THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT<br> <br>

PROGRAM AIR DATE – 1-4-15<br> <br>



LESSON TITLE:  “JESUS IS THE TRUTH!”<br> <br>



WELCOME<br> <br>

	WELL, WE MADE IT AND TODAY WE STAND IN THE BEGINNING OF A NEW YEAR, THIS JANUARY 4, 2015.   WE WELCOME YOU TO OUR FIRST LIVING WORD PROGRAM OF THIS EXCITING NEW YEAR.  WE THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY FOR THIS TIME OF OFFERING AND ENCOURAGEMENT, AS WE PARTICIPATE IN THE THINGS OF GOD.  <br> <br>

	THIS PROGRAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT GOD WANTS, IN THE WAY HE WANTS.  WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY COLLECTIVELY SINGING SONGS OF PRAISE TO GLORIFY HIS NAME.  WE ALSO STUDY FROM HIS WORD, TO LEARN WHAT HE WANTS OF US.  AND WE FURTHER, APPROACH HIS THRONE IN PRAYER, SO THAT WE MAY TALK TO OUR CREATOR!  SO, AT THIS TIME, LET’S HUMBLY BOW OUR HEADS BEFORE OUR GOD.  <br> <br>

      PRAYER:  OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS NEW YEAR AND THE MANY GREAT BLESSINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN OURS IN IT. WE THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGES THAT WE KNOW WILL BE OURS THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR - FOR WE ARE YOUR CHILDREN AND WE STRIVE TO BE FAITHFUL. AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE DEATH OF JESUS, AS WELL AS HIS BURIAL AND RESURRECTION, THAT WE MIGHT TODAY AGAIN KNOW THAT WE ARE JUSTIFIED - NOT BECAUSE OF OURSELVES - BUT BECAUSE OF THE GREAT GIFT THAT YOU HAVE OFFERED. BUT FATHER, HELP US TO LIVE EVERY DAY FAITHFULLY COMMITTED TO YOUR WILL SO THAT IN THE END WE MIGHT BE FOUND FAITHFUL AND PLEASING IN ALL THINGS. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN. <br> <br>

      WE ARE SO BLESSED AS THOSE WHO LOVE GOD!  JUST THINK OF ALL THAT OUR GOD CONTINUALLY DOES FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. THIS MORNING WE WANT TO BEGIN WITH A SONG, WHICH PROVES THE GREAT LOVE WHICH GOD HAD FOR ALL OF MANKIND.  SO, WON’T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME AS WE SING, “WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS.”  <br> <br>

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS<br> <br>

	NOW THAT THE CRAZY HOLIDAY RUSH IS OVER, AND NEWS YEARS DAY HAS PASSED!   I HOPE WE HAVE ALL TAKEN A MOMENT TO SIT DOWN, TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND CONSIDERED SOME OF THE NEW GOALS THAT WE HAVE COMMITTED TO ACCOMPLISH THIS NEW YEAR.  I THINK THAT OFTEN WE PLAN TO FAIL - MOSTLY, BECAUSE WE FAIL TO PLAN.  IN OTHER WORDS, WE CAN’T EXPECT SOMETHING GOOD OR GREAT TO COME OUT FROM NOTHING.  OBVIOUSLY, IT TAKES A LOT OF PLANNING, PATIENCE, TIME, EFFORT, AND COMMITMENT TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING WORTHWHILE IN THIS LIFE.   AS WE ALL KNOW THERE ISN’T ANYTHING IN THIS LIFE WORTH HAVING THAT COMES COMPLETELY FREE.  <br> <br>

	SO, LET’S TAKE A FEW MOMENTS THIS MORNING AND TALK ABOUT OUR NEED TO BE BETTER PLANNERS!  SOME HAVE OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD OR TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT DIFFERENT PASSAGES IN THE BIBLE WHICH DEAL  WITH PLANNING.  IN FACT, MANY LIKE TO QUOTE THE VERSE FOUND IN MATTHEW 6:34.  THERE JESUS SAID, “DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW, FOR TOMORROW WILL WORRY ABOUT ITS OWN THINGS. SUFFICIENT FOR THE DAY IS ITS OWN TROUBLE.”  IN THIS VERSE IS JESUS SAYING DON’T PLAN OR SET GOALS IN THIS LIFE?  CERTAINLY NOT.  WHAT HE IS TRYING TO SAY IS THAT WE DON’T FOCUS AND WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW THAT WE FORGET TO DO THE THINGS WHICH WE NEED TO TODAY. <br> <br> 

