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Reality Check: Is There Absolute Truth?
October 30, 2024 · 29 min
Pastor John Mark delivers a powerful message about the existence of absolute truth amidst a culture increasingly rejecting it.
Series "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton October 30, 2024 · 29 min · "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton
Pastor John Mark delivers a powerful message about the existence of absolute truth amidst a culture increasingly rejecting it. ...more Show the full description Show less Pastor John Mark delivers a powerful message about the existence of absolute truth amidst a culture increasingly rejecting it.
Series "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
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John Mark is the Senior Pastor of the thriving Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen, Texas, where he has served since 1995.
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The Battle for Truth 0:00 Well, amen. You glad you're in God's house today? Give God a hand. I heard Greg talk about, how many were gonna be baptized at the end of this service. 32 people will be baptized0:11 between 8 39 30 and 11. Give God a hand for that. Well we come today to our last sermon, our last message, teaching message, in the middle of this series that we've been in for0:23 the last couple of months entitled Reality Check. Where we've been taking, current issues of the day, topics of the day, and we've been comparing them to what scripture says they should be like and noticing how they0:35 actually are. Over the last couple of weeks we've talked about, man what's the biblical idea of marriage. We talked about salvation by faith. Do we have eternal security? We looked at the issue of0:46 election, we looked at politics, we talked about the government a couple of weeks ago, we talked about the heart. And today I want to talk to you about this idea. Is there such a thing as absolute truth?0:59 How many of you know in our culture today, society today, a lot of people say well you know there's no such thing as absolute truth. And so today I wanted to address that. You may have remembered this a number of years1:10 ago, it was a great movie. Billy Graham association put it out, it's called A Few Good Men. How many remember this? Jack Nicholson was involved, you remember him on the stand and they said what1:22 do you want? And they said we just want the truth. Remember he said, you can't handle the truth. We live in a culture today that can't handle the truth. Here here1:33 is the truth. Whether you can handle it or not, truth is true regardless of whether you can stomach it or not. It's just truth.1:46 And so as we think about our journey forward and moving forward today, I want to talk to you about what is truth and how important truth actually is. And we1:58 just live in a culture that wants to reject anything that is truth and if it hurts a little, we definitely get rid of that. Notice what scripture says. First John2:10 chapter 3 verse 18 says dear children, let us not love with words or speech only. So listen, we want to say and tell people and tell culture that we love2:22 them, but it says, but with actions and in truth. So notice that, how do we love people? With our words, with our actions, and with our truth. So the 1 thing2:34 we don't want to do is compromise truth because it hurts. Man, I don't know about you, but man the more I read scripture day by day or read a proverb a day and there are times after2:46 your pastor as your pastor for all these years, I will read a proverb and it'll talk about the tongue and it'll just slay me. How many of you ever done that? I'm like, I'm not reading that verse again. Right? Or either2:57 talk about how to treat this person or that person or what kind of friends you need to have and you're like, oh that hurts. We live in a culture that says we want to doubt everything. It's called the post modern society.3:10 That they want to reject anything that is truth and they want to establish or rewrite a new truth. Here is the truth when it comes to these topics we've been talking about.3:22 I've been trying to take a topic and share biblical truth. Man, here's what we need to remember and I've said this all through this series. If if everybody in the world is talking about a3:34 topic, the media, anyone and everyone on social media, they're talking about an issue or a topic of the day, the social media, they're talking about an issue or a topic of the day, the election or or some other immoral3:40 issue. And everybody talks about it. But the church is quiet, says 1 of 2 things. Either we3:52 are afraid or we've got nothing to say. And church, I want you to know we should never be fearful because God did not give us a spirit of fear or timidity, how many of us under4:04 that? But a power and love and discipline. But we also need to communicate not only to this generation, but to the next generation, is that we have something to say.4:16 As you think about today, we live in this post modern world, you'll hear a lot of things like, well they'll they'll just make an objective statement, something like there is no absolute truth. How many have ever heard4:27 that statement? You say pastor, how do you respond when someone just says there is no absolute truth? Here here's how you respond, write it down. Just say well is that true? Because if4:39 that's true, there's at least 1 absolute truth. And if there's at least 1, there can certainly be more, right? Or other people will say this, well you really can't know the truth. Have you4:51 ever heard that? You say, well then, if you can't really know the truth, then how can you know that's true? So many of these statements they make are self defeating, and I want you to know when it comes to Christianity,5:03 when we're told to doubt everything, that Christianity is a bunch of truth claims. Do we understand that? They're not up for debate. It's either true or it's false.5:15 Go to the very first verse of the very first book of the Bible. