Sermon Tone Analysis

Samuel Valencia, B.A. Biblical Studies

Sermon

November 9, 2008

Good Shepherd Church (EBP)

 

TITTLE

 

The Unconvertible

 

THESIS STATEMENT

 

No one is out of God’s Reach

 

MAIN PASSAGE

 

*Romans 1:16 *

 

*Philippians 3:4-11*

 

INTRODUCTION

 

            Our goal at the Good Shepherd Church is to give Jesus.

This is in obedience to the Great Commission given to us by our Lord Jesus Himself.

He said in Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”  Our mission statement as a church is simple.

Give Jesus.

The Good Shepherd Church congregation can be known for many things… but it has to be known primarily as the place where you get Jesus.

Jesus is the answer to men’s fundamental problem.

The Bible teaches us that men was created by God to fulfill His purposes (the "meaning of life", Genesis 1:26-28).

Because of sin we all have failed (Genesis 3; Romans 3:23, 6:23).

Sin separates us from God. *Sin is men’s fundamental problem*.

We have focused on ourselves and ignored God.

Nevertheless God the creator still loves us, His creation (John 3:16).

God has provided the /Ultimate Solution/ for the sin that separates us from Him.

The ultimate solution is Jesus and Jesus alone.

In Jesus we find forgiveness for our sin (Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Timothy 2:5).

Forgiveness from sin means being able to approach God and fellowship with Him... Jesus said in John 14:6 " “I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

For this reason of all the things we can give, the greatest is Jesus.

Jesus is the ultimate solution.

But what does it mean to give Jesus?

It simply means giving the Gospel (The Good News).

The word Gospel encapsulates everything Jesus did for us.

Because of his love for us He died on the cross, was buried on a grave and on the third day He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

All we have to do is trust completely in Him (John 1:12; Romans 10:9).

That is what it means to give Jesus.

The question is how many will accept Him?

In our effort to give Jesus there are those individuals that we feel will never accept Him.

Indeed we live in a time in which Jesus is rejected…

 

Nevertheless, we should never underestimate the power of the Gospel.

Did you know that the Gospel is the power of God? Paul stated in *Romans 1:16 *“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…” It is hard to believe that Paul made this statement.

There was a time when Paul was ashamed of the Gospel.

He was a staunch enemy of it.

Paul was the enemy of Jesus.

Yet through an extraordinary event he converted.

Only the power of God could have changed the life of Paul.

His story bares witness that no one is out of the reach of God.

No one is unconvertible.

The worst enemy of the Gospel became the number one Jesus giver the world has ever known.

After his conversion Paul became the central character in the book of Acts (Acts 9).

He wrote 13 of the 27 books (48 percent of the NT) of the New Testament.

He took the message of Jesus Christ to Europe for the very first time.

He established churches all over the Roman Empire.

He brought untold thousands of people to faith in Christ… He redefined Christianity from being a small sect within Judaism into being a global force to be reckoned with, and he radically changed the history of the entire civilized world for the next 2000 years…  Wow!

The least likely person to become a Christian did this… Never underestimate the power of the Gospel.

If Paul converted than no one is out of God’s reach.

This morning we are going to see how the number one enemy of Jesus became the number one giver of Jesus.

I.

PAUL THE ENEMY OF JESUS CHRIST

 

In his letter to the Philippians Paul expresses his accomplishments… Such pedigree made Paul a prime candidate to oppose Jesus and in fact he did.

Take note of what he says…

*Philippians 3:4-6*

 

*FLASHBACK TO PAUL’S LIFE…*

 

A.

Paul, the Least likely to become a Christian

 

1.

Saul of Tarsus (Paul), the Jewish man

 

            The man we know as Paul was also named Saul…

 

The Book of Acts and the epistles give sufficient data for a sketch of Saul’s early life.

He was born in Tarsus in Cilicia (Acts 22:3),

a. …a “Hebrew of the Hebrews” (see 2 Cor.

11:22; Phil.

3:5)

b. …the “son of a Pharisee” (Acts 23:6)

c. …He was educated in Jerusalem by Gamaliel (Acts 22:3)

d. … became a devoted Pharisee (Acts 26:4–5; Phil.

3:5)

           

The Bible Exposition Commentary states, “Measured by the Law, his life was blameless (Phil.

3:6).

He was one of the most promising young Pharisees in Jerusalem, well on his way to becoming a great leader for the Jewish faith (Gal.

1:14).”

[1]

 

e. …a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37; 22:25–28)

 

                        2.

Paul, a Zealous Persecutor

 

The Bible Exposition Commentary states that

 

Saul’s zeal for the Law [Judaism] was displayed most vividly in his persecution of the church (Gal.

1:13–14; Phil.

3:6).

He really thought that persecuting the believers was one way of serving God, so he did it with a clear conscience (2 Tim.

1:3) … [2]

 

                              a.

Methods of Persecution

 

The Bible Exposition Commentary says that

 

…He “made havoc of the church,” and the verb here describes a wild animal mangling its prey.

When Christ spoke to Saul on the Damascus road, He compared him to a beast!

(Acts 9:5) The stoning of Stephen, which Saul approved, shows the lengths to which he would go to achieve his purpose.

He persecuted both men and women “unto the death” (Acts 22:4), entering both houses and synagogues (Acts 22:19).

He had the believers imprisoned and beaten (Acts 22:19; 26:9–11).

If they renounced their faith in Jesus Christ (“compelling them to blaspheme”—Acts 26:11), they were set free; if they did not recant, they could be killed.

In later years, Paul described himself as “exceedingly mad against them” (Acts 26:11), “a blasphemer [he denounced Jesus Christ], and a persecutor…” (1 Tim.

1:13).

He was a man with great authority whose devotion to Moses completely controlled his life, and almost destroyed his life.

He did it “ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Tim.

1:13)… *Saul of Tarsus is the last person in Jerusalem you would have chosen to be the great apostle to the Gentiles!

*[3]

 

II.

PAUL THE APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST

 

The testimony of Paul is incredible…

 

A.

Paul’s Conversion (Acts 9)