Power Point - August 9, 2005
August 9, 2005
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
--James 3:13
Although education and intellect is very important, wisdom is so much more than an accumulation of facts and knowledge. Knowledge can take us so far, but the wisdom of God applied can help us know and understand practical, skillful, and obedient living.
Wisdom is directly linked to your world view. Most of you have already settled your worldview. You are a follower of Jesus Christ, you believe the Bible is the Word of God, and you have established what you believe about the origin of life, the purpose of life, and the destiny of life. That is your world view.
While we know that our world views are settled, there are others that conflict with us and are becoming increasingly popular in our culture. There are four worldviews: Christianity, Marxism (or communism), secularism (or humanism), and mysticism (or spiritism). We already know what Christianity is, and most of us understand Marxism. But secularism and mysticism are rapidly taking over this country.
Secularism is the belief that without God man can still pull himself up by his boot straps. According to this theory, the origin and creation of man is found in evolution. This type of world view has invaded society, which includes most atheists and agnostics, and even a lot of liberal churches around the world. And I’m even afraid that it’s beginning to creep into some evangelical churches.
Another world view that has grown in the last several decades is mysticism—new age though and philosophy. Because many have seen that materialism doesn’t quench the thirst of the soul, they are seeking answers for life’s questions in new age thoughts.
More than ever, we are living in a world that does not share our views or values as Christians. The world view that is developing around us is not the wisdom of God, but rather the wisdom of man. Join me over the next few days as I discuss world views and how we as Christians can make an impact in our society. Begin today by asking the Lord to open your heart to a subject that you may not have contemplated or understood before.
ARE YOU WISING UP OR DUMBING DOWN?
