The True Serving Minister

Take your Bibles and let's go back to first Timothy as we're doing a verse by verse chapter by chapter exposition through this New Testament book itself a letter a letter written by the esteemed apostle Paul to his younger associate pastor Timothy Timothy is in the city of Ephesus.

They are overseeing the local church in Paul's writing these things to Timothy to tell Timothy how to fashion and function as the bride of Christ. The local church is the bride of Christ, and I like that terminology.

The Bible uses the bride, not because what is not important because I like is born because God used it and he wants to say something that's precious and special and beautiful to him and his church is special and precious and beautiful to him. So as we talk about the local church were not talking about the some cold abstract thing.

This is a living body, a beautiful bride and our job in my job as a leader among the elders is to make sure we are fashioning this bride and functioning as the bride God wants us to be so. Timothy is a great great book to understand many of the practical things that God wants us to understand about the church now, as Paul writes this letter Timothy entails in attempting to want to know now to keep this church right to get it straightened up and fixed and functioning the way I wanted to right out of the gate. He begins to deal with false doctrines and false teachers, and we been looking at that of the last few weeks. He said these these guys.

It's an unrelenting effort of the enemy to creep into the church put on some Christian clothing put on some Christlike cosmetics yet what they end up teaching and what they end up doing to the church is polluting it and undermining it so he tells Timothy. In effect, be vigilant, be intentional, be unrelenting in the good fight of guarding sound doctoring and exposing and removing the wolves that always try to find their way into God's sheep. Now he continues on he's going to something instruments will talk about himself. Paul writing to Timothy is going to say, not IBM. The example of a true minister. I've talked to Timothy about understanding exposing and removing false teaching that comes into the church but one of the ways you'll know. False teaching is by comparing it with a true teacher, so this exposition of first Timothy 112 through 17, I'm going talk about the true serving minister again. What positive things that I told you a lot about how these false teachers are doing now will lay myself down beside them for the contrast. I am the true one.

They are the false ones and that's one way you can be discerning not have challenged our fathers have challenge the heads of our households likely to be discerning men of God, you got to be wise. You got to be discerning everything that called itself Christian. Everything that sheds a tear seems sacrificial and passionate about the work of the Lord is not genuine emotions doesn't make it real. You got to be wise and discerning in this day so it was true in the first entry is Paul writes to Timothy, look at our text first Timothy chapter 1 beginning in verse 12 pulses.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me because he considered me faithful, putting me in the service. 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 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am for most of all yet. For this reason, I found mercy so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in him for eternal life.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Actually what I've done. I've taken my sermon and I made two sermons out of it so will actually look the same text, Lord willing.

Next Sunday morning but this morning we will look in effect from the human side and next Sunday morning. More from the divine side all right this morning is the true serving minister is Paul again lays out his own experience as an example of what a true minister looks like, so that they may understand better how the end identify a false teacher or a false minute the first of all, this note under the apostle Paul's description of his own journey into true ministry first abolishes Roman one. I was the enemy of Christ Jesus, I actually started out as a false teacher.

I started out on the wrong side.

I started out against Christ. I was the enemy of Christ look at their verse 13 is even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor, a means all of this was against Christ and against his church.

Let's unpack this a little time personally says don't you know when I started out I was against Christ and against Christchurch and blasphemed the things of God that 18 Robertson was the most imminent Greek scholar among Baptist and probably one the most eminent Greek scholars. The world ever known. 18.

Robertson said this word blasphemer comes from two original Greek word one word blocks simply means stupid, but you love the eloquence of the Bible.

Sometimes it just me stupid. You can't make it mean anything else.

The other word means speech so's I blasphemer is that one who spews stupid speech. The party is what can be more insane. What could be more base. What could be more lacking in dignity want to be more stupid than speaking against Jesus Christ and his church is the point. Paul's like I was a blasphemer. Stupid speech you're getting more stupid than in trying to undermine Jesus Christ. He's the truth he's God incarnate, he's King of Kings and Lord of lords getting more stupid than speaking against Jesus Christ said I was that kind of a blasphemer I it has the broad idea of the word blasphemer of being the that which is against what is truly and rightly good that speak of our culture today is not our culture more blasphemous than any time in our lifetimes for sure. As person at the person area after area, segment a culture after segment culture comes forth with their viewpoints and their narrative and they seem to be against what's really biblically speaking good and right there there blasphemous in tone nine Paul's day, as he talks about intercepting a blasphemer. He says I was against the two truly good things that exists I was against the Christ of God. I spoke against the Christ verbally tried to assassinate his character and slander who he was and put a spin on everything he said and did to make him Christlike. He was an evil one. I spoke to gets the only true rightfully good morning that's ever existed than the other entity that he spoke against which is good.

