Lesson Goal
Learn how to preach a sermon that proves something.
Lesson Intro
Jesus presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs (Acts 1:3). Jews could not refute Paul’s proofs that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 9:22). What is proof? It is a process for establishing truth. However, what proves something to you and me may not be enough evidence for a skeptic. For instance, I believe that forensics can easily find abundant evidence all around us for the existence and providence of God. To a skeptic, that proves nothing, and he may make some claim about the adequacy of my evidence. So proof is not an absolute to those who are not convinced by it.
Lesson Plan
We are going to discuss various kinds of proof, their limitations and how to present an argument that can be useful in a church setting.
Lesson Body
There are various kinds of proof, various schools of thought and they do not necessarily all agree. What may sometimes pass muster in court for instance may not pass in the scientific community and vice versa.
A. Proofs
Mathematical Proof
We all know that one plus one equals two. No matter how silly our reasoning can get, the summation is consistent and provable. Basic arithmetic works that way. It is easy to prove and readily accepted by all.
Evidence (Legal Proof)
In a court of law, we look for evidence in the form of testimonies and exhibits. We are not asking if one and one equals two, but if most of the evidence leans more one way than another. This is rarely the 100 percent proof that we find in basic mathematics. It is merely a preponderance of proof.
Testimonials are a form of proof sermon. They say in effect, "Here I was in a situation and God provided. I was there. I am a witness." Testimony is given by witnesses (Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8).
Argument (Logical Proof)
A logical argument begins with premises that have valid relationships and builds towards intermediate assertions and a final conclusion. Some people argue that logical proof must be 100% like mathematics. Others argue that this is not always possible. For instance, society cannot wait around until say global warming is absolutely proven. The 100 percent proof of that may be the end of life on earth as we know it. Then it would be too late.
Scientific Method
This is an application of the rules of inductive reasoning to observable, empirical and measurable evidence. There is actually no one scientific method, but several that have been accepted over time. One modern model involves a number of essentials: observation, description, prediction, control, consensus, explanation of cause.
Classical Proof
Aristotle provided us with a time-honored method of reasoning which centers around three things: deduction, induction and abduction. Deduction is reasoning from previously known facts to a conclusion by using a rule of logic. It uses a logical rule and a precondition to formulate a conclusion. Induction is reasoning from generalizations to a specific instance. It is learning the rule after observing the causes and effects. Abduction is reasoning to generate hypotheses to explain why things are the way they are. It is determining the cause from the rules and the effects. We could summarize classical proof with the following:
Deduction: Causes + Rules = Effects
Induction: Causes + Effects = Rules
Abduction: Effects + Rules = Causes
B. Presenting the Argument
The organization of a sermon in which you set out to prove something can be much like presenting an argument in a debate. This can go along with the following protocol: (1) confrontation, (2) opening, (3) argumentation, and (4) closing. Let's examine these four points in greater detail.
1. Confrontation
This is the presentation of the problem that the sermon will discuss. It summarizes the problem.
2. Opening
In the opening phase of the sermon, you may want to examine various kinds of proof and the kind of proof model you will be using. You may also want to mention the limitations of time (one sermon). Mention whether or not Christians may accept various points of view (pre-millennialism, a-millennialism, post-millennialism) or if there is only one right view (salvation in Jesus alone). Mention the difference between unacceptably weak sources (poorly educated televangelists, cult tracts, urban legends) and valid sources (better commentaries, mainstream theologians).
3. Argumentation
Review the sermon on logic for some ideas on good and bad arguments. A good argument begins with a set of premises, uses a method or reasoning such as deduction and reaches a valid conclusion. The reasoning carries the "burden of proof" and must be a legitimate, sensible, strong, indisputable and rational argument.
4. Closing
This is our conclusion or outro. It may be a powerful summary of our strongest points.
Example Sermon
Title: "The Bible is Reliable & Unique"
Goal
Increase respect for the Bible.
Intro
I have relatives and friends who have never read the Bible. Is it a book even worth reading?
