Seeing Truth Clearly - Part A

Spiritual vision spiritual clarity spiritual acuity belongs to those who go to the optometrist in this case, Dr. Jesus and admit that they don't see as clearly as they are fixed. Did you know that you could be going through the motions of a Christian, spiritually blind today on connect with Skip Skip begins a series called 2020 and helps you sharpen your focus on God's truth in your life.

Before we begin, we want to let you know about an opportunity for to visit the sites with the prophets and kings in the Bible heard from God in his life. When you are taking Israel in 2022 invited on the journey Nazareth, the Jordan River dancing Jerusalem and the Temple Mount argument, and that's just a quick look at the trip. Find out more about the trip that inspiration cruises.com/CA Q now let's dive into today's teacher will be in second Timothy chapter 4 Skip Heitzigs and begins the study. How many of you have noticed or are noticing that your vision changes as you get older.

When I say change it gets worse right so you you become farsighted and yet all things are really far away to be able to see that it's a condition called presbyopia. And it's because as we age we lose elasticity in the lands of RI so were unable to focus up close. Now that's not the only eye condition. Of course, if you're like me, I had to get glasses at a pretty early age. As a kid because my vision became impaired and we have a standard that wastes that are doctors, except for what is called normal vision of skull 2020 vision.

We've all heard that what that means is that's what the average I is able to read on and I chart at 20 feet away. That's normal.

If you have a worse vision than that, like 2030 vision what that means is if the average I can read that chart at 30 feet, you have to get closer 20 feet to be able to read so vision can change if your vision with corrective lenses is 2200 or worse, you are considered legally blind know what is true in the physical world is also true in the spiritual world. Spiritually, our vision can change a perhaps once we saw things very clearly they were black-and-white.

There were things that we commonly understood by as time goes on we change could be life experiences could be sin that enters our life that is on Dell with the produces a haze, a loss of sharpness lines become blurred. We can even become blinded. That's what Peter met in second Peter chapter 1 when he wrote to a young church told them to add to their faith to continue to grow, for he said, the more you grow like this. The more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ brought those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or at least very shortsighted. They've already forgotten the God cleanse them from their old life of sin. You may even recall that our Lord spoke to religious leaders who claimed to have 2020 vision. It was so prideful so boastful they thought they saw everything clearly and nobody else did. And Jesus called them blind. John chapter 9 Jesus that I've come to bring sight to the blind and to show those who think that they can see that they are blind. The Pharisees were standing there heard him and asked are you saying we are blind.

If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty. Jesus replied but you remain guilty because you claim that you can see, so here's the deal. Spiritual vision, spiritual clarity, spiritual acuity belongs to those who go to the optometrist in this case, Dr. Jesus and admit that they don't see as clearly as they ought to see and he'll fix you up, whereas spiritual blindness is a metaphor for the unwillingness or the inability to see spiritual truth.

That's what I want to talk about spiritual truth. There is a crisis of truth today people are cynical about truth people as they age come to this place sort like Pontius Pilate who stood before the truth himself, Jesus Christ, who spoke of the truth and Pilate in a very cynical fashion for what is truth. I think even with this coronavirus pandemic people are left scratching their heads trying to figure out. So which expert is right. We've heard so many models and narratives and so many have been wrong and what we thought was way it was. Isn't the way it really is. So what exactly do we believe, what is the truth so many contradictory messages. There's a little video to illustrate that you may have seen this on social media that I really don't understand why everything is following the same rules right now very clear statement.

Let's go over them again.

First, you must not leave the house for any reason unless of course you have a reason, then you may leave the house. All stores are closed except those that are open.

All stores must close unless of course they need to stay open this virus is deadly. But don't be afraid to kill people who are vulnerable and also those who are not vulnerable. We should stay lot down into the never stops infecting people and will only stop infecting people. If enough of us get infected and build immunity. So it is very important that we get infected and also do not get infected. You should not go to the doctor's office or the hospital unless you have to go there unless of course you're too sick to go there. This virus has no effect on children except for those children in which it affects the virus may act on different services for two hours or four hours or six hours but in most cases, if not hours in the damp environment where cold environment that is warm and dry and began unless the air is plastic schools are close seeming to homeschool your children unless you can send them to school because you are not home you are at home can school your children using various portals in online classrooms unless you have poor Internet more than one child. Only one computer, or you are working from home baking cakes can be considered math, science or art. If you are home educating can include household chores with in their education curriculum and if you are home educating. You may start drinking at approximately 10 AM every day. If you're not home educating children. You may also start drinking at approximately 10 AM asked useless at protecting you against the virus, but you still need to wear one because it can save lives.

