Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
April 29, 2001 p.m.
Myths That Destroy Our Faith
Determining Truth
Reading: John 8.31-32 & 37; John 17.17 and Matthew 7.24-27
This morning we talked about GRACE... And how salvation was by Grace through faith.
This evening we want to focus more on the faith aspect of our salvation and notice some MYTHS that tend to destroy our faith.
How many of us, growing up, were taught about the tooth fairy? How many about Santa Claus?... The Easter Bunny?... The Great Pumpkin?
How many of us were taught that we should always wear clean underwear in case we were in an accident and had to be taken to the emergency room?
You see... There are certain myths of our culture that we believe in.
Now... As we became adults... We leaned other myths from the world.
Like childhood myths... Most of them are harmless... Some are even helpful.
But there are some myths, some things that we've learned from the world, that aren’t true... And that really are very harmful.
So... Tonight... The Myths That Destroy Our Faith.
One of the most common myths in American religious circles goes like this... It doesn’t matter what you believe... As long as you’re sincere.
It sounds so good,
It sounds broad-minded... Reasonable... Tolerant... Unprejudicial... Unbiased.
In today's culture... It’s certainly politically correct.
The only problem with it is... It’s absurd to hold such a myth... It’s irrational.
I recently heard about a man who was to follow a preacher across Houston, Texas, to a place where they were to meet another individual. He was suppose to follow the preacher's white van. As they headed out, they got in a traffic jam and he lost sight of the white van for a while. Later the man spotted the van and followed it almost to Galveston before realizing it was the wrong white van.
From the Bible, we are all familiar with the Jews on Pentecost. They thought they were doing right in crucifying Jesus, because they perceived Him as a threat to the Judaistic teachings of Abraham and Moses. They saw Jesus as a false prophet rather than the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. They were sincere... But sincerely wrong. The Ethiopian eunuch was sincerely religious. He had been to Jerusalem to worship God... But was outside of Christ.
Sincere in his beliefs... But lost.
In Acts 10, we meet Cornelius... A good man... God fearing... Generous... Morally correct... Sincere... but without Jesus.
You see... We can be sincere... But we can be sincerely wrong.
The fact is that it takes more than a sincere faith... Our faith must be grounded in TRUTH.
If the altimeter on an airplane is not calibrated properly to the terrain, it can cause a crash... Because it causes the pilot to believe he is higher than they really is.
So... We understand that there are some beliefs in life that if we don’t correct, we’re gonna crash.
We see it happening all the time in those around us... It can happen to us.
Tonight, I want to examine six facts about our belief system...
First... Our Beliefs Are Our Own Choice.
Nobody forces us to believe anything.
If we want to believe Elvis is alive... We can.
If we want to believe in the Loch Ness monster... We can.
If we want to believe the moon is made of cheese... Or the world is flat... We can.
If you want to believe Jim Branstetter is a good fisherman... You can... Nobody is stopping you.
Here’s the point... We can’t blame anybody else for our beliefs.
God created us free moral agents.
We can believe and act in the way we choose... It's our choice... A God-given choice.
Joshua challenged Israel to... Choose today who you will serve, the gods of Egypt or Jehovah.
Romans one says... For although they knew God... They neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator.
What we believe is our own choice... Yet some of our beliefs might need to be replaced or repaired.
Secondly... Our Beliefs Determine Our Behavior.
Proverbs 23.7 tells us... As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
Jesus said... Out of the heart man speaks... Out of the heart comes the issues of life.
In Romans 12... Paul tells us that a transformed life is brought about by renewing our minds.
We must be careful how we think because our life is shaped by our thoughts. We do not act independently of our mind, our thoughts. Everything we do has a conscious or unconscious belief behind it... For instance...
When you sat down... You unconsciously believed that the pew would hold you up... RIGHT?
When we get in our car after services, we believe it will start.
If we go to the Dairy Queen after services, we believe the girl will fix what we order.
Everything we do has a belief behind it.
Now, the problem is this... Our beliefs determine the way we act even when they’re wrong... Even when they’re false... For instance...
-If we believe we’re unlovable... We will act unlovable.
-If we believe other people cannot be trusted... We’ll tend to treat them with suspicion.
-If we believe that God is unconcerned about us... We’ll never pray.
-If we believe that one is saved by grace alone, we will never be found in obedience to His will.
-If we believe there is no hell... We will make no effort to avoid it.
-If we believe we must merit our salvation... We'll always be found frustrated and always
unsure of our salvation... And striving for the impossible.
The point is this... Even if our beliefs are wrong... They still affect our behavior.
So... We need to examine our beliefs... frequently... and honestly.
Indeed... The World Has Taught Us Many False Beliefs.
We need to understand that we can't believe everything we hear, or even everything we see.
Did you see Forest Gump?
This movie blended fact and fiction together to the extent that we found ourselves not knowing when historical fact finished and fiction began. Technology today has given us virtual reality where sometimes it is impossible to distinguish between fact and fiction.
The world presents us with myths everyday... I once read a headline on the National Inquirer at the grocery store... New Discovery... Fat Burning Prayers.
Pray these prayers, and the fat just melts away.
We laugh at this... But there are a lot of things that just aren’t funny:.. There are MYTHS that really mess up our lives... Here are some such myths...
Sin is a disease or the result of our environment or genetics.
All of our problems are somebody else’s fault.
We never have to take responsibility for our behavior.
Guilt is detrimental to humans... So... There is never any reason to feel guilty.
We'll always be happy... If we always get whatever we want.
All religious people are going to heaven... Just by different means.
The answer to man's problems is within himself... Not in religion... Religion is only a crutch for the ignorant.
Now, the Bible gives us some very blunt advise about this.
