What is a Worldview

and Why Does it

Matter?
How to know and defend what you believe

What is a worldview?
First, you need to know
Everyone has a worldview
Worldviews have unproven and unprovable
assumptions built in.
One has to hold those assumptions by faith,
however
We can look at how well they fit into the way the
world is to determine if they are worthy of our faith

What is a worldview?
Simply, a worldview is how you view the
world.
The problem is that most people havent
taken the time to think through and test
what they believe about the world.

How about you?

1. What is prime reality the really real?
2. What is the nature of external reality?
3. What is a human being?
4. What happens to a person at death?

* 8 Questions Every Worldview Must Answer, James Sire

How about you?

5. Why is it possible to know anything at
all?
6. How do we know what is right and
wrong?
7. What is the meaning of human history?
8. What personal, life-orienting core
commitments are consistent with this
worldview?
* 8 Questions Every Worldview Must Answer, James Sire

Worldview Outline
Four simple questions:
1. Origins From where did everything
come?
2. Meaning Does life have objective
meaning?
3. Morality Do objective moral values and
duties exist?
4. Destiny Is this life all there is, or does
something exist beyond this life?
* Ravi Zacharias

Why are these four questions

important?
These are fundamental ideas about life
and meaning.
How we answer them will determine how
we live our lives.
How we live our lives affects how we
interact with others and how they will live
their lives.

Why are these four questions

important?
Answering them wrong can have
devastating consequences.

Worldview Considerations
What are your core beliefs axioms (selfevidential truths)?
World consists of matter or
matter/immaterial existence?
Universe always existed/was created?
Humans evolved/were specially created?
Humans are biological machines/soulish
creatures?

Worldview Considerations
What are your core beliefs axioms (selfevidential truths)?
Human meaning is defined by others/intrinsic
to who we are?
Morality is defined by humans/recognized by
humans from an objective source?
Human destiny is death and non-existence/a
future eternal existence?

Worldview Considerations
Can you see that how we answer these
questions is going to have tremendous
implications?
This is why it is important to think
through and understand what we believe
and why.

Origins
Both universal and human
Two options
1. Blind material process of random events.
2. Causal process of an intelligent designer.

What are the implications of each?

Origins
Blind process of random events.
1. Eliminates a purpose for our existence.
a) You cannot imply purpose to accidental events.
b) If our existence is without ultimate purpose, any
relative purpose that we may read into our lives is
simply an illusion.
c) If humans have no purpose, then we can do what
we want with them.
i.

Human worth is now based upon what another

persons worth is to me or you.
a.

This is called utilitarian value.

Origins
What if a human does not possess
utilitarian value in this case?
You ask: Mom, can I throw this away?
Mom replies: What is it?
Think of this in terms of:
The unborn.
The physically or mentally handicapped.
Those who are different from us.

Origins
Ideas have consequences.
Weve seen it before and we see it now.
What comes to mind when you think about
the consequences?

Origins

Origins

Origins

Origins

Origins
If humans are the special creation of God,
then
We were designed and created with a
purpose.
For Youformed myinward parts; Youwove me in
my mothers womb. I will give thanks to You, forI
am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are
Your works, And my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:13-14

Origins
If humans are the special creation of God,
then
Humans possess intrinsic worth.
Our worth is based on the fact that we have been
created in Gods image.
Then God said, LetUs makeman in Our image,
according to Our likenessGod created manin His
own image, in the image of God He created
him;male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:26, 28

Origins
If humans are the special creation of God,
then
It doesnt matter whether a human is:
Unborn or born
Healthy or unhealthy
Physically and mentally able or disabled
Like us or unlike us
All humans are valuable because they are human

Meaning
If we understand origins properly, we
understand from where we find our
meaning.
He hasmade everythingappropriate in its
time. He has also set eternity in their
heart,yet so that manwill not find out the
work which God has done from the beginning
even to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Meaning
If we are products of
nature

If we are created by God

No ultimate meaning

We were designed for a purpose

Our value is utilitarian what

were worth to others

Our value is intrinsic because

were created in Gods image

People can be treated as things

to be used according to our
needs or desires

People are special independent

of what we may think about
them individually

Any pursuit of meaning is simply We can pursue our meaning and

fooling ourselves a useful
purpose as God has defined that
illusion or fiction
for each of us

What is the chief end of man?

Man's chief end is to glorify God,

and to enjoy him for ever.
Westminster Shorter Catechism

Morality
Weve seen that ones worldview
affects
How one lives
How one sees him or herself
How one sees other humans
How one gets along with others

Morality
Objective moral values and duties
A key distinction of a worldview
How does one ground moral values and
duties
Either objectively (transcendent to us)
Or, relatively (by us, whether as individuals or
groups)

Morality
Objective moral values and duties
Why does it matter?
If we define moral values and duties, then:
Who decides?
Why do they get to decide?
What if I or someone else doesnt agree?

The result is chaos In those days therewasno

king in Israel;everyone didwhatwasrightin his
own eyes. Judges 21:25

Morality
Objective moral values and duties
Why does it matter?
Morality becomes a moving target the flavor of
the day
Might makes right he who has the most power
writes the rules
All animals are equal, but some animals are more
equal than others.
George Orwell,Animal Farm

Morality
Objective moral values and duties:
However, if moral values and duties are
grounded in God the transcendent,
unchangeable, and greatest possible being
We discover rather than invent the rules
We know that they reflect the eternal nature of
God
We can trust them, because God has proved
himself to be trustworthy

Morality
We know how to live as:
We are created in Gods image and meant to
reflect that image in the world
Others are created in Gods image and we
are to treat them accordingly
This doesnt mean that we cannot correct or
punish someone who, by sinning, doesnt reflect
that image.

Morality
Gods first commandment reflects his moral
charge:
Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the
birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. God created man in
His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and
female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them,
Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule
over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every
living thing that moves on the earth.

Destiny
Two options:
1. Return to the dust of the earth and cease to
exist
2. Resurrection to eternal life

Destiny
If we are the accidental byproduct of an
undirected natural process, then
The first option seems to be our destiny.

Destiny
However, if we are created in Gods
image, then
We will experience one of two possible
eternal destinies:
Eternal life with God in his Kingdom
Eternal life apart from God in a realm of darkness
and despair

Destiny
Gospel Good News
The good news is that we dont have to
experience separation, if we will cease our
rebellion

Destiny
The battle of worldviews
1. The Inward Curve life turned in on itself
a. Man is the center of his existence, the captain of his own ship.
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Invictus, William Ernest Henley

Destiny
The battle of worldviews
1. The outward curve a life given to Jesus
a. "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what
they are doing. Luke 23:34
b. It is finished! John 19:30
c. Jesus gave his life at the hands of his rebellious
creation to save us.
d. We are called to follow his example

Questions?
Now, whats on your minds?