The Radical Remodel: From Depravity to Grace

• Saul's Pedigree and Religious Background [00:35:06 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor introduces the concept of the 'before picture' using a personal anecdote about his son's remodeling work, then transitions to analyzing Saul's identity as a Pharisee, Hebrew of Hebrews, and member of the Sanhedrin.
• Salvation by Works vs. Grace [00:42:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that Saul believed salvation came through obedience to religious law, contrasting this with the biblical truth of grace, and notes that many people today still believe they can earn their way into heaven through good works.
• The 'Fence Around the Law' [00:43:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor details the intense rigor of Pharisaic law-keeping, including the 'fence around the law' (e.g., restrictions on walking on the Sabbath), to illustrate how Saul's righteousness was based on rigid rule-following rather than relationship with God.
• Hypocrisy of Religious Rule-Following [00:40:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor discusses how Pharisees were often hypocritical, focusing on external rules while their hearts were far from God, citing Jesus' critique in Matthew 15.
• The Fence Around the Law [00:43:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains how religious leaders created strict rules (like not walking more than a half-mile on the Sabbath) to ensure people didn't violate the law, illustrating the intensity of rule-following.
• Salvation by Grace vs. Works [00:44:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that many people today believe their good works or obedience will save them, but cites Romans 3:23 and Ephesians 2:9 to state that salvation is by grace through faith, not works.
• Pride and Self-Righteousness [00:47:21 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor discusses how Saul (Paul) was proud of his religious performance and zeal, using his pedigree to camouflage his guilt, similar to the Pharisee in the parable of the tax collector.
• Saul's Zeal and Background [00:48:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor details Saul's radical devotion, his upbringing in Tarsus, his education under Gamaliel, and his persecution of the early church, explaining how his zeal was directed against Christians.
• Gamaliel's Intervention [00:54:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the story of Gamaliel advising the Sanhedrin to leave the apostles alone, noting that this intervention saved Peter's life and potentially influenced Saul.
• Stephen's Martyrdom [00:57:28 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes Stephen's stoning, noting that Saul was present and laid his coat at Stephen's feet, highlighting the irony of Saul's presence at the death of a believer.
• The 'Before Picture' of Sin [00:59:11 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that everyone, including influential figures like Paul, has a 'before picture' of sin and depravity, emphasizing that all are sinful by birth, nature, and choice.
• Divine Grace and Transformation [01:00:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor highlights that Jesus' grace can transform even the worst sinners (like Saul/Paul), giving them a new name and mission, proving that no amount of past sin can trump God's grace.
• Personal Testimony and Baptism [01:01:34 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor introduces a personal story of a man named Rob who is being baptized, sharing his testimony of moving from a Catholic background to a personal relationship with Jesus.
• Prayer for Conversion and Forgiveness [01:04:36 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor leads a prayer inviting listeners to admit their need for a Savior, confessing sin, and placing trust in Jesus for salvation and daily transformation.

• Sermon Illustration [00:35:06 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal story about his son, Logan, who is a contractor and takes 'before pictures' of his remodeling work to show the transformation. He uses this to illustrate the importance of seeing the 'before picture' to appreciate the 'after picture' of transformation in Saul's life.
• Sermon Illustration [00:27:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor jokes about being a 'fitness model' and the 'before picture' concept, linking it to the spiritual transformation of meeting Jesus.
• Sermon Illustration [00:43:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes the 'fence around the law,' where religious leaders set strict rules like not walking more than a half-mile on the Sabbath, not touching tools, or not climbing trees to ensure people didn't violate the law.
• Sermon Illustration [00:46:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the example of Saul (Paul) as the 'ultimate example of human achievement' who thought his religion and good works would save him, contrasting this with the reality that no one is good enough.
• Sermon Illustration [00:48:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the Pharisee in the parable of the tax collector (Luke 18) who thanked God he wasn't like other people, illustrating how pride causes people to measure themselves against others rather than admitting sin.
• Sermon Illustration [00:54:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the story of Gamaliel intervening in the Sanhedrin to save the apostles, noting that Gamaliel was Saul's teacher and that this event may have influenced Saul.
• Sermon Illustration [00:57:28 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes Stephen's stoning, noting that Saul was present and laid his coat at Stephen's feet, illustrating the irony of Saul's presence at the death of a believer.
• Sermon Illustration [00:57:28 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the biblical story of Saul (Paul) persecuting the early church, noting that despite his pedigree, performance, and passion, he was running away from God. He uses this to illustrate that even the most influential people have a 'before picture' of sin.
• Sermon Illustration [01:01:34 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares the testimony of a man named Rob, who was raised Catholic, never had a personal relationship with Jesus, but after attending church out of curiosity, felt a change in his life, accepted Jesus, and is now being baptized.

• Pastoral Charge [01:03:11 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor invites the congregation to verbally confess their sinfulness and need for a Savior in their hearts.
