Scripture Matters Podcast — S2E5 — Truth Matters

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The courtroom is silent.
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A man is standing beside his attorney, waiting to hear the decision that will determine the rest of his life.
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Twelve jurors files back into the courtroom.
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No one looks at him.
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The foreman holds a piece of paper containing only a few words, but those words, they carry the weight of decades.
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The judge then asks the defendant to rise.
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Then he turns towards the jury and asks the question that everyone has been waiting to hear.
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Have you reached a verdict?
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The foreman answers, Yes, Your Honor.
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The paper is unfolded.
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The word is spoken.
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Guilty.
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In that moment, the defendant closes his eyes and droops his head.
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You can hear the family in the background beginning to cry.
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Then the judge announces the sentence.
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The officers place him in handcuffs, and the man is led from the courtroom.
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The jurors go home, believing they have done their duty.
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The attorneys, they close their files.
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The newspaper, they print the verdict, and the community moves on, convinced that justice has been served.
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Then 20 years pass by when almost by accident someone opens an old box of evidence that has been sitting untouched for many years in storage.
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Inside is something that could not be tested when the case was first tried, but now it can.
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The courtroom had the authority to take away that man's freedom, but it never had the power to change what actually happened.
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Twelve sincere people could believe the same thing and still be mistaken.
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A respected judge could pronounce a sentence and still the wrong conclusion.
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Thousands of people could accept the verdict, repeat it, and defend it, but none of that could make an innocent man guilty.
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Because reality does not change when enough people vote against it.
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It does not change because an idea is popular.
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It does not change because a belief is old.
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And it does not change because we feel completely certain that we are right.
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Folks, that's unsettling because confidence can feel so much like certainty.
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We can inherit a belief, hear it repeated our entire lives, and surround ourselves with people who agree with us.
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And never stop to ask the one question that matters most.
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Is it actually right?
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That question becomes even more serious when we move from a courtroom into matters of faith.
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Because a mistaken verdict may cost someone years of freedom, but a mistaken belief about God can carry consequences into eternity.
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So how do we know?
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Do we trust the the loudest voice, the largest crowd, the oldest tradition, the answer that that makes us feel the most comfortable?
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Or do we need a standard outside of ourselves, one that does not change with culture, emotion, popularity, or personal preference?
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Jesus said that the word that he has spoken will judge us on the last day.
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That means that every one of us will stand before a judge one day who cannot be mistaken, whose standard cannot be rewritten, and whose verdict will never be overturned.
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On that day, it will not matter how many people agreed with us.
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But it will matter whether we believed and how we lived, if it agrees with what God has already said.
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That is why Scripture Matters.
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And today our conversation is called Truth Matters.
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Right here on the Scripture Matters Podcast.
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You've tuned in to the Scripture Matters Podcast, produced and published in cooperation with the Waters Road Church of Christ.
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Looking for a church home in the Houston area that lovingly stands upon God's Word?
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Waters Road is the place where you belong.
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If you need more information about the Waters Road Church of Christ, check out their website at www.wrcomc.org.
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We'd like to thank each of you who helped make this podcast possible, especially the prayerful support of our wives and families.
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And now, good folks, let's get back to another episode of the Scripture Matters Podcast.
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Well, good afternoon, good folks, and welcome back to another episode of the Scripture Matters Podcast.
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For those who are joining our conversation today for the very first time, my name is Jonathan Sanford, and I am blessed to serve as the pulpit minister for the Waters Road Church of Christ of Pasadena, Texas.
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And I'm Cliff Thompson.
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I serve as one of the elders at Waters Road, and I also teach in our adult Bible class program.
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And we really want you to know, folks, that whether you are watching us on YouTube or possibly Facebook or even listening through one of the many podcast platforms, we really, really do appreciate you spending this time with us this afternoon.
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Absolutely.
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And before we go any further, I want to take just a moment to recognize my son Billy Sanford, who joins us each and every week, working in the background as our studio director.
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This past week, I was talking with some of our viewers and they were asking, How do y'all make this thing work?
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Well, listen, during the initial recording in our remote locations, that's right, we're not in the same room, we're at different locations.
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There is a great deal of work that is involved in making these conversations possible each week.
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And so we're just very grateful for everything that it is done to make these recordings possible.
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Yeah, he he definitely does some magic back there.
