What is Truth? - Message Outline

I. THE MYTH OF OBJECTIVE TRUTH IN THE WORLD-SYSTEM
A. No one is free from the influences of philosophy, religion or biases
B. As much as the "secular" media seeks to say it and convince us of it, they are just as biased as anyone else, or more so
C. Everyone is affected by the environment in which they matured
D. Modern man has been engaged in the idolatry of Reason

II. THE EXISTENCE OF ABSOLUTE TRUTH
A. The only being that could know ultimate objective truth would be the One who transcended it all and was above it
B. This is the single greatest battle for modern man - the existence of a transcendent, personal Being, who created all that can be known, the God of the Bible
C. If such a Being exists, then He alone would possess objective and therefore absolute truth
D. Such truth would be applicable for every area of life
E. It differs from culturally relative, pragmatic, observable truth

III. HOW TRUTH AFFECTS ONE'S LIFE
A. It is the basis of how one views the world
B. It is the foundation of one's values
C. It informs one of the hope and manner of attaining those values
D. It motivates one's behavior to attain those values

IV. THE BASIS OF ONE'S TRUTH SYSTEM
A. It has to be provable enough to satisfy his need for evidence
B. It answers the biggest questions of his existence
1. What is the authority for my life?
2. Who am I?
3. How did I (we) get here?
4. Why am I here? What is the purpose of my life?
5. What went wrong or why is there evil and suffering?
6. How can this be changed?
7. Where am I going? What is the end of it all?
8. How should I live?

In the truth/value system, one's answers to the big questions depends on both his values and his understanding of the Creator. The fool has said in his heart, "There is no god". Sin has marred this pursuit of truth with its short-sighted, man-centered limited selfish mix of empirical and imaginative reason. Reason, in and of itself, has become a god. That is one of the worst forms of idolatry.

Eternal values have become secondary or non-existent to temporal values, as formed from that which is true to the individual, with the conscience at work therein. Only Christ can free the conscience. In the unbeliever, the conscience becomes sered and hard. Eternal values can be expressed in terms of hope for the believer, with his expectation of attaining those values (1 Peter 3:15). The believer's motivation is then based on hope, and becomes the reason for his acts. His behavior becomes the visible, outward actions of his life, based on the foregoing.