Hello friend; I’m Mack Lyon. The program’s a Bible study “In Search of the Lord’s Way.” This world is filled with uncertainties and disappointments. Still, there are some absolute certainties– truths that never change. Oh say, that’s reassuring, isn’t it? Phil Sanders has prepared some thoughts about those things and you’re going to want to hear him. So, don’t go away.
Thank you, Mack! Hello, I’m Phil Sanders and this is In Search of the Lord’s Way, where we search the Scriptures to find the Lord’s teaching about salvation and the Christian life. Thanks so very much for spending this time with us. We really appreciate hearing from you that you’re watching or listening, and we want to be a part of your life each week.
Because of my ministry I get the opportunity to travel throughout the United States. I see folks at the Oklahoma City airport way too frequently. Some days are filled with dark clouds and rain. You can easily get wet and cold. Going through the lines with my bags, getting settled in my seat, and taking off in the plane can be stressful. But there’s one experience in an airplane that never gets old to me. It reminds me of something that I really need to know. No matter how dark, how wet, how cold, or how dreary a day may be, the sun still shines above the clouds.
The clouds may temporarily block the sun, but the sun is still shining. Life may seem dark and dreary on earth, but the brightness of the sun hasn’t diminished, not even one little bit. Truth may seem hidden for a time by our culture, the clouds; but, you see, it’s like the sun, it’s not lost, it’s not any less true. The Bible urges us to “Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding” (Proverbs 23 and verse 23). Buying the truth means taking the time to search it out of the Word of God; because, you see, God wants us to know the truth and to live it out. Today I want us to explore some lasting truths that are unchangeable and undeniable. They’re truths about which you can be sure.
For thirty years Mack Lyon and I have offered the information on this program free, and you know what we’ll keep on doing that. We don’t ask for money and if you would like a printed copy, a CD or a tape of today’s lesson, mail your request to In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or by e-mail to searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, if you like, call our toll-free telephone number. Now we’ll pay for the call, and that number is 1-800-321-8633. We also stream this program on our website at www.searchtv.org.
Ken Helterbrand will lead us in singing now, and lead the Edmond Church of Christ; and then we’ll read from the Bible 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 22-25.
Our reading today from God’s Holy Word comes from 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 22 to 25. “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” May God bless the reading of his Word. Let’s pray. O Heavenly Father, we are grateful for Your truth that comes to us revealed through the Word of God. And, Father, help us to be obedient to that truth in every way. Forgive our weaknesses and help us always, Father, to love You with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!
Some things are disposable, some things last for years, some things last a lifetime, and some things are eternal. Many people live for the present and lose sight of what lasts forever. You know we’re wise if we recognize the importance of what’s eternal.
Thousands of years ago God told Noah in Genesis 8, verse 22, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Now, what God told Noah has remained true all these thousands of years: the regular passing of day and night and the seasons of the year have not changed in all of these years. The world depends on these laws and how reliable they are through time. How come there’s never been a change in all these years-- day and night continues, seasons continue? It’s because God regulates it and God keeps His promises. He is the power behind it; and you can be sure!
The Bible praises Moses for his wisdom in choosing what is lasting. Hebrews 11:24 to 26 says, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.”
You see, Moses realized there was something greater than being Pharaoh’s grandson. And in spite of all the riches, all the power, and all the advantages of being Pharaoh’s grandson, Moses chose to live like an Israelite. In those days God’s people, Israel, were enslaved to Egypt and treated horribly. But, Moses chose the God of Israel over the gods of Egypt, because the God of Israel was and still is the true God.
We all live between two worlds, one filled with physical things and one with spiritual. And we’ve got to understand that what we see physically in this world is not all that exists. The apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4, verses 16 to 18, “Therefore,” the Bible says, “we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
What are some of these eternal, absolute truths? What is eternally sure and certain? There are at least five things that are more certain than the shining sun. And you can count on them as more certain than a twenty-four hour day. They are spiritual truths that are eternal, and they’ll last longer than the earth and you can be sure of them. They are absolutes.
First, you can be sure God exists and that He is eternal. The Bible says in Romans 1 and verse 20, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” The existence of the sun, moon and the stars speak clearly of the eternal powers and divine nature of God. Psalm 19, verse 1 says that, “The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
Our own physical bodies bear witness that a very powerful and intelligent Being created us. My friend, the more you know about how complex and intricate our bodies are, the more you realize that you could never be the result of an accident or evolution. We’re a designed being, physically and morally, and we were designed by God. It’s clear that God designed us to live in this world; and if the world was different or we were different, we could never have survived. Without an intelligent Designer and a moral Designer, this world doesn’t make sense. My friend, you can be sure there is a God. Now you might be having some questions about what I’ve said. It may be that you would like to ask more questions or you would like a little more information. Please let me know! Tell me about it! And we will be glad to talk more about those evidences for God’s existence.
Moses proclaimed in Psalm 90, verses 1 and 2, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. And before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting,” the Bible says, “you are God.”
Second, you can be sure that Jesus is the Divine Son of God. The Bible says in John 1, verses 1 to 3 that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. And all things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Now, in verse 14 of this same chapter, John 1, the Bible says, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” My friend, Jesus has always been Divine. He became flesh and dwelled among us.
The Scriptures further say about Jesus in John 3, verses 35 and 6 that, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” God has made Jesus Lord and has given Him everything, put it into His hands. He has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28 and verse 18). He is Lord of all and has authority over all flesh (John 17 and verse 2).
