Amen. Thanks so much, Gary, for teaching us that song.
As he mentioned, we're hoping it really dovetails well with this series that we started last week in this letter of Galatians.
So if you've got a Bible, then let me invite you to turn there now.
If you don't have a Bible, you can grab on on the pews or you can scan there, scroll there on your phone.
And we're in at Galatians chapter 1, verses 11 to 24 this morning.
Here's why this passage should make us sit up and take notice.
This here is quite possibly the most remarkable transformation in the life of a human being that there has ever been.
Here's the headline that sent shockwaves through the religious world of the first century.
Here's the jaw-dropping news that was doing the rounds in Jerusalem.
Here is your extra, extra read all about it moment.
That's all about the stunning U-turn that nobody saw coming.
And you'll see this headline in the words that are in the speech marks at verse 12.
Do you see it there?
Here's the headline.
This is Paul's story right here of how pre-Jesus, he was a bigot, he was a fanatic,
who was both wholehearted in his devotion to Judaism and in his persecution of the church of Jesus Christ.
And this is about how Jesus changed his life and sent him in a completely new direction.
But this is about how Jesus changed his life and sent him in a completely new direction.
But this is no autobiography here.
Here's what he's aiming at.
You're taking notes, here's the note, okay?
The big reason why he's writing this is really so that we know that we can trust his gospel.
He wants us to know, he wants the Galatians to know that we can trust his gospel.
If you were here last week, you'll remember the reason Paul is writing to these Christians
who are in this region of Galatia.
Try to put it in red there, okay, so you can see it.
He's writing because certain people have infiltrated the churches there and their intent on undermining Paul and his gospel.
If you remember last week, we thought about Paul's gospel is the one, the message that's totally centered on a totally sufficient Jesus.
Say that again.
It's totally centered on a totally sufficient Jesus.
Someone becomes a Christian, we thought about this last week, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone.
The big headline from last week's sermon was that Jesus plus nothing equals everything.
Jesus plus nothing equals everything.
And these Paul's teachers are seeking to undermine Paul's message.
Now, come with me to the text if we want to just get a run up from last week.
See the third word that he uses there at verse 1.
Paul, an apostle.
And we thought last week about how in using that word, he's telling us that he's someone who's received his message from Jesus.
He's not received it secondhand.
He's not received it hearsay.
He's received it from Jesus himself.
We thought last week that your source really matters.
Remember this?
In our world of AI, in our world of deep fakes, in our world of fact checking, where you can find anything online.
Reliability is absolutely everything.
To be an apostle, Paul writes that word.
Here's what he's saying.
I got my message straight from the horse's mouth.
But these false teachers are saying to the Galatians, are you sure that you can trust him?
Are you sure that you can trust it?
Is it not just another conspiracy theory?
Life is full of conspiracy theorists.
Again, you look hard enough online, you will find anything out there.
History is full of conspiracy theories.
Is this a classic example of what Mark Twain said?
That a lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth has even put its boots on.
And of course, the irony of that is that many believe that Mark Twain wasn't the one that actually said it,
which I think makes the point wonderfully.
But a lie gets out there.
A lie causes havoc.
And is Paul's message just another example of that?
The guy's just a few degrees off.
Just missed the mark.
Just by a few inches.
So what Paul is doing here, his intention is to defend his gospel.
And that's why he's telling his story.
He's defending his gospel.
See him right at verse 11.
I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached,
this is the one that they heard, is not of human origin.
I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it.
Rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
So everything he's about to say is to prove that thesis.
So we're going to see him point to two big reasons.
Why?
Friends, why they?
Why us?
Why we can trust this message?
What we're going to do is see these two things that he says,
and then we're really going to think about two quickfire things that we can take from this.
Are you up for it?
Here's the first thing that he says.
While you can trust his gospel.
Number one, he says, trust the transformation.
I think Paul's big point is this.
What else explains the total transformation of his life
other than the truth of his gospel?
Now see him speak so honestly and vulnerably,
and with great humility from verse 13.
Look at it in the text.
I find this so incredibly refreshing and instructive.
Somebody that's up for telling you about all the mistakes they made in life?
About how they got it wrong?
I was on holiday a few months ago,
reading Michael Parkinson's autobiography,
rock and roll in my life, okay?
Reading this guy's autobiography.
The old BBC chat show host.
And his son writes the foreword.
About his dad.
And he says this.
In the foreword.
This got me.
He said, of course,
every autobiography is written through the unreliable filter
of personal remembrance and self-justification.
Friends, how many autobiographies that you see in Waterstones and Blackwells
that people release,
the subtitle of those autobiographies is effectively,
here's why I did what I did.
And here's why I was right in doing what I did.