In some cases it may even be mandatory, but also maybe not must not go to work but you will get another job, at which point you may go to work, stay home. Celebrities we need to have tell you how important it is to go outside and take care of your mental health. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarket. There are simply many things missing. You need to go by a bunch of toilet paper, but you should buy some. In case you needed your sick may go out once you are better, but those in the household. They cannot go out once you are better unless of course they need to collect animals are not affected by the virus, except It is deposited and has been February plus a couple types and number of corona related deaths will be announced daily, but we don't know how many people are infected because we are only testing those almost dead to determine if that they will die.

The people who die in Corona who are not counted, want, or will be counted, but maybe not. To help protect yourself during these times should be eating well and exercising the exercise and eating what you have called to avoid going to the stores and machine toilet paper or fence panel is important to get fresh air don't go to parks, but do go other places still sit down as your old pregnant. If you do sit down does it for too long.

Unless you are old, pregnant, in which case you need to sit down if you do sit down delete unless you have a long walk which are allowed to do. If you are old or pregnant except for times in which you aren't physical people, but you have a moral obligation to take care of people and bring them food and medicine. And finally, no businesses, no go down to the coronavirus except those businesses that go down to the Cove in 19 help clear up any questions about what we should and should not be doing during this time. Please educate your friends and family. With this information so we can talk Asian surrounding this time they are so now we know exactly what we should be doing during this time, and you can understand why people like Pontius Pilate might look at this. What is the truth.

We are in second Timothy chapter 4, let me just give you a brief thumbnail sketch of the background of this book.

This is the final letter to Paul the apostle ever wrote.

You might see it as his last will and testament, certainly not his last words, but his last recorded words there written to young Timothy, his protégé, the one he raised up in the faith and placed at the city of Ephesus.

Largely, though there are themes in the book that are very largely he speaks about his worry over apostasy. That means a falling away from the truth.

A departure from the truth because of deception in both first Timothy and second Timothy as well as other writings. Paul is concerned that people who once believed the truth could gradually become deceived because of false teachers that come in because they become jaded over what is right and what is wrong. So here's a real concern about deception.

Somebody wants Saddam's attributed typically to Mark Twain that a lie can travel halfway around the world while truth is still lacing up her boots.

Save me from the very beginning question God's truth in the garden of Eden he said to Adam and Eve has God indeed said, did God really say what you think he said how do you know that's the word of God. How can you be sure that you are listening to the voice of God. That's the same question that lingers today has God indeed said most people frankly are not sure what God has indeed set so we felt it's time to get a refresher course on the foundations of biblical truth.

This is an introductory message. Second Timothy chapter 4 would you look at three steps to seeing truth clearly three criteria for spiritual vision there simple be concerned.

Be cautious, be careful easy right be concerned. The cautious, be careful say that with me. The concern be cautious, be careful. Now let's see about what what Paul tells Timothy in these verses is be concerned about knowing the truth. Look at how he frames it verse one I charge you, therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom preach the word be ready in season and out of season convinced rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables, but you be watchful in all things, endure affliction do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. I want to string together a few words in these five verses. I want you to notice them with me. They are all appositional terms. Let's look look at verse to notice the phrase the word I'll get back to that limited the word preach the word. Also in verse two.

You'll notice the word at the end of the verse teaching so connect that with the word and teaching verse three. Notice the phrase sound doctrine verse four. Look at the phrase the truth and then in verse five the very end of your ministry. The word teaching sound doctrine the truth your ministry. All those are appositional nouns, meaning there are speaking about the same thing there just a little nuance with each word a little bit of a twist.

What Paul is basically saying in these five verses is your ministry Timothy is to teach people the word which is sound doctrine that sums up your calling that what does Paul mean when he says preach the word while we would understand that the New Testament Christians as the New Testament the Old Testament the whole Bible, the Scriptures, and we are accurate, but you need to see it in its context go back if you don't mind. Chapter 3 verse 14 as well as one a look at every text in its context and its unmistakable as you read it, but you must continue.

Verse 14 and the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine reproved correction instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Keep reading without getting our passage I charge you, therefore, based on what I just said about the Scriptures. I'm charging you. Therefore Timothy preach the word so the word equals the Scriptures equals doctrine equals truth truth, we are primarily people of the truth. We are those who follow the one who said I am the way, the truth and the life of Daniel. Chapter 10 because the Scripture the Scripture of truth because the Scriptures tell us the truth about God, about us, about our condition about our need and truth is tied to the word doctrine uses the time will, they will not endure sound doctrine never happens to be a word Paul likes a lot, he uses it a lot.

