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ABSOLUTE TRUTH?

PROVERBS 22:17-21

As I talk with people, listen to what people believe, read what is on their mind, I am very concerned for it seems that more and more people are less and less concerned, interested in the truth. Whatever makes them feel comfortable, whatever they feel is right, they believe. It doesn't matter if it’s a lie or not, truth is not important any longer. Let me give you an example of what I mean.

The Shroud of Turin is suppose to be the burial cloth of Jesus that was left behind when He arose from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion. As He rose He left behind an imprint of His body on this cloth with the nail marks on His hands and feet, blood from the wounds on His back and right side, and-so-on. It appears to be the real thing when you look at it, the only problem is that the scientific community does not support their views nor does it follow all that is known about Jewish burial practices.

Way back in 1988 a ½-in. by 3-in. strip of linen from this cloth was removed and sent to 3 separate labs for carbon dating. Their results were shocking. They dated this cloth between 1260-1390 AD - thus, it could not be the burial cloth of Jesus. Also, the blood stains are not blood at all, but a reddish pigment.

"Nuclear physicist Harry Grove, who helped develop the radiocarbon-dating process used on the Shroud...said the odds were 'about one in a thousand trillion' against the Shroud's having been woven in the time of Jesus. Edward Hall, a member of the Oxford team went further still. Anyone who continued to believe the Shroud was genuine, he pronounced, must be a 'flat-earther.'"

One person said "In spite of evidence supplied by three highly regarded scientific laboratories that the Shroud is a fake, it is estimated that almost 3 million devoted followers will line up to see it. People believe only what they want to believe." What an amazing statement. In a period of history that has knowledge multiplying faster than we can assimilate, when that truth contradicts what we want to believe, we toss away the truth and hold onto an illusion of truth.

Another man said "Jesus appreciated the need of modern man for solid evidence of the resurrection. The Shroud is that evidence and a basis for our faith." If the Shroud was the basis for our faith, then if it is a fraud, a fake, then where would our faith be? It too would be gone! How sad that we place our faith in a idol rather than in Christ. And for many, lets not cloud the picture with the truth!

And lastly, Marella Trabattoni said "Age doesn't make any difference for receiving grace...the wounds on the shoulders...the wounds from the flogging, the wounds on the knees. And there was one thing I remember very distinctly that touched me very much...the point which the nails were driven in was a very painful place. Every movement this person had to make in order to breath made Him suffer more. All these details make me absolutely positive that it's genuine...the person was Christ."

Now I don't doubt her faith one bit, I think she is very sincere in what she believes like many other people are. But sincerity is a worthless virtue unless it is invested in truth. And to place your faith, what you believe in a piece of cloth that has already been classified as a fraud, is foolish, it is empty. If you want the truth of what happened to Jesus during the crucifixion read Psalm 22, Isaiah 52 and 53, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They will tell you more than you will want to know about the pain that Jesus went through, the pain He endured on the cross of Calvary, but again, why cloud the picture with truth!

Solomon, in Proverbs chapter 22, is going to share with us what is truth, where it is found and what we should do with it. You see, what happens many times with religious artifacts is that they become more important and are worshiped more than the Lord. And that happens when we lose the reality of God. When we move away from Him we will look for anything to help us remind us of Him, to try and draw us close to Him. But these are nothing more than empty idols that are being worshiped, for the substance is Christ! What a sad state to be in, holding onto a piece of cloth to make you believe the reality of God!

Enough of an introduction, lets see what Solomon has to say here in Proverbs chapter 22, beginning in verse 17.

PROVERBS 22:17-21

"Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge;

For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips,

So that your trust may be in the LORD; I have instructed you today, even you.

Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge,

That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may answerwords of truth To those who send to you?"

Solomon is telling us to listen to the words of the wise. Let them sink deep down into our heart and become part of our life. Let the words of truth flow from our lips. What is Solomon trying to impart to us with these truths he is sharing? "So that your trust may be in the LORD." Solomon wants us to see the reality of God, that it is based in truth and not in empty or false feelings. He wants us to understand that our faith is not blind but based in the truth of God which He speaks to us through His Word. Jesus said in John 17:17, "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth."

Today we see Christians and non-Christians moving away from truth and holding onto a belief that says "Believe and do what is easiest and best for you." Let me give you one example of this from actress Liv Ullman. In an interview on "The Today Show" she said "There are no rules which apply to everybody and there are many kinds of truths. The one which is easiest and best to live by is your own, the core within yourself. I've never told my daughter that what I say is the truth." That my friends is totally meaningless and foolish. The heart is wicked and if that is what we are to trust in, what do you think will come flowing from our lives, EVIL! Of course there is a right and a wrong, good and evil. The whole law enforcement and judicial system is based on that, moral and civil law. And the reality is, it doesn't matter if you believe it or not, there is absolute truth!

