1 Timothy 1:12-20
Notes
Transcript
I Timothy 1:12-20
I Timothy 1:12-20
Good morning church! We are resuming our study of 1 Timothy this morning with a message entitled Exceedingly Abundant. No fancy Hebrew or Greek this morning, but in our own language exceedingly means extremely…more than just a lot....and Abundant means rich supply, great quantity, or oversupplied. Put together I think of it as overflowing, and as we will see it is an expression that Paul uses in our text to describe the grace of our Lord.
We have a lot to cover this morning and I encouraged you all to read ahead what we left of chapter 1 and chapter 2. So, let’s pray and we will dig into God’s Word.
Last week we began this letter and looked at the relationship between Paul and the young pastor Timothy to whom this letter is addressed. He was a son in the faith, and Timothy was the guy that Paul sent when he knew it was going to be tough duty. Here, at the church in Ephesus, there were those who were teaching fables, digging into the mysteries of endless genealogies, leading to disputes, and a holding onto legalism.
Paul warned Timothy that there were those there that thought they were experts, thought they knew things they didn’t really know, and Timothy was to charge them, or command them to dismiss it all, and stick to sound doctrine only. Now I want to read through our passage so we can understand the perspective from which Paul is writing. So 1 Timothy chapter one beginning in the 12th verse.
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,
19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,
20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Now some of you know the Apostle Paul’s story, or his testimony, about how he became a follower of Jesus and some of you don’t. What I do know, is that now, a couple of thousand years away from his conversion we probably think of him differently than we would have, had we lived back then.
I mean now, most of us are so thankful for the ministry of Paul, he wrote much of the New Testament that we hold in our hands today. He certainly explained more of the gospel, the good news about Jesus than anyone else. Explained what it means, how it benefitted us. The book of Romans alone can be life changing for the Christian. Yet he gives us a description here of himself that could change the way we feel about him.
I mean sure, as a Christian, this is the guy that could say, follow me as I follow Jesus, I can serve as an example for you. Paul writes that he would be willing to give up his own salvation if by doing so he could save his fellow Jews. But what about when he wasn’t that. Look, I know I’m not going to make it through chapter 2 this morning, and you know I’m not going to make it through chapter 2 this morning, so would you turn there with me for just a minute?
I want us to see something this morning that I hope will challenge us all this morning as a church. OK? So I’m not picking on you this morning as an individual, but I want to look as us as a Church, or even bigger than that, take a look at the church at large, as a whole for a minute. Before we examine our own hearts, I want us to see the heart of God,
He starts with saying pray for everybody, pray for those in authority, try to live a quiet and peaceful life and then in verse 1 Tim 2:3-4
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
I want you to see here that it is the heart of God, for all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. You who are Christians know this, or we say we know this... you who are not Christians, need to know this ,and understand this. You may say when I look at me, and then I look at church people, we just aren’t the same. I’m just not like them, why would God want to save me? Because He loves you. God loves you, and God desires that all would be saved.
You say well I don’t know, I’ve met some Christians, and they don’t act like they want me to be one of them,... and to that I would say, I’m sorry for that, we have a bad history with that, but God loves you and God wants you to be saved, and He has put His money where His mouth is so to speak to prove it to you.
As Christians we understand what it means to lay down our lives for another…in a sense. We are told that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, that our bodies are no longer our own, that we were bought with a price. I get that, I think most of you get that. Out of gratitude and love for the Lord, I am willing to lay down my life in service to Him…but what about laying down the life of one of your children for someone you don’t love, or for someone who’s lifestyle disgusts you?
Laying down the life of one of your children to save someone who you’re afraid of. Someone that isn’t like you? You get what I’m getting at? The most well know bible verse of all time, John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
So not just a Son, His only Son, for you…and for the person that disgusts you!
I’ve been thinking a lot about the whole Jesus Revolution thing and how the church, or some in the church I should say, reacted to the hippies. The hippies didn’t look like most church members, they didn’t act like most of the church members, and if there’s truth in the line in the movie where Kelsey Grammer said, I think they need a bath, then they didn’t smell like most of the church members.
