Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” – John 18:37

If you are looking for an interesting study, find a good Bible program and search the words, “I have come.” You will discover why Jesus came to the world from His perspective and honestly… it’s shocking. I won’t give away the blessing of discovering for yourself, but I would like to focus on one of the statements that Jesus makes….

“Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Why is truth so important in the Worship Life of the believer? If we look at John 4:24, we find that it is the basis of our worship… Spirit and Truth. In other words, there is no such thing as honest worship and dishonest worship. Now, many folks might say “I disagree.” I’ve seen a lot of people who worship God and are hiding things in their life or are two faced in their devotion. Let me submit to you, that is not worship at all. It may be an emotional catharsis, a sentimental exercise or even a respectful observance of tradition – but it’s not worship.

All worship is a response to an encounter with truth. But, what if your truth is different from my truth? That is the question of the age. That is the foundation of every false religion. That is the basis of every false system of worship. The problem with this kind of reasoning is that it supposes that truth is measured pragmatically or by popular sociological or cultural vote – i.e. the truth that works across the board in all cultures or the truth that gets the most votes for being truth wins. Then we come up with such concepts are universal truth versus situational truth versus socio-cultural truth. And of course the ultimate – your truth doesn’t work for me.

The Biblical view of truth is much different. Jesus makes truth personal. He says in John 14:6, “I am the truth.” In our text Jesus tells us that He is the one who speaks truth and in doing so authenticates truth. In other words, Jesus is the one who decides what is true and what is not true.

But that is not where the biggest problem lies for most people. The biggest problem lies in the statement that follows – “Everyone who is of truth hears My voice.” What a shocking statement!!! That very statement cuts to the core of every person alive. That very statement divides humanity between worshippers of God and worshippers of false deities. That very statement draws a line in the sand of every man’s heart.

Why is it so difficult? Because once you’ve heard the truth you are faced with a decision. Follow the truth. Don’t follow the truth. If I can deny the voice of Jesus in my life, then I never have to change the way I live. I never have to submit to the authority of truth in my life.

I recently read an article written by a Charismatic minister. He described his hunger for spiritual experience. He would spend every chance he could at the altar seeking for the ultimate spiritual high. However, he was faced with the reality that all his time at the altar had not altered his life. Why? Because he was not willing to obey the voice of Jesus. He was not willing to allow his life to be changed by the Truth. The result? Over time, the voice of Jesus became silent and his appetite for experience became

paramount. When He finally came to the place of surrender, his life changed and he became an altered man.

What about you? You may love to experience the emotional heights that come during a time of worship. You may love to bask in the glow of God’s presence. You may love to weep at the altar of invitation. But does your time at the altar leave you altered? If you are of the truth, you will hear the voice of Jesus. But the sign of one who is of the truth is one who responds to the truth through obedience. Commit yourself to looking at one area of your life where the truth needs to be applied. Allow yourself to be altered through the fire of obedience. As you do, you will discover the fuel that burns at the core of authentically and divinely inspired worship – Jesus, the One who is Truth.