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You know, and Jonathan, while we're sharing some great news here, I think we really need to tell everybody what happened with last week's episode because it was an all-time first here for Scripture Matters podcast.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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Good folks, we were just blown away that last week over 13,000 of you wonderful people joined our conversation on Unity Matters, whether it was YouTube, Facebook, or all the various platforms, that is the largest audience of any single episode of Scripture Matters so far.
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And folks, that is tremendously encouraged to both Jonathan, I, and Billy.
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Not because we're, you know, chasing numbers or trying to make something of ourselves, but because every one of those views represents an opportunity for someone to hear the truth word of God.
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That's exactly right.
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We just want to give God all the glory first and foremost for allowing us to have these conversations that will reach far beyond any ability of what we could accomplish on our own.
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And to everyone, again, who watched or listened or commented or shared the episode, or maybe you just shared it with one of your friends or family from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
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You helped place a biblical conversation about unity, one of the most important conversations we can have in the New Testament church.
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You place that in front of thousands of people.
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And folks, we hope you will continue doing that.
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When you like, share, follow, or subscribe.
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You know, those little things they they may spill uh sound fog, but oh man, they help more people discover the Scripture Matters podcast.
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They really do.
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And we also want you to know that we welcome your comments, your questions, and your suggestions for future episodes and conversations.
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Don't forget you can reach us each and every day through the contact information you see right here on the bottom of your screen.
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Well, Jonathan, last week we talked about what unity really looked like within the body of Christ.
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We learned that unity is much deeper than occupying the same building, sitting in the same auditorium, or avoiding an open argument.
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No, that's right.
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Biblical unity requires humility, patience, love, and a willingness to preserve the bond of peace.
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But you know what was interesting is that near the end of that conversation, we also emphasize something that just cannot be overlooked.
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That unity cannot survive when truth is treated as optional.
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Because there is a difference between being united and merely agreeing not to discuss anything that might make us uncomfortable.
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No, you're exactly right.
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Christians, we are never called to preserve peace by pretending that nothing is true, nothing is false, and that nothing really matters.
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No, our unity, good folks, must have a foundation beneath it.
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And that foundation must be stronger than our feelings, our preferences, or our desire to just keep everybody satisfied.
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Which brings us to today's conversation, folks.
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And Jonathan, truth has become a complicated word in our culture.
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Oh, you're speaking the truth right there.
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Everyone claims, Cliff, to value truth.
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And listen, we want our doctors to tell us the truth about our health.
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We want our financial advisors to tell us the truth about what's happening with our money.
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And just like we talked about in our cold open here today, we want witnesses in a courtroom to tell the truth about what they saw.
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We expect the truth from our spouses, our children, our friends, our employers, and the people doing business with us.
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Nobody enjoys discovering that someone has deliberately deceived them.
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But then here's the thing the conversation moves into morality, religion, or the way we choose to live.
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And suddenly, Cliff, people begin speaking about truth far differently.
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That's when we start hearing expressions such as uh, that may be true for you, but it's not true for me.
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And that statement, Cliff, it exposes a tremendous contradiction.
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We insist that truth remain when someone else's dishonesty might hurt us.
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But we often want truth to become flexible when it begins to correct us.
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Yeah, we want other people to be bound by it.
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But hey, we want the freedom to adjust it, and that is where this conversation becomes personal.
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Why?
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Because greatest threat to truth is not always someone openly denying it.
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No, sometimes the greater danger is someone claiming to believe the truth while quietly reserving the right to alter whatever portion of it becomes inconvenient.
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So before we begin, what is true about salvation worship and the church morality or the Christian life, we have to settle something much more fundamental, don't we, Jonathan?
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Yeah, we've got to ask this question: where does truth come from?
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Is truth something that is created within us, negotiated among us, or revealed to us by the God who made us?
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Because the answer to that question will determine how we approach every other question that follows.
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And that brings us to our first section of today's conversation.
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Jonathan, let's go ahead and tackle the question we raised just a few moments ago.
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Is truth something humans being created, or is it something God reveals?
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Jesus answers that very, very plainly in his prayer to God the Father in John chapter 17 and verse number 17.
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Jesus in this prayer says, Sanctify them in the truth.
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Your word is truth.
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Notice Jesus does not say that God's word merely contains some helpful truths.
