A Story of Redemption.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Good morning, you may be seated. [0:02] Thanks for coming on a day like today. [0:05] When it’s rainy like this, I’m just glad anybody showed up. [0:08] So I’m glad to see you guys. [0:10] When I heard the rain on my roof, [0:12] I thought about staying at home, but I figured

[0:14] I’d show up just instead. [0:15] Just a couple of quick announcements for you guys [0:17] before we dive into it. [0:20] On November the 15th, we’re going to have an event, not [0:24] really an event, but a night that we call Intro to the Village. [0:27] It’s possible that you’ve been coming a few weeks,

[0:31] that you’ve been checking us out, and you’re really [0:34] curious to hear more about us on a more personal basis, [0:38] or you want to know why we’re here, [0:41] how did we get the idea to start a church in Midlothian, [0:44] of all places. [0:46] And that night, we’re going to be talking about that.

[0:48] We’re going to be discussing what is our mission as a church, [0:51] what is our purpose as a church, what are our core values, [0:55] what do we believe. [0:57] And if you’re curious about those things, [0:59] we just ask that you come out. [1:00] It’s going to be really informal.

[1:02] It’s going to be between 4 and 6 PM. [1:05] I didn’t really realize what time it actually [1:07] was going to be, but it’s going to be between 4 and 6 PM. [1:09] And I promise I’ll remember it that day, and I’ll show up, [1:12] and I’ll talk to you guys for a while. [1:13] And we’ll hear from me.

[1:15] We’ll also hear from a couple of the other pastors [1:16] of the church, just about our philosophy of church, [1:19] and really just our history as to where we’ve been, [1:23] why we think we’re worth hearing from, [1:26] why we preach the Bible, why we believe the gospel, [1:29] what do we believe about the gospel.

[1:31] And if you’re curious about that stuff [1:33] and just want more information about us as a church, [1:36] this is going to be a great way for you [1:38] to come as a group with other people [1:41] and hear about it in a really unintimidating way. [1:44] I realize that if it was just me and you,

[1:47] you may be like, who is this guy? [1:49] I’m scared to be one on one with him. [1:50] I don’t even want him to know where I live. [1:52] That’s OK. [1:53] You can come here, and I won’t have to know where you live, [1:56] so you won’t have any fear of me just ever

[1:57] just showing up at your house. [1:58] I wouldn’t do that anyway. [1:59] I’m too lazy to do that. [2:01] But you can show up that night, or that afternoon, actually, [2:04] and you’ll hear all about the village and who we are, [2:08] what we believe.

[2:09] All right, let’s jump right into it. [2:10] Galatians chapter one. [2:12] Got a lot of work ahead of us today, [2:13] but I really believe it’ll be fruitful. [2:17] And since you guys came out in the rain, I promise you, [2:20] I’m going to make a promise,

[2:21] your lunch is going to taste better today. [2:23] It’s just going to taste good. [2:25] And somebody’s probably going to go through the McDonald’s [2:26] drive-through, and their Big Mac’s going to be overcooked, [2:28] and they’re going to be like, he’s a liar. [2:30] And if that happens to you, I apologize.

[2:33] I have nothing to back this up, and I’m not putting a guarantee [2:35] on that. [2:36] It’s just something I’m going to throw out there. [2:37] Your lunch is going to taste better. [2:38] I think mine will as well. [2:41] It probably won’t.

[2:42] I’m a liar. [2:43] Galatians chapter one. [2:45] Let’s go ahead and start reading. [2:48] Verse 11 of chapter one. [2:49] For I would have you know, brothers, [2:53] that the gospel that was preached by me

[2:56] is not man’s gospel. [3:00] For I did not receive it from any man, [3:03] nor was I taught it, but I received it [3:06] through a revelation of Jesus Christ. [3:10] Pray with me. [3:12] Father, we want to come before you,

[3:18] and we want to ask that you would really fill this room right now. [3:24] That you would give me the words to speak. [3:28] That you would help me to be faithful to your word, [3:31] which is truth.

[3:34] Father, today may we come in, and may we come together, [3:37] and may our minds be open, may our hearts be open, [3:40] and may we just receive your truth today. [3:42] Nothing else. [3:44] Nothing more. [3:44] Nothing less.

[3:46] Just your truth. [3:48] And Father, I pray that it would transform our lives, [3:51] and I pray that we would walk out of these doors today, [3:54] all of us, renewed. [3:57] That you would help us to have a mission for today [4:01] and for the rest of our tomorrows.

[4:04] That would not only transform our lives, [4:06] but would transform the lives of those in this community.

[4:10] May you bless us today. [4:13] In the name of Jesus, I pray. [4:14] Amen. [4:15] Well, if you haven’t been with us the past few weeks, [4:18] we’re going through the book of Galatians. [4:19] We’re going through it verse by verse.

