The Real Deal Series

1. Scales: A husband stepped on one of those penny scales that tell a person’s fortune and weight. "Listen to this," he said to his wife, showing her a small, white card. "It says I’m energetic, bright, and resourceful." "Yeah," his wife nodded, "and it has your weight wrong, too." Sometimes the truth hurts.

2. Truth is under fire today - John Leo in U.S. News quoted a professor Robert Simon of Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y. as reporting that "10 to 20% of his students... acknowledged the Holocaust but couldn’t bring themselves to say that killing millions of people was wrong.... one student told Simon, ’Of course I dislike the Nazis, but who is to say they are morally wrong?’"

Leo went on to note "2 disturbing articles in the Chronicle of Higher Education say that some students are unwilling to oppose large moral horrors, including human sacrifice, ethnic cleansing, and slavery, because they think no one has the right to criticize the moral views of another group or culture."

3. John 14.6 – I am the TRUTH;

I. What is Truth?

A. Truth is a Reality to Recognize

Two elderly women were out driving in a large car and both could barely see over the dashboard. As they were cruising along they came to an intersection. The stoplight was red but they just went on through. The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself "I must be losing it; I could have sworn we just went through a red light."

After a few more minutes they came to another intersection and the light was red again and again they went right through. This time the woman in the passenger seat was almost sure that the light had been red but was really concerned that she was losing it. She was getting nervous and decided to pay very close attention to the road and the next intersection to see what was going on.

At the next intersection, sure enough, the light was definitely red and they went right through and she turned to the other woman and said, "Mildred! Did you know we just ran through three red lights in a row! You could have killed us!" Mildred turned to her and said, "Oh, am I driving?"

We need to recognize TRUTH!

1. The fact that there is a “Spirit of Truth” tells us that there is a reality present (John 14.16-21; 15.26-27; 16.7-16)

a. Interesting: “People will believe anything if you say, “Scientists have discovered. . .”

b. How do people respond to “The Bible says . . .”

c. Did you know there is no archaeological evidence for the Hebrews in Egypt? OR even for the Hebrews outside the land of Promise? Yet, we know they were there because the bible says so.

2. Truth is seen in God himself

So that he who blesses himself in the land

shall bless himself by the God of truth,

and he who takes an oath in the land

shall swear by the God of truth;

because the former troubles are forgotten

and are hidden from my eyes. Isaiah 65.16

3. Truth is seen in Yeshua (Jesus) – John 14.6

4. Truth is seen in the word of God – John 17.17; 1.1, 14

B. Truth is a Standard to Show

According to a recent survey, 70% of adult American Christians believe there are no moral or ethical absolutes that apply to everyone. In other words most Christian adults have been poisoned by the drug of moral relativism. Most Christians have joined the non-Christian culture and believe we set our own standards. In essence this survey reveals that 70% of Adult American Christians have decided that God is not capable or worthy of establishing guidelines for living.

If you don’t believe it, notice how many times we will say things like: “I know the bible doesn’t prohibit X, Y, or Z; BUT I don’t like it.” OR, “I know the bible says to _____ but I want ____.”

C. Truth is a Freedom to Follow

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. John 8.31-34

1. Enslaved to sin and destruction

2. Free to follow God and life

II. What Do We Do with Truth?

The story is told of a man who came to visit his old friend, a music teacher. As the man came in, he said, “What’s the good news today?” The old teacher was silent as he stood up and walked across the room. He picked up a small hammer and struck a tuning fork. As the note sounded throughout the room, he said, “That is ‘A.’ It is ‘A’ today; it was ‘A’ 5,000 years ago, and it will be ‘A’ 10,000 years from now. The soprano upstairs sings off-key, the tenor across the hall flats on his high notes, and the piano downstairs is out of tune.” He struck the note again and said, “That is ‘A,’ my friend, and that’s the good news for today!”