Moses predicted that Jesus would come and be Lord of all. And the Bible says in Acts 3, verses 22 to 24 that Moses predicted, “The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed, and they will be destroyed from the people.” Because Jesus, my friend, is the Lord and is the Son of God, and the most important thing that you can do is listen and obey Him.
Third, you can be sure God’s Word, the Bible, is true and is eternal. Psalm 119, verse 89 proclaims, “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed (or settled) in the heavens.” God’s Word doesn’t change with the generations; it remains the same. It was true when it was written and it’s true today. When Jesus told the devil, “It is written,” in Luke chapter 4, He was making it clear that what God had told Moses to write some 1500 years before He was born, it is still true and still full of authority. One might translate the phrase, “it is written” as “it stands written.” You see, God wrote it, and nothing can change it or weaken it, its authority. It stands, because God meant for it to stand. You can deny it, the Bible, avoid it, hide it, or debate it; you can even get everyone to agree with you against the Word; but at the end of the day God’s revealed Word stands as the spiritual and moral authority in our lives. God’s Word stands because God stands!
The Lord Jesus promised in Matthew 24, verse 35 that, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” God’s book, God’s only book-- the Bible, will survive when everything else is gone.
In 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 23 to 25 it says, “Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this is the word, the good word, the good news that was preached to you.”
The Lord Jesus said in John 12 and verse 48 that, “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken,” the word that we can read in the New Testament, “will judge him on the last day.” You see, we’ll be judged by every word the Lord Jesus speaks. You can’t ignore the Words of Jesus forever. They’ll be brought forward as the standard of what is right and true and moral. And you will be judged by them, not by opinion polls or the ideas of the day. You can be sure God’s Word will be present on the last day, the Day of Judgment.
Fourth, you can be sure of the love of God for His people. God’s love is undeserved, intentional, and sacrificial. God loves us even when we don’t deserve to be loved, and His grace is greater than our sins. God’s love is intentional. Jesus laid down His life on His own initiative. God isn’t obligated to us; we’re obligated to Him, but He intentionally chose to love and to bless us. God’s love is sacrificial. He so loved us that He was willing to sacrifice His only begotten Son Jesus, and Jesus bore our sins in his body, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Peter 2 and verse 24). According to 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21, God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
The love of God is far greater than I can understand or describe. There’s never been a moment or a fraction of a moment when God has not loved His people. Romans 8:35 to 39 asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Fifth, you can be sure Jesus is coming again. The Bible tells us in Acts 1, verses 10 and 11 that Jesus ascended to heaven. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” They made it clear: Jesus is coming back again.
When Jesus comes He will raise all the dead; He will judge mankind. The Lord Jesus said in John 5, verses 28 and 29, “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to a resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to a resurrection of judgment.”
Each one of us must one day give an account to Jesus Christ for the lives that we have lived. Second Corinthians 5 and verse 10 says “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one of us may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Those who have rejected Jesus and lived ungodly lives have reason to fear His coming, but those who have believed in Him and obeyed Him can look forward to His coming with joy and promise.
Jesus promised that He would prepare a place for us, and God keeps His promises. The Lord Jesus said in John 14, verses 1 to 3, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. And if it were not so, I would have told you for I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am there you may be also.”
Because we believe there is a God, that Jesus is Lord, that the Word of God is true and that God loves us, we can have assurance we can have a home in heaven. Let’s put our trust in God and in His Word and live our lives worthy of the promises that He has made to us. Let’s pray. Father, we are grateful for Your word which is so certain and sure. And, Father, we put ourselves into Your hands knowing that You will keep every promise. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Truth is true and authoritative regardless of what people think or say. You can try to hide it, ignore it, deny it, rationalize it away, forget it, hate it, or argue against it; but the Truth remains firm and untouched. It stands the test of time and circumstance because God spoke it.
So the Bible urges in Proverbs 23:23, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.” Don’t settle for anything less than the truth. Don’t be deceived by a half-truth or by a counterfeit religion. God gave us the truth in Christ and in the Bible; we have to store it up in our hearts, to buy it. We have to then use the truth to judge between what is from God and what’s not. We have to search out the truth to have confidence in what we believe and practice. John Huss said over 600 years ago, “Seek the truth, listen to the truth, teach the truth, love the truth, abide by the truth, and defend the truth unto death.”
We must love and obey the truth if we hope to have eternal life. We must believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Hebrews 11 and verse 6 says that without faith, we can’t please God. The truth means that we’re to be honest about our sins. We know they’re wrong and we’ve got to forsake our sins in repentance. The truth means that we confess Christ before others and we’re baptized for the remission of our sins. Jesus taught baptism is necessary to salvation in both Mark 16:16 and John 3 and verse 5, and so whenever we baptize we immerse a penitent believer in water so that they might have their sins washed away and be united with Christ. Why not find reassurance by placing your faith in Christ and obeying His teaching? Nothing will bless your life more than knowing that you are right with the living God.
We hope that today’s study is reassuring to you. If you want a free printed copy, a CD, or a tape of this message, mail your request to In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or you can e-mail us at searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, you can call the Search office toll-free; that’s 1-800-321-8633. Now all our programs appear on our website at www.searchtv.org. You can see as much as two years of them. You can also access these programs in a printed, audio, or video format. We offer free study sheets to go along with our programs and you can download them free as well. They’ll help you study God’s Word with us.
Please visit one of the churches of Christ in the area served by this station or network. Tell them that you saw the program. The support from churches of Christ and our friends keep us from asking for money from you. Well, Mack and I will be back next week, Lord willing; and keep searching God’s Word with us and tell a friend. God bless you and we love you from all of us at In Search of the Lord’s Way.
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