[4:21] We’re trying to go through it word by word. [4:25] And today we find ourselves, and we’re going to cover [4:27] a good number of verses today, because what Paul is going to do [4:31] over the next few verses is really give us more of his background. [4:35] What we’re going to be talking about today is not necessarily [4:39] Paul’s pre-salvation history, but his post-salvation history.

[4:43] What happened when he was redeemed? [4:47] What happened at the moment of his conversion [4:49] when he was not a follower of Christ and then he became a follower of Christ? [4:54] What took place during that time? [4:57] What took place at that moment? [4:58] And why should it matter to us or does it matter to us?

[5:03] Should these words of Paul matter to you? [5:06] And I’m going to submit to you, of course, today that they that they do matter [5:09] and that they should matter. [5:10] And not only that, but through the conversion of Paul, [5:14] where he says right here that he did not receive the gospel from man, [5:18] but rather he received it from God, that these are words that should change

[5:22] our lives, that these are words that should change the way we look at God. [5:26] And these are words that should change the way that we look at life. [5:31] And I submit to you that most people who claim to be followers of Jesus [5:36] in this world today, in this country, in churches all around us, [5:40] do not do it in a biblical fashion.

[5:45] That most of us have an improper understanding of what it is to follow God [5:50] and what it is that God desires to do in our lives. [5:53] And that is what Paul is really going to unpack for us in about the next 10 [5:58] verses or so. [6:00] The first thing I want you to notice in verse 11 is when he writes the words [6:03] that the gospel is not the gospel that he received was not from man.

[6:10] The gospel is not a message of man, rather the gospel [6:16] is really the message of God to us, that it was God’s message [6:21] that changed Paul’s life. [6:23] And this is really something that we don’t really grasp. [6:27] It’s kind of a common understanding that somewhere [6:30] between the Old Testament and the New Testament, things changed.

[6:35] That in the Old Testament, God had one plan, [6:38] and then in the New Testament, God changed plans and that things changed. [6:43] In the Old Testament, they were saved because they had this law [6:46] and they followed this law. [6:48] And if they could follow this law, they would be saved [6:50] and they would have a relationship with God.

[6:52] And then when that didn’t work out, God himself had to come to Earth. [6:56] He had to die and he had to save us. [6:59] That is not a good understanding of the Bible. [7:02] And I’m sorry, but if you’ve been taught that way, [7:04] you have not been taught the whole message of scripture. [7:08] The key here in understanding is that the gospel that we talk about so much here,

[7:13] the gospel is the scripture in its entirety.

[7:17] The whole Bible is the message of the gospel, Genesis to Revelation. [7:23] It is one complete, full message [7:26] that presents to us the gospel of Jesus Christ. [7:31] And that when we fail to understand that, what we do is, [7:34] we turn the Bible into a book of how to’s. [7:39] A book that has these collections of biblical principles

[7:43] that if we follow and if we can adhere these biblical principles to our lives, [7:48] that we will have a better life and we will have a better relationship with God. [7:54] That is not true.

[7:58] This is not a collection of how to’s to have a better life.

[8:03] What this is, is one full message of God’s redemption of man [8:09] and the history of how he lays that out.

[8:14] You can look all the way back and if you want to, you can turn there [8:17] because it’s not going to be up on the screen to Genesis, Chapter 3, Verse 15. [8:21] In Genesis, Chapter 3, Verse 15, [8:25] Moses is writing here and he writes and he’s taking the account of creation [8:29] and he’s writing about what happened right after man sinned against God. [8:35] Maybe you’ve heard that story where Adam and Eve are in the garden

[8:38] and there’s a tree and God says, don’t eat of that tree. [8:40] Every other tree you can have, but just not that one. [8:42] And then the serpent comes and the serpent is Satan [8:45] and the serpent says, has God really said, [8:49] he makes Eve kind of question whether or not God really meant one thing [8:52] and whether or not God was really good.

[8:55] Has God really said you should not eat that? [8:56] Because if you actually eat that, you’ll actually be equal to God. [8:59] And then Eve takes a bite out of the apple and she gives it to Adam [9:03] and he’s just kind of sitting there not taking charge as a man. [9:06] Just, oh, sure, I’ll eat it. [9:07] And he takes a bite of it as well.

[9:09] And then directly after this, in Genesis, Chapter 3, what we have is, [9:12] God is pronouncing judgment on the three of them, [9:16] Adam, Eve and the serpent, and he starts with the serpent. [9:20] And what he says in Genesis 3, 15 is kind of a foreshadowing [9:24] of why the entire Bible is about the gospel of Jesus Christ. [9:28] He looks at the serpent and this is what he said.

[9:31] He says, excuse me. [9:33] He looks at the serpent.

[9:37] And he says, I will put enmity between you and the woman [9:42] and between your offspring and her offspring.

[9:48] And he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. [9:55] There’s one way of reading that where you’re like, [9:56] oh, this is why I hate snakes. [9:59] And that I should go and step on the heads of snakes. [10:02] I don’t think you should. [10:04] You could try that, probably get bitten.

