Speak Truth to Power, Even (and Especially) When it Hurts
Christians and Government • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Our last in series on Christians and Government.
Last week: covered civil disobedience, that Christians are obligated to defy tyrants, i.e., gov’t when it gives direct commands that go against God’s Word.
This week we are engaging another obligation that the church/Christians have toward gov’t (and even culture itself): to speak truth, hence the title of this morning’s message “Speak Truth to Power.”
Scripture gives numerous examples and teachings concerning this topic. Many, if not most or all the examples, show us that speaking truth to the culture/gov’t is not easy. Most of the time it hurts. It will cost us something: reputation, job, family, friends, etc.
Example: Recently, a friend of mine who has a non-profit ministry. Because he was standing for truth and speaking it, some on his board pulled thousands of dollars of support and then resigned.
A heads up on this morning’s message: because there are numerous examples and teachings in the Bible on this topic, there will be quite a few verses and passages shared this morning.
When it comes to speaking truth to power, even (and especially) when it hurts, we have to ask ourselves a preliminary question: do we love the truth?
1. Loving Truth
1. Loving Truth
Truth is so precious that we are commanded to get it and never let it go:
Proverbs 23:23 “Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.”
Truth is intimately related to genuine love:
1 Corinthians 13:5–6 Love “does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.”
Those who do not love the truth and accept it, will be judged.
Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians:
2 Thessalonians 2:11–13 “For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”
What is this “truth” the Scripture speaks of?
That Which is Objectively Real and Good
That Which is Objectively Real and Good
We have talked about the nature of truth before, but it is worth repeating since our society no longer understands what truth is.
Objectively Real:
20th century Christian thinker and author referred to it as “true Truth.”
Objectively Good:
There are things in this world that are just good by nature (although not necessarily morally good): humans, justice, love, life, creation—even things like becoming a doctor, engineer, mechanic, barista, are all things to be valued bc they are good. They are good specifically because they add to the flourishing of humanity and society.
Truth is found in Jesus:
John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Truth found in Jesus’ Word and Sets Free:
John 8:31–32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.””
Truth is Jesus Himself:
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Truth is All of God’s Word, the Scriptures:
John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”
It Applies to Everyone
It Applies to Everyone
That which is real and good applies to everyone. This follows from the idea of truth being what is objectively real and good.
Illustration:
Perhaps we have heard a popular slogan:
There are three truths: my truth, your truth, and the truth.
Anonymous
There is a difference between one’s perception of what is real and good, and what is in fact real and good. And as humans created in God’s image, we have the obligation to make sure that what we take to be real and good are in fact real and good.
Application
Do we believe in truth—that which is real and good?
The Bible describes the church in 1 Timothy 3:15 as "the pillar and support of the truth.”
Do we love truth?
Do we love that which is real and good? Do we love Jesus and his Word? Do we love the Scriptures?
Do we know truth?
Nothing conquers but truth, and the victory of truth is love.
Saint Augustine of Hippo
2. Revealing Truth (Matt 5:13-14)
2. Revealing Truth (Matt 5:13-14)
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
The Church is to be Salt and Light
The Church is to be Salt and Light
Salt: that which seasons; but more to the point: preserves
Why do you think a McDonald’s cheeseburger can last for years sitting out on a kitchen counter without rotting? It’s because it has so much salt on it that it preserves it.
John Stott: “the world decays like rotten fish or meat, while the church can hinder its decay.”
[John R. W. Stott and John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian Counter-Culture, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 59.]
Certainly, as we have already discussed, God instituted gov’t to restrain evil in the world. But it is especially the church’s job to reveal truth to combat evil, thereby preserving culture.
The Message of the Sermon on the Mount 1. The Salt of the Earth (13)
As R. V. G. Tasker puts it, the disciples are ‘to be a moral disinfectant in a world where moral standards are low, constantly changing, or non-existent’
[The Gospel according to St Matthew by R. V. G. Tasker (Tyndale New Testament Commentary; IVP, 1961), 63 in John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, 59]
Light: that which exposes; it illumines; it reveals what was hidden by the darkness
Scripture always uses darkness in reference to sinful deeds and evil.
John 3:19–20 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”
As uncomfortable as it may be, a part of the church’s responsibility is to reveal truth by exposing evil deeds.
