REFRESH | Worldview and the Gospel

By Brad Ransom

The Great Commission is clear. We are to “go and tell” to make disciples of all nations. What if we go and tell, but in the wrong language? Immediately, we recognize the problem with this. What good would it do to present the gospel in English (the only language I speak) to someone who only speaks German?

Sharing the gospel is more than just sharing the message. We must present it in a way the listener can understand and act upon. Language is the big issue we consider, but what if an even bigger issue hinders people from understanding the gospel? I believe worldview is that second obstacle.

Worldview is the lens by which we see and interpret messages and events around us, usually specific to the culture we know. If you share the gospel from your worldview with those from a different worldview, can they understand the message? More importantly, does it resonate with them enough to act upon it?

Communicating the gospel effectively begins with understanding four main motivations/values driven by worldview:

• Guilt/Innocence
  

• Honor/Shame
  

• Fear/Power
  

• Indifference/Belonging
  

These values are based on certain geographical boundaries. For instance, in the West, where we value individualism and rights, morality is based on right and wrong as defined by law. You have the right to your own opinion and beliefs if you don’t break the law. If you do break the law, the only solution is to suffer punishment according to your crime. Most Western countries are searching for the solution to guilt.

The Middle East and Asia operate differently. Family and community are valued above everything else. Personal relationships, reputation, and social status are the primary motivators. If you come from a good family, do good things in the community, and follow social norms, you have societal honor. However, if someone does something dishonorable or experiences something dishonorable, the family and community are shamed along with the individual. It is natural for these cultures to do anything possible to avoid shame.

Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and many other tribal areas operate differently still. Reality is built on the spiritual realm as much as the physical realm. Their decisions hinge on the perceived positive or negative reactions from the spirits around them. Taboos, superstitions, spells, and sacrifices dominate these cultures and lead to a constant state of fear.

Since the entrance of the post-modern era (specifically in the U.S.), a fourth worldview has greatly impacted the West and other cultures. In a culture where most people believe in God but do not associate the gospel with biblical truth, we find a culture of indifferent people. They spend their time trying to be good citizens without concern regarding sin or truth because truth only exists in the mind of the individual. These people, as identified by John Stott, yearn for three things: community, significance, and transcendence.

Community is the perception everyone belongs to a family, even in a very broken world. Significance is the desire to have a purpose in this world. They desire meaning and significance. Transcendence is a connection to something beyond immediate and material things and beings.

As we are “going and telling,” what is the good news to each of these worldviews? From a guilt/innocence perspective, good news is finding the way to pay the penalty for our sin after we are found guilty. Jesus, by His death on the cross, took our guilt and declared us innocent. Therefore, we can spend eternity in Heaven.

From the honor/shame perspective, the good news is hearing we have a Savior who took our sin upon Himself, setting us free from the shame of our sin. One day, we will stand before our Judge free from shame.

For the fear/power perspective, good news is knowing we can accept a Savior who has authority over the universe. He can calm the sea, heal the sick, and raise the dead. That Savior has all power to remove our sin and heal us from our infirmities, leaving us with no reason to fear.

Good news to those struggling with indifference/belonging comes in knowing we can be adopted into the Family of God. We have a Heavenly Father who made us heirs to His Kingdom, and we have a family (the church) with whom we identify. Because of this family, we can do greater things together than we can alone.

Yes, we are commanded to “go and tell,” but we must share the gospel in a way the listener can understand and accept the message.

Much of the information above was adapted from 3D Gospel and Effective Intercultural Evangelism by W. Jay Moon and W. Bud Simon.

About the Columnist: Dr. Brad Ransom is director of church planting and chief training officer for North American Ministries. Contact Brad: brad@nafwb.org.