WEBVTT 00:00:05.070 --> 00:00:07.230 Hello, and welcome to this week's episode of 00:00:07.230 --> 00:00:10.050 Trinity Sermons. This week we're continuing our 00:00:10.050 --> 00:00:12.730 sermon series called The Bible Doesn't Say That, 00:00:12.869 --> 00:00:14.949 where we look at some of those things that sound 00:00:14.949 --> 00:00:19.329 spiritual but aren't actually scriptural. Speak 00:00:19.329 --> 00:00:24.190 your truth. But what is truth? And is there such 00:00:24.190 --> 00:00:27.489 a thing as an absolute truth, or is it all just 00:00:27.489 --> 00:00:30.309 based on our own personal perspectives and desires? 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:34.000 Someone actually asked Jesus, what is truth? 00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:36.299 And so in today's sermon, Rob is going to share 00:00:36.299 --> 00:00:38.979 with us how Jesus responds to this question and 00:00:38.979 --> 00:00:46.539 why it matters to us. Today's reading is from 00:00:46.539 --> 00:00:49.700 the Gospel of John, chapter 18, verses 36 to 00:00:49.700 --> 00:00:54.500 38. Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world. 00:00:54.740 --> 00:00:57.520 If it were, my servants would fight to prevent 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:00.679 my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:04.120 is from another place. You are a king then, said 00:01:04.120 --> 00:01:07.780 Pilate. Jesus answered, you say that I am a king. 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:10.780 In fact, the reason I was born and came into 00:01:10.780 --> 00:01:14.159 this world is to testify to the truth. Everyone 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:18.200 on the side of truth listens to me. What is truth, 00:01:18.420 --> 00:01:22.510 retorted Pilate? The word of the Lord. We are 00:01:22.510 --> 00:01:25.689 going to be carrying on a teaching series that 00:01:25.689 --> 00:01:28.170 we began called The Bible Doesn't Say That. You 00:01:28.170 --> 00:01:29.750 know, we've been doing this for eight weeks now. 00:01:29.810 --> 00:01:33.290 We have one more week to go. And what we've been 00:01:33.290 --> 00:01:35.390 doing is looking at some of those catchy, you 00:01:35.390 --> 00:01:37.609 know, band -aid phrases that people always say 00:01:37.609 --> 00:01:40.310 that seem so comforting and seem so nice. You 00:01:40.310 --> 00:01:42.510 know, things like God helps those who help themselves 00:01:42.510 --> 00:01:46.170 or just follow your heart or this too shall pass. 00:01:46.549 --> 00:01:48.049 You know, we say all these things. It sounds 00:01:48.049 --> 00:01:49.790 like they're from the Bible. But what we've learned, 00:01:49.870 --> 00:01:51.829 in fact, is that the Bible doesn't say that. 00:01:51.629 --> 00:01:55.409 doesn't say that. And today we're going to talk 00:01:55.409 --> 00:01:57.730 about this phrase. It's one we've all heard and 00:01:57.730 --> 00:01:59.750 maybe it's a phrase you yourself have spoken. 00:01:59.930 --> 00:02:03.329 And the phrase is this, speak your truth. Or 00:02:03.329 --> 00:02:06.310 sometimes it comes out as speak your own truth 00:02:06.310 --> 00:02:08.750 or live your truth or something like that. It's 00:02:08.750 --> 00:02:11.189 a very noble sounding statement. It sounds very 00:02:11.189 --> 00:02:13.669 like, sounds like something you might actually 00:02:13.669 --> 00:02:17.110 find in the Bible. But the truth is the origin 00:02:17.110 --> 00:02:20.310 of this phrase isn't from the Bible, but I think 00:02:20.310 --> 00:02:23.979 it's actually dates back to Oprah Winfrey. Oprah 00:02:23.979 --> 00:02:27.319 Winfrey, that's right. In 2018, during the Golden 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:31.280 Globe Awards, Oprah Winfrey took to the stage 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:34.219 and made a speech. Now, mind you, this was during 00:02:34.219 --> 00:02:38.520 the Me Too movement. And when she got up to the 00:02:38.520 --> 00:02:41.319 stage, she said, what I know for sure is that 00:02:41.319 --> 00:02:44.219 speaking your truth is the most powerful tool 00:02:44.219 --> 00:02:49.259 we all have. Now, to be fair, Oprah was talking 00:02:49.259 --> 00:02:54.599 about women. who had suffered abuse and were 00:02:54.599 --> 00:02:58.120 courageously stepping forward to tell their stories. 