Thoughts from Pastor Stan

Sermon Notes

July 27, 2008

Three Simple Rules

INTRO

QUESTION: Anybody here think the world moves to fast?

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

At Annual Conference this year, the Bishop preached on a book written by Rueben P. Job, “Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living.”

JOHN WESLEY (1703 – 1791)

An Anglican minister who was an early leader in the Methodist movement. The Wesley brothers and George Whitefield began an itinerant field preaching ministry in the British Isles. It was extremely successful. The movement would move across the Atlantic to the United States. Small groups were important in early methodism. The Methodists were moving on toward perfection and were a part of the Pietism. Wesley never became a Methodist, he remained in the Church of England.

INTRO TO BOOK

What is a Methodist?

Answer (according to John Wesley; “The Character of a Methodist,” Works, Vol 8; pg 341):

“A Methodist is one who has “the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him;” one who “loves the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind, and with all his strength. God is the joy of his heart, and the desire of his soul; which is constantly crying out, “whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is non upon earth that I desire beside thee! My God and my all! Thou art the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever!”

POINT OF BOOK:

According to the author, the point of the books is that “there are three simple rules that will change the world.”

Why We Need to Change the world (problem with life)

“We live in such a fast-paced, frenzied, and complex world that it is easy to believe we are all trapped into being someone we do not wish to be and living a life we do not desire to live.” Or in the words of Stephen Covey living a reactive and instead of proactive life.

SOLUTION: Greatest & 2^nd Greatest Commandment

MARK 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

This is the “foundation and instruction of the faithful and good life in every age.”

RULE #1 – DO NO HARM

“By doing no harm, by avoiding evil of every kind, especially that which is most generally practiced.” Discipline, par 103

RULE # 2 – DO GOOD

“By doing good; by being in every kind merciful after their power; as they have opportunity, doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all…” - Discipline, 2004; par 103

RULE # 3 – STAY IN LOVE WITH GOD

“By attending upon all the ordinances of God…” – Discipline, 2004; par 103

QUESTION: Do you disagree/agree?

The rules are both simple and difficult. The author says they are simple to understand and difficult to implement. Perhaps it could also be difficult to understand when we take into consideration:

TWO TYPES OF HARM

a. Intentional

b. Unintentional (unintended consequences)

IMPLICATION: harm is in the eye of the beholder

POINT – Be Love Driven

As difficult as it may be, God calls us to be love driven; “We love because he first loved us.” (John 4:19)

CHALLENGE

There are two extremes, a world without love and a world with complete and total love. Most of us live in a world in the in between. And unfortunately, where we are in the spectrum, may be the result of our own actions. So, where do you fit on the spectrum; and is it by your own inadvertent or intentional choice(s)?

NEXT WEEK:

The movie: CITIZEN CANE

Question: Do you feel loved/appreciated? Or Are you looking for love

(pass out cards after benediction)

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)