Preventing Truth Decay
Need to take care of your teeth – go to a dentist 1-2x/year; brush your teeth at least 2x/day, floss
Enamel of teeth – hardest substance in the body
NO cells, no blood vessels – 93% minerals
Problem is that sugar and bacteria in your mouth are trying to tear it down.
SAME WITH TRUTH – solid, unchangeable,
But can be attacked
Really not the truth that is attacked, but people’s belief in it.
Satan came to steal, kill and destroy. How does he do that?
He steals through lies.
He kills through lies.
He destroys through lies.
His primary weapon is deception, attack people’s faith and belief in the truth.
Biden’s Dept of Homeland Security Disinformation Governance Board created back in April – PAUSED a couple weeks ago.
The idea of DISINFORMATION – TRUTH DECAY
disinformation is “false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth.”
George Orwell’s, 1984, the main character, Winston Smith, works for the Ministry of Truth. His job is to rewrite news articles from the past to correct information that is out of date or inaccurate.
BECAUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA – lots of disinformation and truth decay.
Covid
Woke and CRT
LGBTQ
War in Ukraine
FACT CHECKERS – YouTube, Twitter and others –
Info can’t contradict the World Health Organization or CDC on Covid or its treatment
FACT CHECK YOUR FAITH!
Satan wants to spread “disinformation” about:
Person of God (God, Jesus, Holy Spirit)
People of God (The Church, our identity in Christ)
Place of God (Heaven)
2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15 (ESV)
3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough… 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
2 Timothy 4:3–4 (ESV)
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Matthew 24:23–26 (ESV)
23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
2 Peter 2:1–2 (ESV)
1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.
To Prevent Truth Decay You Need a Faith That Is:
1. Alive (not just Bible stories and moralistic truths)
a. Born Again (John 3) need the Holy Spirit to discern truth from lies
2. Active (James 2) “faith without works is dead”
a. Many Christian Atheists – say they are Christians (belief) but actions of atheists
Are You a Christian Atheist?
Believe in God, but act like an atheist
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
a. God is real and active in my life (Brody testimony about hearing God)
i. SLIDE: FACTS – FEELINGS – FAITH
ii. Feelings the result of the interpretation of the facts (based on experience or belief)
iii. FAITH – the action taken – shows where the faith is placed (in experience or in God or in something else)
iv. As more and more decisions are made to walk by faith and not experience, FAITH in GOD becomes the interpreter of the facts, affecting the FEELINGS
v. SLIDE: FACTS – FAITH – FEELINGS
2 Timothy 4:3–4 (ESV)
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
SLIDE: FANTASY – FEELINGS – FAITH
NARRATIVE VS. TRUTH
Narrative – the story we tell ourselves
Is it based on facts? Loosely or entirely?
Narrative is the worldview
Liberal narrative vs. conservative
PROGRESSIVE (narrative climate change is one of the most urgent problems of this generation and if we don’t solve it in the next few years we will destroy the planet in our lifetime) VS - FAR RIGHT (distrusts the mainstream media – it is always wrong and nearly every conspiracy theory is probably right)
More subtle narratives (TRUTH DECAY) that are creeping into the church:
1. “If I feel it, it must be true”
FACTS – FEELINGS – FAITH (FAITH IN THE FEELINGS)
“my feelings are my reality”
“I’m miserable in my marriage, God wants me to be happy, therefore He understands if I get a divorce.”
Reality (God Hates Divorces)
Malachi 2:16 (NLT)
16 “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”
2. “You do you” - Be true to yourself, Follow your heart
Jeremiah 17:5–10 (ESV)
5 Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. 7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
2. Follow your heart- your heart is the most reliable guide to truth - FALSE!
What does your heart tell you to do with your brother sister-? Right and wrong, lie, steal, covet
This lie is reversal of Proverbs 3:5-6 trust in your heart instead of the Lord!
Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Colossians 2:8–9 (ESV)
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
Not taken captive by philosophy but by narrative. Narrative. Story. Who has the best story.
TESTING FOR TRUTH DECAY (truth decay check up)
1. Look at your prayers – what do you pray for? It shows your needs and your priorities.
If you don’t pray, it shows you are trusting in yourself. You are god, so you don’t need to talk to God.
Pray for safety and comfort – then living for here and now
Contrast the disciples –
Acts 4:29–32 (ESV)
29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. 32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.
Prayer for healing
Pray for people to come to faith? Then you believe there is a hell.
Pray for God’s glory? Pray for His will?
WHO IS AT THE CENTER OF YOUR PRAYERS? YOU OR GOD?
Pray – just being with God.
Last Sunday – Pastor Norm
A.C.T.S.
Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication (requests)
2. Look at your checkbook/bank account spending
Are you investing in the here and now or heaven?
Do you honor God with the tithe?
Proverbs 3:5–10 (ESV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Do you see your paycheck, wealth, assets as yours or God’s?
Do you see yourself as the owner or the manager?
3. Look at your calendar
Time at church – 1-2x/month? God is not a big priority. He is an add on that you get value from.
At church or church events, fellowship of 3, prayer meetings, Wednesday, Acts 29 – then
Personal daily time with the Lord
HOBBIES, SCREEN TIME, TV
4. Look at your thoughts
Romans 12:2 (NLT)
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
John 14:1–6 (NLT)
1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
NEXT STEP – HOW CAN YOU PREVENT TRUTH DECAY?
Let God have your calendar
Let God have your checkbook
Let God be at the center of your prayers
Let God have your thoughts
TOOTHBRUSH ILLUSTRATION –
Why use toothbrush? Because sweet stuff builds up on your teeth and rots them. Need to brush away – brush away lies, don’t let lies eat at the truth.