Man vs. World - Biblical Worldview (Redeemer Group)

Man vs. World
Re-Born Survivor
Ultimate Revival
Ephesians 6:10-12 says,
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

• Flesh and blood (people) are not our enemies.
• Rather our enemies are unseen – Satan and his demons.
• People themselves don’t hurt us, but Satan acting through them does – through sin.
• Therefore, we are called to love all people. Specifically, we love all sinners, but we hate their sins.
• Principalities – Sins that the world tries to convince us are “OK”.
o Abortion, Euthanasia
o Homosexuality
o Adulterous relationships/Cohabitation
• Powers – Witchcraft, fortune telling, psychics
• Rulers and Spiritual Wickedness in High Places – world leaders who stand for ungodly things
o Kim Jong Il, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Other World Religions and their leaders
Also, DISTRACTIONS
It's not good to be lazy, but it's not good to be so active that God no longer has your greatest affection. Use this as a reminder.
Being
Under
Satan's
Yoke

All in all, we live in a dark world. But Jesus pierced the darkness, as we will see.

Verses 13-18 tell us how we must protect ourselves from this type of evil.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints…

• Know what you believe. As a Christian, it is essential to know what you believe, why you believe it, and why what you believe is of eternal importance. In other words, it’s essential to have a BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW.

BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW (as defined by Barna)
Biblical worldview is a decision-making filter. If you have a Biblical worldview, you’ll have a good understanding of the things that are of lasting importance in God’s eyes. You’ll have a greater fear of sin and greater conviction of bad choices.
Believing that…
1. Absolute moral truth exists.
a. There is always a right and a wrong. May be difficult for us as people to differentiate, but right and wrong always exist. No middle ground.

2. The Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches.
a. The Bible is free of error.
b. There is not a sin or promise it fails to mention.
Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth
3. Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic.
a. Like we talked about previously in Ephesians 6:10-18.

4. A person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or do good works.
a. We are saved not by works but by faith. Ephesians 2:8

5. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth.

6. God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today.

For now, I want to discuss #5 in greater detail. Why is it so important that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth?
• The Bible tells us in the book of Romans that “the wages of sin is death”.
• In the Old Testament (before Jesus), God called his people to sacrifice animals to Him.
• The Bible says that in order for there to be forgiveness of sin, there had to be the shedding of innocent blood. The just for the unjust. The righteous for the unrighteous.
• When you offered sacrifice to God, you chose your most perfect animal, often a ram or a lamb. You slit its throat, and the spilling of its innocent blood COVERED UP your sins in the sight of God. Sacrificing an animal only covered up sins and only temporarily.
• Fast forward about two thousand years to the life of Christ. God loved us so much that he sacrificed his sinless son to die on the cross for me and you. Jesus’ innocent blood was shed. The righteous for us the unrighteous. Thus fulfilling the shedding of innocent blood for forgiveness of sin. Again...
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense

• However, the sacrifice of Christ was greater than the sacrifice of an animal. It did not merely cover up sin; rather is WASHED THEM AWAY.
Lastly, we are called not to be "holding tanks" of the love of Jesus Christ, but rather "distribution centers." Remember this.
Reaching
All
In
Need
By
Our
Witness