For example, Joshua instructs the people in Joshua 24:14 and 15, "Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Admonition and encouragement. Many even have the latter part of this passage hanging somewhere in our homes: “as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
But as the passage says, there is a choice – to follow the truth or to follow blindly. How many of us have faith that allows us to blindly follow a leader? How many people blindly follow a faith that leads them to conclusions that are beyond logic?
On the other hand, how many follow our God because of the accurate proof and logic that we find in His Word.
I accompanied 50 fourth graders on a field trip to Fantastic Caverns in Springfield. It was a cold, rainy day, and after touring the cave, we sat in a room to the side of the gift shop to eat our sack lunches.
As I stood supervising the students, one of my girls stepped up to me and showed me a nice puka shell bracelet. She said, “We found this.” I instructed her to take it to the counter and to ask the man at the register if it was from the gift shop. Thinking she would return the bracelet, I was surprised when she came back to the lunch table still clutching the bracelet.
I went to her and asked her what the man told her. She indicated it did not belong to the gift shop, so I told her we would ask the other students when we returned to the school building.
At this point she looked at me and said, “Well, Trent found it back in the classroom.”
“Then why did you ask the man at the counter if it was theirs?” I asked.
Her reply: “You told me to.”
She blindly listened to my instruction and didn’t question it, going to the counter even though she knew the truth about the necklace being found back in the classroom in Joplin.
Let’s take this into the New Testament book of John, starting in the first chapter, verse 17: “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”
Jesus, in John chapter 4, beginning in verse 22, tells the Samaritan woman at the well, “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews." But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.” And the oft-quoted verse 24: “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
And finally, in John chapter 8, verses 31 and 32, Jesus tells the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
Friends, Jesus tells you to seek the counsel or truth, not the counsels of men. Jesus tells you to worship in spirit and truth, not in emotional ecstasy and blind faith in the words of a preacher or pastor. Jesus tells you that the truth sets you free, not a hunch or a gut feeling or a sentimental reaction to a well-spun story.
It is indeed the truth of God’s Word that we study and promote in this church. It is only this truth that we believe. It is the truth that guides us, teaches us, and gives us hope for eternal life in Heaven, away from the treachery of sin and the tortures that will result from being guided by deception or good intentions.