Assert It or Support It?
Speaker: Crawford Loritts — Fellowship Bible Church Roswell, Georgia
Sermon Title: The Son & The Sabbath
Passage John 5: Jesus is healing a lame man on the Sabbath.
Crawford’s Introduction: A general discussion about “Rules.”
“Rules”
Rules are important.
Speed limit
Stop signs
Red lights
There are some extreme reactions to rules — To live by rules does not mean you are a legalist.
If rules become a destination. . . .
Rules are everywhere.
Now rules are not necessarily wrong.
Rules produce freedom.
Big Idea: Go to the 4:34-minute marker; the 32: 49-minute mark; the 43:58-minute mark
Legalism Is Making The Rules The Destination — “Jesus is running up against these Pharisees, they have made rules the destination.”
or
Rules help on purpose and mission. Lose purpose and mission, then rules don’t make much sense.
or
Why produces the conviction, not the what. The what produces behavior
So when they quiz Jesus, and Jesus answers them.
Jesus knew he that he going to get into some more trouble. Because when He answers them they forget the Sabbath accusation because they got a deeper issue with Him.
Proof: Notice what He says in verse 17
“But Jesus answered them, My Father is working until now, and I am working. . . . . saying He was equal to God . . . .”
[Again]
In fact, they got it . . . . We don’t get it . . . . No, no, they got it
They got it
They got it
They got it
Proof:
That’s what — That’s what the rest of the verse says . . . .
Jesus was basically saying to them — I have ultimate authority. and I don’t need your affirmation or your permission.
I know that sounds very strong and in your face.
Proof:
But you go home and you read — sit down in one reading and read chapter 5 . . . .
My Father Himself . . . has objectively validated and verified that I am Who I say I am.
Well, where do you get that from?
Proof:
Look at verses 37 and 38 . . . . “and the Father who sent me . . . .”
He says . . . You don’t understand that the whole Old Testament narrative is about me.
Where do you get that from?
Proof:
Well, look at these verses here — verse 39 days . . . . You search the Scriptures . . . . verse 46 . . . . He wrote of me . . . .
P.S. There are other places where Loritts offers “proof” for what he is saying, but with different words and/or without giving the verbal clue of “look.”
At times, it is valuable to make a point, a particular point, and then to “prove” to the audience that what you are saying . . . .
- is accurate
- can be found in the passage (or the Bible)
- is not just what you believe or think
- you can see it for yourself — look at yourself. . . .
- is indeed what Jesus said, was saying, taught
An audience may not buy into what a speaker is saying. They may be skeptical for several reasons, some of them are for bad reasons, and some of them are for good-to-understandable reasons. He/she . . . .
• has heard a different message on the passage which had a different take on the passage
• hasn’t seen what you are saying, before. It is new to them.
• is reading from a different version of the passage and it seems to be saying something different.
• doesn’t easily follow the nature of biblical arguments.
• understands that it crosses the way he/she thinks or lives.
• is a “Berean.”
Many members of an audience have an interest in being brought into the argument being made, knowing why they should agree and/or at least temporarily go along with what is being said — “Okay, I will give you that for now.”.
There is value in making the statement . . . .
“Let me prove that from the passage.”
“I believe that because in the passage it states . . . . “
“That is why you will see in the passage / Scriptures / Jesus saying elsewhere . . . .”
“There are good — and biblical reasons to say what I am saying . . . .”
You saying it, doesn’t make it true.
Asserting it and/or asserting it loudly doesn’t mean it is believed to be true.
You can assert it / declare it / propound it — but that doesn’t mean the audience accepts it!
Enjoy Having An Audience Thinking Along With You!
RhetoricAndHomiletics.Org 