 I want to talk about truth and the search for truth…
When Jesus was about to be crucified I think some of the most important words He ever spoke were said in John 18:37-38 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." 38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?” See Pilate asked “What is truth?” because to Pilate truth was “relative”… “Life is good” said the rich man and that was true to him… “Life is unbearable” said the slave and that was also true to him… There is a difference between an accurate interpretation of an individuals circumstances, their feelings about their circumstances, and the truth… Each of us have a set of circumstances that can be accurately interpreted, they can also be interpreted by our feelings, and then there is the truth about our circumstances… One thing you can do to help you evaluate which one is leading you is to remember that the truth changes everything that follows it… For example if the the first words of the bible are “TRUE” watch what happens to everything that follows… Genesis 1:1 says… In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth See, if this is true everything that follows is affected by this truth… If its true then God exist and God existed before the beginning making Him eternal and everything including human beings has been created by God and according to His will… This truth is not “relative” to where you live on this planet or who has raised you or how much money you have or whether you are free or a slave… Let’s look again at what Jesus said to the Roman Governor that appeared to have authority over Him and had Him bound and was about to make a decision on whether He would live or die… I want us to look at it in the light of the truth of Genesis 1:1 though… In John 18:37-38 Jesus says: I am a king For this cause I was born for this cause I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice So… I am a king… If this is true the question is who is He the king of or where is His kingdom?… We know that He is the king of the place that existed before the heavens and the earth were created… We also know that He is the king of all who dwell there and of all here on earth who put their faith in Him as Lord and Savior… For this cause I was born… If this is true His birth and kingship had a “cause” or “purpose” and were not happenstance or random… We know that the “cause” or “purpose” of His birth was to save sinners from eternal damnation to hell and to offer men and women a place in His kingdom… for this cause I have come into the world… If this is true He was alive outside of this world and “came into the world” from wherever that place is… We know that He had to come into the world in order save us, making us the “cause of His coming into the world”… Where Jesus is from there is no death to conquer so in order to conquer the death that plagues man He had to come into the world as a man… that I should bear witness to the truth… If this is true then truth needs witnesses… We know that in many cases the truth is never heard because there are no witnesses or there are no witnesses who are willing to come forward and testify… Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice… If this is true then men and women who were not always that way can become men and women of truth… If this is true it also means that we can in fact hear the voice of Jesus… I want you to think about this for a second… We’ve looked at 3 verses of truth so far this morning and it’s enough to change everything… In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and at a point in time God came into the world in order to testify of His kingdom and offer fallen men and women forgiveness of their sins and thus eternal citizenship in His kingdom… Think for a second how that affects the rich man and his perspective on life… and the slave and his perspective on life… how should it affect you and your perspective on life and your circumstances and your feelings this morning… If its true, like I said it changes everything doesn’t it… Whether you want it to or not the truth about heaven and hell and sin and forgiveness will impact you… However, the truth about salvation will not impact you positively unless you seek it and accept it as truth… Acts 10:1-8 1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!" 4And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do." 7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa. This man was not yet saved but he was searching for truth… His glass looked pretty good but we know that it was still glowing bright blue under the light because of unforgiven sin… Because he was looking for truth and trying to honor God in the best way he knew how God said He would show Cornelius what he needed to do… It’s funny how Cornelius sent servants to go and get Peter… It just reminds me that God doesn’t need to change who we are or a lot in life in order to reveal Himself to us… Now lets connect the truth seekers with the witnesses who are called to confess and testify… Acts 10:9-22 9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." 14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again. 17Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate. 18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there. 19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you. 20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them." 21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?" 22And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you." God will always connect truth seekers with witnesses… The question is will witnesses testify and will seekers accept the truth?… Acts 10:23-29 23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man." 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together.28 Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?" See God didn’t work out every detail of what either one would do or say He just put them in the same place and said “seeking and testifying will work itself out”… Cornelius tells Peter about His dream and then this… Acts 10:34-43 34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all-- 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins." Peter says Himself that he was called to be a witness and Peter shares the truth about the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus… and Peter ends by saying “whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”… So let me show you what happens when seekers and witnesses come together and truth is proclaimed… Acts 10:44-48 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" 48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Salvation… Confirmation by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit… and Baptism… Always but in a different degree lately in this church I have been overwhelmed with the need for truth… There is power and hope and life in the truth… John 14:6 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. This is not relative truth… it’s absolute truth…
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
July 2018
Categories |
RSS Feed