Truth Collision

Tonight I want to talk about collisions - and really I want to talk about one type of collision and we will get to that in a moment. But first I want to be clear in what I mean regarding the term collision.

Defined, a collision is an instance of one moving object or person striking violently against another. The results of the collision will vary… and that variance is largely based on whether or not any warning is received prior to the collision taking place.

Take a car accident for instance. If you can see the accident coming… the more reaction time you have the more you can do to lessen the impact. Reactions include swerving, hitting the brakes, bracing for impact, or even giving verbal warning to your passengers.

Now… if you do not detect the accident coming, the only reaction you can offer comes AFTER the collision has taken place. Without warning, you are left trying to do what you can in the violent aftermath and… the options in this moment are significantly limited.

This evening we are not going to talk about objects colliding with one another… but we are going to look at a collision that can truly shake things up a bit. Typically, this collision has little to no warning and often results in a revelation or realization of something.

Tonight we are going to talk about Truth Collisions. We are going to talk about what happens when our reality, when what we perceive to be true comes into contact with God’s ultimate truth.

Now, prayerfully we are doing everything possible to live according to the truth that is God’s Word. But have you ever come across a teaching or passage of Scripture that… rattled your previous understanding of truth? How did you react? What was your response?

Truth of the matter is… no matter what your response was, the truth is the truth. But your response will determine if you are going to apply that truth OR deny that truth. We are given a choice… and the aftermath… the what happens next after said collision with truth… is determined by what you choose to believe.

And I want to make something clear here… the people that struggle in these kinds of collisions most… are people of our age… are adults. No disrespect intended here… but I need you to hear me out.

Adults are some of the most difficult people to reach with the truth of the gospel. AND… many adults who believe in Jesus can even show signs of struggle when God’s truth shakes up their personal understanding.

A recent study that asked the question, “At what age did you accept Christ?” revealed some interesting information.

15.1% accepted Jesus before reaching the age of 6.

32.1% accepted Jesus between the ages of 7-11. (That’s just shy of 50% before 11)

36.8% accepted Jesus between the ages of 12-19 (That’s now 84% of 400 surveyed believers)

11.3% accepted Christ between 20-29

4.7% accepted Christ after reaching 30 years old.

So why is there such a tremendous decrease in acceptance of Jesus after 19 years old? I find it interesting that even Jesus said in Luke 18:17 that “anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

The difference is a child is not yet “set in his or her own ways.” A child is looking for direction. A child is developing perspectives and world views and when they receive Jesus at an early age… their life is built on His truth which then shapes the way they vie and live in this world.

Adults struggle in this as they are not in that development stage any longer… many adults have minds made up on how they will interact in this world by the age of 20. THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE GIVE UP ON REACHING ADULTS! It does, however, mean that adults might have a harder time applying God’s truth… and an easier time denying God’s truth.

This might be difficult to hear but the stats do not lie. In our day, when adults experience that collision with God’s truth, roughly 16% will choose to go in God’s direction.

What I want us to consider tonight is this: When God’s truth collides with our current reality… will we apply or deny His truth in our life?

Paul and Barnabas have a bit of a run in with some folks who struggle to receive God’s truth. Interestingly enough, the struggle comes as the multitudes begin to respond in a positive way to God’s truth. The problem was: those struggling were stuck in their past reality… they had failed to apply God’s truth to their lives.

We are going to look at how Paul and Barnabas respond to this situation… and I pray we take a good look at ourselves in the process. For I pray I never find myself in a position where I willfully deny the truth of God when it collides with my life.

They Preached the Word

In order for a collision with truth to occur… someone has to bring the message of truth to the table! Paul and Barnabas have reached Pisidian Antioch in their journeys. They began their ministry by going to the synagogue on the Sabbath and they read from the Law and the Prophets. After reading… something interesting takes place.

Look at verse 15 of Acts 13, “After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.” Paul and Barnabas are given an invitation to deliver and exhortation to the people… and they jump on the invitation.

As Paul gives the message, we see him create a beautiful connection between the history of the Old Testament and the events surrounding the cross. Remember, Paul began by reading Scripture… by reading the truth this audience was familiar with. Now he is building the theological bridge that will help the people realize that the truth of old was preparing them for the truth of new - the truth that Jesus is the Savior they have been waiting for.

And within this message, Paul drops this point that cannot be overlooked. He says beginning in verse 38, “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. 40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you.”

Do you see the connection? Paul speaks of a justification in Christ that could not be obtained under the what? Paul also gives warning regarding what the prophets had said… don’t let it happen to you!

Paul builds a theological bridge… a bridge of truth… that connected what they knew to what they needed to know. And with that connection came the collision of truth.

Everything they had previously known REMAINED true. But now that truth had expanded as God had fulfilled the law and the prophets through the giving of His Son, Jesus.

All of Scripture… from Genesis to revelation… point to Jesus. All of Scripture works to reveal the redemptive plan of God. Jesus is the key to the fulfillment of His plan.

Forgiveness can be found only in the blood of the Lamb. When Jesus came to this earth, He came as the sacrificial Lamb who would take away the sins of this world.

And we also know that sin will one day be completely done away with when Christ returns. NO SIN WILL REMAIN which means those who rejected the message… will face the consequences of their rejection.

This world WILL BE fully redeemed - the question is - will you experience that redemption by grace… or by wrath? This is the truth given to us in Scripture.

The people listening to Paul that day had just had their realities shaken. They just realized there is more to this story and they now have a decision to make… will they apply it to their lives OR will they deny it? Either way… the truth remains the truth.

