Articles From Our Bulletins
"What's Wrong with the World?"
(*Please Note: What follows was originally written as a sermon outline by the same name {which can be heard in the "Sermons" tab}. But to fulfill a request to give it a wider distrubution, it has been revised and is presented here also as an article. Hopefully, this exlains the differences in style and formatting.)
We’re NOT going to begin with a bunch of statistics or current news stories to demonstrate the degradation of the world, or how inhumane humans can be to one another. You know these things already, and being reminded of them through common or extreme examples is just depressing.
Instead let’s talk about Cause(s) and Solutions. Problems are usually not hard to see or identify. But solutions are often another matter entirely- especially if the cause is not comprehended, or is perhaps misidentified (sending one in the wrong way for solutions that won’t/can’t work). That’s kind of where we are in the world right now. Everyone can see that there are problems, but we are hugely divided over the cause(s) of them. Thus, the proposed solutions vary widely and seldom offer any real progress. What are we to do? Identify, as best we can, the real cause of our problems, and the solution becomes much easier to see, and perhaps even to implement.
Question: What is the most important sentence (verse) in the Bible? John 3:16, because it manifests both God’s love for us and Jesus’ sacrifice to provide our salvation? Hebrews11:1, because it defines the substantive nature of man’s relationship with God? Matthew 7:21 because it stresses the importance of man’s obedience to God, and His willingness to punish those who are non-compliant? Or is it Matthew 22:37,39, because Jesus said “the whole Law and Prophets” depend on these two commands? Perhaps even Matthew 7:12, since it is said to be the “Golden Rule” of life? And what about the wise man’s stated conclusion regarding the meaning of life in Ecclesiastes 12:13? Is that it? Let’s leave that question for a moment…
Do you know who Ravi Zacharias is? He is an Indian-born Canadian-American (which I assume means dual-citizen) Christian apologist. He has written several highly-praised books on evangelical Protestantism, hosts the radio programs Let My People Think and Just Thinking, and is a much-respected lecturer and debater in the field of Judeo-Christian theology and philosophy. Recently I saw a video clip of him answering a Yale student’s question regarding why Christianity views itself so exclusively as containing the answer to life and pathway to heaven (is Christian faith the exclusive means to truth?). Zacharias emphasized four important questions that Christianity (God through Christ saving man, and the revelation of these things in the Scriptures) alone answers. They were Origin, Meaning, Morality, and Destiny. I’d like us to see how these same four considerations intertwine to answer our title question: What’s Wrong with the World?
1. We got origin wrong. We ignored Genesis 1:1 (the answer to our introductory question, for all else that follows in the Text depends on and stems from this one principle) and thus fulfilled Romans 1:18-23 (for precisely the reasons state there). Because of this first misstep,
2. We got meaning wrong. As mere higher animals originating from non-living materials by explosion, chance, and evolution instead of being purposefully created by an Intelligent Designer/Creator, how could we not miss the meaning of life Romans 1:21b-22? Instead of fearing God and keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13), we began to worship and serve self (and even other created creatures), Romans1:24-25; (see also Philippians 3:19). Because of this,
3. We got morality wrong. Without the proper understanding of origin, meaning was relegated to purely temporal and self-serving pursuits, Romans 1:18,24b. This inevitably influenced morality in a regressive rather than progressive way, Romans 1:26-31. This is why so many are more concerned about slaughtered or abused animals than preborn humans, or the rights of deviant behavior which is destructive personally and societally. Because of this,
4. We got destiny wrong. How could we not? After missing the boat on origin, and thus failing to grasp meaning, which in turn corrupted morals, how could wind up “right” on destiny? Lamentably, we couldn’t, can’t, and didn’t. Without that proper foundation on which to stand, we can only fall and fail when it comes to eternal destiny, Romans 1:24a,26a,28a,32; cp. Romans 6:23a instead of Romans 6:23b.
So, how do we make things right in the world? Solutions to problems often become obvious once the cause(s) is correctly diagnosed.
- Get origins right, Genesis 1:1; Romans 1:20; Hebrews 11:1-3,6; Psalms 19:1-6. With the God of the Universe given the proper credit for the creation of all things, we have the proper foundation upon which to stand, and from which to proceed.
- Get meaning right, Ecclesiastes 12:13; Romans 1:21a,23; Psalm 19:14. Having understood that God created all things, including us in His image (cf. Genesis 1:26), we cannot help but to understand that our lives have purpose and meaning beyond mere existence, survival long enough to reproduce and maintain the species, and certainly above hedonistic self-pleasing. Instead, we are to learn, live, and love in such a way that is acceptable to and glorifies Him. This leads to...
- Get morality right, Micah 6:8; Romans 1:31; Matthew 22:37,39; 7:12. Having thus understood our origin and purpose in life, we live differently. Exalted purpose produces emancipated (from sin/corruption) living. All of which allows us to…
- Get destiny right, Romans 1:16-17; 5:1-2; 6:23b. Thus, living to fulfill our purpose in keeping with our origin lets God fulfill His desire to have us abide with Him eternally after physical life ends, Ephesians 1:3-14.
Conclusions:
In my opinion, Charles Darwin (and others of like mind and influence) has done as much to destroy the world, through this futile effort to explain it without God, as any person in history.
Without the proper understanding of origins, nothing else makes sense- or matters, and is doomed to destruction. Thus, man is left only to his own ideas to not only explain the Universe, but to live in it as is “right in his own eyes,” cf. Judges 17:6; 21:25.
But with a proper understanding of origins, man’s meaning, morality, and destiny all come into clear view, and more importantly, into possible reality.
- Whats_Wrong_with_t ... rticle_version.pdf (101.83 kB)
