WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:02.419 I'm gonna ask you to open your Bible with me 00:00:02.419 --> 00:00:08.140 to Luke chapter 12, the Gospel of Luke and the 00:00:08.140 --> 00:00:12.919 12th chapter. When my wife and I were traveling 00:00:12.919 --> 00:00:16.800 a few weeks ago in the Northwest, there were 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:18.980 several occasions when one or the other of us 00:00:18.980 --> 00:00:21.120 would say, look in the back, look through the 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:24.339 mirror, look where we've been. Because as you 00:00:24.339 --> 00:00:25.800 know, as you're going through the mountains, 00:00:25.859 --> 00:00:27.940 as you're climbing, you have wonderful views 00:00:27.940 --> 00:00:32.159 around you. But as you climb in elevation, you 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:34.840 have the opportunity to look back to see where 00:00:34.840 --> 00:00:38.640 you've been. And often the view behind you is 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:43.500 more spectacular than the one before you. I'd 00:00:43.500 --> 00:00:45.240 like for us to take a look in the rear view mirror 00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:48.020 this morning as we bring to a close this series 00:00:48.020 --> 00:00:52.490 on apologetics. In April we had a brief series 00:00:52.490 --> 00:00:55.630 of messages on making friends for heaven's sake. 00:00:56.770 --> 00:00:59.509 That idea of making friends for the sake of God's 00:00:59.509 --> 00:01:01.789 kingdom was not new to this congregation. Some 00:01:01.789 --> 00:01:05.069 were already practicing it and we heard how they 00:01:05.069 --> 00:01:09.129 were practicing it. The vision of making friends 00:01:09.129 --> 00:01:11.609 for heaven's sake is to intentionally create 00:01:11.609 --> 00:01:15.510 friendships with unbelievers and then to pray. 00:01:15.900 --> 00:01:18.840 that God will provide opportunities, natural 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:22.420 opportunities to plant a witness in their lives. 00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:25.379 And there were a number of folks in our congregation 00:01:25.379 --> 00:01:29.239 who caught that vision and over the last several 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:32.599 months have been trying with God's help to connect 00:01:32.599 --> 00:01:35.900 in a brand new way with unbelievers because one 00:01:35.900 --> 00:01:38.239 of the issues a lot of us face is that we've 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:42.549 lost contact with them. Our friendships have 00:01:42.549 --> 00:01:44.689 tended to gravitate toward other believers, and 00:01:44.689 --> 00:01:47.709 we've lost friendships with unbelievers. We need 00:01:47.709 --> 00:01:53.230 to rekindle those friendships. But when we do 00:01:53.230 --> 00:01:56.329 that, there's a certain risk involved, and we 00:01:56.329 --> 00:01:58.150 feel that risk because we're a little afraid 00:01:58.150 --> 00:02:01.290 that we're going to be asked something or confronted 00:02:01.290 --> 00:02:05.609 by something from these new friends that we don't 00:02:05.609 --> 00:02:08.210 know how to deal with, a question that we don't 00:02:08.210 --> 00:02:11.889 know how to answer perhaps. And so next we began 00:02:11.889 --> 00:02:15.389 dealing with some of the common questions or 00:02:15.389 --> 00:02:19.449 objections to the idea of being a person of faith. 00:02:20.669 --> 00:02:25.490 And we reminded ourselves that everyone lives 00:02:25.490 --> 00:02:29.669 by faith, by faith in something or someone. There 00:02:29.669 --> 00:02:32.830 are no exceptions to that. Unbelievers live by 00:02:32.830 --> 00:02:37.650 faith as well as we do. And we sought to demonstrate 00:02:37.650 --> 00:02:44.819 that true faith is a reasonable thing. And we 00:02:44.819 --> 00:02:47.539 sought to demonstrate that why trusting God and 00:02:47.539 --> 00:02:51.419 what he says is absolutely the most reasonable 00:02:51.419 --> 00:02:56.020 action that any of us can take. There is no contradiction 00:02:56.020 --> 00:03:00.979 between faith and reason. God created us with 00:03:00.979 --> 00:03:05.520 the capacity for both, and he expects us to use 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:10.189 both in our spiritual life. After that, we took 00:03:10.189 --> 00:03:13.830 several weeks to examine why believing in Jesus 00:03:13.830 --> 00:03:20.069 as the Son of God and in his cross as the payment 00:03:20.069 --> 00:03:25.129 of God for our sins, why that makes sense. It 00:03:25.129 --> 00:03:29.650 is reasonable, it is historical, it is the actual 00:03:29.650 --> 00:03:33.990 real basis for our Christian faith. We do not 00:03:33.990 --> 00:03:39.039 believe in blind faith. We believe in a faith 