THE BELIEF I BUILD MY LIFE ON – Part 2
Believe Series
“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”
Proverbs 4:23 (GNT; TEV)
Non-Biblical Worldview’s in our World Today…
o Naturalism: there is no God; humans are just highly evolved animals; the universe is a closed physical system.
o Postmodernism: there are no objective truths and moral standards; “reality” is ultimately a human social construction.
o Pantheism: God is the totality of reality; thus, we are all divine by nature.
o Pluralism: the different world religions represent equally valid perspectives on the ultimate reality; there are many valid paths to God.
o Islam: there is only one God, and He has no son; God has revealed His will for all people through His final prophet, Muhammad, and His eternal word, the Qur’an.
o Moralistic Therapeutic Deism: God just wants us to be happy and nice to other people; He intervenes in our affairs only when we call on Him to help us out.
WHY DOES IT MATTER WHAT I BELIEVE?
1. MY WORLDVIEW SHAPES MY LIFE.
“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” Proverbs 4:23 (GNT; TEV)
2. MY WORLDVIEW CAN CAUSE UNECESSARY PROBLEMS IN MY LIFE.
“There is a way that [seems right to a man], but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)
“If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed.” Proverbs 29:18 (MSG)
3. MY WORLDVIEW CAN STRENGTHEN OR ERODE MY RELATIONSHIPS IN LIFE.
“Don’t think only of yourself. Try to think of the other fellow, too, and what is best for him.” 1 Corinthians 10:24 (TLB)
4. MY WORLDVIEW CAN SHATTER OR STABILIZE MY LIFE.
“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8 (KJV)
5. TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT TO OTHERS
“… Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.” 1 Peter 3:15 (AMPC)
“… consider your ways.” Haggai 1:5
“Let us search and try our ways…” Lamentations 3:40 (KJV)
“Examine yourselves, prove your own selves, Know yourself…” 2 Corinthians 13:5
HOW CAN I REFRAME MY WORLDVIEW?
LEARN WHAT IS TRUE.
“Learn the truth and never reject it. Get wisdom, self-control, and understanding.” Proverbs 23:23 (NCV)
A solid worldview basically offers answers to four necessary questions: Origin: Where did I come from? Meaning: What is my purpose; what is the meaning of life? Morality: How should I live my life? What is right and what is wrong? Destiny: Where am I going?
DISCERN WHAT IS FALSE.
“… Don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of lying teachers loose in the world.” 1 John 4:1 (MSG)
TURN FROM THE WORLD TO THE WORD.
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” Joshua 1:8 (NLT)
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)
CHANGE YOUR THINKING
“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.” Romans 12:2 (NIV)
“Don’t become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit in without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, [and] develops well- formed maturity in you. [His good, pleasing and perfect will].” Romans 12:2 (MSG)