|
|
|
Two
Worldviews By
Bob Myhan Anyone
who thinks seriously about the world around him has a worldview, whether he
realizes it or not. There are, basically, only two worldviews. Some view this
world as the only reality they will ever know. They expect to live for a while,
then die, ceasing to exist altogether. But there are others who view this world
as only the first of two realities they will experience. They, too, expect to
live for a while and die; but they do not expect to cease existing altogether.
Rather, they expect to continue existing after death on a nonphysical plane. Why
do these two groups have such different worldviews? Each
individual is born with no knowledge of the physical
world. Everything he learns, “ex utero,” he learns via the five
physical senses—sight, touch, taste, hearing and smell. More than likely, the
first thing he discovers is light. And, very early in life, he discovers pain
and suffering. Once
an individual begins to experience
pain and suffering, it is natural to long for relief. And once he realizes that
pain and suffering are the lot of mankind, he begins to long for an existence
that is free of both. No
human being is born with an intuitive knowledge of the identity of his
biological parents. It is impossible for an infant to know who gave birth to
him, much less who fathered him. One learns the identity of his parents through
testimony—theirs or someone else’s. The facts of life must be taught. This
writer remembers hearing, for the first time, where babies come from. It
is also impossible to know, intuitively, the origin of mankind. Adam, for
instance, could not have known that his body was “formed … of the dust of
the ground” nor that “the breath of life” was “breathed into his
nostrils” by the Creator. Eve could not have known she was made from the rib
of a man. These things they could only learn by testimony from the Creator.
Without such testimony, all they could conceivably know about the world around
them is what they could learn from their physical senses, which could not
possibly have informed them that they had been created (except, of course, by
hearing the testimony of the Creator). In all of Adam’s 930 years, there would
have been nothing he experienced from which he could have inferred, or deduced,
his having been created. Again, he could only have known this by revelation from
the Creator. Just as surely, no man living today can know that the first man and
woman were created if it had not been revealed by God in the Bible. The
Bible tells us not only of the origin of mankind but also of his purpose and his
destiny. Those who believe the Bible to be God’s word not only desire but
expect an existence free of pain and suffering. They desire it because they hurt
and they suffer in this world. They expect it because the same Bible that tells
them of their origin and purpose in life tells them also of their destiny. & Changes
I Have Seen Since I've Been Preaching By
Forrest D. Moyer I
began preaching in 1946. Some forty-seven years have gone by since I began. I
have seen many changes both in the world and in the church. Means of travel and
communications have drastically changed. People have even gone to the moon.
Governments have toppled; new nations have begun. Standards of living have
improved for millions. And yet poverty reigns in many nations. Crime has become
the norm in most of our cities. A car is stolen every 42 minutes in Changes
in the Church Not
only have there been changes in the world, but we have seen many changes in the
church of our Lord as well. Changes in such things as expedients might be most
effective. Changes in God’s ordained worship, government, and work are always
wrong. I have seen changes in both areas. With the coming of more efficient
communications, we have been able to effectively teach more people. We have been
able to sound forth the truth in radio and television as well as the printed
page. I am happy to have been enabled to use such methods in gospel preaching. I
remember when I was young that tobacco use was quite common among members of the
church. In fact, between Bible class and the assembly for worship, it was common
to see dozens of men standing in the yard or on the steps smoking. We thought
that anyone who said anything about such habits was a "fanatic" or
"radical." Today most brethren have seen the danger in tobacco use.
Here ... we see no one standing outside smoking. When
I was young, in every gospel meeting you would hear sermons on why we don’t
use instrumental music or have choirs or groups singing in our worship. Today
many churches are introducing choirs and groups. Some are even using
instrumental music. Things have changed! I
have seen other changes that frighten me very much. When I began preaching, the
Bible was accepted by all brethren to be the inspired word of God. Brethren
everywhere demanded "book, chapter and verse" preaching. All preachers
appealed to "command, example and necessary inference" as the way to
establish Bible authority. The result was a united brotherhood. Today, it is
different. Some brethren no longer regard the Bible as the truly inspired word
of God. Even more have given up the demand for "book, chapter and
verse" preaching and are calling for a "new hermeneutic" that
rejects "command, example and necessary inference" as the way of
determining God’s will for our lives. Max Lucado, a well known author and
minister of the Oak Hills When
I began preaching, I never heard of such things as so-called "fellowship
halls," "church kitchens," or "family centers with
gymnasiums" among our brethren. When such things were first introduced,
there was a hue and cry across the nation against such. Now such are commonplace
among many brethren. Yes, things have changed. If
in our study of the word of God, we find that we are failing to do what God says
or are doing what He does not say, then we need to change. But let us make sure
that our changes are what God requires and not what we decide that would be
pleasing to us. Paul
said to Timothy, "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard
of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus" (2
Tim. 1:13). Jesus Himself said that "Heaven and earth shall pass
away, but My word will never pass away." His message is an unchangeable
message in the midst of a changing world. While we are involved in the changes
of the modern world, it is gratifying to know that we can hold on to an
unchanging God and to an unchanging message. Let us determine that we will never
turn from the doctrine of Christ to any other message (2
John 9-10; Gal. 1:8-9). When the winds of change are blowing, we can
latch on to the Rock of Ages and know that we are secure under the shelter of
His wings. & Editor’s
note:
The
above was written 17 years ago but is as timely now as it was then. |