Is the church. He blasphemed the church about practices. I tried to get them to blaspheme and will talk about that a bit more just a moment. So Christ, the great and glorious good which is in heaven. Paul said I was against them in my speech I blasphemed him. Then he says the church, the greatest good that is in the earth.

I blasphemed the church Christian church member.

Listen to me this morning. The one great good in the universe outside of the spiritual things in the in the earth universe that is is the church. That's why we have to be passionately intentionally local church centered when Paul was a blasphemer of the good things of God.

The attack attacked the churches boy don't we see that today will unpack that thought a little bit more in just a moment list.

The second word he said I was an enemy of Christ. I spoke against Christ and his church is a blasphemer secondly said I was a persecutor and these really overlap, but one builds and amplifies on the other. I was a persecutor verse 13 word persecute means to pursue and to put to flight. I pursued them to diminish them to scatter them literally persecuted them to crush them in Galatians 113. As Paul writes to the church of Galatia. He reflects back on his life before his conversion and he says, for you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. That's what I want, a persecutor he builds on that word blasphemer here, blasphemer and persecutor with the next word. The new American Standard translated translates it a violent aggressor. He said I didn't do anything halfway, Paul was a type a Paul was an overachiever he had learned that in the entity or religious system had risen up to oppose the Judaism of the day to post at least in his thinking. The law of Moses and the rule of Judaism and the earth, and he said I was 110% totally against this whole movement, even to the extent that I violated violently rather was aggressive in trying to destroy it.

When he was before King Agrippa giving the defense of how he left Judaism and became a Christian minister. He says in acts 26 verse 11 and I as I punish them often in all the synagogues I tried to force them to blaspheme only stuff rather the upside down. This of this. He's the blasphemer, but the culture was such that if you love Jesus and followed Christ and became a member of this church. You could no longer embrace Moses and Judy as a measure as your hope of salvation, you're embracing Christ as your hope of salvation, which to the culture of that day was defined as blasphemy.

So I flees. He says something I would try to get Christians to claim that their hope is Christ, which means their hope was not Judaism, and their hope was not Caesar that always help the Jews a little bit in this data set your gets Judaism which also get Caesar so the gig get the Romans to back them up, and he says that I try to get them to blaspheme the establishment of the status quo. The day when he says, in reality, I was the only true blasphemer but notice the wording here next 2611 the middle of the verse and being furiously enraged at them. I Person pursuing them even to foreign cities pulled and pulled any check the punches in laying out for us what he was before he was apprehended by Christ blasphemer I was against God. I couldn't reach God physically, so I just distraught tried to destroy his work in the earth, and that's his church nieces.

I was a persecutor of violent aggressor against God and against God's church any visible expression of God's goodness in God's holiness and the will in the earth. I found myself working against it and it brothers and sisters, why are we shocked when this happens to us today. Why are we surprised when this same spirit comes against us in our world today young people as you grow up and you go through school. Don't try to fabricate a Christianity that gets no resistance. Try to dream up a way to follow Christ to gets no one at odds with you. You never go out and try to be a problem you just love Jesus, you will be a problem to many it goes without even them having to look forward. If you just listen to any news our vice president. I have no confidence that Donald Trump knows Jesus Christ 01 of the one of the attributes of knowing Jesus Christ is humility not voted for him, and although form again because I ought the choices were terrible and I do like is mainly courage on principles and think about it like just what he's done in the judiciary was worth voting for you just do what you will do this my full buttocks. I will say I don't like a lot of stuff a lot a lot of things but that that he personally does in his personal life and I think a lot of that's hopefully in his past.