	ANOTHER VERSE WHICH MIGHT HELP US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD TRULY WANTS IS FOUND IN LUKE 14:28-29.  HERE AGAIN, WE HAVE RECORDED THE WORDS OF CHRIST, AS HE SAID, “FOR WHICH OF YOU, INTENDING TO BUILD A TOWER, DOES NOT SIT DOWN FIRST AND COUNT THE COST, WHETHER HE HAS ENOUGH TO FINISH IT;  LEST, AFTER HE HAS LAID THE FOUNDATION, AND IS NOT ABLE TO FINISH, ALL WHO SEE IT BEGIN TO MOCK HIM.”  THIS VERSE HELPS US TO SEE THAT JESUS KNEW IT WAS NECESSARY TO CONSIDER TOMORROW AND THE THINGS CONCERNING IT - IF WE ARE TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF WHAT HE HAS ASKED US TO DO.  <br> <br>

	NOW, IN THE SAME TEXT, GO BACK TO VERSE 27 WITH ME, WHERE JESUS SAID, “AND WHOEVER DOES NOT BEAR HIS CROSS AND COME AFTER ME CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.”  SO, JESUS WAS TRYING TO SAY THAT PART OF BEARING OUR CROSS AND FOLLOWING HIM IS IN FINDING OUT WHAT HE WANTS AND PLANNING TO DO IT.  YOU AND I BOTH KNOW, THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING IN ANY PART OF LIFE - AGAIN, IT REQUIRES GOOD PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF WHAT WE DETERMINE TO BE THE GOAL.  <br> <br>

	SO, CONSIDER TODAY WHETHER YOU HAVE MADE THE GOALS AND PLANS NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS FOR YOUR JESUS. IF NOT, THEN WHY NOT BEGIN TODAY TAKING THE TIME TO FIND OUT WHAT JESUS WANTS.  THEN WE CAN OBEY HIS WILL AND FOLLOW HIS WORD, BY EXECUTING THOSE PLANS AND GOALS WHICH HELP US TO ACCOMPLISH IT.   <br> <br>

TODAY I WILL BE SPEAKING ON A LESSON FROM OUR NEW SERIES ENTITLED, “THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.”  OUR STUDY OF THE MORNING WILL DEAL WITH THE PROCLAMATION THAT, “JESUS IS THE TRUTH!” SO, PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US THIS MORNING, AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER I WILL RETURN WITH THIS STUDY FROM GOD’S WORD.  THE NAME OF THE NEXT SELECTION IS, “WHEN THE ROLL IS CALLED UP YONDER.” <br> <br>



LESSON<br> <br>

BY RAY SULLINS<br> <br>

      THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUING WITH US THIS DAY AS WE NOW GO TO GOD'S WORD AND LOOK AT ANOTHER LESSON FROM JOHN 8:32. WHERE WE'VE TAKEN OUR THEME FOR SEVERAL WEEKS - THAT WE MIGHT CONSIDER THE STATEMENT MADE BY JESUS, “AND YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.” AND WITHIN THIS CONTEXT, CERTAINLY IT IS A BEAUTIFUL CONTEXT, BECAUSE IT GIVES US NOT ONLY THE HOPE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING TO KNOW THAT WE CAN KNOW. BUT IT SECONDLY GIVES THE REALITY THAT BY KNOWING THIS THING - WHATEVER IT IS - TRUTH THAT WE ARE ABLE TO BE FREE. AS YOU THINK ABOUT THAT I THINK IT'S QUITE FASCINATING BECAUSE IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD MANY TIMES TODAY PEOPLE WILL SAY OR EVEN SUGGEST - AT LEAST IN THEIR ACTIONS, DEEDS, OR WORDS - THAT REALLY WE CAN'T KNOW TRUTH. AND MAYBE YOUR IDEAS ARE AS GOOD AS MY IDEAS AND THE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO ARE AS GOOD AS THE THINGS I WANT TO DO. AND AS LONG AS YOU FOLLOW JESUS IN SOME WAY AND I FOLLOW JESUS IN SOME WAY IT DOESN'T MATTER. DOESN'T THIS VERSE SAY THAT WE CAN KNOW THE TRUTH? AND DOESN'T THIS VERSE SAY THAT THE TRUTH WILL MAKE US FREE? <br> <br>

