Hoaxed by the Headlines

IDENTITY THEFT
HOAXED BY THE HEADLINES
DR. JIM DIXON
MAY 6, 2007
MATTHEW 10:16-22, 1 PETER 2:9-12

There are people who would like to steal your driver’s license. There are people who would like to confiscate all of your credit cards. They would like to possess them. There are people who would like to have your social security number. There are people who would like to hack into your personal computer records. There are people who would like to steal your identity. According to the Federal Trade Commission, since the year 2000, identity theft in the United States of America has risen by 420%. Identity theft is epidemic. It’s a pandemic on the earth.

This morning, we begin a new series on identity theft. But we’re really not focusing on our financial identities; we’re focusing on our spiritual identities, our identities as Christians, our identities in Christ. Today, we look at the subject “Hoaxed by the Headlines.”

There are magazines out there that attack Christianity. There are books out there, increasing numbers of books, that attack the Christian faith and the credibility of Christianity. You can go into Barnes & Noble or Borders, and you’ll just see stacks of books that attack the Christian faith. Their numbers are greater and greater. Of course, some syndicated columnists who write for newspapers all over the country attack the Christian faith. You know it. I know it. There are professors in classrooms and institutions of higher learning all across this nation and around the world who attack the Christian faith.

Some people are being hoaxed by the headlines. This morning I want us to look at two subjects. The first is our national identity as it relates to the Christian faith. With regard to our national identity and the Christian faith, there has been identity theft. Some people are being hoaxed by the headlines. Then, secondly, I want us to take a look at our personal, individual identities as Christians and how that relates to what’s going on in the culture.

So, our national identity as it relates to Christianity . . . You could travel to Washington, D.C. I’m sure many of you have, most of you have. There in Washington, D.C., you can see the Washington Monument. The Washington Monument rises 555 feet above our nation’s capital. It is the highest structure in Washington, D.C. By law, it must remain the highest structure in Washington, D.C. By law, nothing can be built higher than the Washington National Memorial. The Washington Memorial, of course, looks out on the 69 square miles of the District of Columbia. The Washington Memorial has a cone on the top, sometimes called a “pyramidion.” On the top of the Washington Monument, there are two Latin words: “Laus Deo.” Those words mean “Glory to God.” Those words mean “Praise be to God.”

Our nation and those who designed our nation’s capital wanted those words to be forever over Washington, D.C. They wanted nothing to be higher in our nation’s capital than the words “Praise be to God,” “Glory to God.” The Washington Monument looks out on the city of Washington, D.C., and the core of the city is designed like the cross of Christ. This was done intentionally. The Washington Monument is to the north, the White House to the south, the Jefferson Memorial to the east, the Capitol Building, and to the west is the Lincoln Memorial.

This Christian cross does not stand north and south. It stands east and west. The top of the cross is the Lincoln Memorial. The bottom of the cross is the Capitol Building. The National Mall and the Reflecting Pool form the vertical line of the cross. The National Mall and the Reflecting Pool extends from the Capitol Building to the Lincoln Memorial—that forms the vertical line of the cross. The White House and the Jefferson Memorial are at the tips of the horizontal crossbar of the cross. It was all by design, and it is perfectly laid out to celebrate and remember our Christian heritage.

You might be thinking, “Well, what about separation of church and state?” But you must understand that the founders of our country never viewed separation of church and state in the way that the leaders of the citadels of power in America view separation of church and state today. The judgements rendered by the judicatories across this land, the statements made by professors in the classroom . . . it’s all revisionist history.

The founders of our country did not want an absolute wall of separation between church and state. They did want religious freedom. They wanted people to be able to worship freely or not worship at all. They wanted religious freedom. They also did not want to have a state church. Many of them had come from Britain, where the government had established the Church of England. It was a state church, and the founders wanted no such thing here. But they did want to see Christianity infused within the political and public world. They were very proud of their Christian heritage, and they wanted it to continue generationally.

So, we return to the Washington Monument. On the Washington Monument, there are 50 landings connected by 898 steps. On the 12th landing of the Washington Monument, you see all the prayers from the city of Baltimore for our nation and its future. On the 20th landing, you see a presentation by Chinese Christians. On the 24th landing, you see the Sunday School Association of New York’s favorite Scripture verses—Proverbs 10, Proverbs 22, Matthew 18:16. It’s all right there on the 24th floor of the Washington Monument . . . as Jesus held children in His arms and said, “Forbid them not, for to such belongs to the kingdom of heaven.”

The cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th in the year 1848. The cornerstone contains a Bible. They put a Bible in there. They didn’t put a Quran. They didn’t put the “Tripitaka.” They didn’t put “the Bhagavad-Gita.” They put the Bible. They wanted religious freedom, but they were proud of their Christian heritage.

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, said, “America was born a Christian nation.” You might not agree with that statement, and I suppose it depends on how you define “Christian nation.” Certainly, Woodrow Wilson knew that Christianity was not to be enforced governmentally top down. He did not mean that. He simply meant that we are bathed in a rich Christian heritage, and that most of the founders of our country were Christians.

I want to read you George Washington’s inaugural prayer, the prayer he gave when he became our first President. He prayed, “Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy and to demean ourselves with charity, humility and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”

It’s often said that some of our founders were not Christians, and that’s true. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were not Christians, not by the biblical definition of a Christian, nor by an evangelical definition of a Christian. Jefferson and Franklin were deists. They believed that God existed, that history reflected His providence, and that one day everyone would have to appear before Him. That is basic theology, but they were not Christians. They were deists. But they had a profound respect for Judeo-Christian values and an incredible respect for Jesus Christ.

I want to read you a statement from Jefferson. “I’m a Christian, in the only sense Jesus wished anyone to be; sincerely attached to the teachings of Jesus Christ, in preference to all others. . . . I shall proceed to a view of the life, character, and teachings of Jesus who, aware of His forebears’ ideas of God and morality, endeavored to bring them to the principals of pure theology and adjust our notion of the attributes of God. Jesus endeavored to reform their moral teachings to the standards of reason, justice, and brotherly love. Jesus endeavored to inculcate the belief in a future heavenly state. The system of morality that Jesus taught was the most benevolent, the most sublime every taught, and consequently, more perfect than all the philosophers the world has ever known. He was the most innocent. He was the most benevolent, the most eloquent, the most sublime character ever exhibited to man.” Not bad words from a non-Christian. He had a high view of Christ and a deep respect for Judeo-Christian values.

Of course, the founders of our country had a deep respect for the Bible. These are the words of Patrick Henry: “If I could leave each of my children $1 million but could not leave them a heritage of faith in God, I would leave them nothing of value and unfit to face life. The Bible is worth more than all other books which have ever been printed.” Here is Thomas Jefferson on the Bible: “The Bible is the cornerstone of liberty. I’ve always said, I always will say that the studious perusal of the sacred volume will make better citizens, better fathers, better husbands.” That is why Thomas Jefferson wanted Bibles in every school classroom. Today, revisionist historians always speak of Jefferson as the one who erected the absolute wall of separation between church and state. The truth of the matter is, Jefferson wanted Bibles in classrooms.

Here is John Adams on the Bible: “So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it, the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens of their country and respectable members of society.” Here’s Ulysses S. Grant: “Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet anchor of your liberties. Write its precepts in your heart and practice them in your lives. To the influence of this book, we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization; and to this we must look as our guide in the future. Righteousness exalteth a nation, sin is a reproach to any people.” Here’s Abraham Lincoln on the Bible: “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this one book.”

I could go on. There are countless other quotes from founding fathers and great leaders throughout American history. Indeed, there are countless quotes from our nation’s highest court, from Supreme Court Justices, from Chief Justices—all quotes exalting Christ and recognizing the beauty of Holy Scripture. We are a nation rich in Christian history. “My Country Tis of Thee” was written by a Baptist minister, Samuel Francis Smith. Our Pledge of Allegiance, which we say so frequently, was written by a Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy, in 1892.

I hope you understand that I’m not a big “God and country” guy. I know that God loves people globally. I know that God loves people all over the world. I know that, and I don’t view America as the New Israel. I don’t believe that this is God’s chosen nation. I do believe God has a purpose for America, and I believe it’s tied up with civil liberties and democratic freedoms. I believe we have a call to that ministry in this world. I’m not a big “God and country” guy. I’m just proud of our Christian heritage. I resent the fact that there are revisionist historians who are really perpetrating identity theft, taking away our Christian roots, recrafting our past, present, and future.

There is a second subject I want us to look at, and it’s really more important. The second subject has to do with our individual identity as Christians and what the culture and the world is seeking to do with those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ.