[10:06] It’s not a good idea. [10:08] What this is in history, this is referred to, [10:11] and I’m going to give you a big word right now and I’ll explain it later. [10:13] It’s called the proto-evangelium.

[10:18] What that simply means is the first announcement of the gospel. [10:23] That’s what that means. [10:23] The grammar here is so specific. [10:26] It’s not talking about his or him as a reference to mankind. [10:31] But what the Hebrew is talking about right here is a specific individual [10:36] that will crush the head of the serpent.

[10:40] And what he is talking about here is not serpents as a whole, [10:45] but the specific serpent that is right here in this moment being Satan.

[10:51] And God is pronouncing judgment on Satan himself saying, [10:55] there will always be a divide between you and man, [11:00] and you will constantly try to hurt man. [11:03] You will try to pull man down. [11:05] You will tempt him with sin. [11:06] You will put obstructions between me and him as you just have through temptation.

[11:11] And you’ll bruise his heel.

[11:15] But then he says, [11:17] that a man that is born of woman will bruise your head. [11:23] The Hebrew there, the word bruise and crush are interchangeable.

[11:30] That there will come a man born of woman that will end your reign over man. [11:39] All the way back to the book of Genesis, [11:41] you have the first announcement of the coming of Jesus Christ.

[11:49] That shows us that Jesus was always God’s plan. [11:55] He did not give Israel the law and then say, [12:00] oh my goodness, Israel is failing. [12:02] They cannot be obedient to me. [12:04] I’m going to have to send the ringer in. [12:06] I guess I’ll have to send Jesus.

[12:09] Jesus was always God’s plan, has always been God’s plan, [12:14] and will always be God’s plan.

[12:18] Because you have to understand in this that the gospel is God’s redemption of man. [12:27] And if you look at the scripture as a whole, [12:29] you can see this thread that man’s sins, [12:31] God redeems over and over and over again. [12:35] From the Old Testament through to the New Testament. [12:38] Read the history of Israel.

[12:39] What happens to Israel when God redeems them out of Egypt?

[12:44] They turn their backs on God and they say, [12:45] oh, you took away my life. [12:46] You took us in this wilderness, Moses. [12:48] We should have just stayed in Egypt and died there. [12:51] Then God brings about provision. [12:54] He gives them food.

[12:54] He gives them manna. [12:55] He gives them water. [12:56] Time and time again, [12:58] He does these miraculous things that save them. [13:01] Then as soon as a hardship comes again, what happens? [13:05] Oh, we should have just died in Egypt.

[13:08] Then they get to the promised land. [13:09] Read through the book of Judges. [13:11] If you want to see just how sinful mankind is. [13:13] There’s this cycle that takes place through the book of Judges. [13:17] Where God redeems Israel. [13:20] They’re faithful and they’re worshiping God.

[13:22] Then somebody that they should have kicked out of the land will come in and say, [13:26] hey, aren’t you bored of that? [13:28] Won’t you come worship Baal with us for a while? [13:30] Over and over again, Israel does that time and time again. [13:35] They turn their backs on God to worship a false God. [13:39] Then something bad happens that God sends in.

[13:43] Then they repent and come to God again. [13:45] Then a couple weeks later, oh, well, let’s go worship Baal again. [13:49] The Old Testament serves as a focusing of our understanding of just how sinful [13:55] and just how rebellious we are of God. [13:59] Just why we are so desperate for God to redeem us over and over again. [14:07] It is as if God is setting up an ultimate redemption.

[14:13] I tell you, you cannot understand books like Leviticus until you understand the gospel. [14:19] When you read about the sacrifices from the book of Leviticus [14:23] and you see the way that they have to do the blood in certain ways [14:26] and the way that death must come to cover sin. [14:29] Then you read the gospel of Jesus and how His death and how His shed blood [14:34] covers the sins of humanity.

[14:38] You understand that God was not petty in the way that He instructed Israel to give sacrifices. [14:46] Instead, what He is doing is through these sacrifices, giving us prophecy.

[14:53] Showing how ugly sin is, how disgusting it is, what it is going to take to redeem them. [14:59] Then ultimately, He will completely redeem them. [15:04] We come to places like this in the Bible where Paul is writing some very important words. [15:11] When he says, I did not receive this gospel from man, but rather I received it from God. [15:17] You have to understand where he was in history. [15:19] If you notice, he also writes that he was completely zealous for the law in many places.

[15:26] He is writing that because what had happened was that the gospel had been perverted by Israel. [15:32] The circumcision party, remember we have talked about them a couple of weeks? [15:35] They came in saying, Jesus is good, but you must then add circumcision and the law. [15:41] Because what was being presented to them was a gospel that was according to man. [15:47] If we, through our works, can earn salvation, then the gospel does not belong to God. [15:53] The gospel belongs to man.

[15:56] What we are talking about here is the gospel that is God’s redemption. [16:01] You have to understand that redemption is the work of God alone.

