CALLED BY GOD
TEXT:
Galatians 1:11-24 (NIV)
11 I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. 21 Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they praised God because of me.
INTRODUCTION:
A. FALSE ACCUSERS TRIED TO DISCREDIT PAUL
1. STORY – “Falsely Accused”
Preachers are often the brunt of false accusations.
JERRY OWENS - Once, an evangelist named Jerry Owen was
awarded $35,000 in a slander suit filed against television station
KCOP in Los Angeles because an executive at the TV station
claimed that the evangelist’s TV program was canceled because
the evangelist was a thief who burned down churches and was
supposedly involved in the murder of Robert F. Kennedy.
LARRY LEA – Defamed on national televison. Accused of lieing
about his house and not praying for those who sent prayer requests. Was later exonerated.
KENNETH HAGIN – Accused of following the “little god” doctrine taught by others in WOF. Taken out of context. Accused of saying, “We are Christ” Said, “We are the body of Christ.” For the record, I am not a follower of Kenneth Hagin. However, there are plenty of things to criticize a man about and it ought to be accurate if someone is going to make an accusation.
2. One of the main objectives of the Judaizers was to discredit Paul’s apostolic authority.
3. They tried discredit the message by discrediting the messenger.
4. They tried to undermine the gospel by undermining Paul.
5. They spread rumors that Paul was not a real apostle.
B. THEY ALSO TRIED TO DISCREDIT PAUL’S MOTIVES
1. They told people that Paul was self-appointed.
2. They told people that his motive was just to build up a following.
3. They said he watered down the gospel to make it more appealing.
4. Paul was accused of watering down the gospel to make it easy.
5. They accused him of being a people pleaser who simply said what men wanted to hear.
C. PAUL PROVED THAT HIS MOTIVES WERE GODLY (1:10)
1. In verse 9 Paul pronounced a curse on false teachers.
2. He said, “Anyone who preaches a different gospel is accursed.”
2. (v.10) “Am I NOW trying to win the approval of men, or of God?”
3. Obviously, Paul’s condemnation of these false teachers (v. 9) did not fit the bill of a people-pleaser.
4. If he was a people-pleaser, he would be trying not to offend anyone.
5. If he was a people-pleaser, he wouldn’t be pronouncing any curses.
6. Obviously, Paul’s motive was not simply to please people.
7. He wasn’t interested in entertaining people.
8. He was interested in saving people.
9. He wanted nothing short of God’s will to be done.
10. There are some in Christianity today who are NOT like Paul.
11. There are people-pleasers today who are soft on doctrine and long on sweet talk.
12. There are some who would rather please men than please God.
13. But, as for Paul, his only motive was to please God and God alone.
D. PAUL WAS CALLED…
1. There are three “G”s in Paul’s calling and these are my points.
2. Paul called by GOD.
3. Paul called by GOD to preach the GOSPEL.
4. Paul called by GOD to preach the GOSPEL to the GENTILES.
I. PAUL CALLED BY GOD (vv. 11–12)
A. PAUL’S MESSAGE WAS NOT MADE UP BY MAN (v.11)
1:11 “I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up.”
1. “I want you to know” - Gk. gnoµrizo - to make known with certainty
2. In common English it would be like saying,
“Let me make it clear, the gospel I preach is not man made.”
3. This gospel didn’t come from man, it came from God.
4. This is the standard for judging all of man’s theories of salvation.
5. If it had been a manmade gospel, it would not be a gospel of grace.
6. If it was a man made gospel, it would cater to man’s pride.
7. It would be a method for man to save himself without God’s help.
8. Instead of “AMAZING GRACE,” our theme song would be
“I DID IT MY WAY!”
9. “I preached” - Gk. Euaggelizo – to declare goodnews
10. Lit. “the gospel I gospelled” or “the goodnews I goodnewsed”
11. You see the gospel of Jesus Christ is not bad news from man.
12. The gospel is good news from God.
B. PAUL’S MESSAGE WAS NOT RECEIVED FROM MAN (v.12)
1:12 “I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it;…”
1. That statement was directed right at the Judaizers.
2. They had received their message from traditions of men.
3. They didn’t have a revelation from God.
4. They had a tradition from men.
5. Today, we have a word from God!
6. We have a Bible! The Bible is the Word of God!
(Can I have a good Amen?)
7. There are some today who depend more on the traditions of men than on the revealed Word of God (the Bible).
8. Rather than study the Bible they study man’s interpretation of it.
9. Everything they know is received from man and taught by man.
10. On the other hand, there was no human source for Paul’s message.
11. You hear people say, “That book is written by men for men.”
12. They don’t know what they’re talking about!
13. This book was authored by God.
14. The gospel he preached was not man’s invention.
15. Scripture did not come by the will of man.
16. Holy men of God spoke these words and wrote these words as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
C. PAUL’S MESSAGE WAS DIRECTLY FROM CHRIST (v.12b)
(v.12b) “…I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.”
