The Power Of A Changed Life

“THE POWER OF A CHANGED LIFE” Galatians 1

INTRO – We, Americans, are obsessed with power.

- Yesterday, I took my son and a couple of his buddies to a truck show in Greenville. Convention Center property filled with all sorts of trucks. Everybody showing off the power of their truck – power of its engine; power of its stereo and speakers; power of its hydraulics system.

- Last night on TV, show about guys who race lawn mowers. Take an ordinary riding lawn mower and turn it into a racing machine that can reach speeds of up to 50 mph!

- Other TV shows about huge powerful dump trucks and earthmovers. Or airplanes, drag racers, boats. Or the power of corporations. Or the power of the human mind. Or the power of the weather. Or the power of certain medical treatments.

- We have shown our military power to Saddam Hussein and company in an up close and personal way over the last several months.

We like powerful things – cars, guns, stereos. The Greek word for power is the word dunamis, from which we get our word “dynamite.” Reminds me of a story a guy who was known to catch tons and tons of fish whenever he went fishing, no matter where he went. Game warden got a little suspicious. Disguised himself and asked this guy if he could go fishing w/ him. “Sure.” Early next morning, got into boat, went out into middle of lake, reached in his tackle box, pulled out a stick of dynamite, lit it, and dropped it into water. When it exploded, all fish floated to surface, took a net, and scooped them in. Took another stick, did it again. Game warden couldn’t believe it. Pulled out badge. “You can’t do that! I’m placing you under arrest. Take this boat to the shore right now!” Man reached in, lit another stick of dynamite, handed it to warden and said, “You gonna fish, or you gonna talk?”

Dynamite has a definite effect on all its surroundings. It definitely changes things b/c of the power that it has and the power it produces. But it takes someone lighting the fuse to make something happen. A stick of dynamite just sitting in a tackle box won’t have any effect on the fish in a lake!

It’s my prayer today that someone’s fuse will be lit today in this place! I pray that someone today will get G take hold of their life with His power, light their fuse, and change them forever. When that happens, others’ lives will likely change as well.

The Apostle Paul was one who had experienced definite change in his life. And that change affected many people, even us today. Let’s look at the power of a changed life and determine how to apply it to our lives today.

I. THE MESSAGE THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE – v. 1-5

A. Warren Wiersbe story of young boy at his front door trying to sell him a subscription to a newspaper. Very persuasive young man. “It only costs a quarter, and the best thing about this newspaper is that it prints only the good news.”

i. In a world that is filled with so much trouble and heartache, it’s becoming more and more difficult to find any “good news,” so maybe the newspaper was a bargain after all!

B. For the Xn, the person who has truly trusted Jesus X as his personal Lord and Savior, the real “Good News” is the Gospel.

i. It is the good news that “X died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Cor. 15:3-4)

ii. It is the good news that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jn. 3:16)

iii. It is the good news that “whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:13)

C. How many of you can truly say today that this message is the message that has changed your life forever? P definitely could say this:

i. Verse 1 – Galatian Xns were being led astray by group called Judaizers, who were distorting Gospel by saying that a person still had to observe many of the Old Testament laws in order to be saved. They were attacking the message of the Gospel.

ii. But they were also attacking the messenger, Paul. So right off the bat, he began defending and establishing the genuineness of his ministry as an apostle.

1. “apostle” – “one who is sent w/ a commission” – an envoy, ambassador, or messenger who was chosen and trained by JC as His special worker in proclaiming His truth during the early formative years of the church.