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:44.840 that is informed. Our faith rests upon information 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:49.620 that is true and accurate regarding Jesus, that 00:03:49.620 --> 00:03:53.099 he is the son of God. But there are some who 00:03:53.099 --> 00:03:56.520 find it hard to believe that anything is true. 00:03:57.860 --> 00:04:03.960 For them, truth is unknowable. Or if it does 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:10.159 exist, you can't know it. We've invested now 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:14.419 several weeks in this whole idea of truth and 00:04:14.419 --> 00:04:17.519 the fact that truth does exist and that there 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:20.800 are terrible consequences if we ignore or reject 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:27.860 the truth. A family, a person, a culture, a church 00:04:27.860 --> 00:04:32.639 that rejects the truth is in deep, deep trouble 00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:38.209 because truth comes to us from our creator. And 00:04:38.209 --> 00:04:40.029 so I hope that we've come to an understanding 00:04:40.029 --> 00:04:42.509 now after these several weeks that truth does 00:04:42.509 --> 00:04:47.689 exist and that it's knowable. And because of 00:04:47.689 --> 00:04:50.769 that, folks, it makes you and me responsible 00:04:50.769 --> 00:04:57.430 for what we do with it. Truth exists, it is knowable, 00:04:57.430 --> 00:05:01.209 and you and I are therefore responsible for what 00:05:01.209 --> 00:05:04.410 we do with it. Notice the words of Jesus here 00:05:04.410 --> 00:05:07.689 in the 12th chapter of Luke, and I begin in verse 00:05:07.689 --> 00:05:13.569 42. The Lord answered, who then is the faithful 00:05:13.569 --> 00:05:16.870 and wise manager whom the master puts in charge 00:05:16.870 --> 00:05:19.790 of his servants to give them their food allowance 00:05:19.790 --> 00:05:23.189 at the proper time? It will be good for that 00:05:23.189 --> 00:05:27.610 servant whom the master finds so doing when he 00:05:27.610 --> 00:05:31.220 returns. I tell you the truth. He will put him 00:05:31.220 --> 00:05:34.839 in charge of all his possessions. But suppose 00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:38.480 the servant says to himself, my master is taking 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:42.500 a long time in coming. And he then begins to 00:05:42.500 --> 00:05:45.360 beat the men servants and maid servants and to 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:48.660 eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that 00:05:48.660 --> 00:05:51.040 servant will come on a day when he does not expect 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:55.199 him and in an hour he is not aware of it. He 00:05:55.199 --> 00:05:57.600 will cut him to pieces and assign him a place 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:00.680 with the unbelievers. That servant who knows 00:06:00.680 --> 00:06:04.040 his master's will and does not get ready and 00:06:04.040 --> 00:06:06.939 does not do what his master wants will be beaten 00:06:06.939 --> 00:06:10.639 with many blows. But to the one who does not 00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:13.259 know and does things deserving punishment will 00:06:13.259 --> 00:06:16.439 be beaten with few blows. And then the principle. 00:06:17.620 --> 00:06:22.560 From everyone who has been given much, much will 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:26.279 be demanded. And from the one who has been entrusted 00:06:26.279 --> 00:06:34.120 with much, much more will be asked. We are responsible 00:06:34.120 --> 00:06:39.399 for what God has given to us. We in this nation, 00:06:41.180 --> 00:06:45.699 we in a Bible teaching church, those who have 00:06:45.699 --> 00:06:50.519 attended a Christian school, we who have been 00:06:50.519 --> 00:06:54.779 discipled by someone, we who have been taught 00:06:54.779 --> 00:06:59.290 in a small group or in a mid -sized group, We 00:06:59.290 --> 00:07:05.750 have been given much. And for that, we are responsible 00:07:05.750 --> 00:07:10.949 to God. What are we to do? Let me suggest first 00:07:10.949 --> 00:07:15.610 that the step that we must take initially is 00:07:15.610 --> 00:07:20.430 to own it. To own it. In John chapter eight, 00:07:20.430 --> 00:07:23.569 Jesus makes that famous statement, you shall 00:07:23.569 --> 00:07:27.759 know the truth and the truth will what? set you 00:07:27.759 --> 00:07:32.319 free. Everybody knows that verse, but few people 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:37.139 know the verse before it. In that verse it says, 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:41.220 to those who had believed on him, Jesus said, 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:48.220 