If This Doesn’t Light Your Fire (1 Timothy 1:12-17)
- as I young man in youth group, I was taught that grace is “God’s unmerited favor”
- then I remember being taught the acrostic, that grace stands for “God’s riches at Christ’s expense”
- and then, about a year ago, I remember studying the topic of grace and coming up with this definition:
- grace means that God deals with his people not on the basis of what they deserve, but according to his goodness and generosity
- that’s not a bad definition at all
- but what does grace look like?
- one man has described grace like this
- you work forty dollars for an hourly wage
- it’s pay day
- you go in and expect to be paid what you earned: $700
- your boss, however, pays you $700 plus an additional $1,000
- you ask why you’ve been given extra, and your boss replies that he was just feeling generous
- that’s grace
- that’s somebody dealing with a person not on the basis of what they deserve, but according to goodness and generosity
- I love stories of grace
- I love to hear of John Newton – a former slave trader turned Christian
- he wrote that song we sang this morning, Amazing Grace
- I love to read of Charles Colson, and his conversion from one of Nixon’s henchman to believer
- I love to hear of alcoholics, drug addicts, murderers, adulterers, thieves, fornicators, homosexuals, and motorcycle gang leaders coming to know Christ
- in 1 Timothy 1:9, we read:
- (1 Timothy 1:9) We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,
- (1 Timothy 1:10) for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers–and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine
- (1 Timothy 1:11) that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
- he’s just been talking about false teachers, and how they tend to twist the law around
- and he ends up by talking about the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God
- and then he pauses, and almost seems to remember something
- in most letters in that day, the salutation that is found in verses 1 and 2 would be followed by the next thing: a giving of thanks
- for instance:
- (2 Timothy 1:1) Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
- (2 Timothy 1:2) To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
- (2 Timothy 1:3) I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
- but in 1 Timothy, Paul got distracted focusing on the false teaching and the way Timothy had to stand up and correct them
- but then in verse 11, Paul talks about the gospel that has been entrusted to him
- and it’s as if all of a sudden he remembers that he was supposed to give thanks
- and then he gives thanks with a vengeance
- have you ever seen someone who is spiritually alive, and shows it?
- have you ever witnessed the thrill of someone who sings, “In my heart there rings a melody,” and means it?
- it’s a rare thing, but I have met some people who are different from the rest of us
- if you get them talking about spiritual things, all of a sudden you see their eyes begin to well up
- you can sense the spiritual passion that is there
- they are alive spiritually, and everyone knows it
- well, Paul felt the rush of spiritual life, and he showed it
- and this was in spite of hardships and painful struggles
- in spite of floggings, imprisonment, stoning, shipwrecks, sleeplessness and hunger, Paul’s passion for God was alive
- circumstances could not get him down
- he had a high-adrenaline Christianity
- it’s so unlike us
- sometimes, a good service on Sunday will pump us up
- but by Wednesday we begin to feel flat and empty
- but the apostle Paul proved that there is no good reason why any Christian should live in the minor key
- Paul had three secrets
- he knew how to do three things
- tonight I’m going to challenge you to do these three things as well, before we leave, and to make this your practice in the coming week
- the first thing that Paul knew how to do is this:
- PAUL KNEW HOW TO GIVE THANKS
- (1 Timothy 1:12) I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.
- Christ considered Paul trustworthy
- he entrusted the Gospel to him, as we read in verse 11
- and Paul was a grateful man
- and what we witness in verse 12 is wholehearted gratitude
- it’s what happens when you know you’re unworthy and undeserving
- have you ever met someone who has an entitlement mindset?