• Pastoral Charge [01:04:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor requests the congregation to stand for a prayer.

[00:05:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:05:07] Let's get on our feet, lift our hands, worship service, and really hard on a great set to have a time of celebration of baptism as well as a time of worship together. It's going to be a great time. So that is this Friday from 530 to 7. It is time for men's dinner. I'm moved that y'all have, y'all always have such great food at this Ironman night. So mark your calendars, fellas, Ironman's night. It's going to be a great night of food, fellowship, and spending time together in the Word. So fellas, mark your calendar for that. All right, y'all, let's continue.

[00:10:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:10:51] continue in worship. Save us, purify us. Thank you for every opportunity. Well, good morning.

[00:25:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:25:07] Hey, it's great to see y'all here today. So glad you're here with us. Those of you who are watching from home, we're glad you're with us too. You know, there's a good crowd here for this service,
[00:25:17] but man, the first service was packed. I'm guessing a lot of folks are headed home to watch some football this afternoon. Maybe. That's what I'm guessing. You know, if you're a football fan, this is your weekend, right? This is it. All is right in the world. We had a great day of
[00:25:32] football yesterday, especially if you're a Texas fan, right? My Ohio friends are not as happy, Ohio State fans. But man, what a day yesterday and a day. You know, our Panthers are kicking off. So
[00:25:43] hey, let me ask you a question. Now, I don't know how many of y'all are Panthers fans really at heart or not, but hey, we live here. That's kind of our team. So if I were to pick a number,
[00:25:54] Let's say six, and I don't know what the official line is.
[00:25:57] I'm not a betting guy, but if I said six is the number of games that the Panthers will win this year, you can take over or under that number, all right?
[00:26:08] What are you going to take?
[00:26:09] How many of you are taking over?
[00:26:10] Would they win over six games?
[00:26:12] All right, there are a lot.
[00:26:14] How many of you are taking the under?
[00:26:17] All right, well, there are a lot of you too.
[00:26:20] You know, that's funny.
[00:26:21] In the first service, it was about even.
[00:26:23] So we'll see, right?
[00:26:24] Some of you are a little more positive.
[00:26:26] Some of you probably know the Panthers pretty well, right?
[00:26:30] You know, the last time I talked about, well, I've talked about them many times over the years, but I remember 20-plus years ago, I was speaking about the Panthers.
[00:26:38] They had won their first game.
[00:26:40] So I got up the next week.
[00:26:41] I'm talking about how great their season was going to be.
[00:26:44] It's amazing.
[00:26:45] They're 1-0.
[00:26:45] This is going to be their season.
[00:26:47] They lost the next 15 in a row.
[00:26:50] I'm not kidding you.
[00:26:51] That happened.
[00:26:52] So, you know, we'll see what they do.
[00:26:55] But I'm excited to be here.
[00:26:56] I'm excited that you're here this week.
[00:26:58] You know, I'm particularly excited because I got me a new side hustle this week.
[00:27:02] I got me a new part-time job.
[00:27:04] Don't worry, it's not going to impact my ministry at all.
[00:27:07] I'm going to keep my day job.
[00:27:09] But I got this job.
[00:27:10] I'm going to be a fitness model.
[00:27:13] Are you ready for this?
[00:27:14] I'm going to be the before picture.
[00:27:17] That's my job.
[00:27:18] I'm excited about that.
[00:27:19] Hey, it pays good money, so I'm looking forward to that.
[00:27:22] We'll see.
[00:27:22] Just kidding. But you know, here's the reality. We all have a before picture in our lives, right?
[00:27:29] And then there are after pictures, particularly who we were before we met Jesus and who we are after we meet Jesus. So we're starting a brand new series today. One I'm very excited about.
[00:27:42] It's called Zeal. It's a study of the life of the apostle Paul. We call it chasing a cause and finding a Savior. It's going to be a great series, an awesome series, one I'm really
[00:27:54] looking forward to. You know, some of you may know something about the Apostle Paul or even Saul before he surrendered his life to Jesus. So if you were to describe Saul or Paul in a word,
[00:28:09] what comes to mind? Any ideas? And there are multiples, right? Any ideas? What was that?
[00:28:17] transformed. Yeah, that would be one. Anything else? Yeah. Well, he wrote a lot of the New Testament. Yes, that's for sure. So he was a writer. He was an apostle. You could say that.
