A Gracious Call

Intro:

Cliche “God has a plan for your life.”

NOT SKITTLES & RAINBOWS…

Exhort: GOD HAS a TASK for US— CONTRIBUTION to MAKE

----------------------------------------

Focus: PAUL’S EXAMPLE...

DEFENDING GOSPEL

DEFENDING APOSTOLIC MINISTRY

CLEAR IMPLICATIONS for US:

----------------------------------------

Text:

Galatians 1:11–24 (ESV)

11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel.

12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.

14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,

16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;

17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.

19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.

20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)

21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.

23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

24 And they glorified God because of me.

Crash Course: PAUL’S TESTIMONY

PERSECUTED CHURCH VIOLENTLY

TRIED to DESTROY IT

Exhort: PAUL’S SIN— SERVED to MAGNIFY GOD’S GRACE!

(v24) —GLORIFIED GOD— BECAUSE of HIS “U-TURN”!

----------------------------------------

Main Focus: A Call Preceding Birth

Note: PAUL’S CLAIM in V.15

SET HIM APART—IN MOTHER’S WOMB

CALLED BY GRACE

GOD’S MISSION for PAUL = BEFORE PAUL’S BIRTH—HOW MUCH MORE UNDESERVED CAN IT BE?!

GOD’S PLAN ALL ALONG: SAUL of TARSUS = APOSTLE to the GENTILES… NO ONE SAW IT COMING!!

-------------------

C.C. — BUT THAT WAS PAUL.... RIGHT? HE’S a BIG DEAL…

Exhort: GOD = IMPARTIAL…

Galatians 2:6 (ESV)

6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.

APOSTLES = BIG DEAL…KINDA. — GOD ISN’T PARTIAL.

Takeaway: SIGNIFICANCE = DETERMINED BY GOD—NOT MAN!

-------------------

Encourage:

I’M NO MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU

BILLY GRAHAM = NO MORE IMPORTANT THAN ME.

ALL PARTS of SAME TEAM—FIGHTING for SAME CAUSE!

-------------------

Testimony: I CAN BE EASILY DISCOURAGED

DOES ANY of it MATTER??

=> GOD HAD PLAN— ME to DO THIS…

CALLED ME—BY GRACE— B4 BIRTH

Testimony: TEENAGE PREGNANCY—ALL the MORE SPECIAL— GOD HAD a PLAN for MY LIFE…

--------------------------------------

Conclusion:

A CALL— B4 BIRTH— YOU COULD NEVER DESERVE....

HOW GRACIOUS,, KIND,, MERCIFUL GOD IS....

--------------------------------------

Discussion Questions:

How does it encourage you to know that we serve an impartial God?

Have you ever connected God’s grace with God’s call…before you were born??