So church, my question to you, no my question to all of us, are who are the hippies of today? Who are the hippie equivalents for you today? Don’t say it, just think about it. I’m going to give you an example that I think most of us, if we are being honest. Well, if we were being honest, they shut the live streaming and recording off, we had a secret ballot box in the back so nobody would know it was you. We could probably all come up with some one, or sadly even some group of people. I pray the Lord changes that. Why? Because He 1 Tim 2:4
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
You know what, lets take the pressure and conviction off of us for a minute and try to find a couple of examples from the bible. Man, I don’t know why I didn’t think of that sooner, I could have avoided all of that personal conviction. So yesterday, when I was doing my final review of this chapter, I got distracted and remembered, that I had forgotten to call my tax guy back to make an appointment to do my taxes…and that reminded me of Matthew the Tax collector. Turn with me if you would like to Luke chapter 5.
In Luke chapter 5 we find the story of Matthew being called to follow Jesus. Now you guys know that a bunch of the disciples, at least 4 of them that followed Jesus were fishermen. Anybody know what Matthew did? Tax collector. Lets read through this to find out what they thought of that…Luke 5:27-28
27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.”
28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.
30 And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
So what we have here is the religious people complaining. Do you think the tax collectors and sinners were complaining about Jesus joining them for a feast? No way! Jesus is with us!?! Can you believe Jesus is with us, that He wants to be with us? That He would share the intimacy of a feast with us? They weren’t complaining this was amazing!
But the religious people were complaining. Why? Because they didn’t like it. They didn’t think it was right. It made them feel, I don’t know how it made them feel, but I know how these types of things can sometimes make us feel. Something inside of us just doesn’t like it. They aren’t like us. I don’t like what they do. I don’t like this, it doesn’t feel right. Remember church, the heart of God is that all would be saved, but that’s not always our heart, not really. Look at how Jesus responded to it. Verse 31....
31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
In other words, if you know you’re sick and messed up, you are who I came for, I want to save you and I’m calling you to repent. But if you don’t think you’re sick, you’re all set, you who don’t need me because you think you are well, I can’t really help you guys. I haven’t come to call the righteous, but sinners. What an awesome answer!
If you’re going to pretend you’re not sick, or your going to make excuses and blame someone else for your condition, again you must have no need for a physician...
When you get to that spot that you can see you’re a mess and need Jesus, that you’re not righteous on your own and you are sick with sin, and you cry out to me, then I can help you. Then I will save you. I will bring you to repentance. Repentance is a change of direction, a change of mind about Jesus really. Jesus will change your mind, change your life, and save your soul.
You guys know, you Christians know, that when someone says to you, oh, He could never save me. You don’t know what I’ve done. My sins are two big. My wife left me, I lost my job, my kids won’t talk to me, I’m too ashamed to turn to Him. Something wells up inside of us and we can say, I don’t know what you’ve done, but I know Him. I know He loves you. I know He wants to save you. There is no one, no where that deserves to be saved, all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God, but...
It is to the one that says, I can’t do this on my own, I’m sick, I need help, it is to you that Jesus says blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God.
Let me tell you another story and then I’ll try to connect the dots back to Paul.
Another tax collector story, turn to Luke chapter 19. Luke 19:1-4
1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.
7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”
Now understand that this is not Jesus’ first day on the block. The thing with Matthew happened about three years before this! And during that time, Jesus has traveled throughout the region preaching the good news, he has healed the sick, made the blind to see, cast out demons, prostitutes have been saved, adulterers forgiven, he has feed the hungry, he has raised the dead.
And the same people, have the same complaint! He has gone to be a guest with a man who it a sinner. They didn’t like it. They weren't comfortable with it. This religious man being around sinners. It frustrated them and made them angry. Verse 8
8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;
10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Listen again to the words of Jesus describe the ministry of Jesus. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus says when I see someone who is lost, I find them. I go after them, I pursue them. I came to save the sinner, that is why I’m here, to find lost sinners and save them. Back to Paul in 1 Timothy 1:12-13
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
insolent is not a word we use often, well, I never use it, so if you do combined it’s not often. But it basically means violently offensive, outrageously forward or bold, with the kind of pride that comes before a fall.
Paul tells us who he was as Saul of Tarsus. He was a blasphemer, he spoke against Jesus, denied Jesus, persecuted those that said that Jesus was the Messiah. Wanted to kill them. Sought out the proper papers or warrants necessary to go hunt them down, not just around the corner, but to foreign lands. Paul didn’t want to just be the local patrol, he actually left his own country to hunt down those of the way and would drag them back to Jerusalem to punish them, and he was good at it. Religiously zealous, educated, yet ignorant…verse 14...