      THERES SOMETHING I WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION - I'VE MENTIONED IT BEFORE AND SO SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE AWARE OF IT - BUT THERE AS YOU LOOK INTO THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE, THE GREEK, IN WHICH THE NEW TESTAMENT WAS WRITTEN AND CERTAINLY OF WHICH WE ARE CONSIDERING THE ENGLISH THAT WE HAVE NOW TAKEN FROM THE GREEK LANGUAGE. WE SEE THAT AS THE VERSE THERE IS SPOKEN, IT SAYS THAT WE CAN KNOW THE TRUTH. IN THE ENGLISH WE SEE THE WORD (THE) THERE IS AN ARTICLE AND IT REALLY MIGHT NOT HAVE JUST A LOT OF SIGNIFICANCE TO US, BUT IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE THIS VERSE ACTUALLY INCLUDES THE WORD (THE) IN GREEK AS WELL. AND WHEN YOU HAVE THE WORD (THE) IN FRONT OF A WORD IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE, THE GREEK, IT ACTUALLY EMPHASIZES A VERY SPECIFIC THING. NOT JUST A GENERAL THING, NOT JUST A GENERAL TRUTH, BUT THE TRUTH. AND AS WE THINK ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF THE TRUTH, IT ACTUALLY COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD ALATHEA. AND THE IDEA OF THE TRUTH IS CHALLENGING BECAUSE IT'S MORE THAN JUST SAYING THAT WHICH IS TRUE, OR THAT WHICH IS RIGHT, OR ACCEPTABLE. IT GOES A STEP FURTHER WHEN WE APPLY THE ARTICLE BECAUSE IT TALKS ABOUT AN IDEOLOGY OF TRUTH OR THAT WHICH IS RIGHT. A SYSTEM OF TRUTH OR THAT WHICH IS RIGHT. AND SO WHAT THAT ENTAILS FOR US IS THAT THIS IS NOT JUST SAYING WELL, IF WE GENERALLY DO WHAT IS RIGHT THEN WE CAN GENERALLY KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT AND WE CAN GENERALLY FIND FREEDOM FROM THAT WHICH IS RIGHT. THAT'S NOT WHAT IT IS SAYING. IT'S SAYING WE CAN KNOW THE TRUTH - THAT MEANS IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FOR SURE COMPREHEND, UNDERSTAND, KNOW, AND OBEY. AND IT'S THAT TRUTH - THE TRUTH - THAT BRINGS FREEDOM. <br> <br>

      IT'S ALSO SIGNIFICANT WITHIN THAT SAME TEXT BACK UP IN VERSE 31, AS HE WAS TALKING TO HIS DISCIPLES, JESUS ONCE AGAIN THAT HE SAYS, “THAT IF YOU ABIDE IN MY WORD YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES INDEED.” WHAT IS JESUS TALKING ABOUT IN THE CONTEXT? IF YOU FOLLOW WHAT I SAY, MY WORDS - BY THE WAY, YOU AND I KNOW THAT THROUGHOUT THE GOSPEL ACCOUNTS, INCLUDING ESPECIALLY JOHN, HOW MANY TIMES DID JESUS SAY MY WORDS ARE NOT MY OWN, THEY'RE OF WHAT? THEY'RE OF THE FATHER. HOW MANY TIMES DID HE SAY MY AUTHORITY IS NOT MY OWN BUT OF THE FATHER. WELL, IF YOU OBEY MY WORDS - IF YOU ABIDE IN MY WORDS - YOU ARE MY DISCIPLE. AND THEN THE VERY NEXT VERSE HE SAYS AFTER SAYING, “IF YOU ABIDE IN MY WORDS YOU CAN KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE.” DO YOU SEE THE CONNECTION THAT IS FORMED THERE IN THIS TEXT BY JESUS CONCERNING THE WORD AND THE TRUTH AND JESUS HIMSELF? <br> <br>

