Everlasting Truth
An all-creatures Bible Message

Everlasting Truth
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
7 May 2017
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Genesis 24:27
Psalm 117:1-2
Matthew 22:15-16
Matthew 23:1-39
John 8:31-32
John 14:6

Everlasting truth is a truth that is eternal.
 
Everlasting truth is the heavenly message that God has for all of us.
 
Everlasting truth is the way that Jesus taught us to live here on earth, as it is in heaven.
 
Everlasting truth is a way to overcome the corrupt and evil ways of this world.
 
If we would just learn to live in God’s everlasting truth, and be honest with ourselves and others, we would never have to remember our lies and try to squirm our way out of them when we get caught.
 
It is what Jesus told us in John 14:6…

6. Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
NASB

Jesus is telling us that He is the everlasting truth, and that He and His message is the only way that any of us are going to have everlasting life in heaven.
 
We need to listen to Him and follow His teachings of peace and love for the whole of God’s creation.
 
Peace and love are never to be kept to ourselves; they are to be shared abundantly with everyone else whether human or non-human, and even with the environment.
 
Think about what Jesus said in John 8:31-32…

31. Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;

In other words, if we do not believe Him and the heavenly will of God, we have no part in Him or heaven; however, if we do believe, then…

32. and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
NASB

Free from what?
 
Everlasting truth sets us free from the corrupt and evil ways of this world with all its indifference, injustice, corruption, violence, bloodshed, pain, suffering, and death, which is unfortunately promoted by most public officials and even clergy, particularly when it involves non-human animals.
 
Let’s just think about this in more detail, or about specific situations.
 
Is it justice for our U.S. elected officials in Washington to take away affordable health care for people with existing conditions?
 
No! It’s not justice.
 
Therefore, to provide affordable health care to all our citizens for all conditions is justice and in the heavenly will of God, but to take it away is following the corrupt and evil ways of this world.
 
If we know, or should know, that eating animal products causes horrible pain and suffering to billions of animals every year, then we should also realize that deliberately causing another living being to suffer and die could never be in the heavenly will of God, and if it’s not, then it must be of the corrupt and evil ways of this world.
 
It’s time we really think about what we are doing in terms of Jesus’ teachings, the heavenly will of God, and use the common sense that God gave us, which should lead us to give up our ungodly ways and return to living in God’s heavenly will here on earth as it is in heaven.
 
Everlasting truth leads us to praise God, just as the psalmist did in Psalm 117:1-2…

1. Praise the LORD, all nations;
Laud Him, all peoples!

In other words, no one is excluded.

2. For His lovingkindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the LORD is everlasting.
Praise the LORD!
NASB

If we know this and do this, we will truly have peace on earth.
 
However, if we don’t do this, we will continue to live in the corruption and evil ways of this world.
 
Remember, what God created to be very good has been corrupted by human beings who follow the devil and his minions.
 
But we can free creation from its present corruption, if we really want to, and it all begins within our heart and soul, and with what we put on our plates.
 
Even if others don’t follow the everlasting truth of the Lord, it is no excuse for us not to live in His truth, for the heavenly example we live will be seen by others and believed, just as it did with the servant of Abraham who went in search of a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac, as we are told in Genesis 24:27…

27. And he said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the LORD has guided me in the way to the house of my master's brothers."
NASB

This servant of Abraham believed because Abraham believed, and for the most part, he lived it before others, which in turn caused his servant to also believe.
 
This kind of faith was not just for those days; it is also for all of us today, and should cause us to really think about the ways we live before God and others here on earth.
 
What do you think would happen if every employer lived in the everlasting truth of God?
 
We believe that productivity would increase and that employers and employees would all benefit, and it would put an end to all forms of discrimination.
 
Doesn’t it make sense that we should all be living this way?
 
Of course it does!
 
In Matthew 22:15-16, we see a very interesting passage that confirms that even the corrupt and evil people of this world really know the truth.

15. Then the Pharisees went and counseled together how they might trap Him in what He said.
 
16. And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any.
NASB

If the Pharisees know this, then why would they ever think about trapping and condemning Jesus?
 
Because the pride in their positions and the corrupt and evil ways of this world were stronger than their will to serve God, which is really what their positions demanded of them.
 
They perceived that the everlasting truth of Jesus was a threat to their position, because they were corrupting their office.
 
So instead of embracing the truth, and prospering along with the people they were charged to lead in the heavenly will of God, they feared the truth, rejected God, and embraced the devil and his minions.
 
Jesus didn’t fall for their trap, but because of their hardness of heart, He rather addressed all who were gathered there, as we are told in Matthew 23:1-39…

1. Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,

From the way this passage reads, we believe that the Pharisees were most likely there, too.

2. saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;
 
3. therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them.
 
4. "And they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.

This is further proof that the Pharisees really know the truth, but rather than follow it, they have knowingly chosen to follow the evil and corrupt ways of this world.
 
We are not to be like them; we are to live in the everlasting truth of God.

5. "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries, and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
 
6. "And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
 
7. and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called by men, Rabbi.

We hope we all see that these Pharisees are living in the sin of their boastful pride of life, rather than living the everlasting truth of God.

8. "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
 
9. "And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
 
10. "And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
 
11. "But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
 
12. "And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. 

In other words, we are to be humble at all times and in every situation.
 
Then Jesus expressed His anger against these false leaders of Israel.

13. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
 
14. ["Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, even while for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you shall receive greater condemnation.]

The brackets in verse 14 indicate that it is not found in the earliest manuscripts, but was added at some later date.

15. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
 
16. "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.'

If we truly listen to the unction of the Holy Spirit, we also can easily discern the difference between the things of God and the things of this corrupt world.

17. "You fools and blind men; which is more important, the gold, or the temple that sanctified the gold?
 
18. "And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering upon it, he is obligated.'

But remember that in the heavenly will of God there is to be no animal sacrifices.
 
The only offerings God desires is our repentance and our thankfulness.

19. "You blind men, which is more important, the offering or the altar that sanctifies the offering?
 
20. "Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it.
 
21. "And he who swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it.
 
22. "And he who swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

This is all common sense and in the everlasting truth of God.

23. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
 
24. "You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
 
25. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.
 
26. "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

We believe that Jesus is really referring to our bodies, souls and spirits, for if we are clean on the inside, we will also be seen as being clean on the outside, for we will be living in God’s everlasting truth and heavenly will, unlike the way the scribes and Pharisees were living.

27. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
 
28. "Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
 
29. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
 
30. and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 
 
31. "Consequently you bear witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
 
32. "Fill up then the measure of the guilt of your fathers.

We are to lead the people into everlasting truth and life in heaven and away from the corrupt and evil ways of this world.

33. "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell?
 
34. "Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city,
 
35. that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
 
36. "Truly I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. 

There are many present day scribes and Pharisees, and we are not to be fooled by them.
 
Then Jesus tells us what He and His Father really want for all of us.

37. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
 
38. "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!
 
39. "For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' "
NASB

We are to receive the everlasting truth of God, and live by it here on earth, no matter how much our political leaders and clergy do otherwise.
 
We are to be the peacemaking children of God who do everything in our power to free creation from its present corruption.
 
Amen.

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