But anyway I don't get on trunk will talk about our vice president VP Mike pence in every sense. He seems like a good man, a man who's probably does know Christ. He has a good Christian testimony of coming to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ because of his commitment to Jesus Christ. He has a conviction that he will not be in a car are in a room are private setting with any woman other than his wife. Or maybe his daughter all he's been ridiculed for that. He's been slammed with all your your sex. If you're going to treat women differently on your misogynist youth. You just hate women. All these attacks against the wires that shock us.

It's always been that way of always been blasphemers and persecutors against those who tried to do good and try to be rotted by the way, those are good convictions both best convictions of our staff. I'll never forget Tom being in seminary class about the president of the school. Dr. B.

Gray, Allison will talk about how you gotta be this disciplined about these appearances in your life, and he said if I'm driving down the road and there is a raging storm and I see a senior adult lady walking down the road in that rain I will not put her in my car while Dr. Gray might've been a little bit extreme, but his point was you don't compromise your appearance in these kind of areas. What is the way Mike pence is I've read little bit of reading on Truett Cathy this last week as I was thinking about persecution and the culture new trick. Cathy begin the Chick-fil-A restaurants and by the way, did you know Chick-fil-A even though they're closed on Sundays of his employees can go to church Chick-fil-A by average makes three times the profit per restaurant as Kentucky fried chicken men in business honor God honor God and see what he might do Truett Cathy surpassed all now public Truett Cathy East taught the boys Sunday school class for 47 years in his local Baptist Church.

No matter what he did in his business. He was there for that Sunday school class every Sunday. He's not a perfect man, but there's a lot to respect about this meant the purpose statement he designed for his his business was this to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us his life versus Proverbs 22 one. A good name is rather to be desired than great riches. He said when I was a little boy going to the public elementary school there in Atlanta. This, the teacher had every student to bring a Bible Bible verse every Monday morning and the teacher would pick a Bible verse.

Out of all that we brought in that Monday morning would all memorize that verse in our class for that week and he said that's the one my mom and I picked out Proverbs 22 one. A good name is rather to be desired than great riches go to us.

Our public schools did that today and he's followed that in his business. Now his son has taken over the business and they have given a lot of money to ministries like Fellowship of Christian athletes who doctrinal statement like our doctrinal statement leaves in traditional biblical marriage and all. Have you seen in the news lately. The liberals are coming unglued. They they throw them out of one airport and now now the Buffalo airport said you can have a Chick-fil-A inherent in some time ago. What parts of New York City said you can have a Chick-fil-A here because you're such haters and you're so against goodness and you're so against the LB GT Q plus whatever letters I put on it.

Why should this surprise us. It is restaurant restaurant still make three times per restaurant will conduct a project. Good men good women who want to honor God will find those who come against them by continue this brother sister you find you a good church that a stand with you not happy compromise but happy stand through the store.

Thank God for men like Mike Pynchon, men like Truett Cathy and John 16 to the Lord was speaking to his disciples and he said they will make you outcast from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he's offering service to God. These groups that attack Christians and attack Bible doctrines and Bible convictions. These folks actually listening out they actually genuinely believe they are doing the Lord's work and that's what Paul was doing. Paul was convinced as he persecuted the church and blasting the name of Christ, people just knew he was doing God's work.

He was an enemy of Christ. And so it is in every generation, well rolled into not only did he say all started out as an enemy of Christ blasphemer persecutor with aggressive violence toward the church and toward Christ. He said I was a blinded unbeliever. I was a blinded unbeliever liquid there in verse 13.

If you will again.

He continues on here and he says even though us form their blasphemer had a persecutor and a violent aggressor yet. I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief were to say I did not consciously understand just what I was doing now. I had a very reputable commentator router that I think one of a lot, encouraging, and he spent a lot of time here trying to show how Paul exactly saying he wasn't as bad a sinner as other sinners because he didn't understand all he was doing. I don't think that's the point at all. I think the point that Paul is making is that we are all blinded in unbelief. We are all ignorant of what really matters to God through his gospel and the power the Holy Spirit turns the lights on in our hearts and souls and we see with clarity.

