Persevering In An Age of "Fake News!"

Welcome

Psalm 118:14–16 ESV

14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. 15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, 16 the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

Good Morning! I’m Pastor Wayne and I’d like to welcome you all to the gathering of Ephesus Baptist Church.

As we gather this morning, it is imperative that we understand why we gather. We gather to worship and exalt the name of the one who has become our salvation. The right hand of the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ!

If you are visiting with us this morning, we want you to know that ...

We are all one family of faith: “giving our all to love God, love people, proclaim Jesus, and make disciples in our generation.”

That is our mission, our purpose, why we exist as a church.

We have a connect card in the pew in front of you. I invite you to take one and fill it out! If you have prayer needs, you can let us know about those as well.

I promise, our prayer team will lift you up soon. You can place those cards in the offering plate when it comes around.

Who’s Your One?

Scripture Memory

Romans 8:31–33 ESV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

Romans 8:34 ESV

34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Opening Scripture Reading

Ephesians 2:1–10 ESV

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Opening Prayer

Introduction

Do you trust today’s media? I, certainly, hope not!

These days, it is a well known fact that we are inundated with “fake news” and accusations of “fake news,” on a daily basis. Some pundits even say “journalism is dead!”

Did you know that one of Virginia’s earliest colonial governors, Sir William Berkeley, actually thanked God publicly that there was not a newspaper in the Virginian colony (Weaver, p. 28).

He understood well the journalist’s temptation to paint something in a way that would lead to gossip, slander, and conflict.

Richard M. Weaver, in his book, “Ideas Have Consequences,” published in 1948 captures the temptation of journalism to create friction and conflict, as he wrote,

It is an inescapable fact that news agencies thrive on friction and conflict....Conflict, after all, is the essence of drama, and it has proven true that journalists deliberately start and prolong quarrels....They create antagonism where none was felt to exist before.... Journalism, on the whole, is glad to see a quarrel start and sorry to see it end (Weaver, p. 97).

James Fenimore Cooper, writing in, “The American Democrat,” in 1938, seems to have stated the essential evil of the free press with a truth and eloquence, impossible to improve on when he argued, that journalism had evolved from a tool for the free flow of constructive ideas to one of the free flow of false information,

Listen to what he wrote in 1938,

In America, while the contest was for great principles, the press aided in elevating the common character, in improving the common mind, and in maintaining the common interests; but, since the contest has ceased and the struggle has become one purely of selfishness and personal interests, it is employed as a whole, in fast undermining its own work, and in preparing the nation for some terrible reverses, if not in calling down upon it, a just judgment of God. As the press of this country now exists, it would seem to be expressly devised by the great agent of mischief, to depress, and destroy all that is good, and to elevate and advance all that is evil in the nation. The little truth that is urged, is usually urged coarsely, weakened and rendered vicious, by personalities; while those who live by falsehoods, fallacies, enmities, partialities, and the schemes of designing, find the press the very instrument that the devils would invent to effect their designs (Cooper, p.134).

Matthew Arnold, after a tour of the United States in 1886, wrote in his account of that tour an essay titled, “Civilization in the United States,” where he said,

“if one were searching for the best means to efface and kill in a whole nation the discipline of self-respect, the feeling for what is elevated, he could do no better than take the American newspapers” (Arnold, 1888).

These men of old warn those of us today of the danger of living in an age of “Fake News.” They rightly argued that the press would, most likely, destroy the common good, rather than elevate our culture.

Satan loves the media. It amplifies his destructive power exponentially, as it allows him the ability to introduce innuendo, slander, and gossip in a way that creates conflict where no conflict existed before.

This problem is not unique to us, Nehemiah had to learn how to persevere in an age of fake news, as well. In today’s passage, Nehemiah’s enemies will attempt to control the message in regard to Nehemiah and his mission. They try to use gossip, rumor, and slander to intimidate Nehemiah into succumbing to their snare.

Today, we are going to examine the danger of fake news and learn how to persevere through it......

I invite you to join me in Nehemiah, chapter 6 and verse 5. We will examine verses 5-9 together this morning.

Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

Nehemiah 6:5–9 ESV

5 In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7 And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.” 8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” 9 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

Prayer for Illumination

Context:

Remember, Nehemiah has been mocked, despised, accused of leading a rebellion, physically threatened, oppressed. He has had to deal with internal turmoil and disunity from within his own camp.

Despite all of this, he remains faithful, generous, and steadfast. He has been undeterred in his mission and now the wall is almost complete. Because of this, his enemies are going to pull out all the stops to prevent the completion of the wall.

Last week, we watched as they tried to distract and deceive Nehemiah into a snare of fatal compromise. He wisely said, “no” to their trap and effectively resisted them.

Today, we see just how unrelenting our enemy can be as Sanballat and the stooges continue to be a thorn in Nehemiah’s side. How will he persevere in an age of fake news?

