A Biblical Flyover
This sermon is about the man Moses.
There are a good number of rhetorical techniques which can be quantified from this message, but we will highlight just one today.
The message is by Warren Wiersbe, titled “The Man Who Didn’t Want The Job.”
Hypothetical Interview:
Interviewer: Well OK — if you’ve had such a rough time.
Moses: Yea– I’ve had a rough time . . .
They criticized me right and left.
They didn’t like the way I led them.
They didn’t like the way I fed them
They didn’t like my wife
Yea – they criticized me — had a rough time
Interviewer: What kept you going?
Interviewer: You’re education?
No
Interviewer: Your brother?
Ahemm — Let’s not talk about him.
I’ll tell you what kept me going, says Moses — I always looked for the glory of God.
Now there are four occasions in our ministry when we must see the glory of God.
I want to list those four occasions for you — and then we’re going to look at four events in the life of Moses that illustrate those occasions.
You need to see to the glory of God.
- when the task seems to big of you — that’s when you need to see the glory of God
- when the enemy is too strong for us.
- When the task seems too big for us
- When the enemy seems too strong for us.
- When the people are too much for us. — You gotta see the glory of God.
- And finally — when the reward seems too small for us — we’ve got to see the glory of God.
Oh I suppose we could ponder now for a few minutes on what is the glory of God — I think you know what it is.
The glory of God is the manifestation of the sum total of all He is.
The glory of God in the scriptures.
The glory of God moved into the tabernacle — Exodus Chapter 40
Then you get to I Samuel the people sinned and they wrote Ichabod — remember that? — Ichabod — “The glory has departed.”
Then Solomon built the Temple — and dedicated the Temple — and the glory of God moved into the Temple — then they sinned — and not only does the glory depart, but the Temple departs — when you read the first 12 chapters of Ezekiel he describes the glory moving out of the temple.
First it came out of the Holy of Holies — then it moved up over the threshold — then it moved over this way — and off it went to the Mt. of Olives — The glory departed
Then the next time the glory came to earth was — at Bethlehem.
“glory of God in the highest — and on earth peace good will towards men”
“the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us — and we beheld His glory.”
I like the way Gene Peterson’s paraphrases that — it’s actually — it’s an accurate rendition — “And the Word became human and moved into our neighborhood.”
Some Christmas I’m going to preach a sermon from that text — I’m going to call it — “There Goes The neighborhood.”
And we took that glory — And nailed it to a cross. — “The Lord of glory” — nailed to the cross
But hallelujah He came forth from the tomb in glory.
And now the glory of God is dwelling individually in His people. — “What know ye now that your body is the temple — of the Holy Spirit — which you have of God” — and God is dwelling among his people. He is building a temple for the habitation of His glory — and we’re part of that. —
And God still reveals His glory. — We don’t see manifestations of the Shekinah glory as did Moses — but God still is glorified — there had been times – there ought to be more of them — but we are just amazed — I stand of amazed — at what God has done — all you can say is glory — glory.
The Psalmist says . . . .
Everything in His temple says glory.
The earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord as the water cover the sea.
So much for theology Now let’s look at the practical side of it.
Exodus chapter 2
— Warren Wiersbe
Wiersbe runs a quick reconnaissance mission on the concept which will be the underlying biblical or theological word behind his four main points and the entire message.
One could decide whether it would be beneficial to add other or use different biblical examples than Wiersbe uses in his panorama . . . .
- the glory of God in His Creation – Romans 1:20-23
- the glory of God reflected in mankind – Hebrews 2:6-7
- the glory as seen in the wilderness miracles – Numbers 14:22
- etc.
Obviously, including too many can also clutter, deflect, and/or bog down the main message. The purpose is not “add filler” or “spring-board” into a discussion of God’s glory.
RATHER, the purpose should be to give the audience an understanding of the span — AND THEREFORE the importance of this biblical concept called “God’s glory.”
In other words, you want the audience to know that this biblical concept, truth, principle, doctrine, thread . . . .
- is a prevalent biblical truth
- is part of understanding God
- can be found often when it comes to . . .
- forms part of God’s thinking and heart
- is important as seen by its repetition
- runs throughout the Scriptures
Wiersbe’s “flyover” of God’s glory . . . .
- is first of all to establish the importance of God’s glory throughout the whole span of Scripture.
- AND then to establish the divine design of God’s glory as a strengthening agent in the lives of His people . . . . . . . when the — “task too big – enemy too strong – people too much – reward too small.”
This rhetorical technique of scanning the general topic (God’s glory) which supports the main points (as did Wiersbe) is primarily useful when the main points are all parallel. That is, all four main points revolve around how God’s glory is designed to encourage, how seeing God’s glory strengthens the Christian when he feels overwhelmed.
Using This Technique:
When using this rhetorical technique, it would be with a message of three / four points which had parallel main points and a common biblical concept (as did Dr. Wiersbe). You could then precede it with such a “flyover.”
Let me give it a try — using three different biblical concepts or theological topics.
Here goes . . . .
holiness – Main Points – three / four places in the New Testament where God’s people were to call upon to be holy, to live a separated life, to live differently.
- in creation, God sanctified one of the days of the week . . .
- God’s people were called to before God’s people crossed the Jordan and went into the promised land, they were told to sanctify themselves
- Achan failed the test of separation from the plunder – the gold and garments
- the night before the law was given, God’s people were to sanctify themselves
(Nothing has changed when it comes to holiness in the New Testament. There are three passages that specifically call upon God’s people in regards to holiness . . . . .)
fear – Main Points – three / four places where the disciples were overwhelmed with fear
- it was fear that caused Abraham to lie about Sarai . . . .
- it was fear that David felt when he fled to the city of Nob . . . .
- it was fear that paused Esther when she was asked to go to the king
- it was fear that Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego were able to overcome when he chose to pray
(Now the disciples find themselves in three different situations where the Lord specifically addresses their faith. First of all . . . )
faith – Main Points – three / four places where a particular Bible character struggled with faith (i.e. Esther) –
- It was faith that allowed Noah . . . .
- Abraham & Isaac went up that mountain by faith and . . . .
- David’s faith facing Goliath when . . . .
- It was by faith when Daniel . . . .
(It would now be Esther’s trial of faith and she would face that struggle three different times in the book of Esther. . . .)
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* If you would like to hear Warren Wiersbe’s actual message, click on the link below. For this particular rhetorical technique begin around minute.
RhetoricAndHomiletics.Org 