if you hold to my teaching, you are really my 00:07:48.220 --> 00:07:52.920 disciples. Notice he's speaking to those who 00:07:52.920 --> 00:07:56.610 had believed on him. Now in this context, and 00:07:56.610 --> 00:07:58.569 in a couple of other places in the Gospel of 00:07:58.569 --> 00:08:04.709 John, he seems to use this verb believe in a 00:08:04.709 --> 00:08:11.110 sense other than genuine saving belief. He's 00:08:11.110 --> 00:08:13.009 using it in the sense of people who have made 00:08:13.009 --> 00:08:19.009 a profession of believing, but who haven't yet 00:08:19.009 --> 00:08:24.009 demonstrated that by their lives. And so he said 00:08:24.009 --> 00:08:29.449 to those who believed on him, if you hold to 00:08:29.449 --> 00:08:35.190 my teaching, then are you really my disciples. 00:08:36.149 --> 00:08:39.409 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall 00:08:39.409 --> 00:08:44.429 set you free. Jesus was saying it is not enough 00:08:44.429 --> 00:08:49.509 for you to say you believe what I teach. You 00:08:49.509 --> 00:08:56.809 must own for yourself. what I teach. You must 00:08:56.809 --> 00:08:59.629 demonstrate that you are following my teaching. 00:08:59.929 --> 00:09:04.870 Then are you really my disciples? It is not enough 00:09:04.870 --> 00:09:10.110 to say I believe. We have to show it. This involves 00:09:10.110 --> 00:09:15.509 owning the truth. By this I mean choose God's 00:09:15.509 --> 00:09:19.429 truth for the core of your life. Don't just inherit 00:09:19.429 --> 00:09:24.669 it. One of the dangers of growing up in a Christian 00:09:24.669 --> 00:09:29.690 family, and there are some, one of the dangers 00:09:29.690 --> 00:09:33.110 of growing up in a Christian household is learning 00:09:33.110 --> 00:09:37.169 about the truth from the time that you are very 00:09:37.169 --> 00:09:43.929 small and inheriting that truth as part of your 00:09:43.929 --> 00:09:48.330 life and your culture, but failing to own it 00:09:48.330 --> 00:09:54.519 for yourself. If that's God calling, tell him 00:09:54.519 --> 00:10:02.340 that we appreciate his phone call. Thank you, 00:10:02.379 --> 00:10:07.000 Doug. I'm glad you like that. Thanks for turning 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:14.120 off your cell phones. You have to own the truth 00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:19.639 for yourself. In the book of Proverbs, the 23rd 00:10:19.639 --> 00:10:22.480 chapter, and the 23rd verse, it says, buy the 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:27.759 truth and do not sell it. Buy the truth, own 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:33.039 it. Own it and do not sell it. In Ephesians chapter 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:37.200 one and verse 13, Paul gives the process that 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:40.320 we must go through if we are really Christ's 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:42.779 disciples. He says, and you also were included 00:10:42.779 --> 00:10:47.679 in Christ when you heard. the word of the truth, 00:10:49.580 --> 00:10:52.559 having believed you were marked in him with a 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:55.019 seal. So you see, first there's the hearing of 00:10:55.019 --> 00:10:57.759 the truth, and almost every person here today 00:10:57.759 --> 00:11:01.860 would say, I've heard the truth. The question 00:11:01.860 --> 00:11:07.419 is, have you owned it for yourself? A dad was 00:11:07.419 --> 00:11:11.139 telling me some time ago about his son who was 00:11:11.139 --> 00:11:13.659 beginning to ask questions that were difficult. 00:11:14.009 --> 00:11:17.049 regarding the Bible and regarding how it was 00:11:17.049 --> 00:11:20.350 formed and regarding whether the Bible was trustworthy. 00:11:22.190 --> 00:11:25.110 And we agreed together, this is wonderful that 00:11:25.110 --> 00:11:27.669 the Son is asking these kinds of questions and 00:11:27.669 --> 00:11:30.629 you know why? Because it means that he is beginning 00:11:30.629 --> 00:11:35.769 now to think about what he's been taught. He 00:11:35.769 --> 00:11:38.870 is entering into that process that people come 00:11:38.870 --> 00:11:41.809 to in adolescence and sometimes pre -adolescence. 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:46.700 when they begin to really think about what they've 00:11:46.700 --> 00:11:52.559 been taught and to own it as their own. I want 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:55.919 to challenge you today with this thought. You 00:11:55.919 --> 00:12:02.600 know the truth, but do you own it? The apostle 00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:05.519 Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:09.799 10 about the lost. He says, they perish because 00:12:09.799 --> 00:12:14.940 they refused to love the truth and to be saved. 