Escape Ruin – Believe Jesus’ Truth Acts 13

Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv

Introduction

This morning my message title is Escape Ruin – Believe Jesus’ Truth. Imagine with me a ship sailing through a dark and stormy night. The waves are crashing against the hull and the wind is howling in fury.

In the distance a lighthouse beams its light, a beacon of safety to guide the ship away from the treacherous rocks. Yet, despite the warning, captain, driven by pride or perhaps thinking that he knows better, decide to ignore the lighthouse’s guidance. The result is that the ship is doomed to crash against the rocks, leading to its inevitable ruin.

The image of the lighthouse is much like the truth of the Gospel. Jesus is the beacon guiding us to safety, away from the dangers of sin and eternal death. Yet, as the captain ignored the lighthouse, many today ignore the light of Jesus, choosing instead to walk their own path.

John 8:12 (ESV) Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Hebrews 2:1–3 (ESV) Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. … how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

The danger of not listening to the truth or drifting away from the truth is real and the consequences are severe. Jesus further illustrated this truth in His teaching about foundations and storms. He showed that how we respond to His words determines whether we stand firm or fall into ruin.

Matthew 7:24–25 (ESV) “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall

Matthew 7:26–27 (ESV) And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

Those who hear Jesus’ words, believe them and put them into practice are following the light. They will be protected in the midst of the storm. However, those who listen to the truth but do not believe it nor put it into practice end up in ruin.

Rejecting or drifting away from the truth of the Gospel is like ignoring the lighthouse, and it leads to ruin. Today, we will be exploring how rejecting Jesus and His message not only brings spiritual ruin, but also results in missing out on the life and salvation He offers. As we look at Acts 13, we will see the dire consequences faced by those who reject the truth and the incredible blessings of those who embraced it.

See Jesus as the Fulfillment of God’s Promises

Acts 13:23–25 (ESV) Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. … And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

Paul is continuing his missionary journey and is preaching to the Jews in Pisidia. In his message, he shows how Jesus was prophesied throughout the Old Testament as the coming Messiah. Jesus was a descendant of King Daivd and came as the Savior.

John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets, prophesied that Jesus was the lamb of God who came to save His people. However, the majority of the Jewish people did not recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah. Despite His teaching and miracles, they wanted to get rid of Him.

Acts 13:28–30 (ESV) And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead,

The Jewish leaders conspired with the Romans to have Jesus crucified. He died and was buried in a tomb. But three days later, God raise Jesus from the dead, never to die again.

The risen Jesus appeared to many eyewitnesses before He ascended back into heaven. His resurrection confirmed that He truly is the promised Messiah and Savior. This fulfilled God’s promises that were spoken long before through the prophets.

Acts 13:38–39 (ESV) Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Paul now preaches the heart of the Gospel. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the penalty for our sins has been paid. Jesus offers forgiveness and eternal life to everyone who believes in Him.

No one is saved by being a good person by keeping the law of Moses in the Old Testament. Through Jesus, we are freed from the penalty of sin and the power of sin. We are freed to live a new life through Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to bring freedom from sin and its consequences and to bring us into the freedom of eternal life. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises from the beginning of creation.

Embrace Jesus as the Only Way to Eternal Life

The Jews thought that good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell. Many people think the same thing today and are completely wrong. Actually, the Bible teaches that good people go to hell and bad people go to heaven.

When I ask someone why they think they are a Christian, a common response is that they are a good person. Others say that their friends who are not saved are good people. The Bible tells us that no one is good, only Jesus is good.

In order to accept the Gospel, we must admit that we are bad, that we are sinners headed for hell. Then when we put our faith in Jesus, He saves us and we inherit His righteousness and His goodness with eternal life. Hell is filled with people who thought they were so good they did not need Jesus, while heaven is filled with people who acknowledged they were sinners and needed Him.

Understand the Danger of Rejecting the Gospel

Acts 13:40–41 (ESV) Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: “ ‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’ ”

Paul quotes from the Old Testament prophets who addressed the people of Israel in their day. They scoffed at the message of repentance from the prophets because they thought they were good enough. God was moving in their day, but they refused to believe and listen.