Finally, our condition and who Christ truly is a said I was like all the rest of us. Now all the rest of us. Perhaps were not under commission of the chief priest that would be the government of the day to go and physically persecute Christians, but we are all the enemies of Christ until were converted pursuing the pastor. I don't know Christ. I don't know that I'm say, but I'm not the enemy of crisis you are the very fact that you spend one more second, assuming you don't need him to say you are be the boss of your life is an attack against him but you here make the finest sweetest junior girl in this church who honors her parents is respectful to authority has pristine good morals publicly speaking if she hasn't come to Jesus Christ you right now stands against Jesus Christ. That's what Paul saying we are all the enemies of God and I come to say secondly is because were all blinded in unbelief.

We are ignorant of who he is.

We are ignorant of what we need pulses.

I didn't realize who it was. I was fighting and what it was I was fighting against what he did ask 914. He says in here he has authority from the tree.

Chief priest to bind all who call upon thy name, blinded unbelief and by the way, blinded unbelief that works against God's calls in the world is very very prominent and active in our world today. You probably noticed that some maybe it's more of recent.

I don't watch that much of the news only watch Fox News because I want to be slanted in the conservative direction, but I heard Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the house recently spoke about doing the Lord's work was rephrased were doing the Lords work not to be honest I don't know exactly the context of what of what Ms. Pelosi was talking about but I do know she is an ardent supporter of killing unborn babies. I do know she's at least giving I and affirmation by her silence of the new infanticide laws we have in our country with a baby survives abortion were to walk away and let the baby die, folks, this is wicked to the core of wickedness. I do know that she's in strong favor of promoting that which God calls sin and evil things like homosexuality and fornication and adultery. These folks don't take a stand on any of these things I do know that by her own speaking.

She attacks the things that matter.

Biblically speaking, she attacks the things that are right and good and best for our culture. Yet she and I believe she means that I believe she thinks she is doing the Lords work just as Paul attacking the church of Jesus Christ would tell you.

I thought I was doing the Lords work.

I was blinded in my unbelief. According to Christianity today magazine. The 10 most violent cultures to live in as a Christian.

The 10 countries where you're just very highly likely to be physically assaulted is not martyred for holding to the name of Christ. Number one North Korea number two Afghanistan number three Somalia number for the sedan number five Pakistan number six it to Rhea. Number seven Libya number eight Iraq number nine human number 10. I ran it was consistently clear but everyone of those and every one of those they will tell you ardently and with conviction persecute Christians to do the Lords work that her Lord is all that's who they call God, but they'll tell you that were pleasing God were honoring God by persecuting Christians you say wait a minute, pastor, none of those are Islamic countries and we know enough about that that this study are rid of the doctrines of Islam to know there gets Christian doctrine. There gets Christian so we understand that nine of the 10 are are Islamic but North Korea is not Islamic.

No North Korea worships that crazy guy who heads the country and they will tell you that persecuting Christians honors our God, chairman of the country. So in every case, the top 10 countries most likely to persecute Christians are those countries who believe they are serving God by persecuting the two things that are really good in all the universe Jesus Christ and his church is an amazing nothings changed in 2000 years brothers and sisters. This book is accurate every generation, every day in every issue that comes up so we shouldn't be surprised that there is lots of blinded unbelief still working in our culture. Matter fact, if you don't know Christ you wonder in blinded unbelief. You'll try religion. You'll try cleaning up your life you try going back to church. You'll try thousand and one seemingly good things except coming to a brokenness surrender at the cross and embracing Christ and Christ alone is your only hope of salvation and embracing Christ is the only wise Lord boss of your life. No man can do that God removes his blindness. Second Corinthians 44 and whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is in the image of God just can't see it. That's why being a gospel witness and sharing the gospel with people in the primate of the preaching of the gospel is so important because that's the instrument God uses to take off the blinders help a person come to true saving faith in Jesus Christ. There was a God new in my high school and I'll never forget the day that he stood up and civics class. I think it was something of the Bible came up and he very ardently argued to the class, the Bible was written by men you don't know that has any authority you can't tell me that's the word of God.

What proof do you have of that that guy was blinded in unbelief.

That guy was me. I was blinded in unbelief, thinking I was wise thinking I was intelligent, thinking I understood things these narrowminded simple Christians didn't understand then one day driving my car back to middle Tennessee State University. A lot of the gospel of God invaded my soul.

