Absolute Truth, 5 August 2018
06 08 18 Filed in: Sermons | Truth on Trial
Absolute Truth
D6 Series—Truth on Trial
John 14:1-7
Series Overview: God is truth and the source of all truth.
Big Idea: Despite statements to the contrary, absolute truth exists; truth is a Person and his name is Jesus.
Questions. I love questions. I love asking questions.
I love it when people ask me questions. I don’t always know the answers, but those are often my favorite questions because I can do research and learn, too.
When it comes to questions, children are notoriously good at both asking and answering.
Do you like questions?
I’ve often said the two most important questions in life might be
Those questions do not exactly appear in the Bible, but there is one question which might be the most brilliant question of all time.
What do you think it is?
See, I asked another question!
The setting is Jesus’ trial. He is standing before Pilate on account of religious leaders who want Jesus crucified, though Pilate cannot understand why. There is a discussion about Jesus being called the King of the Jews.
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37)
Then Pilate asks the zinger, the question, maybe the most important question in the Bible.
“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. John 18:38
What is truth?
It’s a simple question with profound implications, especially in a world drowning in information and data. How can you discern fake news from the real stuff? If you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet, what can you believe?
What is truth?
Many today say there’s no such thing as absolute truth. Is that true? Isn’t saying absolute truth does not exist a statement of absolute truth?
What is truth?
In a world where billions of people practice Islam and Buddhism and Hinduism and even atheism, how we do we know Christianity is true?
Even the realm of science is slippery.
This Is Why Eating Healthy Is Hard (Time Travel Dietician). Written by Charles (Chuck Armstrong & Charlie Stockman). Directed by Elliot Dickerhoof. Produced by Darren Miller for Funny or Die. Used by Permission. http://funnyordie.com/CharlesComedy
What is truth?
We are devoting this month of August to addressing this fascination question. Are you ready?
What is truth?
The dictionary uses words such as “fact,” “reality,” and “honesty” to describe that which is true or truthful.
It’s easy to be skeptical of things today. How many times have we heard a story about something in the news, only to determine it was fabricated?
Not only can you not believe everything you hear or read, thanks to Photoshop and other tools, you can’t believe everything you see!
If you’ll allow me to get philosophical for a moment, one of the problems with true involves language. Words have meaning and that meaning is derived from our interpretation.
In the 1990’s Stanley Grenz offered “A Primer on Postmodernism,” a book about the emerging post-Enlightenment philosophies influenced by Nietzsche who famously asserted “the death of God.”
Grenz writes, “Nietzsche claims that there is not truth as such but only relative truths for a certain sort of creature or a certain society. Because all knowledge is a matter of perspective, knowledge is really interpretation—and all interpretations are lies.”
Words and language have limits, which is why we often find ourselves misunderstood. Here’s a simple example: he is old. What does that mean? If I’m talking to a group of toddlers, I might be referring to a seven year-old. If I’m talking with my step dad, it could be someone in their nineties or later. What does the word “old” mean? It might even mean 200 years old if we’re touring Boston or 2000 years old if we’re in Egypt.
Stay with me! When we speak of truth, we’re looking for something universal and timeless. If you drop a bowling ball on your foot, it will not be comfortable, no matter if you’re in Toledo or Timbuktu, in 2018 or 1818 or 18 BC (if they had bowling balls back then) because gravity is a universal truth.
Tensions arise when competing worldviews or scriptures or philosophies claim to be true over and against others. Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “What’s true for you isn’t true for me.” That would describe relative truth, a reality based upon a context or individual. I could claim the Mud Hens are the best team in baseball, but surely others would disagree. We could all agree, however, that the Philadelphia Eagles are the 2018 Super Bowl Champions. That’s a fact. That’s true.
But what about God? Christianity? The Bible? Is it true? How do we know? If the Bible is true, why do so many people interpret it different ways? How can it be trustworthy? How do I know my understanding of God and the Bible is correct?
We will spend much of our time in this series talking about the Bible, but I want to begin by saying truth is not a religion, a philosophy, or even a book. It’s a person.
In a conversation with Thomas, one of Jesus’ twelve closest friends—the doubting one…
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Jesus said, “I am the truth.” Truth is a Person. Jesus is the truth. God is the truth. Let’s back up a moment and look at the context (something that often gets people in trouble, failing to look at the context of a verse). Jesus is talking to his disciples, his followers, and says,
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)
Jesus equates himself with God. This was radical. Who does he think he is, God or something? Yes!
