Believe The Truth
2 Timothy 4:1-4
When we were kids, we used to play a game called “Simon Says!”
You know the game, one person stands in front of a group of people and say,
“Simon says raise your hand,” and everybody raises their hands.
“Simon says raise your other hand,” and everybody raises their other hand.
Well the world is Simon, and many are doing exactly what the world says.
The world says: have same sex relationships,
so they do!
The world says: get drunk and do drugs,
and they do!
The world says: rebel against your parents,
and yes, you know they do!
But once God sets you apart from the world,
there is a new game that should be learned, called “Jesus says.”
It’s sad, but many Christians are still playing “Simon says”
instead of doing what Jesus says.
And in the end, many will find themselves in hell, standing right next to Simon.
Why? Because they believed the world, instead of the truth of God!
A little girl came very early one morning to her mother, saying:
"Which is worse, Mamma, to tell a lie or to steal?"
The mother replied, that both were so sinful, she could not tell which was the worse.
"Well, Mom," replied the little one, "I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and I think it;s ever so much worse to lie than to steal."
"Why, my child?" asked the mother.
"Well, you see, Mom, it’s like this," said the little girl.
"If you steal a something you can take it back, unless you’ve eaten it; and if you’ve eaten it, you can pay for it.
But"
-- and there was
a look of awe in her face -- "a lie is forever."
If we are going to build the church, on the principle of God’s truth,
we first have to unapologetically believe the truth of God,
which the world doesn’t.
And, we have to be willing to tell God’s Truth to the world.
I. BELIEVE THE TRUTH. THE WORLD DOES NOT
In a 2002 study, conducted by Barna research group, by a 3-to-1 margin (64% vs. 22%)
adults said, truth is always relative to the person and their situation.
Meaning, there are no absolute truths, that truth relative to ones situation.
That perspective, was even more lopsided among teenagers,
83% of whom said moral truth depends on the circumstances,
and only 6% of whom said moral truth is
absolute.
The gap between teen and adult views, was not surprising.
But even among adults, of different generations, there was a gap.
While 60% of people 36 and older embraced moral relativism,
75% of the adults, 18 to 35 did so.
It appears, that relativism is gaining ground,
largely because, relativism appears to have taken root with the generation
that preceded today’s teens.
Not surprisingly, Christians were more likely, than non-Christians, to accept moral absolutes.
Among adults, 32% of Christians, said they believe in moral absolutes.
That compared to just half as many, (15%) among non-Christians..
However, 32% is still not good, for those who say they believe in
God’s word.
There is a real truth vacuum in the world today.
Truth is one of the pillars, on which a society is built.
When there are no absolute truths,
we are reduced to everyone’s opinion as to what is right and wrong.
It seems that we are being hit from every direction, with opinions as to what truth is,
and if truth really exists.
But this problem is nothing new.
In John 18:37-39, we have an exchange between Jesus and Pilate.
37 "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." 38 "What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"
I believe the world is asking the same question today.
The question is, “Where are they going to find the answer?”
The church used to be a place, that held to the truth of the Word of God, and proclaimed it without shame.
Today the church is giving conflicting messages.
Today people can find a church that will give them the
answer they want to hear.
If you are pro-homosexual,
you can find a church that says it is all right.
If you want to believe that EVERYONE will go to heaven,
you can find a church that will give
you that answer.
The church is called to believe the truth.
Listen to what Paul tells
Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:15, if
I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's
household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of
the truth.
It’s imperative that the church believes the truth.
If we do not believe the truth, who will?
The world around us, excuses evil, by saying it’s a product of evolution,
or something that happened in a person’s childhood, instead of
calling it sin.
In our society we are trying to push God as far away from us as we can.
Then we wonder why things like Columbine happen.
Franklin Graham said, “When we empty the public schools of the moral teachings and the standards of our holy God, they are indeed very dangerous places.”
The only thing that will change the heart of sinful people, is Jesus Christ!
I believe that without apology!
People have no fear or respect for God, because the church has diluted the truth.
The church is too busy, trying to stay parallel with the culture, instead of staying above it.
A lot of the social problems in this country would be history,
if the church would go out and vote God’s conscience at the polls, regardless of party.
If God’s people would hold politicians to God’s truth,
things would change for the better.
Having said that, we have to realize that politics is not our answer,
Jesus Christ is!
When we do not believe in the absolute truth of the word of God,
what do we base any belief system on?
One opinion is just as good as another.
The church needs to understand,
that the only way for a person to be saved,
the only hope a person has for salvation, is
through Jesus Christ.
