-Why is this important? I believe the Bible. The problem is that the majority of the world doesn’t. In your classrooms you will hear newer, flashier and seemingly better ideas. You will meet people everyday who believe things that are different than you…you will go with those people to starbucks which always includes deep discussion where religion comes up. IF you don’t know anyone like this then expand your circle of friends outside of Christianity.
Where we Are:
Postmodernism Notes-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/atheism/types/postmodernism.shtml
http://spot.colorado.edu/~harrisov/ramt/ramt10.htm
http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/Internet/religion_post_bib.htm
-Postmodern religious thought centers on the idea that objective truth through religion is not attainable, religion is a social construct, there is no right religion, all have merit
-Whatever works for you is ok
The Battle Our Generation Faces
-Opposed to Christianity because the Christian worldview is that there can be only one absolute truth, that God exist in the world and sent Christ, part of himself, as the savior of the world. Jesus is the “way the truth and the light…no one comes to the father except through him”..this is an exclusive statement. Christ has to be the only right way or Christianity falls apart.
John 14:6- Truth- alētheia,
a) what is true in any matter under consideration
1) truly, in truth, according to truth
2) of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly
b) what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth
1) in the greatest latitude
2) the true notions of God which are open to human reason without his supernatural intervention
Jesus repeats this over and over in Matthew. “I tell you the truth, I tell you the Truth…”
John 18: 28-40- exchange between Jesus and Pilate and What is truth.
37Then Pilate said, "So, are you a king or not?"
Jesus answered, "You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice."
38-39Pilate said, "What is truth?"
(The message)
-Our culture and generation has to know the “correct” truth, Postmodern ideals seem “higher” intellectually because they combine all religious thought into one boat, therefore it seems like the highest level and therefore the correct level, it is hard to make the argument for Christianity because “intellectually” it seems to be a lesser developed idea, The anti-Christ is a deceiver, this is the only way he can control people because he has no actual power. The ideas of postmodernism can deceive the mind into thinking that knowledge and logic are the ultimate in spiritual awakening and therefore since postmodernism is the “highest” ideal, then it must be correct
-I recently had a conversation with a friend who says he is ignostic. “I.G.” He poses the question “Can God create a mountain that He himself cannot move?” If the answer is yes then God is not the most powerful force in the universe because he can’t move mountain. If the answer is no, then he can’t create the mountain, and if the answer is God wouldn’t do that, then God is governed by Logic.
-God is by definition omniscient, omnipresent, etc. Genesis 1. In the Beginning God. Period. There was no logic, there was no light, no earth, no mountains, no time, no me. There was God. John 1:3, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” We assume that our logic and thinking a reason are our own minds making chemical reactions causing these thoughts to occur. Who created the thought and the philosophy 301…God. Psalm 8.
Psalm 19
Knowledge comes from God. Genesis 2:9, Exodus 31:3, Numbers 24: 15-17, 2 Chronicles 1,
Proverbs 1:7
-It is easy to prove Christianity through the Bible, however if you don’t start with a Presupposition of Biblical truth than it becomes very difficult. It becomes very experiential. Postmoderns tend to believe that the Bible is simply a book written by man, maybe even with some spiritual aspects but they see it as a book of social codes that makes people feel whole and good about themselves, not as the inspired work of the Devine God. I find that god tends to beckon us like Saul in Acts 9. He doesn't just call, but he knocks us off our horse and we are blinded untill we receive his grace.
-Christianity requires submission to God, to be an “imitator of God,” human nature does not like to give up control.
-A loving God cannot rationally send the people he created to Hell, therefore there must be other ways than Christ to God. John 14:6- I am the way the truth ect… there is not I am one way or one of the ways, Jesus says "I am THE Way" (sidenote, early Christians refered to themselves as "the way") God has to give us free will otherwise we are simply peons with no real life because God is dictating that we worship him…Our worship is pleasing to God because we choose Him and grace over Hell and false idols.
-Postmodernism can be deceptively close to Christianity..if the Bible is simply a book of theological truths then could God not simply have created different sets of Theological truths…therefore I can believe in God but not Christ because there are other ways to God not through Christ.
-The strongest argument I find is ironically old. From C.S. Lewis. “Jesus is either a Liar,. Lunitic, or Lord. He is not a good teacher (common belief) b.c if he is not the way then he is either a lier or dillusional.
Other scripture-
John 14
4- “You know the way to the place where I am going”, Thomas says..no..we don’t . Even the disciples are having trouble.
5-I am the way the…Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Nothing else is the way. It doesn’t say I am one of the ways, the statement is clear. I am the way to the father.
7- The father is the destination and if you know me then you will know my father.
Ephesians 2:1-10
Before: the way we used to live is literally “meandering through the path of life.” We give in to the desires of the air. As a new flashy theology comes along we accept it through our sinful nature.
After: For it is by grace you have been saved…our saving Grace from God is not only eternity but the joyful knowledge that we are on the right track in life. Its provides direction and ultimate hope.
1 Corinthians 15: 12-19
- Paul is saying that if the resurrection never happened, then Hope is lost, life is futile, we are still dead to sin. The common misnomer at the time was that there was no resurrection of the dead. Paul is saying that if this is true we may as well quit now, why do you continue.
-Paul uses the greek verb that expresses his certainty of Christ physical resurrection 7 times in chapter 15.
No comments:
Post a Comment