The Gospel Transforms

Recap Series

What is the Gospel

the plan of God for Salvation

the desire of God for your life

There is only one Gospel

though there are many theories, there is only one truth

we must know the word of God, so that we do not get fooled by emotions and other ploys of Satan to get us off track

The Gospel is From God

the gospel Paul preached was not taught by men to him, but revealed by God

we learn the same way today, through the Spirit of God we can know him more by looking at his word

Today - The Gospel Transforms

Transform -

a: to change in composition or structure

b: to change the outward form or appearance of

c: to change in character or condition: convert

b: to change the outward form or appearance of

c: to change in character or condition: convert

Show video of Caleb’s transformers

Transformers.... I was never really a fan when I was growing up.

I did not watch the cartoon, or really have any of the toys

Even as I grew older, I have never watched any of the movies that came out a few years ago

One of our members is a fan and even makes very good videos of these things

Todays passage we will see the transformation of the gospel in Paul’s life

For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas,,ab and I stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare in the sight of God: I am not lying in what I write to you. 21 Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

13 For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus.

18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas,,ab and I stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare in the sight of God: I am not lying in what I write to you. 21 Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

21 Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

Paul’s former way

Paul’s hatred of people

This is different from our hatred of people… kind of

if we are honest, most of the people in our day to day life, we do not hate, we just see them as a barrier between where we are, and what we want.

the problem is, we do not love them either

Walmart lines, driving ext…

actually saw people honking and yelling at each other trying to get into a church on Friday night in KC.

Paul hated Christians… think ISIS decapitating Christians in the middle east

For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it.

13 For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it.

intensely persecuted

intensely = in excess

not just putting them out of the temple or agreeing to disagree… I am going to kill you over your beliefs

He was walking to kill them…

Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

That is about 140 miles.... one way

My house in Hanston, to Webster Conference center in Salina is 138 miles

Fortunately we do not have to travel near as far to spew our hate

remember that Jesus compared hating in your heart to murder

we can throw nice little bombs on social media, or even in gossip and other conversations

If we are Jesus with flesh on, sometimes the only Jesus people see, we must see how bad our words can be to the testimony of our king

Paul’s love of religion

14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

13 For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

striving for excellence

advancing above others

worshipped traditions

Former you

My haircut in high school…

What we were like… This is not a history lesson, this is for us now

0 Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom.

We cannot argue with this list.... maybe you have not committed them all, but you only have to commit one.

it does not say that if you commit all of these you will not inherit the kingdom of God, but these things will not inherit…

Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males,,w 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. 11 And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder.,j So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.

11 For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder.,j So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.

not just what we did, but it was who we were…

Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males,,w 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. 11 And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

we lived

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

9 Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males,,w 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. 11 And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

We were dead… meaning bound for eternal death.

We were following Satan

there is no middle ground… there is no good person separate from God

Our actions carried out the inclinations of our flesh

inclinations - natural disposition: character

a obsolete: natural disposition: character

it was what what was inside of us, desiring to do these things, to live this way.

Our Religion...

We like religion…

word religion comes from latin meaning to bind to God

we do things that connect us to God

we go to church, donate money to a good cause if it is really important we might even make a social media post about it

Religion is tradition that we do, a tradition of motions that make us feel better

traditions that have noting to do with the sin problem that we have

This is not just things that we have done, it is who we are

Paul was not looking for a new way… God is not interested in giving Paul, or us a new thing to try

God is not in the business of

But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus.

Paul acknowledges that God called him to something different

Paul is no longer looking for applause

Paul is no longer worried about tradition; he is proclaiming the gospel

the gospel not something that was handed down to him, but that revealed to him

Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven.

Paul is called to be an Apostle to the Gentiles

this is not the same as the 12 Apostles to the Jews, the 12 that Jesus called in his ministry.

Paul is called to preach to a people that he hated and looks down on

Jews were God’s chose people… Paul’s world has been thrown upside down

Paul was a new creation

it was not just his name that changed

Paul was a new creation

Paul now had the spirit of God in him, leading him, working through him

Paul studied the scripture rather than consult with people

Paul went where God led him, when God led him

Paul was now proclaiming Jesus, rather than himself

We can command all the laws that we want, try to alter the behavior of people around the globe, but until people are born again, they will always move toward evil things

15 But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus.

The same is true of us… we can put on all the religious rules for ourselves but it will not change anything, we must be born again

A salesman would now try and sell better product

I wonder how many times Paul was tempted to do what he is preaching against the Galatians of running to

We are new...

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

Was Paul

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;al the old has passed away, and see,am the new hasF come!

You are a new creation, Jesus said in , born again.

The old you is dead and gone

next week baptism… that is what the baptism symbolizes

death of our old self, burial and coming up a new creation

Made new not because of something you did… but because of Christ

And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

You were washed

the point of salvation...

Jesus’ blood cleanses us of our sins

You are being sanctified

the process of making you look more like Jesus

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

You are justified

just if I had died

None of these things we do on our own, but God

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

God is rich in mercy; because of his great love

He made us alive in Christ

A salesman would now try and sell better product

Churches in America are over run with pastors who tell their congregants to try harder… follow God better

not that you are living in sin, just that you’ve been doing “Christianity” wrong

I wonder how many times Paul was tempted to do what he is preaching against the Galatians of running to

The reason that type of preaching is heard so often, and loved by many, is because it cost the hearers nothing!

Paul had so much to lose with this conversion

although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.

Paul had raised himself up

7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ.

in power

in influence

People will do all kinds of evil to get power, and even more to keep it; yet Paul walked away

If tasks could make you perfect, Paul had done them all

the problem is, though you may go through the actions, your heart is not in it, you are not worshipping Jesus, you worship yourself

walking away cost him the world, but he gained Christ

7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ.

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 3

3:7–8 Paul evaluated his former life (vv. 7–8) and expressed his current aspirations (vv. 9–11). The word loss and a synonym dung are compared with gain three times. Paul’s loss was for the sake of Christ (v. 7), for the surpassing value of knowing Christ (v. 8), and for gaining Christ (v. 8).

Commentary - 3:7–8 Paul evaluated his former life (vv. 7–8) and expressed his current aspirations (vv. 9–11). The word loss and a synonym dung are compared with gain three times. Paul’s loss was for the sake of Christ (v. 7), for the surpassing value of knowing Christ (v. 8), and for gaining Christ (v. 8).

3:7–8 Paul evaluated his former life (vv. 7–8) and expressed his current aspirations (vv. 9–11). The word loss and a synonym dung are compared with gain three times. Paul’s loss was for the sake of Christ (v. 7), for the surpassing value of knowing Christ (v. 8), and for gaining Christ (v. 8).

I would be lying if I told you that it would not cost you anything to follow Jesus

Cheap grace has infiltrated the church, making people believe that they can sin Monday-Saturday,

go to church on Sunday and be forgiven

say the right prayer and it was like the rest of the week did not happen

you look more like the world than Christ,

more like Satan than Jesus

What are the costs

Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it. 25 For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself?

23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it. 25 For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself?

the world

this world offers death

your life

take up your cross - crucify, kill your fleshly desires, those things that we still cling to

why do we still have those - muscle memory

Follow Jesus - we do as he says, not what we want

submission and obedience; you do not follow Jesus and ignore what he says

Lose your life

The question that you must ponder is this...

the world

are you so in love with yourself, that you do not want Jesus to transform you

do you want to look more like Jesus than the world, if so, it is not Jesus that must change… it is us

The Gospel Transforms

Introduction

Not a Former Way, a Former You

Not a New Way, a New You

Not a Free Way, A Costly Way