Figure Out What’s True Series

How’s your bucket list? My fear is that you’ll check off “Watch the Cubs win the world series” and “Watch Donald Trump be inaugurated as President” and you’ll be done this week because nothing else in life could outdo that!

We launched this new series about bucket lists, and about making sure your bucket list is written with some important items that Scripture says we need to get right before we kick the bucket. Last week laid the foundation for it – we need to invest in what matters. Already, I’ve heard from a couple groups about their plans to engage in some investment that will last forever – a project that a small group or SS class or other group is taking on. What’s your project? Remember get that going this week, so that on Feb 26 we can share some reports with the church family on “Kick the Bucket Sunday.”

Today I want to go to the 2nd item on the list – “Figure out what’s true.”

We have just survived a presidential campaign. There are few things in life that confuse what’s real and what’s true more than an election year! I figure this subject is pretty timely right about now! How can we be sure of what’s true?

Both John and Peter were fishermen by trade until Jesus called them to follow Him. On the same day, they both left their occupations behind to become preoccupied with following Jesus. It changed everything. Only a few years later, both of them were standing in front of crowds of people testifying that Jesus was the Son of God Who had risen from the dead. And both of them wrote what would become parts of the NT. I want you to hear from them both today as we consider how to figure out what’s true. Just hear how both of these followers of Jesus believed the story of Jesus, and why they thought you should believe it too…

1 John 1:1-3

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:16-18

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

These men had good reasons to believe in Jesus, and they knew that helping others believe in Him was important. In other words, they would tell you that you need to figure out what’s true!

You really need this on your bucket list!

This is something you really need to get done while you’re still above room temperature! Too many people approach their time of death unsure of what’s true, and even more people face life with the same hindrance – they’re hindered by their worldview. Figuring out what’s true is something you really need on your bucket list, because it really affects the way you live.

Adolph Hitler’s worldview included the emergence of a super race, so he arranged for the extermination of all the people he thought interfered with that and tried to take over Europe.

Dylann Roof’s similar worldview caused him to draw a gun and kill 9 church members in Charleston, NC in 2015, because they were African American and at a church meeting.

Most people aren’t like that, but the ones who are become that way because of their view of the world. It shaped their decisions. The good thing about this is it works in the positive direction too!

Richard Wurmbrand was in Romanian prison for over 13 years because of his faith in Jesus. He and his fellow prisoners were beaten regularly. It was all he and the others could do to survive – except, they were Christ followers. He writes about it in his book Tortured for Christ. "When we were given one slice of bread a week and dirty soup every day, we decided we would faithfully 'tithe' even that. Every tenth week we took the slice of bread and gave it to the weaker brethren as our 'tithe' to the Master." That’s what a person’s worldview does for them in extreme circumstances.