Sermon Tone Analysis

How do You Know What to Believe?

This is an important question, that applies to all areas of our lives.

It can be rather personal, such as believing in ourselves and what our strengths and weaknesses are.

It can be related to work.

Maybe something that needs to be taken care of is a little too big or too small for you to handle.

Do you believe you can do it?

On what basis?

Maybe you have the wrong size tool for the job.

Try to use what is too small, and you either won’t get anywhere or you wont’ get a good result.

Try to use a tool that is too big can result in more damage than results.

Do you believe you can make it fit anyway?

On what basis?

Is it the ‘Bigger hammer” approach?

You know, “If it doesn’t fit, then get a bigger hammer.”

It can have something to do with health, maybe about the Coronavirus.

After all, we have some experts say wearing masks all the time when you are with people is still essential, to keep from being infected from the virus in the air near someone who has Covid.

Maybe you have an issue with who to believe about getting the vaccines.

Is it safe?

Does it work?

Will it hurt?

Will it make me sick?

Will it really keep me from getting Covid?

How do you know what to believe with all the information and misinformation that is out there?

Our big problem is that as humans living together in most any society, is that

We would rather believe a lie than believe the truth.

So, How do you know what to believe?

It depends on the information you are willing to trust.

And we are so prone to wanting to believe a rumor that we often overlook what is true.

We would rather ignore science and go with a gut feeling that what we feel is true is the real truth.

Some people don’t believe that the US ever sent an astronaut to the moon; somehow it was all faked, and everyone involved in the media show was in on the conspiracy.

But the men who actually went, and the support staff that worked on the Apollo missions are eye-witnesses that were actually there.

Will you believe the truth, or will you believe a conspiracy against the truth?

In reality, conspiracy theories are created by people who want you to believe what they say, and distrust the establishment, distrust science, to distrust eye-witness testimony, distrust the way things are done.

Conspiracy theories are really about one man saying you can only trust them, and everything else is fake news.

Think about it: is it better to trust only one voice who tells you everyone else is wrong, or is it better to trust that those whose life has been devoted to finding truth that benefits others, not themselves.

Those who are scientists, those who are bureaucrats, judges, teachers, military, police, politicians and pastors.

All it takes to believe the lie is to have someone tell you, with some layer of evidence that has a touch of truth but a whole lot of innuendo.

If it is an idea we are afraid of, like the FCC making religious broadcasting illegal (they won’t), or that you can’t flash your headlights at someone who is driving in the dark, because that is a gang member who will shoot you because of that.

Never heard of it actually happening in the news, have you?

Or that there is a file for a program that you already have on your computer that you better delete right now because it will kill your hard drive.

That’s possible, but most email fear-mongering is nothing more that a prank to see how many people will end up messing up their computer by deleting that file that your computer needs to work right.

We need to know who to trust, and why we trust them.

In Court, Witnesses Are Under Oath

They are usually called to testify, but some have volunteered to tell what they saw, and everyone is put under oath to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Because of that oath, the jury is obliged to believe what they say, unless the lawyers can blow holes in their testimony.

Because so many tell so many lies to protect themselves, protect their position, and protect place of power, we need some way to establish truth.

That brings us now to

John’s Testimony of Truth

Which we will find can be trusted.

Because he is an eye-witness.

Because he walked with Jesus.

Because he learned from Jesus, because he was there at Jesus’ arrest and trial and crucifixion, because he peeked into the empty tomb and he believed the testimony of Mary Magdalene, he was there when Jesus showed up again after he rose from the dead.

We are all a little

Slow to Believe

Which can actually be a good thing, if it helps us find out what is really trustworthy.

Here’s part of the crucifixion story about the death of Jesus, that because it just doesn’t sound right to most of us, needs to be checked out:

Jesus Has Finished the First Part of Saving Us:

When we read a little farther in the chapter, we find out that Jesus gave his life, but others were still trying to take it from him.

Since the Sabbath was on the horizon, some Jewish leaders petitioned Pilate to clear the crosses.

So, one way to be sure the convicts would not survive was to take a heavy iron rod, and get one of your strong men to smash the leg bones so they couldn’t push up to allow some brath.

When they got to Jesus, well, he was dead, so now what?

Here’s how some enterprizing soldier took care of this change of plan:

Water and blood came out.

Shouldn’t it be just blood?

Why blood and water?

Why should we believe that?

John Puts Himself Under Oath

John saw with his own eyes.

A witness.

John is telling us with a purpose in mind for our good, not his: That you also may believe.

John Assures us He is Telling the Truth.

And one more thing: this is a fulfilment of prophecy:

Strong Evidence of Truth

So John testifies that he saw Jesus’ side pierced with the spear, that water and blood poured out, and that because his legs were not broken but his side was stabbed, it is a fulfillment of prophecy.

John’s Own Eyes Saw It

John 20:3-7 “3 At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb.

4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first.

5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

6 Then, following him, Simon Peter also came.

He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there.

7 The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself.”

The Empty Tomb Peter and John Saw

Honestly, they wondered what this meant

John Heard Mary Tell She Saw Jesus

John Was There When Jesus Appeared

In the Upper Room

Thomas Had Trouble Believing His Friends

Jesus Came Again to Thomas

Thomas Was Sure of Jesus His Lord

Jesus Blessed Us Right Then

John Is Sure We Can Believe Him

John Debunks A Misunderstanding

John Tells What Jesus Really Said

Not what rumors were made from it

John’s Testimony of Truth

John was a witness

John wrote this down

But he had to limit his testimony to the most important truths, for, he says,

John 21:25 “25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.”

And John’s friends believe him.