- they think that they deserve it
- they’re not particularly grateful
- they may say thank you, but it’s little more than a polite gesture
- underneath, they get the impression that they are just being civil and nothing more
- but as we look at verse 12, we sense that Paul is not just being civil
- in fact, Paul gives thanks to God for three things
- first, for strengthening him – for not only saving him, but for giving him the strength he needed to live out that salvation
- second, for considering him faithful
- third, for putting him into service
- the word for service refers to humble, lowly service
- Paul is not boasting about his faithfulness or trustworthiness
- Paul didn’t want honor for himself
- he was pleased to be used by God in any way possible
- Paul stands in contrast to so many in ministry today
- you get the impression that they’re doing God a favor by serving him
- they exude so little joy over the privilege of ministry that people run the other way
- they’re half-hearted
- but Paul’s gratitude knew no bounds
- he can’t get over it
- he feels so undeserving
- and in verse 13, we begin to understand why:
- (1 Timothy 1:13) Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
- Paul knew that before his dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was a blasphemer – someone who slanders God
- he was a persecutor of the church – he entered houses to arrest believers
- he approved of Stephen’s death, according to Acts 8:1, and many others as well, according to Acts 26:10
- when Christians were put in prison, and sentenced to death, Paul cast his vote against them
- and he was also a violent man
- the word has sadistic overtones to it
- it refers to someone who deliberately hurts and attacks someone to bring harm to them
- Paul had committed outrage upon outrage against Christians
- he felt so undeserving – so overwhelmed by God’s mercy
- and that’s why he was so grateful
- sometimes I sit back and wonder why God chose to rescue me
- how is it that Jesus Christ loved me enough to save me?
- I don’t know your past, but even if you didn’t do the things Paul did, do you ever wonder why God chose you before the foundation of the world?
- do you ever question why God chose you?
- when you think of those who haven’t heard, what was it that caused God to place his gracious hand upon you and call you into his kingdom?
- how thankful are you?
- Paul not only knew how to give thanks
- PAUL KNEW HOW TO RECEIVE GRACE
- (1 Timothy 1:14) The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
- (1 Timothy 1:15) Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst.
- (1 Timothy 1:16) But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
- I love verse 14
- “the grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly”
- you could translate abundantly “to abound over and beyond; to super-abound”
- it has the idea of the surpassing measure of God’s grace, which is far greater than our sin
- there’s the idea of extravagance here – God’s extravagance in dealing with people who deserve nothing but wrath
- God threw a party for Paul and gave him lavish gifts of grace, faith, and love – large and precious gifts
- God’s grace is so abundant that it not only included salvation, but the faith and love that accompany it
- that’s what God has given us as well
- Paul says something striking in verse 15
- the “trustworthy saying” is a hint that something important is about to come up – some key doctrine, probably words that were common knowledge
- in this case, he adds for emphasis that it’s a statement that deserves full acceptance
- and then you have the Gospel summarized in eight Greek words or nine English words
- Christ came into the world
- and Christ came to save sinners
- Christ’s entire purpose in coming to the world was to save that which was lost
- the world – blind, lost, condemned to hell because of its hostility to God – was the object of God’s mercy
- (Luke 19:10) For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
- Paul thought of himself as being the foremost of all sinners
- (1 Corinthians 15:9) For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- (1 Timothy 1:16) But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
- Paul was a compelling demonstration of God’s grace
- if Christ would save Paul who had blasphemed Christ and persecuted Christians – even putting them to death – then how could anyone claim to be beyond the reach of Christ’s mercy?
- Paul was, if you will, the poster boy of divine mercy
- no one could be more desperate for God’s mercy than Paul
- no one had been a more brutal opponent of Christianity
- Paul was a lesson in the greatest lesson anyone can learn
- it’s about God’s grace
- Paul knew how to give thanks, accept grace, and finally-
- PAUL KNEW HOW TO OFFER PRAISE
- (1 Timothy 1:17) Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- have you noticed how Paul has progressed in this passage?
- he started out giving a routine thanks, and has built up a tremendous amount of energy in this passage
- he’s moved from thinking with his head to bursting out spontaneously with an exclamation of praise
- receiving God’s grace is not a cold mental calculation
- the truth excited Paul
- it warmed his soul; it stirred his spirit
- as the saying goes, if this doesn’t light your fire, you’ve got wet wood
- outbursts of adoration are the only proper response to truth
- we should be utterly amazed at the extent of God’s grace – not just in church, but in our everyday lives
- our hearts and heads ought to work in concert, working together in praise to God
- so I ask you again, what are you like?
- have you felt the rush of spiritual life, or are you flat and empty?
- are you grateful to God because you feel so privileged?
- have you felt the extravagance of God’s grace?
- or do you still believe that God’s grace is rationed sparingly instead of lavished extravagantly?
- what about praise?
- is the only time you praise him here, in this room?
- it has to be the right experience – just the right mood, just the proper music?
- does praise come from within your own soul?
- let’s pray