      WE CAN BACK UP IN THE SAME BOOK TO JOHN CHAPTER 1 AND IT'S CLEARLY EVIDENCE THERE AS JESUS IS DESCRIBED, NOT ONLY AS GOD - WHO BY THE WAY VERSE 1 - WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD AND WAS GOD AND WHO ALSO, BY THE WAY IT SAYS THERE, WAS ONE WHO CREATED ALL THINGS. IN FACT, THERE IN THE TEXT - VERSE 3 SAYS ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM AND NOTHING WAS MADE THAT WAS MADE WITHOUT HIM. JESUS IS GOD. HE WAS IN THE BEGINNING, HE WAS THE CREATOR WHICH SPOKE THINGS INTO EXISTENCE ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF THE FATHER. JESUS IS GOD, BUT HOW IS HE DESCRIBED HERE? THE WORD. THE WORD. THE WORD. AND THEN AS WE DROP DOWN INTO VERSE 14, GUESS WHAT IT SAYS? “AND THE WORD,” GOD IN HEAVEN, WHICH WAS WITH THE FATHER AND WAS GOD AS WELL WHO CREATED ALL THINGS, NOTHING WAS MADE THAT WAS MADE WITHOUT HIM, “…THE WORD BECAME FLESH”  WHICH PART OF GOD? THE WORD, THE ARTICLES THERE AS WELL. WHICH PART OF THE WORD? THE SPECIFIC WORD CHRIST JESUS BECAME FLESH? YEAH. IT WAS JESUS WASN'T IT? IT WAS HE THAT WAS SENT BY THE FATHER - THE SON HIMSELF - THE SON OF GOD, JOHN 3:16, THAT HE MIGHT DO WHAT? THAT HE MIGHT BRING THE WORD OF GOD. THE TRUTH OF GOD. <br> <br>

      NOW WHAT'S REALLY SIGNIFICANT ABOUT THIS AGAIN AS WE THINK ABOUT JOHN 8:32 AND WE SEE THERE, IF YOU ABIDE IN MY WORDS AND YOU CAN KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH CAN MAKE YOU FREE. AND WE LOOK HERE AND IT SAYS THAT JESUS WAS THE WORD, WHAT ARE WE BEGINNING TO SEE ABOUT WHAT THE TRUTH IS? WELL, IT'S OBVIOUSLY FROM GOD - YES. IT'S OBVIOUSLY HAVING TO DO WITH THE WORD OF GOD, THE WILL OF GOD, THAT WHICH WE MIGHT ABIDE IN CERTAINLY BECAUSE OF WORD. BUT IT ALSO IS JESUS. WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER TO THIS TEXT IN JUST A MOMENT BUT IN JOHN 14 THERE IN VERSE 6 AFTER WE SEE THAT JESUS WAS REMINDING HIM THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE AND HE WAS GOING TO GO, BUT IT WAS GOOD THAT HE WAS GOING BECAUSE HE COULD PREPARE A MANSION FOR THEM, AND HE IS GOING TO GIVE THEM CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN THEY LEFT THIS LIFE. HE SAID, “I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.” BY THE WAY, IN THE GREEK AGAIN, THE ARTICLE IS THERE - THE TRUTH - THE SAME WAY HE'S SAYING THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE. THESE ARE VERY SPECIFIC, NOT JUST GENERALLY WHAT IS GOOD OR RIGHT BUT THE CONCEPT OF A SYSTEM OF SOMETHING WHICH CAN BE KNOWN; SOMETHING WHICH CAN BE FOLLOWED BECAUSE IT IS FROM GOD. AND AS JOHN 17:17 SAYS, “THY WORD IS TRUTH.” WHAT IS TRUTH? THE WORD OF GOD. <br> <br>

      BUT NOW IN JOHN CHAPTER 1 WHAT WAS JESUS DESCRIBED AS? THE WORD. THE WORD BECAME FLESH. ISN'T THAT NEAT? THE TRUTH OF GOD, THE WORD OF GOD, THE WORD OF GOD IS TRUTH. JESUS IS THE WORD. WHAT DID JESUS COME TO BRING MAN? THE WORD OF THE FATHER. I DON'T SPEAK OF MY OWN WILL BUT ALL THAT I SAY IS FROM WHAT? THE FATHER - JESUS IS THE REPRESENTATION, THE EMBODIMENT OF GOD'S WORD. FOR AS GOD HE BROUGHT THE FULL MESSAGE, THE FULL REVELATION OF THE FATHER, IN A VOCAL WAY TO THIS EARTH. AS HE PROCLAIMED THE WORD OF GOD AS THE WORD OF GOD HE SPOKE GOD'S WORD OR GOD'S TRUTH. THEREFORE HE SAYS I AM THE TRUTH, I AM THE WORD. WHY? BECAUSE WHAT I BRING IS ONLY THE WORD OF GOD BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE FATHER, ONLY GIVEN TO ME BY HIM. AND I AM THE TRUTH FOR WHAT I SPEAK IS ONLY OF THE TRUTH OF GOD. <br> <br>

