Lesson 12: Separation II, "What is My Role in the World?"

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1 Lesson 12: Separation II, "What is My Role in the World?" by: David Roseland, Pastor of Preston City Bible Church I. Key Scripture passages for Separation I John 17:13-21, esp v21 II. Lesson Notes Introduction: How we deal with sin. Summary: What is wrong with the world? A. Review: Separation from the World means a rejection of its values 1 John 2:15-17 B. Believers are to be In the world but not of the World: a. Jesus: John 17: But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. Who are They? 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. What are the categories? 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. What is the difference between in the world and of the world? 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 1

2 How does sanctification happen? 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. What was the mission? 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; Why does this passage apply to you? 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. What is the benefit of our unity? b. Paul: 1 Cor 5: I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; One of Satan s greatest points of attack on human beings is: 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. What are Paul s categories? C. Commissioned Disciple-makers: Matthew 28: And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Apply this statement to the question of why God permits evil in this age. 2

3 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. D. Shrewd and innocent: Mt 10:16 Matthew 10:16 (NASB95) 16 Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. E. Worldview 1. Worldview Defined: The way we view our world and our place in it. A worldview answers fundamental questions such as Why are we here? What is the meaning and purpose of life? Is there a difference between right and wrong? Is there a God? Are humans merely highly evolved animals? --David Noebel, Understanding the Times A worldview is a way of viewing or interpreting all of reality. It is an interpretive framework through which or by which one makes sense of the data of life and the world. --Norman Geisler and William Watkins 2. The Two Options: There are only two answers but there are at least six different worldviews. Either God has spoken or He has not. Thus there is God s view and every alternative. Within the alternatives to the Biblical worldview there are at least five competing systems. These systems are competing for the same team against God 3. The Six Worldviews Christianity Islam 3

4 Secular Humanism Marxism/Leninism Cosmic Humanism Postmodernism 4. The Worldviews and the Disciplines 1 The Biblical Perspective Trinitarian Theism Supernaturalism (F/R) Moral Absolutes Creationism/Catastrophism Mind/Body Dualism (Fallen) Traditional Authority Structures Divine/Natural Justice, Freedom, Order Stewardship of Private Property Creation, Fall, Redemption The Muslim Perspective Unitarian Theism Supernaturalism (F/R) Moral Absolutes Creationism/Catastrophism Mind/Body Dualism (Un-Fallen) Polygamy, Mosque, Islamic State Shari ah Global Islamic Theocracy Stewardship of Private Property Historical Determinism (Jihad) 1 Adapted from David Noebel s Understanding the Times 4

5 The Secular Humanist Perspective Atheism Naturalism Moral Relativism Neo-Darwinian Evolution Monism (Self-Actualization) Non-Traditional Family, church state Positive Liberalism (Secular World Government) Interventionism Historical Evolution The Marxist/Leninist Perspective Atheism Dialectical Materialism Proletariat Morality Punctuated Evolution Monism (Behaviorism) Classless Society Proletariat Statism (Communist World Government) Scientific Socialism Historical Materialism The Cosmic Humanist (New Age) Perspective Pantheism Non-Naturalism Moral Relativism (Karma) Cosmic Evolution Higher Consciousness Non-Traditional family/church/state Self- Self-Government (New World Order) Universal Enlightened Production Evolutionary Godhood 5

6 The Postmodern Perspective Atheism Anti-Realism Cultural Relativism Punctuated Evolution Socially-Constructed Selves Sexual Egalitarianism Critical Legal Studies Leftism Interventionism Historicism III. Questions for Reflection and Interaction: 1. Differentiate between the concept of the Christian s comfort and the Christian s duty to be in the world and not of it. 2. How can an awareness of the competing worldviews prepare you to deal with your campers variances from the Biblical perspective? 3. How can overemphasis on worldview distract you from presenting the Gospel? 4. Looking at the charts above, start constructing a message for young people about the difference between the Secular Humanist view of ethics and the Christian view. Think through the reason why Christianity requires an ethical position of moral absolutes and discuss the problem of Christians who hold to moral relativism. The answer is in the charts but only because the charts accurately label consistent views on the various topics. 6

7 5. Based on what you did in #4 above, can you provide a reason why we regularly see the inconsistency of Christians adopting non-christian perspectives? What will provide a person with a Christian worldview? What will deprive him of it? IV. Looking to the Future: Performance and Preference The believer is called to a Biblical consistency of thought and action. The whole person is supposed to be thoroughly integrated with the thinking of Christ. We are to be filled by the Spirit with the Word of God (Eph 5:18, Col 3:16). This is for our practice here and now, and that practice is to be conducted in a hostile environment generally opposed to the norms and standards of our Heavenly Father. This is a recipe for rejection and even disaster at the hands of God s enemy whose influence is felt in all five non-christian worldviews vying for dominance throughout the world. We do not separate ourselves in our thinking to the thoughts of Christ because they work or they will make us happy or even because they meet our needs. While these are all true, they fall short of the central feature of our worldview: our metaphysical stance is that there is a Triune God whose opinion matters more than anything else. Our ambition, which is tied to our eternal destiny, is not to be pleasing to ourselves, happy, or even successful in our own limited estimations. Paul, in the Word of God, tells us that our ambition is to be pleasing to Him. In the next verse, 2 Cor 5:10 we read why. We want to please Him because we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. This promise of coming judgment for our works (and their motivation) is an eschatological certainty. It is coming for us all, and any motivation short of the personal desire to be pleasing to the personal God Who personally created you is inadequate to the task of preparing you for the Bema. Separation means in part the willingness to adopt the Bible s view of reality such that your ultimate context for decisions is not your own satisfaction, your peers perspectives or consciences, or even the norms of society around you. We must see God as the Personal evaluator of each choice, and the consequences of His evaluation will continue on into eternity. V. For Further Reading (works suggested/cited) 7

8 You might enjoy the following lessons, books or articles on Separation: Lahaye, Tim and David Noebel. Mind Siege: The Battle for Truth. Word Publishing: Nashville Noebel, David A. Understanding the Times: The Collision of Today's Competing Worldviews. Summit Press: Manitou Springs, CO Jeremiah, David. I Never Thought I d See the Day: Culture at the Crossroads. Faith Words (David P. Jeremiah): New York

Postmodernism. Issue Christianity Post-Modernism. Theology Trinitarian Atheism. Philosophy Supernaturalism Anti-Realism

Postmodernism. Issue Christianity Post-Modernism. Theology Trinitarian Atheism. Philosophy Supernaturalism Anti-Realism Postmodernism Issue Christianity Post-Modernism Theology Trinitarian Atheism Philosophy Supernaturalism Anti-Realism (Faith and Reason) Ethics Moral Absolutes Cultural Relativism Biology Creationism Punctuated