Truths to Live By

Judges 21:25        
Your values are your core beliefs that shape everything you do in life.
Your beliefs determine your behavior, and your behavior determines what you become.
It's the decay of moral values.
 
1.    Politics.
2.    Business.
3.    Entertainment.
4.    Education.
5.    Religion.
 
#1.  The Cause: Truth decay.
  • We don't value truth.
  • "I don't care if it's true or not, that's good enough for me."
  • "I know that this is wrong, but I'm going to do it anyway."
  • I set my standard as to what is right and wrong.
    1.  Individuality or individualism.
  • I live for myself.
  • "I have to do what's best for me."
  • Judges 21:25 (NLT) "In those days Israel had no (authority) so the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes."
    2. Secularism.
  • God is unnecessary.
  • It is television.
  • Romans 1:25 (NIV) "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped created things rather than the Creator."
    3.  Relativism.
  • No absolutes.
  • The idea behind relativism is that what's true for me may not be true for you.
  • "It doesn't matter what you do as long as you're sincere."
  • "It doesn't matter what you believe because it does matter."
  • Truth is narrow.
  • We value tolerance more than truth.
  • That's not correct.
  • Ephesians 4:17-19 (NLT) "They are hopelessly confused…their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God. They don't care anymore about right and wrong."
#2.  The Cost: Our culture is collapsing.
  • Proverbs 29:18 (LB) "Where there is ignorance of God, crime runs wild."
  • Where there is an ignorance of God, there is no standard of truth.
  • Isaiah 5:20 "Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light, and light is dark."
  • Proverbs 29:18 (GN) "A nation without God's guidance is a nation without order."
1. Our rights are endowed by our Creator. 
2. We are to follow the basic moral laws that have been laid out.
  1. It was discovered that 34% of the quotes of all the founding fathers of our nation were directly from the Bible.
  2. Psalm 11:3 (GWT) "When the foundations of life are undermined, what can good people do?"
#3.  The Cure: Rebuild the foundation.
  • Proverbs 2:9 (LB) "God shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time."
  • "Morality without God is impossible."
  • "A moral government without God is impossible."
  • 2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right."
1. Truth is universal.
2. Truth is unchanging.
  • Psalm 119:105 (LB) "God's Word is a flashlight to light the path ahead of me and keep me from stumbling."
  • Proverbs 16:20 (NLT) "Those who listen to God's instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be happy."
1.    An internal source.
2.    An external source.
3.    An eternal source.
  • Proverbs 16:20 (NLT) "Those who listen to God's instruction will prosper; those who trust in the Lord will be happy."