[16:09] When these people came into the church at Galatia, they were presenting man’s gospel. [16:14] Here Paul is saying, the gospel does not belong to you. [16:18] You do not earn anything, but rather the gospel is the work of God alone. [16:22] Look into verse 13.

[17:04] He is saying that the gospel that he received, he did not have to go to anyone to find out whether or not it was valid. [17:12] Because the gospel had come directly from God. [17:15] Look here at the work of redemption in his life. [17:18] He uses his former life as an example as to what redemption looks like. [17:24] He reveals in this passage that he was steeped in religion, yet still consumed entirely in sin. [17:31] He says,

[17:31] He was so zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers, for the religion and the gospel that was the making of man’s hands, that I persecuted the very church of Jesus. [17:44] He was so stuck in his ways, thinking that he was the centerpiece of redemption, that he could redeem himself. [17:53] That anybody that would say that the gospel and righteousness could come from any source, but people, Israel specifically, he persecuted them. [18:07] That he had killed followers of Jesus, as we covered a couple weeks ago when we talked about his life before sin.

[18:15] Notice though that once Jesus revealed himself to Paul, everything changed. [18:23] He realized the sickness and the folly of his religious work in comparison to how amazing God is.

[18:31] In verse 14 he notes that he had been living a gospel that was completely written by man, and at his redemption though he realized it was completely of God. [18:41] Notice how his understanding of God even changed. [18:43] He writes in verse 15, look back at verse 15, where he says, [18:46] But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who had called me by his grace. [18:54] Look at how he gives salvation completely over to God in every single way. [19:00] Even saying that God had planned his salvation before he had even been born.

[19:08] That he was not smarter than anyone, that he had not made a better choice than anyone. [19:13] That salvation was so foreign from him, that God had had to do the work before he was even born. [19:21] That God had salvation completely in his hands, and Paul did not have any part in his own salvation. [19:30] That God had to step into creation and pull Paul out of his sin, rather than Paul making a realization and coming out of sin himself.

[19:43] This is offensive to us, because you know what this means? [19:49] We are so sinful, that we can in no way take any credit for true salvation. [20:00] We cannot be moral enough, we cannot be wise enough, we cannot be sharp enough to even make a decision on our own to come to God.

[20:13] Paul is simply relating in this passage the truth of his sin. [20:20] That he was so sinful, and God knew how sinful he was. [20:24] God knew how sinful we would be. [20:28] That all the way back in the book of Genesis, he knew exactly what needed to be done to redeem man. [20:39] In the book of Revelation, it goes so far as to say that the gospel, and Jesus, and the plan of salvation through the cross was planned even before the foundations of the earth.

[20:56] We are so sinful, we are so rebellious, we run so far from God in the other direction to try to save ourselves, [21:07] and to get steeped in sin, and be blinded to God. [21:14] That God had a plan before creation.

[21:20] Jesus was not plan B. [21:23] Jesus was plan A, and there never was a plan B. [21:28] Because it is only if salvation is completely dependent on God himself, that he can get glory, and that he is worthy of worship. [21:39] If we can claim credit for our salvation in any way, then we can worship ourselves.

[21:50] Look at the way Paul writes. [21:52] He says he came to Jesus because Jesus himself revealed himself to Paul. [21:59] That God had done this work before he was even born.

[22:07] But it happened during Paul’s life when he was at his most rebellious against God. [22:15] If you struggle to understand the gospel, you have to understand it because you are trying to understand it under your own power, and in your own sinfulness.

[22:26] When we struggle to understand the gospel and we say it is too good, I am not worthy of the gospel, I don’t deserve to be saved, I am too sinful for salvation.

[22:38] Guess what? You are right. [22:40] You are too sinful for salvation. [22:43] You are not good enough to be saved. [22:46] You do not deserve the grace of God. [22:49] Neither do I. None of us do. [22:51] You know what we deserve? Hell.

[22:55] You know what Paul deserved? Hell. [22:59] Paul understood this more than any of us. [23:01] He was probably by our standards more sinful than us. [23:06] Unless you have killed a bunch of people. [23:08] Don’t kill me. [23:10] Maybe you have killed a bunch of people.

[23:12] Only if you are a murderer do you understand the sinfulness of Paul.

[23:17] He writes here, it was all the work of God. [23:20] It was all the doing of God. [23:22] And it was none of me.

[23:26] Salvation completely belongs to God. [23:29] And it does not belong to me. [23:31] You do not deserve salvation, but God does it anyway. [23:36] You want to know why? [23:37] Because that is his plan for receiving glory. [23:41] If you fast forward to the book of Revelation chapter 7,

[23:45] it gives us a picture of the end of it all. [23:48] Where it says that people from every tribe, every tongue, every nation, [23:54] will be gathered around the throne of God in worship of him saying,

[24:01] Salvation belongs to our God.