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. That is a truth claim, right? It either5:27 happened or it didn't. We're told in the New Testament that Jesus died, was buried, rose again the third day. That is a truth claim, do we understand that, right?5:39 It either happened or it didn't. And whether you believe it happened or not, does it change the facts? See a lot of times people will say, well you know, now that you believe it, that's good5:51 for you, so it means it happened for you. No no no no, that's not true. See, believing something is true doesn't change whether it's true or not. Do we understand that? If someone in here, let's say all of a sudden,6:03 you just doubted gravity, would you float away? No, because gravity's a thing, right? So I want you to know, whether you believe in something6:15 or not doesn't determine whether it's true or not. Other people will say something like this, you've probably heard this 1 over and over. Well, you know that might be true for you, but it's not true for me. How6:27 many have ever heard that? Wait, truth is true for everyone everywhere. It just is.6:39 Just just go apply that statement. Next time someone says, well that may be true for you but it's just not true for me. Just walk them down that street. Let let's say that I walked into the bank tomorrow and we're fixing6:49 to go out of town for a couple of days, so I walked up to the teller and I said, hey I'd like to, we're gonna travel a little bit, I'd love some carrying cash, so I'd like to withdraw a hundred thousand dollars in cash.7:00 I mean that's just the way I roll folks. And and and they the the teller pulls up the account says, I'm sorry pastor, you've got 11 dollars and 12 cents in your7:12 account. And I'm a step back and say, well that might be true for you but that's not true for me. You you go to the office tomorrow. You go 45 through a7:23 20. And and and and and a police officer pulls you over and they go, hey, we clocked you doing 45 in a 20, how far is it gonna go? And say, well that might be true for you, but that's not7:35 true for me. He goes, well I've got a slip that shows you the truth that you were going 45. So listen, next time someone says, that's true for you but it's not true for me, just play that out. Next time7:47 someone says, there is no absolute truth, ask, is that true? Because if that is 1 absolute truth, there's 1, right? How many more can there be? So folks, we need to stand up and understand that part of our7:59 call is to resist this culture. We have to also understand that Satan wants this culture to do this, to reject any idea of truth,8:11 and wants us to compromise with culture. So folks, we are in a battle. That's why I did this series. Whether you liked all the8:23 messages or not, we were in a battle for the truth. Remember what Paul said in Ephesians chapter 6 about our battle? Let's read it. He says, Stand firm then8:35 with the belt of what? Kind of an odd way to start. You may not have ever noticed that before. He says, listen, we need to stand8:47 firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist. Why did he start there? Because he understood at that day and age, they lived in a culture of lies.8:59 A a culture of compromise. And so he says, let's start with the belt of truth with the breastplate of righteousness in its place. So if he started with9:11 this battle and we understand, listen, the world is a battleground, it is not a playground. Don't kid yourself. It is a battleground for ideas and people and life and truth. It is a battleground, it is not a9:23 playground. Truth is your first weapon. It's your first weapon. Now now this is also true. Truth might hurt you for a little9:35 while, but a lie will harm you forever. Truth might hurt. There are times that I'm reading God's word or someone will come up to me and they'll9:47 say something to me and and I know it's true and it stings. But I know that truth is something I can work with, I can repent, I can backtrack and say9:58 listen, alright that hurt, but thank you for sharing that with me. So why do we need to talk about truth today? Let me give you a couple thoughts. Number 1, just write these down. I also10:10 encourage you to open your app up. And with all the baptisms at the end of the service, I will not get through all my notes. I want to encourage you always have the app. But here's thought number 1, why don't we how many10:20 of you know Satan is a liar? He's always been a liar. So if Satan is a liar and we are against Satan, we're on God's team, then we need to know the10:32 truth. Notice what it says in John chapter 8 verse 44, this is what Jesus says. He says you belong, he's talking to those who are deceitful, who are rejecting him, you belong to your