The Search for Truth

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The Search for Truth

• The Changing ChurchMessage One of Four

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From the Emergent Church

• Because when your view of truth is changed, when
  your confidence in the human ability to know
  truth in any objective way is revolutionized,
  then everything changes. That includes
  theologyand not only the content of your
  theology, nor only its categories. More
  far-reaching, the mind of the person doing and
  learning theology is also changed. Brian
  McClaren

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Key Idea

• In order to be effective in the world of the 21st
  century, we have to be more intentional about
  living out the truth rather than just knowing it

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Can Truth Be Found?

• Truth is relative
• Truth cannot be certain
• Truth is culturalthe belief structure
  constructed by a social group
• Truth is experiential, subjective, personal, not
  objective, and universal

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Consequences for the Church

• What happens when you try to merge this approach
  to truth into the Church?
• The Bible loses its claim to ultimate authority
• There is an erosion of moral standards
• We lose our edge for evangelism

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There Is Universal Truth

• And there is salvation in no one else for there
  is no other name under heaven that has been given
  among men by which we must be saved. Acts 412
• This is good and acceptable in the sight of God
  our Savior, Who desires all men to be saved and
  to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy
  23,4

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We Can Know Some Truth

• For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
  against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
  men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
  because that which is known about God is evident
  within them for God made it evident to them. For
  since the creation of the world His invisible
  attributes, His eternal power,

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We Can Know Some Truth

• and divine nature, have been clearly seen
  being understood through what has been made, so
  that they are without excuse. For even though
  they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or
  give thanks, but they became futile in their
  speculations, and their foolish heart was
  darkened.Romans 11821

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The Bible Is Revealed Truth

• All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable
  for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for
  training in righteousness so that the man of God
  may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2
  Timothy 316,17

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The Both/And Response

• We need to both do the truth and know the truth

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The Both/And Response

• But prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not
  merely hearers who delude themselves. For if
  anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer,
  he is like a man who looks at his natural face
  in a mirror for once he has looked at himself
  and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what
  kind of person he was.

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The Both/And Response

• But one who looks intently at the perfect law,
  the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having
  become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer,
  this man will be blessed in what he does. James
  12225

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The Both/And Response

• We need to both take individual responsibility
  for truth and be accountable to the community of
  truth

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1 Thessalonians 2112

• For you yourselves know, brethren, that our
  coming to you was not in vain, but after we had
  already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi,
  as you know, we had the boldness in our God to
  speak to you the Gospel of God amid much
  opposition. For our exhortation does not come
  from error or impurity or by way of deceit but
  just as we have been approved by God to be
  entrusted with the Gospel,

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1 Thessalonians 2112

• so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God Who
  examines our hearts. For we never came with
  flattering speech, as you know, nor with a
  pretext for greed God is witnessnor did we seek
  glory from men, either from you or from others,
  even though as apostles of Christ we might have
  asserted our authority. But we proved to be
  gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly
  cares for her own children.

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1 Thessalonians 2112

• Having so fond an affection for you, we were
  well-pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel
  of God but also our own lives, because you had
  become very dear to us. For you recall, brethren,
  our labor and hardship, how working night and day
  so as not to be a burden to any of you, we
  proclaimed to you the Gospel of God. You are
  witnesses, and so is God,

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1 Thessalonians 2112

• how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we
  behaved toward you believers just as you know
  how we were exhorting and encouraging and
  imploring each one of you as a father would his
  own children, so that you would walk in a manner
  worthy of the God Who calls you into His own
  kingdom and glory.

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Questions

• Are we willing to be a body of believers
  committed not only to knowing the Word of God,
  but also to doing it?
• Are we willing to make ourselves accountable to
  the Body of Christ as expressed within the local
  church?