LIFTING UP HIS TOTAL TRANSFORMING TRUTH EVERYWHERE

Proverbs 23:23; John 14:1-6; 17:17; 8:31-32

What is Truth? Truth can be a very abstract and confusing concept, one which is regularly debated in philosophy and religion. As a result, it is most times subject to human interpretation. Rather than come with the true definition of truth, philosophical and religious debates about truth end up with more high sounding concepts leading to more confusion about truth. You can define truth as the opposite of falsehood. Without a standard, that definition is open to debate. Someone defined truth as that which conforms to reality, actuality or factuality. He then raised the question, what is reality? What is factuality? What is actuality?

 

Today we are not concerned about the abstract definition of truth. We are instead dealing with God’s transforming truth. Pontius Pilate showed his confusion and ignorance of this truth when confronted with the person of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 18:37-38). Jesus made the point about the truth but Pilate missed the point. Millions in the world today are still missing the point about God’s truth. Let us emphasize some points in Christ’s Answer to Pilate.

(i)           Jesus Christ came to bear witness to the truth,

(ii)         God’s word is the Truth,

(iii)       Jesus Christ is God’s word, so He is the truth,

(iv)        Those who are of the truth will hear His voice,
(v)     They will know the truth by believing and acting on His word 

(vi)          The truth will set them free, it will liberate them. 

What we are considering this morning is LIFTING UP GOD’s TOTAL TRANSFORMING TRUTH EVERYWHERE. What is God’s truth and why do we need it? Why do we need to promote it? Why do we need to spread it and to lift it up everywhere? We will consider three points:

1.   The Norm and Potential of God’s Truth For Transformation

Prov.23:23; Jer.10:10; Psa.119:160; 43:3; Isa.65:16; John14:6; 8:31-32; 17:3

I posted an article titled, "The Indispensable law of eternal life", on my blog. Someone responded by sending me multiple links to videos and articles which claim that eternal life is going to be a reality in no distant future. He went on to talk about what he called "Transhumanism", a belief that human beings can evolve beyond its physical and mental limitations by use of science and technology. He believes that this technology can be used to achieve eternal life! A 32 year-old Russian multimillionaire established a project called 2045 initiative which has an aim to eliminate aging and death through technology. They want to use psychology, artificial intelligence, cybernetics, reverse brain engineering and regenerative medicine to achieve eternal life! Now don't think for a moment that these a just crazy dreamers. They are working had to try to achieve their goal. they actually believe that such a scheme may one day become a reality - eternal life through medical technology!  This is just a small window into the mind-set of the average Westerner. People you meet in the street would rather believe this than the Truth of the Word of God. One thing you will notice about these people is that they normally rage against religion, especially Christianity, Christ and the Bible! But God will laugh at their folly (Psalm 2:1-12). How do you help such people? Through preaching God's truth by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 Truth originates from God. We can see the manifestation of truth through God's creation, His faithfulness and reliability. Every word of God is true. God communicates His truth to us through His word (Heb.1:1-3). For us to communicate with the God of truth, we must do so through His word of truth (Psa.12:6-7; Prov.30:5; 15:26). Every word of God is pure and pleasant, trustworthy, tested and tried. Though many peoples, languages, nations and religion claim to have their own truth, yet none of those claims are trustworthy, none of them can be proved.

In answer to the age old question, “What is truth?” Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ declared, “I am…the Truth…” (John 14:6) and proved it by His words and deeds. He healed the sick, helped the oppressed, raised the dead, cleansed lepers, and restored sinners. He preached the greatest sermons, taught the greatest life ethics. He did not use regenerative medicine to achieve this. He used his word (Psalm 107:20). Jesus Christ in the end yielded His life to death according to scriptures in order to save the world from sin and self-destruction. He Himself rose again from the dead according to scriptures and proved to the world that He is the Son of God, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is God’s truth personified. As it is written, “and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us”, we can also say, “and the truth was made flesh and dwelt among us”. Jesus Christ, His love, His teaching, His death and resurrection and His soon return, is the body of truth that we must lift up everywhere.

(I)God’s truth will liberate people.

(II)God’s truth will set people free.

(III)God’s truth will preserve lives.

(IV)God’s truth will sanctify and make holy.

(V)God’s truth will prepare for eternity in heaven.

(VI) God’s truth will counteract the error being foisted or impose upon us by society.

(VII)God’s truth has the power to amazingly transform and change this troubled generation.

It is therefore important that those of us who have received the truth and are charged with spreading it should rise up and run with the truth, and spread it everywhere.