[00:28:32] He was a persecutor. He was a Pharisee. You could say that. He was a missionary. He was a church planter. There's no doubt. He was an author. He was a great law follower. He was resilient. He was
[00:28:45] passionate. He was zealous. In fact, zeal is one of my favorite words to use to describe the Apostle Paul. That's why I named this series Zeal. You know, in the original language of the New Testament,
[00:28:57] that word is pronounced zealos. You can remember that. It's like zealous, zealos. And the idea there, it just really captures the Apostle Paul or Saul. It means a passionate ardor, a boiling fervor and intense dedication. So zelos is, it comes from this root word that means to boil
[00:29:19] or to burn hot. I would say to burn white hot. And there's no doubt that Paul definitely burned white hot for his faith. So this word zeal can be used in a positive way. It could be used in a
[00:29:33] negative way, depending on the context. And as we'll see in Saul's life and Paul's life, his zeal was illustrated in both positive and negative ways. Zeal describes not really a cold or half-hearted attitude, but a really active, a burning passion. So truthfully, as followers of Jesus, you and I
[00:29:55] should exhibit zeal or zealos for his sake and for the gospel. We can, we should burn white hot for Christ's sake to make an impression and to leave a mark for him with all those that we meet. And
[00:30:11] the Apostle Paul can inspire us to do that. But before Jesus transformed him, as one of you described him, into the Apostle Paul, he was Saul of Tarsus. He had been groomed from a very early
[00:30:26] age to be a defender of the Jewish faith, a hater of followers of Jesus, and in his own words, a Hebrew of Hebrews. Saul's zeal for Judaism, for the Hebrew law, drove him to create chaos for
[00:30:41] early Christ followers, including their persecution, their imprisonment, and even their murder. His early zealousness was driven by this confident assurance in his own flesh and his faith heritage, as he would later testify. In fact, our focal passage today is found in Philippians
[00:31:01] chapter 3 verses 4 and following I'm going to read it for you here and I'll read it again in a moment if you want to look in your own Bible but here's what it says though I myself have
[00:31:11] reasons for such confidence if someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh I have more circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel the tribe of Benjamin a Hebrew
[00:31:25] of Hebrews in regard to the law, a Pharisee. As for zeal, persecuting the church. As for righteousness based on the law, faultless. Man, only Jesus could transform someone like Saul, taking him from this perilous persecutor of Christianity, steeped in works of religion,
[00:31:48] to a powerful proclaimer of Christ, saved by his amazing grace. You know, if Jesus can change Saul, there's no one he can't change. He can change anyone, and that includes you. So what drove Saul of Tarsus to have such a visceral hatred for Christ's followers? Why did he persecute them so
[00:32:09] mercilessly? What was he like before he met Jesus on that Damascus road? If you know that part of his story we'll look at that one and what lessons can we learn from this part of his journey you
[00:32:23] know here's the truth some of you maybe you know little or nothing about Saul or Paul and you wonder how you can really relate to him at all others of you you know something about him that
[00:32:34] you really you want to know more some of you you have a a dark past like Paul and you wonder if God's interested in you, if he can redeem you, if he can use you in any way. Some of you have been
[00:32:48] like this hamster on a hamster wheel of works in your life. You're trying desperately to earn God's favor and your own salvation, but try as you might, you're getting nowhere fast. Some of you are
[00:33:02] looking for a fresh start today, maybe a new beginning, and you hope you'll find it. Here's the truth, no matter where you are in life's journey, no matter where you are in your faith journey, I don't think the Lord's led you here today by accident. I think he's led you here on
[00:33:17] purpose. I think you're here for a purpose today. I think the Lord has some powerful and life-changing lessons for you as we open his word to learn more about the before picture of Saul, of the apostle
[00:33:30] Paul and more about the before and after picture in your life when you come to know Jesus in a real and personal way. But before we dig into God's Word today, let's pray. Our Father, I'm so grateful
[00:33:45] for the chance to come into your house, to be able to spend this time with my friends, God. I'm so grateful for the opportunity you've given us to be able to lift these songs of worship to you,
[00:33:56] to praise you, to adore you. God, you richly deserve our worship. And God, I pray now as we open your words to understand more about what you did in Saul's life and Paul's life, to understand
[00:34:11] more about the before picture in his life. God, I pray you'll pierce our own hearts to understand more about the before picture in our own lives and the wonderful truth that you'll meet us right
[00:34:25] where we are, but you won't leave us there. That in Christ, you want us to become more and more like him every day. So God, speak to our hearts now. We know you will. We trust you will. We pray it in
[00:34:39] Jesus' holy name. Amen. So we're going to look at three key aspects of Paul's life today, of Saul's life, and I've divided this into a kind of an outline form. So you might write these down if
[00:34:52] you're taking notes, I encourage you to do that, especially if you're in a life group that's studying this sermon in depth this week. We have some good questions, I think, that will challenge you in your thought, but I would take some notes now to kind of help you prepare for
[00:35:06] that. The first is this. Let's look at Saul's pedigree, the before picture. My son, Logan, my oldest son, is a contractor. He does a lot of remodels. He likes to do, you know, kitchens and
