Paul's U-Turn

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.

Galatians 1:11–24

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?

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.

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.