Sermon Title: The Power of the Pedigree
Text: I Timothy 1:12-20
Date: July 27, 2003 AM
Context of Scripture:
This morning, we will be continuing in our study of Paul’s first letter to his student Timothy. I have entitled this morning’s message, “The Power of the Pedigree”, because we will be looking beyond Paul’s title. In our last message in regards to this writing, we looked at length at Paul’s title and his claim to it. We looked at the authority through which Paul could lay the claim to his Apostleship. Paul took his responsibilities very seriously and now with that in mind let us look even deeper and further into this writing. Let us stand in reverence to the reading of God’s Holy Word.
Scripture Reading: I Timothy1:12-20
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
18 ¶ This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
Sermon Introduction:
I want to approach this morning’s text on the basis and the mindset of our relationship with the Lord. Now perhaps that is something that someone is still working on here this morning. Let me make this suggestion to anyone who is stopping just short of making a commitment to Jesus. Do not allow ridiculously minor details to hold you back. If the conviction of the Holy Spirit is telling you to begin a relationship, then by all means come forward. Heed the Spirit’s guidance.
In our spiritual life, regardless of where we may be, how would we answer the question, What are we thankful for? This may vary depending on where we are spiritually. I personally, am thankful for my time in prayer. There is nothing more soothing then being in the presence of the Lord and feeling His loving arms around us. If we have been delivered from our sins, then we are probably grateful for that deliverance. I am thankful for the fact that I do not have to be ashamed of the things that I do. Each and every one of us probably have our own list of things, and they probably vary considerably depending on from whence you came and how far along you are in your walk with the Lord.
What were we like, before Jesus entered our lives? Even if you are not to a point of total surrender, your life changes or begins to change the moment you begin thinking about Jesus. You cannot help thinking about His sacrifice, you cannot help thinking about God’s extreme love for us because He allowed His Son to experience such an excruciating ordeal.
Without a doubt, we are completely different in many aspects after we begin approaching Jesus. We go from a soul that is dead in sin and become a reason for heavenly celebration as we look forward to an eternity in the presence of our Lord.
We almost have to ask the question, “What caused the change?” It is the acceptance by Jesus of us, regardless of the state that He found us in. He takes us as we are and at that point where we mutually find each other, He sees in us what we can become through Him. It has nothing to do with what the church board sees in us. It has nothing to do with what the police might see in us. It has nothing to do with what a sanctified, cranktified and petrified frowning prune of an individual who has warmed a church pew for years but has little else to show for their relationship with Jesus, it has nothing to do with what they see as the possibility for a sinner. Jesus sees through the dirt and filth. Jesus sees through the moral decay. Jesus sees through the bad choices. Jesus sees through the addictions, the crimes, and the lack of past relationship with Him, and instead sees a soul that can be with Him in heaven for eternity. How many of our closest friends would ever see us with that optimism?
From the depths of sin, we exclaim, Why was I spared? We often times look around and wonder why me? What is about my life that is worth sparing? Why would Jesus choose me to be worthy of sparing? I look back and I see so many of my friends that have died early, I know so many they didn’t even get a break, I know many that were walking closer to God than I was, but Jesus chose me. When everyone that I knew failed to see anything worthy and me, when those that I worked with saw me as a waste of time, when even my family had given up on me, Jesus saw what I could become.
With this in mind, looking at the sacrifices, looking at the grace, I have to ask myself the question, How should I continue on? What is it that I can do to repay for the sacrifice that Jesus made for me? How can I pass this gift on? How can I increase the harvest for the kingdom of God? These are questions that I will have to ask myself for the remainder of my life. I will love God and I will serve God for the remainder of my life. If your salvation experience is even remotely similar to mine, then perhaps you feel the same way.
Prayer for Spiritual Enlightenment:
I. What are we thankful for?
Paul begins his letter to his student Timothy with a thanksgiving offering to his Lord through which he was saved. In the many letters that Paul wrote, he never failed to thank God for all his blessing. Paul knew that it was God’s intervention that made the difference in his life. Paul never missed an opportunity to share that with those around him. Let us take another look at verse 12:
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,
Paul is thankful to Jesus for what He has done, Paul also knows that the strength that he has comes from Jesus. Paul asks the question why did Jesus strengthened me? Paul goes on to answer his own question, because Jesus considered him faithful, and because Jesus put him into service.