First, we must understand what Fake News is and what it does....

1. Fake news utilizes the sins of gossip and slander to discredit and destroy.

Look at verse 5!

Nehemiah 6:5 ESV

5 In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.

Sanballat ups the ante with this fifth attempt. Nehemiah tells us that he received an open letter from Sanballat.

What was an open letter? It was an unsealed letter which allowed others to read the letter as it passed from village to village with the intent of spreading news far and wide.

The enemy is getting out in front of Nehemiah, attempting to change the story of Nehemiah’s mission with false accusations or fake news.

Their strategy was simple, “Since we can’t deceive Nehemiah, let’s discredit him. The letter was designed to personally attack Nehemiah’s character as well as his motive for rebuilding the wall.

Sanballat was trying to bully and intimidate Nehemiah into doing what he wanted him to do: stop the work and come meet with him so they could murder him and destroy his mission.

So what was in this open letter?

Look at verses 6-7

Nehemiah 6:6–7 ESV

6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7 And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.”

What a bombshell! Sanballat has started a rumor that has the potential to totally destroy Nehemiah’s credibility—which is precisely what he wanted to do.

Can you imagine how this fake news spread throughout Jerusalem. “Nehemiah wants to be our king—that’s been his purpose all along!”

This was nothing more than using the power of gossip to spread a slanderous rumor like a wildfire in the wind.

This was political hardball. This was an accusation of high treason against Nehemiah with Gesham and others as witnesses. This slanderous gossip could have serious repercussions for the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

Once gossip gets going it is nearly impossible to stop.

Stephen Davey once shared this brief bio of Gossip.

I have no respect for justice. I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives. I am cunning and malicious and gather strength the older I am alive. The more I am quoted, the more I am believed. My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face. To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become. I topple governments and wreck friendships. I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights and heartaches. I make innocent people cry in their pillows. I make headlines and headaches. I am nobody’s friend. Even my name hisses. I am Gossip.

The enemies slanderous strategy was very subtle; on the one hand, it could have diverted Nehemiah from his purpose.

On the other hand, this gossip, if left unchecked, could affect public support and quite possibly bring down the wrath of King Artaxerxes on the entire Jewish community.

These rumors had an appearance of truth. The Jews did not intend to rebel, but fortifying the city could be interpreted that way.

Nehemiah never intended to become king, but he did have a messianic hope. He was looking for a king from David’s line, and if one had arisen he would have celebrated his appearance.

The rumors had a ring of truth, but they were backed by impure motives that totally twisted the actual mission.

At the end of verse 7, there is a subtle hint that Nehemiah might soon need Sanballat’s protection....

“So now come and let us take counsel together.”

In my opinion, Sanballat betrayed himself by insisting on this meeting. If Nehemiah was really trying to start a rebellion, why would a governor from another province want to meet him?

Artexerxes could interpret this as an act of collaboration. Why else would a Samaritan be interested in the welfare of the Jews?

Nehemiah was far to shrewd to not see that the motives behind all of this were to destroy him and his work. It was apparent that Sanballat’s sole purpose in life was to hinder and defeat the Jews in Jerusalem.

Ephesus, Satan’s sole intention is to bring harm to God’s church and hinder the advancement of the Gospel.

Have we not witnessed this many times in our lives? Good news travels slowly, but gossip and false accusations, boy do they travel fast.

When we spread gossip or false accusations, we are helping the enemy achieve his purpose. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Christians don’t gossip. They just share prayer requests!”

The truth is, gossip holds a strange fascination for all of us.

Listen to this poem by John Dryden,

There is a lust in man no charm can tame,

Of loudly publishing his neighbor’s shame.

Hence, on eagles’ wings immortal scandals fly,

While virtuous actions are but born and die.

Church, I don’t think we understand our propensity to gossip nor the damage we can cause.

The story is told of a young man during the Middle Ages who went to a monk, saying, “I’ve sinned by telling slanderous statements about someone. What should I do now?” The monk replied, “Put a feather on every doorstep in town.” The young man did it. He then returned to the monk, wondering if there was anything else that he should do. The monk said, “Go back and pick up all the feathers.” The young man replied, “That’s impossible! By now the wind will have blown them all over town.” The Monk said, “So has your slanderous word become impossible to retrieve.”

Slander is a vicious crime that does lasting harm. It is tempting when something is whispered into our ear to want to whisper it into someone else’s ear.

But, we have no right to spread gossip merely because someone brought it to us. If you were given a counterfeit $20 Bill, would it not be wrong to use that $20 Bill as if it were the real McCoy even though you knew better?

Our Father has called us to love one another, so it is an unjust violation of God’s law to attack another person through gossip or slander. Three reasons why!

It is a sin against God.

