How ya doing? What do things look like to you??Intro to Acts 23.
What is your worldview? We’ve all got one . . . a worldview, that is Simply, it is our philosophy of life. Whether or not we have articulated it, we live by it every day. Our worldview is shaped by many things—upbringing, education, what we read and watch, opinions of friends and family and the culture in which we live.
The question I put before you today is this:
Is your worldview a godly one?
Is it one that has been molded by God’s principles
or man’s designs?
Does that matter to you?
Every worldview, Christian or non-Christian, deals with three questions, at the very least: 1) Where did I come from?
2) Why am I here - or what is my purpose?
3) What comes after this (life)?
If you are a parent, you are influencing your children through your worldview. If you are a teacher, your students; a businessman, your employees and clients; if you are a coach, you are influencing your players . . . ‘get the idea? Perhaps just a neighbor who might be randomly asked a probing question.
Quite clearly, whether or not you believe you were born with a purpose is significant to your entire predisposition toward life. Whether or not you see God as Creator and the Source of all life versus mankind being here through random acts of nature makes a lot of difference too.
Purpose and after life inevitably point us toward a need for redemption. For the Christian, our salvation comes from one source alone: Jesus Christ. We take Jesus’ words to heart, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” and we stand on those words.*
I remember being caught unaware and taken to task by a litigating attorney who said, “You Christians are all alike. You’re so arrogant saying Jesus is the only way to God.” He was right—the way is narrow, but it is available to all. Here’s the thing—when we believe that there are various or many ways to God, we believe in religious pluralism. (every religion provides an adequate means to God)
In truth, the worldview of one who does not claim Jesus as Lord and Jesus as the only way to God, devalues everything about Christianity and its unique distinctives. This mindset has confused tolerance with being non-judgmental. It has exchanged open-mindedness for pluralism. Most Americans are not likely to say that there are many gods, as that would be a Hindu belief; however, many Americans are wont to say there is more than one way to God. Uh oh. But do you see the difference? In practicality, how different are the two thoughts?
‘Why does that matter?’ you ask.
‘Isn’t it intolerant to say that Jesus is the only way?’ Absolutely not.
If you believe there are many ways to God, then you view God as one very cruel entity. Simply, if Jesus is/was not the only way, then his father let him die a tortured death, and turned his back on him when he became our sin on the cross. If there are or were other ways, then God would be defined as cruel. Troubling at best - thankfully, absolutely not true.
Why bring this up? Because it has to do with where we find ourselves looking at Acts chapter 23; it has to do with how we are bearing up in these difficult days in which we live. Satisfactory answers - nay, true answers - provide a solid rock on which we can stand firm and prosper.
Christine
PastorWoman.net
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