Sermon/Lesson Title

Read Jude 24-25.  It informs us that God has had dominion and authority from the beginning.  But what does having authority really mean? 

What an extremely important subject! Should we respect the silence of Scripture? Our eternal life depends upon it. The Restoration motto: “Speak where the Bible speaks, be silent where the Bible is silent” reiterates the importance of having authority for all we do religiously.
Example: You order a new refrigerator. When the men arrive, they unload a refrigerator, a range, and a dishwasher. “Well, you didn’t say not to bring them!”  We understand about silence in the everyday world. Why can’t we understand silence in religious matters? God expects us to use reason and intelligence.
There are many examples in God’s Word which well illustrate this Biblical principle. Remember Romans 15:4a “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning. . .” NKJV Let’s look at one of them.
Text: I Chronicles 13:1-13
 

Jesus enters Jerusalem during the last week before his death. He cleanses the temple, heals the blind and the lame, and causes the fig tree to wither. While He was in the temple, the Jewish leaders asked him two questions. Question #1: What authority did he have to do these things? Question #2: who gave him that authority? Jesus replied, clarifying that there are only two possible sources for our religious practices: God or man. There are no other possibilities. sermon text Matthew 21: 23-27