00:02:58.219 --> 00:03:00.939 And in that context, her words were actually 00:03:00.939 --> 00:03:04.939 very bold and meaningful and much needed. But 00:03:04.939 --> 00:03:08.620 that phrase, speak your truth, it didn't quite 00:03:08.620 --> 00:03:13.080 stay in that lane. And over time, speaking your 00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:16.099 truth actually became this cultural mantra that 00:03:16.099 --> 00:03:18.639 says that actually each of us gets to define 00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:22.780 what reality is and that no one has the right 00:03:22.780 --> 00:03:27.240 to question what we feel is right and what we 00:03:27.240 --> 00:03:31.680 believe is true. So for example, to speak your 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:34.379 truth often implies that truth is a personal 00:03:34.379 --> 00:03:38.039 thing. It's not universal. And therefore, your 00:03:38.039 --> 00:03:42.080 lived experience cannot be challenged by another 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:43.800 person because it's your truth. And if it's true 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:45.919 for you, you know, who are you to challenge that 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:49.020 truth? And therefore, even to disagree with someone 00:03:49.020 --> 00:03:51.919 about what they deem to be the truth is seen 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:55.259 as disrespect because it is so personal. That 00:03:55.259 --> 00:03:58.099 truth is so personally held by that person. So 00:03:58.099 --> 00:04:01.000 disagreement is almost off the table. When you 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:03.759 hear people say it today, though, it may not 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:05.919 come out just as someone saying, you know, speak 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:09.159 your truth. It may come out more like this, that 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:11.699 that's true for you, but it's not true for me. 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:15.680 Or only you can decide what's right for you. 00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:19.139 Or don't impose your beliefs on others. Or who 00:04:19.139 --> 00:04:23.800 are you to say what is true for someone else? 00:04:24.839 --> 00:04:28.860 So what started out as this courageous call for 00:04:28.860 --> 00:04:33.579 honesty morphed into this really complex idea 00:04:33.579 --> 00:04:38.079 of what constitutes truth. On the one hand, there 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:40.779 is something we might call absolute truth, right? 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:43.220 Which is this idea that truth is objective, it's 00:04:43.220 --> 00:04:45.720 universal, it's exclusive to all people, all 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:48.860 times, and in all places. On the other hand, 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:51.199 there's this thing that's emerged, relative truth, 00:04:51.459 --> 00:04:54.689 which is to say that truth is... actually shaped 00:04:54.689 --> 00:04:57.110 by your personal experience, by your culture, 00:04:57.209 --> 00:04:59.949 from your perspective. And in that view, what 00:04:59.949 --> 00:05:04.170 is true for you may not be true for me. Absolute 00:05:04.170 --> 00:05:07.350 truth says that this is what's real, whether 00:05:07.350 --> 00:05:09.670 I like it or not, and whether I believe it or 00:05:09.670 --> 00:05:12.970 not. But relative truth says this is what's real 00:05:12.970 --> 00:05:18.129 to me based on how I feel or based on how I see 00:05:18.129 --> 00:05:22.579 things. And the tension between these two ideas 00:05:22.579 --> 00:05:25.500 is everywhere. And if you are a Christian person, 00:05:25.660 --> 00:05:27.399 many of you are this morning, you will know this 00:05:27.399 --> 00:05:29.899 very well. Because into the middle of this debate, 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:33.139 Jesus comes stepping in and he says stuff like 00:05:33.139 --> 00:05:37.259 this. He says, I am the way, I am the truth and 00:05:37.259 --> 00:05:40.839 the life. No one comes to the Father except through 00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:43.860 me. Now we would say, Jesus, you can't say that. 00:05:43.879 --> 00:05:49.079 That is so exclusive. That is so offensive. This 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:50.980 is the kind of thing that Jesus said. He made 00:05:50.980 --> 00:05:54.800 these radical truth claims about himself. So 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:58.040 in this world that says, speak your truth, Jesus 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:01.600 comes along and says, I am the truth. And he 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:03.879 doesn't just refer to himself as the truth. He 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:07.740 actually also says that God's word is the truth. 