This message was NOT like normal. It was more of a class session than a sermon, wasn’t it? I know it was long, and I thought it might be like “drinking from a firehose.” Was I right about that? What did you think?
What, if anything, did you walk away with from Sunday? Did it cause you to think? Did it put you to sleep?
We’re doing this series in light of the current storm, and our nation’s cultural collapse. One of the signs of this collapse is the deconstruction of everything. Nothing seems to be true any more. Nothing means what it used to mean any more. This is not just a symptom. This is a deep deep problem for us that we need to talk about.
How would you define “truth”? What are some beliefs our culture has about the concept of truth?
How does our culture feel about someone who claims to know truth?
Our culture teaches that truth is relative. What is good and right for one person may not necessarily be good and right for someone else; therefore, everyone is free to choose their own “truth.”
Absolute truth seems restrictive. Absolute truth seems judgmental. But if truth is relative, an individual has the freedom to behave as he pleases. That’s great until someone else’s “truth” harms or hurts him. Then he suddenly believes in right and wrong, truth and falsehood. When the point is pressed, most people will acknowledge there is a basic moral standard all humanity should follow. For instance, most civilizations agree one should not take another’s property or kill another human. So what is the foundation for this truth? And if truth exists, how can we know it?
For the Lord is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos.
Isaiah 45:18-23 NLT
“I am the Lord,” he says, “and there is no other. I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right.
“Gather together and come, you fugitives from surrounding nations. What fools they are who carry around their wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save! Consult together, argue your case. Get together and decide what to say. Who made these things known so long ago? What idol ever told you they would happen? Was it not I, the Lord? For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but me. Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to me.”
What facts do we learn about the LORD in this passage? Why does God have the power and authority to “speak the truth” and “declare what is right”?
According to verse 22, the bold part above, why does God reveal His truth to mankind?
But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 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.
Romans 1:18-20 NLT
Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.
-Jesus, John 17:17 NLT
For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:17 NLT
Based on these verses, in what ways does the God of truth reveal His truth?
The LORD God created everything that exists. There is no other god. He has no rival or equal. He is the one true God, the only Maker. Because of who He is and what He has done, He alone has the power and authority to determine what is right, what is wrong, and what is true.
The Greek noun translated as “truth” in Romans 1, John 1, and John 17 refers to “objective reality, the veritable essence of a matter.” The Bible clearly teaches that God not only established reality, but that He also revealed this truth to mankind through creation, the Bible, and ultimately through the person of Jesus Christ. God chose to reveal His truth to us in order that we might know Him, experience His salvation through Jesus Christ, and worship Him for all eternity.
I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 NLT
Do people today chase after myths? In what way?
When people listen to and accept myths, how are they treating the truth? Does an individual’s rejection of the truth change the truth?
According to Paul’s advice to Timothy, how do we as God’s people preserve and promote God’s truth?
Every world religion claims exclusivity on one or more points of belief. While all religions contain some elements of God’s truth, each religion refuses to compromise on “truths” that stand in direct opposition to “truths” of other religions. In this respect, all religions are “closed-minded.” But all these opposing “truths” cannot be correct. If one thing is true, the opposite must therefore be false. While Christianity holds firmly to truth as revealed by God the Creator, Christianity is not “exclusive.” God wants all people “to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:4-5).
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
Hebrews 11:1-3 NLT
How did the author of Hebrews define faith? What words in the passage above help us understand that faith is not “blind”?
The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.
John 20:30-31 NLT
According to John, an eyewitness to Jesus, how did Jesus prove Himself and His message of salvation?
Christians are not blindly and naively following what some believe to be a “cleverly devised story” (2 Peter 1:16). True Christian faith is following the One who claimed to be truth (John 14:6) and also proved His claim. In Hebrews 11:1, the author defines “faith” as a solid confidence, a firm conviction of the truth. Saving faith is like sitting in a chair after looking at the quality of construction and being convinced it will hold your weight. Presented with the evidence of salvation in Jesus, we accept it as truth, and place our trust in Him.
But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
1 John 2:20-23 NLT
On what basis did the apostle John identify a “liar”?
Based on this passage, is it possible for anyone to “have” God the Father without Jesus the Son?
This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.
1 Timothy 2:3-6 NLT
Why is Jesus the only way of salvation? Does this passage identify this as relative, or as absolute truth?
Many in our world today sincerely believe “salvation through Jesus alone” to be false and narrow-minded. In fact, a LifeWay Research study on “Doctrinal Positions” shows that even 26% of churchgoers agree with this statement: “If a person is sincerely seeking God, he/she can obtain eternal life through religions other than Christianity.”
Yet according to God’s Word, the Son cannot be separated from the Father. A saving relationship with God is not possible without faith in the Son. Anyone who denies the Son also denies the Father. While people who deny this truth—the one that God Himself established—may be sincere, this kind of sincerity is sincerely wrong. Sincerity does not equal salvation. However, sincerity about matters of faith is a good starting point to being open to accepting the truth of God found only in Jesus.
Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives.
What are some things we can do personally to ensure we are not accepting “myths” from the world or compromising on God’s truth?
What is our personal obligation regarding the truth God has established and revealed?
How should we respond to non-Christians who don’t believe in absolute truth? How should we respond to another Christian who believes some truths are relative?
Pray that we as a group will continue to build our house on the Firm Foundation, and that we will install every brick of the superstructure in absolute truth. Ask God to examine your heart and mind and reveal to you if you have compromised on His truth in any area. Ask Him to give you discernment to recognize lies from the world and wisdom to embrace His truth. Pray that He would fill you with grace to lovingly interact with those in your life who reject God’s truth. Pray that your life would be a beautiful, compelling testimony to the world of the truth of Christ.