But this collision… this connection would not have happened if Paul would have ignored the invitation to speak. What if Paul would have stopped at what the crowd already knew?

The rest of the story would have remained a mystery to them. The crowd would have been denied the opportunity to make the decision to believe.

Each day a believer decides to be silent regarding God’s truth is another day the unreached are denied the opportunity to decide to believe. Truth collisions can only happen as truth is proclaimed. Proclaimed in love… I might add.

it looks like all was going well in Pisidian Antioch! The truth was proclaimed and… the missionaries were invited to come to “speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.” (v. 42) In fact, verse 43 shows us, “When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.”

Wow! That’s not a bad response! But what we will see next helps to better define what it means to apply the truth. Truth is not something we merely listen to… it is something that must be lived as well.

Hearing AND Doing

We pick back up at verse 44. “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.”

Uh oh! Something doesn’t seem quite right here! Paul is invited to “continue in the grace of God” but then is met with abuse and objection! Why the sudden turn around?

Thee are two important things to note.

One - the people gathered “to hear the Word of the Lord.” The Word of God had come to Pisidian Antioch and it was making a huge impact on the city. They hadn’t gathered to hear any other Word but that which was from God.

Two - The Jews were not operating according to the Word, but according to the jealousy they felt when the saw the size of the crowd. So instead of allowing Paul to teach as he did on the Sabbath before, the Jews counter punched him by contradicting the Word and heaping abuse upon Paul.

The problem: The Jews heard the Word… but were not living the Word. If they had truly applied the Word to their lives… then jealousy would not have been the emotion they felt when they saw the size of the crowd.

When they experienced a collision with truth… it sounded good and even compelled them to ask Paul and Barnabas for more. But in their collision with truth… they had failed to make God’s truth their truth.

True application of God’s Word can only come by way of listening AND doing. When truth collisions take place, it is one thing to say, “wow, that was a good Word” and another thing to go and start living that Word.

How many times in Scripture do we see this lesson taught?

Jesus, at the end of His Sermon on the Mount closed His message with the story of the wise and foolish builder. Matthew 7:24-27 is where you find this teaching and Jesus makes clear the importance of hearing His Word AND putting His words into practice.

What about James 1:22 that reads, “22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

Jesus makes clear that when a person does not place His words into practice, the Word is not serving as your spiritual foundation. James makes clear that without doing what the Word says, you deceive yourself. Listen church, IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO HEAR. When our reality comes into contact with God’s truth… we must listen AND do what God’s truth tells us to do!

The Jews had not fully applied the Word. If they had… they would have been excited to see their city hungering for God’s Word! But in this moment… their lack of application was exposed through their resistance displayed because of their jealousy.

Here’s the nitty gritty rough details. We either stand as proponents of God’s Word… or as opponents to God’s Word. There is no gray area here. And church… I say this with as much love and as much respect as I can. WE ADULTS ARE THE ONES WHO STRUGGLE WITH THIS THE MOST. Because we are set in our ways and when we experience collision with God’s truth… there is often a hesitation to make the needed changes in our lives.

If we are not careful, our history, our traditions, our world view, our biases, our prejudices, our misunderstandings, our culture, our chauvinisms, our preferences can get in the way of what God is trying to do in us… and in those around us.

Those who were jealous stood as roadblocks… they heaped on abuses and began to persecute Paul and Barnabas. They tried to stop the people from hearing the Word they so desperately needed. I NEVER WANT TO BECOME A ROADBLOCK ON AN OBSTACLE IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD! God is using and anointing all people who choose to repent and believe for His purpose of the advancing His kingdom. Let’s not get in the way of what God is doing… let’s get on board with what God is doing!

And that ONLY happens when we hear AND do the Word! That can only happen as we walk in step with God’s truth in faith. Let’s not make the mistake in only going half way in application… let’s choose to respond to truth collisions by fully applying His Word to our lives through both hearing and doing.

Acts 13 shows a group that begins to resist the Word… but that did not stop the advancement of the Word. Acts 13:49 “The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

So the Word didn’t stick with the Jewish leadership after Paul and Barnabas had taught in the Synagogues. They had experienced a collision with truth… and choose to deny the truth. But the rest of the people… now that’s a completely different story.

The Word spread throughout the entire region DESPITE the opposition of those who didn’t believe. THe message of Christ had come to Pisidian Antioch and it was spreading like wildfire! And even when the moment came for Paul and Barnabas to depart… just because they were forced to leave the region did not mean the impact of the Word was leaving too.

Verse 52 stated the disciples were filled with joy… and filled with the Holy Spirit. Those who believed WERE NOT filled with jealousy… but were filled with the supernatural and all powerful Spirit of God!

Here’s what I want you to see in this closing point: When we experience a collision with truth and APPLY it through hearing and living… IT WILL MAKE AN IMPACT IN US… AND IN THOSE AROUND US.

And there was NOTHING the jealous leadership could do for once the gentiles had grabbed hold of the truth that had set them free.. there was no going back to life before this truth collision took place.

When we come into contact with God’s truth and truly apply it to our lives… how many understand there is no going back? When God begins a new work in us through His truth I pray we will not deny His Spirit and truth access to our hearts and minds.

Let me ask you tonight… how many desire to have your mind renewed with the truth of God’s Word? How many understand that sometimes we adults… struggle because we are set in our ways?

Here is the truth that I want us to get set in: I want to know and live God’s truth no matter how much change it might require in my life. I NEVER want to be so set in my ways that I miss out on living life HIS WAY!

If you would join me in that prayer… stand and ask God to help you remain pliable and teachable when it comes to His truth.