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He does not say it becomes true when enough people accept it.
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No, he says, Your word is truth.
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Which means truth begins with God, not with us.
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Exactly.
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God is not waiting up there in heaven for every particular generation that comes along to decide what will be true.
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He does not consult public opinion or cultural trends, or hey, even your personal preferences.
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Here's the thing: because God is true and cannot lie, whatever he reveals carries the truthfulness of his own character.
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And Jonathan, that changes our positions in this conversation.
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You know, we do not stand over scripture as judges deciding which portion deserves our approval.
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We stand under scripture as students, allowing God to tell us what is right.
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That distinction you've just given us there, Cliff, is just crucial.
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Our culture often encourages people to speak about my truth and your truth.
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And sometimes all someone means with that statement is hey, this is what I experience.
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And personal experiences, they do certainly matter, but an experience, Cliff, is not the same.
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Uh, it's not the same thing as the infallible standard of God.
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No, two people can walk away from the exact same conversation, and both remembering it totally different, John.
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Yeah, you you and I both know that to be true.
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And both can be completely sincere.
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Uh I hope people understand that.
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But sincerity does not guarantee accuracy.
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Our feelings are very real, but they're not always reliable.
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Our memories can be incomplete, our judgments can be clouded.
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I think about Proverbs chapter 14 and verse 12 here, Cliff.
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It warns us.
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It says, There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
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That verse ought to humble every one of us, Jonathan, because I personally have felt completely certain about things.
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And later I discovered that was just as completely wrong.
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Yeah, I would have to tell you that that's the same case with me.
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And I think that's why God has given us something outside of ourselves by which our beliefs must be tested.
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In Acts chapter 17, God's word reveals that the Bereans listened to the apostle Paul, but they still examined the scriptures daily to determine whether what the apostle Paul was teaching was true.
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And Paul did not condemn them for checking his message.
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Luke called them noble for doing it.
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That's right.
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The question here was not, hey, do we like the apostle Paul?
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Or does this fit with what we've always believed?
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No, their question was does this that we've heard today agree with what God has revealed?
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That same attitude is needed today from every single Christian and especially from preachers, elders, and Bible teachers.
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No one's title, education, personality, or popularity places his words beyond examination.
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It is the responsibility of every member of the Lord's church to lovingly but passionately verify that what is being proclaimed within our churches is indeed the truth.
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Good folks, what I'm about to share with you is very, very personal to me.
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I've spent the last 30 years of my life as a preacher within the Lord's church.
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And I truly hope that those of you having this conversation with me today will put what I'm about to tell you to memory.
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The Bible is not true just because we as preachers choose to defend it.
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No, we defend it as preachers because we know it is 100% true.
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Every lesson that we teach, every doctrine that we accept, every spiritual claim that we hear must be brought beneath the authority of God's divine word.
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Why?
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Because it is truth.
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Jonathan, the reality is many people within our churches and the denominational world are holding on for dear lives to beliefs they inherited from people they love and adore.
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It could be their parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, family members, pastors, preachers, and teachers.
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In their mind, they believe there's no way this person would ever lead me astray.
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Yet let me say this.
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Folks, your soul is far too valuable just to take someone else's words as truth.
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Respect for the people who taught us should never become a reason to stop examining what we were taught.
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Faithfulness to God may one day require us to eventually.
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Admit, hey, I have believed this for years, but now I need to look at it again in the light of scripture.
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Now, someone might hear all of this, and that picture of truth is nothing more than just a cold collection of rules.
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Yeah, they may think that, but listen, biblical truth is not cold because truth leads us to Christ.
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Jesus once said in John chapter 14 and verse number six, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
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God's truth is not designed to rob any one of us of life.
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No, it reveals the only way that life can truly be found.
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So before we ask whether a teacher is popular, traditional, or comfortable, we first must ask whether God has spoken it.
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And when he has, good folks, our responsibility is not to rewrite his truth.
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Our responsibility is to receive it, believe it, and allow it to reshape us.
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And Jonathan, that last part may be the most difficult.
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It is one thing to say we believe the truth when it confirms what we already think.
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And folks, it is something entirely different to submit when the truth openly confronts what we want.
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Jonathan, I really think this is where our conversation here today stops being merely academic.
