Sharing Scripture for October 18 – 24, 2020
[symple_heading style=”” title=”The Eyes of the Lord: The Biblical Worldview” type=”h1″ font_size=”40″ text_align=”center” margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]
This is a tool for you to use if you lead a Sabbath School (SS) class or small group. It is keyed to the Bible texts used in the current week’s Adult SS Lesson and includes a brief story from current news you can use to introduce the discussion and then a series of discussion questions in a relational pattern designed to build fellowship and spiritual reflection.
For use: October 18 – 24
Texts: Proverbs 15:3; Job 12:7-10; Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 20:5, 6; John 1:1-14; Mark 12:29-31
Barna Research periodically surveys American adults to discover how many have what they consider a biblical worldview. The findings show that only 9% of all adults hold to a biblical worldview, and only 19% of born-again Christians believe in such a view.
Barna shares four implications of this trend: First, although most Americans call themselves Christians and say they know their Bibles, less than 10% of Americans demonstrate this in their lives. Second, Christian parents are not teaching this worldview to their children. Barna suggests that you cannot give what you do not have, and the findings suggest most parents do not possess this perspective on life. Third, churches, parochial schools and para-church ministries are apparently failing in passing along this biblical worldview through Christian education. Finally, a key component of Christianity is to embrace and live basic biblical principles. There has been, however, no change in the percentage of born-again adults with a truly biblical worldview in recent years.
Why are these stats important to us? Because a truly biblical worldview is expressed in loving, serving actions and can help us live those actions daily.
This week’s lesson indicates that a biblical worldview is the filter through which we see and understand our natural environment. We can never truly have a complete and accurate knowledge of our world, but a biblical filter can give us the best possible viewpoint. This goes beyond just the natural world, including our understanding of God, helping us gain a glimpse of who God really is.
A biblical worldview begins with the assumption of the reality of God. With the understanding of the existence of God as our foundation, we can develop an attitude of true worship. A worldview that establishes the relationship between the Creator and the creation leads us to incorporate biblical worship practices into our lives. This worship will include elements of praise and gratitude, sprinkled with generous amounts of awe and submission to God’s will. A biblical worldview that incorporates such worship will then lead us to live lives of service.
When we understand that Jesus, who is God in human flesh, is the ultimate Servant, we will want to emulate His example in the way we live.
[symple_divider style=”solid” margin_top=”20″ margin_bottom=”10″]
Connecting: Read Barna’s description of a biblical worldview as described in this Christianity Today article. Do you agree with all of their definitions? Is there anything you would add or leave out?
Sharing: How would you answer Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s question, “Why is there something instead of nothing?”
- There has to be something, or else we would not be able to even ask the question
- There is something because God ordained it so
- When we observe the greater universe, we can see that there is both something and nothing existing side-by-side at the same time
- Questions like this distract us from the more important questions like “Why is there hunger in the richest nation in the world?”
- When our education systems instill a true biblical worldview in our children, we will respond to questions like this with faith and assurance in God’s existence and loving character
- Other:
Applying: Whether over Zoom or another safe way you convene, discuss among your group members ideas that you can implement to increase the percentage of Christians who live by a biblical worldview. Is there a need to address this issue in your own congregation? What can you do to help educate our children to understand and live by a biblical worldview?
Valuing: Is there anything in Barna’s concept of a biblical worldview that causes you to struggle? Connect over phone or online with a trusted friend and share whatever you feel comfortable discussing, and commit to pray for each other to grow in the knowledge and grace of God.
~ Chuck Burkeen
