What is Truth?

Faith Fellowship Boca · Truth

** Truth must come first...

 

...Truth inspires Reason and Faith which produce sound Belief.

 

3 Convincing or Confusing Kinds of Truth 

 

Truth 1 – Truths based in Faith and not seemingly of Reason.

 

…revealed in God’s Word but not evident by observing creation

 

Truth 2 – Truths based in both Faith and Reason

 

…revealed in God’s Word and clearly evident by Reason (observation).

 

Romans 1:19-20 – “ They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.  ²⁰ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”  (NLT)

 

Truth 3 – Truths based in Reason but not of Faith

 

…not discussed in God’s Word but is clearly evident or real.

 

** Basically: 

 

a.  Truth is truth ...no matter its source or how we come to understand it.

  

b.  Truth does not contradict another truth…otherwise, one or both are false, not “truth.”

 

c.  There is no such thing as “my truth”....you may have preferences and opinions, but there is no subjectivetruth.

 

 

Point: The question is, will we accept the Truth when the evidence is clear and undeniable?

 

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer 

to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 

But do this with gentleness and respect.”

 - 1 Peter 3:15

 

“Faith” = a sound response to truth... 

or a confident acceptance of the evidence presented.

 

Josh McDowell – “Evidence is not for proving the Word of God, but rather for providing a basis for faith.”

 

“Reason” = an ability to acknowledge and embrace Truth when given the evidence.

 

Augustine - “Faith and reason work together to help people know God.”

 

 

The Impact of Truth as Received by Faith and Reason

 

Impact 1 – Truth frees us to please God.

 

** Faith and Reason inspire us to respond to Truth through anointed acceptance.

 

Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  ²Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.  ³ By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.  ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

 

 

Impact 2 – Truth leads to greater trust and less anxiety.

 

** Since “Trust” is rooted in “Truth”... Christians say, “Only a Fool would NOT trust God.”

 

Matthew 6:30-34 – Jesus said, “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith?  ³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’  ³² For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  ³³ But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  ³⁴  So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

 

Impact 3 – Truth leads to miraculous outcomes.

 

Matthew 21:21 - Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done.”

 

Application: Of course, the most miraculous outcome for Christians is the Resurrection.

 

 

Predestination

Faith Fellowship Boca · Predestination

“Predestination” = God’s predetermined sovereign will.

 

Westminster Confession of Faith to read (3.3) - “Some men and angels are 

predestinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death.”

 

 

** In General, Predestination IS:

 

1. Salvation language – used ONLY about the Saved.

 

Note:  The Bible calls this group of people, the “Elect”

 

2.  Relationship language – all about God’s blessing and boundaries.

 

Note:  The Greek word for, “Predestination” comes from the root, “to set limits”

 

3.  a Precondition of human faith. 

 

John 15:16 – Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.”

 

** Predestination IS NOT:

 

1.  a principle applied to the un-Elect.

 

2.  a constriction of human choice.

 

3.  Unfair.

 

** Because we are sinners, we all deserve DEATH = eternal separation from God.

 

·      Romans 3:23 – “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

·      Romans 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death...”

 

Point: Predestination is not UNFAIR because the Reprobate get exactly what they have earned = DEATH.

 

Jeff Robinson – “If God had given me what I demanded – justice – then I would be receiving the wrath my sins deserve this very moment. But he has given me – and millions of others along his unfolding timeline of history – something no human deserves: mercy.”

 

Life Lessons – “Predestination” and “Election”

 

Life Lesson 1 – Out of all of the people in history, God chose me.

 

Ephesians 1:4 – “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”

 

“Chose” = Gk: exelegato = “to call out” (literally) or “elect”/“choose”

 

Romans 11:17-20 -- “If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸ do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.

 

Life Lesson 2 – Out of all the people in history, God loves me. 

 

Ephesians 1:5 – “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”

 

Point:  We find meaning when we fulfill God’s plans for our lives… “in accordance with his pleasure and will.”  

 

Life Lesson 3 – Out of all the people in history, God works through me.  

 

** God chose us to be great!   ...but greatness come through godliness.

 

Ephesians 1:12 – “…so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.” 

 

Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand (i.e., predestined) to be our way of life.”

 

Philippians 2:12 – “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”

 

Life Lesson 4 – Out of all the people of history, my salvation is secure.

 

** Since salvation is for the elect and predestination is God’s love language for his own...we rest confidently that He who saved us will complete his work in us!