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7)
Again, Jesus says he and the Father are one. There is mystery to the Trinity, one God in three Persons—Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
I’m going to make a radical, politically-incorrect statement: God exists. I know church is a shocking context for such a declaration, but I’m feeling a little edgy today! Seriously, though, either God exists or He doesn’t. If God exists and He created our universe, we can safely say He makes the rules.
It amazes me how many people have the audacity to ask God to conform to their will, rules, and desires when God is…God. We can trust God and His will and word knowing He’s God and we’re not. You can deny His law of gravity and jump off a cliff but you’ll quickly realize there are consequences to doing so, whether you believe in gravity or not.
Parenthetically, if you don’t believe in God, God still believes in you!
How do we know God exists? There are two types of revelation, things that reveal God to us. The first is called general revelation. God speaks through creation. Psalm 19 says,
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. (Psalms 19:1-4)
Centuries later Paul wrote to the church in Rome,
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
Special revelation refers to God revealing Himself through supernatural means, including dreams, visions, physical appearances, the Bible, and most of all Jesus.
Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, is filled with declarations about God’s Word.
Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. (Psalms 119:89)
Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true. (Psalms 119:142)
All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. (Psalms 119:160)
That’s the God that we serve. His words are true. He is true. Jesus is truth.
So What?
If God is true, He can be trusted. He wrote the rules. He knows best. Obviously this does not mean we can’t doubt or question God. In the midst of our grieving, we all have plenty of questions for God…and He welcomes them. But we must recognize God is God and we’re not. God is in control and we’re not. God can be trusted. He has been good and faithful from generation to generation and He’s not about to change now.
You can build your life around what is popular or politically correct, but just like “science,” it is likely to change. I’d think twice about devoting yourself to the lifestyle or teaching of any celebrity, author, or expert. Even pastors such as myself are far from perfect. At FAC, I am not the authority, nor are our elders or District Superintendent or C&MA President. Our authority is Jesus. God, through His Word and example of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, shows us how to live. As Jesus prepared to return to heaven, He said to the Father,
“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (John 17:13-19)
Finally, God’s truth can set us free…free from lies, bondage, sin, and death.
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
Do you know the truth? It is contained in God’s Word, the Bible, but ultimately truth is a Person—Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life.
Credits: some ideas from D6.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
D6 Series—Truth on Trial
John 14:1-7
Series Overview: God is truth and the source of all truth.
Big Idea: Despite statements to the contrary, absolute truth exists; truth is a Person and his name is Jesus.
Questions. I love questions. I love asking questions.
I love it when people ask me questions. I don’t always know the answers, but those are often my favorite questions because I can do research and learn, too.
When it comes to questions, children are notoriously good at both asking and answering.
Do you like questions?
I’ve often said the two most important questions in life might be
- - Who is God?
- - Who am I?
Those questions do not exactly appear in the Bible, but there is one question which might be the most brilliant question of all time.
What do you think it is?
See, I asked another question!
The setting is Jesus’ trial. He is standing before Pilate on account of religious leaders who want Jesus crucified, though Pilate cannot understand why. There is a discussion about Jesus being called the King of the Jews.
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37)
Then Pilate asks the zinger, the question, maybe the most important question in the Bible.
“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. John 18:38
What is truth?
It’s a simple question with profound implications, especially in a world drowning in information and data. How can you discern fake news from the real stuff? If you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet, what can you believe?
What is truth?
Many today say there’s no such thing as absolute truth. Is that true? Isn’t saying absolute truth does not exist a statement of absolute truth?
What is truth?
In a world where billions of people practice Islam and Buddhism and Hinduism and even atheism, how we do we know Christianity is true?
Even the realm of science is slippery.
This Is Why Eating Healthy Is Hard (Time Travel Dietician). Written by Charles (Chuck Armstrong & Charlie Stockman). Directed by Elliot Dickerhoof. Produced by Darren Miller for Funny or Die. Used by Permission. http://funnyordie.com/CharlesComedy
What is truth?
We are devoting this month of August to addressing this fascination question. Are you ready?
What is truth?
The dictionary uses words such as “fact,” “reality,” and “honesty” to describe that which is true or truthful.
It’s easy to be skeptical of things today. How many times have we heard a story about something in the news, only to determine it was fabricated?
Not only can you not believe everything you hear or read, thanks to Photoshop and other tools, you can’t believe everything you see!
If you’ll allow me to get philosophical for a moment, one of the problems with true involves language. Words have meaning and that meaning is derived from our interpretation.
