Finding Freedom Part 2: Finding Freedom from the Past
Notes
Transcript
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Announcements:
No Bible study this Wednesday
We will be having a church work day on Saturday, July 9th/16th at 9AM
Worship:
He Set Me Free
I Need You More
Never Once
Introduction:
Last week we started a new series called “Finding Freedom.” We talked in week 1 about finding freedom from uncertainty as we can be certain about God’s Word and the Gospel in an ever-changing world we live in. We just have to make sure we are believing the Gospel according to the Word of God rather than a message that makes us feel better about ourselves. We also talked about how to spot a false message because false messages always twists the truth of Jesus Christ (Son of God, died and rose) and focuses on pleasing people rather than God.
The title of my message this week is “Finding Freedom from the Past.” We all have a past. No matter how long you have been in church, you have a past. To be fair, it may seem that one’s past may pale in comparison to another’s past but the fact remains that we all have a past. No matter our past, it is easy to purposely (or accidentally) disqualify ourself from the plans God has for us. We either say, “ God can’t use me because I used to be...” or “God doesn’t want me to do ___________ because of what I did in my past and everyone knows me by who I was.”
This morning we will be in Galatians 1:11-16 to talk a few moments about a person who had every excuse to say those things and even more. He could have easily disqualified himself from being used by God and even believing in Christ because of his past. But he practiced three important steps which we can learn from as well this morning.
11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning.
12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it.
14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.
15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him
16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.
Transition: If we are to find freedom from our past, the first thing we must do, as Paul did, is:
Body:
I. Be honest with yourself and others about your past (vv. 13-14; Acts 8:3; Philippians 3:4-6)
A. We have to be honest with ourself and others about our past
B. Paul openly talked about his past
His Persecution of the church (v13)
13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it.
3 But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.
Paul wanted to destroy the church
Paul was not seeking to be saved but the exact opposite
Paul was not exploring Christianity but actively attacking it
ii. His Progress in Judaism (v14)
14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.
4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.
6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
If anyone could boast in their own works/flesh, Paul said he could
Circumcised at 8 years old (Genesis 17:10-14 as a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham)
Pure Jew
member of the tribe of Benjamin (from who also came Ehud, judge who rescued Isreal by defeating the King of Moab in Judges 3; Saul, the first king of Isreal; Queen Esther; and all known for political savvy, military strength and cunning with the exception of Paul)
member of the Pharisees (who strictly followed the law)
so full of zeal that he persecuted the church
in according to being righteous, he was blameless according to the law which Paul had trusted so he didn’t need saving or so he thought
Paul, being a devout Jew, knew about the prophecies of the Messiah but assumed it was definitely not Jesus.
There was nothing in Paul’s past that prepared him to view Christianity in a positive light.
What about you this morning? Are you allowing your past to dictate how you view God? Christianity?
Maybe you memorized enough scriptures when you were younger and you think you have enough of God? (Bible Quiz) Maybe people in your past who proclaimed Christianity treated you harshly? Maybe the church treated you wrong? Maybe you were raised with the mentality, like Paul, that as long as you lived the right way you would be fine and you didn’t need church or God? Or maybe you grew up in the church (PK/MK) and you thought that would be enough? Or maybe you think you aren’t as bad as someone else?
No matter your past, I believe it isn’t as bad as Paul’s was. If Paul can be honest with himself and others about his past then we can be too.
Illustration:
Personal Testimony: Grew up in Christian home and in church, involved in Bible quiz, Royal Rangers, Kids Church, Youth, missions trips but living a double life of smoking and getting cigarettes out of people’s cars when i did my paper route at a young age and stole stuff from a store. Graduated from high school and went as far from my parents as I could to get away and do my own thing. I knew I was called into the ministry but instead of asking God where to go to bible college, i just went where my youth pastor went. I got around the wrong crowd at bible college and met a girl. We went to college and career group together and then started compromising in our relationship. Before I knew it, we were saying we were going to one thing when we actually ended up do other things. I wanted to fit in with the crowd I was around, one of the guys i met was called Big Red, and we drove around getting in trouble here and there but nothing serious. I stole from a place I worked at in order to pay for things for my car and anything else I thought i needed to be accepted. I was arrested on campus and spent some time in jail. Pregnant. TC. Probation.
In order to find freedom from our past, we need to be honest with ourselves and others about our past. Did we think we were good enough? Blamed the church or church people/hypocrites for shunning God? Or maybe you treated other people wrongly because they deserved it? What are you holding onto in regards to your past? Until you let it go, it will weigh you down and keep you from moving forward in what God has for you!
Transition: So, after we have been honest with ourself and others about our past, what do we do?
II. Let go of your past and who you were (v15)
A. This can be hard but it is also necessary
B. Coming to God means recognizing your need for His salvation and also recognizing His sovereignty
Galatians 1:15a (NLT)
15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace.
B. Paul alludes to:
1 Listen to me, all you in distant lands! Pay attention, you who are far away! The Lord called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name.
5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
B. Paul transitions from his work in vv13-14 to God’s work in vv15-16
C. Just like Paul, we need to recognize God has called us even before we were born to have a relationship with Him as He wishes for all people in spite of our past.
9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
D. Letting go of our past is to realize that my works, no matter how good or bad they were or how good I thought they were, has no affect on God wanting to have a relationship with me and wanting to use me for His purpose that He has called to me already.
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Transition: We can only come and surrender to Christ when we have been honest with ourself and others about our past and willing to let go of our past and who we were.
III. Accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ (vv15-16a)
Galatians 1:15–16a (NLT)
15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him
16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.
A. It is only by the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we can be saved.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
B. But, just as Paul made sure in this chapter, the Gospel is from God and not man-made.
C. Be sure to come to Jesus Christ of the Bible and not of human reasoning.
Conclusion:
Finding freedom from the past can be difficult but is also necessary in order to follow Christ and move forward in the calling and purpose He has created you for.
Holding onto bitterness and revenge from the past of what others have done to us and what we have done to them hinders us for grabbing a hold of Christ. We can only hold onto one thing at a time.