The Bible says that everyone who is a Christian in this world—regardless of race, regardless of socio-economics; red, yellow, black, or white—is part of a chosen race, the royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people. The Bible says that we who are Christians were once no people, but now we’re God’s people. Once we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy. The Bible says that when we accept Jesus as our Savior and our Lord, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ becomes our Father. What Jesus has by nature, we receive through adoption, and so we become children of God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

We are sons of God. We are daughters of God. We are children of God. We have an eternal destiny bound for heaven. We have eternal purpose. We serve the cause of heaven on earth. We have a different worldview, and we have this identity in Jesus Christ. It’s not always easy to hold on to in a world that wants to take it away, a politically correct world where actually believing something is somehow being wrong or arrogant. You’ve got to hold on to your identity. You can’t let go of Christ.

I know that some of you saw the movie “Gladiator,” where Russell Crowe played the part of General Maximus Desimus Meridius. He was a Roman General, the commander of the armies of the north, and loyal to Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher. Marcus Aurelius decreed that Maximus would take his place and reign over the empire. But in the movie Commodus, the son of Marcus Aurelius, murdered his father, seized the throne, and had Maximus executed . . . or so he thought. Maximus, unknown to Commodus, survived.

Maximus was sold into slavery. He lost his identity. He was forced into gladiator combat. He fought in hippodromes and arenas all over the Roman world. He was used and abused for the entertainment of the Roman people; but he never forgot his true identity. When the emperor demands that he tell him his name, Maximus replies, “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, general of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true Emperor, Marcus Aurelius; father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance in this life or the next.”

It was Jesus who told us that Satan is the “archon,” the prince, the ruler of this world; but Jesus tells us that Satan is a usurper. He has seized the throne, but it doesn’t belong to him. The Bible tells us that Jesus, Son of God, is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is destined to reign over the nations. We are His people. That’s our identity. The devil doesn’t like it. When people are hoaxed by the headlines, they are really duped by the devil.

I went into a Barnes & Noble just recently. They had a table set out with a display of books all built around a related theme. Here are some of the books: “The DaVinci Code,” “The Gospel of Judas,” “The Jesus Family Tomb,” “The Gospel of Mary Magdala,” “The Gnostic Gospels,” “The Cave of John the Baptist.” All of these books have this in common: they all attack the Christian faith, and they have sold millions and millions of copies. People are hoaxed by the headlines.

“The Gnostic Gospels” were written 100 to 200 years after the biblical Gospels. They have no credibility. They were cultic even in their time. They were pseudepigraphical, falsely ascribed to people who had died hundreds of years earlier. They are spurious and bizarre. But there are many in America and around the world who really don’t care about facts. They just want to attack the Christian faith. They have an agenda, or maybe they just want to make a whole lot of money. It’s tragic.

“The Gospel of Judas” is being sold and marketed all over the world right now. The thirteen-sheet Coptic manuscripts were recently found of this Gnostic Gospel. It was written in the 2nd or the 3rd century. “The Gospel of Judas” is revisionist history, and it kind of flip-flops Judas and Jesus. It makes Judas kind of a noble character. All over the country you’ll even see nationally syndicated columnists mentioning “the Gospel of Judas” and posing the question, “How can we know anything is true anymore now that we have this fifth Gospel?” Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Judas . . . You don’t know what to believe anymore. They talk as though these were all equals. Yet, “the Gospel of Judas” was written so much later. It’s pseudepigraphical, it’s spurious, and it’s bizarre.

If you read The Gospel of Judas, you’ll read about the mythical heavenly kingdom of Barbelo. You’ll read about 72 heavens, 360 firmaments, each one inhabited by countless deities and demagogues. It was bizarre literature even in its time, but some professors in classrooms don’t care. They have an agenda to attack the credibility of Christianity. They want to create confusion. They want to create distortion.

These books are archeologically unreliable. Even secular archeologists have critiqued and criticized these books, but many don’t care. They popularize them because they want to create a fuzzy picture about truth, and they have this agenda to attack the Christian faith.

It’s really kind of amazing when you read some of the articles that talk about Bible-believing Christians. There are articles out there that suggest that Bible-believing Christians are more dangerous on the earth than Islamic terrorists. You read those kinds of statements . . . and I’m just incredulous. It’s just scary. What could possibly be the hate that would motivate that kind of attack. I think it comes from the devil. I think it comes from the pit. There certainly are people out there who would just as soon see Christians go away. Yet, you go through history and so much that is wonderful and loving was done by Christians.