[00:35:20] bathrooms. And I always encourage him to take pictures of his work before he does it. I say those before pictures really matter, you know, because it helps people to really appreciate the transformation, the change, the, you know, the look of what you've done after, right? You want
[00:35:42] to see that before picture. It matters. It offers important context that really matters. And the same is true with Saul, with the Apostle Paul. We need to get a clear picture of who he was before
[00:35:56] he met Jesus. And I'm so excited about being able to share that with you. And when we do, I think when we get that before picture, it helps us to appreciate all the more who he was after he met
[00:36:09] Jesus. And here's the truth. You know, the same thing happens in your life. You know, you and I all have a before picture. We have a before picture. And even if that picture is not as dramatic
[00:36:21] as Saul's will be, as the Apostle Paul is, we all have a picture of who we were before we surrendered our lives to Jesus and who we are after we met him. And in fact, that picture continues to change
[00:36:35] as he continues to remodel our lives again and again. Jesus always does some spectacular remodeling in your life and in mine, and the after pictures are often amazing. They're inspiring, and if you haven't thought about your before picture lately, you really should. Now hopefully you're continuing
[00:36:54] again to let him remodel and remake your life, because that work is never done. It's kind of like the work around my house. I live in an old house, and that house always has something to do,
[00:37:07] as something to get right or to remodel in some ways the before and after picture in your life and mine they're a testimony that we can share with others to inspire them and to to let jesus
[00:37:19] encourage them to let jesus remodel their lives too so to appreciate paul's fate journey we need to see this before picture and the better we understand the darkness of his past the more will appreciate that transformation that took place in his life, including his gratitude for
[00:37:39] grace, which we're going to really come to understand in this series. You know, we don't meet the Apostle Paul first in Scripture as this precious newborn baby, or even as an eager, young, brilliant law student. We're first introduced to Paul in God's Word as a young man named Saul
[00:38:00] at the stoning, the murder of a disciple of Jesus named Stephen.
[00:38:07] Luke tells us that Paul was present at the place where Stephen was killed.
[00:38:12] This is the first mention of him in Scripture.
[00:38:15] It comes in Acts chapter 7, verse 58.
[00:38:19] Members of the Sanhedrin, which we'll talk about in a moment, dragged him out, that is Stephen, dragged him out of the city and they began to stone him.
[00:38:29] Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
[00:38:35] So how did Saul find himself there at Stephen's stoning, at his murder?
[00:38:42] We're going to find out.
[00:38:43] You know, the truth is every great transformation story has a before.
[00:38:49] I want you to write this down.
[00:38:51] Before Saul met Jesus, he was the ultimate example of human achievement, Trying to earn divine acceptance.
[00:39:01] Now Saul was a deeply religious man.
[00:39:04] He was not a reckless rebel living in obvious and outward sin.
[00:39:08] In fact, Saul would say, I'm not a sinner in need of a savior.
[00:39:14] I'm an ardent student and follower of the law.
[00:39:17] I don't need a savior because I don't break any of God's rules.
[00:39:20] That's what he would say.
[00:39:22] In fact, in case you missed this earlier, I want you to listen again to how Paul described himself before meeting Jesus.
[00:39:29] This was in, again, Philippians 4, verses 4 through 6.
[00:39:33] Now listen to this in the context I just shared.
[00:39:36] Though I myself have reason for such confidence, if someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more.
[00:39:45] Circumcised on the eighth day, the people of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, in regard to the law, a Pharisee.
[00:39:53] As for zeal, persecuting the church.
[00:39:55] As for righteousness, based on the law, faultless.
[00:40:00] You see that?
[00:40:01] So where did Saul get his confidence?
[00:40:03] Where did he get his righteousness?
[00:40:06] You might write this down.
[00:40:08] Saul's confidence came in his Hebrew heritage.
[00:40:10] And his desire, his attempt to rigidly follow Hebrew law.
[00:40:17] He was a Hebrews Hebrew.
[00:40:19] And he wasn't joking.
[00:40:21] So Saul was a Pharisee.
[00:40:23] He described himself that way, which we read a lot about in the New Testament, especially the Gospels. If you remember Jesus, he had a problem with a lot of Pharisees that he met. You know
[00:40:32] why? Because while they were uber religious, their hearts were often far from God. They were so focused on rigid rule following that they missed the relationship that God desired with them, which you and I should have with him as well. Many of the Pharisees were hypocritical.
[00:40:52] they were performative in fact Jesus quoted Isaiah when he said in Matthew 15 7 and following you hypocrites Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you these people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me they worship me in vain their teachings are merely human rules
[00:41:10] Saul found his identity in his religion based purely on his own works following those rules And to be clear, he was as religious as you could get.
[00:41:23] So there were about 6,000 Pharisees in the first century, of which Paul was one of those.
[00:41:29] Now to put that in perspective, there were about 600,000 Jews in that region of the world.
[00:41:36] So the Pharisees represented 1% of that population.
[00:41:41] So they were the top 1%ers with God in their own minds, right?
[00:41:48] Now, many scholars assume that Saul was also a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, which was essentially their supreme court.
[00:41:57] There were 70 members of the Sanhedrin.
[00:42:00] They were chosen from the Pharisees.
[00:42:02] So 70 of 6,000.
