Praise the Lord, church. Today's topic is the question. What is truth?
Hmm.
Our first scripture we're going to start off with today is John 18, 37 through 38 in the
ESV version and it says,
Then Pilate said to him, So you are king. Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice. Pilate said to him, What is truth? After he said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them I find no guilt in him.
So what is truth?
People make up their own versions of the truth all the time based on their opinion or how they feel. But the actual truth comes from God, the creator who knows everything because there's a difference between relative truth and the actual truth.
So now that we know what truth is, why do we even need this truth?
Well as believers, it's important that we are rooted in truth so that we are not easily swayed.
When we aren't firmly rooted, we get very confused with everything that's out there today. People saying one thing and then the other group of people saying another thing.
The next scripture is Psalm 119 verse 160 again in the ESV version. It says, The sum of your words is truth.
And every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
In another version, it says, The very essence of your word is truth. Whose word is it talking about? Jesus's. Jesus is truth.
So what truth do you believe is the third question?
Relative truth is what we individually think. Authentic truth is factual and, get this, biblical.
Make sure that what we believe and think is always influenced by Jesus and not the world.
Sometimes when we are easily influenced by the things of this world, the devil can make us think that twisted lies are actually the truth.
Which brings us to the fourth question we're asking in this service. Who or what is influencing you?
We're easily influenced. It's in our human nature. But by what?
When we look at who or what is our influence, it starts to explain why we think what we think or how we act.
Believe it or not, whatever we see with our eyes is easily going to seep into our heart if we do not have Jesus to help us guard our hearts.
Our last scripture is Psalm 86 verse 11 again in the ESV version.
It says, teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth. Unite my heart to fear your name.
Firstly, I just want to say that one says unite my heart to fear your name.
When we say fear in the Bible, when you hear the word fear in the Bible, it doesn't mean to be so afraid of God.
It means to have a respect for God. A deep honor and respect for God.
Now, we know what truth is, but the next question is, are we living in truth?
The devil is based off of deception. And when we listen to his lies, we start to make our own truth based off twisted false truth.
So nothing that the devil tells us is going to be true.
Go back to Adam and Eve in the garden. He told Eve, are you sure you're really going to die?
God didn't really say that. When really just a couple verses earlier, God says to Adam and Eve, do not eat of this fruit or you will surely die.
The devil does the same thing to us. He may not say the same words, but he will do the same thing to us.
Now, in order to live in truth, the next question we always have to ask ourselves, are we spending enough time with God?
When we read the word, spend time in prayer and pursue Jesus, the word will start to seep into our minds.
We won't know the truth unless we learn it and spend intimate alone time with the Lord.
Intimate time with the Lord is so important for us to grow in our walk with Christ.
I mean, just think about it. How are we going to be even able to talk to God if we don't know who he is?
So our points for today are one.
Truth is what Jesus says, not what we say or what others say, not our opinion or just anybody else's opinion.
Two, evaluate what is influencing you to see if you are feeding yourself lies or life.
And number three, sometimes we live in deception because we don't understand or read the word.
But the more we learn the word is the more we walk in it.
So if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then this message will help you.
But if you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then I invite you to give your heart to the Lord today.
To receive him into your heart, go to Romans 10, 9 through 10.
It says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will surely be saved.
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
If you said this prayer with sincerity, you are saved and now have eternal life with Jesus.
You are saved from all your sins, past, present and future sins you may commit.
This truth is not if we pass this in any time.
Instead, Jesus gives you power over all wrong choices and empowers you to spread the gospel to others.
You are saved forever and your name is written in the book of life.