THE CHURCH AT THE CROSSROADS OF TRUTH
THE CHURCH AT THE CROSSROADS • Sermon • Submitted
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TRUTH IS UNDER ATTACK
TRUTH IS UNDER ATTACK
“In passing we should note this curious mark of our age: The only absolute allowed is the absolute insistence that there is no absolute” ― Francis A. Schaeffer
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” (, NASB95)
WHO WILL YOU BELIEVE?
Skeptics deny that there is truth
Postmodernist think there is no particular truth (absolute truth) truth is relative. Truth is different for each person.
Pluralism thinks that all truth claims are valid
Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?”
Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”
Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”
And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him.
I came to testify to the truth
Everyone who is of truth hears my voice
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
“You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.
John 8:
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
“Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?
“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
John
“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.
But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?
You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?
How are we hindering the truth of the gospel?
How are we not being straightforward about the truth of the gospel?
and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Jesus came was so that we could...
see truth
hear truth
know truth
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
“As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
“For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
John 17
We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
What truth is not
Truth is not simply whatever works
Truth is not simply what is coherent or understandable
Truth is not what makes people feel good
Truth is not what the majority say is true
Truth is not what is comprehensive
Truth is not defined by what was intended. Good intentions can still be wrong
Truth is not how we know, truth is what we know
Truth is not simply what is believed. A lie believed is still a lie
Truth is not what is publicly proved. A truth can be privately known.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
KNOW THE TRUTH
BELIEVE THE TRUTH
SPEAK THE TRUTH
LIVE THE TRUTH
HOW DOES THE CHURCH BECOME THE PILLAR AND SUPPORT OF TRUTH
By Rebuking False Teachers (1:3-11, 18-20)
By Worshiping According To God’s Will (2:1-15)
By Appointing Godly Elders and Deacons (3:1-13)
By Preparing For Attacks On Truth (4:1-7)
By Focusing On Godliness (4:8-16; 6:3-7)
By Caring For The Various Individuals That Are A Part Of The Church (5:1-6:21)