Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Evidence -> Belief

Modern Western people are a scientific, rational lot.

We only like to believe things once they’re proven, once they’ve been demonstrated.

But of course there’s a pretty small set of things that can be absolutely conclusively demonstrated and proven, totally wrapped up. 1 + 1 = 2. Yep.

A2 + B2 = C2?

Yep.

Most of the time we’re dealing with things where’s there’s a level of evidence but we can’t deliver that totally watertight proof.

Take any idea: about the makeup of atoms, about how taxation and growth are related, about how coffee is actually good for you; whatever the idea, we want to be people who believe that idea, who put our trust in that idea, on the basis of evidence.

Where there’s limited evidence we’re cautious, appropriately cautious, we would say.

Is coffee good for you?

Is coffee bad for you?

From reading the papers it seems the evidence is mixed!

Most of the time we’re dealing with things where’s there’s a level of evidence but we can’t deliver total watertight proof - and it will probably always be that way.

Like whether coffee is good for you or not.

I don’t think we’ll ever finally settle that one.

Where there’s clearer evidence, we’re more ready to believe and to trust ideas.

Is the earth really a globe rather than flat?

Now where there’s limited evidence we’re cautious, appropriately cautious.

Would a universal basic income be a good thing?

Don’t know.

Not much evidence yet.

Is North Korea disarming?

And where there’s limited evidence we’re cautious, appropriately cautious.

Would a universal basic income be a good thing?

Don’t know.

Not much evidence yet.

And where there’s limited evidence we’re cautious, appropriately cautious.

Would a universal basic income be a good thing?

Don’t know.

Not much evidence yet.

Evidence is the source of belief; evidence produces belief.

That’s how our culture thinks and works.

And I want us to notice one consequence of that relationship this morning: it means if we want to strengthen a belief, the way to do that is to gather more evidence, more data, right?

Evidence is the source of belief; evidence produces belief.

That’s how our culture thinks and works.

Praying for a pink sheep

Demonstration -> faith // faith -> demonstration?

Like to believe we’re a rational lot

“If you … then I’ll ...”

“If you … then I’ll ...”

Praying for a pink sheep

I can clearly remember, before I became a Christian, praying for a pink sheep to appear in my university room overnight.

Can you see how that fits into what we’re talking about here?

If I’m going to believe in God, I figured, then I need some evidence.

And a pink sheep would do nicely.

Evidence is how we come to believe things.

More evidence, more belief, right?

God wants me to believe?

Just needs to give me some evidence.

Well, for the record, no pink sheep.

Yet.

Well, for the record, no pink sheep.

Yet.

less a question of proving something true or false, and more often it’s a question of degree, of extent.

Well, for the record, no pink sheep.

Never.

But it turns out I do believe.

Evidence produces belief.

Evidence is the source.

That’s what our culture believes.

That’s what our culture says.

And not just how we come to believe things, how we go about growing our belief in things.

Evidence produces belief.

Evidence is the source.

That’s what our culture claims.

That’s what our culture says.

For the record, no pink sheep.

Never.

For the record, no pink sheep.

Never.

But sometimes it’s the other way around.

And that’s what we’re going to be looking at today.

Transition

We’re continuing our journey through one of the books in the Bible, the gospel of Luke, Luke’s telling of the life story of Jesus.

And today we come to a section where the key issue is who people believe Jesus is.

But sometimes it turns out it’s a little more back-to-front than that.

What’s wrong with this world?

Who will fix it - and how?

That’s in keeping with this general approach of

And I want us to notice one consequence of that relationship this morning: it means if we want to strengthen a belief, the way to do that is to gather more evidence, more data, right?

What’s wrong with this world?

Who will fix it - and how?

Who do you think you are?

What does it look like when we don’t believe this?

think Jesus is just Joseph’s son - a nice guy with some crazy ideas about himself

I want you to watch closely how Jesus deals with this interaction between evidence and belief as we read through this section together.

So, find with me Luke chapter 4 verse 13, that’s page _______.

Luke Chapter 4 - chapters are the big numbers - verse 13 - verses are the small numbers, page ____, and David’s going to read for us.

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.

He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.

Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,