Knowing The Truth

This is a presentation of a new book I'm about to present to you now. It's called, Blurring the Tops. While I'm figuring this away, while we are still in the nineteenth century, tearing together a community, I was ordained in the nineteen... nineties.

That would have been in August. Imagine I've been a faithful man, and I wanted tonight give all praise and glory unto Jesus because I am what I am by the grace of God that was bestowed upon me. You know, I know myself, I know those times when I was battle-weary and tempted and tested, and I want to say tonight that God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted above what you're able, but will make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it.

So tonight I want to glory in my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has been so good to me. He has been so merciful to me.

He has not dealt with me according to my sins and iniquities. He's shown me mercy. He's shown me grace.

He's shown me forgiveness. He's shown me the blessing of the good gift of repentance in my life. Just last week, I was over at Mendon with the discipleship for ministry, and I just praise God.

He's not done working on me yet. The Lord granted me the gift of repentance once again, and I thank God for that. Oh, we should be alarmed if there's no sense of the Spirit of God moving in our hearts and convicting us of sins, of righteousness, and of judgment.

There's a flyer here. It says, Do you have eternal life? It enrages the sin of death that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6.23. Then it has on the side here, you are invited to Dr. Kent's meetings live so that you can know the truth and be saved.

And I saw that. That's really wrong in my heart and in my spirit. So that you can know the truth and be saved.

Let's take some time tonight in this opening service, opening first night of our Kent meetings to look at this matter of knowing the truth. There was once a man asked Jesus this question. He said, What is truth? I don't know if that question was asked in sincerity or maybe with some scorn and mockery.

I'm not sure. What was in the heart of this man who asked the question, What is truth? No, I thought maybe tonight there are some of us in this audience that are asking that question. You might be asking, What is truth? It seems like we live in a time where truth is continually being eroded and undermined and truth is falling.

What was once well-established truth and understood as truth is now being questioned. What is truth? Turn to John chapter 18 and verse 33. You've been reading in John 18 and verse 33.

The man who asked this question, What is truth? was Pilate. John 18, verse 33, Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again and called Jesus, who sat under him, Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Thou sayest this thing of thyself or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered him, Thine own nation and king's people have committed thee unto me. What hast thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world.

If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, but I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou his kingdom? Jesus answered, Thou sayest there anything? To this end was I born, and to this cause came I into the world, and I should bear witness unto the truth.

Every one that is of the truth is my brother. Pilate said unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, even now he came unto the Jews and sayeth unto them, I find no fault in him at all. Sorrow has spread.

Father, we come in Jesus' name. We ask, Lord, that you would be pleased to visit us here this evening. We are gathered together under this tent to seek your face, Lord, and to hear from you, Lord.

Father, we ask that you would be pleased, Lord, to amend your ways. And, Father, that you would be pleased to speak deeply into our hearts. Father, we pray that you would have mercy in each of our lives.

We love you, Lord Jesus, and we thank you for loving us. Father, we pray that tonight you would draw us unto yourself. We pray that you would edify us with your words.

In Jesus' name, amen. What is truth? This is a very serious question with far-reaching consequences. How we answer and how we seek out the answer to this question of what is truth and how we respond to the truth that the Lord has spoken.

In John 8, 32, Jesus said, You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. What a beautiful, wonderful truth that that is.

When we know the truth, there is the power and the potential to be delivered from sin and bondage and to be set free into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. To get a little more context there, you could turn to John 8, 28 in your Bible to get some more context for this scripture. John 8, 28, Jesus said to them, When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall you know that I am he and that I do nothing of myself.

That as my Father has taught me, I do these things. And he that sent me is with me. The Father has not left me alone.

For I do always those things that please him. And as he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus unto those Jews that believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. To know the truth, we need to continue in the word of God.

We need to continue walking with an honest, open heart, pursuing and seeking in the word of God, the truth of God's heart and word to us. And as we know this truth, this truth begins to work in our lives. And it begins to convict us of our sins.

And it begins to reveal the beauty of our Savior. And as we respond to that truth, the truth will set us free. In John 14, if you want to turn there, do you know? John 14, 1. Jesus speaking to his disciples there.

He said, Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, and believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mountains.

If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And whither I go, he knows.

And the way, he knows. Then Thomas says, to him, Lord, he know not whither thou goest, and how to ye know the ways. And then Jesus said to him, very serious words.

Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And no man comes unto the Father but by me. What is truth? Jesus answers that question.

I am the way, and I am the truth, and I am the life. And no man comes unto the Father but by me. And as it continues on, he says, He hath not known me, but hath known myself also.

And from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip said unto him, O Lord, show us the Father, and it suffices us. Jesus said unto him, Hath I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.

He that hath seen the Lord Jesus Christ hath seen the Father. How sayest thou then, show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me. He doeth the work.

Believe ye that I am in the Father, and the Father in me. In John 10, 30, Jesus said, I and my Father are one. This teaches us that Jesus Christ is the express image revealed of our Heavenly Father.

Jesus Christ and the Father are one. When we see Jesus, we see the Father. When we see the Father, we see Jesus.

And you know, there was this question, O Lord, show us the Father, and it'll be a blessing to us. It'll be good. And Philip said, Have I been so long time with you? Do you not recognize this truth yet? That when you see me, the Lord Jesus, you see the Father.

Believest ye that I am in the Father, and the Father in me. And I'll believe you for the days of your faith. Now let's go to 1 John 5. What is this? 1 John 5, 11.

And this is the record that God has given to us eternal life. And this life is in His Son. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.

This eternal life, our little card, is the invitation. He said, Do you have eternal life? This is that God has given unto us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Tonight, I want to do my very best to preach this truth that eternal life is found in Jesus Christ.

It's not found in church membership. Though church membership, I recommend it. It's good to be joined together in the body of the living.

But eternal life is not in church membership. Eternal life is not found in trying to be good and trying to keep the commandments. Though a child of God will delight in God's commandments, and they're not blameless to him, and he will delight to keep God's commandments.

However, there is no person who will be saved by keeping the commandments. Eternal life is in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Eternal life is not found in being baptized.

No. The believer who found Christ will want to be baptized. I believe that.

You'll have a desire to be baptized, but baptism doesn't save you. You see, that's why they were called anabaptists, because they believed in a believer's baptism, a decision made by an adult individual, adult believer's baptism, and not a baby. Not something that you did just to be going with the flow or going with the crowd or doing what is expected.

I have a grave concern that there are those who join the church because they're at that age now. Or they get baptized because they're at that age now where it's expected of them. And maybe they do it to please someone.

Maybe they do it because they want to be accepted in the circle of friends or whatever it may be because they're getting baptized. They're joining the church. But I want to tell you tonight, I want to tell you with all of my heart, according to the Scripture that God has given unto us eternal life, and His life is in His Son, the Lord Jesus.

He that has the Son has life. Oh, praise God! He that has the Son, He that is surrendered and yielded and loving the Lord Jesus Christ with all His heart, oh, He that has the Son, He that believeth on the Son has eternal life. What is this? Jesus! It's embodied in the person of Jesus Christ.

He is the truth, and He is the way and the life, and there's no way to the Father but by Him. No man comes to the Father but by Jesus Christ. These are not my words.

These are the words of Holy Scripture. He that has the Son has life, and He has it more abundantly. It's an abundant life.

It's a new life. It's a real life. Oh, praise God! I was miserable in my sin.

Oh, I was bound up in my sin and in my fear, and I could hardly function any more until I surrendered it all to Jesus, and I broke there at the foot of the cross and repented of my sin. I said, Lord, change me if You can. And He heard my cry and delivered me and rescued me out of the married clay and out of the pit and gloriously changed my life.

He that has the Son has life. This is the record that God has given unto us eternal life, and this life is all wrapped up in Jesus. It's all wrapped up in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And I'm not talking only about a day of salvation, talking about how is it tonight? Is my life vibrant and abundant because I'm in communion with Jesus? He that has the Son has life. He that has not the Son of God has not life. You know, this is really true.

I know some very what words shall I use? I know some very conscientious people. They keep to obey the commands of Jesus. They don't want to hurt anyone.

They want to be kind as they are. They want to be kind and they want to be generous and maybe give a lot of money away and do all kinds of good deeds. But my brother, my sister here tonight, salvation is not by doing good works.

But when we are saved, we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works that will follow. But we cannot get the cart before the horse. By doing good works we shall not be saved.

It's not by works of righteousness which He has done, but it's by His strength. It's by His tender mercy that He saved us. It's the gift of God.