If you're thinking of a former Scottish First Minister
who's just released a book,
you said that, not me, okay?
Sorry, not sorry.
But it's true, isn't it, friends?
If we were writing a story about our lives,
it would be a self-justification one.
Paul is completely the opposite.
What comes naturally to us is to play the defence.
What comes naturally to Paul is to tell you
every single way that he got it wrong in life
and how Jesus has totally given him life and transformed it.
And it's just incredibly refreshing.
Whoever you are here today,
whatever you think about the God of the Bible,
what do you make of that?
Now, come with me.
See this in the text.
He's telling us about his old way of life.
See it there.
What was his chief ambition from verse 13?
See his choice of verb there.
Again, attention to detail in the text, really important.
What did he want to do to the church?
He didn't want to debate the Christians.
He did not want to oppose the Christians.
What's the word in the text?
He wanted to destroy the church.
Because in his mind, in his former way of life,
these Christians were making a mockery of everything
that he and his people stood for.
He was like one of those Daleks in Doctor Who.
Exterminate, exterminate.
In fact, the first time you meet him in the Bible
is at the end of Acts 7.
And he's holding the coat of an angry mob
and he's egging people on
in the stoning to death of the first Christian martyr,
a man named Stephen.
So he wants to destroy the church.
It's not just going on up there.
He's active in it, you see?
But a parallel track in Paul's life,
running alongside that desire to destroy the church,
do you see it as well,
was a desire to excel in Judaism.
What does he tell us?
That he tells us he was advancing
beyond many of his peers.
He tells us that he was extremely zealous
for the traditions of his fathers.
And can I just pause for a minute
and say it's really worth noting that word zeal.
We're much more likely to talk about,
I think, being passionate today.
But zeal is a word that the Bible uses
and encourages us to be as Christians.
People who are zealous.
It's becoming a big prayer of mine.
Lord, I realize I get excited about all the wrong things.
Would you make me zealous for your name
and your glory and your gospel
and seeing my life in the contours of that?
Here's the thing though.
Friends, we can be zealous about all the wrong things.
Political causes, career, grades,
even church traditions.
And so maybe here's a word in season
for us who are here today,
who are starting new seasons.
Whether we're going to university,
whether we're just coming back to university,
whether we're going on to a new job,
whether we're hitting a new season post-retirement,
after work, whatever it is.
Friends, life will present you with all sorts of things
that are worth being passionate about.
It will say, here's all sorts of things
that you can spend your life pursuing.
But this tells you that you can be zealous
about all the wrong things.
Be known as someone who's zealous first
for the gospel.
Wouldn't that be a wonderful life ambition?
Another way to frame the question
is that what are you known for?
I've learned that with kids, my kids.
I can teach them all sorts of things,
but do you know what they'll learn really from me?
They'll learn the thing that I'm excited about in life.
Are you known as someone who is first and foremost
zealous for the gospel?
Paul says, I was zealous,
but I was zealous in the wrong direction.
It's almost like he's one of those wind-up toys
that was really zealous this way,
and God's just turned him and said,
I don't want you to be unzealous, as it were.
I just want you to be zealous about the gospel.
Here's the thing.
If the careers teacher at school had asked Paul
what he wanted to be when he grows up,
there's no debate what Paul would have said.
He wants to be a Pharisee,
and he wants to be the best.
He's not just the next big thing.
He's not just the poster boy of Judaism.
He is on the fast-track program to massive things.
Paul wants to plant his flag on the world.
Recognition, honor, status.
That was the future that Paul had for himself,
and yet see that while Paul had one plan for his life,
God had another one.
See him begin to talk about his new way of life.
Verse 15.
See Paul talk about his calling.
Paul encounters the risen Jesus
on the way to Damascus in Acts 9,
where he was going fully intent on causing carnage,
and in that moment, everything changed
when he meets the risen Jesus.
This is where he's got his gospel from.
God had this plan in place for Paul.
Do you see it in the text from verse 15?
God did this plan in place for Paul before he was even born.
Now, I've done that with all of my kids.
We've given them names.
You know them from when they were in their mother's womb.
You have plans for them.
You have ambitions.
You have prayers,
things that you'd long for them to be true when they grow up.
But do you know what?
You've got no control over it.
How different then this God
who has known Paul
and who has called him,
who set apart him for this work
before he was even in his mother's womb.
How about that for a thought?
Sure story too,
if you're a Christian here today,
we're not Paul.
We are not apostles.
But we have Paul's God.
God thought of you and I
way before you and I were thinking of him.
You know,
in our individualistic world,
it can be easy to think
that becoming a Christian
is about taking Jesus into our lives.
Like an app that we download onto our phone.
But the truth that this tells us
is that by grace,
Jesus has taken us into his.
