FBL
October 20, 2019
Sunday Morning
The Worst of Sinners
I Timothy 1:12-17
Intro.: Printed in your sermon notes are these words: CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS – AND I AM THE WORST OF THEM. Say that.
If you ever said those words or words like them and truly meant them then you could convince me that there was a time when you gave your heart and life to Jesus. Today, many of you in this room are 1000% sure that when you leave this earth you will go to heaven because of those words. Others of you are not that sure and some of you don’t have any assurance about going to heaven.
The bad news today is that not everyone who hears this message either live or later by the internet is going to heaven. However, the good news of the Good News is that today you can know for sure. STAND – READ TEXT.
As Paul wrote these words to young Timothy about his own salvation you can almost see his words bleeding with crimson red. The words MERCY and GRACE become BOLD as Paul makes the statement about his own self as a sinner and that he is the worst of them – twice by the way.
In context Paul is thanking Christ Jesus his Lord for considering him faithful and to call him into the ministry. What a ministry Paul had – author of 13 New Testament books, three successful missionary trips, arrest and imprisonment, discipled numerous disciples, shipwreck, dangers, beatings and on and on.
But Paul’s boasting was mostly about his own weaknesses. What he wrote about the most is that God’s grace was sufficient for people like himself who are blasphemer’s, persecutors of the faith and those who are arrogant.
The one thing that I have learned about Paul is that he never got over his own salvation. He never got over that God could love someone so much who was against Him so much. That God could forgive him enough because of his hate and persecution of Christians.
HAVE YOU? Have you forgotten what it was like for yourself to be lost? Have you put away the time or position in which you were hopeless and helpless without Christ? I pray that we never forget that we serve a God that desires a personal relationship with us.
This morning my intention is to draw believers back to our own salvation experience. But also my intent is that someone here today would hear and receive this Gospel message and give their life to Christ.
I. The ESSENCE of the Christian Message (Core)
A. JESUS CHRIST.
1. Everything has a beginning.
2. Life, marriage, employment, exercise, papers all have a beginning.
3. The core/substance of the Gospel is nothing else and no one else but Jesus Christ.
4. Literally we could also say the lifeblood of the Gospel is Jesus Christ.
5. Apart from Jesus Christ there is no good news.
6. Apart from Jesus Christ there is no resurrection, and if no resurrection no burial and if no burial no death and if no death there is no Christian message.
7. The Gospel begins and ends with Jesus Christ.
B. Jesus Christ CAME.
1. Theologians refer to this as the doctrine of incarnation.
2. That moment when God became man – that in the fullness of time Jesus Christ was born in human flesh.
3. The real miracle of Christmas and the essence of the Gospel is the same – Jesus Christ CAME!
4. When Jesus left heaven he had a single purpose in mind and a single person in mind.
5. His purpose was to die a literal death by crucifixion on a cross and the person for whom He would die is you.
6. The essence of the Gospel is that the coming of the Son of God is more than a historical fact in a history book.
7. Jesus Christ CAME.
8. The Bible records it like this “When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5
A. Jesus Christ, came, INTO THE WORLD.
1. Some choose to use the word “world” as only a reference to the general cosmos.
2. I prefer to use the word in a more orderly or arrangement fashion.
3. Jesus Christ didn’t come into this world to save the animals or to have a relationship with nature.
4. Jesus came into the world for me and for every one of you.
5. The declaration is that all of us are sinners, maybe not the worst of sinners but all of us are sinners.
6. Man’s sin has separated us from our holy God.
7. But, but – the essence of the Christian Message, the good news of the Good News is that Jesus Christ came into the world.
8. “God proves His love for us in that before we were sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
II. The PURPOSE of the Christian Message
A. Paul clearly, emphatically tells us here in the text that the purpose of the Christian Message is to save sinners.
1. The purpose of a brake on automobile is to stop the vehicle.
2. The purpose of the telephone/cellphone is to communicate with other people via their telephone/cellphone.
3. The purpose of a grocery store is to sell groceries.
4. Dear friend the purpose of the Christian Message from this book called the Bible is to save people.
5. From Genesis to Revelation the message is the same.
6. This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.
B. Again, this text bleeds with Paul expressing gratitude for God’s mercy, faith and love.
1. “But I received mercy” vv.13,16; “the grace of our Lord overflowed” v.14
2. All to listen very closely, especially those of you who are not yet a believer in Christ.
3. God did not save Paul because of his past. Paul was not saved because he was a blasphemer and persecutor.
4. Paul was saved only because of God’s G R A C E.
5. Paul said it like this in his letter to the Corinthians, “But by the grace of God I am what I am.” I Corinthians 15:10
6. There is none so bad He cannot save, there is none so good he need not be saved.
III. The CLARITY of the Christian Message
A. The clarity of the Good News is that it’s for “whosoever.”
1. It’s for the worst of sinners and it’s for the best of sinners.
2. But don’t worry about WHAT kind of sinner you are – just admit that you are a sinner. (Murderer, paper clip)
3. Tell God that you are a sinner and let His grace, mercy and love overflow into your life today.
B. Some people have confused seeing visions or having dreams about Jesus as moments of being saved.
1. I don’t doubt that God could do something like that but apart from repentance of sin and receiving God’s grace all that is is a beautiful dream.
2. If that’s what happened you have missed the essence and the purpose of the Christian Message.
3. Say it with me again, CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS – AND I AM THE WORST OF THEM.
4. Only when you come to Jesus as a sinner and you ask Him, “Jesus will you save me” will he truly save you.
5. It is only by His grace that anyone can be saved.
6. Maybe you told yourself that you were saved but there’s been no real change in your life.
7. I pray and plead with you to quit playing games with God.
8. Quit pretending that just because you come to church or you know the Bible answers that you are saved.
9. And today come to Jesus and be saved.
Conclusion: The hardest part of a decision like this is right now. The best part of a decision like this is right now. For when you make the decision to be saved God brings all His grace, and mercy into your life so that you can have abundant and eternal life. (Baptism, Membership)
