“Truth Claims”

Pastor David Moore

Old Testament reading: Deuteronomy 18:14-22 (NIV)  

The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the  Lord your God has not permitted you to do so. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me  from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the  Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”  

The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.  I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.  But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who  speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”  

You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.  

Theme: Why is it, Christians ask the world, why is it when we are most in touch with ultimate reality that we sense there is truth, final truth? Today, Peter talks in Acts about truth. ~D. Moore  

New Testament reading: Acts 3:15-26 

You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.  

“Now brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what He had foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer. Repent, then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. He must remain in the heavens until the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised long ago through His holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people;  you must listen to everything He tells you. Anyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off  from among his people.’  

“Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham,  ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up His servant, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”  

Peter says there is a final truth and it is found in scripture about Jesus. ~D. Moore 

The world is troubled by truth, because modern society wants God to say things they like, and not other things they don’t like. They like God to be good but not necessarily holy. People want God to have power, but not over my life. ~D. Moore  

Preach the truth whether it fills up a room or clears it out. 

The thing we know is if we only get our values through our personal experience, we have different values for others as opposed to us. ~D. Moore  

Jesus never turns them away from scripture. Jesus saw Himself as the fulfillment of prophesy, He was God’s word to the Old Testament people come to life. The Old Testament people were waiting for an earthly king. Jesus was going to be more than a king, He was going to save the world and they missed out on what Jesus was really all about. ~D. Moore  

Jesus believed the Old Testament was God’s word, and it was true, and the basis for everything in His life. ~D. Moore 
Matthew 27:46: My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?  

Jesus could have walked away in the garden, but He chose to stay, knowing the consequences, knowing how bad it was going to be. Jesus knew it was not about Himself, but the Father’s will. ~D. Moore  

Jesus understood the scriptures and knew it was God’s word. We need to see the scriptures the way Jesus see’s the scriptures. ~D. Moore  

Our God is a living God. We are made in His image. If there is conflict believing His word and my wants,  it is my desires that are the problem. ~D. Moore  

Do we allow God’s word to argue with us? Do we allow God’s word to change us? Do we allow God’s word to make us think? ~D. Moore  

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, spends time telling us not to worry. Jesus makes the argument that we should not worry. Now we can allow His words to change us, or we can just ignore them. I just want us to be clear on our options. We can listen or ignore what God says about worry, money, honesty, sexuality, caring for others, etc. The problem really is that if God can’t give us news about ourselves, then He cant give us good news. If we can’t hear that we are in need of a Savior, then we won’t ever seek one. ~D. Moore  

Hebrews 4:16: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may find mercy and grace in time of need.  

I think and hope all my sermons are about Jesus. Until we get square on who Jesus is, the Old Testament and New Testament will not make sense. Reading the Bible will be hard and will feel pointless. ~D. Moore  

John 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  

Jeremiah 29:13: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 
Continually say to God through Christ, your will not mine. ~D. Moore  

You can’t pick and choose which Bible verses you accept.  

This week: Seek Jesus, He is the truth, His words are the truth, and this all means all truth is from God.  Pray that the truth of this universe (from God) will be in your heart and mind to guide you each day in this life. God bless