Sermon Title: What Lurks Behind
Speaker: Pastor Samuel Sam
Date: 10 November 13

1. Introduction
Many parents and young people alike struggle emotionally and spiritually in this age of post-modernism.  The truth is that what we behave depends on what we believe. In other words, if one's belief system is biblical, his behavior produces the fruit of the Spirit. Conversely, if one’s belief is unbiblical, his behaviour will reflect worldly values.

2. There are six untrue statements to look out for:
a. There is no absolute truth. It is relative depending on a person's perception. Truth is in one’s perception of reality! For example, one person believes that it is true that by drinking alcoholic drinks, it can improve one’s health. This is truth to him and it is acceptable!    
b. Facts and falsehood are interchangeable.  What is factual today may not be so tomorrow.  For example, drinking coffee is generally good at one time, but as time passes, drinking coffee can only be good if it is brewed in a certain way! Facts can become obsolete, and even can become false as time passes. Thus it brings only confusion, unlike biblical truths which are absolute.
c. Opinions only matter. For example, New Age Movement is rampant in our culture today, for they embrace anything and everything without subscribing to absolute truths.
d. "Truths are beliefs one had been conditioned by his society to accept”.  In other words, when one leaves his society with its rules and norms, whatever he has been conditioned will not continue to be true when he moves into another culture.
e  Any statement that claims to be true is a power play to dominate others.  It means that truths are used as power to make others conform or submissive.

3. What experts say about this age? They called it the age of post-modernism. People challenge conventional ways and go for convenient ones throwing out objectivity and absolute truths.  For example, the idol Lady Gaga has become so famous that she is listed amongst the top 100 most popular figures in the world according to Forbes’ list.  Also, gay movement and its practices are getting prevalent throughout the world championing its rights and privileges in the age of post-modernism.

4. What are our young people's view of God? Their common responses are: God is a killjoy God, God is like my grandfather, and God is a very busy God. Their views of God should make us think of the influence our societal norms have upon their moral value and belief system. Today's teens are led to teens to believe that everything is relative and nothing is absolute.  For example, they will say: “What you believe is good if it works for you. Everyone can have his or her own belief system.  It is fine because there is no absolute truth”.

5. It is no wonder that many teens do have problems with absolute truths.  They question whether the Bible is God’s Word or Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. They do not want to offend anyone, and they want others to be non-judgmental by not shafting one's belief system into their throat.  They are convinced that a truth is only true if one believes in it to be true!

6. Such subjective belief system is destroying one’s biblical foundation.  Warning: If Satan cannot destroy your house, he wants to ensure you are building your foundation on sinking sand!

7. God’s Word forewarns us of his deception:
a. Colossian 2:18 warns Christians of having a hollow foundation.
b. Romans 12:1-2 warns against following the worldly pattern.
c. Psalm 11:3 laments on what could the righteous do, if their foundation is destroyed. Our Christian faith is  objective, and can be verified and identified.

8. The Bible reveals absolute truths:
a. God is the author of the Bible as mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:16. The Bible was written by about 40 writers who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. It spans over a period of 1400 years, and amazingly, they all point to Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Saviour!
b..God created the entire universe as recorded in the first chapter of Genesis. The physical world began to exist at one particular point in time; the creation account revealed how God created this world from day one to day six. Man is His highest creation!
c. Every person has sinned as recorded in Romans 3:23.  To sin is to miss the mark which is missing God’s standard of perfection. Only the sinless life of Jesus Christ meets God's standard. One need not be a murderer to be a sinner. A person sins against God when he tells a white lie or brings home office stationeries secretly  or by steals "time" by deliberately displaying a carpark coupon with incorrect timing.
d. All who sin will die without Jesus as indicated in Romans 6:23a.  We know that the result of a divorce is a physical separation between two persons, but the result of sin is an eternal separation between the created being and the Creator God!
e.  Jesus died for us to reveal God’s love as found in Romans 5:8. Jesus is an expression of God’s tangible love for mankind.
f.  Jesus is the only access to God and Eternal Life according to John 14:6.  Only a sinless life can make this possible.  Jesus makes eternal life a reality for sinful humanity.
g. Jesus resurrected as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:6.  There were more than 500 people who saw Jesus after His resurrection. Thus history recorded the true account that Christ’s resurrection had indeed taken place!

9. Conclusion:
We have deep conviction in what we believe and what have experienced in our heart.  Our personal experiences bring meanings to our lives.  Therefore, we can demonstrate to the world that objective and absolute truths can be experienced in a relational manner.

10. Applications:
How do we translate subjective beliefs into steadfast convictions?
a. Check our faith by devoting ourselves to an indepth study on the God's Word as Apostle Peter admonishes us in 1 Peter 3:15.  We must be able to explain to others our faith.
b. Encourage open and honest discussions about other’s beliefs, especially with that of our teens.  We must be non-judgmental.
c. Engage with others on fundamental questions of life. Our teens need to be grounded on absolute truths!
d. Teach biblical truths with life applications as clearly taught in 2 Timothy 3:16. The goal of teaching is to connect people to God so that they are taught, corrected, reproved and trained toward righteous living
e. Relate truths to the loving Person of Jesus Christ according to John 14; 6.  We have to help people find the relevancy of God's Word in their lives, so that they will know and love God resulting in holiness and Christ-likeness.

Note: This is a personal sermon notes with additional pointers. Some points have been added which may differ from the intent or purpose from speaker.