God's Word and our world view - which shapes which?

Key # 5 = The Bible shapes our view of the world.

Hmm…does it? Does the Bible really shape my view of the world?...or is the world shaping my view of the Bible? …or are my religious views shaping my world view?

Characteristics of God’s Word:

Is 55:11 will not return empty
Jer 15:16 food
Jer. 23:29 fire
Jer. 23:30 hammer
Ps 107:20 Jesus/healing
Ps. 119: 130 light
Prov 24:13 honey
Prov 30:5 flawless
Jn 17:17 truth
Heb 4:12 living & active, sharp, divides
Eph 5:26 washes us

I guess that what strikes me is that God’s Word changes ME - MY attitudes, beliefs, emotions, behaviors, speech. If I really let God's Word chnange me, my view of the world becomes less judgmental, less critical, and less negative. It becomes a view of hope in the Lord, compassion toward others, growing purity within.

As I look at God’s Word and how it changes my view of the world, it begs the question:
How can I reach out – how can I be an instrument to help fulfill the Great Commission - without making distinctions between evangelism, personal holiness, and social transformation? - without making God’s Word a bunch of religious do’s and don’ts?

Am I letting the Bible shape my view of the world? Or, am I letting my cultural Christianity shape my view of the world?

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the world of truth." 2 Tim 2:15

hunger and thirst

KEY # 4 = We hunger and thirst for righteousness and purity, cultivating an appetite for all that is right, lovely, and true.

My thoughts:

…do I crave and yearn enough for righteousness that my life is shaped by this hunger?

…am I dehydrated enough that I can only think about quenching my thirst through righteousness & purity?

…does my hungering and thirsting compel me to seek righteousness – to seek that which is upright and in right standing with God?

…what will my hungering and thirsting for purity look like – wholesomeness, decency, propriety in the depths of my being?

….am I cultivating – am I nurturing and fostering, focusing on with great energy – all that is right, lovely, and true?

Philippians 4: 8 is a sieve through which I try to pass all thoughts, attitudes, and behavior. I envision these words as multi-layers of a filter in a very large sieve:

praiseworthy

admirable

excellent

lovely

noble

right

pure

Each thought, reminiscence, and self-talk must pass through all the layers of the filter before they are ones I permit myself to ponder, play with, and think about. Success occurs when I take captive those thoughts that cannot make it through all layers and then I refuse to give them credibility. At times this is a difficult process. But the process becomes easier as I practice it every day.

If someone who does not know me were to listen to and watch me for a week, what would they think I hunger and thirst for? What would they see me cultivating in my life?

How would someone answer these questions about your life?

living by the Spirit

Worship – Grow – Connect – Serve – Go

GROW – We want to know and practice the Way of Jesus.

To be a Christian is to be ‘formed in the likeness of God’s Son’ (2 Cor 3:18) and to ‘walk as Jesus did’ (1 Jn 2;60). This is our life pursuit, to know Christ and to become His apprentices. The life that we have in Christ cannot be gained apart fro the Holy Spirit’s work in us, yet also not without intentionality, effort, and sacrifice on our part.

This translates into:

• a life of study of God’s Word
• the practice of living that Word
• the practice of service to others
• obedience - a willingness - a choice - to walk in the change that occurs within me as God’s Word reveals Truth, heals, and transforms me

…. this can only occur through listening to and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Key #3 - We live by the Spirit, seeking God’s presence and power to live, love, and serve like Jesus.

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25

1. Am I really living by the Spirit?
2. How do I know if I am or not?
3. How do I keep step with the Spirit? – What’s that look like?

· So, how are you doing? How regularly are you living by the Spirit?

· What needs to transpire in your life so you can more consistently live by the Spirit?

· Are you talking about these things in your Community Group or with your spiritual friends?

One of my biggest frustrations and sadnesses is the seeming reluctance of many Christians to acknowledge the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit within our lives. It's as if we're embarrassed, concerned about being too religious or too extreme, afraid of what we'll learn and be called to. The Holy Spirit is my comforter, counselor, convicter, revealer of Truth. How I cherish God's presence through the Holy Spirit in me. How I dread to live without His very real presence.