00:06:07.879 --> 00:06:11.160 He says, make them holy, God. He prays this prayer 00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:13.639 by your truth. Oh, what's that truth? My truth, 00:06:13.720 --> 00:06:18.819 your truth? No, your word, which is truth. The 00:06:18.819 --> 00:06:21.920 Bible, the scriptures, Jesus referred to as the 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:25.319 truth. Not a truth, not one truth among many 00:06:25.319 --> 00:06:27.699 truths, but the truth. And we might push back 00:06:27.699 --> 00:06:30.379 and say, Jesus, listen, that might be your truth, 00:06:30.500 --> 00:06:33.759 but it is not my truth. Or Jesus, that Bible, 00:06:33.779 --> 00:06:36.040 that might be meaningful to you, but it doesn't 00:06:36.040 --> 00:06:41.000 define what is true for everyone. This is really 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:45.959 complicated stuff, right? And again, if you're 00:06:45.959 --> 00:06:48.300 a Christian, you need to wrestle with this topic 00:06:48.300 --> 00:06:52.740 because the question is, how do we follow a savior 00:06:52.740 --> 00:06:55.939 like Jesus who makes very bold claims about what 00:06:55.939 --> 00:06:59.620 is true in a culture that insists that no one's 00:06:59.620 --> 00:07:03.939 truth gets the final say? And even if you're 00:07:03.939 --> 00:07:05.839 not a follower of Jesus, you're not a Christian, 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:07.959 we're glad you're here too. We're glad that you've 00:07:07.959 --> 00:07:11.079 tuned in as well. But it is also important for 00:07:11.079 --> 00:07:13.000 you to understand, this is what we're going to 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:15.959 look at today, that when Jesus talks about truth, 00:07:16.220 --> 00:07:20.720 it is a very, very different kind of truth than 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:23.759 any other truth claim that you will come across 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:26.399 out there. And so that's what we're going to 00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:28.300 look at today. Today, we're going to look at 00:07:28.300 --> 00:07:30.139 that phrase, speak your truth, and we're just 00:07:30.139 --> 00:07:32.199 going to kind of build it around three statements. 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:36.459 Why do people say this? Secondly, why is it problematic? 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:41.399 And thirdly, why is Christian truth different 00:07:41.399 --> 00:07:44.319 than every other kind of truth? And I've given 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:45.839 you some little teaching notes if you want to 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:48.379 follow along today. Everyone who completes these 00:07:48.379 --> 00:07:50.579 notes will get a prize at the end of the service. 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:54.079 You can decide whether that was a truth or a 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:57.259 lie. I'll let you figure that one out. Let's 00:07:57.259 --> 00:07:59.579 start with this one though. Why do people say 00:07:59.579 --> 00:08:03.240 to speak your own truth rather than participate? 00:08:03.800 --> 00:08:07.100 Why would they say that and say we ought to push 00:08:07.100 --> 00:08:10.540 back against any kind of totalizing truth that 00:08:10.540 --> 00:08:12.639 is out there? Well, there's actually some really 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:15.079 valid reasons that we need to acknowledge, right? 00:08:15.139 --> 00:08:18.360 The first is this, that history has shown us 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:21.720 many, many times that when people make truth 00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:26.680 claims, it's actually about power. Many times, 00:08:26.779 --> 00:08:30.579 truth and owning the truth and shouting the truth 00:08:30.579 --> 00:08:34.240 is used to oppress other people. If someone claims 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:37.679 to have the truth, it might be that what they 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:40.460 really want to do is silence you. What they really 00:08:40.460 --> 00:08:42.639 want to do is marginalize you. What they really 00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:46.580 want to do is control people. Too often, I think, 00:08:46.580 --> 00:08:50.120 when people say, this is true, what they're really 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:53.409 trying to do is get control over you. And here's 00:08:53.409 --> 00:08:55.350 how that works. Because whoever gets to define 00:08:55.350 --> 00:08:59.450 truth gets to define reality. And whoever defines 00:08:59.450 --> 00:09:03.629 reality gets to shape what society looks like. 00:09:03.669 --> 00:09:06.870 So truth can become this tool of oppression. 