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THEO 201 - BWVW Essay -
A
Theology Survey I (Liberty University)
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Biblical Worldview Essay
Markanthony Rizzo
THEO 201-B06: Theology Survey
I October 3, 2016
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How can a God rule if He is not active in His own creation? The doctrine that is at the
forefront of the Christian faith is that God is actively involved in His creation and seeks out
opportunities of divine intervention at every moment of the day. Throughout history, it has been
made evident that God makes Himself known through His people such as Moses leading his
people to the promised land, or through Jesus Christ Himself as the Messiah and Savior of the
world. God doesn’t chose to be involved with His creation because He has to, rather because He
loves and cares for all of us and wants to lead us in every step of the way. To say God is just
involved in my life is to say the least. He has been molding and shaping my life every which
way since I have accepted Him into my heart. I believe that God not only leads me, but has a
perfect plan for my life that will work out to His glory in the end. I desire to be His servant as an
example of who Christ was by showing love, mercy, and forgiveness to those whom I encounter
on a day to day basis.
Ever since I was 14 years old, God has pushed me more and more towards music and the
passion that I did not know I had for it. I was soon ushered into a volunteer worship leader
position at my church’s student ministry and began serving by leading and playing drums when
needed. I grew more and more every day and had mentors that saw potential in me and poured
into me. I knew this is something God wanted to use me for full time and He began opening
doors I didn’t know existed. I believe God has played in active role not only in the way He has
got me to where I need to be today, but also by clearly showing me the path I need to take in
order to become a worship leader and further advance His kingdom. The Lord used Paul to give
me a word in this time of my life which is found in Romans 8:28 which states “And we know
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that those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to
his purpose”.
I fully believe that God has laid out His plan for my life as a worship leader and
songwriter for the local church. He has been actively involved with providing the opportunities I
needed in order to know that without a doubt, He has a plan for my life. The career field of
leading people in worship has many aspects to it that involve how I interact with people and how
I am to facilitate the needs of them. Being in ministry will be not be easy, and there will be times
of trial and error, but I believe the body of Christ needs leadership led by someone who is
actively seeking out the living God on a daily basis.
A house without a foundation is sure to fall to the ground. This illustration has been
portrayed in the parable titled “Build Your House on the Rock” found in Matthew 7:24-27. The
story in short tells of one man who builds his house on sand and one who built His house on a
rock. After much rain and flooding, the one whose house was on the sand fell apart, but the one
whose house was on the rock was able to stand without falter. Like this parable, it is important to
build your relationship with Christ before leading others and interacting with them. Christ is the
solid rock and the cornerstone of the believer’s foundation, and without Him, no relationship can
be honoring or glorifying to Christ. I believe the basis of any interaction within any vocation
should be rooted within a solid relationship with Christ, just like the man who built his house
upon the rock. With a solid foundation set in place, then I can venture into having relationships
and interactions that are honoring and glorifying to Christ.
As a worship leader and pastor, there will be many times that congregants will come
seeking advice, and it is important to have the right theology and Biblical worldview necessary
for assessing any kind of situation. One specific scenario that may occur is an individual who
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may be seeking to accept and follow Christ for the first time. As a leader within ministry, I would
have the responsibility to be able to have a proper understanding of God’s word and be able to
explain the Gospel in a manner that is clear and concise. To be able to do this, I must be able to
explain the trinity, spiritual warfare, doctrines of Revelation, and be able to support why I believe
what I believe with proper Scripture to back myself up.
The best way to be able to explain the trinity within my vocation is to use the Bible and
supporting verses such as John 14:26, John 10:30-36, and Matthew 3:16-17. Nobody will ever
fully understand the trinity because if we were to understand the mysteries of God, we would be
equal with Him and therefore not need Him at all. Explaining this concept can be confusing to an
individual, but is important to remember that it is faith that drives the Christian walk. There are
many other situations that can occur within a worship leading position, but it is crucial to think
about how spiritual warfare can not only affect an individual’s perception of the Gospel, but how
it can affect a team of believers as well.
Worship teams are normally set in place by the worship leader, and it will be a normal
thing to deal with spiritual warfare. Perhaps an individual can feel unsure about their faith, yet
still desire to serve on the team. As a leader, I will need to possess the skills to combat spiritual
warfare through prayer and guidance. John 10:10 explains how “The thief comes to steal, kill,
and destroy. But I have come to give life, so that you may have it more abundantly.” Within the
midst of spiritual warfare, the only way to combat the enemy is to call upon the name of the
Lord and use Scripture to proclaim His truth. Guidance is the second part to leading, and as a
part of guiding, I must be able to remind each team member who they are in Christ. 1 John 4:4
lays out the memento that “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because
greater is
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He who is in you than he who is in the world.” God can reveal His might and power not only in
this way, but also through the doctrines on Revelation.
Special and General Revelation need to be a daily reminder for myself as a team leader
to never put God in a box to limit what He can do. Special Revelation is God revealing Himself
through miracles and supernatural wonders, and General Revelation is God revealing Himself
through nature, philosophy, and reasoning. Using general revelation can look like using the
inspiration around me that God has provided to write new songs for the local church and
proclaim all that He has done. On the other hand, being aware that God uses Special Revelation
is a key to a worship leader to know when the Spirit moves among a congregation. Many times,
there will be worship leaders without this knowledge and not know that they are putting the
Holy Spirit in a box by limiting what He can do. Possessing these truths in the vocation God has
set before me is vital to becoming a leader who is fueled by the love and grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Looking ahead is a bit daunting knowing that I will be encountering these topics almost
daily within my professional life. I know that the road ahead will be tough within ministry and
having to deal with people that will have many theologically based questions, and yes, I do fear
not knowing the answers that they need. Regardless, I realize I have a responsibility to train and
equip myself with the knowledge and wisdom God has set before me. Proverbs 9:10 says that
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy one is
understanding.” Rooting myself daily in the Word and being fervent in prayer is the back bone
of becoming a Godly leader and disciple of Christ. As a worship leader, it will be my duty to not
only know God’s Word, but to live it out daily to its fullest affect. Situations will rise and I will
have to know how to deal with them. The way that God interacts within my daily life will not
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only give me the knowledge that I need to assess certain situations, but will also guide me to
where I need to be as not just a worship leader, but also as a disciple of Christ, and a mentor to
others. 2 Timothy 2:2 “The things which you have learned from me in the presence of many
witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
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Bibliography
Miller, Marlin E., Richard A. Kauffman, and Gayle Gerber Koontz. Theology for the Church.
Elkhart, Ind: Institute of Mennonite Studies, 1997.
The Holy Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2005.
