“Y” Does It Matter? – PM vs. I AM

GodSpeak for the Week of November 3

We continue this week with our series looking at the “forks”/the “Ys” we come to (and, take) in the “road of faith.”  Does it really matter which forks we take?  Does it really matter what we believe? 

This week we look at arguably the most common “wrong fork” folks take – that of Postmodernism.  What does the great “I Am” (i.e., God) have to say to “PM” (Postmodernism)?

Day 1…Read Exodus 3:13-14

• Consider this – in the Bible (both Old and New Testaments) NAMES are usually much more than just an identifier for a person; they’re more than just “tags” for people.
  • Often in the Bible names MEAN something; they give you INSIGHT into the person.
    • For example, in Hebrew “Ezekiel” means “God strengthens”; “Isaiah” means “God has saved,” etc.
• Answer this – what does God tell Moses (which means, “draw out”) His name is?  What does God’s formal name tell you about His nature?
  • Incidentally, God’s name (“I Am”) is the Hebrew word “hayah”.

Day 2…Read Jeremiah 7:21-28

• Consider this – Postmodernism’s FIRST chief belief is that absolute Truth does not exist (in fact, it can’t exist).  What a person believes is “true” for them, but isn’t/doesn’t necessarily have to be true for someone else.
• Consider this – in the Bible passage, here, God is reminding Jeremiah that when He called His people out of Egypt, God did not just ask them to perform TASKS; His chief request was that they OBEY Him.
  • But, they won’t. 
• Answer this – what does God say to Ezekiel in v. 28?  What does God’s response, here, have to say to Postmodern’s erroneous claim that absolute Truth cannot exist?

Day 3…Read John 19:34-36

• Consider this – again, Postmodernism’s FIRST claim is that absolute Truth does not exist; that what is “true” for you may not be “true” for me.
• Answer this – what does John say here about one of the soldiers present at Jesus’ crucifixion, which debunks Postmodernism’s first claim?
  • For John – and, for the Roman soldier present at the crucifixion – what does “truth” mean?

Day 4…Read John 4:39-42

• Consider this – the SECOND primary pillar of Postmodernism is that “reality” is “in the eye of the beholder” (not just “beauty”)!  That is, “reality” is whatever I decide it is and construct it to be.

• Consider this – John’s words, here, come shortly after Jesus’ visit with the Samaritan woman at the well.
  • John tells us that many folks were moved to faith in Jesus, because of the woman’s testimony.
• Answer this – but, many MORE folks were moved to faith in Christ, because of what?
  • What does this say about the nature of “reality”?  Is reality REALLY just in the “eye of the beholder?”

Day 5…Read John 20:15 & Romans 1:20-22

• Consider this – the THIRD belief of Postmodernism is that independent thinking does not exist; that is, we’ve all been shaped/molded by the culture in which we were brought up.
• Answer this – in John 20:15, what was the “culture” Mary Magdalene had been brought up in for three years (i.e., following Jesus)?  Therefore, isn’t her thinking “independent” (because, her response to Jesus-as-supposed-gardener certainly is!)
• Answer this – where does Paul admit in the Romans passage that it is PRECISELY peoples’ “independent thinking” that has caused them to become foolish?

Day 6…Read John 20:30-31

• Consider this – a final belief of Postmodernism is that “proof” doesn’t exist; that science, history, religion…can’t prove anything (apparently because everything is so relative).
• Consider this…
  • …history (from multiple sources) has PROVEN that Jesus was a REAL man who lived a REAL life between about 3 A.D. and 33 A.D.
  • …science (from multiple sources) has CONFIRMED that the crucifixion Jesus died was as described in the Bible
  • …scholars have FOUND physical evidence that events and descriptions recorded in the Bible are accurate
• Answer this – so, what does John think about the notion that “proof” does not exist?  What was his whole purpose in writing his Gospel?