Believing II
Title: Truthiness (Part 2)
Text: I John 5:11-13
Thesis: Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ are assured of eternal life.
Series: Belonging, Believing and Becoming
I invite you to journey with us as people who value:
• Belonging to a caring faith community. (Making everyone welcome and cared for…)
• Believing the truth of God’s Word. (The Written and Living Word of God…)
• Becoming more like Jesus Christ.
Background to the term Truthiness
Stephen Colbert coined the word “truthiness” to describe the intuitive, not always rational feeing we get that something is just right.” The word caught-on and “truthiness” was chosen as the “Word of the Year” in 2006. The Dialect Society defined truthiness like this, “Truthiness is “the quality of preferring concepts or facts one wishes or thinks to be true, rather than concepts or facts known to be true.”
Truthiness describes the current way many Christians feel about their faith. It seems most Americans do not feel their religion is the only way to eternal life… even if their faith tradition teaches otherwise.
People have been having gut feelings about Jesus for a long time… we generally refer to most of those intuitive gut feelings or concepts as heresy. Those who espouse error are not necessarily raving maniacs… they are likely sincere people who follow their own gut feelings or inclinations rather than the shared knowledge or conventional wisdom of the larger church.
Introduction
Historically, just as there have been truthiness issues about the Written Word of God, and there have been truthiness issues about Jesus, the Living Word of God. People who have skewed beliefs about Jesus today likely fall into a category of heresy shared by those who have historically shared the same ideas. In other words, modern day truthiness has its counter-part in ancient theological history.
For example…
• Deists and Adoptionists deny that Jesus is truly God. They believe Jesus was a great and godly man but he was not God.
• Modalists believe that God the Father and Christ are the same person. Modalists believe that God became Jesus Christ. This is not unlike the theory that God assumes one of three identities depending on the occasion… God the Father may also appear as God the Son and as well as God the Holy Spirit. (I think in Native American Culture they might call this “shape-shifting.”
• Arianists believe that Jesus was the created Son of God and as such, not equal with God and is not eternal. If Jesus is created and not divine then God did not become human.
• Gnostic-Docets believe that Jesus was not really subject to all the things humans experience but merely assumed the appearance of a human body, i.e., they deny the reality of the humanity of Christ. This heresy stands in tension with those who believe Jesus was just a human being.
• One modern day heresy purports that there is a one-person God and Jesus was the first thing God created. Another believes a man progressed to godhood and he and his wife, Heavenly Mother had a spirit child named Jesus.
In the year 325 the First Ecumenical Council was held in the city of Nicea specifically to hammer out the truth of Jesus’ humanity and deity. They met to confront the Arian controversy which held that Jesus was the created Son of God (not the begotten Son of God) and therefore, not equal with God. The second paragraph of the Nicene Creed states the official doctrine of the church that holds true to this day. The third paragraph affirms the death and resurrection of Christ.
The second and third paragraphs of the Nicene Creed go like this:
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
So just as we believe that the Bible is the Written Word of God, we believe Jesus is the Living Word of God.
II. The Living Word of God
A. Jesus had Purpose
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God… So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the father’s one and only Son. John 1:12-14
Things exist for a purpose.
In their book The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner write, "Every organization, every social movement, begins with a dream. The dream or vision is the force that invents the future." Corporate vision statements represent the dreams of those companies. companies, can challenge the church to ask, "What is Christ's dream or vision for our church?"
Amazon—"To be earth's most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online."
Harley Davidson—"To fulfill dreams through the experiences of motorcycling."
Starbucks—"To share great coffee with our friends and help make the world a little better."
Hilton—"To fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality."
Kraft Foods—"To make today delicious."
Toys 'R' Us—"To put joy in kids' hearts and a smile on parents' faces."
(Matt Woodley, managing editor, PreachingToday.com; sources: James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, The Leadership Challenge (Jossey-Bass, 2008)), p. 18; Purposeful/Identity, "Vision," accessed on 3-27-12)
Here at Heritage we say we exist “To be a place where people can belong to a caring faith community, believe the truth of God’s Word and become like Jesus.”
In Ephesians 1 we get a glimpse into what God had in mind for us, long, long ago. ”Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his very own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do and it gave him great pleasure.” Ephesians 1:4-5
Even before the world Jesus existed purposefully.
1. Jesus pre-existed as God, John 1:5; Colossians 1:15-20
• In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1-5
• He existed before anything was created… Colossians 1:15-20
2. Jesus came that we might become children of God, John 1:12-13
• To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12
3. Jesus became human, John 1:14 (Incarnation means to become flesh.)
• So the Word became human (flesh) and made his home among us… John 1:14a
4. Jesus came to show us what God is like, John 1:14; John 14:9 and Colossians 1:15 and2:9
• And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John 1:14b
• Jesus relied, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:9
• He is the visible image of the invisible God. Colossians 1:15
• For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. Colossians 2:9
When we hear Jesus speak, we hear God speak. When we see Jesus in action, we see God in action. When we discern the mind of Jesus, we discern the mind of God..
Jesus had purpose and Jesus had power.
