What is Truth?

TEXT:  John 18:38

INTRODUCTION:

A.      WHAT IS TRUTH?( John 8:31-32 ).

          1.       If truth tells us there is no God, we are free from restraint.

          2.       If truth tells us there is a God, we can be free from sin.

B.      GROUND RULES FOR DISCUSSION:  TRUTH

          1.       is that which in reality really is( Truth has an antithesis - what's not true ).

          2.       is absolute( Relative truth is not truth in reality, not the whole truth ).

          3.       can't contradict itself( i.e., Evolution vs. Genesis ).

I.      THREE KINDS OF TRUTH( illustrate from Acts 2 ).

A.      EXPERIENTIAL TRUTH - Truth perceived by the senses.

          1.       Tongues( Acts 2:4 ).                \

          2.       Prophecy( vs. 16, 25ff. ).         EVIDENCE!

          3.       The empty tomb( vs. 29 ).        /

B.      LOGICAL TRUTH - reasoned to by examining the experiential - EVIDENCE.

          1.       From the events of the day Peter reasoned fulfillment of Joel 2.

          2.       From A above and outpouring of H.S., Peter reasoned

                   a.       Jesus was raised.                               \

                   b.       They had killed the Son of God.                  CONCLUSIONS

                   c.       Jesus was Lord and Christ.                /

C.      MORAL TRUTH - rightness or wrongness of a thing.

          1.       They were murderers.              \_IMPLICATIONS

          2.       They must obey Jesus.              /

II.     IN REGARD TO CHRISTIANITY, WHAT EXPERIENTIAL

TRUTH CAN WE KNOW?

A.      THE EXISTENCE AND ORDER OF THE UNIVERSE.

B.      TESTIMONY OF JOSEPHUS, TACITUS, AND SUTONIUS.

C.      TESTIMONY OF 8 OF 500 WHO SAW JESUS RAISED( 1 Cor. 15:3-8, 11 ).

D.      HUNDREDS OF DETAILED FULFILLED PROPHESIES.

E.      HISTORIC AND SCIENTIFIC ACCURACY.  NOT ONE ERROR!

F.      LONGEVITY OF CHURCH & INSTITUTIONS.  Baptism, communion, worship.

G.      LONGEVITY OF BIBLE.

H.      MAN'S CONDITION AND NEED( Matt. 9:36;  Rom. 3:9-10 ).

III.    WHAT LOGICAL TRUTHS MAY WE DRAW FROM THIS? 

WHAT MAY WE CONCLUDE FROM THIS EVIDENCE?

A.      FROM 'A' THE EXISTENCE OF AN ALL POWERFUL GOD.

B.      FROM 'D', 'E' & 'G' BIBLE IS A PRODUCT OF AN ALL-KNOWING GOD.

C.      FROM 'B', 'C', 'D' & 'F' JESUS WAS HERE, SON OF GOD, WAS RAISED.

D.      WE ALSO SEE THE NEED OF MAN AND JESUS AS HIS SOLUTION

          ( John 20:30-31;  1 John 4:14-15 ).

IMPLICATIONS:

A.      IF THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD, EXPRESSING THE TRUE NATURE

          OF GOD, THEN IT IS, ALSO, OUR STANDARD OF MORAL CONDUCT AND

          TRUTH.

B.      WE MUST DO WHAT IT SAYS OR PAY THE CONSEQUENCES.