19 times in all of Paul's writings, he uses that word D.Scalia. The Greek word for doctrine to support the means teaching. Teaching or instruction. It's a good word. It's a word you shouldn't be afraid of, and yet it's a word I feel a lot of people are sort of afraid of.

In fact, the word doctrine is one of those words. I feel sorry for you if that's possible to feel sorry for word insert like somebody gets a name that's where you guys feel sorry that I got as I have that name is: Skip Skip over it.

So doctrine is a word I feel sorry for because I hear the conversations of well-intentioned believers who marginalize the idea of Dr. I don't want to talk about doctrine and it's so technical and potentially divisive. I'd rather just talk about Jesus because it's just good and loving but not doctrine. Listen, you would know who Jesus was word not for doctrine, it means teaching it's instruction about Jesus and I fear that many Christians treat Scripture like they treat their operators manual for their vehicle. You know it's there somewhere. Probably a glove compartment.

I'm guessing most people keep their most manufacturers put their but who really buys a car and goes home and reads the owners metal you might have wanted to but honestly nobody reads that thing and tell something breaks. If it goes wrong. We consult the owner's manual to find out what to do with it. My fear is that the manual of truth. This is the manufacturer's manual for how to do life is overlooked by many Christ followers summer preaching that what you feel about the truth is more important than the truth itself. Your feelings are paramount, not the truth, not objective truth, but subjective feelings about. That's a danger.

The prophet Hosea in chapter 4 declared my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, but not destroyed for lack of love they're not destroyed for lack of spirited singing are not destroyed for lack of emotion there destroyed for lack of knowledge. Acts chapter 2, verse 42 tells us what the priorities were of the early church.

They continued steadfastly in the number one on the list of apostles doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.

First Timothy chapter 4, the apostle says, until I come give attention to reading exhortation and doctrine when he writes to Titus, another protégé of Paul's people say teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

One of my favorite quotes regarding truth in Scripture comes from the late Dr. James Montgomery Boyce offered it up so you can see what he said. He said we do not have a strong church today, nor do we have many strong Christians.

We can trace the cause to an acute lack of sound spiritual knowledge asked the average Christian to talk about God. After getting past the expected answers.

You will find that his God is a little God of vacillating sentiments" see in this case.

In this case, ignorance is not bliss. And I don't know what the Bible says by any ignorance is not a good position to take my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

I had a friend who pastored a Bible teaching church at one time he decided to get away from teaching the Scriptures get into a whole different way of doing church and he came to me one time and made this admission because I have to admit, sadly, my church has become biblically illiterate. They kick they couldn't find their way around the Bible if they had. I haven't been teaching them the Scripture and it was a sorrowful conversation was a repenting conversation. He knew he needed and wanted to change that four times. Jesus said the leaders have you not read. In other words, I'm holding you accountable to know where things are to have a working knowledge of reading ability of Scripture, so be concerned about knowing the true that's the first step in seeing clearly getting 2020 vision is to be concerned about knowing the truth.

Second step is to be cautious about neglecting the truth. Verse three for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables fables in our our culture has rejected the truth of one of the reasons and there are several reasons for by the way, one of the reasons is a journalism in our culture. Overtime has become sensationalized every every article has spin is an editorial thought behind it. There's an agenda behind it. Information is impure information it's skewed information that Skip the message from the series 2020 usual resource that helps you dive even deeper into God's truth. There's a top 10 list for just about everything. What about a top 10 list they can actually impact your faith. See my six top 10 messages will really make a mark is a symbol from what most people don't know about heaven. Somebody once said their very to be at least three surprises in heaven. First of all, who is there that you thought would never make it. Second, who's not there that you were sure would make it in the number three. The fact that you yourself are there by God's grace. You Skip teach on heaven, hell, in the end times and topics like the Holy Spirit.

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Thank you tomorrow Skip Heitzig six years practical ways you can nourish spiritual truth in your daily life policy-The truth, the faith, the gospel of the doctrine to the very end. I fulfilled and I finished the task, our calling as a Christian church in this generation is to believe the truth love the truth speak the truth past the truth on the next generation and live so connect with Skip Heitzig presentation of connection communications to go through ever-changing time