2025-10-12 Sermon Notes
| Series | Location | Subjects | Takeaways | Sermon Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allison on Galatians | Emmaus Orthodox Presbyterian Church | - | - | - |
💡Big Idea
Takeaways and Next Steps
📖Bible Passage
but they only heard: "He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy."
Service
| Service Item | Details/Reference |
|---|---|
| Welcome, announcements, and preparation for worship | |
| Call to Worship* | Psalm 119:17-18 |
| Salutation and Invocation* | |
| Join in singing God's praise with all your heart* | Hymn 526 |
| Confession of Faith in Christ | Canons of Dort III/IV, Art. 16 |
| Congregational Singing* | Hymn 415 |
| Scripture Reading | Acts 9 |
| Congregational Prayer | |
| Giving God the tithe and offerings | |
| Congregational Singing* | Hymn 62 A |
| Sermon Text | Galatians 1:23 |
| Sermon | CHRIST MAKES ENEMIES HIS SERVANTS |
| Prayer of Thanksgiving | |
| Congregational Singing* | Hymn 63 A |
| Benediction* |
Points
- Q: What is it that can change a persecutor of the Gospel, into a preacher of the Gospel. A: Only that very Gospel which he so zealously persecuted.
- Paul mistakenly thought that he was serving God by persecuting the Christians. But this was not so.
- Matthew 7:22-23 Many will tell me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?' Then I will tell them, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.'
- Paul mistakenly thought that he was serving God by persecuting the Christians. But this was not so.
- What can change a selfish person into a God-glorifying person? What can change a liar into a truth teller? Only the Gospel!
- The Lord Jesus Christ is the Gospel.
- It is impossible for anyone, because of their sin, to glorify God apart from Jesus Christ.
- Q: Why did Paul persecute Christ, the Christians and the Gospel?
- Paul did this precisely because he thought that these things did not glorify God.
- Most people fail to glorify God because they have the wrong convictions.
- But this was not the case for Paul. Paul had the right conviction, but he did not believe the truth. He believed a lie and followed it zealously.
- The most difficult person in the world to convert are not the addict, the alcoholic or the atheist. No the most difficult person to convert is the religious bigot.
How Paul Changed through Meeting Christ
- Paul changed because he had an encounter with Christ.
- You might think to yourself, well that is all well and good. I'll just wait until I have a miraculous encounter with Christ like Paul did.
- No, that is not so.
- Paul's conversion was unique and unusual.
- You may not encounter Jesus in the same way that Paul did, but each and every one of us does in fact need to have an encounter with the one true Jesus Christ.
- You might think to yourself, well that is all well and good. I'll just wait until I have a miraculous encounter with Christ like Paul did.
- Where to meet Christ. Where does Jesus Christ dwell?
- Christ dwells in His word. Read His word and you will find Him.
- Christ dwells in every believer.
- If you seek Him, you will find Him. This is a promise!
- 2 Chronicles 15.2 and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin! Yahweh is with you, while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
- Jeremiah 29:11-14 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you," says Yahweh, "thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you," says Yahweh, "and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says Yahweh. I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive."
- But you must have faith. You must believe that you will find Him when you seek Him.
- You must repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
- After Paul encountered Christ, he saw things in a new light:
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- Paul saw Jesus Christ in a new light.
- He learned that Jesus was his God and his Savior.
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- He saw himself in a new light.
- Where before Paul thought he was a thoroughbred Jew born into the promise, now he realized that such self-righteousness is cursed and worthless.
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- He saw the Church in a new light.
- Afterward, he called the Church, the commonwealth of God, the dwelling place of God by the Spirit, those whom God is cleansing and washing by the Spirit
- Paul was now willing to die for the spread of the Gospel.
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- Christ changed Paul's mind and heart.
- Paul used to be a racist. He thought that salvation was only for the Jews, and the Gentiles were dogs, rejected by God. But that was before Paul met Christ.
- Paul used to be a legalist. When asked how to be right with God, Paul thought that we must do everything meticulously right according to the law. But after Paul taught that we are saved by believing in the promise of the Gospel, irrespective of how sinful we have been.
- Paul was utterly changed by God.
- ❓ Can you answer the question Why did Christ have to die?
- Do you understand that if Christ had not died, you would be without hope, damned to Hell?
- Paul now loves what he once hated, and he now hates what he once loved.
- Paul used to be a bitter jealous, malicious person, but look at him now. Now he is a loving, caring, kind person.
- Paul used to blaspheme the name of Jesus, and now he glorifies Him.
- Paul used to use violence to achieve his ends, but now he refuses to use violence.
Application
Further Study
💬Discussion Questions
2025-10-12 Sermon Notes
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On this page
💡Big Idea
Takeaways and Next Steps
📖Bible Passage
Service
Points
How Paul Changed through Meeting Christ
Application
Further Study
💬Discussion Questions