• Eternal separation from God (Hell)
• Basis of judgement is relationship to Christ, not
  works
• How many people who profess a Christian worldview
  still believe they are saved by works?
• If God asks, Why should I let you into heaven?,
  what would you say?

15
Diagnostic Questions

• What is really real? (God, gods, Cosmos)
• What is the nature of the world around us?
  (Orderly, Chaotic, Closed, Open)
• What is a human being?
• What happens at death?
• Why is it possible to know anything?
• How do we know right from wrong?
• What is the meaning of history?

Remember!!
16
How can we know anything?

• Absolute truth exists (vs Post-Modernism).
• God has revealed enough truth. How?
• General revelation (Rom 119-20)
• Available to all, gives evidence of Gods
  existence
• Not sufficient for knowing how to be right with
  God
• Special revelation (Scripture, Christ)
• Scripture gives truth to all areas of life it
  speaks
• Man is hindered by the Fall (pride in reason)

17
How do we know right wrong?

• All men are born with a sense of right and wrong
• Romans 214-15 says we know the law instinctively
• CS Lewis discusses this in Mere Christianity
• Moral law is explained in Scripture
• 10 Commandments
• Specific commands prohibitions throughout
• Jesus life and teaching as shown in Gospels
• Christianity is morally absolute, not morally
  relative. Even other worldviews admire the
  strength of Christian morals.

18
What is meaning of history?

• History is linear (vs cyclical), purposeful
• Creation (there was a beginning to time, matter)
• Fall (the source of mans problems)
• God reveals himself to his people, gives Law
• Redemption in Jesus life, death resurrection
• These occurred in real history (vs New Age)
• Second Coming Final Judgement
• Eternity beyond time and space
• Thus our lives are able to have meaning also.
  Mankind being redeemed is part of the story.

19
The Middle Ages

• Christian community started simply organized,
  centered around singing psalms/hymns, breaking
  bread, Bible (the infallible Word of God).
• Change in art signaled coming change in culture
  and new opportunities to syncretise.
• Tension from mysticism (Gregorian chants).
• Tension from worldly lust (Popes) vs. monasticism
  (Francis of Assisi).
• Tension from power-sharing betwen Church and
  State (Christendom)
• Authority between Bible and Church became
  divided.
• Aquinas had incomplete view of Fall (intellect
  not fallen, led to autonomy of reason).
  Reintroduced Aristotle (particulars to
  universals)
• Is the Bible really necessary? (Gods revelation
  diminished, Church distorted the Bible,
  ultimately leading to justification by works.)
• Resisting syncretism (Reformation) started with
  Wycliffe, Huss and others before reaffirming the
  truth of the Bible centuries before Luther and
  Calvin. They saw the error in their day!

20
Analysis Summary

• Dominant worldview (300 AD 1800 AD)
• Threatened by advances in science
• The Renaissance Enlightenment brought doubt
• Deism (next week) was short-lived attempt to
  accommodate science, and based on rejection of
  the Bible.
• Under attack by
• Deism (which rejects the Bible)
• Naturalism
• Secular Humanism in schools, media, law,
  business, etc.
• Marxism rejects all spirituality/religion.
• Post-Modernism treats truth as a fiction.
• New Age (Jesus was not historical, many paths to
  God)
• Islam (No god but Allah to them)

21
Dangers in Pop Culture

• Bias toward novelty instant gratification
• Visual entertainment (TV)
• What worldview was expressed in the last TV show
  you watched? The last movie? The last song on
  the radio? The last newscast?
• Images inhibit communicating abstract ideas (e.g.
  the gospel, grace, faith).
• Passive and time-consuming.
• Unwillingness to think deeply or critically
  (reflect, read, study to know truth and discern
  error).
• Do you know how to discern the appearance of the
  sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?
  (Matt 163)
• Bias against anything old (e.g. Christianity),
  toward anything new leads to faddish worldviews
  like New Age Post-Modernism. Progress as
  idol.