[24:10] Jesus, friends, is the centerpiece of Scripture. [24:16] He is the main character of this story. [24:19] He is the climax of this story. [24:23] In the book of Revelation, He is the conclusion of the story. [24:26] When he rides in on the white horse, [24:30] King of Kings, Lord of Lords,

[24:33] Salvation belongs to our God. [24:37] And it is only when we realize that redemption is the work of God alone, [24:43] that we can really be redeemed. [24:47] If you are redeemed through Jesus, [24:50] you are redeemed completely. [24:54] Understand that.

[24:56] That many of us, many people have struggles in sin. [24:59] And the reason is that you are not trusting in God completely for your sin. [25:05] You have not really turned your life completely over to God. [25:09] You still hold tight to that sin. [25:12] And you say, I just can’t get over it. I just can’t get past it. [25:15] I cannot stop my sinfulness.

[25:17] Or you hold on to this guilt for some sin that you did in the past. [25:21] And you just say, it’s too much. I can’t confess it. [25:24] I can’t get rid of it. I’ve got this guilt in my life. [25:28] And I can’t get over this guilt. [25:30] Or you are consumed with the way someone else hurt you. [25:34] And you say, I can’t get over it. It’s too much.

[25:37] There is too much burden there. [25:38] That is because you are not trusting God completely with your redemption. [25:44] You are still trying to hold on to a piece of it saying, [25:47] I will redeem myself from this hurt. [25:50] I will redeem myself from this sin. [25:52] Maybe someday I will be ready to get over this sin.

[25:55] But not right now. This sin is too dear to me. [25:58] It’s too good to me. I’ve got to hold on to it. [26:00] It’s hurting me, but I can’t let it go.

[26:06] The reason that you are struggling with that is because you are not really trusting Jesus completely with your redemption.

[26:14] When the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5.21, [26:17] and right there on the end of what James read to us this morning,

[26:22] that he who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. [26:27] It’s not talking about some. [26:28] It’s not talking about the ones you are comfortable with. [26:30] It’s talking about all of your sin. [26:35] Everything. [26:36] Even sins done to you that hurt you.

[26:39] Give it to him. [26:41] Lay it on him. [26:42] He took it. [26:44] He died for it. [26:45] He rose again winning victory over it. [26:49] And he presents it to you.

[26:51] And he says, trust in me completely. [26:55] You cannot be partially redeemed, friend.

[27:00] Redemption is either full or none. [27:03] You either have all of Jesus or you have none of Jesus. [27:08] Let go of your sin and realize that Jesus died for that sin. [27:14] It is only then that you can really trust in your salvation. [27:20] Because it is then in that moment that you realize, [27:23] God has done all of the work.

[27:25] Even before I was born, he did the work. [27:27] He did the work 2000 years ago on the cross. [27:29] And he had it planned however many years ago he created the world. [27:35] It’s in eternity past that he planned your redemption. [27:40] Not in the present. [27:42] So why won’t you allow him to redeem you?

[27:47] What is that sin that is so precious to you and so good to you [27:50] that you don’t want God in your life? [27:53] That you don’t want to give your life over to the God of the universe [27:56] who created you specifically to be his child?

[28:04] He has done everything for you to follow him. [28:08] What are you doing to stop him from redeeming you?

[28:14] If redemption is the work of God, [28:19] then you have to understand that God redeems for his purposes. [28:26] Part of the reason that we misunderstand redemption completely [28:30] is because we want redemption. [28:32] We love this story of God taking our sin [28:35] and the fact that we don’t have to go to hell

[28:38] because quite honestly it doesn’t sound like a good place to go to. [28:40] We’re like, I don’t want to go there, so that’s Jesus’ grade. [28:45] The problem with redemption is when we realize that it’s the work of God, [28:49] then God has the ability to define what redemption looks like [28:53] and he can make those standards. [28:56] So we come at a crossroads where we really enjoy hearing about salvation

[29:00] and then we don’t like hearing the after effects of redemption.

[29:05] You see, redemption does not change your life. [29:12] If you come to me and say I’ve been redeemed, [29:14] but I still like my old life and I still like my old sin, [29:17] and I still want to walk according to the sins of my former life, [29:20] then that’s not redemption. [29:22] Redemption that does not change your life is not redemption at all.

[29:26] Redemption is fully the work of God, understand, fully the work of God, [29:30] fully by his grace. Look back, Paul says, [29:33] he brought him by his grace. [29:35] Paul did not earn his salvation. [29:37] You cannot earn your salvation. [29:39] God loves you so much to take you exactly where you are,

[29:43] but then he loves you so much more than you realize it, [29:46] that he’s not going to leave you the same way you are. [29:48] He’s going to transform you completely, just like he did Paul. [29:52] Look in verse 16. [29:54] Notice where he says in verse 16, [29:56] he says that God, who called him by his grace,

[29:59] was pleased to reveal his son to me, [30:03] Jesus being the son of God. [30:06] But look at this very important conjunction that we have in here. [30:10] In order that I might preach him among the Gentiles.

