Products of God's Patience & Longsuffering

April 25, 2021 Products of God’s Patience & Longsuffering How to Look for Sinners and Get’em Saved 1 Timothy 1:16 & 17 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. When was the last time you saw someone who reminded you of yourself before you were Born Again? (That means they would still be a sinner!). Take a minute to recall. Was it recently? A few months ago? Some years ago? Or, so long ago, you can’t recall? Either way, today’s message is intended to show us how important it is to God for us to be alert and on the lookout for people who remind us of our BC Self; that is, our Before Christ Self. Why is this so important? Because . . . “Before Christ People” who look like me or you once did are the very people God has placed in our path to connect with and to plant a seed of hope or a word of encouragement; or even to be led into a relationship with Christ. 1 I realize that often the church teaches, or has taught, that we should steer clear of people who are not living for God – especially those who practicing the very sin we were involved in prior to being born again. We have been drilled with: 2 Corinthians 6:17 “Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” But God has a different engagement strategy that instructs us to do the quite the opposite. Turn with me to the Book of First Timothy – Chapter 1, verses 12-17. [SLIDE] Listen to how it reads . . . First Timothy 1: 1-17 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. 2 [SLIDE] The title of today’s message is: Products of God’s Patience and Longsuffering ~ How to Look for Sinners and Get’em Saved Here, in 1Timothy 1: 12-17, the Apostle Paul shows us how God extended His love to him through patience and longsuffering in order to get him [Paul] saved. Often, we zero in on God’s direct love toward us, but we regularly forget to affirm the many by-products of His love like patience, goodness, grace, longsuffering and forgiveness. In this lesson, we’ll see God’s love demonstrated through longsuffering; – a divine, supernatural brand of patience. [SLIDE] Longsuffering is best defined as the duration for which God demonstrates His goodness and forbearance [or restraint] – for long periods of time. In First Timothy, it refers to patience with people. But the main thing I want to show you in this message is how God uniquely uses longsuffering to bring out the best in us and others. [SLIDE] First Timothy 1:16 says: 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. 3 In this powerful passage Paul is recognizing that it was the longsuffering of Christ that ultimately led him to finally surrendering his life to the Savior. [SLIDE] In plain English, he is saying: “When I was in my sin, God allowed me to get away with it because His plan was to walk me down with His longsuffering. While I was sinning, God was watching me, patiently allowing me to do my thing – knowing that one day, in due time, I was going to surrender to Him. [God knows them that are His]. While God was waiting me out, He was exercising “longsuffering” toward me – that in the long run, such longsuffering would be the same degree of longsuffering He would expect me to exercise toward other sinners who would need Christ -- just like me. Why is this message so important to Believers? Because it shows us a unique twist to how God really wants to use us and how easy He has made it. Many of us know the song . . . “If You Can Use Anything Lord, You Can Use Me”. Today, I can tell you that not only does God want to use each of us, but also HOW HE CAN and WANTS to USE US. In First Timothy, Paul speaks of his former life as “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent [rude, brazen, disrespectful] man. Nevertheless, God used the former, ugly life of Paul to draw people and to witness to people. But not just any ole people – rather people who acted just like him. 4 People who reminded him of his former self -- before he was Born Again. Before he became holy and sanctified; before he became a member of Grace Place. Figuratively speaking, people who drank the same liquor he drank. Snorted the same cocaine he snorted. Abused and pimped women in the same way he did. Hypocrited in church circles just like he did. It is this kind of familiarity with sinful living that God uses our former lives, now delivered, to win those who are still held by such sinful lifestyles. The beauty of all of this is our reembrace of God’s longsuffering toward us. Did you know that He expects us to exercise longsuffering toward those who are still in sin and acting like we used to live BC – Before Christ. [SLIDE] Listen to Paul again from the New Living Translation - Verse 16 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience [longsuffering] with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. The ultimate outcome here is that we exercise patience and longsuffering toward people who are still in sin, so that they eventually “realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.” When they see our lives – now set free from the old man of sin – they gain hope that God can deliver them too. But, we must be wise to demonstrate the same level of longsuffering toward them that God gave us. 5 Is that too hard for some of us to do? Perhaps! But it only suggests that you have forgotten where God brought you from. [SLIDE] Keep in mind everybody needs God. The Bible tells us . . . “And all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Likewise, we are reminded in First Corinthians 6: 9-11 . . . “And such were some of you!” In full context it says: 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. The longsuffering that Christ demonstrated toward us as prospective (not yet born again) believers (but soon-to-be) -- is an intentional part of His plan to form a pattern or template for us to look back on and follow when we encounter people who need to be treated with longsuffering – instead of insensitivity. The pattern or prime example Paul mentions in verse 16 is evidence or proof that God can save any sinner, no matter how great a one he or she is. Our very lives stand as proof. God’s longsuffering stands as the key. But our lives will be a catalyst to people getting saved when we suspend all judgment and exercise longsuffering or patience with people. 6 Effectually, those whose lives match our pattern are the one’s we can most effectively reach, but only with hearts of love, understanding, and acceptance. Where others might give up on a soul or exercise low tolerance, we are called to draw on the longsuffering God extended to us in order to bring us safely home to salvation. Hypothetically spoken, if Christ tolerated me for 23 or 43 or 63 years in my sin – in things like adultery, self-righteousness, witchcraft, fornication, pornography, lying, stealing, homosexuality, atheism, whoremongering, child molestation, Christ-basher, teacher of false religions, persecutor of Jesus Followers, and so on . . .then my gift of longsuffering from Him should be appreciated, celebrated and returned back to Him in the form of me showing the same level of longsuffering and encouragement toward others who are not yet saved, but, according to God, are going to be some day. I believe that the best people for any believer to witness to are those who’s sinful lifestyles mirror the same sinful lifestyle they once lived. Once God’s longsuffering is realized in a Believer’s life, then: • That Saved former Liar should witness to current practicing liars. • That Saved former Prostitute should minister to currently practicing prostitutes. • That Saved former Backstabbers, Backbiters, and Swindlers should minister to current practicing Backstabbers, Backbiters, and Swindlers. 7 [SLIDE] How can God do this? Because of His Sovereignty as stated in verse 17. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to [e]God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Jesus Christ, Himself – the express image of the King, Eternal, Immortal, Invisible - alone; who is wise must be honored for demonstrating His grace toward mere mortals, visible, sinful man. God the Most High, truly came down to our level. To Him alone belongs honor and glory for His wisdom toward us. [SLIDE]????? How to find sinners and witness to them – even lead them to Christ and salvation. 1. Know yourself – know where you came from v. 12 (8 – 12) 2. Know how you woke up from you state of lostness (God’s enablement v.12) 3. Know what God had in mind – counted you faithful (putting you in the ministry) v.12 4. Know your former disposition v.13 5. Know why we obtained mercy v.13 “Did it ignorantly in unbelief” 6. Know how we obtained favor v. 14 7. Know whose idea it was to save v. 15 8. Know the other reason we obtained mercy that Jesus might show all long suffering v16 Know why and how God extends such mercy and grace to us – v.17 = His Sovereignty Products of God’s Patience & Longsuffering How to Look for Sinners and Get’em Saved 8 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%END%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 9