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:18.519 It wasn't they didn't know the truth necessarily, 00:12:19.720 --> 00:12:24.059 but they didn't love the truth. They didn't have 00:12:24.059 --> 00:12:27.019 affection for it. You see, salvation requires 00:12:27.019 --> 00:12:33.200 a step of adhering love. It is embracing the 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:37.240 truth for yourself. So what do you do with the 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:42.750 truth? First of all, foundational, basic, own 00:12:42.750 --> 00:12:48.149 it. Make it yours, not your mother's, not your 00:12:48.149 --> 00:12:51.870 father's, not your family's faith, but your faith. 00:12:55.970 --> 00:12:58.970 That's the first step, but I want to go on to 00:12:58.970 --> 00:13:00.710 a second step that's absolutely critical, and 00:13:00.710 --> 00:13:05.429 that is to learn it. Learn it. Get skilled in 00:13:05.429 --> 00:13:09.379 the truth. Get skilled in it. We used this verse 00:13:09.379 --> 00:13:13.899 some time ago in 2 Timothy chapter two, but I 00:13:13.899 --> 00:13:16.100 repeat it this morning. It says, do your best 00:13:16.100 --> 00:13:19.259 to present yourself to God as one approved, a 00:13:19.259 --> 00:13:22.899 workman who does not need to be ashamed and who 00:13:22.899 --> 00:13:26.340 correctly handles the word of truth. It is possible 00:13:26.340 --> 00:13:29.879 for me as a follower of Jesus to be ashamed, 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:35.580 to be ashamed of my inability to use the Bible. 00:13:35.899 --> 00:13:39.600 because I've never really learned it. I've owned 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:41.940 it for myself in the sense of being saved, but 00:13:41.940 --> 00:13:46.539 I've never dug into it and learned it. And the 00:13:46.539 --> 00:13:50.039 fact is that we never arrive at a point of knowing 00:13:50.039 --> 00:13:54.940 the truth well enough. There's always room for 00:13:54.940 --> 00:14:00.340 us to grow. It requires staying in the Word over 00:14:00.340 --> 00:14:05.139 the long haul of time. Do you know more about 00:14:05.139 --> 00:14:11.039 your Bible than you did a year ago? Are you learning 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:13.639 it? Are you growing in your understanding of 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:17.620 the Bible? I want to encourage you to get into 00:14:17.620 --> 00:14:20.799 a Bible study. Get into a discipleship group. 00:14:23.460 --> 00:14:26.179 Find a place where you can connect with a few 00:14:26.179 --> 00:14:29.240 others and get serious about learning the word 00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:35.360 of God. In your own quiet time, don't just read 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:40.779 the devotional. Read the verses behind the devotional. 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:45.379 Read the word of God itself. Learn the word. 00:14:46.980 --> 00:14:51.320 The point in this is not more knowledge in itself. 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:55.039 The point is that through knowing the word, we 00:14:55.039 --> 00:14:59.850 become more like Jesus. And so the challenge 00:14:59.850 --> 00:15:03.169 is to push on to maturity in the truth. Don't 00:15:03.169 --> 00:15:10.629 be childish. The writer of Hebrews says, we have 00:15:10.629 --> 00:15:13.389 much to say, but it's hard to explain because 00:15:13.389 --> 00:15:17.250 you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this 00:15:17.250 --> 00:15:19.490 time you ought to be teachers, you need someone 00:15:19.490 --> 00:15:23.389 to teach you the elementary truths of God's word 00:15:23.389 --> 00:15:27.059 all over again. Then he goes on to say, therefore 00:15:27.059 --> 00:15:30.480 let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:35.000 and go on to maturity. That's the challenge. 00:15:36.179 --> 00:15:39.539 To become a mature disciple and follower of Jesus. 00:15:40.200 --> 00:15:43.960 You say, well how do I know if I'm mature? That's 00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:48.700 a good question. To try to help you arrive at 00:15:48.700 --> 00:15:52.139 the answer to that. Our discipleship ministry 00:15:52.139 --> 00:15:54.740 has created the brochure called The Profile of 00:15:54.740 --> 00:15:58.879 a Mature Disciple. Now it's a tool, it's not 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:02.320 perfect, but if you will pick up a copy of this 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:04.960 over at Grand Central, it will give you an idea 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:09.480 of what a mature disciple ought to know, ought 00:16:09.480 --> 00:16:16.919 to have, and ought to be. We need to push on 00:16:16.919 --> 00:16:21.090 to maturity and not allow ourselves to be satisfied 00:16:21.090 --> 00:16:25.970 with simply being saved. It begins there by owning 00:16:25.970 --> 00:16:28.529 the truth for ourselves, but then we need to 00:16:28.529 --> 00:16:32.210 learn the truth and grow in it into maturity. 