Why Truth Matters: The Solution Series

Why Truth Matters: The Solution

Joshua 1:7-9

I. Intro:

We have taken the last two weeks and looked at the idea of Truth in our society. We have looked at and learned a lot of different things. I have probably done this topic an injustice by trying to squeeze it into a three week series but I hope that you have been able to follow along and take home the important ideas that we’ve talked about.

Two weeks ago we looked at the shift that has taken place in the way that truth is viewed. This shift has taken us away from Absolutes; that belief that there is a series of Truth and morals that exist and are unchanging regardless of whether someone believes them or not, and has moved us to embrace the ideas that truth is open to the interpretation of the individual, that each of us must find out what works for us and what fits into our lifestyle. Truth, is not absolute, it’s relative and changing.

I found a quote that illustrates this shift perfectly. Actress Penelope Cruz had this to say when asked about religion:

“I was baptized and had my first communion, and I believe in God in my own ways. But the philosophy I identify with the most is Buddhism, because it’s the one that doesn’t say, ‘this is the only way.’ I don’t want to put a title on what I believe.

Well, last week we put a title on what she believed and has fallen for. It’s called a lie and we looked at the source of that lie, Satan and what the Bible had to say about the way that he worked and interacted with mankind today and the role he plays in pushing God further and further from the minds and hearts of man and replacing him with thoughts and ideas that are man made and man glorifying.

We looked at that passage in John chapter 8 where Christ drew a definitive line saying you are either a child of God, and believe the truth of the Gospel, or you are a child of the Father of lies, Satan. There really is no middle ground, there is no neutrality. The battle lines have been drawn and we are all going to fall on one of two sides.

Now the message I am going to preach this morning is going to be offensive to many, maybe not offensive to most of this congregation but this message wouldn’t win me many friends outside of the church. We have gone to great lengths as a society to avoid offending anyone and to be open and accepting of any and every belief system no matter how bizarre. Now I believe that we are to be accepting of people and we are to love people for who they are but it is time to take a stand on this issue of truth and to acknowledge that Scripture gives us a very different picture of Truth than society does and they both can’t be right. Truth is exclusive, it is narrow, it is absolute, it is uncomfortable at times and what we talk about this morning results in the labels of narrow-minded and bigoted, and intolerant that are affixed to Christians and to Christianity as a whole.

But this morning we turn our attention to the solution. The cure for what is ailing our country, the cure for what is ailing our churches, the cure for what is ailing our world is found only in the Absolute Truth of God and His word. It doesn’t matter if that’s an unpopular or hard to comprehend belief, that is reality and how people perceive that reality does nothing to alter its Truth.

I want to look at three things this morning as we wrap up our look at truth. I want to look at the Source of Truth, the Reliability of the Truth, and our Response to that Truth.

II. The Source of the Truth

The natural place to begin our look at the solution is with the Source of Truth. The issue of Truth is not a new one. Man’s search for truth is one of his oldest pursuits. Listen to this exchange between Jesus and Pontius Pilate when Jesus had been arrested in John 18:36-38.

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

"What is truth?" Pilate asked.