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CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST May 29.
2005 FAMILY MATTERS OF CONCERN: Our
congregation Our nation, leaders, and military David,
James, and Leon in the military Various friends, relatives and
co-workers Kerrie and
family at the death of her grandfather SUMMER YOUTH SERIES: June 6 - North Wayside June 20 - Bammel June 13 -
Memorial June 27 - Westbury with Jerome Williams TRUTH IS
EXPENSIVE "Buy the
truth and do not sell it -- wisdom, instruction and insight as well"
(Proverbs 23:23). In today's
society, truth has a difficult time. The attitude is what is true
for you may not be true for me. This means that everything is
relative or whatever works is true. That means finding truth is not
even considered by many. Yet we know there is truth, absolute truth,
and it can not only be found but bought. But truth is expensive. The
question is the cost worth the benefits that come from truth. To buy the
truth is an adventure. Many are not challenged to seek truth,
especially truth that is found in God. Those who do find a great
treasure when they buy the truth. Maybe we as Christians have become
complacent with the truth that we do not see the adventure in the
word of God any longer. We are satisfied that we know the truth and
just sit back and wait for everything to work itself out in our
lives. I doubt that is what the Proverb writer had in mind. Seeking the
truth can lead to exciting discoveries. When we study scripture and
learn something we have not seen before, especially as it affects
us, we are excited and want to share such highlights. Reading
different translations and looking at different ideas, listening to
different preachers and reading various books opens up scripture to
insights not seen before. This is both encouraging and challenging.
Just consider some of the ideas we have looked at over the past few
years. We studied the idea of lament. Read Lamentations 3:22-24. In
the midst of lament there is promise. We have looked at Philippians
2 and the mind of Christ. The TNIV has really emphasized the idea of
humility through this text. "Rather, in humility value others
above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you
to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one
another, have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had."
Consider the Hubbell telescope and the recent probe sent to Saturn.
The pictures sent back are just amazing and show us more of God's
awesome creation. Wherever we find truth, we know it comes from God.
It might come from unexpected places. Even Fredrick Nietzsche said
truthful things every once and a while. To buy the truth is an
adventure. Buying the
truth is expensive. It is costly. Jesus told the truth and it cost
Him His life. Today in some areas of the world, it is just that
costly. People find the truth in Jesus Christ and die. But that is
what we are taught in scripture, isn't it? Paul was imprisoned by
Jewish and Roman authorities for telling the truth. James died. John
was exiled to the island of Patmos. Not everyone wants to hear the
truth. Telling the
truth can cost one a job, a family, friends, and a position.
Sometimes truth comes in conflict with tradition. Jesus challenged
the traditions of the scribes and Pharisees. Today some preachers
challenge various traditions, not that they are wrong, but that they
need to be recognize as such and not a matter of faith and
authority. Elders rule and cannot be challenged, if challenged will
certainly cost a preacher is job. Those who have the money can
silently control a congregation and remove anyone they do not agree
with. I have seen both of these personally. Rick
Atchley recently told of the first time he preached a sermon. He
grew up in the Dallas area and it was the early 70s when this sermon
occurred. Among the issues of the day was race relations. The elders
allowed him to preach one Wednesday night. He had a six point
sermon. Point number three was on bigotry. After the service there
was an emergency elders meeting. The elders told the part-time youth
minister to tell Rick that he would not be allowed to preach in that
congregation again. When the youth minister told him, Rick asked
what he had preached that God would not approve of? "Nothing," said
the youth minister, "but there are just some things that cannot be
said." After several more rounds of questions the youth minister
left. Rick was disappointed and angry. He said that while he had the
desire to be a preacher since he was six, if this is what it meant,
he would not preach again. About two weeks later the youth minister
came and told him he could preach and he did about a month later.
What changed? The youth minister went to the elders and told them
they were wrong in how they treated Rick. So they had a choice,
change their minds or lose the youth minister. Truth is
costly. Much as we would like to think that we would accept truth
when told or confronted, that is not always the case. It is easy to
point fingers at others when they do not accept truth, but are we
that open to truth? I sometimes wonder. Let's seek
the truth, buy it, and not sell it, no matter where we find it. It
will be an adventure but no adventure is without risk. The benefits
however will be greater than the negatives events surrounding it. |