Sermon On Living The Truth

Lysa TerKeurst, an American author once remarked: "Remember who you are. Don't compromise for anyone, for any reason. You are a child of the Almighty God. Live that truth." John 8:32 confirms: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

What we make of life is imperative to our well-being. Wikipedia defines well-being as: “Wellness, prudential value, prosperity or quality of life, refers to what is intrinsically valuable relative to someone. So the well-being of a person is what is ultimately good for this person, what is in the self-interest of this person.”

The daily norms, that affect all of us, can often distract us from a true purpose. We may accept and deviate from a formerly intended productive plan, but end up not knowing who we really are. This can cause confusion, or even heartache. We may deceive ourselves that we are somebody we’re not. If we believe that this is our destiny, then we may be seeking problems amounting to a severe loss of self-identity. This may question our worth or value in life. It can instil low-esteem which can query our usefulness.

1 John 1:5-2:5 reminds us: “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:”

Many people are so enwrapped in living busy day-to-day lives that leave little room for the true pleasures and enjoyment of life. If we lack these essential factors, then we are not living the benefits of a full existence. In effect, we become enclosed in a locked room with no key available to allow an escape to freedom. Our lives become dictated by the pressures of life. We may not even have the time or a wish to eat properly. If we are not careful, the doors of life may become permanently closed. Revelation 3:20 confirms: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

Furthermore, if we allow a relationship with God to suffer as a result of our other commitments, then we may effectively damage a fruitful relationship. We may suffer the same heartache as we would from a loss of a precious possession. The time constraints imposed in life can reduce or even eliminate the possibility of a meaningful relationship with Him. This restricts or may even oppose the unhindered freedom of living the truth. The lack of His presence and guidance in our personal endeavors can make a notable difference to any outcome and we may feel like a lost sheep without its shepherd, wandering aimlessly in the wilderness. We may effectively not know which way to turn. John 10:10 reminds us: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

A good shepherd will always attend to his flock with love, tenderness, guidance and care. He must also be watchful for wolves and other predators. That is his principal role in life, he is tasked with that responsibility. He is assigned as the leader of the flock for a purpose. Rosalynn Carter, a former first lady of the United States once remarked: "A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be." 1 Timothy 3:1-5 reminds us: “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?”