00:16:32.730 --> 00:16:36.690 And then, third, we need to teach it. We need 00:16:36.690 --> 00:16:40.909 to pass the truth onto the next generation. Don't 00:16:40.909 --> 00:16:43.490 just assume that they're going to get it, because 00:16:43.490 --> 00:16:47.710 most likely they won't. That's why in the Old 00:16:47.710 --> 00:16:53.909 Testament, God said to his people through Moses 00:16:53.909 --> 00:16:57.090 in Deuteronomy chapter six, these are the commands, 00:16:57.250 --> 00:16:59.549 decrees, and laws the Lord your God directed 00:16:59.549 --> 00:17:02.769 me, says Moses, to teach you to observe in the 00:17:02.769 --> 00:17:05.990 land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess 00:17:05.990 --> 00:17:11.490 so that you, your children, and their children 00:17:11.490 --> 00:17:15.750 after them may fear the Lord your God as long 00:17:15.750 --> 00:17:21.509 as you live. In other words, Moses says God wants 00:17:21.509 --> 00:17:23.670 not only you to enter the land to possess it, 00:17:23.829 --> 00:17:26.289 he wants your children to enjoy it and their 00:17:26.289 --> 00:17:28.430 children and their children and their children. 00:17:28.630 --> 00:17:31.569 How is this going to happen? Well in verse seven 00:17:31.569 --> 00:17:35.190 he says, impress them, that is the commandments 00:17:35.190 --> 00:17:41.529 of God, impress them on your children. Talk about 00:17:41.529 --> 00:17:43.670 them when you sit at home, when you walk along 00:17:43.670 --> 00:17:46.410 the road, when you lie down, when you get up. 00:17:47.710 --> 00:17:50.730 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them 00:17:50.730 --> 00:17:53.650 on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames 00:17:53.650 --> 00:17:57.789 of your houses and on your gates. There are some 00:17:57.789 --> 00:18:00.670 ultra -orthodox Jews who take all this very literally. 00:18:01.630 --> 00:18:03.910 Maybe you've seen pictures of them and they will 00:18:03.910 --> 00:18:06.730 have phylacteries or little pouches on their 00:18:06.730 --> 00:18:09.450 hand or on their forehead, tied around their 00:18:09.450 --> 00:18:12.269 forehead with little scripts of the law of God 00:18:12.269 --> 00:18:16.890 in them. But Moses is not as concerned about 00:18:16.940 --> 00:18:21.779 literally doing that, as he is about obeying 00:18:21.779 --> 00:18:26.559 the thrust of this text, which is teach what 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:32.640 God says to your children. What you and I come 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:36.420 to know must be passed along to the next generation. 00:18:37.779 --> 00:18:41.180 That, by the way, is the heart of Los Gatos Christian 00:18:41.180 --> 00:18:47.609 School. It is teaching the subjects for life 00:18:47.609 --> 00:18:52.549 in the context of God's truth. It is passing 00:18:52.549 --> 00:18:59.009 along God's truth to the next generation. While 00:18:59.009 --> 00:19:01.529 we seek to do that in the school and we seek 00:19:01.529 --> 00:19:05.769 to do that in our student ministry, you need 00:19:05.769 --> 00:19:10.150 to understand that the primary responsibility 00:19:10.150 --> 00:19:13.930 for passing the truth to the children belongs 00:19:13.930 --> 00:19:18.849 to the parents. The school, the student ministry 00:19:18.849 --> 00:19:21.150 are here to supplement and to compliment and 00:19:21.150 --> 00:19:26.849 to assist, but moms and dads, God says this to 00:19:26.849 --> 00:19:34.509 you, teach your children. Impress upon them what 00:19:34.509 --> 00:19:41.769 God says, impress upon them the truth. And Timothy, 00:19:42.430 --> 00:19:45.339 we have an example of a man. who experienced 00:19:45.339 --> 00:19:49.599 that very thing. Paul says to him in 2 Timothy 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:52.900 chapter three, as for you, Timothy, continue 00:19:52.900 --> 00:19:55.380 in what you have learned and have become convinced 00:19:55.380 --> 00:20:00.480 of. In other words, Timothy, you own this because 00:20:00.480 --> 00:20:07.119 you know those from whom you learned it. Say, 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:10.720 well, who's that? Back in chapter one, he names 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:14.450 them, his mother and his grandmother. had taught 00:20:14.450 --> 00:20:18.809 Timothy the truth of God. And Paul goes on to 00:20:18.809 --> 00:20:22.309 say, and how from infancy you have known the 00:20:22.309 --> 00:20:25.329 holy scriptures which are able to make you wise 00:20:25.329 --> 00:20:28.450 for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 