Worldviews:Why Does it Matter?

Dr. William E. Brown

Cedarville UniversityHealth Science Center

DeMaurice SmithNFL Players’ Association

Will SchenckFairchild Fashion GroupRolling Stone, Men’s Journal (prev.)

Mac McQuistonCEO Forum

Michael FranzeseMafia BossColombo crime family

Dr. Ramesh RichardRReach

Joni Eareckson TadaJoni and Friends

A. Broadening Your Perspective

Let it snow!!!

Let it snow!!!

Let it snow!!!

B. Giving an Answer

Christopher HitchensAuthor, God is NOT Good:How Religion Poisons Everything

Marilyn SewellUnitarian Universalist Minister

Interview, Portland Monthly Magazine, Jan 2010

The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal

Christian, and I don’t take the stories from the scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of the atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make and distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?

Only in this respect: I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, in other words, the Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.

I disagree with that. I consider myself a Christian. I believe in the Jesus story as

story, as narrative, and Jesus as a person whose life is exemplary that I want to follow. But I do not believe in all that stuff that I just outlined.

I simply have to tell you that every major Christian, including theologians, has said that without the resurrection and without the forgiveness of sins, what I call the vicarious redemption, it’s meaningless. In fact, without that, it isn’t even a nice story - even if it’s true . . .

It doesn’t really matter to me if it’s true literally. It matters to me whether the story has efficacy for my life.

Well, that’s what I meant to say. When C.S. Lewis, for example, says, . . ‘if this man was not the son of God, then his teachings were evil’ because if you don’t believe that the kingdom of heaven is at hand and you can get to it by the way, the truth, and the life, offered by the gospel, then there’s no excuse for telling people to take no thought for the morrow, for example, as he did. . . It would be an evil nonsense.

C. Walking the Path of Wisdom and Knowledge

The Path of Wisdom and Knowledge

1. Know God

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,  and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  Proverbs 9:10

Knowing God

The Path of Wisdom and Knowledge

1. Know God

2. Know God’s Word

“I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

Matthew 5:18

“Scripture cannot be broken.” John 10:35

“All Scripture is God-breathed.” 2 Timothy 3:16

Knowing God’s Word

A. Knowing the content

B. Understanding the content

C. Applying the content

Knowing God’s Word

The Path of Wisdom and Knowledge

1. Know God

2. Know God’s Word

3. Know God’s World

 Folly is an unruly woman;    she is simple and knows nothing.  She sits at the door of her house,    on a seat at the highest point of the city, calling out to those who pass by,    who go straight on their way,  “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says,  “Stolen water is sweet;    food eaten in secret is delicious!” But little do they know that the dead are there,    that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.

Proverbs 9:13-18

Knowing God’s World

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,    she raises her voice in the public square;  on top of the wall she cries out,    at the city gate she makes her speech: “How long will you who are simple love your

simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery    and fools hate knowledge? Repent at my rebuke!    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,    I will make known to you my teachings. 

Proverbs 1:20-22

Knowing God’s World

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,    she raises her voice in the public square;  on top of the wall she cries out,    at the city gate she makes her speech: “How long will you who are simple love your

simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery    and fools hate knowledge? Repent at my rebuke!    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,    I will make known to you my teachings. 

Knowing God’s World

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,    she raises her voice in the public square;  on top of the wall she cries out,    at the city gate she makes her speech: “How long will you who are simple love your

simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery    and fools hate knowledge? Repent at my rebuke!    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,    I will make known to you my teachings. 

Knowing God’s World

1 Wisdom has built her house . . .   3 She has sent out her servants, and she calls    from the highest point of the city,  4 “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says,  5 “Come, eat my food    and drink the wine I have mixed. 6 Leave your simple ways and you will live;    walk in the way of insight.”

Proverbs 9:1,3-6

Knowing God’s World

Worldviews:Why Does it Matter?

Dr. William E. Brown