Another way to say that the church is to reveal truth:
The Church is the Conscience of Culture and Power
The Church is the Conscience of Culture and Power
Chuck Colson and Timothy George
[article in Christianity Today, “Flaming Truth: Recalling Francis Schaeffer’s Challenge,” Feb 2012, https://www.christianitytoday.com/2012/02/remembering-francis-schaeffer-2/ accessed 10/25/2024]
“Some say today that the church should take a sabbatical from speaking to the culture at large. That would be a grave mistake. The alternative to winsomely engaging the culture isn't blissful withdrawal: it is further subjugation to what Pope Benedict XVI has called the ‘dictatorship of relativism.’ Schaeffer taught us that the undermining of truth leads to the loss of human rights, including liberty and life itself.”
John Cooper of the Christian rock band Skillet:
“The Church is called to be a prophetic voice to the culture, to expose lies, to preach the truth, and to call the world to repentance. But instead, much of the church has embraced the lies, attacked those who preach the truth, and deemed ‘repentance’ a negative and psychologically harmful term.”
“We have become (1) weak: theologically and philosophically. We ought to recognize that these utopias are false and antithetical to the gospel. We have become (2) wimpy, by constantly apologizing for God’s character and His Word and by trying to make peace with the world’s philosophies. And we have become (3) woke, by replacing biblical justice with critical social justice that demands absolute justice in the present, meted by imperfect people with limited knowledge in a world that the Bible tells us will remain imperfect until Christ returns.”
[Cooper, John L.. Wimpy, Weak, & Woke: How Truth Can Save America from Utopian Destruction (p. 16). John L. Cooper. Kindle Edition.]
We (the church and Christians) are to reveal the truth to culture and government (power) to expose their dark deeds.
HOW do we reveal the truth? First and foremost: by speaking it.
3. Speaking Truth (Matt 23:13-36)
3. Speaking Truth (Matt 23:13-36)
We see so many examples of this in Scripture that we cannot escape the clear implication that the church and Christians are mandated to do this.
Speaking It to Power and Culture
Speaking It to Power and Culture
Jesus
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’
John the Baptist
Matthew 14:3–12 “For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Having been prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” Although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus.”
Other Examples:
Moses, Elijah, Elisha—all the prophets, including Jesus, the Apostles, and tens of thousands of Christians throughout human history.
Again, John Cooper of Skillet:
The Church’s “telos [objective, goal] is to speak God’s truth to a fallen world, not only for the salvation of their souls but also to teach the nations how to live life morally and ethically, which will result in a better world for everyone.”
[Cooper, John L.. Wimpy, Weak, & Woke: How truth can save America from utopian destruction (p. 40). John L. Cooper. Kindle Edition.]
Application:
Is this easy?
One reason why we often have such a difficult time doing this is because we no longer believe that there is truth. We have accepted the secular cultural belief that truth is subjective and relative. And so the church’s mission is defeated before it even begins.
Another reason why we often have difficulty doing this is because we do not know the truth. We do not know the truth because we are not pursuing it.
Listen, one reason to study the Bible is that the truth is there. The truth about God; the truth about man; the truth about life; the truth about death; the truth about you and me; the truth about men, women, children, husbands, wives, dads, and mothers; the truth about friends and enemies; the truth about how you ought to be at work and how you ought to be at home; even the truth about how you ought to eat, drink, how you ought to live, how you ought to think—the truth is all there. What a resource we have. Cherish it.
John F. MacArthur
If we are going to speak the truth, we must know the truth.
Something else to consider: in American culture we have the freedom and protected right to speak truth to those in power
Os Guiness: “We are in a Republic, where every citizen is responsible for the health and vitality of the Republic. So for Christians just to keep their heads down is not only a failure of discipleship calling, they’re not being salt and light. It’s a failure of citizenship and it’s absolutely disastrous.” Living It Among Power and Culture
2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
4. The Truth Hurts (Matt 5:10-12)
4. The Truth Hurts (Matt 5:10-12)
Jesus:
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Illustration:
Truth carries with it confrontation. Truth demands confrontation; loving confrontation, but confrontation nevertheless. If our reflex action is always accommodation regardless of the centrality of the truth involved, there is something wrong.
Francis Schaeffer
“Our naivety needs to die. It is not possible to continue to believe God’s unchanging Word and to be loved and accepted by the world. Just face it. The world is going to hate us. We will either embrace this truth or we will compromise.” ~John Cooper
[Cooper, John L.. Wimpy, Weak, & Woke: How truth can save America from utopian destruction (p. 24). John L. Cooper. Kindle Edition.]
Application:
Are you prepared to suffer for speaking the truth?
Are you going to be courageous?
Are you prepared to be uncomfortable?