Rev'd Les - Worship in the wilderness - A Truth Speaking Journey

A Truth Speaking Journey.     Bible readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14. Matthew 4:4-11.

So far in our lent series of wilderness worship we’ve explored various forms of journey: a Spirit-led journey, Rev Chris led us to contemplate on a journey of ‘simplicity’, taking away the things which can get in the way of our spiritual journey. The President of Conference explored a ‘sorrowful journey’ in the context of rural living, and last week Rev Bruce reflected on a ‘sacrificial journey’ which leads us to this week’s focus of a ‘Truth Speaking Journey.’

So, how would you define what truth is? Well, I suggest that truth is more than the opposite of lies. And speaking the truth is more than simply quoting facts.

Jesus helps us find the answer to that question.

John 14: 6 … Jesus replied to Thomas’s question about the way to the Father by saying: “I am the way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me”

Jesus is the ultimate ‘truth and truth speaker.’

I found 54 verses in the gospels where Jesus specifically introduces what he is about to say as The Truth. Some of these verses might be familiar to you:

“I tell you the truth – if you have faith and do not doubt, you can say to a mountain…move into the sea.”

“Truly, Truly I say to you, I am the door for the sheep.”

“Truly I say, he rejoices more over the one who was lost than the 99…”

“Truly I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs but because you ate the bread I gave you…”

“Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God as a child will never enter into it….”

“Truly I say to you – one of you will betray me”

“Very truly I tell you – this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will “deny me three times”

Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise”

When Jesus spoke the truth, it wasn’t to win favour. Some of those truths I just read to you are comforting, others you might find very challenging and unsettling – all of those truths are spoken by Jesus with love.

I sometimes find that, if a brother or sister in Christ approaches me with the words – Les, let me speak to you honestly and in Christian Love, I usually get the feeling that I’m going to hear something about myself, a decision or opinion I’ve voiced, an action I’ve taken or perhaps even a hymn that I’ve chosen which is not to their liking and that person usually wants to dress their particular prejudice or annoyance up in flowery language under the guise of love.

That is not Jesus’ approach. Jesus offers us The Truth, His Truth, always with love and he never compromises his Truth. Of course, Jesus is our model for this and for all things. Jesus told the Rich young ruler the truth about himself, that, despite his desire to inherit the Kingdom he preferred his earthly wealth to a place in the eternal kingdom, and we are told: ‘he, (the rich man), was saddened and dismayed’ as he walked away from Jesus. Jesus’ message was hard hitting but spoken in love.

Jesus told the woman at the well the truth regarding everything about her life and she returned to her village and told many “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did.”

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Jesus always offers a choice for his listener to make, after he presents his truth

Later in John’s gospel we read that Jesus had a discourse with Pilate about the truth. Ironically it comes in the same chapter which describes the lie that Peter told when he denied the truth of being a friend and disciple of Jesus.

Pilate interrogated Jesus – trying to find the truth of who he was and what he was accused of.

“Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”

John 18: 38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against Him. But it is your custom that I release to you one prisoner at the Passover. So then, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”…

I get the feeling from visiting that passage time and again that Pilate knew what the truth was and he may have been beginning to realise who The Truth is.

Pilate had an army surrounding him, his own army of soldiers and an army of baying Jews and his wife, and the court by his side yet, at that moment, I feel he was in one of the loneliest places of his life.

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Do you ever feel like a lone voice in the wilderness, trying to speak the truth in an alien environment?

Again, our model is Jesus as we read the passage of Jesus being tempted in a wilderness place. Three times he was challenged and each time he called upon words of scripture to boldly speak the truth in a challenging situation. When we can’t find our own words of truth to speak, scripture is there to guide our thoughts and words.

We can also be inspired by Isaiah, and by John the Baptist all those years later, to be: “a voice of one calling: in the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3)

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Moses found himself in a lonely place, time and time again. We read of Moses tending sheep on a hillside when he came face to face, or rather ‘face to burning bush’ with God’s voice commissioning him to go and tell some hard truths to Pharaoh. I’m sure Moses would have been able to think of a myriad of very ‘sound’ reasons for him not to do God’s will. He wasn’t the greatest speaker but he was called by God to challenge the most powerful human being in his world – to challenge the injustice of slavery, and forced labour – the injustice of a cruel political dictator ruling over a nation living in captivity. Sadly there are still whole nations today living in similar circumstances.

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The Israelites’ time in captivity, their release and 40 years in the wilderness was a defining period for them, and a lasting demonstration of God’s character towards them. We can see that God used the flawed person of Moses to speak out in truth to bring about liberation and deliverance.

In times of crisis the Israelites bring to mind their experience in the desert and use it to remind them of how God might act in their present trouble. God’s action came to fruit through people whom he called to speak the truth.

This was the case when Israel was taken into exile by Babylon in 597 BC. They were taken out of the Promised Land and into captivity, and their Temple was destroyed.

They were distraught. Prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel tried to remind the people that, even in the desert of exile, they could still rely on the God who had brought them through the wilderness.

God called people then and he calls people now to speak out in truth, to challenge injustice, and bring hope to a world in crisis. God calls upon each of us, the Church, to challenge injustice in our communities, our nation, and the world and bring hope to individuals and to a world in crisis.

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In Ezekiel’s vision, the people weren’t simply hungry and thirsty in the desert of exile. They were dead, their bodies had rotted away, and only their bones were left on the dry, dusty desert floor. It’s a rather disgusting image. But verse 11 reflects the extent of Israel’s despair.

A powerful nation reduced to a rotten carcass and a pile of dried bones.

Does that image of exile relate to the despair you sometimes feel about the world around you? About our society, and a church that seems increasingly marginalised and ignored? If it resonates with you at all, then you can take heart from what happens through Ezekiel. I encourage you to read on to the end of the book of Ezekiel of how from the challenges of the truth-speaking prophet and the will of God, the people and their Temple are restored.

There are people in our world who need to be restored today. Prophetic, truth-speaking words need to be spoken, their voices need to be heard, fake news needs to be confronted with the truth.

It can be risky to speak truth to power. If you do so in Hong Kong you may risk imprisonment. If you do so in Myanmar you risk being shot. If you do so in the UK – what’s the worst that can happen?

On this Passion Sunday - What is the Holy Spirit prompting you to say to those in power today? What truth needs to be heard in our churches, our families, our community, our nation and world? What truth will you speak? And will you do it in love?

Prayer. Loving God, through the power of your Holy Spirit, give each of us courage to speak truth where it needs to be heard. Give us the right words to use and the grace and courage to use them. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.