00:20:30.529 --> 00:20:34.210 Moms and dads, God has given you this responsibility, 00:20:35.109 --> 00:20:37.569 but let me just take one step further and say, 00:20:37.690 --> 00:20:44.830 dad, it is especially your responsibility. because 00:20:44.830 --> 00:20:49.829 you are the head of your home. God holds you 00:20:49.829 --> 00:20:54.509 in particular accountable for the truth being 00:20:54.509 --> 00:20:59.630 passed on to your children. It is a wonderful 00:20:59.630 --> 00:21:05.849 privilege. It is a sobering responsibility. Your 00:21:05.849 --> 00:21:07.890 children will learn from you not only by what 00:21:07.890 --> 00:21:12.420 you say to them, but how you live. It's not enough 00:21:12.420 --> 00:21:15.119 to simply drop them off for an activity at church. 00:21:15.220 --> 00:21:20.519 That is not good enough. You must go the next 00:21:20.519 --> 00:21:24.700 step and live before them what you're trying 00:21:24.700 --> 00:21:29.660 to teach them. You need to be involved at the 00:21:29.660 --> 00:21:33.880 church. You need to be growing in your faith. 00:21:35.460 --> 00:21:38.900 They need to see you being faithful in church. 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:45.390 You dad. They need to see you carrying out the 00:21:45.390 --> 00:21:49.029 commands of God in your life. It's in that way 00:21:49.029 --> 00:21:52.809 that you teach the truth to the next generation. 00:21:56.109 --> 00:22:00.109 I need to press on, but let's review. We need 00:22:00.109 --> 00:22:03.490 to own the truth. Then we need to learn the truth 00:22:03.490 --> 00:22:06.390 and then teach the truth, passing it on to the 00:22:06.390 --> 00:22:08.809 next generation. Number four, we need to live 00:22:08.809 --> 00:22:12.420 it. I've already touched on this. but I remind 00:22:12.420 --> 00:22:15.819 you of what John writes in his third epistle 00:22:15.819 --> 00:22:19.700 and the third verse. It gives me great joy, he 00:22:19.700 --> 00:22:22.680 says, it gave me great joy to have some brothers 00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:26.059 come and tell about your faithfulness to the 00:22:26.059 --> 00:22:30.420 truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 00:22:32.680 --> 00:22:35.099 In other words, what we're saying here is practice 00:22:35.099 --> 00:22:38.759 the truth in your walk. Don't merely talk it. 00:22:39.869 --> 00:22:44.589 Apply it to your life. Let it soak down into 00:22:44.589 --> 00:22:48.809 the way that you think, and the choices that 00:22:48.809 --> 00:22:53.369 you make, and the activities that you get involved 00:22:53.369 --> 00:22:58.029 in, the priorities you set in your life. Live 00:22:58.029 --> 00:23:04.730 it out. Walk in the truth. Number five, support 00:23:04.730 --> 00:23:07.829 it. Support the truth. That's what we're to do 00:23:07.829 --> 00:23:11.299 with it. In First Timothy, again, the third chapter, 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:14.819 he says, although I hope to come to you soon, 00:23:15.319 --> 00:23:17.680 I'm writing you these instructions so that if 00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:20.140 I'm delayed, you, Timothy, will know how people 00:23:20.140 --> 00:23:23.539 ought to conduct themselves in God's household, 00:23:24.460 --> 00:23:27.640 which is the church of the living God, the pillar 00:23:27.640 --> 00:23:33.019 and foundation of the truth. In the context here, 00:23:33.019 --> 00:23:35.720 Paul seems to be thinking of the local church. 00:23:36.299 --> 00:23:40.559 an assembly of believers like we are. And he 00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:43.500 says to Timothy, you know how to instruct the 00:23:43.500 --> 00:23:47.960 believers, how they are to live as God's household. 00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:52.859 For the household of God, the church, he says, 00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:58.240 is the pillar and the foundation of the truth. 00:23:59.319 --> 00:24:03.279 In other words, the local church in a community 00:24:03.279 --> 00:24:08.440 upholds the truth. We are the pillar of the truth 00:24:08.440 --> 00:24:11.920 of God. We are its foundation in this community. 00:24:12.460 --> 00:24:16.480 We are like a lighthouse that God has established 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:21.660 in this place from which shines out the light 00:24:21.660 --> 00:24:25.160 of God's truth to the whole community. That is 00:24:25.160 --> 00:24:28.920 our role. And sir, ma 'am, young person, old 00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:32.279 person, whoever you are today, as a part of God's 00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:35.740 church, you're part of that light. You're a part 00:24:35.740 --> 00:24:39.019 of that pillar. What are we to do with the truth? 