1. Paul says his message was given to him directly by God.
2. It came by revelation from Jesus Christ.
3. Revelation - Gk. apokalupsis - an unveiling of a secret.
4. Jesus was not only the source of that revelation, He was also the object of that revelation.
5. Acts 9 tells us how Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus.
6. Paul had a personal encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road.
7. Before that time, Paul persecuted the church.
8. Before that time, Paul denied the doctrines of the church.
9. Before that time, Paul denied the Lord of the church - Jesus Christ!
10. But, then he had an encounter with the Lord of the church, and it changed his life.
11. On the road to Damascus, the veil of spiritual ignorance was lifted.
12. On the road to Damascus, Paul got a revelation from the Almighty.
13. On the road to Damascus, Paul got a revelation of the Almighty!
14. And he was never the same again! (Can I have a good Amen?)
II. PAUL CALLED BY GOD
TO PREACH THE GOSPEL (V.13-17)
A. PAUL’S PERSECUTION PROVED HIS GOSPEL (v. 13)
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
1. Everyone knew the Gospel was resisted and opposed by the Jews.
2. Paul used this knowledge as a reverse proof of his apostolic calling.
3. Paul was a Jew who had converted to Christianity.
4. This was a sign that something drastic had taken place in his life.
5. Paul used to persecute the church but now he defended it.
6. This was proof that this Gospel is real.
7. God had touched Paul and He still touches people today.
(Can I have a big Amen?)
8. STORY - Change On Pitcairn Island
The true story of the Mutiny on the Bounty has often been retold.
One part of this story that you hardly ever hear is about nine of the mutineers along with six Tahitian men and twelve Tahitian women who put ashore on Pitcairn Island in 1790. One of the sailors built a still and started making moonshine. The little colony was plunged into debauchery and vice.
Ten years later, only one white man survived, surrounded by native women and half-breed children. In an old chest from the Bounty, this sailor one day found a Bible. He began to read it and then to teach it to the others. The result was that his own life and ultimately the lives of all those in the colony were changed. This colony was discovered in 1808 by the USS Topas, the island of Pitcairn had become a prosperous community with no jail, no whisky, no crime, and no laziness.
Tan, Paul Lee, Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations, 1996.
9. The gospel changed Paul’s life and it still changes lives today.
B. PAUL’S FORMER POSITION PROVED HIS GOSPEL (v. 14)
14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers
1. Paul was not just a Jew, he was a Jew of Jews.
2. Paul “was advancing in Judaism”
3. Judaism was a religion filled with loopholes and hypocrisy.
4. Loopholes prevented them from obeying the Law of God.
5. Hypocrits stood on street corners shouting their loud prayers.
6. Carnival hawkers were paid to draw attention to alms given.
7. Paul had been deceived into believing that this was godly.
8. He had followed the Jewish traditions and had excelled in them.
9. But, by the grace of God, Paul went from persecutor to preacher.
10. No human explanation could account for the change in Saul’s life.
C. GRACE –VS- WORKS
1. The Judaizers message was salvation by works.
2. God’s message is salvation by grace.
3. STORY – “God’s Part and My Part”
A young man came forward to join the church one time. When he was asked about his salvation, he said, “Well, God done His part, and I done my part.”
There was some question about the young man’s doctrine, so they asked him, "What was God’s part, and what was your part?"
He said, "God’s part was the saving, and my part was the sinning.
I done run from Him as fast as I could, and He done took out after me till He run me down."
4. That’s the way I got saved too, how about you? (Amen?)
III. PAUL CALLED BY GOD
TO PREACH THE GOSPEL
TO THE GENTILES (v.15-24)
A. THAT I MIGHT PREACH HIM (v.15-16)
15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased
16a to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,…
1. Here we find the ultimate purpose of Paul’s calling.
2. It was not for salvation alone, but for service.
3. Paul was saved to serve and so are we.
4. Every believer is “created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before ordained that we should walk therein” (Eph. 2:10).
5. ILLUSTRATION – “Crooked Sticks”
We need to remember that the only kind of men God has to use are imperfect men. Dr. Gambrell, a famous Baptist preacher of days gone by, used to say, “God can hit some mighty straight licks with some mighty crooked sticks.” And I’m glad that God in His mercy puts His treasure in earthen vessels. I am glad that he calls people to preach and counts them worthy who are unworthy, as Paul said he was.
5. Paul said, “that I might preach him.”
6. The final object of God’s call to Paul was “that I might preach him.”
7. That I might preach HIM, not just a message but a PERSON.
8. Christ was the sum total of Paul’s message.
9. Paul was not merely called to proclaim a plan of salvation.
10. Paul was called to proclaim the God of salvation.
11. Paul was called to proclaim the Savior.
B. THAT I MIGHT PREACH HIM AMONG THE GENTILES (v.16)
16a to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,…
1. God didn’t just tell Paul who to preach and what to preach.
2. God told Paul where to preach!
3. God sent Paul to preach among the Gentiles.
4. The Judaizers tried to take their own message to Galatia.
5. Paul was sent to take God’s message to Galatia.
6. Paul was SENT, the Judaizers just WENT!
7. Galatia didn’t need the traditions of the Jews preached to them.
8. They needed the Savior preached to them.
(Can I have a good Amen?)
9. STORY – “Take Him Out!”
We went to a Duke’s baseball game the other night and in the middle of the game, the pitcher walked a couple of men. Fans began to shout,
“Take him out, take him out!”
Sometimes, I wonder what the great crowd of witnesses in heaven is saying about us. When we prefer to win friends rather than win souls, I wonder if they’re shouting, “Take him out of there, replace him.”
“Get someone in there who can win souls!”
When I think about the ministry of the Apostle Paul, I wonder if he might be saying, “Lord, I’ve endured suffering for you… I have marks on my body where I was beaten for you… They put me in chains for preaching about you… Look at that man, Lord. He has no backbone.
He doesn’t hate sin, Lord. Get him out of there and get somebody in there who means business!”
I don’t know if Paul really says such things, but I do know that up in heaven they are deeply concerned about this business of soul-winning!
We should be too!
