Censoring Truth
Acts 5:40-42
Intro: In our text tonight, we find the apostles in the early church forbidden from preaching the gospel. They were commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus.
A. Their Command – vs. 40 “…they were commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus…”
B. Their Counting – vs. 41 “…rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”
C. Their Continuing – vs. 42 “And daily in the temple, and in ever house, they ceased not to teach and preach…”
They refused to be censored; they refused to comply with a command that directly opposed the Great Commission.
This was not the first time the man of God had been censored. They tried it many times in the Old Testament.
ILLUSTRATION: Jeremiah was imprisoned for preaching (Jeremiah 37, 38)
He tried to comply, but he couldn’t!
- Jeremiah 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
In both the Old Testament as well as the New, God’s men have been subjected to the attempts to CENSOR TRUTH.
Thank God for the men of God down through the years that GOT WEARY WITH FORBEARING AND COULD NOT STAY!
In the last few days, we have witnessed an unprecedented attack on the first amendment rights of Americans.
FIRST AMENDMENT Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
We have watched thousands of citizens and independent press silenced by Big Tech. I won’t waste time listing the examples, but it is absolutely appalling to watch CERTAIN people’s right to express themselves suppressed, censored, and taken away.
This nation has thousands of independent reporters and news sources.
- Our freedom of speech is being censored.
- The freedom of the press is being censored.
- The right of the people to peaceably assemble is being censored.
- The right of the people to petition the Government for a redress of grievances is being censored.
But it’s not just the censoring of speech that’s a problem.
The TRUTH is being censored.
Lies and propaganda are being printed and reported while facts and truth is being censored.
Make no mistake – censoring truth is not a new concept.
It has always been one of the primary functions of Satan.
Censoring truth was a common tactic of Satan throughout the Scriptures.
CENSOR:
- an official who examines books, plays, news reports, motion pictures, radio and television programs, letters, cablegrams, etc., for the purpose of suppressing parts deemed objectionable on moral, political, military, or other grounds.
- any person who supervises the manners or morality of others.
- an adverse critic; faultfinder.
From the Garden of Eden, Satan has been trying to interfere with God’s effort to communicate with man.
He either tries to block it, or he tries to distort it.
ILLUSTRATION: “Yea hath God said…?”
He will either revise and change and pervert it, or he will prevent it from being told entirely.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
That’s why Paul asked for prayer!
- 2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
Satan is a liar and the father of it, therefore he despises the truth. (John 8:44)
On the other hand, truth is a characteristic of God; an attribute of God.
- Jesus said, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life…” John 14:6
- Paul said, “Let God be true, and every man a liar.” Romans 3:4
- John said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17
I. The Delivery of the Truth
FIRST MENTION PRINCIPLE
- TRUTH – Genesis 24:26, 27 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.
The first mention of TRUTH is a man rejoicing and worshipping God for not leaving him destitute of the truth, and for being led of God in the right path. What a picture!!
We should rejoice in the fact that WE HAVE NOT BEEN LEFT DESTITUTE OF THE TRUTH!!!
- God has revealed it.
- God has inspired it.
- God has preserved it.
- God has used it.
- God honors it.
- God demands it.
He loved us enough to give us the truth.
He cares enough about our life to address every aspect of our lives with truth.
Like the servant of old, we should say, “Blessed be the LORD God… Abraham, who hath not left us destitute…of his mercy and his truth…”
II. The Duty to the Truth
With the delivery of the truth; the dispensation of the truth comes a tremendous responsibility.
God has made it possible for us to:
Hear the truth
- Isaiah 43:9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
Buy the truth
- Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Believe the truth
- 2 Thessalonians 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Receive the truth
- 1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Walk in the truth
- 3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Obey the truth
- Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
- Galatians 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
Rejoice in the truth
- 1 Corinthians 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
III. The Deafness to the Truth
The message tonight is about the truth being censored.
But I don’t want to look at the many entities that Satan uses to censor the truth.
I don’t want to look at the watering down of the truth by apostates and hirelings.
I don’t want to look at the diluting and perverting of the truth in modern translations.
I don’t want to deal with the persecution and opposition to the truth by government principalities and powers.
I don’t even want to look at all the distractions and disruptions that Satan uses to turn people away from the truth.
I want to look at what I believe is the worst type of TRUTH CENSORING that there is:
That is when a person has access to the truth, and they refuse to hear it.
They censor the truth from themselves.
Look again at the definition of CENSOR:
- an official who examines books, plays, news reports, motion pictures, radio and television programs, letters, cablegrams, etc., for the purpose of suppressing parts deemed objectionable on moral, political, military, or other grounds.
- any person who supervises the manners or morality of others.
- an adverse critic; faultfinder.
The Bible is filled with examples of people that deliberately and willingly censored the truth – not from others, but from themselves.
They refuse to listen to the parts that they deem OBJECTIONABLE.
They become an adverse critic and faultfinder with THE PERFECT WORD OF GOD.
Zechariah 7
- 11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
- 12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
The language here is vivid.
- They REFUSED TO HEARKEN.
- They PULLED AWAY THE SHOULDER.
- They STOPPED THEIR EARS – that they should not hear.
- They MADE THEIR HEARTS AS AN ADAMANT STONE, lest they should hear the law.
Acts 7
- 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
- 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
- 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
They cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears.
II Timothy 4
- 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
- 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Conclusion: I just want to remind the church of this one thing. The social media censoring the news is not our biggest concern. The government censoring free speech is not our biggest problem. We should be aware of Satan’s desire for us to censor the truth of God’s Word from our own hearts and minds. We need to hear it, receive it, believe it and obey it!