Truth

Here are three lessons I presented at our congregation, which promote the usage of the TRUTH DVD, we give away to our visitors at church who enquire about our Faith. If you want to get a copy, just click over on my blogroll to the WVBS link. That is the ministry which sells the DVD. Or you can visit our congregation and ask for a copy that we can share with you. For a good preview of what the DVD is all about, you can read these lessons. 

 

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Sharing the ‘Searching For Truth’ DVD.  Lesson One

 After you have viewed the first few lessons yourself,  put Your Name & Details on the sleeve of the DVD & be willing to show your excitement about The Truth.

Show your thankfulness for their interest in Searching for the Truth

Try to make the first viewing accompanied, make an appointment onpersonally, or with a leader in the church.

BEFORE VIEWING THE 1st LESSON ABOUT “TRUTH” Explain your faith in “doing God’s will” by sharing the Truth.     

Read Ephesians 5:13-17 with them, or even better, ask them to read it.“Everything exposed by the light is made clear, for what makes everything clear is light, Therefore it is said: ‘Get up sleeper and rise up from the dead, and the Christ will shine on you’.  Pay careful attention then to how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time because the days are evil, so don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is!”

WHILE VIEWING THE 1st LESSON ABOUT “TRUTH”

It is helpful if you can PAUSE it after Matthew 7:21 is quoted.Explain that “Does The Will” is not a one time act, but rather a daily ongoing attitude in our lifestyle. It is repeated in 1st John 2:17.

AFTER VIEWING THE 1st LESSON ABOUT “TRUTH”Describe the nature of sin in your life while sharing Paul’s ongoing struggle with sin in Romans 7:14-25. Fighting the good fight of overcoming evil with God’s goodness, not your own. We will struggle but not lose, we will win against our chief enemy Satan. We obtain the promise of freedom and victory over the eternal consequences of sin and death in the resurrection of Christ.

Make sure you end the visit by thanking them for their interest and time, and confirming the fact that the biggest difference between real Christians and fake Christians is the fact that real Christians keep trying to live the Truth. Learning The Truth is only the beginning.

Encourage them to see the rest of the lessons on the DVD.

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Sharing the ‘Searching For Truth’ DVD, Lesson Two.

GOD’S EXISTENCE & HIS NATURE
Our environment on earth shouts out three facts about an Intelligent Designer Existing, He is clearly seen in these three ways!                 

           
+ complexity of cells.                             

+ planetary motion.                             

+ interdependence of life cycles.

 

Our environment teaches us that the Intelligent Designer has:

1. Power in Origin from Yesteryear.

2. Capability of Maintenance in the Present.

But our environment cannot possibly tell us anything about an Intelligent Designer’s Mind/Personality or Desire/Will. Only the Spirit of God knows God’s own Mind and we are at His mercy and dependant upon His Spirit to learn about His Mind.

Where can we search and find His Mind? 1st Corinthians 2:11-13

The Spirit teaches Humanity with Scripture (Words) 2nd Timothy 3:16-17.

God’s Words are LIVING & ACTIVE, Hebrews 4:12.

God is not far from us, He is near. Acts 17:26-29.

God is Love and Fatherly. 1st John 4:8.

God as Father is Just and expects people to change, 2nd Timothy 1:18, 2:25.

God does not expect you to change on your own strength, His Truth can make you free to do it, John 8:32.

This is the mind of Christ, everything Jesus accomplished was because he did what the Father wanted to do, not what His own self wanted. We truly have the mind of Christ in Scripture. Will you use it? 1st Corinthians 2:16.

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Sharing the ‘Searching For Truth’ DVD, Lesson Three.

Since we have learnt that God expects repentance from all of us, and that we must make a trusting effort to change our lives from practicing sin, to stopping sin and begin practicing righteousness, how do we know for sure what is wrong or right? In matters of morals, in matters of worship, in matters of salvation?  What exactly is the standard God uses for defining what is right and wrong? How do we know God has the authority.In the realm of athletic competition, we can use the Olympic games as a good illustration for the necessity and purpose of authority. Without a standard, we have chaos amongst differing international teams competing against each other.  Let us compare sports with religion. The Olympic Games have 4 levels of authority issuing one single set of rules for all the games.            

