Character of Truth
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Introduction
Introduction
We have been talking about Character. Remember, we defined Character as:
—The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.
—Character is the sum total of what you think and believe.
We began by looking at how our character is effected by the people around us! We talked about how we can become desensitized to sin because of the company we keep.
Last night we saw that our Character is more important than our charisma. We looked at how incredibly important our character is to the message we share.
Tonight we want to discover what our character is be built upon.
When I say the word “TRUTH” what do you think of?
[Let students answer]
The problem that we have as we walk through society is this—Many times our definition of Truth does not match their definition of truth.
So what are we to do when our definition of truth and the world’s definition of truth do not match?
You see, we have two choices:
We can become angry, aggressive, or defensive. We can express our beliefs firmly, sometimes harshly, or even hatefully.
Or we can follow the example Jesus gave us and express our beliefs with compassion and love. Remember, Jesus said that the world will know we are His disciples when they see our love for each other!
Now, there is another problem. Often, no matter how we express our beliefs, those in opposition to our message will become angry, aggressive, defensive, or even hateful.
Many times they will seek to silence us—or cancel us. They will seek to destroy our personal reputation, our credibility, and/or our platform.
The Truth of God
The Truth of God
When Jesus was on this earth, He taught the people. Those Jesus who had encounters with Jesus can be divided into a few categories.
Some became devoted followers. These would include the disciples (except for maybe Judas), and a group of women who followed Him and often took care of His needs.
Another response was to come and see what Jesus was all about. — They loved seeing the miracles. — They loved hearing His stories. — They loved being miraculously fed.
The third group went away sad because what Jesus asked them to do was too hard. Luke gives us an example of this in the story of The Rich Young Ruler. Jesus told this man that he lacked one thing. He needed to go sell everything he had and come follow Jesus. In Luke 18:23 we read some of the saddest words in scripture. Luke tells us, “When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.”
Just like today, some of Jesus’ followers had a problem. Many of those who said they believed in Him showed no evidence of their belief.
In other words, there was no change in their lives.
Jesus saw this. So one day while he was speaking to the people He actually talked about this disconnect between their beliefs and their actions.
If you have your Bibles turn with me to John 8. We will begin with verse 31.
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
The first thing I want us to notice is to whom Jesus is speaking. He is talking to people who believed in Him.
Tonight, let me begin by asking you a question:
Which one of our three groups are you in tonight?
Are you a follower of Jesus? Are you just here looking to see what Jesus is all about? Or are you one of those who wants nothing to do with Jesus?
If the answer to this question is, “I’m a follower of Jesus” a “Christian,” then my second question is:
What difference has Jesus made in your life?
If your answer to my first question is I’m here to see what Jesus is all about, then my second question to you is:
Are you sure you know Jesus at all?
Finally, if your answer is following Jesus costs too much, I don’t want anything to do with Him, then my second question is:
Are you sure, following Jesus is better than the alternative?
Some of you will look at the second part of this verse, and really believe following Jesus is too hard. After all he says real disciples will hold to the teachings of Jesus.
Russ Perry was a youth pastor that used to bring his youth group to IMPACT. He used to say, “Salvation is free; Discipleship is costly.”
Let’s continue looking at our passage. Look at verse 32.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Let’s start with this idea: knowing truth is not something that simply happens “psychologically.” The Biblical idea of “knowing the truth” is more a matter of the will or a choice we make.
The big problem is that people choose the lies of Satan rather than choosing God’s truth.
Look at Romans 1:25.
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Back to John 8.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
This boggled the mind of those listening to Jesus. “Set us free? Free from what?” Look at the next verse.
They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
Now we miss the emphasis of what they are saying. They are telling Jesus, “We don’t need to be freed from anything because we are not slaves to anyone or anything! After all we are Jews!” This is the same attitude I here from a lot of people today. The don’t believe they need to be freed because they do not understand that they are in bondage to anyone or anything. They don’t understand they are in need of salvation, because they don’t realize they are perishing!
