The Chief of Sinners

VERSES 12-13

Good morning! My name is David Sorn, and I’m the Lead Pastor at Renovation Church

We are so excited to jump back into 1 Timothy this morning.

So go ahead and grab a Bible

1 Timothy 1:12-13

Page 810

We are in week two of our 1 Timothy series.

Which is a letter written by one of the early leaders of the Christian Church, the Apostle Paul.

And he wrote to his young apprentice, Timothy.

And while much of the letter contains instructions about what churches should look like, today, we get a bit of a biographical section from Paul.

(1 Timothy 1:12-13) – NIV

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.

So Paul starts out by thanking Jesus that He has given him strength and appointed him into service…to serve God.

And that is true of every one of us as Christians.

God has called you, gifted you, and strengthened you TO (not sit on the couch), but to serve Him.

Speaking of, we needed almost 300 people to step forward as volunteers so we could go to 4 services starting on March 16th

(4 services slide).

And we are pretty much there…

…Our only holdup is that we are still waiting on a number of you to respond to the emails your Ministry Leaders sent…so we can get you start…so please do so.

Let your “yes be yes”

(Chief of Sinners)

So verse 12 is about service, and then in verse 13, Paul says that he was once a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and a violent man.

Acts 8:1 tells us that Paul, who was formerly named Saul, gave approval to the execution of the Christian leader Stephen.

In Acts 26, when Paul is recounting his testimony, we learn more about his past:

(Acts 26:9-11) – NIV

9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

So this is about the least likely person on the planet that anybody expected to become a Christian.

And yet, by God’s grace, he did!

QUADRANT #1: I’M THE BEST – GOD’S GRACE IS SHALLOW

Let’s keep reading.

1 Timothy 1:14-15

Page 810

(1 Timothy 1:14-15) – NIV

14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

(Chief of Sinners)

Those 2 verses are so rich

In fact, in order to help us better understand these 2 important verses, I came up with a quadrant diagram

(Show Quadrant Blank Version)

And we’re going to look at the implications for your life if you see God’s grace as shallow or deep…

…and also the implications for how you look at yourself.

So look at verse 15 again.

Paul says: Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners

That’s why Jesus came.

You and I are sinners. We sin…against other people…and against God himself.

And so thus, we need a Savior. Jesus, who is only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12)

However, many Americans sit in this upper right quadrant.

We have been told since infancy how awesome we are, and that we are unique, and special, and wonderful…

…and so many of us have been conditioned to think of ourselves as all the way to the right on this x-axis.

At minimum, many of us think: “I’m perfect just the way I am”

And yet, on our vertical axis, the y-axis (welcome to math class!) most Americans think very little of God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

In part because they just don’t think they need it.

Either they think that God is just OBLIGATED to forgive 100% of people, or, like many, they think that as long as they don’t kill anyone or do something heinous, they’ll go to heaven…

…and thus, here is what their hearts say:

(Upper Right Quadrant)

“I don’t really need God.”

It’s actually quite difficult to share the gospel with someone in this quadrant because they think they are just fine on their own

But what does the Bible say?

It says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”

It’s saying:

We are not the best or perfect just the way we are.

We are broken.

We are sinners. All of us.

And that’s why Jesus came to die on the cross…to take the punishment for our sin.

And this is so important to understand.

What the Bible is saying is that…your fundamental problem in life is not that you came from a toxic household, or that you need to stop drinking, or that you need to stress less.

Listen, go ahead and work on those things, but they aren’t your deepest, most fundamental problem in life.

Your fundamental problem in life is that you are a sinner who needs a Savior.

That’s why Jesus came.

Not to teach us to be kind, or give us tips to improve our family life…

He came to die on a cross to save us (that’s what verse 15 is saying)

QUADRANT #2: I’M THE BEST – GOD’S GRACE IS DEEP

Let’s talk about the next quadrant…the lower right one…because some Christians even end up here.

They read in the Bible that Jesus did indeed have to die for them, maybe they even become born again, and have an experience with the grace of Jesus…

…but over time, maybe because of the way the grew up, or just the overwhelming dominance of the culture, they oddly fall into this lower RIGHT quadrant.

Sure, if you asked them about God’s grace (this vertical axis), they would say that God’s grace is deep, and He can forgive the worst of sinners.

But personally, deep inside, they don’t think that they really need much of God’s grace, because well, they’re pretty good people.

This is like the parable Jesus told about the prayers of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (whom by the way, both believed in God)

(Luke 18:11-14a) – NIV

11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.

Now, of course we never talk like that Pharisee, but too many of us think like him

And so, for many, their “heart reaction” is that of the lower right quadrant, and they think this:

(Lower Right Quadrant)

Grace is just for those other people who need it

And this sort of thinking, where you’re never as bad as the person sitting next to you…

…and God is probably extra pleased with you because you came to church this morning, and you tithe, and you go to House Church, and you go…

…when your mind gets focused on how good you are, or how spiritual you are, the gospel gets diminished.