father the devil. Alright what does10:43 Satan do? He deals in deception, just know that. And you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, going all the way back to the garden, not holding to the10:55 what? Did you see that before? We've all said Satan's a liar, Satan's a liar. What makes him a liar is he didn't hold on to the truth. So child of God, you can be a Christian, you can be a Christian, but if you don't11:06 hold on to the truth, you become a liar. And so here it is. He says, he was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. Why didn't he hold to the truth? There's no truth in11:18 him. When he lies, he speaks in his native language, for he is a liar and the father of all lies. Child of God, understand that Satan is a liar and our11:30 response is the truth. It's not to put the gloves on and fight Satan, it's to know the truth. Hey, Satan has power. But folks, his power11:41 is limited. He's God's enemy, but he's not God's equal. And so we need to understand, we need to step back, study the truth, notice the truth. Satan11:53 is a liar. You said, where do you see that? Remember he noted it. Go all the way back to the garden. What was the first thing he did with Adam and Eve? He lied to them. Did God really say? Did God really say? He lied to12:05 them, right? Remember Satan then went and tempted Jesus. He tempted him, what did he do? He lied to him, he shaded the truth and Jesus responded, he shaded the truth, Jesus responded, he shaded the truth and12:17 Jesus responded. Remember what it says at the end of that temptation experience? It says Satan left Jesus never to tempt him again. Did it say that? No go read it. It says Satan left12:29 for a more opportune time. Child of God, you might defeat Satan today, but he's gonna show up in another time, in another day,12:42 in another moment, in another season. So thought number 1, why do we need to study the truth? Man, because Satan is a liar. Here's number 2, our hearts will deceive us. We talked about this, I won't spend time, just12:53 go go 2 weeks ago I preached all about the heart. Remember Jeremiah said the heart is deceitfully wicked. Man the heart sometimes when it hurts it will reject the truth.13:06 The heart will sometimes be overwhelmed with our emotions. You might want to jot this down. Your emotions do not have brains. You13:18 have teenagers, you understand this. You were a teenager, you understand. Man, sometimes what we feel, I'm like, I know that's not right, but that's the13:30 way I feel. So why do we need to study the truth? Man, Satan is a liar. Our hearts will deceive us. Here's the third thought. Our friends impact, excuse me, culture will corrupt us.13:42 We live in a culture and an age and a day that culture will reject the truth and they will do it in the form of bold faced lies. Look at13:54 Romans chapter 1. It says since what we made, this is talking about creation accounts, since we since what we, what may be known, that's truth about God, is plain to them14:06 because God made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and his divine nature have been clearly seen, in other words his truth, being understood,14:18 that's knowledge, from what has been made so that people are without excuse. In other words, you can look at creation, you can look at how we're created in the image of God and you can see God's truth. Now look at verse14:28 21, for although they knew God, knew the truth, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became14:39 futile. In other words, their right thinking became wrong thinking and their foolish hearts, there it is, were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they14:51 became fools. Does that not just represent culture today? When you think about some of the changes that have happened in the last 5 or 10 years and what you're15:03 hearing from time to time, just just go. Look at TV from time to time. Man it's amazing to me that that that there are people within our government, they might set before15:15 our politicians who we all understand they're not perfect. But just recently, I just saw this and I'm going, did that just happen? By the way, we're paying this salary. That that15:27 a senator asked the question, can you define a woman? Got real quiet in here for a second. And this someone we pay15:39 for who begins to shuffle papers, look away, and well that's a complicated issue. How many of you in here can define a woman? That's about 80 percent. I'm gonna teach a series next week15:50 on what a woman's like. I mean, I'm like, just define a woman. We're paying your salary. So this just happened not long ago. Ask, Senator16:02 ask a question, can a man have a baby? Do you see this? Someone you're paying. After him and hawing, it's a yes no question, can a man?16:14 Said yes. And you're sitting there going, what? Here's how I know men can't have babies, because there are16:26 babies. They just let that sink in. Right? Cause no one's a bigger baby than a man.16:40 A woman can have a baby. You give a man a kidney stone about this size, And he's taking a month off work and crying about, You want to know16:52 how men can't have babies? And by the way, I know a bunch of dudes that they're dudes and had kidney stones. Lord, I don't want 1. Hope he doesn't judge me. But I'm telling you, we got people that will look in a camera17:04 after giving off the body language and say, yeah men can have