July 20
Sermon Notes
August 3, 2008
Brothers Karamazov
INTRO – Everything is Spiritual
Many good books and movies have a spiritual message.
INTRO –
Brothers Karamazov was written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
SYNOPSIS OF STORY
The movie opens with the Father, eating and drinking and being merry his way. Alexi enters the home, and the father changes his tune (“song”) on how he eats and drinks. Our actions speak louder than our words. Even though the father believes in God, he lives as God exists when his son, the monk is present.
For us, there is an ethical tension on how we live our lives. Do you know anyone who wavers between: Party on! & Party on God’s Way; My way & God’s way; Suggestions & Commandments. There are those folks who live their life as God exists; but when something “’better” comes along; they live life as though God does not exist.
At times, this is an issue of “Lordship.” Jesus is Lord; unless there is something that has veto power in one’s life over that proclamation. Within our decision making process, there are may variables that are taken into consideration. Some of these variables can trump another more important variable in the right circumstance. (example: filing taxes).
The father will be murdered by one of the sons. The son who murders is given the philosophical foundation for his act by his brother, Ivan the Intellectual; who argues that there is no God and all things are permissible; in fact even crime is inevitable. Thus taking his words literally, the half brother kills the father in which he takes steps to frame Dmitri, one of the brothers. Dmitri is found guilty. He and Katarina plan an escape.
Video Clips
1. 19:20 – 20:3
Ivan is greeted by Smerdyakov, a “half” brother, who idolizes Ivan’s intellect while quoting that “If there is no God all things are permissible.” In fact, if there is no God, crime is inevitable.
2. 27:47 – 28:51
At the request of the father, the brothers, Ivan and Alexi, debate the existence of God.
Application
1. For those who believe one should eat drink and be merry for tomorrow you shall die, the Father is an example.
2. For those who believe one should live life as God as intended, Alexi the son is an example.
3. For those who believe one should work hard and play hard, Dimitri is an example.
4. For those who believe the intellectual life , then Ivan is an example.
5. And for those who believe on should idolize another, Smerdyakov is an example.
THESIS – Without God, all things are permissible – then why be good?
A. Explanation
1. “Without God” Ecclesiastes – “Eat drink and be merry”
- Brother, Ivan put the proposal
- Dmitri & the father, lived it
- The father, ate and drank and be merry
- (step) Brother, will test it
- Brother, Alexi, challenged it (priest/monk)
a. Scripture
b. Father (empircalist); Ivan (Rationalist); Alexi (Spiritualist); Dmitri (Hedonist?); Sm (?)
Jean Paul SATRE (1905 – 1980) Responds
A. (atheistic) Existentialist – agrees
B. Sartre says: Dostoyevsky wrote: If God does not exist, everything is permitted and for Existentialism this is the starting-point .
C. "The existentialist...finds it extremely embarrassing that God does not exist, for there disappears with him all possibility of finding values in an intelligible heaven....Dostoevsky once wrote, 'If God did not exist, everything would be permitted,
SPINOZA – Three types of Virtue (Egoism; Malice and Compassion)
1. Feminine virtue (Buddha and Jesus)
2. Masculine virtue (Machiavelli and Nietzsche)
3. Intellectual virtue (Socrates, Plato and Aristotle)
NIETZSCHE (Hero Morality Vs Lame Paws Morality)
“Verily, I have often laughed at the weaklings, who think themselves good because they have crippled/lame paws! (Thus Spake Zarathustra; 35. The Sublime Ones)
ISSUE
If there is no God, then where does morality come from (ie. no Mt. Sinai and 10 Commandments)? Does it come from nature? Nature seems to indicate a Darwinism morality of the strong over the weak. Is that morality? According to some atheist, yes. Without morality, one can wonder do we crumble into a Lord of the Flies morality?
OPPORTUNITY
For our friends who do not believe in God; nor attend church; it would be an interesting conversation to ask them where their morality comes from. There is a tendency for 1st generation atheists to adopt the morality of their parents (ie. bring the baggage of Christianity and its’ morality); the interesting dilemma is 2nd generation atheist, where do they get their morality from?
SCRIPTURE: Romans 1: 18 - 20
RO 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
POINT: Nature indicates there is a God.