[30:18] Those three words, in order that, [30:21] that means that God had a purpose for redeeming Paul [30:26] that was life changing. [30:28] This is huge. [30:31] Don’t miss this. [30:32] God saved Paul in order that he would live for the purposes of God,

[30:38] specifically in Paul’s life, [30:40] for the purpose of preaching the gospel to people who had never heard it before. [30:45] The Gentiles did not even know the Old Testament. [30:48] So Paul is really a pioneer here in taking the gospel of Jesus [30:52] to a group of people who have never heard it before. [30:55] This was God’s purpose for the life of Paul.

[30:59] It was only through redemption in Jesus Christ that Paul was allowed to live this.

[31:05] So when God redeems Paul, [31:07] he can then live for the purposes of God.

[31:14] If you have been redeemed, [31:16] God revealed his son to you, [31:19] in order that you live for the purposes of God. [31:26] If you have been redeemed by Jesus, [31:30] you no longer have the ability,

[31:36] the notion, [31:38] the possibility of defining how you get to live your life any longer.

[31:47] Redemption is for God’s purposes.

[31:52] If you miss that, you miss redemption. [31:56] You hear all the time, especially if you’re in ministry, [32:02] if you work in churches, you talk to a lot of people, [32:05] and you don’t really find people that come up to you after a service, [32:08] and are like, I really don’t want a deeper relationship with God, [32:11] but I’ll be back next week.

[32:13] The typical thing that you hear is, [32:16] I really want a deeper relationship with God, [32:18] and I hope you’re in that boat right now, [32:20] because quite frankly, I want a deeper relationship with God. [32:24] We should all want a deeper relationship with God, [32:26] but the key in getting a deeper relationship with God is,

[32:29] most of you want to define what that deeper relationship with God looks like, [32:33] and you want to make the standards, the rules, [32:35] you want to see how it goes, [32:36] and you want to tell God how that deeper relationship is going to look. [32:40] I can have a relationship here, here, and here, [32:42] but these other things, I’m holding on to those.

[32:47] If redemption is the work of God completely, [32:49] and God redeems for His purposes, [32:52] then who gets to define what a deeper relationship with Him looks like? [32:56] God does. [32:58] Not you. [32:59] God.

[33:01] Do you think that Paul’s purpose for his life [33:05] was to leave a comfortable life [33:07] where he was in charge of probably hundreds of people, [33:10] he had an entourage that took care of his life,

[33:15] he was rich by our standards, [33:19] do you think it was his purposes for his life [33:21] where he would leave all of that and get to a point in his life [33:25] where he had to hand make tents in order to buy dinner? [33:31] Because if you fast forward in the book of Acts during the life of Paul, [33:34] he eventually becomes a tent maker so that he can pay for his journeys

[33:37] to be a missionary, to take the gospel places. [33:41] He left a Fortune 500 job at that point in Israel, [33:43] that’s the only comparison you can call it to, [33:47] to work manual labor so that he could pay his way on ships to go places, [33:51] to tell people about Jesus who had never heard about Jesus. [33:55] That doesn’t sound like the plans that I hear that people have for their lives.

[34:00] Paul understood this key [34:03] to the life that is worth living, [34:08] that it is not about my purposes, it is about his purposes. [34:13] Life is not about your career, life is not about your relationships, [34:19] life is not about your marriage,

[34:23] it’s not about your children.

[34:26] This is very uncomfortable for us to hear, I know that. [34:30] Life is about the purposes of God, [34:34] and then everything else will fall into place.

[34:40] But see, too long we’ve preached in churches how to have a good marriage, [34:45] how to raise good kids, [34:47] how to be a good co-worker. [34:50] We preach these messages that make the Bible into that book of how-to’s [34:53] that I was talking about, [34:56] to where the message of redemption is totally skewed,

[34:59] and it’s totally off, and we don’t even hear it anymore, [35:02] we just hear we go to church to have a better life.

[35:06] You can’t have a better life your way. [35:10] You can only have a better life God’s way. [35:14] And that life may be a life of suffering, [35:18] may be a life of hardship, [35:20] but you know what you’ll have? [35:22] In the midst of your hardest trial,

[35:26] you’ll be able to look at that trial, [35:28] and you’ll say Jesus is enough.

[35:32] Jesus is satisfying. [35:34] Jesus gives me joy, [35:37] because God in His infinite mercy, [35:40] in His infinite grace, [35:42] in His amazing love, [35:44] even while I was sinning,

[35:46] even while I was in a life of rebellion in Him, [35:50] He revealed to me redemption [35:53] through His Son Jesus.