[00:42:04] Remember, 6,000 of 600,000.
[00:42:07] So that would make Saul an even more ardent and zealous follower of the law.
[00:42:12] In other words, in the top 1% of the top 1%.
[00:42:16] Do you see that?
[00:42:17] The last thing Saul thought he needed was a savior.
[00:42:21] And he didn't want anyone else to have one either.
[00:42:24] In fact, write this down.
[00:42:25] Saul believed that his salvation would come through his obedience to religious law.
[00:42:31] In other words, before he met Jesus, Saul believed in salvation by works.
[00:42:37] I want you to note this is the second aspect of Saul's life.
[00:42:40] I want us to look at his master class in morality.
[00:42:45] Saul's flawless performance.
[00:42:47] again I'm going to read verses 5 and 6 circumcised on the 8th day the people of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin Hebrew of Hebrews in regard to the law of Pharisee as for righteousness based on the law
[00:43:00] faultless Pharisees didn't just keep the 10 commandments we know the 10 commandments right many of you can repeat them they guarded 613 specific traditional commands to ensure that they never slipped up there were 365 negative commands or prohibitions there were another 248 positive commands it was
[00:43:26] a full-time job to keep all that law right and that was heavy i can imagine the burden they they erected what's called a fence around the law to make sure that they didn't slip up
[00:43:40] that they didn't mess up they wanted to make sure they didn't violate any laws for example to make sure that they didn't work on the sabbath which was a prohibition you should not work right
[00:43:52] remember the sabbath keep it holy that kind of idea no work they made sure they defined exactly what work was in other words how far you could walk on the sabbath they said you can't walk more
[00:44:05] than a half a mile if you need to go a half mile if you need to go farther than that you got to stop that was it they said you can't touch tools on the sabbath day you can't buy you can't sell
[00:44:17] you can't climb trees you can't swim you can't dry clothes you can't ride animals all of these prohibitions they set in place this fence around the law to make sure that they followed that law
[00:44:30] just one don't work on the sabbath you see how intense this was these guys were serious rule followers. And they believe that keeping those rigid rules made them right with God. Sadly, I think many people today still believe that it is their works, it is their obedience that will save
[00:44:52] them. In other words, if they can be good enough, if they can be good enough, then God will let them into heaven and the problem is what if you're not good enough and how do you know when good
[00:45:08] is enough and i can tell you the answer to that you'll never be good enough in fact the apostle paul would later write this in romans 3 23 for all of sin they all fall short of the glory of god
[00:45:23] in other words nobody's good enough in other words you you may think you're good but it doesn't It doesn't matter how good you think you are, how good you think you can be, or how good you think
[00:45:37] is enough. It will never be good enough with God. Your works, your religion, it can't save you.
[00:45:44] In fact, Paul would later come to realize that. He would write in Ephesians 2.9, for it is by grace that you have been saved through faith. This is not of yourselves.
[00:45:53] is a gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. Salvation comes by faith, not by works.
[00:46:03] And until you realize that, you'll be miserable trying to save yourself, or you'll just give up trying. A lot of people do. But early in his life, Saul didn't know that. He had been raised
[00:46:16] to be a Pharisee. In fact, you might write this down. Before Saul met Jesus, he was the ultimate an example of human achievement trying to earn divine acceptance. He was confident his religion would save him, that he could somehow be good enough for God. You know, some wrongly believe
[00:46:37] that today. Maybe some of you. Maybe someone you know and love. Listen, if anyone can be saved by works, Saul was that guy. As for righteousness, he wrote, based on the law, faultless. You see that?
[00:46:52] If you looked at Saul's public life, you couldn't find a single visible stain on him.
[00:46:58] He checked every box.
[00:47:00] No one could accuse him of a public infraction.
[00:47:03] He appeared to have it all together.
[00:47:05] But the truth is, Saul's attempt to live a flawless, a faultless life was a shield against his own guilt.
[00:47:12] Note this, Saul was so busy lauding his religious performance that he never noticed his prideful heart.
[00:47:21] The reality is, a lot of people have too much pride to admit, I'm a sinner in need of a Savior.
[00:47:29] And those who can admit that are plagued by one thing.
[00:47:34] Do you know what it is?
[00:47:36] It's pride.
[00:47:38] They wrongly think they're good enough.
[00:47:41] Especially when they're measured against someone else.
[00:47:45] You know, they would say, at least I'm not like that guy.
[00:47:48] or at least I'm not like that gal right kind of reminds me of the Pharisee in Jesus parable the tax collector do you remember this guy in Luke 18 11 look what he says the Pharisee stood by
[00:48:02] himself and he prayed God I thank you that I'm not like other people robbers evildoers adulterers or even this tax collector right he set the bar pretty high did he you know pride can cause us
[00:48:18] a lot of problems in life, especially when it causes us to attempt to camouflage our own sins before the Lord. Pharisees like Saul were full of pride. But here's a question for you and me
[00:48:32] to consider. Is pride keeping you from being honest with yourself and with God? It was with Paul. Here's the third aspect of his life I don't want you to miss. This weapon of zeal. Saul's a
[00:48:48] radical devotion. Again, in verse 6, he says, as for zeal, that's zelos, persecuting the church.
