Who Defines Truth? (or, who gets to define truth?)

I. Intro - the trap of comparison - 5 Min

We live in a world where everything is measured…

Followers, Likes, Success, Perception

And without even realizing it…we start measuring our lives the same way.

Personal Illustration:

I remember a season where I believed i would never find LOVE,...

While everyone around me was finding the right one, having kids, I couldn’t find it within myself to overcome the insecurities:

“I’m not enough”

“I’m behind”

“I’m not where I should be”

“God is distant”

“What about me God?”

I knew none of that wasn’t true...but the crazy part was…it didn’t feel like a lie. it felt real. And I lived according to it…Until God began to show me…Just because something feels true…doesn’t mean it is true.

How i met Yashlynn....blockbuster girl. At the right time, at the right/or wrong place, what is meant for you will be for you...

Internally....i struggled to believe in my self.....instead, i believed in what i was not....because i was always seeking and striving to become something that God never intended me to be....(fire)

Comparison WILL try to trap you in that place of fear, insecurity, the what ifs...

Even research backs this up…

American Psychological Association has found that the more we compare ourselves—especially online—the more anxiety and dissatisfaction increase

Pew Research Center shows that this generation feels constant pressure to keep up with everyone else.

Comparison isn’t just a bad habit…It’s shaping how we think. It’s shaping how we see ourselves. And ultimately… it’s shaping what we believe is true.

comparison isn’t just about insecurity…Comparison is actually a battle over truth.

Comparison is a contest over which truth will govern your life…God’s truth… or the story you’ve created in your mind.

C. And here’s what comparison does…It distorts both sides.

You idealize someone else’s life, and...

You magnify your own struggles

And now you’re comparing yourself…to something that isn’t even real.

You’re not comparing truth…you’re comparing distortions.

D. And the danger is…

When you live in comparison, you stop seeing clearly.

You don’t see your life clearly

You don’t see others clearly

And eventually…you don’t even see God clearly

E. Comparison replaces God’s truth about who you are…with a constantly shifting standard

And when your standard keeps changing…your identity never stabilizes. (it’s never enough)

Comparison doesn’t just steal your joy, it distorts your reality.

You can’t live in truth if you’re measuring your life against something false.

The enemy doesn’t need to destroy you—just distract you with the wrong standard.

And this isn’t just our struggle…Even the disciples, those closest to Jesus, had to confront this same tension.

And if comparison is a battle over truth…then the real question becomes…What is actually true?

Comparison has a way of shaping what we believe is true…

It distorts how we see ourselves…how we see others…and even how we see God.

And if we’re honest…a lot of us are living based on things that feel true…but aren’t actually true.

So the question becomes…What is actually true?

And if comparison is shaping what we believe is true…Then we have to ask…‘Where did this even start?’

This isn’t a new problem…This goes all the way back to the beginning.

In the garden…Everything was perfect:

No insecurity

No comparison

No confusion about identity

Adam and Eve knew:

who they were (small group break out question: - who am I?)

who God was (small group break out question: how do I see God?)

and how God saw them (small group break out question: how does God see me?)

THE ENEMY’S STRATEGY

And then the enemy shows up…Not with force…Not with power…but with a question: Did God really say…?

The enemy didn’t attack their strength…He attacked their perception of truth.

The lie wasn’t just about disobedience…It was about comparison: He presented an illusion of something better…

You could be more…

You could have more…

You could be like God…

what he was really doing…

was distorting how they saw themselves…and how they believed God saw them.

They were already made in the image of God…but comparison made them feel like they weren’t enough.

And that same strategy…is still working today.

Comparison distorts your reality:

Comparison convinces you that what you have isn’t enough.

Comparison tells you someone else’s life is better than yours.

Comparison makes you question what God already said about you.

The enemy doesn’t need to destroy you…He just needs to distort what you believe is true.

There’s a moment in Scripture where Jesus asks one of the most important questions you’ll ever answer. He looks at His disciples and He starts here...‘Who do people say that I am?’

In other words…what is everyone else saying?what is the culture saying?

And then He shifts the question…But who do YOU say that I am?’

At some point…it’s not about what you’ve heard…it’s about what’s been revealed to you.

Let’s read it together:

Matthew 16:13–20 ESV

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Did you catch what just happened?

Jesus starts with a question about public opinion…Who do people say that I am?

And they give Him answers: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah

In other words: They gave Him what everyone else was saying.

But then Jesus makes it personal…”

But who do YOU say that I am

REVELATION MOMENT

And Peter responds…You are the Messiah…

And Jesus says something powerful: “This was not revealed to you by flesh and blood…”

In other words…

This didn’t come from people…This didn’t come from culture…This came from revelation.

And this is the difference…between living by opinion…and living by truth.

