God is Glorified in Me
Notes
Transcript
sermon notes
sermon notes
Galatians 1:18–24 (NKJV)
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.
19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.
20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)
21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.
23 But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.”
24 And they glorified God in me.
Thoughts and Observations:
It was three years before Paul was able to see the disciples in Jerusalem. Read Acts 9:17-30
He remained with Peter for 15 days before seeing James.
Paul then traveled to Cilicia (Where Tarsus is) and Syria
He was unknown by face to the christians in Judea.
All they knew of Paul was that he was a pursecuter of the church.
Now they glorified God because of his transformation.
Paul, again, is defending the gospel he is presenting. Even if it didnt have the influence of the apostles, it was genuine and authentic because God revealed it to him.
Everyone whom God calls is a wonderful example of God’s amazing grace.
Why was Paul’s testimony so powerful?
Because the message Paul preached came directly via the revelation of Jesus Christ.
God transformed his life from the inside out.
God also transforms our lives from the inside out also.
As a Christian the only thing we have that is genuine in our lives is Jesus.
When things get hard, the easiest thing to do is doubt the power in the message that is entrusted to you.
The apostles seemed the only ones who could change the world because they had the best Christian education over anyone else.
Yet Paul shows us that we too are of equal ability when it comes to the ministry of the gospel.
In each of us is the same gospel message that can change the life of a person who hears it.
It makes no difference of how bad our past was; the moment you recieved Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you were a new man/ woman.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
Now, the Galatian Christians, I am sure, never questioned Paul’s testimony.
They experienced first hand the gospel message he preached to them and saw with their own eyes the power of God at work in their lives.
But what has happened is with all that in mind, they still allowed themselves to fall back under the trap of legalism.
It is a trap that we all can fall into.
How do we know we are trapped by the snare of legalism?
If we rely on our teachers for our own spiritual maturity rather than Christ.
If we rely on our association with a specific denomination for our security in Christ.
If we feel the need to push an ideology without any full understanding of where it came from.
So how do we protect ourselves from the dangers of legalism?
Walk with the One who is able to grow you in maturity.
The more you grow the more you can discern from the false and true teachers.
There is no substitute for abiding in Christ when it come to maturity.
Recognise our alliegence is to God not man.
We do not need to make people happy by conforming to their ideology.
Opinions are like noses, everybody has one.
Paul was not regurgitating what the apostles taught.
Stay away from anyone one who seeks to diminish your freedom in Christ.
This is not saying stay away from everyone who disagrees with you.
But we who are in Christ belong to Him.
We do not have to work to keep God on our side.
We belong to Him.