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It is one thing to agree that truth comes from God, but it is a whole other thing to accept that truth when it challenges something we do not want to surrender.
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Yeah, Cliff, listen, the real question here today is not simply, does truth exist?
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No.
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The question is, do I love truth enough to obey it when it costs me something?
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And scripture actually speaks about loving the truth, doesn't it, Jonathan?
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Yes, it does, Cliff.
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It certainly does.
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And I I really want to thank you for bringing it up in today's conversation because listen, sadly, we we seldom mention this aspect of our relationship with God's truth.
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Second Thessalonians chapter two and verse 10 describes people who perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
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Paul does not merely say, hey, they failed to hear the truth.
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He does not say they lacked access to the truth.
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No, he says they refused to love it.
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That is a stunning truth for a lot of people out there, Jonathan, because it tells us that the struggle is sometimes deeper than understanding.
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You know, a person may understand exactly what God has said and still resist it because accepting it would require a change.
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It's a heartbreaking reality, Jonathan.
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Absolutely heartbreaking, yes, sir.
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And I think one of the saddest examples of this found uh in in the Bible is there in the gospel.
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Think about with me, good folks, the rich young ruler who came to Jesus in Mark chapter 10.
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He fell upon his knees and asked the Savior the right question in verse 17.
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He asked our Lord Jesus, What must I do to inherit eternal life?
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You know, Jonathan, this question reveals a whole lot about this young man.
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But I think it also is important for us to see how Jesus responded to him.
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You know, in verse 21, Jesus looked at him and loved him.
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Continuing, Jesus said, Go sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven.
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Then come follow me.
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So it's clear to me, Jonathan, that what Jesus told him was not spoken harshly or even cruelly.
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No, not at all, Cliff.
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And I think that's a great example of speaking the truth in love.
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Verse 22, though, tells us at this the man's face fell, he went away sad.
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Why?
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Because he had great wealth.
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Jesus here loved this man enough to identify the one thing standing between this young man and complete surrender.
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But when the truth touched his possessions, his security, and that part of his life that he was unwilling to release, he walked away sorrowful.
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Yeah, Jonathan, you might say the rich young ruler wanted an answer, just not that answer.
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Yeah.
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Well, and if we're honest today, that temptation still very much exist.
00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:56.720
You know, we can open the Bible asking what God says while just, you know, kind of quietly hoping that God's going to agree with what we have already decided.
00:27:56.960 --> 00:28:01.839
Yeah, we may want God to confirm our choices rather than correct them.
00:28:02.079 --> 00:28:02.799
Exactly.
00:28:03.039 --> 00:28:19.279
We can even begin searching all throughout the Bible for that one verse that we believe supports what we want while ignoring all the other hundreds of verses and passages that confront us.
00:28:19.519 --> 00:28:26.960
And at that point, listen, the truth is we are no longer allowing scripture to examine us.
00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:32.240
No, we are trying to recruit scripture to defend us.
00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:36.559
And that is a dangerous way to approach the word of God, Jonathan.
00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:44.319
It is because truth does not change simply because obedience becomes painful.
00:28:44.640 --> 00:28:49.920
It makes me think about what Jesus said in John chapter 3 and verse 19, Cliff.
00:28:50.079 --> 00:29:00.640
He says, the light has come into the world, and people love the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:03.680
Again, what was the issue?
00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:04.640
Love.
00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:08.559
They did not reject the light because it was unclear.
00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:13.759
They rejected it because the light exposed something they wanted to keep hidden.
00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:17.519
And the truth still does that today.
00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:41.200
It may expose, for instance, an attitude that you've justified in your life, a relationship that you have very badly mishandled, or let's talk about maybe a habit that you refuse to abandon, a religious belief that you've never honestly examined in God's word.
00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:45.759
And when that happens, we have a decision to make, Jonathan.
00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:46.400
Yes, sir.
00:29:46.640 --> 00:29:50.880
Will we change ourselves or try to change the truth?
00:29:51.119 --> 00:29:55.279
Yeah, that's really a crossroads moment for many people.
00:29:55.680 --> 00:30:03.680
And in that moment, listen, we can humble ourselves and obey, or we can become defensive.
00:30:04.640 --> 00:30:13.359
We can question our conduct, or we can even attack the person who brought the truth to our attention.
00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:16.880
You know, Paul experienced that with the Galatians.
