Blog: Max Dawson
September 5, 2016
Lee and I just returned from a lengthy preaching trip to the Midwest. The trip covered almost 2,500 miles. I visited three churches and presented a total of 14 lessons.
Along the way we listened a lot to Sirius XM satellite radio. I particularly like the Radio Classics channel. They play lots of old radio broadcasts from the 40’s and 50’s. One of my favorites is “Dragnet,” featuring Jack Webb as Detective Sargent Joe Friday. Almost everyone knows the oft-repeated line, “Just the facts, ma’am.”
Have you ever thought about the value of that line? It certainly has worth in law enforcement and in the criminal justice system. Law enforcement and court trials must be based on facts. We do not send a person to prison based on opinions or rumors. Just the facts. And, while it can sometimes be difficult to get all the facts, justice always demands that we put forth a diligent effort to get those facts.
The same thing is true when it comes to the Bible and to matters related to the gospel. Think about the ministry of Jesus for a moment. How many people were wrongly influenced against Jesus because of preconceived notions, rumors and the opinions of the Pharisees and Sadducees? If you had lived in Jerusalem in that time, would you want the facts about Jesus…or would you want something else?
While it is easy to say “we just want the facts,” in actual practice, lots of people don’t dig very deep to find the facts. How many people today do not accept Jesus as the Son of God, risen from the dead? Many Americans just repeat what they have heard about Jesus: “He was a good teacher.” “He was just an ordinary man with strong persuasive powers.” “We are not even sure if he even existed.”
If you are a Christian today it is because you have heard the facts about Jesus, instead of notions, opinions and rumors that are spread about Him.
Just the facts! That’s what we need. Do you agree?
THE FINAL WORD
Just the facts. The importance of facts is recognized in every area of life. It is important in education, science, math, engineering, medicine, news reporting, etc. Do you want your evening news to report facts, or to give you rumors and gossip? Do you want your school kids to hear facts of history, or someone’s opinions? There is no part of life where facts can be easily dismissed. But when they are dismissed, there is always a penalty to pay.
Failure to get the facts has disrupted marriages, friendships, families, and a multitude of other relationships.
Always ask for–and demand–truth. Demand the facts. Do that in every part of your life. Benjamin Lee presented a terrific lesson a few weeks ago that had two important points in it. The two points were “Pause” and “Examine.” It was entitled “Righteous Judgment.” It was about getting all the facts when judging.
You can click this link to watch it: http://dowlenroad.com/?page_id=11146.
“Just the facts, ma’am. Just the facts.”
Blessings to you my dear friends,
–Max