A Radical Transformation
(8 downloads)Thursday, Jul 19, 2007
Galatians 1:10-24
Over the centuries, millions of people have experienced a life transforming Conversion to Jesus Christ. Some of those conversions have produced nothing short of an astonishing Radical Transformation: And were we to make a list, it would be astonishingly long. From unlikely convert to hero of the faith. That’s what God delights to do. He specializes in Radical Transformation. And when God changes you, he uses you to change the world.
Line Drawn in the Sand 10-12
There are generally two kinds of leaders:
Men Pleasers: accommodates himself to others opinions
Men Pursuaders: convinces others of his point of view
Paul had received his message directly from God
Revelation – direct disclosure of truth from God
Inspiration – the process of revealing God’s Word to mankind
Illumination – When the Holy Spirit enlightens us to the truth
Paul was the last person you would expect 13-14
Saul’s first accomplishment was to persecute Jewish Christians
Saul set out on a crusade to rid the world of this scourge.
Paul had a direct encounter with Christ 15-17
The unexpected happened on his way to Damascus
Saul was a chosen vessel Acts 9:15
Paul had been set apart for this from birth
He did not consult with the Apostles about his message
He went to the Arabian Desert where he spent time with God
The Apostles added nothing to the message 18-24
His message was not given to him by the Apostles
The mother church didn’t give Paul his message
Paul’s message came from God
Paul became the crusader God needed for a problem like the legalists. He was the cure for the disease. His transformation was exactly what doctor Jesus ordered. That’s what conversion does. It changes us. It makes believers out of Atheists. It makes sober men out of drunks. It makes honest men out of liars. It makes useful men out of laggards. And it makes the world sit back on its haunches in shock and disbelief. Jesus saves.
A time for Intollerance
(7 downloads)Thursday, Jul 12, 2007
Galatians 1:1-9
There is a time for tolerance, and there is a time for truth. There is a time for business as usual, and there is a time to be tough. I would describe this message with words like: Clear cut, Straight forward, Immovable, Uncompromising, Resolute, Unshakable, Unswayable, Firm, Decisive, and yes, even intolerant. This is a time for intolerance. When it comes to the truth, intolerance is a virtue of the highest quality. It is rare in our society to find anyone with a cause important enough to die for. This is that cause. We are those people.
The Genuine Article
It’s authority 1-2
Paul set out to prove that the message was the Truth
He appealed to his authority as an Apostle
His authority did not come from men, but from God
His message was the truth
All the apostles were in agreement with the message
It’s content 3-5
It is of Grace - God’s gracious free gift of eternal life
It is not of works. It is not of ourselves
It centers around Jesus Christ the savior
The Genuine Danger
The problem of perversion 6-7
The Judiazers were trying to enslave the Galatians
Trouble: to perplex the mind with doubts and puzzles
They proposed a different Gospel
“HETEROS” another of a differnt kind
“ALLOS” another of the same kind
“6 I marvel that you are turning away to a gospel of a different kind (heteros), 7 which is not another of the same kind (allos).
Their message could not bring Eternal life
If I am saved, & after fall prey to error what happens?
2: 4 They were now in bondage - enslaved
3:10 They were now under the curse of the law.
5: 1 To defeat this they must Stand fast in liberty
The Anathema – 8-9
To those who preach falsly, “Let him be accursed.”
Anathema is used of something with no hope of redemption
If we preach a false gospel, those who buy into are lost. We are consigning them to an eternity without Christ. We must get it right. The stakes are too high. The message is too crucial. This is a time for intolerance. This is a time for truth. This is a time to be tough. Let the message be clear, let it never be fuzzy. We are saved only by grace through faith.