00:24:39.099 --> 00:24:42.160 We are to hold it up. We are to stand up for 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:45.119 the truth in our world and not be intimidated. 00:24:46.759 --> 00:24:50.839 There are forces at work in our culture to suppress 00:24:50.839 --> 00:24:55.819 you, to intimidate you, to hold you down, to 00:24:55.819 --> 00:25:00.849 put you in the back where you belong. What I 00:25:00.849 --> 00:25:03.309 want to say to you is that God calls you as the 00:25:03.309 --> 00:25:06.450 pillar and the foundation of his truth Do never 00:25:06.450 --> 00:25:11.750 be intimidated by that kind of oppression Lift 00:25:11.750 --> 00:25:14.490 high the truth of God in your school classroom 00:25:14.490 --> 00:25:21.089 never be ashamed of it Speak out for it in the 00:25:21.089 --> 00:25:25.329 club that you belong to Write the letters to 00:25:25.329 --> 00:25:28.089 the editor in a Christian and kindly way, but 00:25:28.089 --> 00:25:31.559 write the letters to the editor or take other 00:25:31.559 --> 00:25:35.180 kinds of stands, signing petitions, doing whatever 00:25:35.180 --> 00:25:38.500 you need to do, and above all, living it out 00:25:38.500 --> 00:25:43.240 so that God's truth is held up in our community. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:49.220 We are to support the truth, and I've added one. 00:25:50.339 --> 00:25:52.420 There's a number six that you don't have on your 00:25:52.420 --> 00:25:55.859 outline, so I'll let you create that line. But 00:25:55.859 --> 00:25:59.480 it is to share it, to share the truth. Support 00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:01.920 it, but then also to share it. 2 Corinthians 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:05.960 4, 2. Communicate the truth to those who need 00:26:05.960 --> 00:26:09.819 it and don't be silent. Paul says to Timothy, 00:26:10.359 --> 00:26:13.920 preach the word. Be prepared when it's convenient 00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:16.619 and when it's not convenient. Use it to correct, 00:26:17.099 --> 00:26:21.460 to rebuke, to encourage with great patience and 00:26:21.460 --> 00:26:24.859 careful instruction. Proclaim the word of God. 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:30.559 Paul says, to the Corinthians, we have renounced 00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:35.000 secret in shameful ways. He says, we do not use 00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:37.660 deception nor do we distort the word of God. 00:26:37.740 --> 00:26:42.039 On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly, 00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:45.259 we commend ourselves to every man's conscience 00:26:45.259 --> 00:26:48.400 in the sight of God. I like that phrase, setting 00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:54.799 forth the truth plainly. That's what God calls 00:26:54.799 --> 00:26:58.859 you and me to do. it needs to be spoken of in 00:26:58.859 --> 00:27:02.759 every context of our lives. Not forcing it down 00:27:02.759 --> 00:27:05.779 people's throats, not being obnoxious about it, 00:27:06.119 --> 00:27:10.380 but just allowing the truth to flow through us. 00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:15.000 Because we own it, we're growing in it to maturity, 00:27:16.059 --> 00:27:19.359 we're teaching it to others, it just flows from 00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:27.519 us to others. We share it. Not knowing the truth 00:27:27.519 --> 00:27:32.539 is tragic. Not knowing the truth is tragic, but 00:27:32.539 --> 00:27:38.519 my friends, so is possessing the truth and failing 00:27:38.519 --> 00:27:44.079 to be a steward of it. Oh, how seriously God 00:27:44.079 --> 00:27:47.400 takes that. Because the greater our privilege, 00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:50.140 the greater our responsibility. The greater your 00:27:50.140 --> 00:27:54.900 blessings, the greater your responsibility. It 00:27:54.900 --> 00:27:58.160 is tragic not to know the truth, but possessing 00:27:58.160 --> 00:28:02.420 the truth and then failing to do with it what 00:28:02.420 --> 00:28:06.859 we ought to do is an equal tragedy and will bring 00:28:06.859 --> 00:28:15.819 us into the judgment of God. Do you know what 00:28:15.819 --> 00:28:21.420 rigors are? Rigors are people who work in the 00:28:21.420 --> 00:28:24.589 military. or sometimes for private contractors, 00:28:25.349 --> 00:28:31.710 and prepare parachutes for those who jump. They 00:28:31.710 --> 00:28:35.809 have a very tedious and specific responsibility. 00:28:36.410 --> 00:28:40.190 It is to take that material and to fold it a 00:28:40.190 --> 00:28:44.829 certain number of times in a certain way, and 00:28:44.829 --> 00:28:49.250 then to place it inside the carrier for the chute. 