And Paul here is using the language of Jeremiah before him.
Notice the way verse 16 is worded.
God revealed his son.
And we'd almost expect him to say,
to me?
Yeah?
But he says,
God revealed his son in me.
He's telling us just how deeply impacted
and gripped by this message
he has been inwardly.
And again,
let me just say,
friends,
I recognize that there are many of us here today
who are thinking through this Christian faith.
And thank you so much for coming.
We love that you're here.
You're in the best place to do that.
To come to church,
to think about these things.
But can I just say that
sitting in church or saying words
may well be a great place to start.
Singing hymns,
singing truths.
But that isn't the thing
that makes you a Christian.
In the same way that sitting in a garage
doesn't make you a car.
Friends, we've got to put our faith in this Jesus.
But Paul is saying that
that gripping has led him
to see his life
in completely different ways.
This thing has gripped him inwardly.
The question you've got to ask yourselves
is Jesus,
who he says he is?
Has this message gripped you inwardly?
Inwardly.
Paul begins talking about
his new commission in life.
Do you see it?
Jesus has given him
a completely new purpose.
That is to take the gospel message
to the Gentiles.
And that word just means
the non-Jewish people of the world.
Here's the thing, friends.
We might be in tiny,
tiny little font
in that word Gentiles here.
But look hard enough
and you'll see yourself.
We're in this verse.
God's plan
to bless the nations
of the world.
We're here.
But here's the thing,
riddle me this.
With all Paul's credentials,
his training,
his background,
his CV,
would it make
more sense,
do you not think,
to send him as the missionary?
Not to the Gentiles,
but to the Jews.
You ever thought about that?
Is he like,
poor football manager
won't say any names,
who's playing someone
out of position.
Is that this God?
Would Paul not be
the perfect horse
for the Jewish course?
Here's what I think.
It's just a thought.
Haven't thought about this
for a long time, friends.
I think,
and Kate,
it was so helpful
reminding me of this
on Wednesday,
I think this is just
how God works.
His wisdom
baffles human wisdom.
His logic
is so far above
our logic.
He does things.
He uses
the unexpected.
He uses the person
who's,
in a sense,
got not a lot
to offer
to leave us
in no doubt
that God is God
and all glory
goes to him.
And so,
don't doubt
this morning
that God has plans
and purposes
for where he's put you.
If you're thinking,
what on earth
am I doing here?
Friends,
his logic
is so much
greater than
our logic.
So,
number one reason
why you should
trust my gospel,
says Paul,
is trust the transformation.
And really quickly,
here's the second thing
Paul says,
just really simply
trust the timeline.
See the end
of verse 17.
After meeting Jesus,
Paul tells us
that he soon
went into Arabia.
Now,
what was he doing
there?
All sorts of
theories
as to what
Paul was doing,
but I think
what seems likely
is that he just
retreats,
which means
that he goes away
for a time of
solitude
and reflection.
Paul,
Jesus has just
turned Paul's world
completely upside down,
inside out,
back to front.
He's got to get away
just to think
about everything
that's gone on.
And yet,
after three years,
verse 18,
he goes up
to Jerusalem,
where he spends
15 days
with Peter.
Now,
I would have loved
to have been a fly
on the wall
in that conversation.
Clearly,
they're not talking
about the weather
when they get together,
but here's the point
of all of this.
If the accusation
against Paul
was that he
nicked his gospel
from others,
but a four
attempting to
plagiarize it
and pass it off
as his own,
15 days.
Why is that significant?
Well,
they say it takes
20,000
to 25,000
hours
to truly
master a subject.
Have you heard
of that one?
20,000
to 25,000
hours
to truly
master a subject.
Even to write
a dissertation,
it takes you students,
what,
18 months
to do that?
No way
was 15 days
long enough
for Peter
to give Paul
a crash course
in the gospel
and the whole
framework of doctrinal
thinking that goes
around it.
Can he do that
in 15 days?
And yet,
15 days
is long enough
for both Peter
and Paul
to realize
that they were
preaching
the same gospel.
gospel.
Not in a great
minds think
alike
kind of way,
not in a
what a lovely
coincidence
kind of way.
No,
this is
same source
equals
same gospel.
And this
takes me
to root two
really quick
fire bits
of application
for us.
Here's number
one.
Friends,
number one,
don't doubt
the reliability
of the gospel.
As we have it
in the Bible,
don't doubt
the reliability
of the gospel.
I love,
and you'll notice
I've gone at pains
to point out
all the little
details there.
I love all the
details that we
get here.
15 days,
Arabia,
Peter,
so we get
the timeline,
we get the places,
we get the people.
Do you know
I love that?
That the Bible
isn't full of people
speaking in riddles
wrapped in myths
presented in enigmas.