Praise the Lord Jesus. It's the gift of eternal life to all those who will believe and repent. You know, sometimes it's really overwhelming.

How do you get the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to a people's lips to keep themselves very separate from the world in so many ways? And a lot of it is very, very good. And they're very peaceful of it, like I was saying. But they know not the Lord Jesus Christ.

If they are not born again by the Spirit of God, they cannot have eternal life. They cannot enter into the Kingdom of Christ and of God if they're not born again. I don't say that to condemn any people to it or judge any people to it.

It can be right among us. It can be right in our own hearts that we get lacked in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and in our walk with Christ. Our focus on the Son can get sidetracked.

We get distracted on the other things, and our love for Jesus begins to diminish. And the life, the abundant life of Christ that is in the Son, His eternal life springing up within begins to wane. I can testify of that.

I can get overdarked of life and the cares of ministry, the cares of being an elder in the church and, you know, the things that are happening around me and my family and all these things. I understand that, oh, Brother Fitzgerald, I want to up to just, oh, to be enlightened in the Lord Jesus Christ and to hold fast to Him and to abide in Him for our life is in the Son. We must abide in Christ Jesus.

He is divine when the cap flews out, and we are the branches. Can the branch bear fruit of itself? Can the branch bear fruit of itself? You know, sometimes we sort of start acting like maybe we could and we run on yesterday. But I want to tell you, my dear brother and sister, thank God for yesterday's blessing.

What I need is fresh and anew tonight. I need fresh and anew today, this week, this month, for what I'm facing now. Oh, He that hath the Son.

Oh, He that is in Christ. Christ is in Him. Oh, bless God.

This is eternal life. He that hath the Son hath the Son of God hath not died. 1 John 5 26 We know.

We know that the Son of God is come and has given us an understanding. 26 We know that the Son of God is come and has given us an understanding. He's given us His Word that we can have an understanding of what this truth is.

Ah, yes. 1 John 1 5 20 That we know Him that is true and that we are in Him that is true even His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Do you have eternal life tonight? Do you have the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and does the Lord Jesus Christ know you? Oh, the horror when I thought I knew Jesus but some people when they say, but Jesus did all these things. Jesus, I went to church. Jesus, I was baptized.

But Jesus I even preached in your name. But Jesus, and Jesus will say, I never knew you. Oh, what horrible words to hear.

God has given us eternal life. His life is in His Son. It's in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh, that we may know Him that is true and we are in Him that is true, even His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. In John 5, 24.

John 5, 24. John 5, 24. Jesus said, Verily, verily, I say unto you.

Old English. Truly, truly, I say unto you. This is true.

It is true. Truly, truly, I say unto you. He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life.

He that believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Oh, do you have eternal life tonight? Do you have the evidence that you've been raised from the dead? Passed from death unto life, from the old to the new. Oh, thank you, Jesus.

He shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. He that believeth, oh, this is he that believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is he that believeth on God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is he that believeth on God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost and the Triune God. And he believeth the word of Jesus and the Scriptures. He believeth on Jesus Christ.

John 3, 36. Take a look at John chapter 3 and verse 16. Believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.

You know, this is counts. This is counts on the record of God. This is counts on the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not the Son shall not be life. What is truth? Jesus Christ way, the truth, and the life.

And he that believeth on the Son has everlasting life. He that believeth on the Son has eternal life. And he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Thank you for sharing your experience. And the people that do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, people who reject Christ. You know, when we think of someone rejecting the Lord Jesus, we think of someone who refuses Christ.

We often might think of somebody who's really a hard-core person, a very wicked person. And that may be true. There are some like that, who they reject the preaching of the gospel.

They might mock the preacher. They might renounce and denounce the Word of God and mock. But I believe what's far more terrifying is those who reject Jesus and think, I can make it on my own good works.

And I said, you know, so why, this is a recent conversation. Why would Jesus let you or I into heaven, me including myself? Well, well, he said, I tried to live life and be like him. Well, I said, that's commendable, that's good.

But I said, is that why Jesus would let you or me into heaven? You know, none of us is perfect. We all sin, we all make mistakes, you know, and so I'll do the best I can and hope it's good enough. Hope it'll reach.

