Sermon 4 11 2008 part 1

Lesson 2 -- "Philosophy & Ethics: 'Says Who?" Saturday, April 12, 2008 By Pastor John Honold 1. Have you been taken captive? (Colossians 2:8) a. Oprah Winfrey, Eckhart Tolle, and A New Earth b. Assumptive language c. The Cosmic Cube d. God's Attributes and Character (1) The Living God - Jehovah, I Am (Exodus 3:13-15): the one who is self-existent, beyond time and space, yet ever available and present to us - El Olam, the Eternal (Psalm 90:2): a timeless, enduring, forever kind of Being who has always been and shall always be - Avi, Father (Isaiah 64:8): the Father-heart of God (2) The Unchanging God - Jehovah Ha Tsur, the Rock (Deuteronomy 32:15): immutable, changelessness, steadfastness, absolute and utter reliability - Jehovah Shammah: the Lord is There (Ezekiel 48:35): omnipresent (3) The Almighty God - El Shaddai, the Almighty (Genesis 17:1): omnipotence - El Elyon, God Most High (Genesis 14:18-20): His exalted place of dominion, including omniscience -- seeing and knowing all things - Jehovah Sabaoth, Lord of Hosts (Psalm 24:10): ruler of the angelic hosts - Adonai Jehovah (Genesis 15:1-2): owner and master -- the God of all my life, potential and destiny (4) The Saving God - Jehovah Tsidkenu (Jeremiah 23:6): the ultimate equitable, just, mighty yet merciful, holy yet patient, powerful yet humble judge, He is our Righteousness - Jehovah Rapha (Exodus 15:26): the Lord who heals - Jehovah Nissi (Exodus 17:15): the Lord is my banner -- He goes before me in spiritual warfare 2. Philosophy: What is it? (Romans 1:25) a. Webster's 1828 definition: "the objects of philosophy are to ascertain facts or truths, and the causes of things or their phenomena; to enlarge our view of God and His works" b. Philosophical questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? c. Universals and Particulars d. The book of Ecclesiastes (1) Can true value be found in this life without God? (1:1-3) (2) Humanistic solutions do not answer the question (1:4-11) (3) Wisdom without God is useless (1:12-18) (4) Pleasure without God is meaningless (2:1-11) (5) The failure of retribution (2:12-17) (6) The failure of materialism (2:18-26) (7) Man's effort without God cannot answer in: - created order (3:1-15) - death (3:16-22) - oppression (4:1-3) - envy (4:4-6) - being alone (4:7-12) - hereditary (4:13-16) - religion (5:1-7) - value of things (5:8-14) - inheritance (5:15-20) - deprived life (6:1-9) - determinism of nature (6:10-12) (8) Practical wisdom and its uses (7:1-8:9) (9) More useless efforts (8:10-9:18) (10) More use of Wisdom (10:1-11:6) (11) Conclusion: Fear God and Obey Him (11:7-12:14) 3. Postmodernism: Can you live it? (Psalm 2:1-3) a. What is right? What is wrong? b. Naturalistic Philosophy: Truth and reality are derived from nature and natural causes. Rejects all spiritual and supernatural explanations of the world and holds that science is the primary basis of what can be known. c. Statistical Ethics and "might is right" d. The distinction between morality and ethics 4. Worldview and Renewing of the Mind (Romans 12:2) a. Christianity as a worldview that governs every area of my life b. How I think, act and feel -- what I really believe c. Metamorphoo