The Old Testament tells us... The way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks
to direct his own steps... There is a way that seems right to man... But the end thereof is death.
1 John 4.1 says, Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether
they are from God, because many false teachers have gone out into the world.
Question! Is our faith and practice based upon the myths of this world or from Scripture?
Fourthly... A belief does not have to be true in order for it to affect us.
I remember an evening several years ago at the old Town House... Georgia and I left the sliding glass door opened so we could enjoy the sound of the rain and the cool. I went to sleep thinking about all the possibilities that could happen if someone walked into the bedroom. I woke up about 1:30 thinking I was hearing voices. I saw a shadow crossing the deck. My heart started racing... Adrenaline shot into my system... My muscles tensed up. I tried to get out of bed... I tried to wake Georgia... But could neither move nor speak... It was a raccoon.
You see, this kind of thing happens all the time... Doesn't it.
We worry about things that aren’t true... We're afraid of things that will never happen.
So... Even when a belief is not true... It still has the power to cause turmoil in our life.
Jesus said... You shall know the truth... And the truth shall make you free.
Folk... When we know the truth... Apply the truth... Live the truth... It will sanctify us, saves us... And set us free... This is the promise of Jesus... Believe it!!
The Only Source Of Absolute Truth Is God.
Jesus, in our text says... Sanctify them through Thy truth... Thy word is truth.
Romans 3.4 says... Let God be true... and every man a liar.
Some fundamental questions we need answered are...
What is truth?
What is going to be the authority for my life?
What’s going to be the basis for my faith and practice?
What’s my north star... My compass?
When life tumbles in... Where do I go for help... assistance... and comfort?
I believe the Bible to teach... There are two sources of TRUTH...
One is God's Word...
The second is Jesus.
Sanctify them through Thy TRUTH... Thy WORD is TRUTH.
Then Jesus said... I am the way... the truth.. the life.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and.... TRUTH.
When it comes down to it... We only have only two options...
We either follow the word of the world... Or... The Word of God.
We will either build our life on what culture says... Or on what Christ says.
The world... Or the word.
Which of them do you think is more reliable?
The problem with... Culture... Society... Conventional wisdom... Is that it just keeps changing.
The therapy that works today... Isn’t the therapy that was popular five years ago.
While God’s knowledge is ultimate and always true.
For instance an entire generation was brought up on the best selling book of all time, next to the Bible... Dr. Spock’s Baby Book.
The only problem is... A few years ago, Dr. Spock... In his 70s... Publicly said... Oops... I was wrong... That’s not the way to do it... I’m sorry... Never mind.
Well... Thanks a lot... It’s a little late... Some of us are already dysfunctional.
The point is... An entire generation was raised on one way of parenting, that studies later confirmed didn’t work.
The average lifetime of a science textbook is eighteen months... It’s out of date because knowledge is changing and increasing so rapidly.
Church... We must not put our faith in something that changes every few days.
Jesus said... Heaven and earth will pass away... But My words will never pass away.
Folk... His Word is never out-of-date!!
God’s Truth Is Key To Our Happiness And Salvation.
Notice these facts from the four gospels...
· 80 times Jesus says this... I tell you the truth.
· 20 times Jesus says... Now you have heard it said... But I say to you.
What’s He doing?... He’s exploding the myths that rob us of our faith.
In the Sermon On The Mount Jesus frequently was found saying... You’ve heard it said...
This is conventional wisdom...
This is what everybody thinks...
This is Rabbinic righteousness...
But I say to you... The truth sets you free.
Jesus says... Building a life is a lot like... building a house.
We can build our house on the solid rock... God’s unchanging truth.
Or we can build our house on the sand... The constantly changing opinions of the world.
Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise-man who built his house on the rock.
OK - now let’s make application of these thoughts on our belief system
First... We must know the truth.
We must be truth seekers.
Paul warns us... A time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths... MYTHS THAT ROB US OF OUR FAITH!!
Jesus says... You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.
Paul says... Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.
Secondly... Knowing the truth is not enough... We must believe it... Accept it.
There is an interesting verse in John which says... To those who believed... He gave the power... The authority... The right... To become children of God.
In Acts 2.41, Luke says... So those who believed and accepted Peter's message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added to their number.
I must warn you tonight that:
Sometimes truth is painful.
Sometimes the truth is unpleasant.
But it is the only way to be genuinely set free from our sins... And to rise above the problems and cares of this world... It’s the only way to guarantee us a place in heaven.
Then we must OBEY truth.
Not everyone who says LORD... LORD will enter the Kingdom... But he that does the will of My Father. Ephesians 4 says... Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Truth is not just something we give mental assent to...
It’s something we apply to life...
Something we obey...
Something we walk in daily.
Folk... Christianity is not just some intellectual trip...
It’s a life to be lived.
A walk to walk.
Paul warns in 2 Thessalonians 2... We perish because we refused to love the truth and so be saved.
How does one go to hell?... There is only one way to folk... Are you listening?... Do I have everybody’s attention?... Hell is the result of refusing to KNOW... BELIEVE... And OBEY TRUTH!!
Jesus said... I am the truth... Are we following Jesus?
How do you get to heaven?
Not by just being good...
Not by just getting baptized...
Not by joining a church...
Not by taking communion...
Not by giving generously...
There’s only one way to heaven... It is by KNOWING... ACCEPTING... And OBEYING truth.
Sanctify them by Thy truth... Thy word is truth.
You shall know the truth... And the truth will set you free.
And when the Son set you free... You are free indeed.
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock.
Become a child of God... Be set free from your sins... By:
FAITH...
REPENTANCE...
And New Testament BAPTISM... Immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins.
If you are His child tonight... Acknowledge your sins... Walk in the LIGHT of TRUTH as we stand and sing this invitation song.
