Transformed by Grace: Paul's Journey of Redemption

well his position is clearly stated at the end of verse 12 he has been appointed to service speaking in the personal aspect of it he says this is the wonder that he has considered me faithful and has appointed me to his service it's interesting that he says it is to service it is not to leadership it's not to honor although there was honor in the service and there was leadership in fulfilling his responsibilities but he doesn't identify what has happened to him in that way he says the Wonder is not that I have received honor nor that I have been made a leader but the real Wonder is that God has appointed me to his service [00:01:48]

and he says although I was a blasphemer a persecutor and a violent man God in his grace poured it out over me he just he just overwhelmed me with his grace he just met me along the Journey of my life and if you want to know how it worked out he says he has shown me mercy shown me mercy he says this a couple of times in verse 13 I was shown Mercy in verse 16 I was shown Mercy what is Mercy it is the capacity by which God does not give to an individual what they deserve [00:05:41]

and the response of Jesus to his murderers was a prayer for mercy and it was that very prayer for Mercy fulfilled on the Damascus Road that took this guy called Saul of Tarsus and brought him to his knees he had a Zeal for God but it was without knowledge that's what he's saying to Agrippa and he's not pleading his in his innocence he's explaining Acts chapter 26 again and verse 9 I was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth and that is just what I did in Jerusalem [00:08:12]

for I can testify about them that they are zealous for God but their Zeal is not based on knowledge they have a Zeal for God but they don't understand Grace they don't understand that Grace is God's riches transferred to our paltry account at the express of his son Jesus and when the lights go on in Judaism for individuals and they begin to grab hold of that then the transformation will be the akin to the change that was brought about in Saul of Tarsus himself [00:09:00]

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners now you see for those of us who are familiar with that kind of terminology it doesn't really strike us but remember whose lips it was coming from it was coming from the lips of a Pharisee of a Hebrew of the Hebrews Philippians chapter 3 who had been circumcised on the eighth day was a member of The Tribe of Benjamin had been under the tutelage of Gamaliel went to All the Right schools did all the right stuff kept all the right things kept kosher did the whole business and as a Pharisee knew that there was one thing that a Pharisee didn't do and that was ever talked to Sinners [00:13:10]

and it was the dawning awareness of this as it gripped the heart of Saul Now Paul as he became more and more aware of The Wonder of God's redeeming love that we became more and more aware of his own natural sinful State and that's why it's in the present tense not the past tense he doesn't say Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinners of whom I was the worst he says of whom I am the worst what is this morbid introspection false humility absolutely not it is Saul recognizing the facts of the matter he doesn't think of himself more highly than he ought [00:16:07]

Small Wonder that Paul would gush with this I thank Christ Jesus our lord the grace was poured out on me abundantly this is a trustworthy saying Jesus came to save Sinners I'm not pointing fingers at anyone I'm the worst of the whole gang why did he do this well he did this in order that he might provide in me a kind of architectural sketch that's the word here for display Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience in other words he might just take a pencil and and draw an outline form the amazing transformation in my life so that that then then in turn may be used for others [00:17:37]

and in the bottom corner it said and you may be changed too so that those who knew themselves to be sinners and felt that they had blotted their copy books so badly that God could never look upon them felt that their sins were of such a deep die that they could never be eradicated felt that if they went into church the roof would fall on their heads felt that they couldn't get amongst those people so that those people might look at the life of a blaspheming persecuting violent man and say if God would do that for Saul surely I can know his grace [00:18:39]

it is loved ones the awareness of our sin that will keep us humble and keep our hearts aflame with gratitude I was struck this week in Reading along these lines the words of Thomas Goodwin one of the Puritan writers to his son and Goodwin was a minister a pastor and he wrote these words to his son he said when I was threatening to become cold in my Ministry and when I felt the Sabbath morning coming around and my heart was not filled with amazement at the grace of God I used to take a turn up and down among the sins of my past and I always came down again with a broken and a contrite heart ready to preach as it was preached in the beginning [00:19:33]

and that in turn causes us to magnify the grace of God who takes us just as we are without any plea in our defense and bids us come in that messed up condition so that he may make us brand new from the inside out it's a really wonderful story I'd like to stand up on the roof of the Terminal Tower and shout it to the whole city meanwhile people are told well you just need a little more education that's why you're sleeping with your girlfriend you just need a little more education that's why you're not you know playing the game you just need to pull your socks up get a little religion try Seven Years in Tibet tune into Buddhism whatever else it is I don't question the Zeal but it's without knowledge [00:21:52]

the real issues of life and the real issues of Time and Eternity are these issues if you've been getting the impression that the message is try just try and do a little better if you would just pick it up a little I'm sure you can make it and you'll be fine then I and others have really made a hash of of articulating what the Bible says the message is all have sinned and come short of the glory of God we're all in the same predicament and the grace of God reaches to the furthest extent to those who are prepared to acknowledge their need [00:22:24]

so I say to you again if God would make you aware of your need of a savior then Come Just As You Are [00:22:47]