 

Romans 8:35, 37-39 - ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

 

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What Sets Apart the Bible? - 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Faith Fellowship Boca · What Sets Apart the Bible? - 2 Timothy 3:14-17

I.  The Uniqueness of the Bible as Literature

 

A.  The Bible is Unique in its Authorship.

 

**  The Bible was written by more than 35 authors.

 

B.  The Bible is Unique in its Chronology.

 

**  The writing of the Bible spanned 40 generations over more than 1500 years.

 

C.  The Bible is Unique in its Verifiability.

 

**  There are more than 10,000 manuscripts verifying the consistency of the Bible.

 

Note:  The next closest work is Homer’s, Iliad, with only 643 manuscripts.

 

D.  The Bible is Unique in its Purpose.

 

**  The Bible is the story of God’s redemptive work throughout human history.

 

Note: That’s why some things are left out.  For example: Dinosaurs.

 

 

II.  The Uniqueness of the Bible as Holy

 

Intent #1 - God uses the Bible as a guidebook to salvation.

 

2 Timothy 3:15 – “…from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

 

Intent #2 -  God endows the Bible with a distinctive nature.

 

2 Timothy 3:16 – “All scripture is inspired by God…”

 

** 4 Views of “Inspiration”

 

1.     Limited or Natural: The Liberal View 

 

** The “ideas” of the Bible are from God but not the words.  

 

2.     Transcendence: The Neo-Orthodox View 

 

** There is nothing inherently unique about the words of the Bible, but the are inspired by God “sometimes” to meet circumstantial needs.

 

3.     Dictation: The Fundamentalist View 

 

** God literally told the writers each word to write. Authors were transcribers who wrote each word as God dictated.

 

4.     Plenary (sometimes called, Verbal Inspiration): The Evangelical View 

 

 ** Every word (not just the ideas) is God’s Word, though written with the personality within the context of the writer. 

 

2 Peter 1:21 – “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

 

Norman Geisler and Ron Brooks, When Skeptics Ask – “The human writer is seen as one who has received a revelation and actively participates in its writing, while God gives the revelation and oversees the writing.”  

 

Intent #3 -  God designed the Bible to be transformative. 

 

2 Timothy 3:16 – “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful…”

 

Point:  The Bible is practical only WHEN  we embrace and employ it.

 

 

III.  The Uniqueness of the Bible for You 

 

When We Engage the Bible…

 

Application #1 –We learn directly from God.

 

2 Timothy 3:16 – “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching…”

 

Application #2 –  We learn to live righteously for God.

 

2 Timothy 3:16 – “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction…”

 

Application #3 -  We become better prepared for life’s challenges.

 

2 Timothy 3:16 – “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…”

 

Application #4 – We are adept at fulfilling God’s purposes.

 

2 Timothy 3:17 – “so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”

 

The Transfiguration Message

Faith Fellowship Boca · The Transfiguration Message - Luke 9:22-36

 Luke 9:22-36

Note: The disciples mistook their Ecstatic Experience as God’s Message.

 

The Implicit (Hidden) Message of the Transfiguration

 

vs. 30-31 – “Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.”

 

“Departure” = Exodus ...which taught the Israelites life Lessons on: 

 

·      Release from oppression

·      God will provide, sometimes miraculously

·      Following and Trusting God’s guidance.

·      Seeking God’s promised destiny

 

** For Jesus, this meant a journey - 

 

...in the wilderness – the darkness and confusion of  experiencing Sin for the first time.

 

...of trusting the Father’s guidance and will.

 

...that fulfilled God’s ultimate destiny of Eternal Life

 

The Explicit (Obvious) Message of the Transfiguration

 

Message 1 – Jesus will Suffer.

 

v. 22 - Jesus said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

 

Question: How do we know that the disciples missed this? 

 

Answer: Because there was no sorrow.

 

Message 2 – Daily “Cross Bearing” is not an Option.

 

v. 23 - “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.

 

** Daily Cross bearing means:

 

1.     Absolute submission to God’s Will (i.e.: Deny yourself)

2.     Absolute obedience to God’s Teachings

 

Pastor Tony Evans - “Our identity is to be rooted in the Imago Dei, in the image of God. But we’ve gotten so ingrained in the thinking of the culture, that we wind up being parakeets to what the society is saying, rather than taking a solid, loving but clear stance on what God is saying.”

 

Message 3 – Listen to Jesus.

 

vs. 34-35 – “While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

 

Note: There is a difference between hearing and listening.

 

Question: How do we know that the disciples weren’t listening? 

 

Answer: Because the Father had to interrupt Peter mid-sentence.

 

 

 

Point: 

 

The Disciples were getting caught up in the experience.

 

They started to react by building...but God said, 

“Slow down and LISTEN... 

 

don’t DO right now...just LISTEN.”