Honoring God’s Investment-2 Series

HONORING GOD’s INVESTMENT-II—1Timothy 1:12-17

Attention:

A young man writing at the post office desk was approached by an older gentleman with a post card in his hand.

"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you," the gentleman started. "But could you address this post card for me? My arthritis is acting up today & I can't even hold a pen without sharp pain."

"Certainly sir," said the young man. "I'd be glad to."

He wrote out the address, a short dictated message, & signed the card for the man. Finishing, the young man asked, "Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"

The older gentleman thought for a moment before he finally said, "Yes, at the end could you just add: 'PS: Please excuse the sloppy hand-writing?'"

The elderly gentleman’s ‘thankfulness’ became suspect if not offensive!

Need:

Paul reminded Timothy of the significance/gravity/weight behind God’s investment in us.

We must recognize the significance/gravity/weight of God’s investment.

When do we honor the gravity of God’s investment?

We honor the gravity of God’s investment when we are Thankful.

Before thanksgiving, we discovered that

We honor God’s investment thru Thankfulness for...

1. His FAITH In ME/Us(:12)

2. His MERCY(:13)

3—We honor God’s investment thru Thankfulness for...

His EXCESS(:14)

Explanation: (:14)

:14—“And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith & love which are in Christ Jesus.”

Regarding God’s mercy, there was an “exceeding abundance” of the Christian’s “Lord’s” “grace” which was responsible for bringing the mercy to Paul. He was totally unfit to be the recipient of mercy.

God’s grace came to Paul abundantly with the “faith & love” which both are had “in Christ Jesus.” Without the gracious advent of Jesus we would know nothing of the fullness of either “faith” or “love.”

Gal. 5:6—“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.”

“Grace”—cariv—Grace; Good-will, loving-kindness, favor; What is due to grace.

“Exceedingly abundant/More than abundant/Overflowed”—uperpleonazw—To be exceedingly abundant; To overflow; To possess in excess; Thanks, (for benefits, services, favors), recompense, reward. Strong—To superabound. Used 1X.

“Faith”—pistiv—Conviction of the truth of anything, belief; Fidelity, faithfulness.

“Love”—agaph—Brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence; Love feasts.

Argumentation:

1Cor. 15:10—“But by the grace of God I am what I am, & His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

2Cor. 3:2-6—“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known & read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

2Cor. 9:8-15—“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, & bread for food, supply & multiply the seed you have sown & increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, & for your liberal sharing with them & all men, & by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Col. 1:24-27—“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, & fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages & from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Eph 3:14-21—“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven & earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted & grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width & length & depth & height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever & ever. Amen.”