The Truth About The Truth

Jon Quinn
04/03/06 - Knoxville TV

This outline was developed almost entirely from notes found on www.ntchurch.com.  The base article the outline was derived from was taken from, “The Truth about How to Find the Truth,” written by Jon Quinn.

1                    INTRODUCTION

[1]               Who does not want the truth?

[a]               Everyone wants what they believe to be the truth, right?

[i]                 No one would purposely believe a lie, would they?

[ii]               The sad truth is people do it all the time

[b]               In fact, people strive to make what isn’t true appear to be true

[2]               Instead of the using the source of truth, the Holy Bible, people use various methods to try and prove truth, one of the most common methods used today is situation ethics

[a]               Using this human standard, it is possible to argue that

[i]                 Lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, fornication, and even murder is not wrong

[ii]               It is all according to the situation

[b]               Many times this involves creating an elaborate scenario where 

[i]                 someone must lie to protect another

[ii]               steal to feed someone who is hungry (Disney’s Aladdin promoted)

[c]               The idea is that the goal is worthy enough to make the sin of lying, stealing, cheating, etc. not a sin for that particular situation

[3]               Moral confusion is what results when we opt to live by a different standard than the one God has given to us in the Scripture

[a]               Using situation ethics each situation must be evaluated by each individual each time it arises and the decision must be made all over as to whether it is appropriate to lie, steal, cheat, etc.

[b]               One individual may see it differently than another

[c]               This moral confusion also existed in the early days of Israel and the Bible describes the chaos and lawlessness this way:

"In those days there was no king in Israel, everyone did what was right in his own eyes." – Judges 21:25

[d]               I believe we have entered a similarly chaotic period in our own nation, and for the same reason – we do not use the correct standard of truth

[e]               It is hard to understand the truth when one uses a false standard to search for it

2                    The Text – Mark 12:18-27

3                    Misconceptions Held as Truth

[1]               "And some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection), came to Him and began questioning Him saying '...In the resurrection, when they rise, which one's wife will she be?" (Mark 12:18, 23)

[2]               Sometimes misconceptions can keep us from seeing very simple truths

[a]               The magician tries to plant a misconception in your head that he is holding a certain card in his hand when it is really in his pocket.  If it works, you are very surprised when he pulls it out of his pocket.

[b]               If you drive down a familiar road where they have put in a new stop sign when there was none there before, it will take you a while to become accustomed to it being there. You may even run it a time or two, not because it was difficult to see but because you do not acknowledge the sign is there.

[3]               These Sadducees were missing an abundance of Scriptural evidence for the resurrection because of their misconceptions

4                    The False Standard of Truth

[1]               "There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died, leaving no offspring. And the second one took her... In the resurrection... which one's wife will she be?" (Mark 12:20,21a;23)

[2]               Apparently, the Sadducees thought if they could make up a good enough scenario they could prove their case

[a]               This is much like people today who attempt to justify sin

[b]               Instead of appealing to God's standard, the Scriptures, for what is right or wrong, people consider the popularity of a belief to prove it

[c]               Consider politicians and their standard of truth

[3]               Many times people try to allow situations to determine truth for them

[a]               They think, "Lying must not be always a sin because I can think of certain situations where I would lie; to save a life; to save someone from harm; to protect someone's feelings"

[b]               The Sadducees thought they had Jesus defeated with this carefully contrived question

[c]               Suppose they asked this question to someone else other than Jesus, and that someone else decided they were right based on their on their scenario, and then they told another and another till it was the most popular belief on the face of the earth

[i]                 The popularity does not prove or disprove the truth of the resurrection

[ii]               The proof used to start the popular belief was the wrong standard of proof

[iii]             It is still the wrong standard today!

5                    Critical Items in Finding Truth

[1]               "Jesus said to them, 'Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures, nor the power of God?" (Mark 12:24)

[2]               There are two things Jesus said the Sadducees lacked

·                     A proper knowledge or understanding of the Scriptures

·                     An appropriate grasp of the might of God's power
 

NOTE               Without these two things, arriving at the truth would indeed be difficult to impossible!

[3]               The Scriptures are understandable as a guide for us in determining right from wrong and truth from error

[a]               Purpose of the Scriptures:  II Timothy 3: 16, 17

[b]               Guide on right from wrong:  Ephesians 3:4; Ephesians 5:8-10; Ephesians 5:15-17; I John 2:3-6; I John 3:7, 8

[4]               Secondly, many today also lack the reverence and respect for the source of the Scriptures; that is, for God Himself.

[a]               They seem to doubt that God will bring every act to judgment or that there are eternal consequences for disobeying Him.

[i]                 Know this: God is not mocked.

[ii]               We will reap what we sow: Galatians 6:7, 8; 
II Corinthians 5:10

[b]               There are many misconceptions about God and the judgment abundant today, but know this also:

[i]                 Every Knee will bow before God and Christ (Philippians 2:9-11)

[ii]               We will each give an account before God and Christ (Romans 14:10-12)

6                    The Proper Standard

[1]               " But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? (Mark 12:26)

[2]               Jesus appealed to the proper standard for arriving at the truth on these and other matters

[a]               He appealed to the Scriptures

[b]               He quoted Exodus 3:6 and made the application

[i]                 Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who had walked the earth centuries before, were alive unto God

[ii]               Death was not the end of them. God was still their God; they had not ceased to exist; they had merely gone to a waiting place to await their resurrection.

[3]               But the point we want to emphasize (at this time) is not Jesus' answer to this specific question so much as how He arrived at it

[a]               He went to the Scriptures

[b]               A more reliable source of truth than stories such as the Sadducees (and many today) make up to support their agendas

[i]                 It is a mistake not to allow the Scriptures to be our final authority

[ii]               Saying as Jesus put it to the Sadducees; "You are greatly mistaken" (Mark 12:27b)

7                    Where to apply the Truth (now!) – Conclusion

[1]               Time would fail, cease to exist, if we tackled each and every issue in the world today various people have used misconceptions about truth to support

[2]               Sadly the Devil has focused  many of these misconceptions around how to obtain salvation

[3]               Before any other misconceptions are explored (as they should and must be) consider if you have any misconceptions about the simple plan of Salvation

[4]               In two weeks we will challenge you to consider if you are using the correct standard of truth concerning Baptism

NOTE               Start Slides/Screens beginning with the next shows topic screen

[5]               What standard are you using to build your faith on?

[a]               Is it popular belief?

[b]               Is it the beliefs of your preacher?

[c]               Is it what your parents believed?

[d]               Or are you like those in Berea recorded for us in Acts 17:10-12?

[e]               Do you hear the popular belief, the belief of the preacher, even what your parents believe and compare it to the scriptures to see if it is so?