"On the pages of Charles Schultz's comic strip 'Peanuts,' the junior pop philosopher Linus came face to face with a form of religious persecution. In an understandable piece of children's logic, he decided that Halloween was just as important an occasion as Christmas. If Christmas had Santa Claus, why shouldn't Halloween have a hero as well? So Linus used his imagination and invented a suitable mythical figure for the occasion - The Great Pumpkin. Naturally, this departure from the straight and narrow met with some opposition. Linus ended up being ridiculed by the holders of the more traditional belief in Santa and the eight tiny reindeer. But, undaunted, security blanket in hand, he uttered a phrase that would become an anthem for a generation: 'It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you're sincere!'"

And that is exactly what we see today, sincerity is more important than truth. And as I have said, sincerity is worthless unless it is based in truth.

Let me give you a little test here this morning and lets see how you do. You are taking an introductory philosophy class and for your first assignment you are going to have to tell the class your basic understanding of life and ultimate reality. Of the following two statements, which one would you feel more comfortable making before the class?

A. "I believe in absolute truth. There are standards of right and wrong that apply to every person, in every situation."

B. "I believe truth is a personal thing, and if something is true for you, then go with it. But don't push your morality on others."

Now if you picked "A" you will be in trouble the whole school year, you will be trying to defend your narrow views. It will be an uphill battle all year. So many would pick "B" because it is easier, you will be going with the flow, not making any waves, loved by all including your teacher who will be giving you your grade.

The only problem is if you picked "B" you are totally wrong, for there is absolute truths to live by. And it doesn't matter if we like them or not, agree with them or disagree with them, they still stand as absolute truth!

In saying all that, let me give you something to chew on for a minute. Did you realize that there are two ways to go, two truths to be found and two lives to live! Before you jump out of your seat, turn to Matthew chapter 7 and I will explain what I mean.

1. TWO WAYS MATTHEW 7:13-14

You see, all roads don't lead to God, in fact there are only two roads that are out there in which you can travel upon, the one that leads to life through Jesus Christ, and the one that leads to destruction outside of Christ.

The way to hell, destruction, is broad, it is easy and there are many false prophets compelling people down this path. It is a "Have it your own way" fast-food salvation. The onlyproblem is this way leads to death, it is a lie, and many people have embraced this way of thinking and are very comfortable in their beliefs, for now anyway!

The way to heaven is narrow. Why? Because it is only found through Jesus Christ. This is the only road that leads to life. As Peter said in I Peter 3:18 "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." Also Peter said in Acts 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Don't be swept downstream to the pit of hell by following the lies of the world. Be strong in the Lord, go against the world's easy believism and enter into heaven by the narrow gate, JESUS CHRIST! You see, there are two ways, but only one that leads to eternal life with Christ, the other, eternal life separated from God, eternal punishment!

2. TWO TRUTHS MATTHEW 7:15-20

There are two truths out there, one that comes from God and the other from man. You see, not every prophet speaks for God. Many are speaking out of the imagination of their own heart.

A true prophet of God, someone who is speaking the truth, you can tell by their fruits. Listen to what they are saying, make sure it lines up with the Word of God. Their fruit is nothing more than the words they are speaking.

Now false prophets or false shepherds are also going to speak. And these people are deceptive, they come in dressed as sheep, as one of us, but they are nothing more than ravenous wolves that are coming to devour and destroy the sheep. By their doctrines they will destroy men's souls! Jesus is warning us to be aware of them and beware of them, for what they are proclaiming as truth is nothing more than a lie to tickle your ear and entice you to go down the broad way that leads to death. It is as Paul warns us in Galatians 1:8-9, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." He repeats it twice so we won't fall prey to the deceptions that have been blowing across this land and through the churches.

3. TWO LIVES MATTHEW 7:21-23

When we die there will only be one of 2 lives waiting for us, eternal life with God or eternal life separated from God. Now according to this passage there will be a lot of sincere people who have worked hard to get into heaven, but sincerity and work are meaningless outside of Christ. You see, these are religious people that gave the Lord empty lip service. That seems a bit harsh for these people that have labored so hard, but God does not want our sacrifice, He wants our hearts. He wants us to obey His Word. That is the point that the prophet Samuel made when king Saul disobeyed the Word of God. Samuel said to him "...'Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.'" I Samuel 15:22-23.

Also, Paul tells us in Romans 10:9-10 "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 be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." You see, if you want eternal life with Christ you must confess Him and believe in Him. It is a gift of God received by faith. And there is no other way to this kind of life except through Christ.

"It has been said that earth is as close as a person who rejects God will ever get to heaven, and as close as a person who knows God will ever get to hell."

Before I give you some concluding remarks this morning on truth, let me share with you several Scriptures that I feel are important regarding the Word of God. And obviously we can spend a life time on this subject and never get completely through it, but these are the ones that stand out and I would like to share this morning.