1. International Olympic Committee appoints a Board of Directors.           

2. The Board of Directors appoints a General Director.           

3. The General Director issues a Book of Rules published for all the games.

4. The Rule Book for all the Olympic Games are referred to by all the international coaches & athletes.

Religion is governed by God Himself, and we have established in the previous lessons and God’s Spirit reveals His will through the Bible. But how can this be seen in the subject of authority in religion? And why is it so important?

1. God is seen as the owner, builder & sustainer of the world humanity lives in, therefore He has the right to give us a standard to live by. Acts 17:24 & Psalm 95:5-7.

2. This right of authority has been given to Jesus. John 3:35, and Jesus claimed clearly that He has all authority in Heaven & Earth, Mt. 28:28. If we ignore or reject his standard for our lives, we will not go to Heaven, unless we do the will of Jesus, Mt. 7:21. God speaks today, only through Jesus, Hebrews 1:1-2.

3. The Spirit of Jesus Christ, Romans 8:9, gave His words to the 1st century Apostles, and they warned everyone never to change them, Galatians 1:11-12 & 2nd Peter 1:20-21, since they were from His Spirit, not themselves.

4. These “words”, became the full & final testament & faith, once for all delivered to the church, Jude v3.

Whenever humanity wants to discover & experience unity in religion, we must observe, learn, accept & obey these principles above. If we want ASSURANCE of truth in religion, morals & worship, we must obey His authority, Jesus as our one and only Lord.

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Sharing the ‘Searching For Truth’ DVD,

Lesson Four – The Church & Baptism.

The DVD holds 6 Lessons. Each Lesson has several different chapters for your use at your discretion, or for your friend to select.  In our first three sessions we have reviewed Lesson One, The Truth.  Lesson Two, About The Creator. Lesson Three, About Authority. Now in our last session we will review the last three lessons entitled: Lesson Four, About The Church. Lesson Five, About The House of God and Lesson Six, About Baptism.

Define “Church”: Acts 2:40-42 describes the Church as people (about 3000), God graciously saved from the corruption of the world through faith in the message Peter preached, as they were baptised. When comparing Acts 8:1 & Acts 9:1, we see The Church is described as “Disciples of The Lord” Jesus. This is used in the context of enduring trials for Christ, while living in the world. This is a good description of worldly people being called out of the world by God’s gracious and powerful gospel, assembling together in Christ. These disciples have thirteen different names or titles in the New Testament, so we conclude that the truth about the identity of the church is not in one single name, but one single lifestyle & assembly in Jesus Christ.Paul shows the nature of the church is found in God’s “household”, 1st Timothy 3:14-15.

The family of God is what Peter wants us to realize is holy, like a Temple, where He lives as our Father, 1st Peter 2:5. 

The Church’s Purpose:

Maintain Unity, John 17:20-21 & Ephesians 4:1-6

Worship, John 4:24 & 17:17, Matthew 16:13-18                                          

Holy Living, 1st Corinthians 3:16, Luke 9:23.                                          

Sacrifice Benevolently, Matthew 25:31-46.                                          

Preach/Teach & Baptize, Matthew 28:18-20.

Define “Baptism”: Our immersion in water for the forgiveness of our sins and the fulfilled promise of receiving the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:37-39. Paul called it, being “obedient to the faith”, Romans 1:5, 6:1-18 & 16:26. Luke also called it the same thing, Acts 6:7. John calls it being ‘born again’, John 3:3-5, he is teaching us how our life is re-born from the victorious death, burial & resurrection of Jesus, so well described in Romans 5:8-10. The best description may be in Titus 3:5. 

Conclusion: The 6 Lessons are sound and effective. The last 3 lessons are indeed long, but the individual chapters within, make them easier to use. The most efficient way to use the DVD is to personally explain our summary of the Lessons with an individual. The Lessons 5 & 6, IF VIEWED IN ISOLATION, can easily give the impression that we are trying to pressure people into obeying the truth they learn. When in reality, nobody wants to be manipulated, we should be patient, loving and gentle in discussing the truth. In this way, we can truly be instruments of peace & righteousness to help the Lord save our friends, if they want to be saved. This is the most vital question! We are searching the truth for the answer.