00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:23.920
He asked them in Galatians chapter 4 and verse 16, have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?
00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:26.640
Man, that is a sobering question, brother.
00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:27.359
It is.
00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:44.160
Think about it this way someone may love us enough to tell us what we need to hear, yet, because that truth is painful, we will begin to treat that person as though they personally have harmed us in some way.
00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:52.799
Yeah, but Jonathan, when a doctor gives us a serious diagnosis, we do not want him to hide it just to protect our feelings.
00:30:53.039 --> 00:31:04.400
No, because here's the thing silence, it may make us feel comfortable for that moment while allowing the disease to just keep on running, right?
00:31:05.119 --> 00:31:15.599
A faithful doctor is going to tell us what is wrong because an accurate diagnosis makes the treatment possible.
00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:19.759
And God's truth, Jonathan, does something very similar for our souls.
00:31:20.880 --> 00:31:21.759
It really does.
00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:28.559
You know, God does not expose our sin, Cliff, for the purpose of just trying to humiliate us.
00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:37.519
No, he exposes it so that we can repent, be forgiven, and be made whole once again.
00:31:37.839 --> 00:31:40.640
And the truth in that moment may wound our pride.
00:31:40.880 --> 00:31:41.839
It may sting.
00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:43.279
I have been there, done that.
00:31:43.599 --> 00:31:45.039
Got the t-shirt, right?
00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:51.440
But it does it so that it may help us save our souls.
00:31:51.759 --> 00:31:59.359
So loving the truth means wanting God to correct us now while there is still time to respond.
00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:02.640
Yeah, before it's eternally too late, right?
00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:14.640
I would rather, to be honest with you, Cliff, I would rather be made uncomfortable by the truth today than be comforted by error all the way into eternity.
00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:17.119
That's a powerful statement there, Jonathan.
00:32:17.359 --> 00:32:20.400
But there's another side we need to consider here.
00:32:20.799 --> 00:32:26.240
Loving the truth does not give us permission to use it carelessly against other people.
00:32:26.480 --> 00:32:40.160
No, you're you're very right about that, because it's possible to speak something factually true and still communicate it with a spirit that looks nothing like the heart of Jesus.
00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:52.319
Jonathan, that distinction is important, I believe, because some people seem to believe that if they are telling the truth, the way they speak it, that no longer matters.
00:32:52.559 --> 00:33:03.039
But here's the reality scripture will not allow us to separate the message from the spirit in which it is delivered.
00:33:03.519 --> 00:33:07.680
Think about Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 15.
00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:14.640
It tells us as Christians very clearly that we must speak the truth in love.
00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:22.640
Again, truth determines what we say, but love must shape the way in which we say it.
00:33:23.359 --> 00:33:31.200
So speaking in love does not mean avoiding difficult subjects or watering down what God has revealed.
00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:37.119
No, I love the way you just put that because love is not the removal of truth.
00:33:37.680 --> 00:33:46.240
In fact, I would have to say that refusing to tell someone the truth when their soul is in danger, man, that's not loving at all.
00:33:47.359 --> 00:33:55.359
But neither is embarrassing someone, attacking them, or speaking.
00:33:55.440 --> 00:33:58.240
Here's the thing, I this is something that stands out to me, Cliff.
00:33:58.400 --> 00:34:08.559
Speaking it as if we are delighted that we take joy in proving someone wrong or making them uh uh look to be sinful.
00:34:08.800 --> 00:34:17.199
You know, our purpose, Jonathan, should be to help someone come closer to God, not simply to win an argument with each other.
00:34:18.800 --> 00:34:38.320
Second Timothy uh chapter two tells us that the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but should be kind, patiently, enduring evil and correcting his opponents with gentleness.
00:34:38.800 --> 00:34:52.480
See, Paul does not tell young Timothy to abandon correction, no, he tells him to correct people with a character that reflects the very Lord in which he represents.
00:34:52.960 --> 00:35:02.880
Because, really and truthfully, people should be able to hear our concern for their souls, even when they disagree with what we're saying to them.
00:35:03.199 --> 00:35:04.960
Yeah, that they they should.
00:35:05.199 --> 00:35:11.760
And we we cannot control whether someone accepts the truth.