The result was that they ended up perishing for eternity. Paul is warning the Jews who were listening to his message not to have the same attitude. Rejecting God’s work because of pride always leads to loss.

Acts 13:44–45 (ESV) The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.

This was the first time the Gospel of Jesus had been heard in the city and multitudes gathered to listen, primarily Gentiles. The Jews were jealous of the large crowds that came to hear Paul speak. In their jealousy, they began to contradict and condemn Paul and his message from the Lord.

Acts 13:46 (ESV) And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

Barnabus was with Paul and they confirmed that they had presented the Gospel first to the Jews in that city. They summarized the response of the Jews as ignoring the message and thrusting it aside. In doing so, they were judging themselves unworthy of eternal life.

Because they thought they were so good they did not need Jesus, they would spend eternity without Him in hell. In that city, Paul then turned to present the Gospel to the Gentiles. The Gospel is for both Jew and Gentile, yet even today only a small portion of Jews have become Christians.

Recognize the Serious Consequences of Rejecting God’s Truth

What about us today? The ungodly response of the Jews to the Gospel is the same as that of many people today. We must stop thinking of ourselves and others as good people.

Romans 3:10–12 (ESV) “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

All have sinned and are sinners. Paul referred to himself as the foremost of sinners, saved by the grace of God. In order to be saved people must repent, and in order to repent they must be aware of their sin.

They must realize they are a sinner and not a good person. They must repent, turn from their sins, and believe in Jesus. For a person to insist they are a good person with no need of forgiveness is to reject the Gospel and eternal life.

Receive and Share the Blessing of the Gospel

Acts 13:47 (ESV) For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

The plan of God was never to save just the Jewish nation of Israel. Jesus came as a light both to the Jews and to the Gentiles. God’s plan is to bring salvation to the entire world.

Acts 13:48–49 (ESV) And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.

As Paul and Barnabus presented the Gospel to the Gentiles, many believed. They received eternal life and rejoiced and glorified God. The word of the Lord spread as the new believers told their relatives, friends, and neighbors about Jesus.

The response of the Gentiles was very different than the response of the Jews who considered themselves good enough. Those who knew they needed salvation gladly received it. Joy followed faith.

Acts 13:50–52 (ESV) But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

The Jewish leaders were not content to disregard the Gospel; they conspired to drive Paul and Barnabus out of their city. They did not want to hear the Gospel and did not want anyone else to hear it. So they persecuted and drove God’s missionaries out of the area.

Paul and Barnabus responded by shaking the dust from their feet against them, a practice taught by Jesus. This act was a sign of God’s judgment upon those who would not listen. The missionaries moved on, and the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit because God was with them.

Live as Those Who Have Received Grace and Share It Freely

If you have not believed in Jesus yet, today is your day to receive the blessing of the Gospel. You must admit that you are not a good person but a sinner in need of forgiveness. You must repent of your sins and believe in Jesus to receive forgiveness and eternal life.

If you are a believer today, you must be careful not to call yourself a good person. You and I are sinners saved by grace. We need daily forgiveness of our sins as we follow Jesus.

God desires for us to spread God’s truth to those around us. We are to both receive and share the blessing of the Gospel. Through us, others can see the light and escape ruin.

Conclusion

As we reflect on today’s message, let us return to the image of the ship at sea navigating through dangerous waters. The lighthouse stands firm, continuing to shine its light and offering a clear path to safety. But the captain’s choice to ignore that light seals the ship’s fate and leads to ruin.

In the same way, the truth of the Gospel is our guiding light. It points the way to eternal life through Jesus Christ. Rejecting or procrastinating in believing this truth leads to spiritual ruin.

Today each of us faces this same choice, to follow the light of Christ or to reject it and face the consequences. As a ship needs a lighthouse to avoid disaster, we need Jesus to guide us through the storms of life and into the safe harbor of His salvation. May we embrace the light of the Gospel and let it shine through us so others can be saved from ruin before it is too late.

📘 Continue the Journey

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