How Do You Know?

How Do You Know?

2 Timothy 4 : 1 - 8

Friday at quitting time, Jim said, ‘Boss, have you got any extra work I can do tonight?’

Sure do but I can’t pay you overtime.

That’s okay, I just don’t want to go home.

Why not?

Well, I’ve been in the doghouse since last night.

I see...Why? What did you do to deserve that?

I still don’t know, it must be one of those woman things. I was minding my own business relaxing in front of the TV. My wife enters the room & asks, "What’s on the TV?"

And all I said was, "Dust!" (byron sherman)

Truth can get you into trouble. Amen? This morning I want us to look at truth in the larger context of Life, the Universe, and Everything.

First let’s talk about the nature of truth. Many people in our day and age allow society to determine what truth is. We fall into several traps when we do that. First, society is always going to say what ever is newest is best. I don’t know about you, but as I’ve gotten older especially I’ve discovered that newer does not mean better - sometimes it’s not even close! In fact of all the frying pans I’ve ever used the old well worn cast iron pan is the best hands down. No teflon, no anodized surfaces, no special instructions as to when it can and can’t be used, and it’s still cheaper than any of the modern pans.

Today society will tell you that our openness to the homosexual life style is finally getting to “where it should be”. Less than 10 years ago the social workers handbook on deviant behavior listed homosexuality as illness. No longer. Now it’s simply one’s choice of lifestyle. So what’s the truth?

I can tell you this ... if society determines truth, truth changes every generation. But if there is a greater truth. A universal truth. Wow! Wouldn’t that be great? To find some bedrock answers to life that don’t change every generation but instead are answers that we can hold on to all our lives.

Well, some of us believe there is such a thing. It’s called God’s Word. Truth. It was embodied in Jesus Christ who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the light”.

2 Timothy 3:16

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The question becomes ... do we believe that? Right now our legal system in the United States is teetering on the edge of some incredibly difficult questions. Since we have been told our laws can’t have been founded on the 10 Commandments because of “separation between church and state” they are in a quandry to decide just what our laws are based on. And they are struggling with the questions about society determining truth.

If, however, with a minority of U.S. Citizens you believe the Bible to be the source for ultimate truth the questions don’t end there.

You see, there is this thing called the Holy Spirit that we celebrated at Pentecost and that we hopes moves in our worship services every week. We know the Holy Spirit has great power, but is that power a revelatory power that gives us new revelations about God’s truth. Well ... let me give you a politicians answer, Yes and No.

Yes - the Holy Spirit does give us new revelations about God’s truth ... new to us anyway. No - because this new revelation can never contradict or supercede God’s truth in the Bible and if we think it does, we should probably examine it much more closely because God does not contradict Himself. Those times when people have believed that their new revelation has superceded God’s Word have always lead to tragedy with people like David Koresh and James Jones and the list goes on and on.

This is most important when we come to the question of Jesus Christ. Is Jesus Christ the one, the unique, the singular Son of God? The ultimate revelation of God’s self to humanity? If He was God incarnate ... in the flesh ... then all that He said and did need to be more than a passing fancy for us to study - because He is God! Anytime we start questioning that truth we need to look around us - because yes ... that is a handbag and yes ... we’re going to hell in it.

We need to understand that Jesus Christ is God’s ultimate revelation and that it is in Him that we find not only salvation but meaning and purpose for living.

But How do We know? We don’t. I can give you all kinds arguments as to the truth of the Bible and of Jesus Christ but both of these come down to faith.