I'm tell you I wasn't intellectually convinced I was heart convinced I saw my sin and I embraced Jesus as my Savior and I'm your pastor. That's what Paul is saying I didn't know when I can be honest with you I didn't understand what I was doing now. I'm still accountable for the judgment bar of God.

Had I gone to face my lord the four conversion but nevertheless I was blinded. Paul said I was blinded in this unbelief. John 33 reminds us again. Jesus talking to the brilliant intellectual leader among the young men of Israel, and he could understand what Jesus was teaching some of your sitting under my voice using this don't I just can't connect the dots. I just don't see what you mean born again what you mean spirit regeneration what you mean the blindness taken out of your heart and soul what you mean, that's where Nicodemus was with Jesus. Jesus answered and answered and said to him, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again literally born from above. The spirit comes and does a spiritual rebirthing inside of you.

He cannot see interesting word can not see the kingdom of God, is it not true and Fran. This is where some of you are this morning men tirelessly seek to enter God's kingdom and their own understanding. I tried to see it through the lens of science. That's where I was.

Men can take the scientific method and I can learn what's right and what's good and what's wholesome when you make a better society. They try to find the kingdom through science the lens aside.

Some try to find the tenet that the lens of sentimentality of I hear a preacher are here are a testimony that Moose my emotions and it see their sincerity not see the tears in my heart from the tears that must be you find the kingdom of God, my friend, you try thousand tears walked on a thousand miles in the church. I think a thousand passers by the hand and never know Christ is not the lens of sentimentality is not the lens of science so look for the kingdom to the lens of personal experience. If I have this experience and that experience and nobody believes in the necessity of the Spirit's new birth mother, not even listen to your pastor this morning. You must not wait for the experience. You must go to Christ now. Are you hearing me. You know why you know you're a sinner you know you fallen short. You know you need a Savior. You turn the Christ now and believe on him. The Whiteford experience. Don't try to find the kingdom through the lens of personal experience, the lens of sentimentality the lens. Aside from some try the lens of rigid discipline while going to spend my life unable to be ordered.

I'm to do more right things I want to structure myself that can help you to see the kingdom. Some try to look to the lens of religion going back to church. I will talk to the pastor I'm going to start taking the Lord's supper.

I'm going to start attending the table of the sacraments.

I'm going to I'm going to be more faithful to my church.

I want to start giving a tithe that will not enable you to see the kingdom of God is not through the lens of religion and is not the lens of morality. I will stop gambling on the ballgames I know to be unfaithful to my marriage vows anymore. Looking at that stuff. I'm looking at. I will clean out my life morally lens of morality that cannot enable you to see the kingdom of God. The lens of good works and on and on we could go all the lens.

This may look through Jesus and Nicodemus put on your microscope then you telescope you have to be born from above to see the kingdom of God because you came into this world and you've lived in this world and blinded on the leaf well. Paul said I'm on the true minister of God. True servant of God, did not. I came though. First is an enemy of the Christ, and an enemy of his church, and I wandered around and blinded unbelief like we all do. And then thirdly, Paul said, I then became a humbled believer and by the way those always go together first 15 of our text. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.

Here's what he say all of us who come to know Christ as Lord and Savior we know what I'm about to say is the truth. We don't need explained to us. We don't need to debate about it when I need a seminar to understand it. We know this is true what Paul what all believers know for certain is true for 15 that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am for most of all that Christ came into this world to save sinners, we know that Christ did not begin when he was born in the that the manger there in Bethlehem to the Virgin Mary.

We know that he was the pre-existing one who came of his own volition into this world.

Yes, born of the virgin, but he came into this world not to condemn the world, but to save the world, that he will come in a condemning spirit at his second coming that his first coming. He came to save sinners. You can't be saved if you're not a sinner. You know that you don't qualify for salvation if you're not sinner, but all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God's unpack that word again. Harmer told us word for sinner harm a total loss. Has that simple idea of missing the mark sinner. It means you fall short of the divinely ordained standard set for you. When God made you as a human being. He has a near revocable, immutable standard for your conduct and your dignity and fall short of God made man to the highest standard. God made mankind with the highest dignity he marked us with his own image in the image of God he created them. The Bible says male and female both had the image of God is why first Peter 116 tells of you shall be holy, for I am holy because we are made in this hot dignity of being the image bearers of God on our innermost heart to our every deed we are to be godly. We are to be as God would be godliness means what I like you to think like you would think were the godly ones but all have sinned and fallen short of that immutable, unaffordable, divinely ordained standard art listen very clearly religious men in far too many pulpits are beginning to pull the standard down to make men feel better about themselves to make me and want to come church and when they pull the standard down to pull God down to the pool Jesus down to where there just a tiny hole. Your version of us you listen your pastor this morning. God is infinitely beyond us. He is radically extremely holy and we all fall short.