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
Now check this out…1 Tim 1:15-16
15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
Paul is saying that I used to be all these wicked things. I deserved to go to hell, but the grace of God was exceedingly abundant and let me tell you why. That in me first, I am the first of a kind, a model for those to come after me or a pattern for you to see. That Jesus Christ might show longsuffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe. That any that aren’t currently saved, would be able to look at Paul and realize salvation is possible for them.
We have the story of Paul’s conversion, when he was completely lost, breathing threats of murder against the disciples of the Lord, trying to crush the church, and Jesus came to him, loved him, and saved him. Acts chapter 9 and chapter 26. Actually, I do want to look at part of it, and connect some dots for us.
For the non-Christian I want you to see how wicked of a man he was. That he hid behind authority he had been given by the church to cause harm. Did unspeakable things against those that Jesus died for, and yet Jesus pursued him, Jesus chose him, and didn’t just save him out of that mess, but saved him to something incredible. Took him from a life committed to destroying others to one that was all about saving others.
And after he got saved he tried to join up with other Christians in Jerusalem and they didn’t want him there. Let’s connect some dots for us Christians. They didn’t believe it was real. These Christians that had formerly been dead in their sins, and were brought to life, by Jesus who found them when they were lost, when they were sick and saved them. They looked at Paul and were afraid. They looked at Paul and didn’t like it. Acts chapter 9. We are running out of time...
It begins with Paul’s conversion story of meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul is told to go into the city, and when he gets there he will be told what to do. While Paul is heading to the city, the Lord speaks to a disciple named Ananias and he tells him to go and find Paul, or Saul at this point. Acts 9:11
11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying.
12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
So Ananias, a sinner saved by grace, gets instructions from the Lord to go and inquire about one called Saul of Tarsus, the guy who is praying. I’m not setting you up Ananias he has had a vision and he knows your are coming and he expects that through you he will be able to see. And Ananias responds saying, well Lord that may be so, but I’m not really comfortable with that…verse 13. Acts 9:13-15
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
Lord, I don’t like how this feels, I’ve heard about this guy, I’ve heard about what he has done, the harm he has done to others, his sin is so great... Later in the chapter those Christians in the church in Jerusalem wouldn’t let him join in. What if he wants to be in my Growth Group? I don’t want that guy to get my email. He’s not one of us, I don’t believe it. It took Barnabas saying oh yes he is!
Look at what an incredible response Ananias gets to telling the Lord this isn’t such a good idea, its not prudent. The Lord responds Acts 9:15
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
He is a chosen vessel of Mine. Do you guys get that that is what Christianity is? The God of all creation, looking down on those that have rejected Him. Those that are the sick, those that are sinners, living a lifestyle that makes Him sick, and rather than vomit them out of His mouth, or just roast them with flames from the Heavens, He looks down at someone in Old Town, Maine, who has blasphemed His name. Or someone that couldn’t even bear to come in person this morning because they were hungover, or ashamed, or thought that they had done too much to be forgiven.
And that God, gave His only begotten Son, God Himself came in the flesh and said, that sick pervert, that sick sinner, that drunk, that liar, that prideful man, or gossiping woman is worth saving. I’m choosing them. I’m choosing to bring you to repentance, just like I did with Paul. And just like I did with Paul, I don’t just want to save you out of something, I’m saving you to something. I have a purpose for your life. It can have meaning. I want to use you to make an everlasting impact upon the people around you. When you realize that that is what Christianity is, its mind blowing, its awesomeness is immeasurable.
He made Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles. What will you let him do with you?
What if it had been up to Ananias? What if it was up to the church in Jerusalem who were afraid of him? Church Who are the Matthews, the Zacchaeus, or the Saul of Tarsus’, or the hippies of our day? Who have you, who have we not welcomed into our fellowship because we just don’t like them or what they do? They make us uncomfortable, you think what they do is sick. That’s perfect! Again, Jesus said, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Paul ends the chapter with this to Timothy. 1 Tim 1:17-20
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,
19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,
20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Fight the good fight. Faith and good conscience - These are essential when battling for the Lord. They protect against the spiritual attacks of doubt and condemnation.
Grace, Mercy, and Peace!