A Biblical Worldview Gets The Gospel Right

A biblical worldview is about getting right who Jesus is.

But a biblical worldview is also about getting the gospel right. Jesus announced that the kingdom of God had arrived, and this announcement stands at the climactic moment of a long story.  God is acting in love and power to restore a fallen (but essentially good) creation, to live again under his good and gracious rule.  God is becoming king again.  In the announcement of the kingdom we have the great plot of the drama of Scripture:

1.  God (in Christ and by the Spirit) creates the world;

2.  Sin cripples, twists, and thwarts that creation;

3.  God acts to heal, straighten, and restore;

4.  God finally reconciles the entire cosmos to himself.

While the major focus of the biblical story is about God’s saving work, which includes both the whole of the Old Testament after the fall in Genesis 3 and the whole of the New Testament, that story of rescue and salvation assumes and is set against the backdrop of the first two acts of the drama: the creation of the world and its fall into sin.  Salvation has meaning only when we point to what is being saved and why it needs to be saved. The Bible’s main plot is the story of how God restores a creation that had been disfigured by sin:  first comes the creation followed by the fall, and then comes the restoration.

~ Michael W. Goheen and Craig G. Bartholomew in Living At The Crossroads: An Introduction To Christian Worldview, page 32.

A Biblical Worldview Gets Right Who Jesus Is

Jesus says that he has been sent by God the Father to make him known and to complete the redemptive work that he has been doing throughout the Old Testament story…

A faithful biblical worldview begins with this trinitarian confession–there is one God in three persons–centered in Jesus Christ.

To confess that Jesus is Lord is to say that Jesus, together with the Father and Spirit, has created all things; he sustains and upholds all things, he rules history and guides it to its goal, he restores and renews all things, and the end he will judge all things.  If we confess only “Jesus is my personal Savior” and neglect “Jesus is Creator, Ruler, Redeemer, and Judge,” then we have an emaciated worldview. A biblical worldview is about getting right who Jesus is.

~ Michael W. Goheen and Craig G. Bartholomew in Living At The Crossroads: An Introduction To Christian Worldview, page 32.

A Summary Of Lenten Spirituality

What is the primary spiritual journey of Lent?

Lent is a time to travel the road with Jesus toward His death.

What is the primary emphasis of Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday begins the journey of Lent.  Its theme is repentance and renewal.  Ashes are placed on the forehead as a sign of repentance remembering that “from dust you came and to dust you shall return.”

What are the Lenten themes for worship and personal spirituality?

• The temptation of Christ.
• Nicodemus’ call to abandon pharisaic religion.
• Say no to sin as did the woman of Samaria.
• Like the man born blind, we can be healed.
• Prepare for Holy Week.

Why is baptism the metaphor for Lent?

In baptismal spirituality we put off sin and rise to the life of the Spirit.  This pattern of spirituality is to live in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Why does Lent emphasize fasting, prayer, and almsgiving?

Fasting from food is a symbol of the discipline it takes to turn away from sin.  Prayer is the act of turning to God in dependence.  Almsgiving is the symbol of the virtue we are taking on to replace our sin.

What is a suggested discipline for Lent?

Put off:  sloth, faintheartedness, lust of power, and idle talk.

Put on:  chastity, humility, patience, and love.

~ Robert Webber in Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year, pp. 121.

Lent Calls Us To Put Indifference To Death

Unfortunately some Christians live as though the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ never happened. Our lives become absorbed in the day-to-day experiences of life.  We focus on name-brand clothing, the color of our houses, the size of our bank account, the year and make of our automobile, the prestige in which others hold us, and the symbols of our own power.  We too easily forget our Maker and Redeemer, replacing God with things and ambition.

Lent is the season that does something about this situation.

It calls us back to God, back to basics, back to the spiritual realities of life.  It calls us to put to death the sin and indifference we have in our hearts toward God and our fellow persons. And it beckons us to enter once again into the joy of the Lord–the joy of new life born out of a death to the old life.  This is what Ash Wednesday is all about–the fundamental change of life required of those who would die with Jesus and be raised to a new life in him.

~ Robert Webber in Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year, pp. 99-100.

A Simple Plan For Family Devotions

Mark Driscoll gives a realistic approach to doing family devotions at dinnertime:

Step 1. Eat dinner with your entire family regularly.
Step 2. Mom and Dad sit next to one another to lead the family discussion.
Step 3. Open the meal by asking if there is anyone or anything to pray for.
Step 4. Someone opens in prayer and covers any requests. This task should be rotated among family members so that different people take turns learning to pray aloud.
Step 5. Start eating and discuss how everyone’s day went.
Step 6. Have a Bible in front of the parents in a translation that is age-appropriate for the kids’ reading level. Have someone (parent or child) open the Bible, and assign a portion to read aloud while everyone is eating and listening.
Step 7. Parents should note key words and themes in the passage and explain them to the kids on an age-appropriate level.
Step 8. Ask questions about the passage.  You may want to begin with having your children summarize what was read-retelling the story or passage outline.  Then, ask the following questions:  What does this passage teach us about God?  What does it say about us or about how God sees us?  What does it teach us about our relationships with others?
Step 9. Let the conversation happen naturally, listen carefully to the kids, let them answer the questions, and fill in whatever they miss or lovingly and gently correct whatever they get wrong so as to help them.
Step 10. If the Scriptures convict you of sin, repent as you need to your family, and share appropriately honest parts of your life story so the kids can see Jesus’ work in your life and your need for him too.  This demonstrates gospel humility to them.
Step 11. At the end of dinner, ask the kids if they have any questions for you.
Step 12. If you miss a night, or if conversation gets off track, or if your family occasionally just wants to talk about something else, don’t stress-it’s inevitable.

Adapted from “Family Dinner Bible Studies” by Mark Driscoll in Trial: 8 Witnesses from 1 & 2 Peter, a study guide. (Mars Hill Church, 2009), pages 69-70.

[HT:  Life Together via Vitamin Z]