Plan
Today will look at some amazing facts about the Bible which you may never have even been aware of. I will prove to the extent that one sermon allows, that the Bible is reliable and unique.
Body
The Bible is the world's greatest book. I can't prove that to you in a short sermon, but I can offer you some information which will prove to you that it is a very reliable book. Among ancient texts, the Bible is by far the most reliable. Here are a few facts:
There are over 5,300 early copies of the Greek New Testament and 24,000 manuscripts which contain at least portions of it. No other ancient document has anywhere near this number.
The earliest copies of the New Testament date from about 250 years after Jesus' death. Compare that to the time span for the earliest manuscripts of Tacitus and Horace which are from 900 years after their deaths, or Sophocles and Aristotle which are from 1,400 years after their deaths. The New Testament stands unquestionably alone among ancient writings.
Corruptions creep into any document that must be hand-copied. The Bible contains the least amount of corruptions of any ancient text, about half of a percent for the New Testament overall or about 400 words, most of which are slight variations. None of them alters a single fundamental doctrine. Compare that to Homers Iliad which has about 15,600 variations, about 5 percent corruption, ten times that of the New Testament.
Until the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, the earliest Old Testament manuscript was the Masoretic Text from about 980 AD or 1,300 years after the original was finished. The Dead Sea Scrolls however, mostly date from before Christ, and prove how utterly unique and reliable our copies of the Old Testament are.
In order to copy the Old Testament the ancient scribes counted each word using mathematical formulas and their copying was a genius unequalled in the history of writing.
The Documentary Hypothesis claimed that the early books of the Bible were only oral tradition. Then the Ebla tablets revealed literature, legislation and records in the same region a thousand years before Moses. They also confirmed that the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar existed, which skeptics claimed were fictitious.
Critics once argued that Luke's record of a census at Jesus' birth was fiction, until archaeological evidence proved it to be accurate including the manner in which a census was conducted. The once skeptical archaeologist Sir William Ramsay later ranked Luke among the greatest of historians for reliability and geographical accuracy.
The Bible is the world's most unique book. I can't prove that to you in a short sermon, but a few facts will prove to you that it certainly is unique:
The Bible was written over a 1500 year period, over 40 generations, by over 40 authors from kings to peasants.
It was written in 3 languages — Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.
It was read by more people and published in more languages than any other book.
There is more manuscript evidence for the Bible than any other 10 pieces of ancient literature combined. Even recent 200 year old Shakespeare is less certain than the 2,000 year old New Testament.
Critics claimed that Moses did not know how to write, until the Black Stele was discovered with writing 300 years older. Critics also claimed that the Hittites were a myth until archaeology found they existed for over 1,200 years.
The Bible is unique among ancient writings in that it does not glorify its heroes, but tells their weaknesses lending weight to its factualness.
Jesus, without arms or money, conquered more millions than the Greeks, Romans, French, Britain or America. No other person on earth has caused so much literature to flood the world.
Outro
Today we looked at some unique facts about the Bible. Some historians say that it is the most reliable book from ancient history. We have seen today that is certainly is a reliable book. Christians believe that the Bible is also the world's most unique book. We have seen today that it certainly is a unique book. The more we study this remarkable book, the more we allow its words to sink into our souls, hearts and minds, the more we understand the mind of the one who inspired it.
Suggested Assignment
Choose a topic that can easily be proven within your expertise. If you are not a scientist, do not attempt to give great scientific treatises, or present material which any high school teacher in your congregation could probably poke holes in. If you are not a trained theologian, do not attempt to go beyond your depth, and give arguments which any Bible college undergraduate in your church could poke holes in. On the other hand, if you are a witness to something God has done, please do share you testimony to that. If you do have training in theology, please do give your expert testimony about the Bible. If you are trained in research methods and can research Christian history, then please do give us the benefits of your expertise.
Lesson Outro
We discussed various kinds of proof, their limitations and how to present an argument that can be useful in a church setting. The people of God need to learn how to think and argue logically. We preachers can teach them how by setting a right example. That means that it behooves a preacher to study at least a little bit of how to prove something by presenting a logical argument.