In John 1:1 we are told "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Thus, if you want to know more about Jesus, read His Word, from Genesis through to Revelation we see a love story of God towards man.

In James 1:18 we read "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures." God's Word shows us how we are to be saved, it points us to Jesus, the giver of life, the author and finisher of our faith!

In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said "...'It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" We are to live according to the Word of God, applying it to our life. The Word of God tells us what is right, what is wrong, how to get right, and then how to stay right. It truly is spiritual food for our lives!

In Hebrews 4:12 we are told "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." God's Word is like a surgical instrument upon our hearts. It cuts away the hardness and makes us more sensitive to the things of God.

Paul told Timothy in II Timothy 2:15 "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." In otherwords we are to learn how to handle the Word of God, to draw out the truth from these pages and not to be spoon fed all our life. You need to be able to defend your faith, what you believe in and why you believe it to those who ask you and you are not going to be able to do it unless you dig for the gold that is found in these Scriptures.

And lastly, in I Peter 4:11, Peter tells us "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." What flows from our lips should be the counsel of God and not the wisdom of man. We should speak the truths of God that come from the Word of God. You see, as you do these things, God will supply you with the ability to do them and in it all He will be glorified!

Many of you have heard of film director Martin Scorsese, mostly because of his film "The Last Temptation Of Christ." He said "What I've tried to create [in this movie, The Last Temptation Of Christ] is a Jesus who, in a sense, is just like any other guy on the street. In his struggle to reach God and find God, he reflects all our struggles. I thought it would give us all hope."

Obviously the Jesus he created is not based in truth, it is based in the imagination of his own heart, and yet many will believe these wild claims of who and what Jesus was all about, and please don't cloud the picture with truth.

Time magazine noted: "Scorsese presents the early Jesus as a weak and dithering collaborator who builds crosses used by the Romans to execute Jewish rebels. Later He becomes the wild-eyed guru to a band of ragged followers but remains apprehensive and fundamentallyconfused about his message and his mission. He persuades Judas, his best friend, to betray him to fulfill God's plan. During the reverie on the cross, Jesus is shown briefly having sex with his wife, Mary Magdalene. Later in the fantasy, after Magdalene dies, he weds Mary of the biblical duo Mary and Martha, then commits adultery with Martha...In one grotesque scene, Jesus reaches into his chest (although it looks more like his belly), yanks out his heart and holds it up for his apostles to admire. At times Jesus sounds like a mumbling method actor (his first sermon begins 'Umm, uh, I'm sorry'), at others like a recent graduate of the Shirley Maclaine School of Theology (Everything's a part of God')"

"Add to this Jesus' anguished comments, 'I am a liar. I am a hypocrite. I am afraid of everything...Lucifer is inside me...' and even the most casual observer would admit we have a source of real and legitimate controversy." This is not what the Scriptures say, it is not truth! We are told in Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." But again, not to many seem to care about truth!

"During the climatic dream sequence at the end of the film, Jesus is shown walking with His wives and children. He stops to listen to a man preaching at an open air gathering - none other than the apostle Paul. Paul is proclaiming the traditional New Testament message that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, that He was tortured and crucified for our sins, and that three days later He rose from the dead. Jesus asks Paul if he ever saw Jesus of Nazareth. Paul replies,'No. But I saw a light.' (Another inaccuracy - see I Corinthians 9:1.) Jesus then tells Paul that He is Jesus and asks why he is telling people lies about Him. Paul tells Jesus to look around Him and see how unhappy the people are. Their only hope is a resurrected Jesus. They need God. 'If I have to crucify you, I'll crucify you. If I have to resurrect you, I'll resurrect you. My Jesus is more important than you are. I'm glad I met you. Now I can forget about you.' The Paul of Temptation comes off as an amoral pragmatist who cared precious little about truth."

And yet Paul spoke the truth, for he tells us in I Thessalonians 2:13 "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe."

As angry as I was about this movie, it speaks volumes of what is going on in the minds of people today. They just don't care about truth! And yet there is no real hope if it is not based in truth. If you have not placed you life in the hands of Christ, then there is no hope no matter what you believe, nor how sincere you are in your beliefs. In I John 5:11-13 we read "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."

The reality folks is there really is only one way, one truth, and one life that we should desire and that is all found in Christ. As Jesus said in John 14:6 "...'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"

If you know the Lord, don't get swept away with the lies of the world, draw close to Him through His Word. If you don't know the Lord, if He is not your Savior, then you need to come to Him, for right now you are traveling down the broad path that leads to Hell! Ask Him into your life, to forgive you of your sins, and you will be adopted into the family of God, heading towards eternal life with Him. As Jesus said to those who believed in Him "...'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'"

ABSOLUTE TRUTH?