Is There Absolute Truth? Series

View this sermon at: https://youtu.be/uVZnqRaL0-Q

Is There Such a Thing as Absolute Truth?

August 2, 2020

Pastor Brad Reaves

Grace Community Church

Winchester, VA

Introduction

A lawyer, a doctor, and a preacher went deer hunting together when along came a big buck. The three of them all shot at the same time, and immediately the buck dropped to the ground. They all rushed up to examine the deer, but couldn't determine whose shot had actually killed it.

They were in the middle of a heated argument when a game warden came by and asked what the problem was. The doctor told him that they were debating who shot the buck. The warden took one look at the buck and immediately pronounced, "The preacher shot the buck!" They all wondered how he knew that so quickly. To which the warden said, "Easy. The bullet went in one ear and out the other." (As retold by P. J. Alindogan, The Potter's Jar blog, "Hearing", 3-4-12)

We spent the last few weeks talking about some important questions. This is the basis of the entire sermon series, “Search Engine.” The purpose of this series is to direct you to the source of truth in God’s Word and the answers God provides. So as we go deeper into this series, we must stop asking the question, “Is it possible to know the truth?” Is truth absolute or is it relative to the one asking?” Even more, “Does it really matter?”

In 2012 American bicyclist Lance Armstrong was ousted from the sport for cheating in the Tour de France seven times. He was publicly disgraced in his championship titles from him as he was banned from the sport for the rest of his life. Think about how things would be different if the truth were in the hands of relativists. “So he broke a few rules of the competition. But who is to say he did anything wrong?” If truth is this important for sport riding bicycles, how much more important is it in life’s meaning and our morality?

We live in a time when the truth has been made relative and claimed to be unobtainable. Leading into the 70’s we lived in the Modern Era when it was believed the only way to know the truth was if something could be scientifically proven. Culturally speaking, this objective proof of truth placed the highest measure of truth through scientific reason. They thought they were elevating the standard when actually it was being lowered.

In postmodernism challenges all views of any objective or absolutes in truth. The highest standard of truth is then held by the one evaluating the truth or giving the reason. So we’ve devalued the truth even further to “political correctness.” As a bumper sticker said, “I’ve given up on reason. Now I’m just looking for a good fantasy.” Maybe this is why our marriages are in such a state.

Modernism is based on naturalism, which paved the way for postmodernism. God and all other concepts having to do with values, morality, spirituality became mere concepts. Modern theology set the ball rolling to devalue the Bible as a mere collection of myths. In the postmodern era, we unplug all morals, norms, and values from God, and thus our values are relative. The public space of settled communities has been moved to moral strip-mall.

This conclusion by postmodernists is catastrophic. On July 4, 1776, the authors of the Declaration of Independence voiced the independence from tyranny proclaiming, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain on alienable rights that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” What happens when we make these truths relative and disconnect them from their source. Our very liberty is at stake. If there is no truth then there are no answers.

For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” (John 18:37-38)

In reality, we need Biblical truth more today than ever. We worship the God of truth, whose word is truth, and whose promises are true. This is important to us because if objective truth and morality do exist, then what we do, say, believe, and how we live have implications, meaning we must know how to live in accordance with these truths rather than pretending the ones we don’t like exist.

Let me offer up several reasons why truth matters to us supremely

I. A High Value of Truth Honors the God of Truth

A 1994 poll by the Barna Group revealed that 72 percent of American adults that's almost three out of four agreed with the statement that there is "no such thing as absolute truth; two people could define truth in totally conflicting ways, but both still be correct."