Scripture Reading: John 15:20-25
How Truth Sounds
Intro.
1. Jesus often urged people to have ears to hear (accept) His words, Matt. 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mk. 4:9; Lk. 8:8.
2. Jesus also said to be careful how you hear, Lk. 8:18.
3. “Truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth.”
a. Those who hated truth, hated Jesus, Jno. 15:18, 21-25.
b. Those who love truth, love Jesus and His word, Psa. 119:47-48, 97 (113, 127, 140, 165, 167 – great affection for and loyalty too).
4. How does truth sound to you? Jno. 6:60-68
5. Does the person who tells you the truth become your enemy? Gal. 4:16 (Today, God’s truth is often viewed as “hate speech.”)
I. TRUTH THAT IS HATED BY THOSE WHO HATE THE TRUTH.
A. There is Only One Church, Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:21-23; 4:4; 5:23.
1. Jesus built His church; His body; The fullness of Christ; “One body” (not thousands); Jesus saves His body (church).
2. History displays the apostasy away from truth, resulting in Roman Catholicism and the Orthodox Churches, 1 Tim. 4:1-3.
3. Protestantism grew out of RCC, Creeds solidified division of denominations.
4. Gospel plea: Go back to the Bible! Matt. 13:18-19, 23
a. Salvation is only in the church of (belonging to) Christ, Acts 2:47; Eph. 5:23.
b. The churches of men are not the church of Christ, 1 Cor. 3:11.
-How does this truth sound to you? Like “hate speech,” or love?
B. Water Baptism is Necessary for Salvation, Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:37-41; 22:16; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:21.
-Not infant baptism, Not sprinkling/pouring, not after salvation
-How does this truth sound to you? Like “hate speech”, or love?
C. There is Only One Cause for Divorce and Remarriage that has God’s Approval, Matt. 19:3-6, 9-12.
1. “You forbid marriage and command divorce!”
2. God forbids adultery and commands fidelity, Rom. 7:1-3.
-How does this truth sound to you? Like “hate speech,” or love?
D. The LGBTQ Lifestyle is a Perversion of Love.
1. Homosexual conduct is unnatural and unholy, Rom. 1:24-28; 1 Cor. 6:9-10.
2. Same-sex marriage is not marriage, Gen. 2:23-24; Heb. 13:4.
-How does this truth sound to you? Like “hate speech,” or love?
Conclusion
1. Ahab hated Micaiah because he spoke truth, 1 Kgs. 22:7-8.
2. The people of Jerusalem hated Jeremiah because he spoke truth, Jer. 20:7-10.
3. People hated Jesus because He spoke truth, Jno. 15:24-25.
4. People will hate you when you speak the truth, Matt. 5:11-12.
5. Be sure that truth sounds lovely to your ear, Psa. 119:140.
Notes
Hate Speech:
“definitions.uslegal.com, "Hate speech is a communication that carries no meaning other than the expression of hatred for some group, especially in circumstances in which the communication is likely to provoke violence. It is an incitement to hatred primarily against a group of persons defined in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and the like. Hate speech can be any form of expression regarded as offensive to racial, ethnic and religious groups and other discrete minorities or to women."
“So we can see that hate speech is that which attacks a person or group based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation and has the potential result of inciting harm.
“...it is not bigoted, narrow-minded, or hate speech to say we follow God and believe that homosexuality, pornography, pedophilia, rape, adultery, etc., are all wrong.” (Matt Slick, “What is Hate Speech?”, https://carm.org/hate-speech)
By: Joe R. Price
Posted: April 13, 2017