In the 1990’s Stanley Grenz offered “A Primer on Postmodernism,” a book about the emerging post-Enlightenment philosophies influenced by Nietzsche who famously asserted “the death of God.”
Grenz writes, “Nietzsche claims that there is not truth as such but only relative truths for a certain sort of creature or a certain society. Because all knowledge is a matter of perspective, knowledge is really interpretation—and all interpretations are lies.”
Words and language have limits, which is why we often find ourselves misunderstood. Here’s a simple example: he is old. What does that mean? If I’m talking to a group of toddlers, I might be referring to a seven year-old. If I’m talking with my step dad, it could be someone in their nineties or later. What does the word “old” mean? It might even mean 200 years old if we’re touring Boston or 2000 years old if we’re in Egypt.
Stay with me! When we speak of truth, we’re looking for something universal and timeless. If you drop a bowling ball on your foot, it will not be comfortable, no matter if you’re in Toledo or Timbuktu, in 2018 or 1818 or 18 BC (if they had bowling balls back then) because gravity is a universal truth.
Tensions arise when competing worldviews or scriptures or philosophies claim to be true over and against others. Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “What’s true for you isn’t true for me.” That would describe relative truth, a reality based upon a context or individual. I could claim the Mud Hens are the best team in baseball, but surely others would disagree. We could all agree, however, that the Philadelphia Eagles are the 2018 Super Bowl Champions. That’s a fact. That’s true.
But what about God? Christianity? The Bible? Is it true? How do we know? If the Bible is true, why do so many people interpret it different ways? How can it be trustworthy? How do I know my understanding of God and the Bible is correct?
We will spend much of our time in this series talking about the Bible, but I want to begin by saying truth is not a religion, a philosophy, or even a book. It’s a person.
In a conversation with Thomas, one of Jesus’ twelve closest friends—the doubting one…
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Jesus said, “I am the truth.” Truth is a Person. Jesus is the truth. God is the truth. Let’s back up a moment and look at the context (something that often gets people in trouble, failing to look at the context of a verse). Jesus is talking to his disciples, his followers, and says,
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)
Jesus equates himself with God. This was radical. Who does he think he is, God or something? Yes!
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7)
Again, Jesus says he and the Father are one. There is mystery to the Trinity, one God in three Persons—Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
I’m going to make a radical, politically-incorrect statement: God exists. I know church is a shocking context for such a declaration, but I’m feeling a little edgy today! Seriously, though, either God exists or He doesn’t. If God exists and He created our universe, we can safely say He makes the rules.
It amazes me how many people have the audacity to ask God to conform to their will, rules, and desires when God is…God. We can trust God and His will and word knowing He’s God and we’re not. You can deny His law of gravity and jump off a cliff but you’ll quickly realize there are consequences to doing so, whether you believe in gravity or not.
Parenthetically, if you don’t believe in God, God still believes in you!
How do we know God exists? There are two types of revelation, things that reveal God to us. The first is called general revelation. God speaks through creation. Psalm 19 says,
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. (Psalms 19:1-4)
Centuries later Paul wrote to the church in Rome,
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
Special revelation refers to God revealing Himself through supernatural means, including dreams, visions, physical appearances, the Bible, and most of all Jesus.
Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, is filled with declarations about God’s Word.
Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. (Psalms 119:89)
Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true. (Psalms 119:142)
All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. (Psalms 119:160)
That’s the God that we serve. His words are true. He is true. Jesus is truth.
So What?
If God is true, He can be trusted. He wrote the rules. He knows best. Obviously this does not mean we can’t doubt or question God. In the midst of our grieving, we all have plenty of questions for God…and He welcomes them. But we must recognize God is God and we’re not. God is in control and we’re not. God can be trusted. He has been good and faithful from generation to generation and He’s not about to change now.
You can build your life around what is popular or politically correct, but just like “science,” it is likely to change. I’d think twice about devoting yourself to the lifestyle or teaching of any celebrity, author, or expert. Even pastors such as myself are far from perfect. At FAC, I am not the authority, nor are our elders or District Superintendent or C&MA President. Our authority is Jesus. God, through His Word and example of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, shows us how to live. As Jesus prepared to return to heaven, He said to the Father,
“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (John 17:13-19)
Finally, God’s truth can set us free…free from lies, bondage, sin, and death.
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
Do you know the truth? It is contained in God’s Word, the Bible, but ultimately truth is a Person—Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life.
Credits: some ideas from D6.