Champions of Truth - Champions of Falsehood: Part 1
Acts 16:16-24
Acts Series Part 31
By Dave Redick
These men didn’t care for the condition of this young girl or what their exploitation would ultimately do to her. I’m sure if they were alive today they would argue with us on that. They would probably point out that they took good care of her and gave her a roof over her head and food and clothing.
Introduction
Please turn with me to First Samuel 17. I want to begin reading in verse 17…
17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. 4 Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
The regular student of the Bible will no doubt recognize this passage as the account of the contest between David and Goliath. Please pay attention as I use the story to illustrate a concept. The next verses contain the description of the Philistine champion.
5 And he had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. 7 And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him.
Goliath was the best mankind could offer on the battlefield in that day. Who could stand against such a man?
8 And he stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, and said to them, "Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us." 10 Again the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together."
All Israel, from King Saul on down, cowered before these threats for forty days. Apparently there wasn’t a man among them with as much height, as much strength or as much powerful weaponry as this bellicose Philistine mocker. If victory depended solely on human strength, no one could win against Goliath.
Of course if you know the story – that will illustrate my point. The young shepherd boy, David arrived on the scene at the behest of his father Jessie, to check on the welfare of his three brothers who were in the Israelite army. As David heard the incessant taunting of the giant, he asked some bystanders in verse 26, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of God?”
One of David’s brothers, the oldest, named Eliab, quickly intervened, belittling his little brother in an effort to get him to go back home. Who could blame Eliab for that? David was no match to fight this powerful champion on his terms.
But King Saul got word of David’s questions and summoned him. Verse 33:
33 Then Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth." 34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God." 37 And David said, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
You probably know the rest of the story. Reluctantly Saul authorized David to fight Goliath. The king gave him his weapons and his armor but David was unwilling to use them because they were “untested” and cumbersome. Instead he took his stick, five smooth stones in his bag, his slingshot, and his great faith. He would fight by God’s strength and not by man’s. The Giant taunted David when he came out, cursing the upstart shepherd by his Philistine gods. Verse 43-44: “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks? Come to me and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.”
Verse 45 holds David’s reply: “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.”
Goliath came with his powerful physical weapons. David came with his great faith that God would give him victory if he depended on Him rather than on what it seemed he needed. You know the rest of the story. David, with his faith in God to guide his slingshot, soon delivered a well aimed, high velocity streambed rock to a spot on Goliath’s forehead – right between the eyes!
The whole affair seemed to be the greatest mismatch in all history – a ruddy shepherd kid against a trained killer who was half-again as big as the largest man in Israel. But David prevailed with the help of God using methods far different than men expected.
For us living under the New Testament, Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses, destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ...”
Just as David’s method of warfare was vastly different than Goliath’s, so too today the weapons we use in the battle between truth and falsehood in which we are engaged are different than those the world uses. It is this difference between the methods and motives of those who promote truth versus the methods and motives of those who promote falsehood that I want you to consider as we open our Bibles again to the book of Acts. Acts 16:16-24 is our text. Our series is called Acts of the Apostles. Today’s message is called, Champions of Truth – Champions of Falsehood.
We won’t find David and Goliath and the Valley of Elah described in Acts. What we find is Paul and Silas, two champions of truth, pitted against two or more champions of falsehood. I want you to see how differently they waged the battle they were engaged in. Like in the account of David and Goliath, the methods and motives they used are very different.
As Christians, championing the cause of truth, we are not to use the weapons of the world. We are not to respond in kind. We are not to trust in human strength any more than David did. We are to use what Paul called “divinely powerful” weapons.
Just what are the weapons and methods of the world used by those who champion falsehood? What are the divine methods we are to employ as champions of truth? That’s what we want to learn.
The Champions truth in this passage are Paul and Silas, two first century missionaries. The Champions of falsehood are several men who made their living by exploiting a poor, demon possessed slave girl who made them a lot of money by telling fortunes. The battle was joined when Paul and Silas cast the demon out of the slave girl, taking away the living of those who were exploiting her. It set up a battle, a contest.
I hope to persuade you in this message to think seriously about the battle of truth and falsehood going on in your own circle of influence and to convince you to adopt the methods and motives of the champions of truth if you have not done so already.
You cannot consistently promote truth in this world without stirring up a battle. When that battle comes, the way you fight it will determine which side you fight for.