[00:48:58] That word in Greek, again, means this fervor, this passion and intensity, a fierce eagerness, a burning devotion to a cause. This is how Saul persecuted early Christians, and he was really good at it. In Saul's mind, the ultimate proof of loving God was wiping out anyone who threatened
[00:49:16] the Hebrew tradition. He viewed early Christ followers as heretics, destroying his beloved faith. And Saul wasn't acting out of malice. He wasn't acting out of boredom. He genuinely believed that he was doing God a favor by hunting down believers. So how did Paul become so radical
[00:49:37] in his Jewish faith? Where did he develop his zeal, his zealos? So as we know, Paul was born in Tarsus in this province of Cilicia in the southeastern corner of Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. This area was a major trade route with lots of rich cultural diversity and influences.
[00:49:59] It was also a region that was rich in religious and intellectual heritage and Saul was a bright young man and he soaked it all up. Both his parents were Pharisees. His mother was lost by
[00:50:14] paul at the age of nine his father was a prominent tent maker though he spoke greek fluently he also had a working knowledge of latin the language of his home was aramaic it's a derivative of hebrew
[00:50:28] it's the same language that jesus spoke this is the language that he learned he wasn't able to hang out with gentiles in fact friends friendships with gentiles non-jews were highly discouraged Greek influences and ideas were despised.
[00:50:48] By the age of 13, Paul had mastered Jewish history, the Psalms, and the prophets of the Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament.
[00:50:58] He was ready for higher education, and Greek philosophy was not an option for him.
[00:51:03] His father sent him to Jerusalem to sit at the feet of the most prominent teacher of his time, a man by the name of Gamaliel.
[00:51:12] This was the grandson of a man named Helio, considered by many the supreme Hebrew scholar.
[00:51:19] Paul would study under Gamaliel for five or six years, mastering the faith, the law, becoming an elite debater.
[00:51:27] He was part preacher, part lawyer, with a brilliant mind.
[00:51:32] He longed for the day when he would be a member of that Jewish supreme court, the Sanhedrin.
[00:51:37] And as I said, many believe he did indeed become a member of that high court, though God's word is not explicit about that.
[00:51:45] But little did Paul know that one day the Lord would use the events leading up to and following the death of Stephen, where we first see Paul mentioned in God's word this young disciple of Jesus
[00:51:57] to change Paul's life and to dramatically alter the story of religious history.
[00:52:04] so what led Saul to become such a zealous persecutor of the early church I think it all started a few years earlier before Stephen's death Christianity literally exploded in Jerusalem following Pentecost that was well at Pentecost that's 50 days after Jesus resurrection when the
[00:52:25] apostle Peter stood and proclaimed that powerful gospel message that led thousands to surrender their lives to Jesus, to place their faith in Him as Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit was poured out that day in Jerusalem on all those believers. And all of these pilgrims who were visiting Jerusalem
[00:52:45] at that time were embracing Christianity. It was exploding. Paul was likely in Jerusalem at that time, sitting at the feet of Gamaliel, learning. So in Acts 5.18, it became clear that the religious establishment in Jerusalem here around Pentecost were really disturbed by this
[00:53:06] explosion of Christianity for them enough was enough so again this takes place you know weeks following Pentecost just one maybe three years up to three years depending who you ask before Stephen's death where we're introduced to Saul but I want you to see this story because it matters
[00:53:25] In Acts chapter 5 verses 18 and following.
[00:53:28] They, the Sanhedrin, the Jewish authorities, arrested the apostles and they put them in public jail.
[00:53:34] This is the apostle Peter and others.
[00:53:37] But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and they brought them out.
[00:53:41] Go, stand in the temple courts, he said, and tell the people all about this new life.
[00:53:47] At daybreak they entered the temple courts.
[00:53:49] As they had been told, they began to teach the people.
[00:53:52] They began to proclaim the gospel.
[00:53:54] So needless to say, the Sanhedrin wanted these apostles, including Peter, to stop their preaching about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
[00:54:04] But the apostles, again led by Peter, would not agree to stop preaching the good news.
[00:54:10] The Sanhedrin wanted to put them to death.
