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According to the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University, over 69% of Americans identify as Christians. However, only 4% of Americans have a biblical worldview.
A biblical worldview is a means of experiencing, interpreting and responding to reality in light of biblical perspectives so that each choice made may be consistent with God's principles and commands.
In other words, do you sift decision-making in all areas of your life through the word of God? Unfortunately, the answer is No, for most Americans. According to the creator of the American Worldview Inventory and CRC Director of Research, Dr. George Barna, the results are frightening for biblical Christians. He is especially disappointed that more Christian churches and schools are not emphasizing biblical worldview development.
I am also disappointed—as we have all seen social media, arts and entertainment, public schools and the government's negative impact on our lives. Unfortunately, the culture is shaping the people more than the church. Where is the church's training, teaching and leading—to ensure that the flock has a biblical understanding of today's most challenging issues? Where there is no biblical worldview, there is no repentance, contrition, brokenness or redemption.
Just recently, we have seen glimmers of hope—with students joining together in praise and worship to the Lord on college campuses across the country. And the movie Jesus Revolution is shining light on a spiritual awakening in the 1970s that could inspire this generation and beyond. Perhaps these moments will help us examine our hearts—and move us to action. But, it will take work—in the church, at home and in our communities. Here's where we should start:
Christ followers should study God's word daily, asking the Lord for His wisdom.
The church must disciple, providing wisdom from the word of God about today's critical issues—such as the sanctity of life, marriage and family, justice and treating others with love and respect.
The church has to continue the heavy lifting of going out into the world to preach the gospel.
The family that studies the Bible together can better weather the storms of life.
Our identity must be in Christ, not race, gender or the culture. We must cling to God's righteousness.
The Black community is primed for revival. We have not seen a distinguishable revival in the Black community since Azusa Street—a historic series of revival meetings in Los Angeles in 1906 and lasted until 1915. William Seymour, a Black preacher, led this revival. Today, Black pastors must urge their congregants to seek God in a much greater way.
A biblical worldview has been exchanged for a cultural worldview guided by man's views, not God's word. We must also reject the victim mentality and place the Lord at the helm of our lives. First, though, we must invite God in—individually and corporately.
As it says in Isaiah 57:15, our hearts must be contrite and filled with humility. We need to cry out to the Lord and surrender to Him. To do this work, congregants need Black pastors who lead the way—who surrender to God and resist blaming others—and a system. Church leaders must disciple and train their congregants to have a biblical worldview—and live a life that is fully surrendered to God with the Bible as their foundation. However, pastors and leaders must first possess a biblical worldview—and a posture of reverence for God's word, no matter what man says. The direction given must be biblical. If we cry out to Him, hungry and willing to be broken, God will do a mighty work in us.
We can look around and see the rotten fruit from our collective disobedience. I hope this insight will move us all to swift action—to examine our hearts, our families and our churches—and devise a plan of action to help us adopt a biblical worldview—and get us ready for revival, individually and corporately.
"The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: "I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts." Isaiah 57:15
Bishop Garland R. Hunt serves as the Senior Pastor of The Father's House in Norcross, Georgia. He is a Senior Fellow with the Douglass Leadership Institute and leads the organization’s Forward Justice Initiative. Hunt’s executive leadership spans 28 years with the Fellowship of International Churches, Wellington Boone Ministries, and New Generation Campus Ministries. In 2004, he was appointed to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles and served as chairman of the Parole Board in 2006. In 2010, Hunt was commissioner of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. In 2011, he served as president of Prison Fellowship.