Truth Is Fallen in the Street

Introduction:

1. This is a very simple lesson from God’s word this morning, but we must prepare and apply ourselves well.
2. Many, many other aspects of truth and our cleaving to it could be covered, but this is a simple, short lesson.
3. We speak to others of the wonders and glory of truth and godliness, and hardly anyone follows up or cares.
4. We advertise our church with bold ads in the religious section each week, but hardly anyone calls or cares.
5. We promote a different and exciting website with original material, but hardly anyone follows up or cares.
6. The average Christian today is woefully ignorant and does not even have a basic desire for the truth of God.
7. When we expressed the Bible position regarding NASA’s Columbia explosion, we were violently hated.
8. Truth is fallen in the streets, and the Lord challenges us to see if any care for truth (Isaiah 59:14;   5:1).
9. News articles daily tell of the mad rush of this nation into lasciviousness with all greediness (Eph 4:17-19).
10. It is the job of a faithful minister to keep their hearers reminded of truth they already know (II Peter 1:12).

Truth Is Wonderful!

1. Jacob blessed the Lord for His abundant mercy in the truth He had been shown (Gen 32:10).
2. David praised the LORD for His truth and for His word, exalted above all his name (Ps 138:2).
3. Solomon asked of the excellent things in counsel and knowledge he had written (Pr 22:17-21).
4. Solomon said, Buy the truth and sell it not, also wisdom, instruction, understanding (Pr 23:23).
5. Jesus called for believers to continue in His word and the truth will set you free (John 8:31-36).
6. Truth is not vague. Elijah well said, “How long halt ye between two opinions?” (I Kgs 18:21).
7. Truth is God’s opinion, or will, on any subject, as expressed in Holy Scripture (John 17:17).
8. Brethren, we are greatly blessed to know the infinite mind of God on every important subject.
9. Do you crave the Word of God as one who greatly needs and value it, as David and Solomon?

Why Doesn’t Anyone Care about Truth?

1. We live in the prophesied perilous times of the last days when men would not want the truth.
   1. Paul described a time of carnal Christianity resenting doctrine and truth (II Tim 3:1 – 4:4).
   2. The warning is serious – perilous times! Men are addicted to pleasure and religious form!
   3. They are learning, but without truth; they much prefer fables to doctrine (II Tim 3:7; 4:3-4).
   4. They wander out of the way of understanding and congregate with the dead (Prov 21:16).
   5. Many teachers, easily known by Scripture, are perverse and know nothing (I Tim 6:3-5).
2. We live in a sick age of compromise and relativism, where men have agreed to allow anything except truth. They are far from God, Who is always and only absolute and dogmatic in truth.
3. Where have the noble gone? Why are there so few who search the scriptures? (Acts 17:11).
4. It is impossible to worship God without truth, yet no one even asks about it (John 4:23-24).
5. We have had members go out from us for the dumbest of reasons (I John 2:19; II Tim 4:10).
6. Isaiah described the profane and truth-rejecting generation of our blessed Lord (Is 59:4,12-15).
7. Jeremiah described a horrible condition in his day of the rarity of men seeking truth (Jer 5:1).
8. Our Lord warned that when iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold (Mat 24:12).
9. Pilate was so deluded as a pagan, profane Roman that he asked, “What is truth?” (John 18:38).
10. This is no different from the first lie to Eve, which questioned the certainty of truth (Gen 3:1).
11. Evil communications corrupt good manners; they have all corrupted one another (I Cor 15:33).
12. Lies are more popular, due to the depravity of man and Satan’s control (John 8:45; Gal 4:16).
13. The fear of man is a horrible snare that traps men into believing or accepting error (Pr 29:25).
14. The Spirit of truth and spirit of antichrist are known by hearing apostolic doctrine (I Jn 4:1-6).
15. God is coming to judge this world soon by His righteousness and by His truth (Psalm 96:13).
16. The arrogance and conceit of man in general and our generation deceives (Pr 21:2; Jer 17:9).
17. Sin hardens our conscience and deceives our heart to neglect truth (I Tim 4:2; Heb 3:12-13).
18. Those who talk like they love truth are soon found frauds without sincere desire (Pr 17:16).
19. We knew only a small minority would hold the truth, but this small (Luke 6:26; I Peter 3:20)?
20. Those rejecting the truth of God are belly worshippers, regardless of words (Rom 16:17-18).
21. Jesus warned of three kinds of ground – no preparation or application, no willingness to pay a cost in opposition, and greater love of this world and its toys (Matt 13:3-23; Luke 8:4-18).
22. We trust in the living God to have reserved His remnant by the election of grace (Rom 11:1-5).
23. And we will not measure the kingdom of God by numbers, for Jesus had but 120 (Acts 1:15).
24. We will never modify the truth of God to attract any beyond this number (II Cor 2:15-17; 4:2).
25. Their lack of interest is seldom our fault in presenting; it is their lack of love for God and truth.

Do You Care about Truth?

1. Do you pray, prepare, absorb, understand, retain, apply, obey, live, share, and defend the truth?
2. There are 1440 minutes in every day, what percentage do you give the Lord and His truth?
   1. If you tithed time, you would spend 2 hours and 24 minutes seeking the Lord each day.
   2. If you only gave him 1% of your time, it would be 14 minutes and 24 seconds each day.
   3. Can you dedicate 14 minutes and 24 seconds each day to privately seeking God and truth?
3. We cannot and we must not have a response like any of the first three grounds (Matt 13:3-23).
4. Our assemblies are very important for us to provoke one another in the truth (Heb 10:23-25).
5. If we are apostolic Christians, we are called to earnestly contend for the truth (Jude 1:3-23).
6. The more you love Christ and walk with Him, the more you will love truth, for He is Truth.
7. Jesus described buying the truth of the kingdom very plainly and powerfully (Matt 13:44-46).
8. We cannot despise prophesyings; we prove truth and hold that which is good (I Thess 5:20-21).
9. Heresies are coming, because it is God’s way of finding who truly loves truth (I Cor 11:19).
10. Our church is the pillar and ground of the truth; are you doing your part to help it (I Tim 3:15)?
11. Are you fully training your children to see, reject, and despise variations from truth (Is 38:19)?
12. How much compromise do you tolerate in your mind, your family, your friends, your church?
13. We want to be faithful to the good way and truth that Samuel taught Israel (I Sam 12:20-25).
14. Error is better than compromise: error is ignorance; compromise is rebellion (II Tim 1:12-13).

Conclusion:

1. We live in perilous times; we are part of a very small minority; we must earnestly contend for the true faith.
2. We are different from those around us, and we will continue to be more and more different, as they decline.
3. We cannot and must not compromise anywhere for anyone in matters pertaining to doctrine and godliness.
4. We must apply ourselves to the truth God has given us, lest He remove our understanding and withdraw truth.
5. We must continue to pray for more truth and obey that we are shown, so that we might be faithful to Him.

Further study:

1. Sermon Outline: God Hates Compromise
2. Sermon Outline: Every Word of God 
3. Sermon Outline:  Noble Hearers 
4. Proverbs commentary: Buy the truth 
5. Proverbs commentary: Where there is no vision 
6. Proverbs commentary: Forget not my law 
7. Proverbs commentary: Take fast hold of instruction 
8. Proverbs commentary: Through desire a man separates himself 
9. Proverbs commentary: A fool hath no delight in understanding