Buy The Truth, Sell It Not – Proverbs 23:23

Sermon Outline / By Pastor Shiflett

Buy The Truth, and Sell It Not
Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction,
and understanding.
Intro: Truth is not open to interpretation. Truth is absolute. To many people,
truth is abstract; defined by situational ethics. Their standard for “truth” is their
own personal opinion, philosophy, preferences or desires.
When Jesus stood in front of Pilate and said,

 John 18:37 … answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end

was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear
witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Notice Pilate asked the question: What is truth?

I am fascinated by the world’s floating, abstract, unfounded standard of “truth”.

Just today, the headlines are screaming “Immigration ban is immoral”.

Extreme vetting is immoral.”

Yet this same crowd fail to see the wholesale slaughter of unborn babies as
immoral.

They fail to see the 24/7 promotion of homosexuality and same-sex marriage
as immoral.

This same crowd that is on the talk shows and TV interviews that are saying
closing sanctuary cities is “un-Christian” are daily pushing for the “separation
of church and state”.

What is their standard for truth?

What is our standard for truth?

Though their inconsistencies might be more obvious to us, if we do not have a

superior standard of truth than our ideals, our opinions, our feelings, our
philosophies, then we are no better than they are!

The word TRUTH is found in the KJB 224 times.

God is a huge proponent of truth. NOTE THE EMPHASIS:

God is called Truth

  Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways
are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
 Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar;
Jesus is called Truth

 Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white

horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he doth judge and make war.
 John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The Holy Spirit is called THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH.

 John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide
you into all truth.
 I John 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ;
not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that
beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
The Bible is called TRUTH.

 John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
 Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye
believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
The church is called TRUTH.

 1 Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou
oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of
the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
There are at least three responses to truth:
1. Some will Resist the Truth
 2 Timothy 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do
these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning
the faith.
People that reject the truth will use situational ethics to defend unscriptural
positions.

NOTE STEPHEN’S QUESTION: Acts 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and

uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your
fathers did, so do ye.
1. Some will Revise the Truth
 II Cor. 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for
Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no
great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
SEE II Peter 2:1-1-3
There are some that hear the facts, and then they distort them to their own
end.

 II Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these

things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that
are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures,
unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know
these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error
of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
1. Some will Rejoice in the Truth
 1 Corinthians 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
 Psalms 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth.
 Psalms 25:5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God
of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
 Psalms 43:3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let
them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
 Psalms 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite
my heart to fear thy name.
 3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in
truth.
It is interesting to me that truth has so many different effects on people.

Jesus said John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free.
Notice their response to his resurrection:

 Matt. 28:11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch
came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that
were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had
taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say
ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we
slept. And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him,
and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught:
and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
They were not interested in the truth. It was a threat to them!

Conclusion: Buy the truth. Sell it not. Don’t let your preconceived ideas, your
wants, your preferences, your desires, your theology, your opinions be more
valuable in your eyes than the truth.

If you know the truth, and you toss it aside in exchange for anything else,
you’ve sold out.