Sinners Set Free To Serve

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.

5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,

6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk,

7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

8 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,

9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,

11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,

13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

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.

17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,

20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

1. Introduction – Have you ever been given something precious to guard for someone else?

   This last week I went through an old computer hard drive and transferred my archived photo catalog (of 30,000 pictures) onto my current computer. Which meant I was nostalgically scrolling through folder after folder of pictures from the last decade or more. As I did, my kids began to huddle around the computer. My oldest, Ethan (He’ll be 9 this month) wanted to see the pictures from the day he was born.

   I remember that day like it was yesterday. Those of you who are parents probably remember the day your first was born too. Do you remember the joy? Do you remember the anticipation? Do you remember the dread?

   “Dread? Why dread?”

   Because you were scared. I was. I’d become the pastor of this church 6 months previous to becoming a dad. I’d signed loan documents on the purchase of our first house 1 month before. Neither of those two major life steps caused the same concern or fear. I certainly did have some anxiety in buying a home—“can we really afford this? Are we going to be able to make the payments?” I had more than a few moments of pause in becoming the pastor of this church—“Do I really have a clue what I’m getting into?” (if you’re wondering, the answer is “no.”). But leading this church and buying a home paled in comparison to becoming a dad.

   It’s difficult for me to find the right analogy for becoming a dad. It’s like someone giving you charge over their most prized possession just before they go on a long journey, “Please take care of this until I return.” Conceptually that’s how it felt, but it’s so much bigger than just some thing that someone owns.

   Becoming a dad was being handed the stewardship of a life. And what’s crazy is that just 25 days before we’d become parents, Andrea and I had gone through 3 weeks of intense identity checks and credit checks and paperwork to receive the keys of a $350,000 home. But becoming parents… The two of you walk into a hospital and 24-48 hours later you walk out with another life, and all they care about is, “Do you have a car seat?” It’s surreal. No paperwork. No background or credit check. (I mean we background check you to serve in virtually any area here at Cross Connection, but all you need is a carseat to take home your very own baby)

   You have all this commotion, and all these professionals telling you where to sit, where to stand, when to breath and when to push. And then once the baby is there, they all disappear and basically say, “You take it from here. You got a car seat, right?”

   There’s a weightiness to this stewardship.

1. Paul here to Timothy writes that good teaching is…
2. 1 Timothy 1:11 ~ according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. 
1. the glorious gospel of the blessed God … was committed to my trust.
1. It’s the glorious gospel of the Blessed God
1. It is something of immense value. Majestic, magnificent, excellent, splendid, glorious value.
2. So majestically glorious that Christ died—God incarnate died—for it to become a potent reality.
1. Illustration — A few years ago my friend David Guzik was inspired by a family member to do something absolutely amazing. He and I were at a baseball game when he told me, “I’ve decided I’m going to donate a kidney.”

   “What” I asked.

   “Yeah, I figure, I have two of them, I’m healthy, I only need one and there are people out there that are near death because both of theirs are diseased. So I’m going to donate one to someone in need.” 

1. What kind of value is such a gift? It can hardly be described.Now of course in that situation, my friend still goes on living. Most such organ donations (almost all, except kidneys really) require the death of one for the life of another.
2. Christ died for our sins. That’s the gospel truth!
1. Just as there is no life for the person needing a lung or heart transplant without the transplant, so too there is no gospel without the death of Christ. There is no salvation without the cross.
2. And this gloriously beautiful and immensely valuable transaction has been (Paul writes)…
2. Committed to my trust
1. It’s been entrusted to us (just as it was to Paul 2,000 years ago).

2. Point 1 — God entrusts us with glorious good news. 
   
   
1. What exactly does that mean?
1. We’ve been entrusted with the glorious good news of God. Thesalvation of sinners. The Spiritual heart transplant for the spiritually sick hearts of sinners who are utterly without hope in this world. And this heart transplant would not even be possible if it were not for the death of Christ.
2. You have this heart transplant in your possession.
3. You have been entrusted with the potential souls of countless individuals who’s eternal state hinges upon what you do or don’t do with it.
1. When a medical team has a heart or lungs for transplant, they only have about 6 hours to get them transplanted into a recipient. There’s no delaying. They don’t wait!
2. Almost 152,000 people die every day.
1. If it is true that 31% of humans are Christians, then more than 100,000 people die a day without Christ
1. That’s 36.5 million people a year. That’s the population of California annually.
2. That’s more than the population of the United States every decade.
3. The Adam bomb (Romans 5:12) explodes every single day taking 100,000 souls to hell.
3. I have to be very honest with you, and to my shame. I am far to casual about the glorious gospel of my blessed savior, that has been committed into my trust. Sinfully so.
4. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 ~ For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

   7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 

1. God’s power and glory are in us. May we not be those that hoard it.
1. Matthew 10:7-8 ~ “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
   8 “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 
3. 1 Timothy 1:12 ~ And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 
1. If you would say, at this moment, that Jesus is Christ and Lord in your life (He’s savior and master) then this is true for you too… 