Yes, you intellectually believe God’s grace is deep, but you believe that God’s grace didn’t have to go that deep for you (cuz you’re a pretty good person)

And thus, as a result, you end up with very little passion for God because you feel like God had to do very little for you

And paul would say, “You have an unbiblical understanding of who you are”

QUADRANT #3: I’M THE WORST – GOD’S GRACE IS SHALLOW

Let’s talk next about this upper left quadrant.

Here, people begin to feel like they are broken, or a mess, BUT in the UPPER left quadrant, they still don’t think much or know much of God’s grace.

And honestly, I would say that for most of the 20th century, and even into the early 2000’s, you could place most secular Americans in the upper right quadrant.

But now, in part because of the failure of secularism to solve life’s biggest questions, our culture is broadly & slowly transitioning to the upper left quadrant

And that’s also partly because of the rise of technology & social media.

We live in a culture where we’re now supposed to show everyone this curated version of how great our lives are

We’re supposed to shout out, “I’m the best, look at my house, my vacation, my happy kids with all their trophies, how much my family serves at church, happy valentine’s day to my spouse, we have the perfect marriage, love you honey, xoxoxo!”

And yet, even though we say that on the outside, often that’s not what we feel inside.

I feel this, not just on social media, but standing up here, now in front of so many of you.

I feel this tension of who I’m supposed to be (or who you think I am), and who I know I am.

Not that I have some deep dark, secret sin.

But I’m a human being just like you: I yell at my kids and get mad in traffic.

A couple of weeks ago, I was driving in Blaine, and this car in front of me started to get in the right turn lane, but then they suddenly swerved back in our line.

And I got mad, and I honked at them.

And right after I did, my daughter said, “Dad, that car has a Renovation sticker!”

And I went, “OH NO!”

And then, two blocks later, they passed us in the other lane, and I said to my daughter, “Duck!”

The question for all of us is, “What do we do in that tension…what do we do when we feel the guilt of our sin?”

And most Americans don’t answer this correctly.

Some of us, just try and deny it.

And we just want to slide right back to the right of this continuum

And say, “No, no, I’m not bad. I can live however I want. (we got all these defense mechanisms)

Or, at least I’m not like those addicts and adulterers!

But for a lot of us, the feeling that we are broken and don’t measure up starts to tear us apart inside.

Our internal conversation is: “I’m supposed to be good! Everybody else looks good! But I don’t feel good.”

And that incongruence can be crushing.

This is partly why anxiety and depression are skyrocketing in our country.

And this quadrant (this combination) is actually a devastating recipe.

If you combine the feelings of realizing you’re broken, but you keep a very low view of God…

…it’s crushing. Absolutely Crushing to the human soul.

(Upper Left Quadrant)

And so many people are walking around right now feeling like their life has no hope.

They feel like they will never be good enough.

This is why we gotta get out and share the gospel, and partly why we’re seeing so many come to Christ.

It’s easier to share now than it was 10 years ago in the upper right quadrant.

Because, the crazy thing is…when you’re here…you’re actually halfway correct.

You will never be good enough.

But you need to combine that with God’s grace.

QUADRANT #4: I’M THE WORST – GOD’S GRACE IS DEEP.

So let’s talk about this lower left quadrant: That is…when we feel deeply that we have sinned, and yet, we believe now that God’s grace is so deep.

This quadrant reflects the truth of Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy in the Bible:

Verse 15: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

The old King James version says, “I am the Chief of sinners”

Now, the Bible is not saying that you don’t have value.

You have A LOT of value.

You are made in the very image of God.

Christians, you are a child of God.

But in terms of our own ability to do good, we are powerless.

We should all see ourselves as “The chief of sinners”

Even as God transforms us.

Because even Paul thought that way!

Because notice Paul doesn’t say, “I WAS the worst,” he says, “I AM the worst.”

And that’s not to say that God didn’t change Him, He changed him tremendously.

But if you read Paul’s writings, like in Romans 7, you’ll see Paul still struggles with sin just like you and I.

If Paul drove a car, I bet he’d yell at people once in a while.

In Romans 7, he says, “Why do I do the things I don’t want to do?”

If you ever get around deep & mature Christians, they will tell you this truth:

The more you grow in Christ, the more aware you become of your own sinfulness.

C.S. Lewis said it this way in Mere Christianity (which you can get in our library).

“When a man is getting better, he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less.” – C.S. Lewis

It’s rather counterintuitive.

Because we’d like to think that as we grow more mature in our faith, we will notice less sin in our lives.

And yes, while you grow, you do begin to conquer sins, but at the same time, in your newfound spiritual maturity and sensitivity you just become more aware of other sins.

Because, the closer you walk to the light of Jesus, the more you can see the darkness on your own life.