[35:58] That’s something that will get you through life. [36:01] That’s something that will transform you. [36:03] And then you’ll say, God whatever it is, [36:05] whatever you want, I will do it. [36:08] Paul in that moment of redemption was transformed so completely [36:12] that he looked to God, and he says,

[36:14] whatever it is, whatever you want, I’ll do it. [36:17] And then he keeps writing, [36:19] and he says down in verse 16, [36:23] He was pleased to reveal His Son to me, [36:26] in order that I might preach Him among the Gentiles. [36:28] I did not immediately consult with anyone,

[36:31] nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, [36:34] but I went away into Arabia, [36:37] and returned then to Damascus. [36:39] Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem, [36:42] to visit Cephas, who is Peter, [36:45] and remained with him fifteen days,

[36:47] but I saw none of the other apostles except James, [36:50] the Lord’s brother. [36:51] And what I am writing to you, [36:54] before God, I do not lie. [36:57] What he’s talking about here, this three year period, [37:00] where he goes into Arabia,

[37:01] then he comes back to Damascus, where he was saved, [37:04] is he was saying, [37:06] God spent those three years pouring into my life. [37:09] I did not go back to Peter and James, [37:13] or any of the disciples, [37:14] and get permission to obey Jesus.

[37:19] The problem with a lot of our growth [37:21] in Jesus is that we are dependent on other people, [37:24] to help us grow in Jesus, [37:26] when God is saying, don’t depend on people, [37:28] depend on me. [37:30] Some of you are waiting until a pastor,

[37:33] or a church leader, or someone that you respect in your life, [37:36] to give you permission, [37:38] to follow Jesus with everything that you have, [37:40] when I don’t need to give you permission to do anything.

[37:44] You need that from God, [37:46] and you’ve gotten it, He’s given you permission. [37:48] It says in 1 Corinthians, [37:50] that every promise that Jesus, excuse me, [37:53] that God ever gave to man, [37:55] finds its yes,

[37:58] in Jesus.

[38:01] Not in anyone else.

[38:05] You have permission, [38:07] to grow in the grace of God. [38:10] Just like Paul had permission, [38:12] to grow in the grace of God.

[38:15] But what are those barriers?

[38:19] That are standing in front of you.

[38:23] It’s usually one of two things. [38:26] First one is sin.

[38:28] Sin is a barrier. [38:30] You feel like a hypocrite. [38:31] Possibly. [38:33] You say, but I’ve got all these struggles.

[38:36] If I try to tell anybody about Jesus, [38:38] if I try to obey God, [38:40] they’re just going to say, [38:41] you are a sinner, and you’re a hypocrite. [38:42] You’re exactly right, you are a hypocrite, [38:44] but you are a sinner, and somebody’s going to throw it in your face.

[38:48] At some point.

[38:51] Notice what Paul said.

[38:55] He writes that he didn’t immediately go to the church leaders. [38:59] He went to God.

[39:01] Guess what, you are a hypocrite. [39:03] So was Paul. [39:05] Why is sin a barrier?

[39:08] When you’ve been redeemed. [39:10] If sin is your barrier,

[39:13] you need to experience redemption.

[39:18] You need to be redeemed. [39:20] Second obstacle, people. [39:22] It’s kind of like the first obstacle.

[39:26] Because people are constantly telling us, [39:30] no, no, no, don’t, you’re a sinner. [39:33] Or you don’t want to become one of those holy rollers? [39:35] One of those Bible thumpers?

[39:38] Oh great, here comes the worshiper again. [39:42] [39:42] [39:42] [39:42] [39:42] You don’t want to be one of those people,

[39:44] like you turn on TV and the religious channels, [39:46] the lady with the pink hair, you’re afraid of being her.

[39:51] That is not a picture of redemption, by the way.

[39:55] No. [39:55] The gold rings and nice suits, that’s not a picture of redemption.

[39:59] A picture of redemption is you and Jesus.

[40:05] Redemption. [40:07] Transformation. [40:08] And you walking hand in hand with God. [40:10] And joining hands with other people that have been redeemed. [40:13] If a person is holding you back from living a life of redemption, [40:17] guess what?

[40:17] They’ve never been redeemed. [40:19] Don’t let them hold you back. [40:20] You need to be a messenger of redemption to them.

[40:26] Understand. [40:27] That if God redeems for His purposes, [40:30] and if redemption is available only through Jesus, [40:35] if you define it as having anything to do with anything other than Jesus, [40:40] then you’re defining it biblically. [40:43] And some of you think that finding the purposes of God,

[40:46] some mystical, some wild thing that you have to pray for like three days, [40:50] and then God will reveal to you His will for your life, [40:53] no, that’s not true. [40:55] God’s purposes have been revealed.

[40:59] Redemption leads to a life of mission. [41:02] Look at what Paul says as he ends this chapter. [41:04] He says, [41:04] Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, [41:08] and remained with him fifteen days. [41:10] I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.

[41:13] And what I am writing to you before God I do not lie. [41:17] Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, [41:20] and I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. [41:27] They only were hearing it said, [41:29] He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. [41:37] His life served as a testimony to the redemption of Jesus Christ.

[41:42] Do you think that might be a good purpose? [41:45] Then notice how he ends it. [41:47] Verse 24.

