Where in the World do we begin? (Expanded Version)

In a world that is full of differing worldviews, how do we unpack a Biblical worldview in such a way that it compels people to re-consider theirs? Years of veteran missionary experience as well as scripture helps to shed some light on this and should not be taken lightly. We live in a very needy world and there is much work to be done.  Consider prayerfully! 

The first question we need to ask is what is a “worldview?” A simple definition as presented by George Walker of the Worldview Resource Group (WRG) is: “The ‘lens’ through which one views life.” (Worldview Issues Seminar) WRG also provided a couple of other great definitions given by other renowned missionaries:

“Paul Hiebert – “Worldviews are the most fundamental and encompassing views of reality shared by a people in a culture” (1994, p.38).
David Hesselgrave – “Worldview is at the core of culture. It is out of that core that the rest of culture emanates.” (1994, p. 49).” (Appendix A of WRG’s Worldview Seminar)

A Biblical Worldview then would recognize the Bible as “The ‘lens’ through which [we] view life.” Our Biblical worldview is “the most fundamental and encompassing view of reality” shared by other Christians and ultimately it is at the very “core” of our Christian culture. Armed with our Biblical worldview then (Bible in hand) is that not all we need to effectually preach the gospel to a lost and dying world. Certainly our own worldview is a key aspect to evangelizing the nations but to often we attack the issues all the while leaving their worldview untouched and unchanged.

By way of example lets consider a man with two wives; we’ll call him Tuba (purely fictional). As western Christian missionaries it is easy for us to say, ‘Look Tuba, Christ came to die on a cross for our sins, but if you can’t rectify this situation with two wives you might never get right with Him.’ Tuba appears to respond appropriately by sending one of his wives away. This looks to be a great victory in the mind of the missionary so he marks it in his book as another conversion and sends a glowing report home to his supporters. Little does he know though that in the mind of Tuba he is merely doing this so that he can be right with his new god. Unbeknown to the missionary Tuba continues to visit with the wife he sent away, he continues to provide for her, and he continues to have marital relations with her. Can you see the difference between traveling skin deep to solve an issue as opposed to heading straight to the heart of the problem? Getting to the heart of the matter takes time, effort, & commitment.

The problem is that mans worldview changes drastically from one culture or language group to another. Especially in animistic cultures we find that the worldview of different ethnic groups are very particularistic. In other words, they might be the only people in the entire world that views the world in the manner they do.

So where in the world do we begin? We begin by falling on our knees before the holy and living God that created each and every one of us. We begin by falling in love with our fellow man, whether we speak his or her language or not, whether we understand their culture or not, and by investing our lives into theirs in such a way that in due time, they cannot help but to reconsider the world around them, especially in light of God’s awesome word for which we as believers are all bond-slaves. Listen carefully to the exhortation given to the church in Ephesus and consider how it might apply to our lives today (emphasis mine):

Rev 2:2-5 “2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 ‘Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first.” (NASB)

Many good things were said about the Ephesians. They were doing good things, working hard, persevering, and not putting up with any nonsense. You might say the Ephesians were the total package, that is of course until they received this stunning rebuke, “you have left your first love.” That can happen to any one of us, especially in the ministry. We can be doing good things, working hard, persevering, not putting up with any nonsense, but deep down we have left our first love. You might say that we have left our Biblical worldview at home. What does God tell the Ephesians to bring them back to where they need to be? “Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first.” We still today need to remember from where we have fallen. And as we consider preaching the gospel to others who don’t yet know Him, we should always lovingly remember that they are no more lost than we once were.

Bob Ambrosius is also an NTM veteran who spent over 30 years of ministry within an animistic context in the Philippines. He now teaches the Animism class at the Missionary Training Center. He reminded us that scripture teaches us what needs to happen in order to bring a person to a point of salvation. Listen carefully to Paul the Apostles testimony of success in expanding the reach in Asia Minor (emphasis mine):

Acts 20:18-22 "18b. “…You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”” (NASB)

Paul’s testimony of success involved relationships, integrity, time, humility, steadfastness, courage, availability (corporately and individually), and eagerness to teach God’s word to people that might not hear otherwise. These are just a few of the words that describe what we see going on here. Success in ministry today requires no less commitment. Anything less is merely scratching the surface. 

Is it easy? By no means! Effecting ones worldview requires time, commitment, sacrifice, courage, and most of all, dependence upon a holy God who created every one of us. We need to be willing to Expand our Prayer on behalf of a lost and dying world and to Expand our Faith before the one true God in fear and reverence. Seeing these things happen, perhaps then we can begin to Expand our Reach of the Gospel to a people that might not hear otherwise. We live in a very needy world with much work to be done.