You can be around Jesus…and still not see Him clearly…

And this is where we have to ask ourselves…

Are we building our lives on…what people say, what culture says, what we feel, Or on what God has revealed?

Our standard is Jesus

So if the enemy’s strategy is to distort truth…Then where do we find truth that doesn’t change?

The answer is not a concept…

It’s a person. Jesus. Why?

ARGUMENT 1: Jesus is Consistent in an Inconsistent World

We live in a world where everything changes…

opinions change

trends change

identity shifts

culture evolves

PROBLEM

And if everything keeps changing…How do you build your life on something stable?

REFRAME (KEY INSIGHT):

This generation is really searching for…not just authenticity…it’s consistency.

“Authenticity can be subjective…but consistency is undeniable.”

Scripture says:

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever

He is the Alpha and the Omega

Jesus isn’t just your truth…

He’s the unchanging reference point in a world that won’t stop moving.

But it’s not just that Jesus is consistent…

ARGUMENT 2: Jesus Aligns You With Reality

Truth isn’t just what sounds good…Truth is what aligns with reality.

Reality doesn’t adjust to your beliefs…your life adjusts to reality.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL:

If I believe something false…it doesn’t just stay in my mind…it eventually shows up in my life.

EXAMPLES (KEEP QUICK):

wrong identity → confusion

wrong purpose → emptiness

wrong priorities → burnout

“False beliefs don’t just mislead you…They eventually hurt you.”

JESUS CONNECTION:

And this is why Jesus matters…Because His truth isn’t random…It aligns with how life actually works.

CLOSE THIS ARGUMENT:

Jesus isn’t just telling you what to believe…He’s showing you how life actually functions. But here’s the challenge…

ARGUMENT 3: Culture is Loud… But Not Always Right

We’re surrounded by messages every day…

Live your truth

Follow your feelings

Do what makes you happy

And it sounds good…until you follow it.

EXPOSE THE LIE:

Not everything that feels right, leads to what’s right.

RAPID-FIRE CONTRASTS:

Feelings change → truth doesn’t

Culture shifts → Jesus doesn’t

Opinions evolve → God’s word stands

KEY LINE:

Just because something is popular…doesn’t mean it’s true.

If culture was enough…why are so many people still empty?

Culture can inform you…but only Jesus can anchor you.

So when we say…Jesus is our standard…

We’re not saying:

He’s one option

He’s a preference

He’s a belief system

WE’RE SAYING: He is the only truth that is…

consistent

aligned with reality

and unshaken by culture

If you build your life on something that changes…your life will always feel unstable. But when you build your life on Jesus…you finally have something that holds.

HOLY SPIRIT is our Guide

But knowing that Jesus is truth… and actually seeing Him as truth… are two different things.

You can be around truth… and still not live in revelation.

3 MOVEMENTS towards REVELATION

1. You Have to Surrender Your Version of Truth

Revelation doesn’t begin with learning… it begins with surrender.

Explain:

As long as I’m holding onto my truth… I can’t receive God’s truth.

You can’t be full of your perspective… and open to God’s at the same time.

Make it practical:

Laying down assumptions

Releasing control

Admitting: I might be wrong

Power Line:

Revelation starts when you stop defending your version of truth.

Transition: But surrender alone isn’t enough…

2. You Have to Invite the Holy Spirit

Setup:

Jesus made it clear…truth is revealed by the Spirit.

Tie to Matthew 16: “Flesh and blood did not reveal this…”

Key Line:

You don’t figure out truth…the Holy Spirit reveals it to you.

Make it practical:

Praying: “God, show me what’s true”

Opening Scripture with expectation

Creating space to hear from Him

Key Line:

The Holy Spirit turns information into revelation.

Transition:

And when He begins to reveal…

3. You Have to Respond When Truth is Revealed

Setup:

Revelation isn’t just something you receive…it’s something you respond to.

Explain:

Peter didn’t just hear truth…he responded to it.

Make it practical:

Obedience

Alignment

A shift in thinking

Key Line:

If you ignore revelation…you stay stuck in confusion.

Strong Line:

Revelation without response becomes information again.

RESUMMARIZE

So how do you experience revelation?

You SURRENDER

You INVITE

You RESPOND

God isn’t hiding truth from you…He’s waiting for you to be open to it.

CLOSING ILLUSTRATION

And when that happens…You stop seeing your life from your perspective…and you start seeing it from God’s.

ALPHA AND OMEGA PERSPECTIVE

So now we’re back to the question we started with…

Who gets to define truth in your life?

Is it what you feel? Is it what culture says? Or is it Jesus?

Because whatever you allow to define truth…will ultimately define your life.

Today, and everyday, i choose Jesus. I pray that you would consider the same.