I have to ask the question do we thank Jesus? I think too many take things for granted, it is almost as if we expect Jesus to do things for us. We expect wealth! We expect good health! We expect to live a blessed life! It all of this do we even see Jesus’ sacrifice? Paul hits on a very important idea, we need to be thankful to God, we need to count on God for our strengthening. If we are faithful in our thanksgiving, if we seek our strengthening through the Holy Spirit, it is only then that we are faithful, as we are expected to be, and be used in Jesus’ service.
Too often, we settle for sitting in the pews, and watch the world go to hell, instead of seeking that strength that is available through Jesus. This is what Paul wants Timothy to know, this is what Paul wants us to know as well. Are we thankful? Are we being found faithful? Are we being used by Jesus? We need to do some serious thought on this matter, perhaps this morning it could be our prayer.
II. What were we like?
Some live by the phrase that the past is gone, into a certain degree that is true, however if we look at our past, and see it as a lesson in not making the same mistakes again, we might be wise to reflect on it occasionally. look at what Paul writes in verse 13:
13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;
Look at how Paul describes himself; he is a blasphemer, he is a persecutor, he is a violent aggressor. These would be considered to be some serious character flaws if we were to choose someone to be a leading authority on the ways of the Lord. This is Paul’s spiritual pedigree, this is Paul’s past, and it is in looking at this past that Paul sees the difference that Jesus has made in his life. Paul knows that he was shown mercy, and he gives a valid excuse, he was ignorant and he was an unbeliever.
Look at the change that Paul made in his life, he once was a blasphemer but now he holds God’s word sacred. Paul was once a persecutor, but now he finds himself persecuted. He was ignorant of the truth, his eyes were opened on the road to Damascus, and now he believes. Paul looks at the past, not to repeat the past, but to go forward for the ways of the Lord.
How would we describe ourselves? How did we treat people who were Christian? Until we believed ourselves, we were probably cruel, we were probably mean, and we were certainly unworthy of Jesus’ death. Can we claim ignorance? Can we claim unbelief? Only if we make a complete break from our past, and look forward, with thanksgiving, to the strength that we received through Jesus, and the opportunities that He gives us to serve.
III. What caused the change?
The change in almost nothing less than phenomenal, he went from a persecutor of the Christians to the leading evangelist of the Christians. In the past he had taken upon himself to do away with this young upstart religion and now he would do anything to see a go forward, even if it means forfeiting his life. What was the reason for this change? Or better yet, we might say who was the reason for this change. Let us look at what Paul writes in the 14th and 15th verse:
14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
Paul tells us that God’s grace was more abundant than his depravity. God’s goodness is beyond any evil that is within us! If we choose Jesus, and we choose to change our ways, we will change in there is no failing. Paul found this out on the road Damascus. Paul lays out in plain language that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and of those sinners he was the worst.
No matter where we were, or no matter where we are, the grace of Jesus is beyond any obstacle in our lives. It doesn’t matter what social class were from, it doesn’t depend on how financially well off we are, it doesn’t matter where were from, it doesn’t matter how deep in sin we were in, Jesus came to save us this is the message that Paul wants to make sure that Timothy teaches the others.
IV. Why was I spared?
With all the people who have lived right all their lives, it really makes me wonder sometimes why me? I think many of you think the same thing, what do I have to offer, what do we have to offer? With all the other people around me, with more talent, coming out of less sin, with more knowledge about God? Why was I spared? Look at what Paul writes in verses 16 and 17:
16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
The answer is our spiritual pedigree. Jesus’ patience was demonstrated through Paul’s testimony, Jesus’ power is demonstrated in our testimony. The past that we’ve been delivered out of serves as a backdrop to the work that Jesus does in us. We might read the Bible to see what we need to do, but those that are still searching, in fact many of us before we became established with the Lord, looked to others as a living chapter out of God’s Word. It is the stories that we share with those that are looking, stories about our problems, our battles, our failures as well as our victories, put the saving grace of our Lord into a perspective that they can understand at that particular time in their lives, and allow them to move forward. We are to be an example to others who just might believe and as a result of their belief, find their way to a heavenly eternity through it all.
How many people do you think saw the change in Saul turned Paul and realized the incredible changing power available through a relationship with Christ. How many of the town drunks, would think more seriously about their own chance of conversion if they witnessed one of their fellow drunks saved and sanctified? Our spiritual pedigree puts us in a certain league where our effectiveness in spreading the Gospel is beyond any training, schooling or degree. This is why we are saved from the guttermost to the uttermost.
