Paul: A Changed Heart 1 Timothy 1:12-17 (NKJV)

Transcription

1 Paul: A Changed Heart 1 Timothy 1:12-17 (NKJV) In verse 11, Paul proclaims that the gospel is a glorious gospel. And then in verses 12 through 17, he will tell how glorious it was in his life; what the gospel did for Paul. Let s go ahead and read verses 12 through 17, and then we will make our way back through it verse by verse. Vs. 12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry There are seven points today that I want to walk through that come from our text. The text speaks of Paul and how the gospel changed his life, but the text would also speak about how he was called into the ministry of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. Notice the first one here 1. He had a grateful heart. Paul had no regrets serving when it came to serving the Lord. When it came to the ministry he was called to, he was thankful. If you don t enjoy the ministry, then you shouldn t be in the ministry. Noted, there will be times that are rough and the warfare can be tough, but if you don t enjoy serving the Lord by serving His people, then don t get into the ministry. It will never work. This last week I took the guys up to another prayer retreat. What a blessed group of guys that the Lord has raised up for this season! Every one of them is blessed to be a part of what God is doing here at Wildwood. They love the Lord and they love you. We are very grateful to be a part of such a great church. Over the 27 years I ve been in ministry, I have met guys that are miserable in the ministry. They complain about the pay, or the people, or the pastor, or their position, and when they ask me how I am doing in the ministry, I almost feel a little guilty saying I love it. I love the people and I love being a pastor! I get to wake up each day and serve the Lord by serving His people. What a joy that is! Copyright 2016 Chris Fraley 1

2 Paul, with all that he went through to get the gospel out prison, sickness, death threats, poverty, and more he could say, I thank Christ Jesus our Lord that He called me to the ministry. Don t let the peripheral things that go along with ministry steal the joy of serving the Lord in ministry. 2. He had a dependent heart. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me Enable: to be made strong, to receive strength, to empower. Paul understood that to thrive in the ministry his strength had to be supernatural, natural strength would not be sufficient. His sufficiency had to come from Christ. Listen to what Paul said to the church of Corinth Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 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 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NKJV) That word sufficient is just like the word enable. It can be translated Sufficient: to equip one with adequate power to perform the necessary duties. When Jeremiah was called to serve the Lord, it was his natural tendency to look at his inabilities. Listen to what he said Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations. Then said I: Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth. But the Lord said to me: Do not say, I am a youth, for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the Copyright 2016 Chris Fraley 2

3 kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant. Jeremiah 1:5-10 (NKJV) Jeremiah could only see his inability. I can t speak. I am too young. And the Lord reminded him, Don t confess that, being young or old, being eloquent of speech or having a speech impediment is not why I chose you. Don t let fear be a factor, and then the Lord reminds him, I will be with you. Then He reached out and touches his mouth and put His words into his mouth. The very thing that he saw as an inability became an opportunity for God s ability. 3. He had a faithful heart. It s what is needed for anyone who is in ministry; without faithfulness, doors just don t open. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2 (NKJV) Notice they didn t have to be famous men, but faithful men. You don't have to be smart to be faithful; you don't have to be talented or gifted. Faithfulness is something very down-to-earth, and every one of us can be faithful in the sphere God has given us. David Guzik Notice point number 4 here in verse He had a calling on his heart. He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry Putting: to appoint, to establish or ordain. It s where we get our word ordain. Notice here God is the one that ordains. Copyright 2016 Chris Fraley 3

