Galatians Paul Compelled

06-06-2021

Galatians Continued

Last week we saw how Paul through His letter to the churches in Galatia was shocked at how they had so easily turned to a false Gospel

How church to us that was and is a warning to us to not be lead astray by a false Gospel

Paul is effectively saying that you and I are to be on Alert

Galatians 1:9 NASB95

9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

That we are to be on alert against anyone who is preaching a false Gospel

We can know the truth and the Truth is a person and His name is Jesus Christ

That through repentance of our sin and trusting in Jesus we can have a very personal very real relationship with God

That because of that relationship we can and should stay anchored in Christ so that we do not go astray to a false Gospel

To run everything through Scripture

This morning we will continue on through Galatians

Paul is going to give his testimony

Galatians 1:11–12 NASB95

11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul begins to explain that the Gospel that he is preaching did not come from man like the other Gospels

But that is came directly from Jesus Christ Himself

So in essence the Gospel Paul is preaching and sharing and teaching is directly from Christ

But remember Paul has already shared that at the very beginning of his letter

In fact in the introduction to the Letter Paul shares that he is an apostle and that men or a group of men did not send him out but that it was the Lord Jesus Christ who sent him out

Acts 9:15–16 NASB95

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

This is God talking with Ananias about Paul

This is what God has in store for Paul

That he would be sent out to share the Good News of Jesus with the Gentiles and kings and sons of Israel

Paul was going to be sent out to be a missionary

Paul was compelled to go and share the Gospel

Church it is about time that we begin to look at our own calling as being compelled

As being must do rather than if it comes up, if the opportunity arises

Galatians 1:13–14 NASB95

13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.

Remember before Paul was Paul he was Saul but because of Jesus Saul became Paul

There is a sermon title if I ever heard one

Paul shares with them his former life

That he used to persecute the church

That Paul would go over board sometimes in hopes that the church would fail

When Paul was Saul he was zealous for the destruction of the church

Paul when he was Saul had great passion and was very excited for the destruction of the church

That is until Saul met Jesus and because of Jesus Saul became Paul

Philippians 3:5 NASB95

5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;

Paul knew the law forwards, backwards, inside out, outside in and every which way

Paul was a Hebrew amount Hebrews

All Paul was headed for was to be a teacher in a long line of teachers that taught a nothing, that taught that Jesus has not come and that you must conform to the Law

But because of Jesus Paul goes on to be a missionary sent out by God, author of a lot of the NT

All because of the Power of the Holy Spirit

So don’t for one second think that God can’t use you today

Don’t think I am not good enough, I don’t know enough

Don’t think I am to dirty for God to use someone like me

Because Paul was confronted by God, Paul repented and trusted in the Lord and was used by God

Now that Paul is Paul and no longer Saul Paul is able to look back and see how God had worked things out in his life

Galatians 1:15–16 NASB95

15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,

Paul shares that he is called by God

That God knew everything before hand and had a plan before hand

We know that God’s plan was for Paul to preach to the Gentiles because that is what he told Ananias just that

Paul is sharing why he preaches the Gospel

Because He MUST

But church we don’t think of preaching the Gospel as a must

We think of it more as a eh if you get around to it great, or if the opportunity arises awesome but lets not force it on people

That is a lie from the pit of hell

It is a must to preach and teach the Gospel message

Paul was compelled because of the Good News of Jesus Christ

It is something within Paul, the personal relationship with Jesus Christ that compels him to preach the Gospel

1 Corinthians 9:16 NASB95

16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

Church its time we started looking at the great commission as a command rather than a suggestion

There is a video out on the internet

Penn and Teller

Not sure which is which but the Tall one who is an out spoken atheist has a video and he shares that a someone had watched his show and returned the next time and left with him a Gideon New Testament Bible with his name I believe

He shares that he doesn’t believe in God or anything like that but that this man was so compelled in his beliefs that he had to do it

Then he leaves with this question

He says if you believe that and don’t share with people, how much do you have to hate them to not share if that is what you believe

If we say we are Christians but we are not compelled to share the Gospel, how much do we have to hate them to not share the Gospel

Galatians 1:17–20 NASB95

17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. 18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.)

Paul shares that when he got saved, he didn’t go right into Jerusalem and speak with anyone but that He received the message from Jesus Himself

We know this because we can read about it in Acts 9 about Pauls conversion

That Paul stayed where he was for a long number of days

That when he did finally go to Jerusalem no one wanted to speak with him because they were all afraid of him still

They didn’t believe that God had changed his heart

Galatians 1:21–24 NASB95

21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; 23 but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they were glorifying God because of me.

Paul again shares that he was called to the Gentiles

That he went on Mission Trips to share with them what he has been compelled to share

To share with them what He MUST share with people

Before he would go people had heard about him

“He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy”

Word about Paul was getting around

Do you start to see how Sovereign God is in all this

God has a plan

Paul was obedient and repented and trusted in Jesus

Because of the relationship with Jesus Paul had, he couldn’t stop preaching about the Gospel

Acts 4:19–20 NASB95

19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Peter and John are jailed and beaten because they are preaching the truth of Gods word

Their response after being threatened as they are released from Jail

Is that we can cannot stop talking about what we have seen and heard about Jesus

Church they were compelled

Paul was compelled

Do we think the Power of the Holy Spirit has run out and there is none left for us

That is false

It is time that we repent and turn from our lazy apathetic approach to the preaching and sharing of the Good News of Jesus

And allow the Power of the Holy Spirit to fill us up and GO OUT

It’s time we go to our ONES

CLOSING

We will call the musicians up

As they are coming up if you are here today and do not have a personal relationship with Jesus

I would invite you to the front this morning and you can meet with someone who will show you through scripture that it is through repentance of the sin in your life and trusting in Jesus

That is how you can begin a new relationship with Jesus this morning

Or maybe you already have a personal relationship and you like me and like many other people in churches all across the world have become lazy and apathetic when it comes to the Great Commission

It is time we repent and turn from that and allow the Holy Spirit to revive us

The Altar is Open