HONORING GOD’s INVESTMENT-III—1Timothy 1:12-17
Need:
Paul reminded Timothy of the gravity behind God’s investment/charge.
We must recognize the gravity of God’s investment.
We must be made aware of the investment made to our responsibility with the Gospel.
When do we honor the gravity of God’s investment?
We honor the gravity of God’s investment when we are Thankful.
Previously we have found that
We honor God’s investment thru Thankfulness for...
1. His FAITH In ME/Us(:12)
2. His MERCY(:13)
3. His EXCESS(:14)
4. His SIMPLICITY(:15)
5—We honor God’s investment thru Thankfulness for...
His BURDEN(:16)
Explanation: (:16)
:16—“However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.”
There was a particular “reason” for God’s offer of “mercy” to Paul. It was so “Jesus Christ” Himself would be able to demonstrate God’s mercy thru His “longsuffering”—in dealing with such sinners as exemplified in Paul.
This “longsuffering” of Christ that was demonstrated in Paul, stands as the “pattern” by which others “who are going to believe” “on” Jesus, will do so that they may partake of eternal life, as is Paul.
God has patience(& so we) toward those who may turn to Him in faith.
“Reason/Cause”—dia touto— ‘Through this.’
“Obtained mercy/Found mercy[See :13]—eleew—To have mercy on; To help one afflicted or seeking aid; To help the afflicted, to being help to the wretched; To experience mercy.
“Show/Demonstrate”—endeiknumi—To point out; To manifest, display, put forth. Strong—To indicate (by word or act).
“Longsuffering/Patience”—makroyumia—Patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance; Patience, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs. The self restraint which does not hastily retaliate a wrong. Strong—Longanimity, i.e. (objectively) Forbearance or (subjectively) Fortitude. Used 14X.
“Pattern/Example”—upotupwsiv—An outline, sketch, brief & summary exposition; An example, pattern. Strong—typification under (after), i.e. (concretely) a sketch (figuratively) for imitation. Used 2X.
From—upo—by, under—&—tupov—a die (as struck), i.e. (by implication) a stamp or scar; by analogy, a shape, i.e. a statue, (figuratively) style or resemblance; specifically, a sampler ("type"), i.e. a model (for imitation) or instance (for warning).
“Believe”—pisteuw—To think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in; To entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity. “Everlasting/Eternal”—aiwniov—Without beginning & end, that which always has been & always will be; Without beginning; Without end, never to cease, everlasting. Gives prominence to the immeasurableness of eternity. Strong—Perpetual (also used of past time, or past & future as well).
Argumentation:
2Tim. 4:16-17—“At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me & strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, & that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.”
Rom. 9:15-18—“For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, & I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, & that My name may be declared in all the earth.”[Ex. 9:16] Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, & whom He wills He hardens.”
Rom. 9:22-24—“What if God, wanting to show His wrath & to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, & that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?”
Eph 2:10—“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
2Pet. 3:9-11; 14-15—“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, & the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth & the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct & godliness,”.....“Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot & blameless; & consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,”
Rev. 6:9-11—“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God & for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy & true, until You judge & avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; & it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants & their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
Js. 5:7-8—“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early & latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Gal. 4:4-5—“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
Eph. 1:3-6—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy & without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.”
Rev. 13:2-9—“Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, & his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, & great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, & his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled & followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; & they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” And he was given a mouth speaking great things & blasphemies, & he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, & those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints & to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, & nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear.”
Illustration:
Orthodontist/Nobody enjoys wearing braces!/I had a palate expander & teeth removed & others moved into place(fun, fun, fun)/BUT—the result is wonderful & well worth the wait!/His BURDEN
Farmer’s crops/Plan in place—Work the plan/Certain things will not take place until others have occurred/He must work within seasons(of time) not seconds/His BURDEN
Waiting for a reaction to occur/Can’t rush it/
Something that must run-its-course in order for the good to come/
Application:
?You Thankful for God’s BURDEN for you?
?You Thankful for God’s Investment?
6—We honor God’s investment thru Thankfulness for...
His REIGN(:17)
Explanation: (:17)
:17—“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor & glory forever & ever. Amen.”
The above truths are so precious to Paul that he enters into a statement/prayer of praise for the mercy he has received.
He directs his praises “to the King” of glory. This King is Himself, “eternal” or ageless & lest we miss the significance of that, He is also “immortal” or incapable of corruption. Unimaginably, this King is also “invisible” or incapable of being perceived in His pure form, with the eyes of man.
Thereby this King is none other than the “God” of Scripture. This God is “alone” “wise.’ There is absolutely none other comparable to His wisdom. His wisdom is thereby unapproachable from any source or angle.
Thus to this God, both “glory” & “honor” are His & they are His for all eternity.
Paul ends this with an affirmation(“Amen”) of these truths. Such an affirmation is intended to be confirmed in & by the Church at large.
a. “King”
Sovereign over all/everything/everyone/every creature-plant-rock-bacteria-virus-molecule-atom, etc. His will is the law/standard of the land. However, His ‘will’ includes/involves the freewill of fallen creatures though we are made in His very image!
“King”—basileuv—Leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king.
b. “Eternal”
Never sleeps, absent, away, goes missing. Has no beginning & will have no end. He is not limited to time & space, as we are.