      STILL NOT CONVINCED? I DON'T SEE HOW YOU COULDN'T BE. BUT EVEN IN JOHN, AGAIN CHAPTER 1, A LITTLE BIT LATER I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WHAT IT GOES ON TO SAY IN VERSE 14 RIGHT AFTER IT TALKS ABOUT THE CONTEXT HERE OF JESUS. VERSE 14 SAYS, “THE WORD BECAME FLESH.” WE KNOW IT WAS JESUS BECAUSE HE'S THE ONE WHO DWELT AMONG US. ALTHOUGH THIS VERSE SAYS WE BEHELD HIS GLORY AND THE GLORY AS OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, HE WAS THE FULLNESS OF GOD BODILY AS PAUL SAYS. BUT IF YOU'LL NOTICE HERE JOHN, IN DEALING WITH WHAT IT IS THAT JESUS IS, IN THIS TEXT SAYS THAT HE WAS FULL OF GRACE AND GUESS WHAT? TRUTH - DOESN'T IT JUST MAKE SENSE THAT JESUS IS DESCRIBED AS THE WORD BECAUSE HE WAS THAT EMBODIMENT OF GOD'S WORD REVEALED TO MAN BY HIS MOUTH AS GOD IN THE FLESH. DOESN'T IT JUST MAKES SENSE THEN THAT HE IS TRUTH? I AM THE WAY - THE TRUTH, BECAUSE HE IS THE WORD. HE CAN SPEAK NOTHING EXCEPT IT BE FROM THE FATHER, HE CAN DO NOTHING EXCEPT IT BE FROM THE FATHER. <br> <br>

      BUT NOW WHAT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE AFTER HE SAYS THAT IT IS THIS SAME JESUS WHO IS FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH - DOWN JUST A FEW VERSES IN VERSE 17 GUESS WHAT HE SAYS AGAIN? THE LAW WAS GIVEN THROUGH MOSES BUT GRACE AND TRUTH CAME GUESS WHAT? THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. NOW, AGAIN THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IN VERSE 14, ALTHOUGH THE ARTICLE IS NOT THERE, THE CONCEPTS OF GRACE AND TRUTH ARE VERY SPECIFIC - AS IF TO SAY THE GRACE AND THE TRUTH. HOW DO I KNOW THAT? VERSE 17 THE ARTICLE IS INCLUDED. AND IT ACTUALLY SAYS HERE IF YOU WANT TO BE SPECIFIC IN THE ORIGINAL - AND AS THE LAW WAS GIVEN THROUGH MOSES BUT THE GRACE AND THE TRUTH CAME THROUGH HIM, JESUS CHRIST. WHAT? THE GRACE? ANYBODY WOULD SAY YEAH, GRACE IS A GIFT OF GOD. IT'S A SYSTEM OF CONCEPT OF GRACE. THAT IS THIS OFFER BY GOD THAT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD AND REACTED TO IN ORDER THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE THE GIFT AND ACT UPON THE GIFT TO DO OUR PART IN RESPONSE TO WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN. TRUTH IS THE SAME. TRUTH IS THAT WORD OF GOD AND IS REPRESENTED IN THE EMBODIMENT OF JESUS CHRIST WHO BROUGHT THE TRUTH OF GOD. FOR HE WAS DESCRIBED AS THE WORD BRINGING THAT TRUTH FOR GOD'S WORD IS TRUTH AND JESUS SAYS, “I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.” THAT'S WHY WHEN WE GO OVER NOW TO JOHN 14 AND WE LOOK AT THE TEXT AND HE SAYS, “I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE,” HE THEN ADDS THIS, “AND NO ONE CAN COME TO THE FATHER EXCEPT BY ME.” YOU MEAN THE ONLY WAY I CAN GET TO THE FATHER IN HEAVEN IS BY THIS JESUS WHO IS THE TRUTH? WHO IS THE WORD OF TRUTH? CERTAINLY THAT'S WHAT IT'S SAYING. THERE'S NO OTHER DIRECTION. IT MEANS I NEED ALL OF THESE THINGS; I NEED TO KNOW HIM AS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. BUT IF I LEAVE OUT ANY OF THOSE - INCLUDING THE TRUTH - IF I DON'T RESPECT THE TRUTH, THAT IS AGAIN THE IDEOLOGIES, THE CONCEPTS OF TRUTH WHICH ARE HIS WORD IN AND OF ITSELF, THE WORD OF THE FATHER - THAT'S WHAT I MUST FOLLOW. THAT'S WHAT I MUST DO.<br> <br> 

