9/6/2009
The grace of Jesus is amazing
1 Timothy 1:12-20
Introduction
God’s grace is amazing ! It is G.R.A.C.E. (God’s riches at Christ’s expense)
1 Timothy 1:12-20
Today we are looking at the heart of the Apostle Paul concerning the grace of Jesus Christ not only for his life but also for the rest of us.
He pours out to the reader his ability to put feelings into words.
Paul and Timothy have a special relationship, he begins the chapter by warning Timothy of the struggle against false teachers. Beginning in our text this morning, he moves to telling Timothy and us about the wonderful mercy and grace of Jesus Christ.
John Newton wrote “Amazing Grace” and you have to understand the circumstances to understand the powerful words of the song. To understand John Newton’s Amazing change, you have to understand where he came from. John Newton was a captain on a slave ship. They would go to Africa and bring back slaves. When the ship was in rough waters, rather than throwing cargo over, they would chain slaves together and throw them over.
You say I could never do that I could never be a Hitler, Hussein, Ben Laden, but don’t you see, Newton thought God’s grace was so amazing because it saved a wretch like him.
The grace of God is amazing to save a wretch like me.
That at the hour of belief, God miraculously poured out mercy and grace.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares that the grace of God will lead him home.
I look at this verse and immediately see three phases to God’s grace.
1. Seeking
2. Saving
3. Service.
I. Seeking
Seeking is the fact that as Nazarene’s we believe in Prevenient Grace.
We don’t believe in greasy grace:
Do what you want to do and you’ll make heaven.
We don’t believe that you can live like the devil, and God will turn his face against what you are doing.
The grace of God that “reaches out to you before you are even aware of God’s presence” is prevenient grace.
Most of the time, you are not looking for God and He shows up.
People say that they have found Jesus. I believe that statement should be that Jesus reached out to you and you responded to God’s love.
He continually reaches out to us to pull us into a loving relationship with Him.
God knew what Paul was before Christ. He was a sinner saved by grace.
He was saved because he responded to God’s call.
God is all powerful, and a lot of the times we are focused on that alone. I want you to also see that he is all faithful, and all loving .
He is more than able and willing to save the worst of the worst.
In face in v15- Paul says- Here is a trustworthy saying “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”.
Everyone of us ought to say Amen And about Him saving us “Thank you Jesus”.
It doesn’t matter how bad you were, the grace and mercy of God wants to reach out to you.
Christ Jesus came to save sinners, that is you and that is me.
Apostle Paul says that- “of whom I am the worst”. Apostle Paul persecuted and tried to destroy the people that followed Jesus. Everyone that was of the way, he tried to take out and destroy.
Apostle Paul after his Damascus Road experience, which happened as he was going to imprison those who followed Jesus, found a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God reached out to him unexpectedly. God made Himself real to him. God made the first move in the relationship. God changed his thoughts and actions.
It was life changing
He will never be the same
His values and priorities were changed by his encounter with God.
God showed up, the grace of God reached out to him and he responded.
His life was never the same. At that moment, the moment the Spirit of God began tugging on his heart, and He said Yes. He went from the prevenient grace of God reaching out for him and drawing him toward God and a relationship and seeking him to the 2nd aspect of grace.
II. Saving Grace of God
The saving power of God does what we cannot do in ourselves.
If God chose not to be found none of us would find him. He reaches to us, we respond and he lovingly pulls us toward Him.
It is how Paul went from ignorance and unbelief to the courage and strength in
Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.
So for all those that believe that God cannot love and save them because of what they have done- Paul says that you are not the worst, I am.
V16, tells us that Jesus Christ has great patience.
For some God has reached out for a very long time and you have rejected him and put him on the back burner.
You do something wrong and you make bad choices- He tells you to come back.
You know you need to make changes in your life, you tell God not today.
People wonder why they cannot have that kind of faith that moves mountains. Why I have to struggle everytime there is a bump in the road.
The long and the short of it is they never have that life changing experience.
They never submit their life to Jesus.(Tell what that means)
Grace finds it’s source in Jesus Christ. It is the free gift of God.
It is not what you can do, it is what Jesus Christ has done.
It is life changing because it is not about you anymore, it is Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:23-24
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:10
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace on me was not without effect.”
It is life changing
There are numerous scriptures of Paul’s conversion.
Paul never lost the amazing part of God’s grace.
He viewed himself as the chief sinner and was so grateful that God would save him and change his life.
Apostle Paul shared his life to us not only to let us see how bad he was, but how good God was.
Apostle Paul shares with Timothy, his son in the faith that grace, mercy were poured out abundantly on Him, that God had great patience with him, and that he will spend the rest of his life in service for his savior.
Paul charges Timothy in v19:
Fight the good fight, hold unto your faith, and let your good conscience be your guide.
God’s amazing grace is #1- Seeking.
He is looking and drawing us toward Him. We have two responses. He draws us near and we embrace Him, or we reject Him.
#2- Amazing Grace of God is Saving- we cannot save ourselves, we need a savior, all of us do. All have sinned and fallen short” God provided on the cross a way of redemption. There is only one way- Jesus Christ”
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men
III. Serving Grace of God
V18-19
Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
Because of God’s grace, Paul is calling timothy to service.
He is reminding him to fight the good fight, dig in and serve.
He warns him not to lose his faith, but rather to hold unto his faith.
Lets look at some scenario’s.
Person comes to Christ, they are so excited and on fire for the Lord. People tell them not to be so excited and they lose their enthusiasm. (Put water on the fire)
People going through hard times and they lose focus and priorities and center on circumstances they are going through. Their walk with the Lord suffers.
A person has held on to their faith and relationship with Christ no matter what the circumstances they are going through. They continue serving God and move forward.
What has happened is 2/3 circumstances have caused believers to be shipwrecked.
It is by the actions of others and not keeping their eyes on the Lord.
What does it mean to shipwreck your faith?
The better question would be what are the possible results of an actual shipwreck
probably would result by death by drowning.
If you did survive, you probably didn’t reach the destination.
Question- What causes shipwrecks?
Improper navigation
Not being prepared and able to weather a storm.
Sailing in to unfamiliar waters
lack of visibility.
Getting off course
Equipment malfunction.
Illustration-
A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastors visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. On the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination. As the one lone ember’s flame diminished, there was momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead as a doornail. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.
Paul used this analogy of a shipwreck for a reason.
Life is a journey- point A to point B. It is a process of life we go through.
The better prepared, the more focused we are the easier the journey.
Our intent is to allow Jesus to lead us in our journey.
Our intent is to have the power of God working in our lives.
Many shipwreck because of the things we just named.
They go off course and they lose control.
Paul tells us about two that were of the faith and drifted away by false teachings.
Closing:
I’m telling you this morning that God’s grace can see you through till the end.
God’s grace can find you, save you, keep you, and allow you to be in service for God.
When these hard times come, and you feel like you are floating on a piece of the ship.
Let the words ring out in your spirit, “My Grace is sufficient for you”. My god shall supply all my needs, according to his riches in Jesus Christ”
Altar Call
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