Sermon Tone Analysis

[SLIDE 1]Introduction to Taboo

Seven things the Church Needs to Talk About (BUT DOESN’T) - Subject to change

Doubt

Mental Health

Abuse

Politics

The Body

Sex

Racism

[SLIDE 2]The Problem With Doubt

Love it and hate it at the same time

History of Doubt

Courtroom/Jury

The rule for determining guilt/innocence: proof beyond reasonable doubt.

Why? there is always uncertainty in any case.

Where the rule came from.

At its origins the rule was not intended to protect the accused.

Convicting an innocent defendant was regarded, in the older Christian tradition, as a potential mortal sin.

It was originally a theological doctrine intended to reassure jurors that they could convict the defendant without risking their own salvation and going to hell.

Historically

to fear, be afraid, question, hesitate, waver in opinion.

doubt in History can increase knowledge by bringing the knowledge closer to the truth.

Natural Science

Doubt leads to more research, which means that it also leads to new findings.

The uncertain feeling towards some existing theories leads the scientist to do research about it.

It can’t, however, stand on its own.

The establishment of this modern periodic table was also due to the development of quantum mechanics theories by other scientist.

Therefore, doubt in Natural Science trigger the scientist to carry out many researches in order to make progress in expanding the knowledge.

Like anything , too much of it and you get stuck; nothing new can be learned.

In Law:

Plenty of Accounts in the Bible

Genesis, David, Prophets, Disciples...

Unbelievable!

Society

Benefit of the doubt: the state of accepting something/someone as honest or deserving of trust even though there are doubts He might be lying, but we have to give him the benefit of the doubt and accept what he says for now.

Suspension of commitment to belief or disbelief because the evidence is not convincing (Thomas).

The Church

Plenty of Accounts in the Bible

Genesis, David, Prophets, Disciples...

I (Brad) remember as a child in the ‘80s seeing vivid images of starving kids in Africa on television.

Grotesque, overwhelming images.

I can actually recall sitting in my brother’s bedroom watching Ethiopian famine vaulted to a little television screen in central Kentucky, and feeling completely helpless to do anything about it.

I also remember wondering why God didn’t just fix it.

Why God didn’t pour out rain over Africa or make some kind of manna appear to end the famine.

Why God couldn’t figure out how to make suffering stop.

Why God?

Those two words have punctuated the beginning of a faith crisis for more than a few believers through the ages —especially when marked with big questions about the world or about personal circumstances for which easy answers simply don’t come.

Unfortunately, many of us have experienced periods of questioning that were met with silence, trite fix-it Bible quotations, or a well-meaning “Just have faith” from those around us.

In short, our questions and doubts were pushed underground and either blocked out or left to grow like cancer until they overtook our faith.

Some of us may come from traditions or training that suggest that doubt is troubling or even sinful.

Jesus didn’t do that and we’re going to take a look at why he didn’t and what he did instead.

The Purpose of Doubt

Not the only account of doubt in the bible…plenty of them.

Faith and doubt are two sides of the same coin.

Luke

Unbelievable!

Unbelievable!

Encountering the risen Jesus was an unbelievable experience.

Thought he was a ghost (not the first time by the way - in the boat).

New Information doesn’t fit current understanding…have to juggle it, try to make it fit because we don’t do well when life doesn’t make sense.

Natural reaction to the supernatural

[SLIDE 3]How Jesus Approaches Doubt

Peace to You

1 Peace to you

Wasn’t concerned about doubt leading to them walking away

Wasn’t concerned it would cause others to fall away

Didn’t

His concern was that their understanding of reality had just been turned upside down by this new experience and he saw/knew it

2 Dig Deep: Why are you troubled and doubting?

How Jesus

What he’s asking...

NT - Why are you without resource; why are you at a loss; in suspense?

What Jesus is not asking:

Why don’t you believe (doubt is not disbelief)

Why are you skeptical

Why are you ambivalent (conflicting feelings)

Why are you indecisive (lacking commitment)

Why are you sinning?

Jesus, knowing what would go through the human heart/mind in a nanosecond asked them not as a judge but to draw them out: why are you conflicted in your hearts (at what you see and are experiencing)?

Jesus brought calm and reassurance through his questions.

Brings their doubts into the open and deals with them.

3 See, Touch, Eat

I’ll show you.

Even here, Jesus was discipling his disciples.

Guiding them in growing in their understanding of the ways of the Kingdom.

Command to focus, understand by touching, experiencing

Touch - to touch him would show them he wasn't a ghost.

41-43 - Seemed too good to be true.

They disbelieved for joy - a rhetorical expression of their amazement.

Final display: eating fish.

Equip and Send

Remember (What I said)

Remember (What I said)

Jesus equipped them

44 - ‘These happenings, specifically the resurrection, represent the outworking of the things I taught you.’

‘These happenings, specifically the resurrection, represent the outworking of the things I taught you.’

Go Tell

Herald

What the readers would have understood (Greek culture)

Strong voice.