
Thank God for the Truth
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Intro: One of the biggest lies being spread today is that people cannot handle the truth.
On Monday night, President Trump signed an Executive Order releasing all the classified files on the assassination of President John F Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The response to that single act has created a weeklong discussion of why it was ever classified in the first place.
I have asked questions, such as, why would the murder of an American president in an American city in broad daylight be classified?
Why would it take this many years to declassify it?
What are they afraid of?
Who are they protecting?
One thing is certain; it will finally put to rest all the conspiracy theories and confusion.
· Where truth is hidden, deception and confusion flourishes.
· Where truth is upheld, righteousness and prosperity flourishes.
The word TRUTH is found in the King James Bible 224 times.
There are several interesting and yet very diverse responses to truth mentioned in the Scriptures.
A. There are those that Despise the Truth
Apostates hate the truth.
· 2 Timothy 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Romans 1
· 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
· 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
B. There are those that Distort the Truth
Romans 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie…
2 Corinthians 11
· 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
· 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
· 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
C. There are those that Desire the Truth
· Psalms 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth:
· Psalms 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
I want to go on record this morning with this fact – I THANK GOD FOR THE TRUTH!!
I thank God for the truth because of its…
I. DISTINCT SOUND
32 And ye shall know the truth…
KNOW: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel; to become known; to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of
Twice in this verse, Jesus said “THE truth.”
Not A truth, or YOUR truth, or MY truth, but THE truth.
We live in a society that believes that the truth is not absolute.
Jesus was very dogmatic about this fact – the truth is absolute.
· John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
· John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
· 1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
I thank God for the truth because of its…
II. DIVINE SOURCE
Unregenerated man is incapable of being an authority and source of truth.
People that ignore God and rely on the “intelligence” man are in great danger of deception.
The HEART of man is deceitful.
· Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
The TONGUE of man is deceitful.
· Psalms 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
The WORK of man is deceitful.
· Proverbs 11:18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work:
Jesus taught us that HE was THE truth.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus taught us that HIS SPIRIT was THE truth.
1 John 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
Jesus taught us that HIS WORD was THE truth.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Because Jesus, and His Word and His Spirit will NEVER contradict one another.
They will all be in total agreement and complete unity in every matter.
Paul said it like this - Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar;
I thank God for the truth because of its…
III. DELIVERING STRENGTH
· 32 …and the truth shall make you free.
There is tremendous power in the truth.
It has the power to open eyes.
It has the power to enlighten the deceived.
It has the power to reverse a lifetime of lies.
In John 8, we discover the power of the truth.
Truth has the power to deliver you from…
A. Bondage of your Sin
· 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
· 33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
· 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
· 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
· 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Truth has the power to deliver you from…
B. Burden of your Seed
· 37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
· 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
· 39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
· 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
· 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
· 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
· 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
· 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Truth has the power to deliver you from…
C. Blindness of your Skepticism
· 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
· 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
· 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Conclusion: If you will listen to the truth – just listen to it, it will set you free.
Faith cometh by HEARING – and hearing by the Word of God!
· Psalms 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
Part 2
Thank God for the Truth
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
I am thankful for the…
I. Precepts that Explain the Truth
The Bible is the greatest commentary on the Bible.
You don’t need a commentator to tell you what the Bible says in most cases.
The Bible will explain itself.
I’m tired of people telling me that is not what the Bible says, as if I can’t read!
God gave us 66 books, penned by 40 different men over a span of 1,600 years for several reasons.
One reason was to eliminate the argument that the Bible was only written by an elite group of men to a specific group of people and that it doesn’t apply to us today.
When you’ve got New Testament Apostles quoting passages from the Pentateuch, Psalms, major and minor prophets, we conclude that those books and those scriptures are for us today.
God’s word was made to study, to dig in, to meditate on and to use each and every day.
The practical applications of the Word of God are innumerable.
There are not just laws and commandments.
There are precepts, doctrines, insights, character traits, windows into the heart and mind of God.
A person that wants to know the truth can find it.
A family that wants to operate in the truth will have no excuse.
A man that wants to be a godly man and have answers to real life questions can find them in the pages of the Book.
I am thankful for…
II. Parents that Exposed me to Truth
One of the greatest responsibilities of parents is to get their kids under the sound of the truth.
· Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Adam must’ve told Abel and Cain about building altars and making sacrifices.
Noah built an ark for the saving of his household.
Abraham introduced Isaac to God and worship.
Samuel’s daddy and mama took him and dropped him off at the Temple as soon as he was weaned.
Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple when he was just a boy.
But prior to that, they had exposed Him to the truth. He knew God’s Word enough to answer questions.
· 46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
· 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
I cut my teeth on the back of a Baptist church pew.
I took many naps underneath the church pew as a baby.
I was singing on the platform at the age of 4.
I remember doing a Sunday night Training Union back when I was 5 years old; quoting and explaining Matthew 4.
My parents were not perfect, but they exposed me to the truth. Thank God!
I am thankful for…
III. Preachers that Expound the Truth
I am thankful for every man of God that ever got up and preached the truth to me.
I am thankful that I didn’t have a pastor that took a poll or a survey to find out what I wanted to hear.
Every man of God that ever got in the pulpit and preached what thus saith the Lord without fear or favor.
People are starving for the truth.
There are not enough preachers to preach the truth to fill the pulpits of just the Baptist churches in America.
There is not a single day that goes by that I don’t get an email or message thanking me for preaching the truth.
I’ve had to turn down two revivals just in the last week; one in Texas and another in Michigan.
People are starving for truth.
I am thankful for…
IV. People that Exemplify the Truth
John said in 3 John 1:4 there was no greater joy than to hear that his children “walked in truth.”
The next best thing is getting to watch it.
I am thankful tonight for the many Christians that showed me what a Christian looks like.
I am thankful for the married couples that showed me what a godly marriage is supposed to be.
I’m thankful for the prayer warriors that made me want to pray more.
I’m thankful for the Bible students that made me want to study more.
I’m thankful for the soulwinners that made me want to win more souls.
· Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
I am thankful for…
V. Places that Exalt the Truth
· 1 Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Far too many places are running from the truth.
Too many places are apologizing for the truth.
Too many places that used to be bastions of truth and right are now museums of what used to be.
Colleges that used to train men now brainwashes them.
Seminaries that once held the banner high has lowered every standard they ever knew.
Churches that once preached the King James Bible are now using everything but.
I’m grateful for the places that still exalt the truth and don’t run from it.
Thank you Lord you came in this world to testify the truth.