The Value Of Truth Series

A small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness to the stand in a trial - a grand-motherly, elderly woman. He approached her and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?’

She responded, ‘Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I’ve known you since you were a young boy. And frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment to me. You like, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you’re a rising big shot when you haven’t the brains to realize you will never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.”

The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, ‘Mrs. Williams, do you know the defense attorney?’

She replied, ‘Why, yes I do. I’ve known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. I sued to baby-sit him for his parents. And he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He’s lazy bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. The man can’t build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him.’

At this point, the judge rapped the courtroom to silence and called both counselors to the bench. In a very quiet voice, he said with menace, ‘If either of you asks her if she knows me, you’ll be jailed for contempt!’

Truth is an interesting concept. We know that we need to hear it, but we don’t alway like to hear it. But was we look at the heart of God we are going to understand that He is a God of truth. If we are His people we will speak the truth.

1 Kings 22:6-14, “So the king of Israel brought together the prophets-about four hundred men - and asked them, ‘Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?’ ‘Go,’ they answered, ‘for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.’ But Jehoshaphat asked, ‘Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?’ The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, ‘There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always band. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.’ ‘The king should not say that,’ Jehoshaphat replied. So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, ‘Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.’ Dressed in their royal roves, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. Now Zedekiah son of Kenaananah had made iron horns and he declared, ‘This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’ All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. ‘Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,’ they said, ‘for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.’ the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, ‘Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.’ But Micaiah said, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me.’

We’re continuing today in our series “Discovering the Heart of God.” We’re looking at ways that the love of God flows from His heart into ours. But His love and these characteristics are not passive they are active. If we really are committed to God then it will show in our lives. Our key verse for this series is 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” God isn’t looking for our perfection, He is looking for our commitment. God can and will change a heart that is committed to Him to be more like Him.

So what does that commitment look like. Well first it will be a heart that has faith. If you really believe that God is who He says He is then when He calls you to do something you will follow. Even if that means taking risks because you know that He is faithful to see you through challenges and He is able to see you through those challenges. It will also be a heart that forgives because He has forgiven us. It will also be a heart that puts others first out of love because of what God has done and continues to do for us out of love.

Now this week, in the sermon but also in our small groups we are looking at the concept of truth. Before we get into our scripture passage for the day, we need to understand somethings about truth, what it is and what it is not.