Oh sure, Christians have made mistakes. Christians have not always elevated themselves above the prejudices of their time and their culture. But Christians have done so many wonderful things: establishing schools, hospitals, care centers, and yes, churches and orphanages. That’s the impact of the people of Christ. Don’t lose your identity. Don’t let anyone take it away. Don’t let anyone rob it from you. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Don’t let anyone demonize the word “Christian.”

This last Wednesday—right here in the city of Denver—a family was having a barbecue in their backyard. I think it was their first barbecue of the season, and it was kind of exciting. They got up there and found a beehive with a colony of 50,000 bees. Kind of scary. They called the authorities, which was wise. Of course, authorities and scientists are concerned today about bees because of CCD—Colony Collapse Disorder.

Last Monday, Colony Collapse Disorder was the cover story in the “Rocky Mountain News.” Tomorrow night, there’s going to be a national special on TV about CCD. Scientists are concerned because bee colonies are just disappearing. Sixty percent of bee colonies on the West Coast of the United States are gone. They just disappeared. Seventy percent of the bee colonies on the East Coast of the United States are gone. They just disappeared, collapsed. The bees just left and never came back. Twenty-six states in the United States are experiencing CCD. It’s spread to the European continent and now to Britain.

This week, it was reported that the largest producer of honey in Britain has had a 60 percent loss of colonies. Why? What’s going on? Why are bees disappearing from the earth? Some scientists suggest that maybe there’s some kind of stealth disease, or maybe it has to do with pesticides. Some have suggested the possibility of global warming—because we always suggest that for pretty much everything.

Most recently, they have suggested the culprit might be cell phones. Maybe you’ve read these articles on the eradication of bee populations, which are possibly being caused by cell phones. A German study showed that bee colonies just broke up and disbanded when they were near power lines. Their ability to navigate is affected by power lines, and scientists think maybe cell phones are doing similar things. If they put cell phones near a bee colony, the bees do get confused and they don’t seem to be able to navigate. Of course, we all know that people in cars can’t navigate when they’re on cell phones either . . . so it makes sense.

Albert Einstein said, “If bees disappeared from the earth, mankind would disappear within four years.” He said that because of the food supply and the role of bee populations with regard to pollination. Of course, scientists today know that if bees disappear from the earth, one-third of our global food supply would be gone. That would be devastating.

I was wondering, “What if Christians just disappeared?” There are a lot of people that seem to want us to. What if we just disappeared? How would that affect the earth? Would that be devastating? Bees are kind of aggravating little critters, but it turns out they’re a great blessing. Maybe Christians are a great blessing. There are people who would just like to see us go away. What would happen if we were gone? Jesus said to His followers, “You are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth.” Light wards off the darkness. Salt wards off corruption. In the mind of Jesus, if Christians were gone, this world would retreat back into greater darkness, and corruption would be on the rise.

Of course, one day we will be gone. Christians are going to leave this earth. It’s called “the rapture.” One day, we’re going to be gone. Maybe the world will get a chance to see how it does without us (depending on your eschatology, whether you’re pre-trib or post-trib). If you’re pre-trib, you believe the Church is raptured and the world will continue for seven more years. That’s called “the tribulation.”

Until that day, Jesus calls us to faithfulness. Don’t lose your identity. Hold on to the faith. The Bible says, “Contend for the faith.” The Bible says that in the last days “people will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” The Bible says, “The day is coming when people will no longer endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own liking. They will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths.” Hoaxed by the headlines.

Jesus says to His people, “Be faithful unto death.” That’s the challenge before us, and that’s what we’ve got to give our kids. As kids go out into the world to universities and colleges . . . many of them are fine institutions with a lot of wonderful teachers; but there are other teachers and other professors that kind of just attack the faith. There are professors out there telling our kids that the Bible is a book of historical inaccuracies, moral pruderies, and theological absurdities. There are professors out there telling our kids that Jesus Christ, the historical Jesus, is so buried in the mythology of the Bible as to be unknowable. This is such bogus teaching, and it’s all rooted in hostility to Christianity. It’s simply not true. We’ve got to train our kids. We’ve got to do a better job. We can’t be hoaxed by the headlines. Identity theft is taking place. Let’s look to the Lord with a word of prayer.