[00:54:14] But amazingly, the apostles would have an unlikely advocate, a renowned teacher of the law named can you guess Gamaliel the same teacher who had been the primary instructor for a young student named Saul and verses 34 and following of chapter 5 but a Pharisee
[00:54:35] named Gamaliel a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people stood up in the Sanhedrin therefore in the present case this is their case against these apostles and Peter in the present
[00:54:48] case I advise you, leave these men alone. Let them go. For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men. You will only
[00:55:01] find yourselves fighting against God. Now I want you to think about how significant Gamaliel's role here is and how the Lord used him. It is very possible that if Gamaliel had not intervened at this exact moment that the apostle Peter would have been killed just minutes later this was no
[00:55:24] accident and clearly the Lord was at work using an unexpected ally to help save these apostles lives no matter how tenuous the situation had become and make no mistake Peter's life was on the line here for Christ's sake God was still in control he graciously intervened at just the
[00:55:45] right time using the very teacher who had trained this young man named Saul to save Peter. I want you to note this. Write it down. Look at how God was at work. Imagine Peter and Paul would one day
[00:56:04] be on the same team. That's amazing to me. Look at what happens at verse 40. Now they're ready to kill Peter and the other apostles. But Gamaliel's speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in. They had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go.
[00:56:26] The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name. Day after day in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that jesus is the messiah you know these early apostles
[00:56:43] had remarkable courage i wonder if this young saul noticed this i wonder if he listened as his teacher the one he respected that he said under all those years stood as an ally for them there
[00:56:57] were a lot of people who wanted to stop them at all cost and maybe that included this young and zealous Pharisee named Saul. In fact, it was just one, maybe three years later, again depending on
[00:57:08] who you read, that an influential disciple named Stephen was stoned to death after a scathing sermon of his own before the Sanhedrin. Take a look at this in Acts 7, 54 and following. When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, that's Stephen's rebuke of them, the sermon that he
[00:57:28] shared with them they were furious they gnashed their teeth at him but Stephen full of the Holy Spirit looked up to heaven and he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God
[00:57:38] look he said I see heavens open and the son of man standing at the right hand of God at this they covered their ears and and yelling at the top of their voices they all rushed at him they dragged
[00:57:52] him out of the city and they began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses lay their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. You know, here's the truth. Saul had plenty of pedigree. He had
[00:58:08] plenty of performance. He had plenty of passion. By every human measure, he appeared to be the closest person to God on earth. Yet in reality, he was running directly away from him, using his zeal in ways that seemed so wrong. But the Lord was at work because even as the early church was
[00:58:28] persecuted by men just like Saul, it became stronger and stronger. The words of Gamaliel proving true, but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men. You'll only find yourselves fighting against God. Yeah, I can't help but wonder again if those words of his great
[00:58:47] teacher would start ringing in Saul's ears too. How about you? Saul was poised for dramatic life change. The Lord had a world-changing plan for him. Now I want you to know, and we're going to
[00:59:00] cover so much more of his life, I think there are some very important lessons for you and me from this part of Saul's story, of his before picture. And I want you to write these down,
[00:59:11] that no matter how you appear to others today there was always a before picture for you everybody including the most influential people in your life people like the great apostle Paul have a dark side they have a before picture the truth is we're all sinful by birth by nature
[00:59:32] and by choice without Jesus we're lost we're far from God we're desperately in need of a radical remodel and until we surrender our lives to him we are left to linger in our own depravity
[00:59:45] that picture is not pretty it's not pleasant it's not inspiring it's not encouraging but jesus can change you jesus can transform you as that beautiful hymn reminds us it's his amazing grace that saves a wretch like you and like me that same grace even saul who
[01:00:07] would become the Apostle Paul would come to know and zealously proclaim. I want you to know this, that regardless of your past, you are not beyond hope. No amount of sin, no amount of failure in
[01:00:22] your life can trump the grace of God. Saul did some really bad stuff before he came to know Jesus and all in the name of religion. Yet God would radically transform him, giving him a brand new
[01:00:35] name and an impactful new mission for Christ's glorious sake. That's what's so amazing about grace, that Paul's before picture wasn't his last photo. And with Christ, it won't be yours either.
[01:00:51] And I want you to note this, that even though your past may be far from pleasant, you can have a fresh new start with Jesus. And today, no matter your past, the Lord will meet you right where you are,
[01:01:05] but he will not leave you there.
[01:01:08] He's going to make you more and more like Jesus every single day in every imaginable way.
[01:01:14] So don't dwell on your past.
[01:01:16] Don't let your past define you.
[01:01:18] Put your hope in Christ and let him guide you going forward.
[01:01:22] There's a glorious after picture for your life just like there was for Paul's.
[01:01:29] You know, on Friday night we're going to celebrate here together lives that have been changed.
[01:01:34] and when I'm going to baptize anyone, I always ask those people to share their testimony with me, how they came to know Jesus and the difference that he's made in their lives at knowing him.
[01:01:46] In other words, I want to know something of your before picture and then something of your after.
[01:01:51] So this past week, I had someone share their testimony with me and it was a beautiful testimony. He's going to be baptized on Friday night. His name is Rob and with his permission, I'm going to share just a portion of his story. Rob was raised in a Catholic home. He went to
[01:02:08] Catholic school. He knew religion. He knew it well. As he grew older, he never really had that relationship with God. Didn't know Jesus in a real and personal way, so never really went to church.
