The Cry Freedom Workshop Worldview and the Role of the Church in Society

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Worldviews are very powerful – they will determine what someone sees and how they will live, as well as what kind of culture and nations will be built

 Ultimate reality: all is one  Man is a spirit  Nature is capricious, ‘who knows what tomorrow will bring’  History is a cycle, with no chance for change Ultimate Man Nature History Reality

 Ultimate reality: there is no God  Man is a the highest animal, a mouth to feed  Nature is a closed system, with a limited amount of resources  History is going nowhere: time is running out Ultimate Man Nature History Reality

‣Ultimate reality: God created the world and is involved in history ‣Man is made in the image of God ‣Nature is an open system ‣History is moving towards reconciliation with God Ultimate Man Nature History Reality

 We need to: have a biblical mind - “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” repent – change our mind and become re- minded to the truth 7

‣Beliefs are like the roots of a tree – what I believe is true ‣Values are like the trunk of the tree – what I think is good and bad ‣Behaviors are the branches of the tree – behaviors that come from my values ‣Consequences are the fruit of the tree - consequences from my behaviors 8

 HORIZONTAL : Ideas travel around the globe, from one area to another  TEMPORAL: Ideas pass from generation to generation  VERTICAL: Ideas diffuse into cultures through classes of people in society 9

10 The Intellectuals (religion, philosophy) The Balladeers (popular music, the arts) The Professionals (law, politics, economics) The Common

 Highly educated thinkers-professors, religious leaders There are Christians in your church who are intellectuals – is anyone listening to them? Often highly educated Not afraid of asking questions, they love to reflect and look for the answers to questions that people have

 These are artists: singers, songwriters, painters, poets, book writers, film makers, dancers The Church should be the “well-spring for the arts” for the nation Pastors should support the artists and see the potential for discipleship The arts are not just for corporate worship or evangelism

‣These are the lawyers, doctors, politicians ‣Needed by the church to speak, model and promote systems for the biblical truth to be incorporated into our culture ‣These biblical ideas get cemented into culture by the this group ‣Laws are being made in your area, are you involved in this process?

‣This is the largest group, the factory workers, farmers, homemakers, police officers, shopkeepers, etc. ‣These are the ones that get hurt the most by the lies or blessed the most by the truth As the church, are you consciously encouraging, commissioning and sending out members to be missionaries to your culture?

16 transcendent standing outside of creation immanent in his creation  God is: ◦ TRANSCENDENT – he is outside of creation ◦ IMMAMENT – God is also present in creation:  In his being  In history  Via the incarnation  Via the Holy Spirit indwelling the life of the believer GOD IS:

 The Enlightenment fed people’s desire to be free from God  Believed God still existed; the Cosmos still existed but NO LINES connecting the two  God no longer has a relationship with creation  God as watchmaker: created the world, then stepped away 17 GOD Cosmos

 God is dead  Only nature is real  Needed God before to explain our existence ◦ Now science tries to explain our existence with the theory of evolution ◦ God is no longer needed ‣Dominant worldview taught all over the world 18 ? Nature

 Two reactions to this new worldview in the Church:  The first group accommodated it – ◦ Involved in social action – the social gospel ◦ New worldview – liberation gospel  The second group reacted against it – ◦ Known as the Evangelicals, Pentecostals and Charismatics ◦ Separated spiritual things from secular things

20 Reaction “ Fundamentalists” Evangelicals Pentecostals Charismatics Accommodation “Liberals” Old-Line Denominations Church Secularism

 To combat secularism the church adopted an ancient Greek worldview: ◦ The Greeks divided the world between the spiritual and the sacred  The spiritual was more important and the physical was less important  This is dualism – not wholistic thinking

22 Faith Theology Ethics Missions Devotional Life Gospel Reason Science Business/economi cs Politics Art/music Physical ministry Bread Higher more important Lower less important SPIRITUAL(sacred) PHYSICAL(secular) GRACE NATURE Sunday Weekdays

 Spiritual, sacred things: faith, theology, missions, etc – “full time Christian service”  Secular things – the arts, business, politics, homemaking, education, etc  This divided worldview leads people to believe God only interested in spiritual things 23

24 GOD Moral *Faith *Grace *Missions *Ethics Sacred * Theology * Evangelism * Discipleship * Devotions Natural Physical * Works * Reason * Business * Politics Secular * Science * Economics * Mass Media * The Arts ‘Physical’ Ministries Social JusticeWeekdays Spiritual Disciplines Spiritual WarfareSundays Spiritual

The response to Evangelical Gnosticism:  We are called to live all of our lives before the face of God  Example: A man arriving in his woodshop starts each day by saying “God, this is your shop. I have come to worship you today.”  What do you think is the quality of his work? 25

26 G OD Faith Science Business Missions Justice Devotional Life Art Bread Reason Theology Ethics Politics Evangelism Nature Community Service Gospel

27 ‣Take time to reflect on some examples of a divided worldview in your life. ‣How is it manifested: o personally or in your family? o your work or your ministry? o Your church? ‣Prayerfully ask the Lord to reveal one practical step you can take to live Coram Deo in this area

 Nations can be transformed: We need to see people come to Christ but that is not sufficient People must have a transformed mind – be reborn in their thinking to think like Christians (Romans 12:2)  We need to plant churches which reform culture: The word “culture” is derived from “cult” – that which we worship If you worship gods that are capricious, you will create a culture of bribery and corruption.  Our God can not be bribed (Deut. 10:17 ) – this is the nature of our God. He is a just God!!

29 Rebuilt Societies Reformed Cultures Repentant Souls and Regenerated Lives Gospel – Renewed Minds – Discipled Nations Consequences – Behavior – Values - Beliefs

We need to rebuild our societies with a biblical worldview to transform them into free and prosperous nations