Honoring God’s Investment-1

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

Attention:

Father Takes a Needle for His Fearful Son

Recently I was sitting in a doctor's office with one of my young sons, & the nurse wanted to draw blood from him for a test. As you can imagine, he did not want to have his blood drawn. Who does? So he told me, "Dad, I can't do it. I just can't do it."

The nurse said, "Here's the deal, buddy. We've got this numbing spray. We'll spray the numbing spray on you, & then we'll stick the needle in you, & you won't even feel it."

But my son kept saying, "I can't do it. I can't do it."

Finally I said to the nurse, "Ma'am, I know what I'm about to ask you may be out of bounds, but can you draw my blood first? Can you do it without the numbing spray? I just need to show my son."

She said, "Yes, I'll do it. We'll keep this between us."

So the father put his son on his lap, & said, "Watch Daddy."

I rolled up my sleeve & stuck my arm out. Then the nurse stuck me & drew blood.

A smile came over my son's face.

Yes, he was still a little nervous, but when he saw that Daddy already went through what he was about to go through, with no numbing spray, he stuck his arm out.

The boy honored his father’s Investment...by honoring his father’s wishes.

If we are close to God, then we will honor Him by choosing His will!

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.

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

His FAITH In ME/Us(:12)

Explanation: (:12)

:12—“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,”

This “glorious gospel of the blessed God” was entrusted to Paul for his specific ministry.

Paul thereby truly thanks Christ Jesus who is both his Lord & the Lord of all believers(hence “our”). Paul’s Lord did not entrust him without also strengthening(“enabled”) him for the assignment.

The fact that Christ “enabled” Paul is itself a standing testimony to His recognizing Paul’s faithfulness. Not only Paul’s faithfulness but yours as well!

2Thes. 1:11-12—“Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, & fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness & the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, & you in Him, according to the grace of our God & the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Lord’s faithfulness to Paul’s faithfulness is expressed practically in that Paul was “put” to “the ministry” of His Lord Jesus.

What exactly is “the ministry” Paul speaks of? His apostolic ministry & every practical outworking of it.

This tells us a little about that kind of ministry. It was a limited ministry entrusted to a very few & for a limited time. It was initiated & removed within one generational timeframe in order to birth the church. Today we live in the shadow of that apostolic commencement, not to copy & stylize its events, but to legitimize its life-transforming power found in Christ alone.

“Enabled/Strengthened”—endunamow—To be strong, endue with strength, strengthen; To receive strength, be strengthened, increase in strength; In a bad sense—To be bold, headstrong.

“Counted/Considered”—hgeomai—To lead—To go before, To be a leader—To rule, command, To have authority over—A prince, of regal power, governor, viceroy, chief, leading as respects influence, controlling in counsel, overseers or leaders of the churches—Used of any kind of leader, chief, commander, The leader in speech, chief, spokesman; To consider, deem, account, think. A belief resting not on one's inner feeling or sentiment, but on the due consideration of external grounds, & the weighing & comparing of facts. Denotes a more deliberate & careful judgment.

“Faithful”[See :15]—pistov—Trusty, faithful; Easily persuaded

“Putting”—tiyhmi—1)To set, put, place; 2)To make; 3)To set, fix, establish. Strong—To place (in the widest application, literally & figuratively; properly, in a passive or horizontal posture).

“Ministry/Service”—diakonia—Service, ministering, esp. of those who execute the commands of others; Of those who by the command of God proclaim & promote religion among men—Of the office of Moses, Of the office of the apostles & its administration, Of the office of prophets, evangelists, elders etc.; The ministration of those who render to others the offices of Christian affection esp. those who help meet need by either collecting or distributing of charities; The office of the deacon in the church; The service of those who prepare & present food.