Power Of God To Save

Power of God to save

1 Timothy 1:12-20

Well Good morning –

I am glad that you are here with us and believe that the Lord has a word for you. Amen

I hope you have come into his house with expectation and anticipation.

Have you found yourself asking the Lord questions like- How does this fit into your plan and into my life?

What can I expect as we (I) move into the days, weeks, years ahead?

The purpose is to look into God’s Word particularly in the books written by Paul to Timothy and the church at Ephesus to find some answers “solutions” to some of the problems we are facing.

Let’s Pray

Father, this morning I ask you to fall fresh on our hearts which need encouragement and some hearts that are heavy. I pray Lord that as we look into your word that you would speak to us clearly and directly and that we might get better understanding for what it means to be a believer in these tough days. I pray each of us would call upon you and rely on you to empower and strengthen us to be what you want us to be. May we be who you created us to be. In Jesus Name! Amen.

The letters to the church that Paul wrote showed a God that loves us. A God that can keep us and a God who can empower us to live Christ-like is a world that is not Christ-like. He had such a dramatic change of life and purpose that it changed his life forever. He was called to show people that they can experience transformation too.

Apostle Paul wants Timothy and the church to know that he was a called servant of God to bring the gospel message to the Gentiles and that he understands that his commission comes from a good God not because of anything good he had done.

He was given the task of bringing the gospel and his goal was to do it with a pure heart, clear conscience, and a sincere faith.

1Timothy 1:12 (Passion) Paul’s words from his heart

“My heart spills over with thanks to God for the way he continually empowers me, and to our Lord Jesus, the anointed one, who found me trustworthy and who authorized me to be his partner in this ministry.”

Illustration-

When I was a kid, my grandmother made us bean bags. Hand sown, and my brother and I would play for hours tossing those bags to see who was the most accurate. Now they don’t call it bean bag toss, it is called Corn Hole and it is a professional sport played with professional teams.

Whoever would have thought that bean bags would be a paid sport?

The idea is to hit the target with accuracy and score the most points.

Apostle Paul was desiring the church at Ephesus and his friend Timothy to hit the target with accuracy.

Some false teachers strayed off course and were teaching false doctrine that polluted the gospel and was drawing people away from the truth.

HIT THE TARGET! HIT THE TARGET FOR WHICH YOU ARE AIMING! KNOW YOUR TARGET!

1Timothy 1:13-20 NIV Read from the Bible

The apostle Paul who was the most unlikely guy to be picked to carry the gospel was commissioned by God to do it. He has a heart that is spilled out with gratitude for the mercy and grace of God on his life.

Paul describes his former life before Christ in the negative 3 ways;

As a Blasphemer- one who rejected Jesus Christ as Lord.

Acts chapter 6 Paul was there when they stoned Stephen a man full of faith.

Scripture says

‘They argued with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or by the Spirit by whom he spoke.”

“Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, we have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” False Witness. Paul was a part of that.

He says that he was a persecutor of the church - Before his conversion he was a destroyer of the church.

Apostle Paul before King Agrippa Acts 26- “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priest I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.”

He says he was violent to the church- Paul who had zeal for Jewish traditions, despised the Christian church and was willing to take lives, ruin lives and despised anything that had to do with a God who would include heathen people.