It is real places,
real people,
real history.
I love how
earthy
a book
the Bible
is.
What are these
false teachers
trying to do
here with Paul?
They're trying to
drive a wedge
between what
he is saying
and what God
is saying.
To relegate
him from
primary source
to secondary
source.
From
authoritative
teaching
to opinion
peace.
Friends,
what we can
take from this
today,
all these little
details,
is really
simply this.
The gospel
that has
come to us
via Paul
all those
years ago
is legit.
And I think
that's the
primary purpose
of him doing
this.
You can
trust my
gospel.
And here's
number two.
Friends,
don't underestimate
the power
of your
story.
If you're a
Christian here
this morning,
then you have
a wonderful
story to
tell.
It might
not be
dramatic,
but make
no mistake
that every
single
conversion
is a
miracle.
For do
you not
love the
subtle yet
profound
way that
Paul has
crafted
verse 24?
When we
think about
the story
that we're
telling,
he says,
not that
people praised
Paul because
of God.
Paul's not
interested in
man's praise.
What's he
writing?
People praised
God because
of me.
That matter,
order,
really matters.
People praised
God because
of me.
Is that not
freeing to
know when we
share our
story that it
really isn't
about us?
Because when
it's all about
Jesus,
friends,
the pressure's
off.
We can
talk about
our mistakes
when we
recognise that
it's all
about Jesus.
We can
know the
freedom of
talking about
struggles when
we know that
it's all about
Jesus.
Because Jesus
is all
sufficient.
Friends,
you've got a
story to
tell.
A story that's
all about
him.
How many of
us became
Christians through
the personal
story of a
friend?
I'd imagine
it's probably
about 90%
of us,
right?
Couple that
with the
fact that
according to
the recent
stats in
the quiet
revival paper
that's just
been produced,
that 34%,
that's over
one in three
non-church-going
18 to 24
year olds,
albeit in
England and
Wales,
say that they
would attend
church if
invited by a
friend.
See the
combination of
the two of
those things.
Can I suggest
that there's
never been a
better time
for us to
tell our
story?
Friends,
don't underestimate
what God can
do through the
simple stories
that show that
you and I
are wholly
and joyfully,
totally dependent
on Jesus.
Really simple
lives that leave
people asking,
how on earth
do you explain
that?
I'll just tell you
something that
happened to me
recently and this
passage made
me think of
it.
Just as we
close, you
know, Alex
and I had
dinner with my
friend Class
and his wife
Beth a few
weeks back.
They used to
be part of
this church
family about
10, over
10 years ago
and they moved
out to
Wallyford and
are now part
of Wallyford
Community Church.
When I first
met Class
in this church,
he wasn't a
Christian.
Respectful, I
think, but
sceptical.
Had a lot of
questions.
And all of
our chat used
to be about
career, houses
and stakes.
Loved his
stake.
I love my
stake.
We always
used to talk
about stakes.
He becomes
a Christian.
Long story
short, when I
saw him a
few weeks
ago, his
plate is
full, right?
We, full of
career, pressures
at work, full of
kids and all the
things that are
going on there.
all the things
that we could
have talked
about.
All he wanted
to talk about
was the
gospel.
And his
desire to
witness at
work.
And his
concern for a
friend.
And his
desire to be a
good and godly
dad who loved
his kids and
brought them up
in the faith.
And his
church family,
about how God
is at work
there and how
God is providing
miraculously for
them.
And all the
people that
are coming
in from the
outside, the
impact they
want to make
on the
community.
And see at a
time when I
was feeling a
bit flat, wow,
that was just
what I needed.
And here's what
I thought as I
looked at him and
as I listened to
him.
And I thought
about the class
that I first
knew ten years
ago.
Only the
gospel, as
through it Jesus
grips the
lives of people
deep down
inwardly through
the Spirit.
Only God
could do that.
What else
explains it?
The gospel that
came to Paul and
transformed Paul and
has preached to the
Gentiles, went to
the nations, has
come to us.
How else do you
explain it?
I'll tell you how
you explain it.
This gospel is
legit.
Father, we
simply pray this
morning, as your
word continues to
work in our
lives, we pray
Lord that what we
see not, you
would show us.
Father, what we
have not, you
would give us.
And what we are
not, you would
make us.
Father, thank you
for your love
for us.
And we thank you
that we can trust
this gospel that
has come to us.
Father, we thank you
that you are the
God who is in the
business through the
gospel, through the
Lord Jesus, through
your spirit of giving
life.
And so Lord, I pray
that you would just
be with us as we
finish our time
together.
Lord, that these
truths really would
grip us inwardly.
And so Father, we
thank you for your
grace to us and we
pray all of these
things in Jesus'
name.
Amen.