[41:55] I have a question for you this morning. [41:58] Does anyone glorify God because of you?

[42:07] Does the redemptive work that God has done in your life through Jesus [42:13] serve as a testimony to others so that they will repent of their sin and follow Jesus? [42:20] Because here is how it works. [42:23] God redeems you. [42:25] Sets you on a new path. [42:28] You follow Him.

[42:31] Completely transformed. [42:33] Completely depending on Him.

[42:37] And others see that.

[42:41] And Jesus uses you to redeem them. [42:44] That is what Paul was saying. [42:46] Paul was saying that he went through Syria, through Cilicia, [42:49] and then people from all over the world were hearing the message of redemption [42:55] through his redemption. [42:59] And they glorified God because of him.

[43:03] Here is the key though. [43:05] You can’t live the mission of Jesus if you aren’t redeemed.

[43:11] When Jesus is leaving earth, we talked about this a few weeks ago, [43:14] He had one final thing to tell His disciples of what they needed to live life for [43:18] now that they were redeemed. [43:19] And He says go. [43:21] Make disciples. [43:23] Go.

[43:23] Tell others. [43:25] Go. [43:26] Redeem others in the world. [43:28] Go. [43:29] Show the message of redemption to the entire world. [43:31] Bring them in.

[43:33] Teach them to obey Me. [43:35] Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. [43:38] Behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. [43:41] Jesus, when He redeems, He never leaves you. [43:46] He never leaves you to your own. [43:48] Are you struggling to get over sin?

[43:50] Like I said, you have not experienced redemption because you have not given your sin over to you. [43:54] You have not given your sin over to Jesus yet.

[43:58] But some of you want to live the mission of Jesus. [44:00] You say that’s great. [44:01] But you can’t live that mission if you have not been redeemed. [44:06] You say but I have been in church my whole life. [44:08] That doesn’t matter. [44:09] That doesn’t redeem you.

[44:11] I have read my Bible. [44:12] That doesn’t redeem you. [44:14] I have been moral. [44:15] That doesn’t redeem you.

[44:19] Jesus, and Jesus alone redeems you. [44:25] And until He redeems you.

[44:30] You don’t know Him. [44:33] You are saying but Jesus is not that satisfying. [44:36] I have tried to have joy in Jesus. [44:38] I just don’t have any. [44:41] If you have never experienced satisfaction in Jesus, [44:45] you have never met Jesus.

[44:48] You are saying some hard stuff this morning. [44:52] Absolutely I am saying some hard stuff. [44:53] Because this is too important for you to play around with.

[45:03] Paul with his life, [45:06] that we have just gone through today, cries out to you. [45:10] Be redeemed through the Son of God. [45:14] It doesn’t matter how young you are. [45:17] It doesn’t matter how old you are.

[45:20] I say it because I believe the Bible. [45:23] Not because I am judging you. [45:24] I don’t even know half of you. [45:26] I have no idea what is going on in most of your lives. [45:29] So I am not judging you, but in a crowd even this big, [45:33] there is someone who has not been redeemed by Jesus.

[45:38] You are either trusting in redemption in something else, [45:41] or you think your sin is too big to be redeemed, [45:43] or you just don’t want to follow Jesus. [45:46] Whatever the cause may be of you not being transformed, [45:51] of you not being redeemed through Jesus, [45:53] of you not wanting to live the mission of Jesus,

[45:56] I just tell you right now, be redeemed. [46:00] Today is the day of your redemption. [46:03] God is speaking to you. [46:06] Do not ignore His call. [46:11] Because He has been calling you since before you were even born.

[46:18] Let’s pray.

[46:20] Father, we come before you right now.

[46:27] God, the life of Paul is so convicting. [46:31] It is so hard. [46:33] It is hard to even imagine living the life he lived. [46:38] But it wasn’t that he was better than us, [46:42] it wasn’t that he was smarter than us. [46:45] Lord, he just experienced redemption through you.

[46:52] Father, today as we pray,

[46:55] I pray for two people in here today. [46:58] Those who have been redeemed, [47:01] and those who have not been redeemed.

[47:05] Father, those who have been redeemed, [47:07] God, continue to shape their lives. [47:10] Use the words of your scriptures, [47:12] of your revelation, of yourself to us, [47:15] through your son Jesus Christ. [47:17] God, shape us.

[47:18] May we leave here today, [47:20] and may we take this message of redemption to the community around us. [47:24] And may we grow by your standards and not by ours. [47:29] Father, I also pray for those who have not been redeemed. [47:33] God, may today be their day of redemption.

[47:40] Lord, as we sing these songs in response, [47:43] Lord, may they just slip out, may they grab me, [47:45] may they grab someone else, [47:48] may they just sit and pray and deal with you.

[47:54] And just accept redemption through your son Jesus. [47:57] May they cry out to trust you with their sin, [48:01] because they have never done it before, never really. [48:03] Never truly. [48:06] Lord, may today be the day of redemption.