Until we believe that truth, we will not be serious about
spreading the gospel.
The Gospel is not one of many truths, it is THE truth!
1 JOHN 2:24-25 See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us--even eternal life.
This passage tells us, that if what we heard from the beginning (the Word of God),
remains in us (lives in us) we will remain (live) in Jesus.
The problem we have, is too many of us, are not allowing the truth to
remain in us.
In
John 14:6
we hear Jesus say:
I am the way and the truth and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Next week we are going to talk about teaching the truth,
but before you can teach the truth, you MUST believe it!
There are certain transcendent truths that are absolute!
Things like the inspiration of the Bible,
the deity of Jesus,
the creation of all things,
God’s plan of salvation are but a few.
These have been given to us by God, as unchanging truth, and they must not be compromised!
However, if we stick to them, we will be considered narrow-minded and
unenlightened.
II. RESIST THE
TEMPTATION TO COMPROMISE THE TRUTH.
Churches today do not want to offend anyone, so
it is just easier to compromise the truth.
This whole issue of tolerance, is one the world dreamed up.
You are considered intolerant, if you do not agree with what everyone else thinks.
If you disagree with a view, you are
intolerant.
I hate to bring it up again, but one of the issues facing us today, is the gay marriage.
If you are not for gay marriage, you are intolerant.
We are not supposed to be mean-spirited about what we teach, as we will see next week,
but compromising the truth, is not the way to go.
1
Corinthians 6:9 Do you not
know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes
nor homosexual offenders.
That verse and others, make it clear that homosexual behavior is not pleasing to God,
and if there is no heart change, it will lead to eternal punishment?
There are a lot of churches out there who are ignoring God’s truth in this matter,
in the name of compassion.
But, is it really compassionate, to just sit back and watch a person throw away their opportunity for eternal life?
Or is it just easier to let them think, that being
homosexual is all right?
I believe we compromise the truth in this issue and many others,
not out of love or compassion for others,
but out of comfort and convenience for ourselves.
We take the coward’s way out for ourselves.
When you are looking someone in the eye, it’s hard to tell them they are on the wrong path.
I have had to do that with people.
It’s one thing to stand for something, and it’s another to
have to defend it.
Paul writes
in Romans 1:18 The wrath of
God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of
men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
If we suppress the truth, God’s wrath rests on us.
However, it can be tempting to compromise the truth in the name of
church growth.
Over the years I have heard many times people comments about Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, and how it must be pretty liberal, to have grown so much so fast.
Those remarks offend me!
It says that God’s church cannot grow if you preach the truth.
That is so wrong.
God’s church is built on His truth, that we must believe.
We do not have to compromise the truth to grow God’s
Church!
There are some unity movements out there among the churches.
I applaud those efforts.
Jesus calls us to be united, but unity at any cost is not
pleasing to God.
However, we have no right, to compromise truth in the name of
unity!
If we know something to be truth,
we cannot sacrifice it on the alter of unity or popularity.
1 John 2:21
I do not write to you because you do not know the
truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.
III. BE READY TO FACE OPPOSITION FOR BELIEVING THE TRUTH.
Listen to what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:1-4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
When we stand on the truth, we will face opposition.
Many do not stand on the truth, because they do not want to face any opposition.
I have done that before, and I have promised myself,
with God’s help, I would not do it again, no
matter what.
When we tell people that Jesus is THE way THE truth and THE life,
we will be called intolerant and narrow minded.
I have been asked if all those Muslims will end up in hell.
My answer is,
that Jesus
is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Him.
Without Jesus, you are lost.
That sounds narrow-minded doesn’t it?
It does not sound politically correct does it?
Matthew
7:14 But small
is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 5:11-12 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
John 15:20 Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
We will face opposition when we stand for the truth,
a truth the world does not believe, but needs to hear.
CONCLUSION
Can true love be built on lies?
Can true compassion be built on lies?
Can
God’s
church be built on compromising the truth?
I get tired of folks who are ashamed of the gospel,
trying to make excuses for God’s teachings.
You see this in science, where people try to fits man’s theories about our origins with God’s word. The world was created in six days,
but those six days were millions of years in length.
I feel terrible about the homosexuals,
who have been told their sin is excused in the eyes of
God, because He loves them.
Don’t
you think it’s time for the church to stop apologizing for God’s Truth?
Paul says in Romans 1:16, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Notice, The GOSPEL, is the power of God for salvation.
Not my opinion,
not the teachings or doctrine of any man,
but of Jesus!
Next week we are going to look at importance of preaching and teaching the truth in love, as Jesus did.