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MODERNISM:  THE PRCURSOR (2)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Last week, we began a two-part lesson entitled, “Modernism, The Precursor to Today’s Thinking.”

 

B.      In that lesson we looked at two points:

1.      Modernism Expected.

2.      Modernism Explained.

 

C.     In our lesson tonight, we will look at two more points:

1.      Modernism Expressed

2.      Modernism Exposed

 

I.                   MODERNISM EXPRESSED

 

A.    Since Modernism is connected with science and human reason, the supernatural is automatically discarded. 

1.      The modernist doubts, if not altogether, denies the existence of God.

2.      The Bible is not the inspired Word of God according to the modernist.

3.      Modernists tell us that anything in the Bible can be explained by natural events, or, the miracles are just a figurative way to express lessons to the readers.

4.      They do not believe that Jesus is the divine Son of God.  Being born of a virgin, living a perfect, sinless life, and shedding His blood on a cross are too much for the modernist.

 

B.      Why does the modernist reject the existence of God?

1.      God cannot be scientifically proven to exist.

a.      He cannot be seen, heard, touched, felt, or tasted.

b.      God cannot be brought into a laboratory to be interviewed or tested. 

2.      Website:  Learned Religions, there is an article entitled:  God:  The Failed Hypothesis – How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist, Victor J. Stenger writes:

 

“If God existed, there should be concrete evidence of His existence – not faith, but trangible, measureable, consistent evidence that can be predicted and tested using the scientific method.  If we fail to find that evidence, then God cannot exist as defined.”

 

3.      The modernist needs the natural, not the supernatural.

The modernist needs a sample, not that which is ample.

The modernist needs human reasoning, not divine revelation.

 

C.     Modernists deny that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.

1.      JEDP & R

a.      They doubt the traditional authors of most books of the Bible.  They certainly do not believe Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible.

b.      Their explanation of the books is called the documentary hypothesis.

1)      They do not know who the writers are.  They refer to them as J, E, D, and P.

a)      J wrote the sections containing the name Jehovah for God

b)      E wrote the sections containing the name Elohim for God

c)      D wrote Deuteronomy.

d)     P wrote the priestly sections of the books.

e)      R is a redactor or editor who brought the books together in their present form.

2.      The first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis are myth.

a.      Creation is a myth.  The fall of man is a myth.  The worldwide flood of Noah’s day is a myth.  The tower of Babel is a myth.

b.      The word “myth” as defined by Professor David J. Engelsma in an article entitled:  “Genesis 1-11:  Myth or History?”

 

“But a myth is a story that never happened.  The storyteller casts the myth in the form of events, events that occurred on earth among men.  Usually these events involved the gods and their relationship with men and women.  But these mythical events have no reality in actual fact; they are unhistorical.  If read or listened to for entertainment, thy myth is fictitious.  If taught as the factual explanation of a certain aspect of human life, the myth is a lie.”

 

c.       NOTE:  Several years ago, we had professors at Abilene Christian University who referring to the Creation narrative as a myth.

3.      Modernists also deny all the miracles of the Bible.

a.      The miracles must have natural explanations, or, they are cast into the realm of mythology.

b.      Examples:

1)      The walls of Jericho

a)      My Own Daily Bread, an engineer affirms that resonance and wave physics made the walls collapse.

b)      Chris Kidd believes that the entire account in a myth.  He writes:  “It is only through a terrible misunderstanding of the scriptures that such myths continue to be literally interpreted” (www.madeworthy.com, “How Did the Walls of Jericho Fall Down and What Is the Real Lesson? Chris Kidd).

2)      All of the miracles of Jesus are rejected by the modernist.  They have no room for the supernatural.

 

II.                MODERNISM EXPOSED

 

A.    First, a modernist cannot really prove the things that he denies regarding spiritual things.

1.      He asserts that there is nothing beyond the physical universe.

2.      He can only make assertions about things that can be tested and tried.

3.      The spiritual realm is a realm that transcends this world. 

4.      The best a modernist can do is admit that he does not know if such a place exists.  For all he knows, it could exist.  Thus, he moves from being an atheist to an agnostic.

 

B.      The modernist must reject any and all evidence that points to God and to the supernatural.

1.      Faith is based on evidence.

a.      Hebrews 11:1

 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

 

b.      Romans 1:19-21

 

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse (emp. mine, vme).

 

C.     There are at least three lines of evidence that prove God exists.

1.      The cosmos (Ps. 19:1-3)

 

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork.  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.

 

2.      The human body (Ps. 139:14)

 

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:  marvelous are they works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

 

3.      Design (Heb. 3:4)

 

For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

 

D.    If a person is able to prove that the Bible is the Word of God and that Jesus is the Son of God, he can easily refute the claims of the modernist.  One of the most powerful proofs of the inspiration of the Bible and of the deity of Christ is Messianic prophecy.

1.      Messianic prophecies involve predictions made by the Old Testament writers regarding the coming Messiah.

2.      There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Covenant.

3.      These were not written “after the fact” as the modernist likes to assert when discussing many prophecies.  We know they were written before the birth of Christ because of the Septuagint Version.

a.      The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament.

b.      It came into existence in the second or third century B.C.  Thus, it existed before Christ came into the world.

4.      The Messianic prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus to the letter.

a.      These were not vague prophecies.  They involved minute details.

b.      The only way for the Old Testament writers to know these details was for them to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.

c.       The only way Jesus could fulfill all of them was to be the Son of God.

 

E.      If Jesus is the Son of God, and He is, then it behooves man to listen to Him.

1.      He believed in the Creation of Genesis (Mark 10:6).

 

But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

 

2.      He affirmed the flood of Noah’s day (Matt. 24:37-39).

 

 

Before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

3.      Jesus also taught that Moses was the author of the Pentateuch.

a.      John 7:19

 

Did not Moses give you the law…

 

b.      Luke 24:44

 

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

 

F.      With regard to miracles, if God exists, then miracles are simply the display of the mighty power of God.  They need no natural explanation.  (See Hebrews 11:30).

 

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    Modernism is a scourge in our world.

1.      It attempts to remove God and replace Him with man.

2.      It attempts to do away with divine revelation and replace it with man’s wisdom.

3.      It attempts to deny the power of God and replace it with myths and fables.

 

B.      Modernism is not really that modern.

1.      Pharaoh did not want to acknowledge the Lord when Moses appeared before him (Exo. 5:2).

2.      When Moses began to bring the plagues on the land, the magicians tried to discredit him by duplicating his miracles (Exo. 7:11-13; 22; 8:7).  This came to an end at the plague of lice (Exo. 8:18-19a).

 

And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not:  so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.  Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God…

 

3.      Pharaoh stubbornly turned away from the evidences set forth by God.  He hardened his heart to his own destruction.  No, modernism is not modern.

 

C.     There are some ancient things that need to be held onto as tightly as possible:  God, the Word of God, and our faith.

1.      God is eternal and will abide forever (Deut. 33:27).

2.      The Bible will also endure forever (I Pet. 1:25).

3.      The only thing that has not been promised to abide forever is our faith.  It can, but we must hold it fast.  We must root it deeply in the ancient things of God and never let it go. (Heb. 10:23).

 

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.)