Don't measure up. We don't match the dignity for Rick for which he made us, for example, were made in his image, and he's good God is good, ask you this morning. You always have good thoughts in your mind. You always have good motives in your heart always and only do good deeds course you don't fall short of the dignity of being made in the image of God.

God is love will have to give some balance clarification here. Not this goofy lust field, perverse love, our culture throws at us. But the way the Bible defines God and his holy love is covenant love you always and only have a righteous love in your heart you always and only have a righteous love in your minds you always and only conduct yourself in a righteous loving fashion to your wife, your husband, your children, your fellowman, your work associate your friends exclusive course you don't.

You fall, that's just two attributes. God has unlimited attributes you fall way short of the divine standard. The immutable unchangeable stamp to God can change the standard because the standards a reflection of his very being. So the standard can't be lowered. The law cannot be diminished in any way, we all fall short and then just to show you how capable we are of perverting our own dignity. He made us with how capable we are diminishing, including the glorious holiness.

The godliness were to have were very prone to take what God says is good and redefine it is evil and we are very prone to take what is evil, but God calls able to start calling it see it all around us.

Isaiah 520. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil to substitute darkness for light and light for darkness and substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter dots and I told you clearly what's right, what's moral.

What's true and what's good and, lo and behold, is not a look at the countries in the cultures and too often, the pulpits of the world and their beginning to embrace that and calling it good that I've always said is evil in their beginning to call things evil that I've always said is good. How we have fallen short of the great dignity he made us to maintain to hold and to live out in our lives.

Paul said there's one thing that's clear waivers and that is that Christ Jesus came into the world to save the Harmer told Lawson's the sinners on those those all of those who have fallen so short and therefore listen to your pastor, therefore please stand condemn the effect of only born of God… It like this you live in a less than holy matter less than godly matter less than the dignity our doing for you to walk in were all sinners pulse and I want to know something about me.

Look at verse 15 Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And here's this humble believer among whom I am for most of all Paul said you want to see somebody that's a fallen sinner. He said I'm the worst I feel as though I've fallen further than anyone know what aspect of this is because Paul openly actively with ferocity work against Christ's name and Christ churches, but nevertheless this is the feeling of all true believers all true believers when the light comes on in our hearts we begin to see our sin like God sees RCN will begin to just begin to grasp the transcendent holiness of our God begin to see what we are compared to that we agree with Paul were humble believers, we believe we we of the worst of all Jeff Napoli field on the worst of all no healthy Christian feel the spirit of walking with God feels any differently humbled believer you know you do not know your heart is God knows your heart. You cannot see your sin as God sees your sin X 15/8 is God who knows the heart. Only God really knows the contents of every man's heart. Secondly, you do by the spirits help you do know your heart better than any other person knows your heart about God, but better than any other person, so therefore there's a sense in all of us that we carry that says on the worst of all pulses, don't you know on the true minister of God in contrast to the false ministers. I was an enemy of the church, an enemy of Christ and move the church. I was blinded in my unbelief. But I become a humbled believer in Jesus Christ. I've been saved up and converted know before last point this morning an instrument of encouragement. He said God had a purpose for this God did all of this in my life that I might be a trophy of grace and instrument of encouragement to give her 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. Actually, the great reads this way. As an example for those who were destined that to believe in him for eternal life. He said God foreordained that my experience would be what it is, so that as I became God's minister.

I'm ever living example that God listen to me very simple, powerfully profound that God saves sinners as best news you've heard your whole life.

He saves all of us harbor total losses.

