iTRUTHS: iKnow
Life Lessons for the iPod Generation, part 1
Fact versus fallacy. This is something that we deal with every single day. We try to determine what is real, what is genuine in our lives…and what is not. And, in our world today, these types of distinctions are not always as easy as we would like them to be.
You see, there are many counterfeits out there. Counterfeits to everything. Counterfeit friendships, counterfeit relationships, counterfeit beliefs and counterfeit faiths. Our responsibility is always to make sure that we are basing our lives on the truth. The real truth…not the world’s definition of truth, but God’s definition of truth. And that truth can only be found in and through Him.
However, the challenge we face is how to determine what that truth is and weed out the facts from the fiction…or, the facts from the fallacies. That’s what this series is all about. iTruths, seeking out the truth so that we KNOW how to love, live and serve according to God’s will.
And, these truths…these iTruths…are an important element of seeing the vision we have for this church become a reality. Over the past couple of months, we talked about the vision for our church. And you’ll notice that everything in that vision revolves around one central theme…helping people become all that God intended them to be.
But I can assure you that there is no way we will be successful in this vision unless we do things according to God’s plans. According to God’s direction and according to God’s truth. In today’s world, there is a distorted sense of truth. The world thinks they have the answers. And, they believe those answers are based on our knowledge, our own abilities, our own concept of what is and what is not true.
You see, the world believes there is no absolute truth. That everything is relative. As long as we are respectful of other’s beliefs, as long as we don’t offend someone, as long as we don’t step on someone’s toes, we can believe whatever we want to believe. That we can define our own truth. We can determine what is right and wrong.
Prov. 30:12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness. You see, there is a generation out there that doesn’t see that we can only be cleansed from our wrong doing through the blood of Christ.
The Bible is clear, we can’t determine what is right and what is wrong. We must base our beliefs on moral absolutes.
John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Psa. 31:5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
You see, there is such a thing as absolute truth. And we must know that truth in order to experience absolute freedom, absolute joy and absolute peace. That truth is only found through Christ.
This iTruths series is based on the following premise. For us to be what God wants us to be, to experience what God wants us to experience, to accomplish what God wants us to accomplish and to know what God wants us to know…we must seek absolute truth. And that truth is found in only one source.
As we start this series today, there is but one place to start our journey into the iTruths. That starting place is IKNOW!
John 6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Relative Truth – Something that is true to some people and not to others. Proponents of this position claim that: "It’s true now but it may not have been true in the past and it may not be again in the future, it is always subject to change.”
It is based to the perspectives of people.
Absolute Truth – Something that is true at all times and at all places. Proponents of this correct position claim that: “Truth is true whether we believe it or not. Truth is discovered or it is revealed; it is not invented by a culture or by religious men.”
In fact, the bible exposes us to a major problem with Relative Truth. If you are going to rely on your own heart and human, fallen, limited wisdom, then you are relying on a non-reliable source! Jeremiah 17:9: The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?
You see, if we base our belief system on our own abilities and our own knowledge, we will always fail. And, we live in a culture that is increasingly turning away from absolute truth. Consider these facts:
Ron Luce in Battle Cry for a Generation cites a table from Thom Ranier’s book The Bridger Generation:
Builders (born 1927-1945): 65% Bible-based believers
Boomers (born 1946-1964): 35% Bible-based believers
Busters (born 1965-1983): 16% Bible-based believers
Bridgers (or Millenials, born 1984 or later): 4% Bible-based believers.
This is in a large way due to “Relativism.” Imagine when these Millenials grow up. If their generation is still only 4% "Bible-based believers" then we will have an unprecedented moral and ethical crisis on our hands. We need a national revival among students or we could become by sheer peer pressure as morally inept as much of Europe in just one generation. This is why the revival at TRBC and the work of Liberty are so important for our times.
We have no option but to pray for revival. We have no option but to pray that God will move in our midst. We have no option but to believe in Him, trust in Him, and allow Him to use us to change the world.
So, what do we do in a world that convolutes the truth? You continue to follow the teachings of the Word of God – the source of truth!
II Timothy 3:14-17
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
6 Things That The Bible Will Do For Us
The Word of God saves you! v.15 – “make you wise for salvation”
The Word of God teaches you! v.16 – “doctrine”
The Word of God confronts you! v.16 – “reproof”
The Word of God corrects you! v.16 – “correction”
The Word of God guides you! v.16 – “instruction”
The Word of God equips you! v.17 – “thoroughly equipped”
BUT did you notice something interesting in these verses?
Did you notice that Paul tells us that when we were saved, we were “children”in verse 15…then, in verse 17, we are a “Man” of God. SO, what matured us to go from being a spiritual infant/child in Christ to becoming a spiritual “Man” – look at what is in the middle in verse 16 – the “Word of God!” “Scriptures”
Here’s the point – getting saved is not enough. If you want to be able to be an effective witness in this iPod generation, you are going to have to know the scriptures and be wise in your use of it in order to reach this world!
The culture in which we live is one that denies absolute truth. One that is more concerned with not offending someone than confronting sin. One that is focused on accepting anything as normal when the Bible is clear that only a life lived based on the word of God is right. We live in an increasingly sin-sick society. But, it is a society for whom Christ died!
They shouldn’t just frustrate you…their condition should cause you to pray for them! Plea to God on their behalf that they would choose to follow God! We should feel compassion for them…What else should we do?
1. Know that He is God!
2. Take the Word of God literally!
3. Know the difference between relative truth and absolute truth!
4. Walk every day in that truth!
5. Take every chance you get to share that truth!
a. 3John 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.
WHY? Because, we were no different than the world before we knew Christ.
Psa. 91:4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
Psa. 100:5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
Psa. 117:2 For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!
We don’t deserve His forgiveness any more than the next guy. It’s not like Jesus paid for our sins but not the guy down the street. It’s not like Jesus died for our sins but not for the lady who has been spreading those lies about us at our workplace. Jesus died on the cross for ALL! He loves us ALL! AND WE MUST SHARE THE TRUTH.
We’ve talked all Summer about what we must do to see God-sized visions become God-sized miracles because of our God-sized faith. And now, WE KNOW THAT this will happen only through Christ. Only through Christ will we have victory. Only through Christ will we experience deliverance. Only through Christ CAN WE KNOW THE TRUTH…THE TRUTH THAT SETS US FREE!
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