[01:02:22] But something in his marriage caused him and his wife to say, you know what? Maybe it was having a young child. We see that often. Maybe we need to go to church. Maybe we need to find out more about
[01:02:33] this. So he and his wife made their way to Watermark as much out of curiosity as anything, Rob said. But something happened to him when he was here. And here's what he writes. As the weeks
[01:02:46] went by and we continued attending and becoming more involved, something started to change in me.
[01:02:52] I found myself thinking about God more and talking to God and Jesus more often and beginning to understand faith in ways that I never had before. And then one Sunday, you said something that really stuck with me. If you're ready, I want you to look up to God, and I want you to say
[01:03:11] in your heart right now, I'm a sinner in need of a Savior. That day, I did. It was a simple moment, but for me, it was incredibly powerful. I opened my heart. I accepted that I needed Jesus in my life.
[01:03:26] I invited him to save me and since then I truly feel like something has changed in me I've seen positive changes in both my personal and my professional life but more importantly I feel like I have a
[01:03:38] relationship with God that I never had before that's life change and what Rob is experiencing is the work of the Holy Spirit in his life see he had a before picture but God's doing a remodel in his life
[01:03:53] to create this after picture that's going to be glorious and on Friday night Rob will be here with many others to testify to you that he's a believer, that he's a follower of Jesus. And he wants you to know that. I hope you'll be here to celebrate with him and with
[01:04:10] others. Maybe you'll take that step of faith this week in your own life. I don't know where you are in your faith journey, but I know this. You're not here by accident today. The Lord led you here
[01:04:23] on purpose and for a purpose. Do you know what it is? Would you stand with me for a moment? I want to pray with you and for you. Father, I'm so grateful for your word. I'm so grateful for the
[01:04:36] testimony of the apostle Paul. I'm so grateful to know who he was before and that God, if you can save him, you can save me and you can save anyone in this room. God, you saved my friend Rob. Thank
[01:04:49] you for that. God, there may be one in this room right now or watching today who is at that place in their life where they would admit, not without pride, but in complete humility, that I'm a sinner
[01:05:01] in need of a savior. And God, I know that you sent Jesus here because you love me and you want a relationship with me. You want me to be right with you. I know my sin separates me from you,
[01:05:15] but yet jesus paid my sins penalty of death taking care of that separation problem on the cross and so by faith now i i place my trust in him to save me to be lord of my life i don't know
[01:05:33] everything that means but i know you'll teach me god there are others in this room who've committed to christ and a long time ago but god sometimes that i that before picture kind of kind of seeps
[01:05:46] its way into the after and god for the sin in our lives god we're sorry we beg your forgiveness and we pray lord that you would help us to walk in truth and light that we would walk in the way
[01:05:58] of jesus god make us more like him every single day in every imaginable way we love you we pray all this in the holy, redemptive, beautiful name of Jesus. Amen.

[01:07:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:07:00] What a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus Christ.
[01:07:10] What a beautiful name it is, nothing compares to this.
[01:07:17] What a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus.

[01:07:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:07:24] You know exactly what I'm...

[01:12:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[01:12:09] Maybe today, for the very first time, you prayed to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord of your life.
[01:12:16] And I encourage you, don't keep that to yourself.
[01:12:19] You share that with someone, maybe with me, and talk about next steps in your faith journey, which would include baptism, an opportunity to testify before others that you're a believer.
[01:12:30] If you haven't taken that step of faith, then come see me.
[01:12:33] Reach out to me at joel at mywatermark.org, and we'll talk more about that.
[01:12:37] I want to hear your faith story.
[01:12:40] I want to hear the before.
[01:12:42] I want to know what you expect in the after, because God's going to do an amazing work and a transformative work in your life the same way He did with Saul and with Paul.
[01:12:54] Guys, I want to thank you for being a part of this service today.
[01:12:57] Again, I hope to see you on Friday, 5.30, for our snack supper, 6 o'clock, for the baptism and then the worship in here to follow.
[01:13:05] It's going to be a wonderful night.
[01:13:07] Live groups are starting this week.
[01:13:08] Many of you are joining those.
[01:13:10] And so I hope you will be able to be a part of one this week.
[01:13:15] guys thank you for being here come back next week as we continue and paul's amazing before we go father we love you god we thank you again so much for the opportunity you've given us to be in your
[01:13:31] house and to sing these praises to you to sing of the beautiful name of jesus the powerful name of jesus transforming name of jesus god i pray you'll be at work in each of our lives god that you'll
[01:13:45] continue to stir in our hearts even this week. God, that you'll use us in a powerful way, continue to grow us. We want the after picture to be glorious as we follow Jesus.
[01:13:56] God, we want you to use us to make an impression and to leave a mark for His sake in this world. We pray it in the redemptive, the glorious, the holy name of Jesus. And all
[01:14:09] God's people said, Amen. Blessings.