Sermon Outline
August 5, 2007 PM
STANDING ALONE FOR TRUTH
TEXT: I Kings 22:1-38
INTRODUCTION:
1. 1Kings 22:1-14- Judah & Israel joined forces to take Ramath Gilead from the Syrians.
2. "We are one & our horses are as one!" (vs.4) Jehosephat joined forces with evil.
3. They made their plans and then asked God to put His seal of approval on them!
4. They asked 400 "in-house" prophets and they all said "yes" (One even had an object
lesson made of iron horns vs.11)
5. They asked Machia and he first toyed with them and then told them the truth.
6. "What the Lord says to me, that I will speak" (vs.14) Would solve all problems of
religious division.
7. Out of 401 preachers he stood alone for the truth!
a) 17,28
b) He was thrown into prison and given bread and water.
c) He was to remain until the King came back and the King wasn't coming back!
d) "Lying Spirit" in 1Kings 22:20-23?
1) Lying Spirit was likely the "father of lies" (Jno.8:44) and God allowed him to
deceive Ahab because of his wickedness and desire to be deceived.
2) Similar to the strong delusion in 2Thess.2:11. "Because they did not receive
the love of the truth" they were deceived!
8. The Battle: 29-38
a) Both Kings went into battle.
b) Ahab was not dressed as a King.
c) They chased Jehosephat until they discovered that he was not the King.
d) King Ahab was stricken by an arrow shot at random and died
9. The following lessons can be learned.
I. IT IS BETTER TO BE DIVIDED BY TRUTH THAN UNITED BY ERROR
A. Amos 3:3 "Can two walk together unless they agree? "
B. 2Cor.6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what
fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with
darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer
with an unbeliever?
C. John 17:20-22 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in
Me through their word; "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and
I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent
Me. "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one
just as We are one:
D. Matt.10:34-37 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to
bring peace but a sword. "For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a
daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law';
"and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' "He who loves father
or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter
more than Me is not worthy of Me.
II. IT IS BETTER TO SPEAK THE TRUTH THAT HURTS AND HEALS
THAN FALSEHOOD THAT COMFORTS AND KILLS
A. Prov.27:5-6 Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the
wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
B. Machiah told the truth, which would have been to their advantage had they listened.
C. Comforting words are not always the best words.
D. Why we punish children etc.
III. IT IS BETTER TO BE HATED FOR TELLING THE TRUTH, THAN TO BE
LOVED FOR TELLING A LIE
A. Gal.4:16 "Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?"
B. John 7:7 "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its
works are evil.
C. Machia was hated (1Kgs.22:8; 24-28)
1) Even thrown into prison.
2) All for telling the truth.
IV. IT IS BETTER TO STAND ALONE FOR TRUTH THAN TO BE WRONG
WITH A MULTITUDE (400 to 1 but Machia told truth)
A. Poseiden Adventure, most followed the captain to their death. Few followed the one
man who knew what he was doing.
V. IT IS BETTER TO ULTIMATELY SUCCEED WITH THE TRUTH THAN
TO TEMPARAILY SUCCEED WITH A LIE
A. John 17:17 Sanctify them by your truth, Your word is truth.
B. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through Me.
C. Acts 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under
heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
but he was the ultimate victor.
CONCLUSION:
1. Truth is rarely the politically correct position.
2. Truth is almost never the popular position.
3. Truth will always ultimately prevail.
4. We need to stop allowing the media to tell us what to think, say and do.
5. "Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross, lift high His royal banner, it
must not suffer loss! From victory unto victory, His army shall He lead, till every foe
is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed!"