V. How should I continue on?
As Christians, we have been given a serious assignment. Many of us have been delivered from sinful living, many of us the been saved from premature death, most of us are blessed beyond our wildest imagination. We owe Jesus our lives, we owe Jesus our eternity. But us read our final Scripture this morning:
18 ¶ This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
Paul finishes this section with a pep talk of sorts, he knows the things that have been predicted about Timothy, he feels the hand of God upon his student, so he leaves Timothy with this.
Paul tells Timothy to fight the good fight, he is not fooling Timothy into believing that things are going to be easy, he wants Timothy to know that there are going to be hard times. The battle that lies ahead is going to be worth all the trouble, it is going to be worth all the pain, it is going to be worth all the sacrifice, even if that sacrifice is his own life.
We need to realize that there is going to be a battle is well, we should not fool young converts into thinking it’s going to be easy. We face difficult situations, we will see hard times, we will not be exempt from pain, we may have to lay down our lives.
Keeping the faith
Paul reminds Timothy above all else to keep the faith. This is something that we need to hear. I think at some point in time, when we face difficult decisions or severe hardships as the result of our Christian walk, our faith fades. Paul had the experience, he went through the hardships, he suffered the consequences, he was imprisoned, he was beaten, and he lived with the shadow of death over him, but he never lost faith. This is Paul’s legacy to Timothy, this is Paul’s legacy to each and every one of us.
Paul also wanted Timothy have a clear mind about the things that he did. He did not want to see Timothy weighed down by wrong decisions, or wrong thinking. Timothy was to go forwad with a clear conscience. How much better do we operate with a clear conscience? If we don’t regret the things that we say, the things that we have done, or the things that we haven’t done, we are freer to do what we need to do.
Using those that have failed as a backdrop for our need to continue victoriously.
Look at all the Christians around us that have failed. We see from the top Christian leaders all the way down to our next-door neighbors, our co-workers, members of our family, close friends, and even those in our own congregations. We see the devastating results of spiritual failure, testimonies that lose their power, ministry opportunities ruined, we need to look at those situations can see them as reasons to succeed even more. In the process of looking at those that have failed we shouldn’t belittle them, we should pray for them, and then doing everything in our power through our praying for the power to not let the same fate happen to us. There are too many lost souls around us. They may not have another chance after us.
What have we learned from our past mistakes? Paul looked at his past, his spiritual pedigree, he saw the intervention of Jesus in his life, and he went forward from that point always working to further the kingdom of God. Let us look at our past, not to glorify the sin in it, but to see our ignorance and Jesus’ glorious hand of deliverance. Paul wanted success for Timothy, he wants success for us as well.
Conclusion:
Just how thankful our way for the blessings that we have? When we go before the Lord in prayer, is it a one-sided conversation? Do we simply ask ask ask, or do we recognize the blessings that God has bestowed?
Let us take a moment and reflect on our past, what were we like, would be like to be like that again? It took the shed blood of Jesus, it took his death upon the cross, God sacrificed his only son, have we ever weighed those consequences?
Our ability to change was from Jesus. If there are those that have yet to change, it will be through Jesus. When everyone has written you off, when you are cast aside, when you are considered no good, when you are overlooked as worthy, this is where Jesus sees you how you could be, and carries his cross up the hill, and dies for you, just as he died for me. Perhaps you might not see it immediately, Jesus does.
If you have been saved from all horrible past, do you share it with others? As terrible as you may see the past, to someone it might be the key to the future. There are things that you might have experienced that can help others through the same situation. It might just answer the question why was I spared.
Are we ready to fight the good fight? Do we have what it takes to maintain the faith? Will we proceed in such a way where we will always have a clear conscience? This is how we are to continue on. Paul expected that of Timothy, and the same is expected of us.
Call to Commitment:
As we open the altar this morning, perhaps there is someone that wishes to make a deeper commitment today. Jesus is always waiting, he’s waiting for you.
Perhaps there’s a need for strength for the fight ahead. Let that be the reason for our prayers this morning. Perhaps we just need a loving touch from Jesus, at a time when our faith is low. Let that be the reason for our prayers this morning.
Let our consciences remain clear, our thoughts true, and our motives pure, as we continue to follow Jesus and build up the kingdom of God.