I said, my friend, what if, what if we try, you and me both, we try as hard as we know how to be good enough and hope that when God sees us, he'll say, okay, yeah, you were, you tried hard. Yeah, you had some things, but because you were sincere and because you denied yourself of so many things, so many worldly things, you can come into my heaven. I said, why do people say it's not enough? I said, my friend, isn't there anything else? Why did God let you or me into his heaven? Well, yeah, I, I don't know what you're driving at.

What do you mean? Anything else? This is really sad. This is really sad. People that are trying to be very good and they are, they're a very cheap piece of just another gospel.

It's not, it's not the Lord Jesus Christ. So I finally said to him, I said, well, the only hope I have of eternal life is that one day God sent his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ, who knew no sins, took on my sin upon himself. And he paid the price and the penalty for my sins.

And he shed his blood so that I might be cleansed and lost and redeemed and pardoned from my sins. I said, that's my only hope. It's in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the sins he works on thousands.

Well, he said, yeah, well, sure, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right. But do you think that man had eternal life? Did he, did he get it? When finally after much invitation to give the answer of the Lord Jesus Christ, he finally agreed that, well, yeah, that's, that's, well, yeah, really, yeah. But it wasn't only the love, the admiration, the delight that I, a wretch like me, could be changed because of Jesus taking my sin.

He was wounded for my transgression. He was burned for my iniquity. Jesus.

Maybe you're here tonight under the sound of my voice in this church. And you've gone through the motions. You've gone through the exercise of, of being better and trying harder to be good.

But you keep failing. Oh, my dear friend tonight, eternal life is found in Jesus. There's salvation in none other.

He that hath the Son, he that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Terrifying thoughts, the wrath of God abideth on him.

That is an unbelief and rejection of Jesus Christ. What is truth? Truth is embodied in Jesus. It's in a person.

It's not in a set of tools. It's not in a set of words. But it's in the person, the Lord Jesus Christ.

It's in God's Son, Jesus Christ. Now, Brother Jerry, how did you like me? You were preaching there in the book of Acts? By Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, he died and rose again. Even by him, the Lord Jesus Christ, the life of Jesus Christ, does he thank you for his death.

All complete, fully restored. And when we know the truth and embrace that truth, we can be saved. Jesus Christ, the world was made by him, the world is in his hands.

He came unto his own people. He was rejected. He was spit upon.

He was ridiculed. He was mocked and scorned by his own people. Pilate said, whom shall I release from? Jesus, the king of the Jews, or Barabbas? Now, Barabbas was a robber and a murderer.

He said, away with this Jesus, crucify him, release unto us Barabbas. But how many times am I guilty of the same thing? Away with Jesus. It's too difficult.

It's too hard. It costs too much. I don't want to give everything up for Jesus.

Let's have Barabbas. Barabbas is my own self, his own way, going my own way at the expense of the Lord Jesus Christ and rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ. If all received him not, then it would be impossible to receive him.

But as many as received him, his Lamb gave him power to become the Son of God, even to them that he leaves for you today. Tonight, he has become a light. He shows light.

He has come. He is a light. Pilate said, will you believe in Christ the God of Israel? Will you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Turn from your old ways and believe in him.

Many as received him, his Lamb gave him power or the authority to become the Son of God. Hallelujah! It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Oh, but beloved, now are we the sons of God.

Now are we the sons of God. Yes. So tonight, he might not come, but we can do this another time.

I want to give an invitation tonight. I want to give an invitation for anyone here who wants to say yes to Jesus and know him. I put my faith in him.

I believe in the Lord Jesus. You know, I don't know. I don't want to try to Is there anyone here who wants to say yes to Jesus? Is there anyone here who wants to say yes to Jesus? Yes.

I'd like to ask you to bow your head, close your eyes, proudly become a human being. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you are the way, the truth, and the life. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you welcome sinners to come and to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

That they might become the glorious, liberated sons of God. Hallelujah. Is there anyone here who wants to say yes to Jesus? You know that you're not like others.

Your heart is in Christ, you say to God. You know that you've been blinded. You feel it.

You feel it. You know that you cannot give your life to Jesus. You have not fully surrendered all of your peace.

You have not looked under Jesus' face. Hallelujah. Whatever the case may be in your life, whether you've never believed on the way of Jesus, or you've never been to his church, or you didn't hear the gospel very often, but here's the message.

God is peace, and you want to get peace. Can you just give me your attention, please? Have a first thought, and then invite anyone who wants to respond to the email. Have a thought here, please.

We all do. We all do. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.