O.k. so I've had my foot stepped on this morning. I need that....like everyday! I need a good kick in the tail to get me headed in the right direction. I thank God that He gave us Bro. Greg to be one of those people in my life who help to lead me along the right paths. Bro. Greg is my pastor, and although I know he sometimes reads my blog I'm going to pretend...for my sake...that he doesn't! ;) Because I'm about to try to relay to everyone what he spoke about this morning. It's important so please don't stop reading!
Bro. Greg is doing a series on "Christian Worldview" that began this morning. This is something I've been thinking about a lot recently as I watch the
decline of morals and judgement in our world. I sometimes just want to stick my head in the sand like our friend the ostrich and just pretend it's all perfect. Well, it's not. And
although virtually all of us have Bibles, most of us rarely study them. It is NOT a good thing that you know more about Michael Jackson's funeral, or your facebook friends, than you know about the Bible. Culture and current events tend to saturate our lives and they help to form a worldview in your mind without you even knowing it. A worldview is defined as the way we look at the world. Usually this worldview is acquired subconsciously. This is one reason it's important to monitor what you watch, see, hear, read. I've always heard the saying, "trash in = trash out". In my case, trash is facebook, the computer, Farmtown... nothing that is considered "trashy" by the world's standards but it's "trashy" to me because it takes my mind and attention off of my family and God.
God gives us minds and emotions and we are to monitor those minds and emotions in a way that is pleasing to God. Your home needs to be a place where those worldviews are created. Saturate yourself in His word and His works.
God has ordained that we be His ambassadors in the world. We live in this world on a temporary basis to serve a purpose that is sometimes mysterious to us. But God knows His purpose and we just trust Him and follow Him. That is our job. However, we tend to make this life about us! We say this life is a big deal, it's all about me and what I get to do, see, feel. The truth is, nobody is Ultimate. We all live, die, and then guess what...life goes on! This bothers the secular mind.
The secular philosophy tries to find meaning in themselves or in this world. If you leave God out of the formula then there is NO meaning. The world believes that "I am the sum total of my experiences." Are you comforted by that? There is NO meaning without god.
Scripture says in
Psalm 24:1 "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein..."
Colossians 1:16 "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him."
The point is...God is where our focus should be. But that's not what the world believes. So how do we change it?
The secret for changing the world is going to be God's people acting, living, being like God's people one experience at a time! God is at work in the midst of a broken world that we're a part of. So what's the point of trying? How do we change it to make a difference? God made us to honor Him. We've decided to honor ourselves instead. We've made idols out of hundreds of things. The reason the church lost it's voice is because Christian's have "spiritual laryngitis". No one speaks up anymore for wrong. How will the world hear us, hear about our Jesus, unless someone tells them. We have a voice, let's use it!
Romans 1:20 says "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." So God has clearly shown himself and those who choose not to believe are "without excuse".
vs. 21 reads..."For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things."
Have we all turned our hearts towards t.v., celebrities, internet, friends, etc. etc.
What are the idols that stand in the way of your relationship with God? Don't make things, and especially other human beings a big deal. They/we will all die and be replaced. And the next day people will get up, eat, and drink and life will go on. Isn't this what happens? We think our life is such a big deal. But we have been created to be a voice for the Creator.
This life is about Him and we are to serve Him. If you're waiting for the church as an institution to change then you wait in vain. Go change your world yourself. Make much of our Christ. We have to come to decide that God is the most important thing and make sure that what we learn and believe is relayed to the rest of the world...one person at a time. This is the first step to developing a Christian Worldview.
Impression without expression = depression. This is what Bro. Greg said this morning. What we learn we have to share, use, build on. We have to tell the world, or even just your neighbor. We can change this world ourselves. One person at a time! This is one of the ways I'm going to share with the world. What are you going to tell? What are you going to do??
note: 99.9% of what was said here was from Dr. Greg Belser, Senior pastor Morrison Heights Baptist Church.