00:09:07.070 --> 00:09:09.590 Remember, Galileo, for example, was condemned 00:09:09.590 --> 00:09:11.789 by the Roman Catholic Church because he thought 00:09:11.789 --> 00:09:16.840 that the earth went around the sun. And it contradicted 00:09:16.840 --> 00:09:19.399 the church's truth of the day. And so he was 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:22.759 oppressed because of that. So even today, though, 00:09:22.840 --> 00:09:27.320 people see religious beliefs, therefore, as violent 00:09:27.320 --> 00:09:30.940 many times and oppressive. One modern thinker 00:09:30.940 --> 00:09:34.539 puts it this way. Every claim to truth is a bid 00:09:34.539 --> 00:09:37.899 for power. It's not about what's real. It's about 00:09:37.899 --> 00:09:43.190 who gets to rule. It's like Natalie read in the 00:09:43.190 --> 00:09:47.549 book of fabrications. Truth is but a weapon wielded 00:09:47.549 --> 00:09:51.429 by the powerful to subdue the weak. That's what 00:09:51.429 --> 00:09:53.649 many people say. And so they say that in order 00:09:53.649 --> 00:09:55.850 to keep people safe, in order to keep people 00:09:55.850 --> 00:09:58.370 free, and to make sure we're not oppressed, we 00:09:58.370 --> 00:10:03.049 all should instead speak our own truth. But the 00:10:03.049 --> 00:10:07.490 second reason why people say speak your own truth 00:10:07.490 --> 00:10:11.429 is because claiming to know the real truth, or 00:10:11.429 --> 00:10:13.830 there's some absolute truth, sounds very, very 00:10:13.830 --> 00:10:17.909 arrogant. In today's culture, saying, for example, 00:10:18.070 --> 00:10:23.429 I believe Christianity is true, is heard as saying, 00:10:23.509 --> 00:10:28.110 I think Christians are smarter, or I think Christians 00:10:28.110 --> 00:10:30.559 are more enlightened. Or I think that Christians 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:33.559 are more moral or better than everyone else, 00:10:33.779 --> 00:10:37.279 right? If you claim that your view is right, 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:41.799 then now it's about superiority. It must be because 00:10:41.799 --> 00:10:43.700 you think you're wiser or smarter than everyone 00:10:43.700 --> 00:10:46.440 else. And sometimes, let's be honest, that is 00:10:46.440 --> 00:10:49.220 exactly what we are doing when we want to win 00:10:49.220 --> 00:10:53.419 an argument and prove our truth. Tim Keller puts 00:10:53.419 --> 00:10:55.700 it this way, to say that one religion is true 00:10:55.700 --> 00:10:59.970 and others are false seems arrogant. To many 00:10:59.970 --> 00:11:02.809 modern people, they believe that truth, especially 00:11:02.809 --> 00:11:06.210 religious truth, is a matter of perspective. 00:11:07.490 --> 00:11:13.250 So, thirdly though, the third objection is that 00:11:13.250 --> 00:11:17.190 truth claims seem intolerant. I mean, tolerance 00:11:17.190 --> 00:11:21.690 used to mean that we could disagree about something, 00:11:21.850 --> 00:11:23.889 have a good argument about it, and respect each 00:11:23.889 --> 00:11:27.210 other while we're doing. But today... Tolerance 00:11:27.210 --> 00:11:31.230 means we have to affirm all views as equally 00:11:31.230 --> 00:11:35.169 valid. So if you say that someone is wrong, that's 00:11:35.169 --> 00:11:37.929 not just a disagreement. That is an attack on 00:11:37.929 --> 00:11:40.470 them. That is a personal judgment on them. It 00:11:40.470 --> 00:11:44.370 could even be perceived as hate against you, 00:11:44.409 --> 00:11:46.210 right? Because now you're questioning someone's 00:11:46.210 --> 00:11:49.230 belief, and their belief is so deeply held as 00:11:49.230 --> 00:11:51.429 personal that to reject their belief is to reject 00:11:51.429 --> 00:11:55.919 them. So D .A. Carlson, he wrote this book called 00:11:55.919 --> 00:11:59.320 The Intolerance of Tolerance, where he said that 00:11:59.320 --> 00:12:02.200 the new tolerance insists that all opinions are 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:04.600 equally valid, and this leads to the strange 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:06.980 conclusion that disagreeing with someone is inherently 00:12:06.980 --> 00:12:11.259 intolerant, no matter how graciously it's done. 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:17.129 Identity. and belief are so tightly connected 00:12:17.129 --> 00:12:20.409 that to challenge someone's belief is to challenge 00:12:20.409 --> 00:12:24.450 their identity. It's a personal attack. Take 00:12:24.450 --> 00:12:27.090 a look at the reading that Libby read for us 00:12:27.090 --> 00:12:30.669 this morning from John's Gospel, right? Jesus 00:12:30.669 --> 00:12:35.610 says to Pilate, everyone on the side of truth 00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:38.820 listens to me. Now again, this is another one 00:12:38.820 --> 00:12:42.779 of Jesus's incredible truth claims about himself. 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:47.700 And Pilate responds by saying, what is truth? 00:12:48.379 --> 00:12:50.120 You know, there's a few different ways you could 00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:52.960 read that statement, right? Did Pilate say what 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:55.559 is truth and mean, oh, oh Jesus, this is very 00:12:55.559 --> 00:12:57.299 interesting. I'd like to hear more about your 00:12:57.299 --> 00:13:00.259 truth. What is this truth you're talking about? 