Exodus 20:16 ESV

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Ephesians 4:31 ESV

31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

It is a sin against the slandered, because you have robbed him or her of their good name.

Proverbs 22:1 ESV

1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.

It is a sin fed by hatred. To speak falsely of others is to be filled with malice and ill-will toward that person. To hate someone in our heart is in no way consistent with the charity we have been called to demonstrate by the love of Christ that we claim resides within us. Hatred is unjust and wicked.

Proverbs 29:27 ESV

27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

James 1:26 ESV

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

A gossiper usually knows where to take his garbage. Avoid making your ears someone else’s garbage cans.

Have you ever had rumors circulated about you? Has someone ever misrepresented your actions and motives?

How should we respond when gossip and slander come our way?

Look at how Nehemiah responded in verse 8:

Nehemiah 6:8 ESV

8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.”

If you have ever been gossiped about or had rumors spread about you, you can learn a lot from Nehemiah’s response.

Nehemiah’s response teaches us two vital principles concerning the handling of Fake News.

2. Fake News must be boldly refuted and rebuked.

Nehemiah did the only thing he possible could do under these circumstances. He certainly did not go down to talk it over with them. He did not try to defend himself. He simply responded with a short word of refutation and rebuke.

Refutation

First, Nehemiah refuted the rumors about him

“No such things as you say have been done,”

Rebuke

Next, he rebuked them saying,

“for you are inventing them out of your own mind.”

What else could he do? Nehemiah wasn’t plotting a rebellion and he wasn’t planning to set himself up as king. The enemies invented this bologna. This was all a fabricated lie and Nehemiah knew it.

He had lived a life of integrity and character and was certain that God would reward him for his faithfulness. In essence, Nehemiah was saying, “You can spread whatever lies you want, but I know the truth, and so does my God.”

Nehemiah rejected their slander and went right on doing what God had called him to do.

He refused to entertain their slanderous gossip. He addressed them only to dismiss them. He did not cower in fear; rather, he boldly confronted the lies that Sanballat sought to spread.

The people of God are sometimes tempted to tone down, soften, or back away from confrontation, but as Nehemiah has revealed time and time again, we must not shy away from confrontation and we must not give in to the power of gossip and fear.

Fake news must be boldly refuted and rebuked.

Next....

3. Fake news is overcome through faithful perseverance.

Look at verse 9!

Nehemiah 6:9 ESV

9 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

Clearly, Nehemiah resolved not to worry about his reputation, or how the king might react to Sanballat’s slander. These were matters beyond Nehemiah’s control, matters best left in the hands of the Almighty.

Nehemiah persisted in the truth and sought the help from the only one who could help him.

Remember Ephesus, perseverance in the truth will shine the light of Christ on all fake news and deception.

When you are slandered or gossiped about, remember that speedy reactions and hasty conclusions play into the hands of the enemy.

As God’s people, if we will think carefully, and prayerfully depend on God’s help, we will see that God’s enemies are merely trying to discourage us from the great work we are doing for our Christ.

We will also most likely discover the way out of their wildfire of gossip and slander.

Nehemiah stood firm by rejecting the imaginative spin the enemies put on reality and persisted in what God had called him to do.

Through prayer, he asked God that, rather than his hands dropping from the work, that God would strengthen his hands in the work. He prayed, and he continued to take action.

Conclusion: SO WHAT!

How can we protect our church, our families, and our reputation from the fake news of gossip and slander?

How can we make sure that we are not part of the enemy’s arsenal being used against someone else?

First, we determine in our hearts to not take part in gossip.

ELABORATE and Mix in the Gospel

Second, we need to think before speaking.

Alan Redpath wrote how he encouraged the members of his church to practice a simple formula to avoid gossip. Since he wanted them to think before speaking, he gave them an acrostic: THINK.

T—Is it true?

H—Is it helpful?

I — Is it inspirational?

N—Is it necessary?

K—Is it kind?

If a matter did not pass the THINK test, it was not spoken to another person.

That is good advice for the Church, as well as for all areas of life. If your speech is running down your co-workers or your boss, you are wrong.

As a believer, you have no business working with that attitude. Stop and THINK

Use the THINK test to get control of your work environment, and it may just revolutionize your home and your church environment, as well.

The enemies of Nehemiah and his work for God said, “Let’s confuse him”; then, “Let’s discredit him.”

But God strengthened the hands and heart of Nehemiah to persevere through the fake news swirling around him and to keep on building.

Let us pray God will strengthen our hands and hearts to persevere in an age of Fake News as well and to keep building God’s Kingdom together.

Invitation:

Confess

Repent

Believe

Forgive

Be Forgiven.

Don’t sing our song of Invitation unless you have experienced the joy of the Lord’s Salvation.

Hymn of Invitation

He has made me glad

Words on the Screen