In fact, today it is worse than that, because many will look at those committed to following Jesus and living according to God’s Word as being the ones that are enslaved. As we look at this passage, I want you to ask yourself this question:
Who is actually enslaved?
That really is the question those listening to Him are asking. Look at how Jesus answers there opposition His statement in verse 32, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Tonight, I want you to realize that everyone one of us in this room is a slave! That’s right! We are all in slaves (servants) to someone! We are either a slave to sin and satan, or we are a servant of God.
The lie of the devil is that following after God is a list of do’s and don’ts, rules and regulations; but following the ways of the world world is freedom from do’s and don’ts, or freedom from rules and regulations.
Satan wants us to believe following Jesus is restrictive, while follow the way of the World is freeing—Yet, NOTHING could be farther from the truth!
Jesus said exactly the opposite. He said following after the world is being enslaved to sin, and ultimately to the master of sin which is satan! While following Him was becoming a servant of a loving, caring Master—God.
So why is that we often gravitate to sin rather than gravitating to Jesus? It is because of another problem every one of us has. And that is that everyone of us is born into sin. That’s why in Romans 3:23, Paul could say:
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Okay, question:
Is there anyone in here who has NEVER done ANYTHING wrong?
Not one thing! Now if someone is sitting there thinking, “I could say I’ve never done anything wrong,” you can’t because that’s a lie and so you just did something wrong! Truly all of us have sinned!
And because of that sin we all fall short of God’s glory and we fall short of His perfect standard.
Jesus goes on.
Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Are you a Slave to sin or are you a Servant of God? Are you truly a follower of Jesus?
Jesus repeated this very idea when He’s talking to the disciples on the night he is going to be betrayed. In John 14:15 He says,
“If you love me, you will obey what I command.
We obey because we love Jesus. It is not a list of do’s and don’ts! I seek to obey the Lord, because I love Him. I love Him because of all He has done for me!
I believe that in a group this size, some of you have not been freed from sin’s bondage. You have never accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation, and you’ve never entered into a personal relationship with Him. If this is true, they you don’t serve Him, you still a slave to sin and satan.
Well being SLAVES to sin is pretty bleak news! In fact, the news gets worse. In the first part of Romans 6:23 we’re told “For the wages of sin is death. . .” The payment for our enslavement to sin is eternal separation from God!
Now, it doesn’t get any worse than that. And if God left us there it would be horrible. The thing is, the verse doesn’t stop there.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You see,
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God demonstrates His personal love for us—He demonstrates the depth of His love by sending Christ to die for us to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, while I owed a debt that I could never pay. Jesus paid my debt for me! And He paid your debt for you. But you have to accept His gift to you. So if you have never placed your faith in Jesus alone to put you into a right relationship with God, and to set you free from being a slave to sin and satan, then I want to encourage you to make tonight the night you change from being a slave to being a son!
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, then my challenge to you is to examine your life. Where are the areas in your life that you are not obeying Jesus?
What things are keeping you from experiencing the fullness of His presence in your life—what sin are you still hanging onto?
Tonight I want to challenge you to ask Jesus to reveal to you the sin in your life that needs to be cut out.
And when you can know what sin is blocking your fellowship with God, then trust in the truth of 1 John 1:9.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
So here’s the key that each of us must come to grips with: My character must always conform to God’s truth.
Truth—the kind of truth that sets us free—will NEVER conform to our character!
SO WHAT?
SO WHAT?
What is it, in your life, that you are trying to conform? Are you conforming your character to God’s truth, or are you trying to conform truth to fit your character?
Whom do you serve? Are you serving the God’s of this world? Or are you serving almighty God?
I love the story of Joshua. At the end of the book—as Joshua is finishing up his ministry with the people—he gathers everyone together and tells them to get rid of the false gods of their fathers, and then he says this:
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Tonight I want to challenge you to join with me, and say, “As for me, I will serve the Lord!” What about you?