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:04.139 Or is Pilate reacting much the same way that 00:13:04.139 --> 00:13:08.700 our culture reacts by saying, okay, dismissive, 00:13:08.700 --> 00:13:13.559 suspicious. Okay, Jesus, what is truth? Or come 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:19.279 on, what is truth? Pilate rejects Jesus's truth 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:23.580 claim. He almost laughs at it. And so do many 00:13:23.580 --> 00:13:27.559 people today. Isn't it safer? Isn't it better, 00:13:27.580 --> 00:13:33.990 therefore, to speak your own? Well, not really. 00:13:34.789 --> 00:13:40.090 Speaking your truth sounds easy, sounds safe, 00:13:40.269 --> 00:13:44.169 but actually it is quite problematic for, I'm 00:13:44.169 --> 00:13:47.149 going to suggest, three reasons. First, to say 00:13:47.149 --> 00:13:49.990 you speak your truth and I'll speak my truth 00:13:49.990 --> 00:13:54.649 sounds nice until your truth collides with and 00:13:54.649 --> 00:13:58.559 threatens my truth. So imagine two drivers and 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:00.679 they're both approaching the intersection. One 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:03.659 driver's truth is a yellow light means slow down. 00:14:03.820 --> 00:14:06.220 Another driver's truth is a yellow light means 00:14:06.220 --> 00:14:08.860 speed up. And there's a collision. Now, whose 00:14:08.860 --> 00:14:13.639 truth wins, right? Or let's say you work in an 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:16.399 office and there's a shared kitchen. One person's 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:18.259 truth is if it's in the fridge, we can share 00:14:18.259 --> 00:14:22.370 it. Another person's truth is, if you touch my 00:14:22.370 --> 00:14:26.509 food, I'll kill you, right? Whose truth wins, 00:14:26.870 --> 00:14:29.669 right? Imagine two kids on the playground. You 00:14:29.669 --> 00:14:32.029 overhear them. They're grabbing the same soccer 00:14:32.029 --> 00:14:35.409 ball. One says, give it to me. It's mine. And 00:14:35.409 --> 00:14:39.389 the other says, no, you gave it to me. Now, whose 00:14:39.389 --> 00:14:42.870 truth wins? Unfortunately... Whose truth wins 00:14:42.870 --> 00:14:45.230 is usually the louder voice wins. The person 00:14:45.230 --> 00:14:48.330 with the stronger fists, that's whose truth wins. 00:14:48.649 --> 00:14:51.850 Or what often happens on the playground is somebody 00:14:51.850 --> 00:14:54.830 will say, actually, let's call the teacher. We 00:14:54.830 --> 00:14:57.909 need somebody higher, somebody smarter, somebody 00:14:57.909 --> 00:15:00.830 wiser to come in and determine which of these 00:15:00.830 --> 00:15:03.309 competing truth claims is actually the right 00:15:03.309 --> 00:15:07.389 truth, to arbitrate between these two truths. 00:15:07.570 --> 00:15:09.250 So you see, this is one of the problems with 00:15:09.250 --> 00:15:12.690 your truth, my truth. What happens when those 00:15:12.690 --> 00:15:16.570 truths come into conflict with each other? The 00:15:16.570 --> 00:15:19.690 second problem with having a personal truth is 00:15:19.690 --> 00:15:22.809 that your personal truth might actually be very 00:15:22.809 --> 00:15:26.070 dangerous for you and for others. It might run 00:15:26.070 --> 00:15:30.110 you aground in life. The reason I use that phrase 00:15:30.110 --> 00:15:32.809 is I was thinking how last summer our family 00:15:32.809 --> 00:15:36.210 went houseboating near Bob Cajun. And it was 00:15:36.210 --> 00:15:39.250 beautiful, quiet waters, these beautiful bays. 00:15:40.110 --> 00:15:42.629 All that. And when we left the marina, we were 00:15:42.629 --> 00:15:46.169 given a GPS and we were given a big book of maps 00:15:46.169 --> 00:15:48.830 with all the depths, the water depths throughout 00:15:48.830 --> 00:15:53.730 these lakes. Because hidden underneath these 00:15:53.730 --> 00:15:56.250 peaceful waters are rocks everywhere. Trust me. 00:15:56.309 --> 00:16:00.169 And big ones. And you can't see them. And if 00:16:00.169 --> 00:16:02.470 you're not careful, you will hit them. You will 00:16:02.470 --> 00:16:05.210 do damage. And if you bust that propeller, they 00:16:05.210 --> 00:16:09.720 charge you a lot of money. When we left the marina, 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:13.159 they did not say to us, just follow your truth, 00:16:13.259 --> 00:16:15.059 just go with your gut, you know, go wherever 00:16:15.059 --> 00:16:17.179 you want. It's really, everyone can choose their 00:16:17.179 --> 00:16:20.919 own way. No, they said, follow the chart, right? 