“Eternal”[See “Forever, Ever” below]—aiwn—1)For ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity; 2)The worlds, universe; 3)Period of time, age. Strong—properly, An age; by extension--Perpetuity(also past); by implication--The world; specially(Jewish)--A Messianic period(present or future).
c. “Immortal”
Incapable of corruption/decay/ruin in any realm/aspect of His being. God will never wear out, break or weaken in any way, shape or form.
Heb. 13:8—“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, & forever.”
“Immortal/Incorruptible”—afyartov—Uncorrupted, not liable to corruption or decay, imperishable—Of things; Immortal. Properly--Incorruptible, unaffected by corruption & decay. It is applied to God, & to that which is connected with Him. Used 7X.
From the negation of —fyeirw—Strong—properly--To shrivel or wither, i.e. To spoil (by any process) or generally--To ruin (especially figuratively(by moral influences)--To deprave).
d. “Invisible”
God dwells in a different realm than we do. He is of vastly different substance(if that term can even be applied) than you & I. The King is incapable of being perceived in His pure form, with the eyes of man. He is not limited to either time or space, thus He is not normally visible to us who are limited in scope.
“Invisible”—aoratov—Unseen, or that which cannot be seen e.g. Invisible. Used 5X.
From the negation of—oratov—Strong—Visible, open to view.
Col. 1:15-20—“He[Christ Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven & that are on earth, visible & invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him & for Him. And He is before all things, & in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, & by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
Jn. 1:14—“And the Word became flesh & dwelt among us, & we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace & truth.”
Jn. 14:5-9—“Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, & how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; & from now on you know Him & have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, & it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, & yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
e. “Alone is Wise” / “The Only God”
With God there is No indecision, No failure, No plan thwarted. He is omniscient(all-knowing). Nothing escapes His notice. Nothing blindsides or surprises God. Thereby He is uniquely, solely & incorruptibly wise. Thus He is the basis by which anyone/anything considered ‘wise’ is determined. Though there may be other beings of true great power(in comparison to us), He undisputedly stands alone in our consideration of Him as God.
“Alone”—monov—Adj.—Alone, forsaken, destitute of help, alone, only, merely. Strong—Remaining, i.e. Sole or single; by implication, Mere.
“Wise”—sofov—1)Wise—1a)Skilled, expert, 1b) Wise, skilled in letters, cultivated, learned—1b1) Of the Greek philosophers & orators, 1b2) Of Jewish theologians, 1b3) Of Christian teachers, 1c)Forming the best plans & using the best means for their execution. Denotes wise, skilled, an expert. Strong—Wise (in a most general application).
Ex. 3:13-14—“Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel & say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ & they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Deut. 32:39—“‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill & I make alive; I wound & I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.”
Isa. 45:5, 6—“I am the LORD, & there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, & there is no other;”
Isa. 55:7-11—“Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, & the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth & bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
1Kgs 8:59, 60—[Solomon]“And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the LORD, be near the LORD our God day & night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant & the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other.”
f. “Honor & Glory”
God is to be valued above value itself. He is the basis by which anyone/anything considered ‘valuable’ is determined. Anything & everything is of vastly lesser value than Him! Yet He grants us Life in Him! He spans all ages. He is worthy of all people’s “honor” & rightly attributing “glory” to Him.
“Honor”—timh—1)A valuing by which the price is fixed—1a)Of the price itself, 1b)Of the price paid or received for a person or thing bought or sold; 2)Honor which belongs or is shown to one—2a)Of the honor which one has by reason of rank & state of office which he holds, 2b)Deference, reverence. Strong—A value, i.e. Money paid, or (concretely & collectively)--Valuables; by analogy--Esteem(especially of the highest degree), or The dignity itself.
“Glory”—doxa—1)Opinion, judgment, view; 2)Opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone; 3)Splendor, brightness; 4)A most glorious condition, most exalted state. Strong—Glory(as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, objective or subjective).
“Forever & ever”—eiv touv aiwnav twn aiwnwn—‘into/unto the ages of the ages.’—“Eternal”[See “Eternal” above].
Argumentation:
Rev. 5:8-14—“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures & the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, & golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe & tongue & people & nation, And have made us kings & priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, & I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, & the elders; & the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, & thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power & riches & wisdom, And strength & honor & glory & blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven & on the earth & under the earth & such as are in the sea, & all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing & honor & glory & power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever & ever!” Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down & worshiped Him who lives forever & ever.”
Rev. 7:9-12—“After these things I looked, & behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, & tongues, standing before the throne & before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, & crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, & to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne & the elders & the four living creatures, & fell on their faces before the throne & worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing & glory & wisdom, Thanksgiving & honor & power & might, Be to our God forever & ever. Amen.””
1Tim. 6:13-16—“I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, & before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed & only Potentate, the King of kings & Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor & everlasting power. Amen.”
Illustration:
Our current American Government—~Statistically speaking, 1/2 are always disappointed & 1/2 are always wary of the other half!/We need unity & the power of “the King eternal, immortal, invisible,...God who alone is wise”/America needs...His REIGN
Wal-Mart owners & operators(upper management)/Charged with treating people as responsibly as possible—both employees & consumers/His REIGN
Anyone charged with making decisions for many others/His REIGN
Application:
?You Thankful for God’s REIGN over/toward you?
?You Thankful for God’s Investment?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
We honor God’s investment thru Thankfulness for...
5. His BURDEN(:16)
6. His REIGN(:17)
1. His FAITH In ME(:12)
2. His MERCY(:13)
3. His EXCESS(:14)
4. His SIMPLICITY(:15)
Pts. 5-6 Presented 11/30/2014pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave SE(Ave A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
