#1 - Can I Really Know The Truth? Series

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Can I Really Know Truth?

Series: Trueish #1

What is truth?

An engineer who was unemployed for a long time decided to open a medical clinic. Â He puts a sign outside the clinic: "A cure for your ailment guaranteed at $500;Â we'll pay you $1,000 if we fail."Â

A Doctor thinks this is a good opportunity to earn $1,000 and goes to his clinic.

Doctor: "I have lost my sense of taste."

Engineer: "Nurse, please bring the medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth."

Doctor: "This is Gasoline!"

Engineer: "Congratulations! You've got your taste back. That will be $500."

The Doctor gets annoyed and goes back after a couple of days later to recover his money.

Doctor: "I have lost my memory, I cannot remember anything."

Engineer: "Nurse, please bring the medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth."

Doctor: "But that is Gasoline!"

Engineer: "Congratulations! You've got your memory back. That will be $500."

The Doctor leaves angrily and comes back after several days,more determined than ever to make his money back.

Doctor: "My eyesight has become weak."

Engineer: "Well, I don't have any medicine for this.

Take this $1,000," passing the doctor a $500 note.

Doctor: "But this is $500..."

Engineer: "Congratulations! You've got your vision back! That will be $500."

Is there a simple way to FIND THE TRUTH?? Wouldn't it be nice if it were that simple?

You remember when right was right and wrong was wrong? There are some things that were clearly wrong. Some things were clearly right... and you just KNEW the difference.

Many people Live in this gray area between black and white.

They don't know -- sometiems they don't care what's true.. they just live in a land where things are...

TRUEISH.

Gray. No more black and white, no more right and wrong. Only a lot of gray and a heaping helping of "you can't judge me."

In fact about 20 years ago, this statement appeared in the Reader's Digest:

Preachers today are still against sin, they're just not sure what qualifies any more.

This idea reached all the way to the highest levels of government in this man.

"It depends on what your definition of 'is' is." - Bill Clinton

"All religions will take people to the same place, if they practice spirituality within themselves." - Famous psychic

Madonna - had a near death experience, felt light and love and comfort.

Spiritual experience as the sole determiner of truth.

In a world like this, can I even MAKE truth claims?

We can -- and we must.

What most people believe:

1. My feelings/heart tells me the truth.

Actually: Your feelings change.

2. The culture tells me the truth.

Actually: This is the Argument from popularity. Not true.

Basically it says "Eat manure, 40 billion flies can't be wrong."

Don't make this argument. First of all, you already know people are stupid.

POWERPOINT - stupid people 1 , 2, 3

You can't trust culture to tell you the truth.

3. My eyes tell me the truth.

Actually: Your eyes tell you what you want/expect to see. They only see what they are trained to see.

Chalk drawing 1

My face in the mirror

Isn't wrinkled or drawn.

My house isn't dirty,

The cobwebs are gone.

Â

My garden looks lovely

And so does my lawn.

I think I might never

Put my glasses back on.

(http://www.christianity.com/christian-life/worldview/how-to-know-truth-and-evaluate-competing-worldviews-11636276.html)

If the truth sets you free...

How Can I know what it is?

1. Recognize the Liar & your bias toward him.

John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!

“The reason I talk to myself is because I’m the only one whose answers I accept.”Â

―Â George Carlin

You MUST understand that left to yourself, you will deceive yourself. You have a bias built in that will

You have to get this. If you don't believe that you will lie to yourself -- then you've already believed the first lie.

2. Recognize the truth.

Jesus.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.