00:35:12.480 --> 00:35:27.440
But we can make certain that let's say our pride, our anger, or a poor attitude does not become an unnecessary obstacle standing in the way of them accepting that truth.
00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:31.440
But there's another danger on the opposite side here, Jonathan.
00:35:31.519 --> 00:35:43.679
Yeah in an effort to appear loving, welcoming, and attractive, Christians can become afraid to say anything that might make someone uncomfortable.
00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:54.800
And and that fear, let's just be honest with everybody here today, that fear has affected far too many congregations of the Lord's church.
00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:55.679
Yes.
00:35:56.239 --> 00:36:02.159
They and I I understand they sincerely desire deeply to see growth.
00:36:02.320 --> 00:36:09.760
They want to reach the loss, they want to fill up their church building and connect with their community, right?
00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:15.599
And there's nothing wrong with wanting more souls to hear the gospel.
00:36:16.239 --> 00:36:18.480
That desire is good, though, folks.
00:36:18.800 --> 00:36:26.800
The problem comes when a church begins to believe that God's truth is the obstacle preventing that growth.
00:36:27.280 --> 00:36:32.000
And that is exactly where the danger begins.
00:36:32.559 --> 00:36:53.119
You know, a congregation out there, they may decide to sell off a little truth in, let's just say, one area of their existence, one area of doctrine, believing that casting off that weight will make their church more appealing to their community.
00:36:53.360 --> 00:36:56.480
Perhaps let's just say difficult doctrines.
00:36:56.559 --> 00:37:08.559
They'll avoid difficult doctrines or biblical preaching is softened and worship is reshaped to fit what people prefer.
00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:19.679
The demands of discipleship, I have seen that, are even lowered so that no one that comes among them would ever feel challenged.
00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:23.679
And it usually does not happen all at one time, Jonathan.
00:37:23.920 --> 00:37:29.440
No, um, you've you've heard that that analogy of the frog and the boiling water, right?
00:37:29.679 --> 00:37:31.360
It doesn't start out boiling, right?
00:37:31.599 --> 00:37:31.920
Right.
00:37:32.239 --> 00:37:38.239
See, truth is usually surrendered one small piece at a time.
00:37:38.880 --> 00:37:42.960
Each compromise is explained to the church family.
00:37:43.119 --> 00:37:50.719
Hey, this is harmless, this is practical, expedient, or necessary for our growth.
00:37:50.880 --> 00:38:02.400
But eventually, Cliff, the congregation may become more acceptable to the culture while becoming less distinguishable from it.
00:38:02.719 --> 00:38:12.400
And the tragic part, Jonathan, is that compromise cannot produce the spiritual harvest that we desire and that we're hoping to see.
00:38:12.639 --> 00:38:14.159
That amazes me, Cliff.
00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:17.360
I I can't tell you how many times I I've witnessed this.
00:38:17.599 --> 00:38:27.119
Churches begin surrendering the truth because they believe that truth is keeping people from coming through their doors.
00:38:28.159 --> 00:38:38.559
Um, and and many of them for for years do not experience the lasting growth that they expected from that move.
00:38:39.199 --> 00:38:47.360
And I think they forget something that the apostle Paul made unmistakably clear in First Corinthians chapter three.
00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:48.719
What did he say there?
00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:56.639
He said, I planted, Apollos watered, but it was God who gave the growth.
00:38:56.880 --> 00:39:03.599
You know, the church plants, the church waters, but God provides the increases.
00:39:03.840 --> 00:39:04.719
Amen to that.
00:39:04.960 --> 00:39:13.760
And Jesus said it in in Luke chapter 8 and verse number 11, he said, the seed is the word of God.
00:39:14.480 --> 00:39:19.199
Our responsibility, we're not to try to redesign the seed.
00:39:19.280 --> 00:39:22.000
I know that happens today in agriculture, right?
00:39:22.079 --> 00:39:27.360
You've got all this uh amazing technology that they use to redesign seed.
00:39:27.440 --> 00:39:30.000
We can't do that with the word of God.
00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:36.559
You cannot try to redesign the truth so that it can seem more attractive.
00:39:37.199 --> 00:39:43.039
Our responsibility, Cliff, is to sow the seed faithfully.
00:39:43.280 --> 00:39:51.280
Yeah, Jonathan, because once we alter the seed, we should not expect it to produce a harvest God intended.