The context of this passage is early in Paul’s second missionary journey. He and Silas answered the “Macedonian Call” and came to Philippi where they met, taught, and baptized a business woman named Lydia. From her home they began to preach in and around the city which was virgin territory with great prospects for the gospel. But Satan wasn’t about to let them preach the truth unchallenged. He sent forth at least two champions to defend his territory, and thwart the efforts of the missionaries. For the duration of this message we’ll call them the champions of falsehood. Their methods are very typical of those who promote falsehood today. Let’s begin in Acts 16:16.
16 And it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortunetelling.
The original language indicates that this “girl” was little more than a child. The words “a spirit of divination” translate literally, “a Python spirit,” which connects her to the ancient temple at Delphi where certain “priestesses” were said to be able to tell the future. In an elaborate ritual the active “priestess” would sit over an opening in the ground on a three legged stool and breathe certain hallucinogenic fumes and deliver oracles about the future by the power of the demon that lived in her. Luke here indicates this young “Python priestess” was making quite a profit for her masters.
That brings us to the first characteristic of the champions of falsehood:
1. Gain is their Greatest Goal.
Luke tells us that these men were making “much profit” in this enterprise. The black ink below the bottom line was their prime motive.
Isn’t it true that the desire for profit perpetuates much falsehood today as well? Television networks don’t promote excessive and meaningless violence and illicit sex because it builds society. They do it because it sells. The same is true of the movie industry and the vast majority of publishing houses. They put out what they do because it makes them rich. A hit summer movie can rake in tens of millions of dollars in a single weekend at the box office. Then it makes another killing when the video hits the shelves.
Money talks for these kinds of people, so don’t expect them to respond to the moral outrage of those who object. They have a vested interest. Because of that they understand only one thing: the opening and closing of millions of American wallets.
That is why I can’t understand how some Christians can lay down their money at the box office or video store or bookstore to see or read that kind of stuff. Besides the corrupting effect of such material on a life that is supposed to be dedicated to God, don’t we realize that every dollar spent for such things is a vote for perpetuating the falsehood that underlies it? When we support such things with our admission or rental fees, do we not share a portion of the guilt with those who produce it? What do you think God would say about it?
The first characteristic of the champions of falsehood is that gain is their greatest goal. Don’t expect them to respond to your moral objections. Do expect them to respond to the way you spend your money.
A second characteristic of the champions of falsehood is that:
2. They Don’t Care who they Step on to Get Ahead.
These men didn’t care for the condition of this young girl or what their exploitation would ultimately do to her. I’m sure if they were alive today they would argue with us on that. They would probably point out that they took good care of her and gave her a roof over her head and food and clothing.
It’s kind of like the argument of the pimp who enslaves a young woman in prostitution and insists that he is doing it because it gives her a home and a place to belong. The falsehood in that can be seen when the girls get too old or too wasted on drugs to be attractive anymore. They’re cast aside like so much garbage and the pimp doesn’t care one bit for the ruined lives.
It’s also a bit like the abortion industry. The ads for the clinics claim compassion in helping a young woman get out of a difficult situation. But once the money is paid and the deed is done, they care nothing for the after effects of guilt and remorse that often haunt a woman the rest of her life.
The champions of falsehood don’t care who they step on to get ahead. They may act like they care, but the truth is that they are driven by other motives.
Verse 17 holds another characteristic of the champions of falsehood:
3. They are Tolerant of Truth as Long as it Suits their Purposes.
17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation." 18 And she continued doing this for many days.
What stands out to me about Luke’s words is that this girl’s masters did nothing to stop her following Paul and Silas around even though it went on for some time. Actually, it may have even been good for business in that it may have attracted a crowd.
Those who promote falsehood have no quarrel with those who promote truth as long as doing so benefits their purpose. That is why some of the biggest promoters of falsehood today can be seen attending church services on Sunday and donating money to charity. It is why one of our former Presidents could promote the “pro-choice” position and champion homosexual “rights” and still be a member in good standing of a nationally known Protestant denomination. It’s good P.R. to be seen in church. It silences vast numbers of people who conclude that anyone who attends church regularly couldn’t be all that bad.
This girl’s masters probably kept quiet about her antics regarding Paul and Silas because it was helping their business. But oh, let those who promote truth object or take aggressive action, and the situation rapidly changes. That’s what we see next in this passage. When the champions of falsehood are challenged they:
4. They often React Violently when the Truth Spoils their Scam.
18b But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment. 19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities….