babies. And you're like, really? And let me tell you what they'll turn around and do, they will bully us for17:16 selling the truth and telling the truth, won't they? Yeah. Yeah. Man, we need to understand, finally, why do we need to study? Because our friends impact us. What's the old statement, show me your friends, I'll show you17:26 your future? Man, that comes all the way from Paul's words and and and Solomon's words. Proverbs chapter 13 verse 20 says walk with the wise and you become wise for a companion to fools will ultimately suffer harm.17:39 Folks, we need to study truth. We need to know the truth. We need to be willing to defend the truth. Why? Because we have a culture that is embracing foolish lies that as17:51 scripture says will harm us. Alright so here's the question, then where do we find the truth? Let me give you a couple of thoughts on this. Number 1, in God's created order. Psalm18:03 19 verse 1 says the heavens declare of the glory of the lord. The skies proclaim the works of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech and night after night they reveal18:14 knowledge. See a lot of times people will say, well you know, scripture, that's just religion. The only pure18:26 truth is found in science. Can I tell you what, it's not an either or? Christianity makes truth claims that it is either the true or false. It is 1 or the18:38 other. We don't reject science. We might reject bad science. A lot of what you're seeing today isn't science, it's philosophy. And it's bad philosophy18:51 pretending to be science. Do you understand that? I want to say, a lot of what we're seeing in our culture today is not science, it is philosophy, and it's bad philosophy masquerading as science. And19:03 we need to ultimately know the truth. And we live in a society that the last thing you can do is stand up and tell19:15 the truth. And I want you to know as your pastor and I want you to hear this, my preferred way to preach is through a book, verse by verse, chapter by19:27 chapter. But I felt I need to step back and address some of the issues in culture. But here's what I always know when I preach verse by verse, chapter by chapter, through a book and I come against a hard topic.19:39 And I will just preach it and preach that hard topic and someone will not like it, whether it's on same sex marriage or something like that because it's in there and I address it. And the email I19:51 get might be pretty harsh and say pastor you're mean spirited, you're this or you're that or you're that. Sometimes they'll catch me out in the atrium and and they'll just they'll start kind of jumping on me. You know20:01 what my question is? Who is it? Who is it that you love that is struggling with that? See and child20:12 of God, we need to remember this. A lot of times when we speak these truths, it's hurtful not because the person doesn't believe it, but because the person they love20:24 is struggling with it. Does that make sense? That's when we're told all the way through scripture. Speak the truth in love. It's not just20:36 speak in love, it's speak the truth in love. Man, and if you come against somebody that is really pushing back on some clear truth, something that we sure, man20:48 step back and just say who is it? Man, so I can pray for you. Because I promise you there are probably some moms and dads in here that have some kids that they love, that are struggling in powerful ways. There's21:00 some grandmas and grandpas in here that you're you you you've got some grandkids that you love and you just want them to be okay. But I want you to know, we just simply need to speak the truth.21:12 Our conscience, secondary we find, our cons God wrote on our hearts, engraved it, scripture says in hearts. Whether you're in the faith or not, notice what it says, Romans chapter 2. Says indeed when21:23 gentiles in those days, those were people, they were barbarians, they were people outside the church who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves even though21:35 they do not have a law. They show, listen to this, that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts and their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts21:47 sometimes accusing them and other times defending them. What are we saying? That God created us with this moral monitor in our heart. That whether you go to church or don't go to church,22:00 that your heart says that's wrong and that's right. Now not everything, I want you to know not everything in this world is black and white. Some things it's true or it's false. There's22:12 a lot of gray area. I'm not gonna fight you about gray areas. I I will talk to you about those black and white issues that are very clear, that are found in scripture and a lot of times your conscience will scream when22:23 you cross that boundary. Here's the next place we find truth, God's word. Love what Jesus said, he said my prayer is not that you would take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil22:35 1. What is he saying? He's acknowledging Satan is real. See a lot of times Christians they want to pull out of the world, they want to disassociate from the world, they want to hide in our holy22:47 huddles, that is not biblical. Well when you look at this high priestly prayer of Jesus, it was about don't take them out of the world. Why? Because the world needs us. I I talked about this last week. We are the salt,22:58 we are