00:39:51.599 --> 00:39:52.000
Exactly.
00:39:52.159 --> 00:40:00.239
It'd be like us going out in the garden here today and planting uh some corn and expecting uh green beans to come up, right?
00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:00.880
That's true.
00:40:00.960 --> 00:40:01.679
That's true.
00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:10.000
We cannot improve upon the gospel by removing the parts that people may resist.
00:40:10.960 --> 00:40:22.239
The power has never been in our creativity, our marketing, our personalities, or ability to make Christianity look effortless.
00:40:22.480 --> 00:40:31.920
Romans chapter one and verse 16, Cliff says the gospel itself is the power of God unto salvation.
00:40:32.239 --> 00:40:37.599
So faithfulness and compassion must remain together.
00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:41.119
We do not throw the seed at people carelessly.
00:40:41.360 --> 00:40:43.840
No, we we sow it patiently.
00:40:43.920 --> 00:40:46.320
There's that big word patience, right?
00:40:47.039 --> 00:41:06.079
We cultivate relationships, we answer questions, we listen carefully, we speak, brother, with gentleness and genuine love, but we sow the same seed that God entrusted to his church.
00:41:06.400 --> 00:41:09.519
And then we trust him with a harvest.
00:41:09.840 --> 00:41:10.320
Amen.
00:41:10.400 --> 00:41:10.800
We do.
00:41:10.880 --> 00:41:21.599
And you think about it this way a faithful congregation does not merely measure their success by how many people come through their doors.
00:41:21.840 --> 00:41:28.880
No, it asks, a faithful congregation will always ask hey, is Christ being honored?
00:41:29.119 --> 00:41:39.679
Whether the the whole truth of God is being taught, the sum of your word is truth, and whether lives are truly being transformed by the gospel.
00:41:40.239 --> 00:41:47.760
Because a crowd gathered by compromise is not the same thing as souls converted by the truth.
00:41:48.079 --> 00:41:48.719
Amen.
00:41:49.440 --> 00:41:52.079
I wish a lot of people would hear that, brother.
00:41:52.400 --> 00:42:01.599
The church must never become ashamed of the only message that can save the very people we're trying to reach.
00:42:02.159 --> 00:42:08.719
Speak the truth, speak it with love and sow it faithfully.
00:42:08.960 --> 00:42:14.400
And then, good folks, we just gotta trust God to provide the harvest.
00:42:15.280 --> 00:42:20.000
And really, Jonathan, that brings together everything that we've discussed today.
00:42:20.159 --> 00:42:24.880
You know, truth is not ours to create, it's God's to reveal.
00:42:25.039 --> 00:42:33.440
It must be loved, even when it confronts us, and it must be spoken with love without ever being compromised.
00:42:33.679 --> 00:42:34.320
Yeah, exactly.
00:42:34.480 --> 00:42:55.039
Whether we are examining something that we've believed our entire life, confronting something within ourselves that that desperately needs to change, or if we're just trying to reach someone who does not yet know Jesus Christ, the responsibility is always the same, good folks.
00:42:55.280 --> 00:43:03.360
Open the word of God, listen honestly, and then submit humbly and speak faithfully.
00:43:03.679 --> 00:43:08.239
Because truth is not the enemy of love, folks.
00:43:08.559 --> 00:43:13.679
No, truth is one of love's greatest expressions.
00:43:14.559 --> 00:43:19.039
Love does not, Cliff, leave people in darkness.
00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:23.840
Love does not tell them that, hey, your error is safe.
00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:24.800
Don't worry about it.
00:43:24.880 --> 00:43:30.719
No, love does not alter the gospel to make it easier for people to swallow.
00:43:30.800 --> 00:43:36.800
No, love points people to the truth that can truly set them free.
00:43:37.199 --> 00:43:43.280
And that means every one of us should leave today's conversation with a personal question, Jonathan.
00:43:43.440 --> 00:43:43.920
Yes, sir.
00:43:44.239 --> 00:43:58.480
Am I willing to follow the truth wherever it leads, even when it challenges what I have always thought, what I presently want, or what the culture around me celebrates.
00:43:58.719 --> 00:43:59.760
Here it is, folks.
00:44:00.800 --> 00:44:09.360
At the end of the day, sincerity cannot save us if we are sincerely wrong.
