THE GOSPEL TRUTH Part 1 Colossians 1:5b-8 Once, when a stubborn disputer was trying to convince Abe Lincoln that his view of events was the Truth because he was unconvinced that Abraham Lincoln was right about something, Lincoln said, "Well, let s see, how many legs has a cow?" "Four, of course," came the reply disgustedly. "That s right," agreed Lincoln. "Now suppose you call the cow s tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?" "Why, five, of course," was the confident reply. "Now, that s where you re wrong," said Lincoln. "Calling a cow s tail a leg doesn t make it a leg." That s just a silly little story but it s a great illustration for the mindset of many people today, they re convinced that just because they call something truth that must be what it is when in reality, calling it something else doesn t make it true and doesn t change the lie that it is. ILLUS: I read about a man who heard his friend say: There are 2 sides to every question And the man replied Yes, there are two sides to every question just like there are two sides to a sheet of flypaper, but it makes a difference to the fly which side he chooses. BELIEVING IN TRUTH, ABSOLUTE TRUTH, IS A MAJOR MARKER TO BEING A BELIEVER, and is terribly unpopular and quite politically incorrect in today s antichristian society. Colossians 1:3-8
THE GOSPEL TRUTH Page 2 of 7 3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; 7 as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. I. THE REASON OF THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL v. 5b the truth of the gospel v. 6d grace of God in truth John 18:37 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Today, the shift is from EXCLUSIVE to INCLUSIVE, from ABSOLUTES to ACCEPTANCE. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 Their Conversion 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.
THE GOSPEL TRUTH Page 3 of 7 1 Timothy 3:15 15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. STAY IN CHURCH BEDSIDE BAPTIST PASTOR PILLOW SISTER SHEETS And the HOLY COMFORTER John 8:31-32 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 1 Thessalonians 2:13 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. John 17:17 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WILL NOT GIVE YOU THIS TRUTH. C. S. LEWIS, in his sermon, THE WEIGHT OF GLORY, speaks of how the culture seeks to substitute what God has placed in us. One of the main purposes of education is to cause
THE GOSPEL TRUTH Page 4 of 7 us to find our quest for glory and hope in this world. To eradicate that deep and profound longing within us. Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, or Add 1996 The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America, 1999 The Feel-Good Curriculum: The Dumbing Down Of America's Kids In The Name Of Self-esteem 2001 A professor at a college in Ohio puts it this way: We want to prepare students on how to think, not tell them what to think. Truth is something you discover in your own mind. There are no facts, no absolutes, no rights or wrongs, it is up to them to come up with their own truth. II. THE RESPONSE TO THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL v.5b, 6d v. 5 b you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, v. 6d the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; John MacArthur, illustrates this in his book, Reckless Faith, when he says that one of the reasons for a low level of discernment in the church today is the reluctance to take a definitive stand on any issue. Those with any convictions at all are supposed to hold those beliefs with as much slack as possible. Dogmatism is not permitted. To pronounce anything true and call its antithesis error is to challenge society s only remaining dogma. Refuse to equivocate on any point of principle or doctrine, and you will be labeled too narrow. Zeal for the truth has become politically incorrect. (p. 46)
THE GOSPEL TRUTH Page 5 of 7 III. THE REJECTION OF TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL Mark 7:13 13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." Romans 1:20-25 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed foreve. John 8:44 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. DAN BROWN - THE DI VINCI CODE
THE GOSPEL TRUTH Page 6 of 7 In Dan Brown s Da Vinci Code it wasn t Constantine that called a council together in 325 to determine which book would be in the Bible. The Council of Nicea was called because Bishop Athanasius, a wonderful Bishop, in which he was defending the true faith that Jesus was the same substance as the Father, versus Arius, who was claiming He was of a different substance. Arianism is doing well in liberal Christianity today. Arianism means that Jesus is not really God. He is just a good man, a good prophet, and a good moral teacher. The Council of A.D. 325 was to affirm the doctrine of the Deity of Christ. Dan Brown said the vote was close. In fact, the vote wasn t even close, unless you call 300 to 2 a very close vote. Only two bishops supported the Arian position. CREATION vs. EVOLUTION 2 Timothy 3:2-7 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
THE GOSPEL TRUTH Page 7 of 7 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. I. THE REASON OF THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL II. III. THE RESPONSE TO THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL v.5b, 6d THE REJECTION OF TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL THE GOSPEL TRUTH FILE: SERMONS/COLOSSIANS/THE GOSPEL TRUTH/05.19.13