In this Church, God’s truth from the Bible has been consistently declared. We have, grouped into 22 Bible doctrines, the truth of the word of God – (1) the Holy Bible, (2) The Godhead, (3) The virgin birth of Jesus Christ, (4) Total depravity and Sinfulness of all men, (5) Repentance, (6) Restitution, (7) Justification, (8) Water baptism, (9) The Lord’s Supper, (10) Entire Sanctification, (11) Holy Ghost Baptism, (12) Redemption, Healing and Health, (13) Personal Evangelism, (14) Marriage – one man one wife, no divorce or remarriage, (15) The Rapture, (16) Resurrection of the Dead, (17) The Great Tribulation, (18) Second Coming of Christ, (19) Christ’s Millennial Reign, (20) The great White Throne Judgement, (21) The New Heaven and the New Earth, and (22) Hell.

How do we reach these multitudes of proud unbelievers? by implicit obedience to the Great Commission, plain and simple. All these truths must be preached in season, out of season, with all perseverance. Through obeying this commission we will lift up these truths everywhere.

2.   The Neglect and Protest Against God’s Truth Among Transgressors

Prov.23:23; 2Tim.4:1-4; Rom.1:25; Jer.9:5-6; Isa.59:14-15; Jer.7:28; 9:3; Mat.26:14-15

Men of this world are averse, antagonistic, and opposed to the truth. And those of us who have the privilege of being entrusted with the truth are instructed to “buy the truth and sell it not”. If we do not preach the truth, who will do it? As Paul the Apostle said, this is the time when men cannot endure sound doctrine. They have altogether turned to fables. They would rather follow every wind of doctrine *(Isa.30:8-11)*. They want to hear “smooth things”. The prophecy of Amos is being fulfilled in many places. There is a famine of the word of God even in many Churches (Amos 8:11-14)!

They conspire in their nations to change the truth of God into a lie, their news media encourage, yea, they promote the breaking of God’s commandments. Although the consequences of their actions are all around us, they are too blind to see the effect of going against God’s order. Now mothers are rising up and killing their own babies! There is abomination everywhere you look. All kinds of atrocities are now welcome and accepted in our society. Truth is rejected outright. One of our sisters who works in care home was cautioned because she dared to tell a suffering patient that God could help her! That sick lady reported her! She had all faith in doctors and medicine but cannot bear to be told to put her faith in the Almighty God!

Those of us who have the truth must preach it! Preach it in the Church, preach in the streets, preach it at home, use every means to preach it, device means to preach it! Take time to preach it. Make time to preach it. One of the most tragic stories in the Bible is the story of Judas Iscariot. He was a chosen disciple of Jesus, one of the 12 apostles. He walked with Jesus. He saw all the miracles, Lazarus raised from the dead, blind eyes opened, lepers cleansed. He heard all the great preaching of Christ. Despite all this, he literally sold the truth! Demas sold the truth for the love of this present world. Issau sold his birth right for a bowl of soup.  Buy the truth and sell it not. We must do the work of Him that sent us while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work.

3.   The Necessity of Preaching God’s Truth Everywhere

Prov.23:23; Mark 16:15-20; 2Tim. 4:1-4; John 8:31-32; 17:17; John 3:16;

Today Theological seminaries will not teach the truth. Such famous sermons like Jonathan Edwards “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God”, which had a great impact in people and moved them to repentance, will not be admissible in most churches today. But that does not change the truth of God’s word.

We must preach the truth at all times while we have the chance of winning people to Christ. We must preach the truth because:
(i) it is the truth that will set men free.
(ii) It is the truth that will liberate them.
(iii) It is the truth that will preserve our society and arrest the decay.
(iv) It is the truth that will sanctify men and make them holy.
(v) It is the truth that will prepare people for an eternity in the presence of God.
(vi) We have an authoritative mandate from Christ to preach the truth everywhere (Mark 16:15; (vii) Acts (1:8)Implicit obedience to the Great Commission shows that we are true disciples

Let us remember, Jesus Christ is the Truth. His word is truth. All His teaching contained in the Gospel, all that is written about him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms, all that is written about Him in the Epistles is the body of God’s truth we must preach. We must preach it regularly. We must preach it confidently. We should seek to saturate our cities with this truth.

I must also remind us that God loves these unsaved sinners in spite of their rebellion (John 3:16). He gives them the opportunity to be saved. He is not willing that anyone of these should perish. He has promised to save them (2Pet.3:9). And He commands us to “Go”! Go and preach the gospel truth everywhere. He has promised us His presence and His power (Mat.10:1; Luke 10:19; Acts 1:8).

Let us pray that as the preaching of Jonah led to mass repentance in Nineveh, our preaching of the truth will lead to mass repentance in Great Britain. Let us pray that as the confrontation by Elijah the prophet brought wicked King Ahab to repentance and sack cloth, so our preaching of the truth will bring men to the tears of true repentance. And who can tell, but the Lord may once again visit this nation as He had done in times past.