00:16:21.059 --> 00:16:26.440 Trust the GPS. Stay in the channel, right? Being 00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:29.679 out of touch with what's really going on, with 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:33.980 reality, doesn't make you free. It actually makes 00:16:33.980 --> 00:16:37.230 you vulnerable. This is one of the biggest dangers 00:16:37.230 --> 00:16:41.110 of my truth thinking. It sounds empowering, but 00:16:41.110 --> 00:16:43.809 what if your truth is actually really misaligned 00:16:43.809 --> 00:16:47.149 with reality? What if you're heading for the 00:16:47.149 --> 00:16:49.269 rocks right now and you do not know? In your 00:16:49.269 --> 00:16:52.889 parenting, in your marriage, in your finances, 00:16:53.450 --> 00:16:58.029 in your spiritual life, right? My truth, it might 00:16:58.029 --> 00:17:01.950 feel right, but if it's not lined up with reality, 00:17:02.429 --> 00:17:07.130 it'll wreck you. And here's the third problem 00:17:07.130 --> 00:17:10.869 with saying, oh, just speak your truth. I find 00:17:10.869 --> 00:17:15.990 this one very interesting. If you say, no one 00:17:15.990 --> 00:17:19.609 has the whole truth, don't trust them, then I 00:17:19.609 --> 00:17:22.730 shouldn't trust you either. Because what you 00:17:22.730 --> 00:17:26.289 just said was a claim about something you think 00:17:26.289 --> 00:17:30.250 is true. You see, people who say there is no 00:17:30.250 --> 00:17:34.349 absolute truth, they just made an absolute statement. 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:38.440 About truth. Right? You may have heard the story 00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:40.680 about the blind men all touching the different 00:17:40.680 --> 00:17:43.079 parts of the elephant. And, you know, one touches 00:17:43.079 --> 00:17:44.920 the trunk and says, oh, it's a snake. And the 00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:47.059 other touches the ear and says, oh, no, it's 00:17:47.059 --> 00:17:50.440 a leaf or something. A fan. And one touches the 00:17:50.440 --> 00:17:52.559 leg and says, oh, it's a tree. And one touches 00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:56.420 the tail and says, you know, it's a, I don't 00:17:56.420 --> 00:18:00.579 know, a rope. Each man is convinced he has the 00:18:00.579 --> 00:18:04.130 truth. But of course, the parable goes. No one 00:18:04.130 --> 00:18:06.529 sees the whole picture. And the moral of the 00:18:06.529 --> 00:18:09.529 story is that there is not one religion or one 00:18:09.529 --> 00:18:13.289 person who has the full truth. All paths lead 00:18:13.289 --> 00:18:16.089 to the same God. Which at first, it sounds very 00:18:16.089 --> 00:18:19.349 humble. It sounds very, very humble. But when 00:18:19.349 --> 00:18:20.730 you think about it, it's actually incredibly 00:18:20.730 --> 00:18:24.769 arrogant. Because the storyteller themselves 00:18:24.769 --> 00:18:31.289 is claiming to have the truth. that nobody else 00:18:31.289 --> 00:18:34.869 seems to have, right? Who knows it's actually 00:18:34.869 --> 00:18:36.529 a whole elephant? Oh, the person telling the 00:18:36.529 --> 00:18:38.369 story says, I know better than all these people, 00:18:38.490 --> 00:18:41.250 right? The parable collapses under its own weight 00:18:41.250 --> 00:18:44.990 because the claim that no one sees the whole 00:18:44.990 --> 00:18:49.539 truth is itself a claim about truth. So you see, 00:18:49.559 --> 00:18:52.420 even when we speak our truth, there's problems. 00:18:52.619 --> 00:18:54.880 There's problems. Our truths collide with other 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.799 people's problems, other people's truths. If 00:18:57.799 --> 00:18:59.660 our truth is out of touch with reality, we're 00:18:59.660 --> 00:19:03.160 going to get hurt. And even our belief that no 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:05.960 one has the whole truth is a radically arrogant 00:19:05.960 --> 00:19:09.339 statement that claims you know better than everybody 00:19:09.339 --> 00:19:13.680 else. So the whole thing seems really, really 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:17.440 hopeless. But what if there was a higher truth 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:19.920 out there? What if there was a truth greater 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:21.740 than your truth, greater than my truth, a truth 00:19:21.740 --> 00:19:23.599 that could really steer us through life and avoid 00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:26.299 the rocks and the pitfalls? But what if it was 00:19:26.299 --> 00:19:29.200 a different kind of truth? What if it was a truth 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:33.339 that didn't oppress us? What if it was a truth 00:19:33.339 --> 00:19:37.720 that wasn't arrogant? And what if it was a truth 00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:41.000 that wasn't intolerant, but actually made room 00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:44.859 for everybody? Well, guys, that is exactly what 00:19:44.859 --> 00:19:48.920 Christian truth is. It is a truth claim that 00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:52.559 is different from every other truth claim out 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:55.460 there. Yes, it is true that Jesus says, I am 00:19:55.460 --> 00:19:58.619 the way and I am