Again, what was it that brought on this reaction by the girl’s masters? “When these men saw that their hope for profit was gone...”
Everything was OK until Paul challenged these men’s exploitation. Up until that point these men were fountains of tolerance and good will.
This violent reaction potential was seen clearly during Jesus’ ministry. At the height of His popularity, when He was healing people and blessing babies, everybody wanted to be seen with Him, including the corrupt leaders of Judaism. But when He turned and pointed out their hypocrisy and corruption, rather than change, they turned violent and killed Him. That’s why He told His followers in John 15:20, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you...”
Do you know why many Christians are not persecuted today? It is because they never challenge falsehood. They just blend into the crowd and look like everyone else. Paul and Silas could have avoided a beating and a night in the local jail had they just continued to ignore this girl’s annoyances. But they didn’t and it cost them.
If you and I want to continue to be loved and appreciated by the world around us, all we need to do is nothing. If we never take on the falsehood around us, then we have nothing to fear, at least until we stand before our Maker who asks us to give an account of what we have done with the truth He gave us. Really it’s a choice. We either live for peace now or peace then.
A final characteristic of the champions of falsehood is seen in the next two verses.
20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21 and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."
The point here is that champions of falsehood:
E. They Often Wrap their Sinful Intentions in a “Righteous Cause.”
One thing those who promote falsehood can never do is admit their true motives. If they did they would be exposed. Everyone would see them for what they are. What were the motives of these men? Paul and Silas had spoiled their profit making scheme and they wanted revenge! But is that what they told the magistrates? Not on your life! No! They wrapped their objections in the flag. They said, “These men are throwing out city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”
Suddenly these men are model patriots to the Roman cause! “Our national security is at risk!” Oh what great defenders of righteousness and law and justice they suddenly became!
Those who promote falsehood will always attempt to wrap their sinful intent in a righteous cause. It’s the only way they can get people to go along with them. And, as was the case here, they will usually find a lot of shallow people around who don’t think for themselves who will join in the drum beating.
Today we hear such men promoting the rhetoric of “family values” and “freedom of choice” and “stop hate crimes.” These are all noble causes. But some of the same people holding up the banners have hidden agendas. They want to tear down the family, kill innocent children, and brand Christian people as homophobe bigots! They wrap their sin in a righteous cause.
The message Paul and Silas were promoting wouldn’t tear society down. On the contrary, their message would build society and bring peace to their city as it always has when it is adopted by enough people to make it work. But the crowd was too shallow to see it.
22 And the crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them, and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; 24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Wow! Is that what you get when your only crime is telling the truth? Yes, sometimes that is what you get – at least in the short term. In my introduction about David and Goliath, I said that Goliath succeeded in intimidating the armies of Israel for nearly a month and a half. That is because the whole army, including their leader, Saul, was looking at things the way the champions of falsehood look at them and realized they couldn’t compete. You and I can’t compete either as long as we depend upon the methods of the flesh. But then a champion stepped forward who didn’t look at things that way. He came from an entirely different perspective. The armies of Israel and their leader were ignoring the power of God! They were relying solely upon human strength and on that score they were terribly outclassed.
In the book of Ephesians, Paul would later write about this issue with these words: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” He went on to say that we should put on the full armor of God, not man.
The champions of truth do not do things the way the champions of falsehood do! That is my point!
So just how do the champions of truth do things? Stay tuned and we’ll cover that in the next message as we look at the rest of this chapter.
Conclusion
One of the most amazing examples of God’s creative genius is seen in how a mother eagle teaches her young to fly. Since the timid little birds tend to stay in the security of the nest, the mother stirs them up by wildly flapping her wings until they are forced to leave. As the eaglets reluctantly leap from their nest perched on a craggy precipice, they are met by the terrifying sight of a jagged canyon far below. Weak and helpless, they flutter downward, downward, toward the sharp protruding rocks. But then the adult bird spreads her wings and swoops down under them. One by one they light on her back and are carried safely to the other side of the gorge. Their terror is real at first, but as they begin to get used to flying, the very thing they were designed to do, the fear leaves.
In much the same way, as Christians face a world that looks dangerous from the safety of our present comfort zone, we’re reluctant to try our wings. We resist doing what God has called us to do, opting rather to continue to do the thing we are comfortable with. Yet the overwhelming evidence of the Bible is that if we step forward and jump, God will support us and we would discover the very thing we were designed to do... be champions of truth who don’t do things like the champions of falsehood.