1. Point 2 — God enables us to be ambassadors of glory. 
   
   
1. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He spoke to His disciples saying…
1. Acts 1:8 ~ “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 
1. The word “power” in Acts 1:8 has the same Greek root as the word “enabled” in 1 Timothy 1:12.
2. You shall receive power and you shall be witnesses. If you feel like you’re lacking in ability to be a witness of and for Christ, you’re not.
1. Thank God, the ability to be witnesses is not of us.
1. 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 ~ Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
   6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 
2. God has enabled you and I—empowered us from on high—to be ambassadors of His glorious good news.
1. 1 Corinthians 5:20-21 ~ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
   21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 
1. Ambassador: an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country.
2. Now you may think at this point, “of course the guy who wrote this letter would be “counted … faithful” to be put by Jesus into service as an ambassador of His glorious gospel message. But this guy Paul, he’s apostle worthy. Not me.”
1. But nothing could be further from the truth…
4. 1 Timothy 1:13 ~ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 
1. In another place Paul writes…
1. 1 Corinthians 15:9 ~ For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 
1. Maybe you feel that you’re not worthy to be called an ambassador. Maybe you have a long list of failures and sins. Maybe you identify more with the list in 1 Timothy 1:9-10, than you do with minister and ambassador of the gospel.
1. 1 Timothy 1:9-10 ~ knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
   10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 
2. If that’s the thought you’re having, then point 3 is for you…

3. Point 3 — God’s entrusting and enabling are according to the riches of His mercy and grace, in spite of our sin. 
   
   
1. You’re right. You’re not good enough. You’re a sinner. You’ll never be (by your own efforts or merit) good enough. But Jesus deals with us on the basis of His rich mercy and grace.
5. 1 Timothy 1:14 ~ And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 
1. He mercifully doesn’t give us the justice we deserve.
2. He graciously gives us the salvation and enabling power we don’t deserve.
3. Why?
6. 1 Timothy 1:15 ~ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 
1. This is a faithful saying …

1. Point 4 — God is rich toward sinners because He is the savior of sinners. 
   
   
2. J.B. Phillips ~ This statement is completely reliable and should be universally accepted:—“Christ Jesus entered the world to rescue sinners” 
1. This is the purpose of Christ coming.
1. Mark 10:45 ~ “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” 
2. Luke 19:10 ~ “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” 
3. John 10:10 ~ “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 
2. sinners, of whom I am chief
1. The proper use of the law makes a proud pharisee (like Paul) a humble saint and a useful servant.
7. 1 Timothy 1:16 ~ 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. 
1. Paul considered himself to be the chief of sinners. He was a first rate sinner. And Jesus came to save such sinners.
1. Because of his sin, Christ was merciful.
1. This means, you don’t have to be good to get grace and mercy.
2. You never could be good enough to earn God’s favor anyway.
2. And why is Christ gracious and merciful to sinners?
2. For this reason …
1. We receive mercy and grace so that Jesus can prominently show off (display) His steadfast, patient, long-suffering and persevering grace in us.
1. Show it off to who?
3. to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
   
   
1. Point 5 — You are God’s masterpiece of grace for sinners in need of the same. 
   
   
4. This might be news to you, but it’s true…
1. Illustration — In 2014, while investigating a leaky roof, French homeowners opened up a sealed-off section of their attic to find a large-format canvas painting in remarkably good condition that is believed to be the work of Italian Master Caravaggio, painted between 1600 and 1610. If it is in fact the work of Caravaggio, it is estimated to be worth $136 million. It is now on display in the Brera Art Gallery in Milan, Italy. 
1. Masterpieces aren’t meant for leaky attics. They’re meant to be on display.
1. Matthew 5:14-16 ~ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
   15 “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
   16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. 
2. Ephesians 2:8-10 ~ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
   9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
   10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 
5. With this beautiful reality presented, Paul breaks into what was no doubt one of the earliest doxologies (formal liturgical praise) of the church.
8. 1 Timothy 1:17 ~ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 
1. Only the eternal, immortal, invisible and wise God could accomplish such a glorious salvation.
1. Therefore…
9. 1 Timothy 1:18-20 ~ This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,
   19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,
   20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. 
1. In Verse 3 Paul said, “remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine.” Now Paul says, “This charge I’ve hand off to you. Christ counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Now this work there in Ephesus is committed to you. Wage the good warfare. In faith. With a good conscience. Fight the good fight.”
1. The Christian faith and the work of the ministry is handed off from one to another. And for the last 2,000 years it has been faithfully handed off from one generation to another, right on down to us.
1. Sadly, not all fight the good fight. Some reject the faith, and suffer shipwreck. Like two prominent figures in Ephesus, Hymenaeus and Alexander (Alexander maybe the same one mentioned in Acts 19:33).
2. Paul was serious about this stuff … so serious he spiritually “delivered” blasphemers “to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.”
1. 1 Corinthians 5:5 ~ deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.