      NOW DO YOU BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THEN WHY THE VERSE - JOHN 8:32 - SAYS WE CAN KNOW THE TRUTH? NOT THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, OR WE MIGHT FIND THE TRUTH, OR WE MIGHT GET SOME OF IT. DEFINITIVELY JESUS SAYS YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES. WHEN YOU ABIDE IN ME YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH. YOU SEE, YOU SHALL KNOW IT. THERE IN CHAPTER 16 OF JOHN HE EVEN LATER SENDS THE COMFORTER, THE HOLY SPIRIT. AND YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE HE SAYS HE WILL GUIDE YOU IN ALL - GUESS WHAT? TRUTH. THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS SENT BY JESUS AFTER HE LEFT THIS EARTH TO GUIDE THE APOSTLES AS WE KNOW THEM IN NOT SOME TRUTH, ALL TRUTH. THE VERY TRUTH THAT WE ARE TOLD IN JOHN 8:32, “YOU CAN KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH CAN MAKE YOU FREE. AND WHAT FREEDOM - THE IDEA THAT JESUS CERTAINLY HAS LOVED US ENOUGH TO DO WHAT? TO GIVE HIS LIFE, TO SHED HIS BLOOD, THAT WE MIGHT NOT ONLY HAVE FORGIVENESS OF SIN BUT AS IT SAYS HERE THAT WE MIGHT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. DIDN'T JESUS SAY IN JOHN 14, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE? JESUS OFFERS THE LIFE COMPLETE, LIFE ETERNAL LIFE. KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE. <br> <br>

      I WANT YOU TO NOTICE ONE OTHER VERSE WITH ME AGAIN THERE THEN OVER IN ONE OF PAUL'S ACCOUNTS - EPHESIANS 4. AND IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 4 WE AGAIN NOTE THE IDEA OF TRUTH THAT IS CLEARLY GIVEN HERE IN SPECIFICALLY VERSE 21. AND THE BIBLE SAYS, “INDEED YOU HAVE HEARD HIM AND HAD BEEN TAUGHT BY HIM,” THAT WHAT? “THE TRUTH IS IN JESUS.” AGAIN, THERE'S AN ARTICLE THERE. IF I WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH WHERE IS IT? IN JESUS. WHAT IS THE TRUTH? IT'S JESUS. BUT WHAT SPECIFICALLY ABOUT JESUS? JESUS AS THE WORD - THE REVELATION OF THE WORD; GOD'S WORD BY WORD IS TRUE - JOHN 17:17 - WHICH HAS BEEN SPOKEN AND THEREFORE RECORDED THAT WE MIGHT KNOW IT. <br> <br>

      CAN WE KNOW THE TRUTH? YES. WHY? BECAUSE GOD'S GIVEN IT TO US. HOW MUCH OF IT? ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED OF GOD. “NO PROPHECY,” PETER SAYS, “IS A PRIVATE INTERPRETATION.” ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD BREATHED. IT'S INSPIRED. SO WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THE PRIVILEGE NOT TO SEEK AND NOT FIND BUT TO SEEK AND TO FIND BECAUSE GOD HAS REVEALED THE TRUTH THAT WE NEED TO KNOW AND THAT WE CAN KNOW - WHICH IS IN AND THROUGH JESUS CHRIST WHO IS THE WORD AND THE TRUTH - ONLY BECAUSE HE SPEAKS THE THINGS FROM THE FATHER. AND THEREFORE, AS WE KNOW AND LEARN OF HIM, UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WANTS, WE CAN BELIEVE AND OBEY. AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE OBEY? WHAT DID THAT VERSE SAY? THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE. THE TRUTH GIVES YOU FREEDOM - GIVES ME FREEDOM - BECAUSE I CAN KNOW WHAT HE WANTS AND I CAN OBEY IT AND THAT'S HOW I PROVE MY LOVE TO JESUS. “IF YOU LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS,” HE ONCE SAID. SO THIS MORNING FOLLOW GOD'S TRUTH AND GOD'S TRUTH ALONE ALL THE WAY TO HEAVEN.<br> <br>



CLOSING COMMENTS<br> <br>

	AGAIN, LET ME THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US THIS MORNING.  I HOPE WE ALL HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED THROUGH OUR TIME SPENT TOGETHER.  PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 7:30, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS SERVICE OF GOD.<br> <br>

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      THE BIBLE CONFIRMS THAT JESUS IS THE TRUTH!  DO YOU BELIEVE IT?  HAVE YOU RESPONDED TO IT?  HAVE YOU FULLY OBEY THE WORD OF GOD?  IF NOT, WHY NOT SET THINGS IN ORDER EVEN TODAY!<br> <br>