the truth and no one comes to 00:19:58.619 --> 00:20:01.259 the Father through me. And that sounds like arrogance 00:20:01.259 --> 00:20:04.339 and it sounds like a power grab and it sounds 00:20:04.339 --> 00:20:07.339 like all our cultural fears of intolerance and 00:20:07.339 --> 00:20:11.200 all that stuff. But the content of the truth, 00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:14.839 that Jesus is talking about, it overturns every 00:20:14.839 --> 00:20:19.339 one of those objections. Let me show you. First, 00:20:19.559 --> 00:20:25.680 Christian truth does not oppress people. It actually 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:30.480 liberates us from oppression. Because Christianity 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:33.799 is not about gaining power. It's about losing 00:20:33.799 --> 00:20:37.470 power. You know, Jesus once said that the rulers 00:20:37.470 --> 00:20:40.329 of this world, yes, they lord power over each 00:20:40.329 --> 00:20:44.910 other, but not so with you. Whoever wants to 00:20:44.910 --> 00:20:48.049 be first among you must be a servant. You see, 00:20:48.069 --> 00:20:50.950 so power in Christianity, it doesn't look like 00:20:50.950 --> 00:20:55.650 conquest. It looks like a cross, right? Every 00:20:55.650 --> 00:20:58.529 other truth is trying to like seize the power, 00:20:58.670 --> 00:21:02.130 seize power and win, right? Jesus says, no, lay 00:21:02.130 --> 00:21:07.480 down power. True victory comes through surrender. 00:21:07.720 --> 00:21:10.680 True victory comes through love, through self 00:21:10.680 --> 00:21:13.000 -sacrifice. Let's go back again to this reading 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:16.519 that we heard this morning. Everyone on the side 00:21:16.519 --> 00:21:19.420 of truth listens to me. Gosh, when you yell that, 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:22.559 it sounds like an oppressive power grab. But 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:25.599 wait, what happens right after this? Jesus tells 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:27.960 us that he's the truth, but then immediately 00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:31.849 he is beaten and he is mocked. And he is crucified 00:21:31.849 --> 00:21:36.250 and he is killed and he is buried. Why? Because 00:21:36.250 --> 00:21:39.509 Christian truth did not come to dominate you. 00:21:40.069 --> 00:21:44.849 It came to die for you. The Christian confession 00:21:44.849 --> 00:21:49.890 of Jesus as the unique Lord does not lead to 00:21:49.890 --> 00:21:54.049 domination, but to servanthood. He cannot compel 00:21:54.049 --> 00:21:56.910 anyone to believe because at the heart of our 00:21:56.910 --> 00:22:00.049 faith is the one who is Christ. crucified. And 00:22:00.049 --> 00:22:02.390 God, forgive the church when we get this wrong, 00:22:02.470 --> 00:22:06.210 when we turn Jesus into some way to oppress and 00:22:06.210 --> 00:22:09.309 control others. But you do not need to be afraid 00:22:09.309 --> 00:22:13.049 of Jesus's very radical truth claim, because 00:22:13.049 --> 00:22:15.730 it is not just another power play that's trying 00:22:15.730 --> 00:22:19.009 to silence you or beat you down. Jesus himself 00:22:19.009 --> 00:22:23.930 was silenced. Jesus himself was beaten down for 00:22:23.930 --> 00:22:28.119 you. That is a very different truth. And you 00:22:28.119 --> 00:22:31.740 can submit to that truth without worrying about 00:22:31.740 --> 00:22:35.700 oppression. Secondly, that means believing Christian 00:22:35.700 --> 00:22:38.740 truth doesn't make us... arrogant know -it -alls 00:22:38.740 --> 00:22:40.680 that look down on people and think we're better 00:22:40.680 --> 00:22:43.140 than others. It actually should prevent that 00:22:43.140 --> 00:22:45.720 very thing from happening because the real truth 00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:48.200 of Christianity, if you actually understand it, 00:22:48.279 --> 00:22:50.799 is that it's only by grace that you are saved. 00:22:50.900 --> 00:22:54.079 You were so lost and your life was so screwed 00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:56.559 up that the only way you had a hope of being 00:22:56.559 --> 00:23:00.380 saved was for the Son of God to die for you. 00:23:00.680 --> 00:23:03.759 That's how bad things were. So any attempt to 00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:07.079 be arrogant, that goes down the toilet. You know 00:23:07.079 --> 00:23:10.640 better. You have no bragging rights whatsoever. 00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:15.779 You can't look down on anyone. John Stott says, 00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:19.779 the truth of the gospel is not a weapon for domination, 00:23:19.880 --> 00:23:24.720 but it's a mirror to humble us. Its effect is 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:28.119 not to inflate our egos. It actually deflates 00:23:28.119 --> 00:23:31.599 them. I'll say it again. Is Christianity exclusive? 