But I Gave It My Best Effort Series

Galatians 3:1-14

But I gave it My Best Effort!

Introduction

A. As many of you know I play Racquetball with Jon usually on Tuesdays and Thursday morning.

B. I have a goal. My goal is quite simple. My Goal is to beet Jon

C. I do not accomplish my Goal often. In fact if I win one out of four games it is amazing

D. But my goal is to beet Jon every games

E. It does not happen

F. Now you think you I could take some satisfaction in the fact that “I Gave it my best effort” Right

G. No! My goal is to beet Jon, anything less doesn’t matter, I want to beet Jon

H. In our spiritual lives we often think if we give it our best effort, put the best foot forward, give it that old heave ho. That is good enough, right?

I. Today we are going to see what we need to do to accomplish our Goal

J. Specifically

a. Our best Shot

b. Outside or Inside

c. Outcomes

I. (1-5) Our Best Shot

A. Explanation

1. Now for Paul to call someone foolish you know that he had to be really mad, this is not just a little tiff, he is full blown about to blow

a) Granted we do not use the world bewitched that often and if you have a New Living Translation you read “What magician has cast a spell on you” that makes a lot more sense to me

2. Now in verse 2, Paul ask us a rhetorical questions, obviously they received the Sprit by believing what they heard

a) WE have said at least 234234 times that the law cannot save you, that only faith in What Christ did on the Cross will produce salvation

3. In verse three we have the word “Goal” or in the NLT we have “become perfect” in both cases what we are talking about is Eternal life with Christ, That would make us perfect and that is our Goal

4. Now understand that the Galatians did not enjoy the same spiritual freedom that we have here in America. They could not go to any church without conflict without being persecuted like we can. So they suffered through all that torture to learn about and accept this Gospel by faith and faith alone and now they just want to abandon it. If they are going to abandoned it why did they put up with the torture in the first place?

5. Paul asks another Rhetorical question. Paul is trying to key them in on everything that the Gospel Gives. The Miracles, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, all of that is not because of what they have done but because of the what they have believed

B. Application

1. What can we apply to our lives?

2. We can try all we want

3. We can put forth all the effort that we have

4. We can do everything that we can possibly do

5. And still never reach our Goal

6. The Goal of Eternal life with Christ

7. We will never be able to do it

C. Illustration

1. As I have told you many times I used to run Cross Country. Obviously like every athlete in the world I wanted to be the best. I tried, I tried, and I tried. I pushed my body to limit and beyond. I wanted to be first in every race, I wanted to be the state champion, I wanted to set records that would never be broken. That was my Goal. I gave it my best effort. Every practice, every race, I gave it all. You know what? I never finished a race better then 5th best on our team, and that was because a couple of people were not running that day.

2. Our best effort will never reach the Goal

3. Our best effort will never enable us to reach Salvation

4. Imagine if you will you are standing in front of God on the day of Judgment and you are standing right next to a guy that killed 30 people, robbed countless number of banks, got drunk most every night, was a drug addict, the whole 9 yards

5. And you lived a good life, never got arrest, never even got a speeding ticket, you helped the little old lady cross the street

6. You figured you have a good chance against that scum bag right? Well if you have not accepted the accepted God’s plan for Salvation, you both are going to be guilty

7. Now if this “scum bag” just before he died accepted God’s plan for Salvation and you didn’t, guess who accomplished the Goal? The scumbag!

8. Your best effort will never get you the goal