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WHO
SWITCHED THE PRICE TAG
(John
8:42-47)
THESIS: To show that Satan
has changed the values of various things God originally valued properly.
INTRODUCTION:
1. Imagine walking into a
store, unaware that someone the night before had switched all the price tags.
How would you know the value of any of the items?
2. Someone has switched
life’s price tags! So many things of life are no longer valued the way they
should be.
I. THE VALUE HAS BEEN
SWITCHED ON LIFE ITSELF.
A. It used to be that life
was highly regarded, sacred:
1. Genesis 9:6 - As early as
the time of Noah, God told Noah to regard life as sacred, made in the
image of God. DON’T TAKE
LIFE!
2. Job 1:21 - Job knew that
God is the beginning and the end of every human life. No one else should
interfere.
3. Acts 17:25 - Paul revealed
to the Greek philosophers that God is the giver of all life, all breath.
4. Thus, the Bible is clear:
life is something to be held sacred.
B. But contrast this with the
“price tag” on human life today:
1. Abortion: The
taking of unborn human life has continued since 1973, with an average of 1.5
million abortions annually! This did not use to be!
2. Euthanasia: In an
earlier lesson, we showed where the idea of “mercy killing” is growing in
popularity, in frequency.
Again, this did not use to be.
3. Countless other
manifestations abound. They all point to one problem — life has been devalued!
C. Therefore, the contrast
between God’s value of life, and our modern value. Who switched the price tags?
II. THE VALUE HAS BEEN
SWITCHED ON SIN.
A. The Bible is very clear on
this subject. Got has given us a “hand book” of life, and everything we need to
know is there. (2 Peter 1:3)
B. But people are not content
with God’s “price tags.” They wish to switch them at their pleasure:
1. 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 -
They believe not the truth revealed about that sin, but choose to believe a lie.
God will let them!
2. Romans 1:32 - They not
only will do evil, but they also condone and encourage those who do evil.
3. Isaiah 5:20 - But God has
given strong warnings about this type of activity. Woe to those who call evil
good!
C. The tragedy is that God’s people have been deluded on this very idea. The “price tags” have been switched, and we have purchased sin with no questions asked. Who is responsible for this?
III. TRUTH ITSELF HAS HAD ITS VALUE DIMINISHED.
A. We should know the value of God’s revealed truth:
1. John 8:32 - Jesus pointed out that truth is the necessary ingredient for
freedom. Truth is so very important!
2. Proverbs 23:23 - Thus, buy the truth, and don’t sell it! It is a very
valuable commodity.
3. Psalms 119:72 - Do we love God’s truth as Did David? Better than thousands of
gold and silver?
B. But many have taken a lesser value of truth:
1. Romans 1:18 - They hold the truth of God in unrighteousness.
2. Romans 1:25 - They change the truth of God into a lie.
3. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 - They're not content with the truth, and so they exchange it
for something false.
Why? They don’t realize the value of God’s revealed truth. Someone switched the
price tags!
4. That’s the basic problem today, and in all generations. The value of truth is
not highly regarded, and so people will put their own wills above the Will of
God.
C. But who did this dastardly deed?
1. John 8:44-45 - Satan, the murderer, the father of all lies. He is the one who
has done the switching of the price tags!
2. Then let us realize that every time we choose sin — in any form — over what
God has said, we are cooperating with the plans of satan for our lives. We are
saying, in effect, satan, we trust your state of values more than God’s.
CONCLUSION:
1. We are all going through the “store of life.” We are making choices daily,
purchasing attitudes,
actions, etc. We must make the right choices.
2. Jeremiah 6:16 - Let us not be content with the values that have been put on
these items by others. Let us ask for the “book price.” God’s values are true.
By: Clayton Winters
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