B. Jesus has Power
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12
Years ago, before Nickelodeon and when the Jim and Tammy (Baker) Show was a Christian version of the Howdy Doody Show, a favorite cartoon was The Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. (Now Loony Tunes)
Kids sat for hours watching continuous loops of Road Runner Cartoons as Wile E Coyote strapped on rocket-propelled roller skates, or shot himself out of a cannon, or launched himself from a giant slingshot in pursuit of the elusive Road Runner. After watching intently for a long time, the kids eventually had an epiphany. They realized that "No matter what Wile E. Coyote does, he's never going to get the chicken."
Isn't that the human storyline? No matter what we do, we're never going to beat sin and death. No matter how many self-help books we read, no matter how many promises we make to ourselves and others, sin continues to wreak havoc on our careers, our relationships, and our good times. No matter how many peace treaties are signed, no matter how many relief efforts are launched, we still can't fix what's wrong with the world. And no matter how many vitamins we take, no matter how much we exercise and eat right, no matter how many advances we make in medicine, we just can't beat death.
No matter what we do we are never going to get the chicken.
Jesus is the only one who can get and gives the chicken…
1. Jesus is the way to salvation to salvation
• Jesus told them, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (Romans 5:6-11)
2. Jesus is the only way to salvation and eternal life
• There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12
“The gifts of the Master are these: freedom, life, hope, new direction, transformation, and intimacy with God. If the cross was the end of the story, we would have no hope. But the cross isn't the end. Jesus didn't escape from death; he conquered it and opened the way to heaven for all who will dare to believe. The truth of this moment, if we let it sweep over us, is stunning. It means Jesus really is who he claimed to be, we are really as lost as he said we are, and he really is the only way for us to intimately and spiritually connect with God again.” (Steven James, Story, Goodreads Quotes)
Jesus had purpose, has power and gives permanence.
C. Jesus gives Permanence
He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. I John 5:11-13
During the summer our kiddos from the Chicago area visited us here on the Front Range and when it was time for them to return home they decided they would take a little detour and visit their first memory of home and the Lund Covenant Church, 10 miles south and 4 miles west on a dirt road south of Oberlin, Kansas. A sign on the highway marks the place you leave the pavement and continue on a dirt road. The sign at the corner notes “Where the difference is worth the distance.” I coined that little ditty 40 years ago and it is still there.
We turned at the sign and drove to Lund where we walked the cemetery, remembering those we’ve known over the years. We spent time in the church… it’s a beautiful country church. Some changes. They have a projection system now and there were mikes and a drum trap set on the platform for their worship band.
Then we drove a mile east to revisit our old home. It was a wonderful place. Saltbox house, the garage was once a school house that had wanes coat chair-railing and that period metal sheet ceiling. And the barn was where they had church meetings before they built the church.
We turned into the driveway and were shocked to see it was all gone. A nice new home sat where our saltbox house had sat… and the rest was gone. It had stood there for over 125 years and now, it’s all gone.
Recently when I was thinking about the temporality of things it occurred to me that the only thing permanent about our old home and the church we served, are the souls of those buried out in that little country cemetery. One day when Jesus comes back that place is going to pop with new life as the dead in Christ rise from their graves to meet him in the air.
That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote, “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather we fix our gaze on things that cannot be see. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” II Corinthians 4:18
What we cannot see now is the reality of our hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
1. God gives us eternal life through Jesus, I John 5:11-12 and John 10:28-29
• And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son does not have life. I John 5:11-12
• Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me for the Father has given them to me and he is more powerful than anyone. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.” John 10:28-29
2. God assures us of eternal life through his Word, I John 5:13
• I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. I John 5:13
3. God assures us of eternal life through the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:15-16
• You have received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his children… for his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm (or bears witness with our spirit) that we are His children. Romans 8:15-=16
Conclusion
I’ve found that most of the places we’ve vacationed have not been on the main road. Cabins and lakes are usually well off the main road and often even hard to find. Getting to the Anderson cabin above Fairplay is tricky. Getting to the Mylander cabin on Beaton’s Lake in the UP is tricky. Getting to Kego Lake in northern Minnesota is tricky. Getting to Agate Lake near Brainerd, Minnesota is tricky.The directions are spoken then written down. Finding the right turn-off is critical. The roads are really off-road roads. The directions are things like “turn at the big rock.” Trees usually form a canopy over the road so you lose your sense of direction.
Imagine you and the kids are taking a trip to a place called Tucker Lake in the Great Smoky Mountains. All you can think of is that whole week in a cabin by Tucker Lake. Everyone is excited. So off you go into the Smokys. There are twists and turns and too many forks in the road and confusing landmarks and you have no idea where you are and how to get back to the main road. Suddenly no one is having any fun. You and the Mrs. are getting snarky. The kids are fighting. The dog is sick. You are getting low on gas and you are wishing you had never heard of that cabin on Tucker Lake.
And then you hang a left at a fork in the road and there is a sign: “Tucker Lake. 21 miles.”
You and the Mrs. smile at each other, the kids start looking out the windows and everyone is looking forward to a week in a cabin on Tucker Lake. Why?
Because you know you are on the right road you can now relax and enjoy your journey.
When you don’t know where you are going the journey is not so relaxing and you are never sure about where you will end up. Knowing where you are going makes for a wonderfully relaxed journey filled with anticipation.
That’s why here at Heritage we want everyone to believe the truth of God’s Word so that everyone may be sure they are on the right road.
This is what it means to be on the right road.
And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” I John 5:11-13