All of us who have radically fallen short before this tribunal. Holy God impulsive marks to the earth and our safe names God will save you God will save you. Also, diamond encouragement, not by what I do. Even though he did tell folks to imitate his Christian life he had enough confidence in his walk with God speak to love them and follow my example. But that's not what he said here he saying here. I'm a trophy of God save circuit. I just ask you this morning. Are you humbly grateful that God save the rich like you. If you are not, then you must repent and get your heart right with God. No place for arrogance or pride before the cross of Jesus Christ I remember was such vividness, such vividness, the weeks after God invaded my car as a freshman in college when I was converted and in those weeks after my conversion.

I felt like the blackest, most file worm before God begin telling everybody that bless their hearts. Some of the old bed the stalwarts in my community would say stop talking like that could saying that you're the should said over the Jeff. It's worse than you know. You don't even know yet, Christ is mighty to save. You remember Jerry Kluwer.

I've told you this before but good heavens when he freaks about 30 years, you will hear stores twice Jerry Kluwer.

They mouth of the South Dakota. He was from liberty Mississippi 720 population. It was a fertilizer salesman told such good clean funny story that became his life. Jerry Kluwer talks about when his aunt would babysit him as a good bit older than him. He cannot walk through the DN and my aunt would build her ironing and she would look up as I walked through the room. She want to teach me things of God. She said not stop. She just been looking yes I forgot her name, Jerry. The devil is mighty God is Almighty.

You're a mighty sinner. Jesus is an Almighty Savior's. If you're not a sinner I can help you with your center. This is good. Thanks. Paul Simon ever listed living instrument of encouragement is a center God saves sinners when you come to Jesus Christ. Jesus comes into you and he begins to live his life out in the earth through you imperfectly but you should be progressing in segregation and then in a mystery on comprehension. We are immersed in Jesus and when the father looks on us. He sees the high dignity of Jesus Christ uses look how I save these fallen short ones I've made them exalted dignified ones in my son, Jesus Christ. While Isaiah 118 charges us come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sin is our scarlet paperwork means double deeply died.

The star pollution and sin.the inner core of your being, all the way out to the outer parts of your being. Your sin is so thoroughly wretchedly polluted and bad they will be white as snow.

How can it be though they are red like Crimson shall be like wool, not just wool. He remains the birds and wolves never known staying why would you come and reason with that kind of God, come, let's talk about this guts as I have a provision whereby though you are staying to the core of your being with a corruption of the fallenness that no human can fathom how to fix. I have a provision to make you white as snow like virgin wool in my sight. Romans 520 and the law came in that transgression might increase. But where sin increases grace abounded all the more literally the Greek means grace super abounded all the more. Listen to me listen to me listen to me. You cannot begin to fathom the death of your pollution and fallenness. But beyond that, about that you cannot fathom the greatness of the race that will save even the most fallen grace God's favor those who are unworthy.

Grace is superabundant to those who turn to God through Jesus Christ is what Paul saying he saying look at me on the true minister of God. I understand I was the enemy of God. I was all those terrible things. I was a blinded unbeliever, I become a humbled believer and not just my teaching, but my life is in encouragement that God will save sinners and it's an effective goddess or Paul is saying here.

This is my story is my testimony. Cannot ask you, dear friend, what your testimony you seeing yourself as the enemy of the cross of you seeing yourself as a blinded unbeliever. If you see yourself as a fallen one in sin. Have you embrace Christ and Christ alone as your Lord and Savior. Paul said this is my story, Fanny Crosby, the simple hymn writer wrote blessed assurance, Jesus is mine all the foretaste of glory divine heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit wash this blood perfect submission, perfect delight, visions of rapture now burst on my side angels descending, looking above, echoes of mercy, whispers of love is this your story perfect submission, all is at rest. I see how wretchedly fallen below the dignity of God, but I have come to Jesus Christ, though don't deserve it. Perfect wrist perfect submission, the perfect submission didn't mean you submit everything like you need to. It means you submitted everything you need to be saved to him. Everything you need to get a ride stating all the God you're resting and only perfect submission, all is at rest. I am I said you're happy and blessed watching and waiting, looking above, filled with his goodness. Will Paul could say this lost in his love. That's Paul story, this is my story, this is my song, praising my save your all the day long.

This is my story, this is Paul story is that your story this is my song, praising my save your all the day long, don't you love the word of God is everything better than that