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Title: An Obligation to the Truth Text: John 8:31-32 Date: 8-06-06.am Introduction: We live in an anti-authority society, especially when it comes to religious matters. Ours is increasingly becoming society devoted to a feel good, self-centered mentality that is so characteristic of the New Age movement. My friend Jim just took a class in Wisc sponsored by the State Dept of Corrections and was told not to come back when he voiced objections that what was being taught was a form of New Age spirituality. The director of the program finally admitted to him that it was and when he complained further he was allowed back but of course the class was over and he was offered the class at another time and location. This same kind of mentality is also becoming increasingly evident in the modern church.
Many new believers (as well as older) flounder in their Christian life because they don’t know and understand the basic truths for walking with Christ through the Spirit of God in the light of the Word of God.
The contemporary church movement seems to be emphasizing experience over God’s Word, which is not really contemporary or new. And the older established main line church seems to be headed in the same direction. And as I was doing that series The Truth Shall Set you Free from John 8:32, verse 31 which I read last week just really jumped out at me. John 8:31-32 . . ."If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (NAS) Knowing the truth irrevocably linked with the Word of God. In praying for His disciples in John 17:17, Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. (NAS)
We laid the foundation for understanding the authority and truthfulness of the Bible as the revealed Word of God so I’m not going to go back and rehash that we recognize the Bible as our foundation. It warns us about false teachers, not those on the outside, but on the inside of the church. It warns us about those who attempt to change the gospel message or teach a different message.
That warning applied in the first century and in the following centuries and is certainly valid in our day. We find today those who had rather not talk about biblical truth at all because it’s divisive. They say let’s just focus on Jesus and loving one another and enjoying the Christian life and show the world we’re not really different from them. Let’s not be judgmental let’s just accept everyone as being God’s children trying to get home just like we are. That kind of reasoning may sound good on the surface, but Jesus said we’re truly His disciples if we abide in His Word, not if we think nice thoughts. Today we have churches and entire denominations that want to ignore or change God’s Word rather than abide in it.
We are see that taking place in the Episcopal Church, and the Methodist Church and even Baptist churches over the issue of homosexuality among other things. Just in the past month the Presbyterian Church USA made a ruling that sex outside of marriage would no longer be a reason to exclude someone from ordination to the ministry. Specifically dealing with the issue of homosexuality living in a relationship. They had previously decided it was ok to ordain homosexuals as long as they are celibate.
These same mainline denominations have also worked to change the Bible and hymns to remove the masculine concept of God even though God Himself chose to reveal Himself that way.
The PC USA General Assembly which met in July suggested local churches use alternative ways to identify the Holy Trinity other than Father, Son and Spirit. Some of these include "Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child and Life-giving Womb," "Lover, Beloved and Love That Binds Lover and Beloved Together." "Rock, Cornerstone and Temple" and "Rainbow of Promise, Ark of Salvation and Dove of Peace." Sun, Light and Burning Ray"
The report which the church says was “written by a diverse panel of working pastors and theologians,” noted that the traditional language of the Trinity (and you can read into that the biblical language) portrays God as male and implies that men are superior to women.
Such concepts go against the idea of abiding in God’s Word, it elevates human wisdom above that of God’s revelation. Which will ultimately leads to a subjective view of Scripture that suggests if one area of revelation is flawed then there could be other areas flawed. (see Journal Star article)
Consider this statement by The Rev. Elizabeth Linton Greene, minister at Boise
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in letter to the Idaho Statesman 7/29/06. Belief that
you hold the one true thing, for all people in all times leads to self-righteousness. It leads to doing everything you can to impose your will on
The Other, who is at least wrong and probably bad. At worst, it leads to
warfare and oppression, death and slavery in the name of the holy.
Claiming to know for sure what God has in mind seems to border on arrogance.
But Jesus said if you abide in my Word you are my disciples and you shall know the truth and that truth shall set you free.
Rev Green went on to say in that letter . . .”each of us has a piece of the
truth, called by all kinds of different names”. . .requires a significant humility,
spiritually speaking. It requires a habit of respectful listening. We join all
faiths that take very seriously the call to respect all people's worth and
dignity, the responsibility to act as part of a great interdependent web. I’m certainly not saying that I’m perfect, or that I’m a perfect Bible teacher or have all the answers or that Bethel is a perfect church or that Southern Baptists are perfect. We as Christians individually and corporately do have a responsibility to respect all people’s worth and dignity because we are all created in the image of God. But we have a greater obligation to the truth. As individuals and churches and denominations we have an obligation to seek the truth from God’s Word, not from some esoteric source of knowledge, not from society or culture, not from individual experience but from God’s Word. We are to try our best, under the leadership of the Spirit to understand it, and to live and teach it. All of our concepts, ideas, understandings and experience must be tried against the objective truth of God’s revelation.
The series we just finished on knowing the truth focused on knowing facts about the Word of God and about Jesus Christ. But knowing the truth and being set free by the truth goes beyond the factual knowledge of that truth.
Ps 119:11 Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee. (NAS) I have be given God’s word and have valued it, and understood the importance of applying it to my life to keep me from sin.
Jer 15:16 Thy words were found and I ate them, and Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;. . . (NAS)
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms {and} hymns {and} spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (NAS)
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (NAS)
That means the Word of God can be known and is to be known. I can’t stress that enough. We must know God’s Word, and knowing God’s Word can only come from reading it and studying it and taking it into our hearts.
That means it’s truth shapes our lives. Again you’ve heard me talk about world view, the way we look at things and make decisions. When we take God’s Word into our hearts it becomes the filter for what we do and say and how we think and how we act and react and how we look at the world and make decisions.
Over the next few weeks we want to ask the Lord to speak to our hearts as we look at some essential doctrines or teachings from God’s Word that were given to shape our lives, give us hope, and assurance in the face of daily life as we encounter various trials and adversity. |