Confronting Truth
Notes
Transcript
Confronting Truth
Confronting Truth
33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
john
This paragraph, declares in no uncertain terms that
(1) Jesus came from heaven and spoke with a higher authority than that of earth;
(2) that he spoke from observation, not from theory;
(3) that he spoke the words of God;
(4) that the Father’s love had caused him to endow the Son with complete authority to execute his purpose.
Last week we talked about the issue of confronting Pride.
John the Baptist stopped discord in its tracts by giving all the credit and glory to Christ and not taking any credit for himself.
Illustration - confronting truth - 2009 prime lending melt down
Pretend its not there “kick the can down the road”
accountants had spelled out what was happening but most CEO’s just did not believe what was right in front of them...
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Today as we close this series Come and See we will see the absolute necessity of confronting truth and it ramifications.
Ken Ham
According to Bob Dylan, “All the truth in the world adds up to one big lie.”1
Is it really that depressing? Is there no hope of finding any certainty?
Children are growing up in a very uncertain world. Their questions are often met with confusing or vague replies.
Is there a God?
—Probably not.
Where did everything come from?
—The Big Bang triggered everything—before that we can’t say for sure.
How do I know what’s right and what’s wrong?
—There’s no absolute morality, so just do what feels good to you.
What happens when I die?
—Probably that’s the end, but no one knows for sure.
It seems that truth has become a somewhat dirty word, or at least a corrupted one. In its place we are left with a whole lot of uncertainty.
In steps Jesus!
JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO “BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRUTH.”
Jesus tells Pontius Pilate that He has come into the world to “bear witness to the truth ἀλήθεια (alḗtheia)]”3 ().
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
john 3.37
Pilate responds with the famous rhetorical words, “What is truth?” ().
But thankfully, there are answers to Pilate’s question—definite, enduring, trustworthy answers.
Truth in the Bible
The concept of truth is referenced more in the New Testament than in the Old Testament, even though it constitutes just one quarter of the Bible.5
Jesus called Himself
· “the truth” ();
· was “full of . . . truth” (; );
· told “the truth” (; , , ) and whose words are “true” (, );
· taught “the way of God in truth” ( = = );
· taught about the “truth” (; , and so on);
· came into the world to “bear witness to the truth” ().
THE BIBLE IDENTIFIES TRUTH AS A QUALITY INTRINSIC TO THE VERY NATURE OF GOD..
The Oxford Dictionary of English contains the following definitions:
1. in accordance with fact or reality: a true story . . .
2. accurate or exact: it was a true depiction . . .
3. loyal or faithful: he was a true friend . . .
ORIGIN: Old English trēowe, trȳwe ‘steadfast, loyal’ . . .
· truth: noun
the quality or state of being true: . . .
So in this in this text we are confronted with truth
Jesus us is from heaven and speaks as God
All the Jesus speaks is of God
Man does not accept truth
“Just because you believe something not to be true does not make it so.”
Galileo Galile - Sated the earth moves around the sun
In 1633, the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church forced Galileo Galilei, one of the founders of modern science, to recant his theory that the Earth moves around the Sun
In 1633, the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church forced Galileo Galilei, one of the founders of modern science, to recant his theory that the Earth moves around the Sun
Just because some do not accept what the bible says is truth does not make it false! Also it does not prevent them from the consequences of denying the truth.
Also
I. Truth is Given
I. Truth is Given
31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. 32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
The text open with truth has been given.
We have all the truth we need given in the Bible.
Jesus spake
Jesus declared
12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
3:31 Jesus is the One who comes from above and is above all.
This statement was designed to show His heavenly origin and supreme position. To prove his own inferiority, John the Baptist said that he himself was of the earth and was earthly and speaks of the earth.
He who comes from above is above all. Christ is the supreme Sovereign of the universe.
It is only proper, therefore, that men should follow Him rather than His messenger.
3:32 But when the Lord Jesus spoke, He spoke with authority.
He told men what He had seen and heard. There was no possibility of error or deceit.
Yet strange to say, no one receives His testimony. The expression no one is not to be taken in an absolute sense. There are individuals who accept the words of the Lord Jesus.
Jesus was the One who came down from heaven, but comparatively few were willing to listen to Him.
Ladies-and Gentlemen the truth has been given ....
john 3.
It there right in front of you ......
How did I miss that ....
II. Truth is Accepted
II. Truth is Accepted
33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. 34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
John 3.
Verse 33 describes the few who did accept the words of the Lord as being the very words of God.
By their acceptance, they certified that God is true.
So it is today.
When people accept the message of the gospel, they take sides with God against themselves and against the rest of mankind.
They realize that if God has said something, it must be true.
Notice how clearly verse 33 teaches the deity of Christ. It says that whoever believes the testimony of Christ acknowledges that God is true.
This is just another way of saying that the testimony of Christ is the testimony of God, and to receive the one is to receive the other also
some accept what God says is true .....
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
heb
3:34 Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit of God in a way that was not true of any other person.
Others have been conscious of the help of the Holy Spirit in their ministry, but no one else ever had such a Spirit-filled ministry as the Son of God. The prophets received a partial revelation from God but “the Spirit revealed in and by Christ the very wisdom, the very heart of God to man with all its infinitude of love.[1]
14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
I accepted the truth
You have accepted the truth
The ultimate confrontation of truth is to accept it....
Illustration - I must accept Iam a sinner
accept - I can do nothing on my own to erase of have my sins forgiven
accept that there is a price for rebellions and sin
And confront the truth by accepting Christ ....
III. Truth is Love
III. Truth is Love
35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
john 3.
Father’s love had caused him to endow the Son with complete authority to execute his purpose.
The believer in the Son has eternal life; the unbeliever will never possess that life, for he is already under condemnation. The wrath of God remains on him.
This is the only passage in the Johannine Gospel and Epistles in which “wrath” is mentioned.
Rather, it is the settled displeasure of God against sin.
It is the divine allergy to moral evil, the reaction of righteousness to unrighteousness.
God is neither easily angered nor vindictive.
But by his very nature he is unalterably committed to opposing and judging all disobedience.
The moral laws of the universe are as unvarying and unchangeable as its physical laws, and God cannot set aside either without violating his own nature. The rejection of his Son can be followed only by retribution. Acceptance of Christ is the personal appropriation of God’s truth—an appropriation that might be compared to the practice of endorsing a check to cash it.
vs 35 - This is one of the seven times in John’s Gospel where we are told that the Father loves the Son.
Here that love is manifested in giving Him control over all things. Among these things over which the Savior has complete charge are the destinies of men, as explained in verse 36.
3:36 God has given Christ the power to grant everlasting life to all who believe on Him. This is one of the clearest verses in all the Bible on how a person can be saved.
It is simply by believing in the Son. As we read this verse, we should realize that God is speaking.
He is making a promise that can never be broken. He says, clearly and distinctly, that anyone who believes in His Son has everlasting life.
Notice that there is nothing in this verse about keeping the law, obeying the Golden Rule, going to church, doing the best we can, or working our way to heaven
Have you confronted the truth?