Once Was, Is Now...Why?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
INTRO:
Kids behind Bars: Life or Parole
- Kids (under 18) made really bad mistakes
- Sentenced to life without parole
- Chance to get the sentence changed
Biggest defense is that they are grown, changed, no longer the person they were when they committed the crime.
How hard is it to convince others that you are no longer who you were?
Paul hit the same wall, his past kept getting brought up, but that was not his hope
Paul has left being with Peter and James
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.
Once Was
Once Was
What was Paul’s once was?
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.
Zealous for religiosity
hater of the Church
Murderer
May not be a murderer, but we all have a once was…some are still living in it
Personal once was - prodigal son vibe
Issues with the once was/currently am:
Doesn’t satisfy, leaves a longing
End is destruction (maybe physically, but definitely spiritually)
is hopeless
God does not leave it there - Hope in the gospel!
What He did with Paul, puts him in the is now...
The Is Now
The Is Now
23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
What happened to Paul?
He encountered Christ…forever changed!
Jesus met him on the road and gave him the Gospel
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
The is now is the new creation in Christ Jesus
Life changed, a new heart, new desires are given and Paul proclaims the Gospel
Why?
Why?
Why would God do this for Paul or someone like me? Why would He die for me and give me salvation?
Not because you are awesome
Not because you are nailing being a good person
Not because you don’t do what you know you shouldn’t do
the reason...BECAUSE GOD IS GLORIFIED!!!
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.
vs. 24 and they glorified God
because of me, is not about Paul doing anything special
They glorified God because God did something special in Paul
Can the past still haunt?
Of course, it tells us
Our failings
Our faults
Our bad decisions
The cross is greater than your past!
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