00:23:32.140 --> 00:23:38.420 Yes. Is it arrogant? Impossible. The cross leaves 00:23:38.420 --> 00:23:42.000 no room for us to feel superior. It announces 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:44.200 that we were so lost that Jesus had to die for 00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:47.240 us and so loved that he was willing to die for 00:23:47.240 --> 00:23:52.920 us. And finally, not only does Christian truth 00:23:52.920 --> 00:23:55.000 liberate us from oppression and prevent us from 00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:57.839 arrogance, but it also leaves no room for intolerance. 00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:00.259 You see, the problem with so many truth claims 00:24:00.259 --> 00:24:03.019 is it says it's an us -them. It's me versus you. 00:24:03.059 --> 00:24:04.880 It's my truth versus your truth. You're either 00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:08.160 in or you're out. But on the cross, Jesus made 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:11.500 no such distinctions. He was willing to die for 00:24:11.500 --> 00:24:13.240 the people who loved him and the people who hated 00:24:13.240 --> 00:24:15.740 him. He died for the people who believed in him 00:24:15.740 --> 00:24:18.079 and the people who did not believe in him. For 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:20.539 people who were his friends gathered around the 00:24:20.539 --> 00:24:23.480 cross and the people who were his enemies crucifying 00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:26.099 him on the cross. God demonstrates his love for 00:24:26.099 --> 00:24:29.160 us in this, that while we were all still sinners, 00:24:29.339 --> 00:24:32.019 Christ died for us. He actually prayed for his 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:35.299 enemies as they crucified him, which means this, 00:24:35.559 --> 00:24:46.000 the exclusive truth of Christianity No one is 00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:51.140 beyond the reach of his grace. The door is flung 00:24:51.140 --> 00:24:54.440 wide open to everyone who calls on his name. 00:24:54.579 --> 00:24:55.980 And maybe that's what you need to hear today 00:24:55.980 --> 00:24:59.460 because you are certain you don't belong. You're 00:24:59.460 --> 00:25:01.940 not holy enough. You're not churchy enough. Your 00:25:01.940 --> 00:25:06.160 questions are too big. Maybe the church even 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:09.200 made you feel there was no room for you at some 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:12.119 point. But the truth is Jesus does not exclude 00:25:12.119 --> 00:25:16.359 you. He embraces you. He doesn't shame you. He 00:25:16.359 --> 00:25:19.400 restores you. He doesn't shut you out. He welcomes 00:25:19.400 --> 00:25:22.480 you in because Christian truth is not a doctrine. 00:25:22.539 --> 00:25:25.359 It's a person, and it's a person who died for 00:25:25.359 --> 00:25:29.059 each and every one of us to bring us all back 00:25:29.059 --> 00:25:34.200 home. So it is true. It is true Christianity 00:25:34.200 --> 00:25:37.680 makes this very exclusive, absolute, and universal 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:39.859 truth claim. I am not denying that, and none 00:25:39.859 --> 00:25:43.579 of us should. But don't be afraid of it. Don't 00:25:43.579 --> 00:25:45.900 be afraid of the T word. Don't be afraid of that 00:25:45.900 --> 00:25:48.559 truth. Because unlike every other truth, Christian 00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:52.420 truth, it overturns the oppression with self 00:25:52.420 --> 00:25:55.539 -giving. It replaces arrogance with humility. 00:25:56.019 --> 00:26:01.779 And it transforms intolerance and exclusion with 00:26:01.779 --> 00:26:04.920 a radical welcome. No, Christianity is not a 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:08.819 straight jacket. Christianity is the truth that 00:26:08.819 --> 00:26:12.119 sets you free. So don't settle for your truth. 00:26:12.519 --> 00:26:16.380 My truth. Someone's truth. Embrace God's truth. 00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:21.319 Let Jesus' truth steer your houseboat through 00:26:21.319 --> 00:26:24.740 the waters of life. And remember, his truth is 00:26:24.740 --> 00:26:28.480 strong enough to guide you, gentle enough to 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:32.559 heal you, and deep enough to carry you through 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:40.160 anything. Thanks be to God. Amen. Thank you for 00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:42.460 listening to this week's episode of Trinity Sermons. 00:26:42.460 --> 00:26:45.480 This sermon was recorded at Trinity Church Streetsville 00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:49.640 in Mississauga, Ontario on June 22, 2025.