CHALLENGE: How then shall we live? (Eat, drink and be merry; God’s way)
August 3, 2008
Brothers Karamazov
INTRO – Everything is Spiritual
Many good books and movies have a spiritual message.
INTRO –
Brothers Karamazov was written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
SYNOPSIS OF STORY
The movie opens with the Father, eating and drinking and being merry his way. Alexi enters the home, and the father changes his tune (“song”) on how he eats and drinks. Our actions speak louder than our words. Even though the father believes in God, he lives as God exists when his son, the monk is present.
For us, there is an ethical tension on how we live our lives. Do you know anyone who wavers between: Party on! & Party on God’s Way; My way & God’s way; Suggestions & Commandments. There are those folks who live their life as God exists; but when something “’better” comes along; they live life as though God does not exist.
At times, this is an issue of “Lordship.” Jesus is Lord; unless there is something that has veto power in one’s life over that proclamation. Within our decision making process, there are may variables that are taken into consideration. Some of these variables can trump another more important variable in the right circumstance. (example: filing taxes).
The father will be murdered by one of the sons. The son who murders is given the philosophical foundation for his act by his brother, Ivan the Intellectual; who argues that there is no God and all things are permissible; in fact even crime is inevitable. Thus taking his words literally, the half brother kills the father in which he takes steps to frame Dmitri, one of the brothers. Dmitri is found guilty. He and Katarina plan an escape.
Video Clips
1. 19:20 – 20:3
Ivan is greeted by Smerdyakov, a “half” brother, who idolizes Ivan’s intellect while quoting that “If there is no God all things are permissible.” In fact, if there is no God, crime is inevitable.
2. 27:47 – 28:51
At the request of the father, the brothers, Ivan and Alexi, debate the existence of God.
Application
1. For those who believe one should eat drink and be merry for tomorrow you shall die, the Father is an example.
2. For those who believe one should live life as God as intended, Alexi the son is an example.
3. For those who believe one should work hard and play hard, Dimitri is an example.
4. For those who believe the intellectual life , then Ivan is an example.
5. And for those who believe on should idolize another, Smerdyakov is an example.
THESIS – Without God, all things are permissible – then why be good?
A. Explanation
1. “Without God” Ecclesiastes – “Eat drink and be merry”
- Brother, Ivan put the proposal
- Dmitri & the father, lived it
- The father, ate and drank and be merry
- (step) Brother, will test it
- Brother, Alexi, challenged it (priest/monk)
a. Scripture
b. Father (empircalist); Ivan (Rationalist); Alexi (Spiritualist); Dmitri (Hedonist?); Sm (?)
Jean Paul SATRE (1905 – 1980) Responds
A. (atheistic) Existentialist – agrees
B. Sartre says: Dostoyevsky wrote: If God does not exist, everything is permitted and for Existentialism this is the starting-point .
C. "The existentialist...finds it extremely embarrassing that God does not exist, for there disappears with him all possibility of finding values in an intelligible heaven....Dostoevsky once wrote, 'If God did not exist, everything would be permitted,
SPINOZA – Three types of Virtue (Egoism; Malice and Compassion)
1. Feminine virtue (Buddha and Jesus)
2. Masculine virtue (Machiavelli and Nietzsche)
3. Intellectual virtue (Socrates, Plato and Aristotle)
NIETZSCHE (Hero Morality Vs Lame Paws Morality)
“Verily, I have often laughed at the weaklings, who think themselves good because they have crippled/lame paws! (Thus Spake Zarathustra; 35. The Sublime Ones)
ISSUE
If there is no God, then where does morality come from (ie. no Mt. Sinai and 10 Commandments)? Does it come from nature? Nature seems to indicate a Darwinism morality of the strong over the weak. Is that morality? According to some atheist, yes. Without morality, one can wonder do we crumble into a Lord of the Flies morality?
OPPORTUNITY
For our friends who do not believe in God; nor attend church; it would be an interesting conversation to ask them where their morality comes from. There is a tendency for 1st generation atheists to adopt the morality of their parents (ie. bring the baggage of Christianity and its’ morality); the interesting dilemma is 2nd generation atheist, where do they get their morality from?
SCRIPTURE: Romans 1: 18 - 20
RO 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
POINT: Nature indicates there is a God.
CHALLENGE: How then shall we live? (Eat, drink and be merry; God’s way)
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