the light. If we leave the world, it is gonna be tasteless and dark. Then notice what Jesus says in verse 17. He says sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth. This is the23:10 owner's manual. That's why every time we go into new series, there is always a a scripture reading plan. Right now we're in Billy Graham, sometimes we write our own, just whatever it is. We want you to open God's word23:21 and get invested in God's truth each and every time. He says notice this, verse 18, as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.23:33 Folks, we come in here to be reminded of the truth, to hear the truth, we read God's word for the truth, then we go out in the world and we share the truth and we speak words, truth, and23:45 love. Here's the next thought. Where do you find the truth? God's church. Part of my part of the call on my life is not to stand up here and compromise with you, So I can be your23:57 pastor. To dumb things down. You've been around here a long time, I don't spend a lot of time in gray areas. Spend a lot of time in black and white. Because I'm supposed to24:09 share the truth with you. Here it is, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and the teachers, gave the church those to do what? My job is24:21 to equip you, his people, for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity and faith and the knowledge, that's truth, of the son of God and24:32 then we become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Look at verse 14, then we will no longer be tossed like infants who are tossed back and24:44 forth by the waves and are blown here and there by every wind of teaching and every cunning and craftiness of people and the deceitful scheming. What is my job? It's to stand up here and preach the24:56 word, teach the word, and equip you with the word. So the next time you're at the office or you're at school or you hear some conversation, that you and I would understand, wait there's a word for that.25:09 Now I need to be equipped to address that and speak that and it comes with God's word. Let me tell you what, church is not waffle house.25:23 We don't preach some things and then waffle on others. We preach it all. I'll do my best every once in a while to put a little syrup on it for you so it tastes a little better.25:35 But listen, the church is supposed to stand strong. We are God's church. You see a lot. See a lot of people masquerading as preachers,25:48 and churches masquerading as churches, and they're compromising the truth that is not my call. At the same time, we're not a perfect church.26:00 You guys know this, we are filled with broken people. If you happen to have showed up today and you're perfect, you're in the wrong place. We're a bunch of broken people who get lit up26:12 by the truth all the time. Get challenged to become better all the time. Here's the next place, God's son. And we find truth in God's son. Remember John chapter 126:24 verse 1 says, in the beginning was the word, word was with God and the word was God. The word then became flesh, made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the 1 and only son who came from the26:35 father full of what 2 things? Grace and truth. It's both. It's not an either or. Man, Jesus came because of26:47 the grace of God. But he's full of grace and truth. There are a lot of people, we want to talk about the Jesus I know was all grace. Well the Jesus the Bible talks about was grace and26:59 truth. You and I need to show up with truth. We don't compromise truth because culture says they don't like truth. Listen, truth is true for everyone27:11 and everywhere everywhere whether you believe it or not. Your faith in it doesn't change it. So you say alright pastor, why is truth so important? Here's number 1,27:23 it frees you up to truly enjoy life. It frees you up to truly enjoy life. I love these words. Look at what Jesus said in John chapter 8 verse 31. He said to the Jews who27:35 had believed him, Jesus says, if you hold to my teaching, you're really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you27:47 free. I'm gonna leave you with this salt. Truth will set you free, but it might first make you miserable. You understand that?28:01 For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That kind of makes you miserable. There's none righteous, no not 1. For the wages of sin is death. Truth can make you miserable at first,28:13 but it won't in the end. Here's the second reason you need truth. Truth is what ultimately brings salvation. Jesus said, I am the way,28:25 the truth, and the life. No 1 comes to the father except through me. I'm just gonna invite us to pray, and when I do I want to invite all the baptism candidates and ministers,28:38 in this service to make your way up here. But let's just pray together. God, thank you so much for just an opportunity to address truth. God, my prayer is I've done what28:50 I was supposed to do to equip us. The next time someone says, well I just don't believe there's absolute truth, it will have a response. I don't know that you can know the truth, it will29:02 have a response. Someone says, well that might be true for you, but it's not for me, then we could have a response. And we give that response in truth and in29:14 love. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen and amen.In this video 0:00 The Battle for Truth
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