4 He uses the umbrella, or the authority within the church, but at the end of the day, He is the one who calls us. In Colossians, Paul reminded the church of where this call came from. of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God Colossians 1:25 (NKJV) It was according to the stewardship from God. His calling came from the Lord, but it was the church of Antioch that would affirm this in his life. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. Acts 13:2-3 (NKJV) Paul would not have gone on the Internet and downloaded an ordination certificate. He knew that his calling came from the Lord, and the church of Antioch affirmed it. Just as it should be today, if you sense God calling you to ministry, then get involved in ministry and you will see God open doors and affirm that in your life through the local church. We see it all the time here at Wildwood. Everyone here on staff was, at one time, serving as a volunteer, and eventually we saw the calling on their life. Pastor Jason started out with set-up and tear down, and then taught in children s, and eventually started Wildlife 1 st through 3 rd, and then ended up being hired as our first youth ministry worship intern. When God moved a couple of guys in our youth ministry, he eventually became our student pastor, and then young adult pastor, and now is leading and teaching our midweek and overseeing our pastors-in-training. It all started with him being faithful in the set-up team. He had a call on his life, and through the church we have affirmed that. Notice here Paul will take a sneak peek to his past just to remind Timothy of how amazing God s grace is. Copyright 2016 Chris Fraley 4

5 Vs. 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 5. He had a humble heart. Taking a peek of Paul s past kept him humble in the present. Remembering where we came from, the pit that God brought us up and out of can keep us humble in the present and can be the very reason that God uses us greatly in the present. Paul was so against the church that he was doing everything in his power to take them out. He was persecuting them, putting them in prison, if need be murdering them, and even worse causing them to deny the name of the one that saved them. The word insolent speaks of a person who is so full of pride and it moves him to insult or injure others. We read about this in Acts As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Acts 8:3 (NKJV) Crazy, he was entering houses and dragging people into prison. Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. Acts 26:9-11 (NKJV) Paul was full of rage to the point that he had no problem even putting Christians to death. Today we would call that a religious extremist, even a religious terrorist. Trump would not let him in our country. It s interesting how at the time Paul was engaging in this way. It was in the name of God, but now looking back, he would say the reason for being this way was unbelief. He even says he was ignorant. Copyright 2016 Chris Fraley 5

6 He can look back and see how great his sin was, how far off he was, and with humility he could say what he says in verse 14 Vs. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 6. Grace changed everything about his heart. If there was ever a book that I would encourage you to read once a year, it s Pastor Chuck s book Why Grace Changes Everything. It s the key that unlocks the door to so much in our Christian life, the fruitful life. It s the grace of God, the mercy of God that truly changes everything. And that s what Paul encountered when he encountered Jesus. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NKJV) And Paul could say the grace of God towards him was exceedingly abundant, so much so that he would say Vs 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. 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. Who did He come to save? Sinners. And if you re concerned that your sin is too big, too great, for Christ to forgive, Paul points to his own life. He was a religious terrorist, someone who fought the people of God in the name of God. That s why he calls himself the chief of sinners; a pattern for those who would say I am too far-gone, my sin is too great. Let me remind you what Jesus said in Mark s gospel... Copyright 2016 Chris Fraley 6

7 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. Mark 2:17 (NKJV) In other words, if you re a sinner, then you re qualified to be a child of God. Without the recognition that we re in sin, we won t ever experience being rescued. We must see our need, that our sin is not stable ground, but unstable, like quicksand. That s how David described himself. I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord. Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJV) Notice, he realized he was in a pit, in the miry clay of sin not able to rescue himself. So what did he do? He cried out and the Lord brought him up out of the pit, put his feet on the rock, and established his steps. And did you notice what David said it caused him to do? He put a new song in his mouth. It moved him to worship, which leads us to our last point. Notice what Paul does Vs. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 7. He had a worshipful heart. When Paul realized what the Lord had done for him, it caused him to explode in praise. I think that s one of the reasons I enjoy being around Wildwood. You re worshipers. You worship because you re grateful to the King eternal, immortal, the one who in His wisdom reached out and saved you. You have been changed by grace and that s what causing you to sing. It s what inspired John Newton to write Copyright 2016 Chris Fraley 7

8 Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I am found, was blind, but now I see. Wildwood, let s not forget where we were. We were wretches, lost, and blind. Let it keep us humble and dependent. And most importantly, let us not forget how grace has changed everything. I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind, but NOW I SEE! That s why we worship. Wildwood, don t stop worshiping. Copyright 2016 Chris Fraley 8