(Upper Left Quadrant)

And this is where, I think many, even longtime Christians err in their thinking.

They begin to spiritually mature and walk closer to God, but then, when they start to see even more of their sin…

… they get overly discouraged.

And they say, “Ugh, I’m still sinning. I feel like I’m not changing. Why even try?”

Have you been there?

Maybe you’re there right now.

And this is where, my friend, you have to press more deeply into the old Christian truths.

And you slide more to the left, and more down the chart.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

The Chief of Sinners

You always will be this side of heaven.

And yet, Paul tells us that God’s grace for you is enough.

Look at verse 14 again.

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly

This verse is so important.

Too many of us Christians live like the grace of God is poured out…but with a limit.

Oh sure, you believe God forgave you when you gave your life to him at age 5, or at summer camp, or like many of you, in our services over the past few years.

But, when you mess up, the devil whispers to you: “Ha, you messed up again…and again!”

“I thought you were supposed to be a Christian!

“God is giving up on you!”

And what we do, is we end up treating God’s grace like it’s this limited supply.

We wrongfully think that God’s grace is like the water in this bottled water.

And God poured a bunch out on you when you got saved, but every time you sin again, He has to pour more out on you…

And some of you feel like God is probably running out of grace for you.

But Paul says, “the grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly”

I think of it this way.

Anyone ever been to the largest waterfall in MN?

(High Falls photo)

I took this photo a number of years ago when I was there with Lindsey.

This is the high falls on the MN/Canadian border right on the north shore in Grand Portage State Park

And you ever just sit and look at a waterfall and think, “How does the water just keep coming? Like, why doesn’t it ever run out?”

But it just keeps coming

That’s how God’s grace works.

It never runs out.

And that doesn’t mean that we should take advantage of it…

Romans 6 says we shouldn’t take his grace in vain.

(Lower Left Quadrant)

But we need to rediscover the truths of 1 Timothy 1, and get back to this lower left quadrant…

…because this is where the freedom is!

…this is the where the joy is!

“I’m the Chief of Sinners, but His grace runs deeper”

Look at Romans 5:20

(Romans 5:20b) – NIV

where sin increased, grace increased all the more

This means you cannot outsin the grace of God.

There is no depth to which you can descend that the grace of God does not run deeper.

So I don’t know what you’ve done…..but let the grace of God, like a waterfall, wash over you.

AN EXAMPLE & THE GOSPEL

And look at verse 16

1 Timothy 1:16-17

Page 810

(1 Timothy 1:16-17) – NIV

16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Paul is this incredible example for every person in this room.

That God can forgive any sinner here.

And He can not only forgive you, but transform you.

And call you to walk with Him and know Him.

(lower left quadrant)

And to some of you in this room, He’s calling you right now for the first time.

And God is saying:

You can’t do this on your own.

…that dissonance that you feel of who you want to be, but you never seem to measure up, it’s real.

We make mistakes. We sin even.

But Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth to die for your sins.

He took the punishment that you deserved for your sins.

Because we’ve sinned against God.

But when you believe in Him, verse 16 says you receive eternal life.

And what happens is your faith in Jesus means that His death for you covers the payment you owe God.

That when you believe in Jesus, that someday at your judgment, God will look at you, and say, “Not guilty. My son paid for that on the cross”

And thus you’ll be able to enter heaven (because you won’t have to pay for your sins in hell, Jesus paid for them)

And you can spend eternity in heaven.

And you can start the amazing blessings of eternal life now, by walking with Jesus here and now.

But our passage says it all starts with faith.

To believe that Christ Jesus came to save sinners…sinners like me…like you

Do you believe that?

I want to give you an opportunity to.

I’m going to ask that everyone in the room just close your eyes for a minute or so. And bow your head.

If you need to make this decision for the first time today…to tell Jesus that you need His forgiveness for your sins…to make Him the Leader of your life…to accept His gift of Eternal life…And to invite Him in to have a relationship with you

In just a minute, I’m going to ask you to stand

No one’s going to be looking at you at all, that’s why we had everyone close their eyes.

This is an opportunity for you to surrender. And invite Him in to save you.

Maybe you’ve even been thinking about doing this all last week…or even the last month.

And now it’s time.

And so if you need to tell God for the first time today that you do believe, and you want to follow Him and be forgiven.

Then I invite you to raise your hand wherever you are right now.

The Bible tells us that in this moment we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths.

Repeat after me

Dear God

I confess to you, that I have sinned against you.

But God I believe, that you sent your Son Jesus, to take my place

And God I thank you, for forgiving my sins.

And now I commit, to following you, with my life.

Amen, you can have a seat.

For those of you that raised your hand…

Important decision, need resources, what to do next.

I’m going to pray and close the service in a second, but for the TWO/THREE of you that stood up, come see me after.

Let me pray