00:44:10.960 --> 00:44:14.000
Tradition can't save us.
00:44:14.559 --> 00:44:17.840
Popular opinion can't save us.
00:44:18.559 --> 00:44:23.679
Only the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to save.
00:44:23.920 --> 00:44:27.280
And that is why truth matters.
00:44:27.599 --> 00:44:30.079
Well, well said, my friend.
00:44:30.239 --> 00:44:30.880
Well said.
00:44:31.039 --> 00:44:33.119
You know, this is a great time, Jonathan.
00:44:33.360 --> 00:44:39.119
And me to again thank you and for everyone else, folks, for joining today's conversation.
00:44:39.360 --> 00:44:41.760
Folks, we are, how can we say it?
00:44:41.920 --> 00:44:45.440
We are so thankful to be able to bring Scripture Matters to you.
00:44:45.599 --> 00:44:49.280
And each and every Friday at 3 30, you can expect a new one.
00:44:49.519 --> 00:44:59.039
Yeah, and one of the coolest parts of what we do here is that we're able to bring this podcast to your home each week free of charge.
00:44:59.280 --> 00:45:01.119
I totally agree with that, Jonathan.
00:45:01.199 --> 00:45:07.280
And I'm thankful we don't have to worry about sponsors or advertisements or anything like that.
00:45:07.599 --> 00:45:14.159
So, Cliff, listen, when people ask you and ask me, hey, how can we support the podcast?
00:45:14.320 --> 00:45:19.920
Listen, the greatest help that you can give us out there is very simple.
00:45:20.880 --> 00:45:23.280
Share today's episode.
00:45:23.440 --> 00:45:25.119
That's how you pay us back.
00:45:25.360 --> 00:45:35.199
Copy the link, post it on your social media, send it to a friend via a text message, or just simply share it with someone from your congregation.
00:45:35.440 --> 00:45:37.360
And folks, don't forget to pray for us.
00:45:37.519 --> 00:45:38.719
Don't forget to pray for us.
00:45:38.800 --> 00:45:49.039
You know, every share, it helps us place these conversations in front of someone who may never have discovered them otherwise, folks.
00:45:49.280 --> 00:45:58.719
And it helps us to continue to spread the word about this amazing journey that we are walking through together here in season number two.
00:45:59.039 --> 00:46:00.079
Wow, that's right.
00:46:00.159 --> 00:46:05.920
And 13 episodes, and our final destination, folks, it's heaven.
00:46:06.079 --> 00:46:10.239
And we want to take as many folks with us on this journey as possible.
00:46:10.480 --> 00:46:24.400
Don't forget, you can watch every episode on either YouTube or Facebook, and you can listen through Buzz Sprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and any of the other major podcast platforms.
00:46:24.639 --> 00:46:34.880
And hey, folks, be sure if you have not done so already, make sure you follow or subscribe so that you do not miss next week's conversation.
00:46:35.199 --> 00:46:46.559
Because in episode number six, we're going to be asking another foundational question: why does the church matter?
00:46:47.119 --> 00:46:48.320
That's right, Jonathan.
00:46:48.559 --> 00:46:59.760
We will discuss what the church is, why Jesus established it, and why I belong to his church and cannot be treated as optional or unimportant.
00:47:00.400 --> 00:47:04.480
Until then, hey, folks, we really appreciated you being with us today.
00:47:04.639 --> 00:47:07.760
Once again, my name is Jonathan Sanford.
00:47:07.920 --> 00:47:14.000
And I'm insidekick, Cliff Thompson, reminding each and every one of you out there today to stay focused.
00:47:14.239 --> 00:47:15.679
Folks, stay grounded.
00:47:15.920 --> 00:47:21.840
And remember, as always, good folks, Scripture Matters.
00:47:22.079 --> 00:47:23.760
Goodbye, everybody.
00:47:24.079 --> 00:47:28.639
Thanks for spending part of your day with us on the Scripture Matters Podcast.
00:47:28.800 --> 00:47:32.800
We'll be back with a new conversation every Friday at 3.30 p.m.
00:47:33.119 --> 00:47:37.119
on YouTube, Facebook, and all major podcast platforms.
00:47:37.840 --> 00:47:42.320
Until then, may the word guide you and your week and as always.
00:47:42.639 --> 00:47:45.119
Remember Scripture Matters.