00:28:49.960 --> 00:28:53.920 in a way that will allow the one who jumps to 00:28:53.920 --> 00:28:58.339 pull that rip cord and to have confidence that 00:28:58.339 --> 00:29:01.900 that chute is going to billow out behind him. 00:29:05.559 --> 00:29:12.680 It is a responsibility that could cause one to 00:29:12.680 --> 00:29:15.920 be guilty of taking another person's life if 00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:20.650 he's careless. Can you imagine that kind of responsibility? 00:29:22.529 --> 00:29:27.569 Of having in your hands the very stuff that another 00:29:27.569 --> 00:29:34.589 person will depend upon for his life. Can you 00:29:34.589 --> 00:29:39.029 imagine being in possession of the antidote, 00:29:39.849 --> 00:29:45.359 the cure for AIDS? For being in a laboratory 00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:47.619 and discovering through some process or maybe 00:29:47.619 --> 00:29:54.460 a surprise a way to cure AIDS So that the millions 00:29:54.460 --> 00:29:58.319 in our world who are infected with this terrible 00:29:58.319 --> 00:30:04.940 disease Could find healing Or to put it in a 00:30:04.940 --> 00:30:07.740 different dimension suppose today that you you 00:30:07.740 --> 00:30:13.319 came across a way for there to be fuel energy, 00:30:13.420 --> 00:30:15.940 power that is self -sustaining, clean burning, 00:30:16.359 --> 00:30:22.240 and that would replace oil. If you had that kind 00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:26.579 of knowledge, would you hang on to it? If you 00:30:26.579 --> 00:30:31.160 possessed the ability to cure a deadly disease, 00:30:31.579 --> 00:30:36.259 would you keep it to yourself? If you were packing 00:30:36.259 --> 00:30:40.599 a parachute today, would you thoughtlessly or 00:30:40.599 --> 00:30:45.599 carelessly do that? You would pay attention knowing 00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:48.339 that the life of someone else is in your hands. 00:30:48.720 --> 00:30:52.400 Their future depends upon you. Their welfare 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:56.960 depends upon you. May I say to you, if you have 00:30:56.960 --> 00:31:02.960 the truth of God, you have what this world needs. 00:31:05.039 --> 00:31:09.279 You have the single source of what will deliver 00:31:09.279 --> 00:31:13.500 people from eternal condemnation. of what will 00:31:13.500 --> 00:31:17.420 rescue their lives from wreck and ruin. You have 00:31:17.420 --> 00:31:23.539 it. What will you do with it? To whom much is 00:31:23.539 --> 00:31:31.579 given, much will be required, said Jesus. Let's 00:31:31.579 --> 00:31:35.420 make the most of it. God has entrusted it to 00:31:35.420 --> 00:31:40.630 us. Let's use it to the fullest. for our benefit, 00:31:40.789 --> 00:31:43.630 for our children's benefit, and for our world's 00:31:43.630 --> 00:31:50.470 benefit. Let's pray together. Do you own the 00:31:50.470 --> 00:31:57.690 truth? One of the dangers of going to a Bible 00:31:57.690 --> 00:32:01.970 teaching church all of your life is growing up 00:32:01.970 --> 00:32:05.900 hearing it but not owning it. And I know of some 00:32:05.900 --> 00:32:08.920 who sit here this morning who came to that realization 00:32:08.920 --> 00:32:12.779 one day, you know, I've heard this all my life, 00:32:12.779 --> 00:32:17.000 but I've never owned it for myself. And I'm as 00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:24.059 lost as the one who's never heard it. You need 00:32:24.059 --> 00:32:30.759 to own it. You need to own it for yourself. Will 00:32:30.759 --> 00:32:34.599 you own it this morning? trusting Jesus Christ, 00:32:35.099 --> 00:32:38.039 placing your faith in him, turning from your 00:32:38.039 --> 00:32:41.519 sins to trust in him alone and his work on the 00:32:41.519 --> 00:32:49.299 cross for your sins. Do it right now. And if 00:32:49.299 --> 00:32:53.240 you have done that, if you have the truth, if 00:32:53.240 --> 00:32:56.519 you've owned it, are you growing? Are you learning 00:32:56.519 --> 00:33:02.839 it? Are you teaching it? Are you supporting it? 00:33:03.099 --> 00:33:10.880 Do you share it? Father, I pray that we who know 00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:16.119 the truth will take very seriously the deep, 00:33:16.180 --> 00:33:20.339 deep responsibility we have. And I pray that 00:33:20.339 --> 00:33:23.700 we will carry out that responsibility with joy 00:33:23.700 --> 00:33:27.059 and enthusiasm because you, Jesus, are coming 00:33:27.059 --> 00:33:31.059 soon. And when you come, We want to be able to 00:33:31.059 --> 00:33:35.299 give a good account and hear well done, good 00:33:35.299 --> 00:33:41.079 and faithful steward of the truth. I pray this 00:33:41.079 --> 00:33:44.799 Father in the name of Jesus, our Savior, who 00:33:44.799 --> 00:33:47.559 himself is the way, the truth, and the life to 00:33:47.559 --> 00:33:50.400 all who will believe on him. Amen.