WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:11.199 Thank you, Josh. Josh is right. I love this church tremendously. 2 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:16.280 It has served Alison and I so well over the years. 3 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:19.399 We've been here a long time now and just so 4 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:23.320 thankful to get to be up here today. But you know, 5 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:26.199 a week on the jobs, so honored and humbled to 6 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:30.199 be able to pastor this church and give back. It's 7 00:00:30.440 --> 00:00:33.399 community that's done so much for me and for my family. 8 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:37.840 And it's funny. One thing that had been reminded to 9 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:40.200 me over the course of the definitely over the years, 10 00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:44.520 but again during the elder process was but I sometimes 11 00:00:44.719 --> 00:00:50.200 forget to smile enough in public. And so then I 12 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:53.679 decided I was going to do first Timothy chapter one, 13 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:56.920 and I kind of laughed to Alison. I said, man, 14 00:00:56.960 --> 00:00:59.399 the brand new pastor that never smiles is going to 15 00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:01.679 sit up here and tell everyone how much of sinners 16 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:07.319 we all are. But I hope if I'm effective today 17 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:12.079 that while there will certainly be some discussions about conviction, 18 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:17.480 that the overwhelming takeaway will be just the mercy and 19 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:21.319 superiority of the Lord and just how much he loves 20 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:24.799 us to always come after us. So Happy Father's Day. 21 00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:27.280 It is Father's Day. I'm sure you all have brunch 22 00:01:27.319 --> 00:01:30.079 plans after this, but stay with me. It will be 23 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:32.680 uplifting and it will be a great joy. And I'm 24 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:35.359 so thankful to get to get to bring the Word 25 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:40.400 with you today. So let's read One Timothy chapter one, 26 00:01:40.519 --> 00:01:46.719 verses twelve through seventeen. If you could turn there. I 27 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:49.840 thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus, our Lord, 28 00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:53.799 because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service. 29 00:01:55.079 --> 00:01:58.400 Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. 30 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:02.879 But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly and unbelief, 31 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:06.599 and the grace of our Lord overflowed from me with 32 00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:11.479 the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The 33 00:02:11.560 --> 00:02:16.560 saying is trustworthy and deserving a full acceptance that Christ 34 00:02:16.599 --> 00:02:20.000 Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom 35 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:24.479 I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, 36 00:02:24.520 --> 00:02:27.879 that in me, as the foremost Jesus, Christ might display 37 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:31.240 his perfect patience as an example to those who were 38 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:34.319 to believe in him for eternal life. To the King 39 00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:39.639 of ages, immortal invisible, the only God be glory and 40 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:44.560 the honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. So the 41 00:02:44.599 --> 00:02:49.560 title of this sermon is how much mercy. We're going 42 00:02:49.639 --> 00:02:53.840 to look at that in three parts by asking three questions, 43 00:02:55.400 --> 00:03:00.319 why mercy, how much mercy do we need? And how 44 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:05.039 much mercy do we receive? Well, look at why mercy? 45 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:10.360 How much mercy do we need, and how much mercy 46 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:16.599 do we receive. Let's start first by taking a closer 47 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:20.120 look at what Paul is really saying here. In the 48 00:03:20.120 --> 00:03:23.120 preceding text, Paul is warning Timothy and the church in 49 00:03:23.159 --> 00:03:28.840 ephesis about false teachings, promising false hopes, and just all 50 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:33.960 kinds of poor instruction going on. And so Paul warns 51 00:03:33.960 --> 00:03:37.759 Timothy and to kind of get back to center, get 52 00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:40.400 back grounded. He makes his case for the sufficiency of 53 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:44.479 the Gospel, and he uses to illustrate his point a 54 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:49.240 great tool, which is to use his own testimony. Let's 55 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:55.360 look closer at verse thirteen. But I received mercy because 56 00:03:55.360 --> 00:04:00.479 I had acted ignorantly in unbelief. So what's Paul getting 57 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:04.719 out here? Is he saying that being a blasphemer, persecutor 58 00:04:04.759 --> 00:04:10.319 an insolent opponent, all very bad things somehow earns him 59 00:04:10.360 --> 00:04:15.120 mercy by no means, He's saying that I, Paul, was 60 00:04:15.159 --> 00:04:19.920 a prideful opponent to Christ. Christ reconciled me to him, 61 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:23.040 and by his grace alone, used me to display his 62 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:28.040 perfect patience to those who believe in Him, and I, Paul, 63 00:04:28.199 --> 00:04:34.560 am a living testimony to that. But why mercy? We 64 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:38.079 asked ourselves these three questions in three parts. First is 65 00:04:38.199 --> 00:04:44.279 why mercy? Why did Paul receive mercy? And why do 66 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:47.480 we receive this mercy? Why did Jesus need to be 67 00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:53.000 crucified for us? Paul is expressing the deep conviction of 68 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:55.879 his own sin and acknowledging the need for a savior, 69 00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:00.519 need for Christ to save him. And make take about 70 00:05:00.519 --> 00:05:04.480 two things. That same sin dwells with all of us. 71 00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:07.800 That's one and two we need Christ to save us. 72 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:13.759 People sometimes do worse things than us, but we all 73 00:05:13.879 --> 00:05:18.600 have that capability within us. Notice also that Paul didn't 74 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:22.480 say I was the foremost of sinners. He said of 75 00:05:22.519 --> 00:05:27.720 whom I am the foremost. We, like Paul, are still 76 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:33.199 sinners in need of a savior. Paul's warning Timothy early 77 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:35.800 in this letter about false teachings and finding hope in 78 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:39.120 the wrong places. As I mentioned, he's making an argument 79 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:43.680 in this text about the sufficiency of the Gospel that 80 00:05:43.720 --> 00:05:47.519 the Gospel is sufficient, but we need that same reminder 81 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:51.120 about the sufficiency of the Gospel in our lives today. 82 00:05:53.079 --> 00:06:01.759 Our society today puts an enormous emphasis on self sufficiency. 83 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:08.240 Everywhere we turn. That are people, publications, posts that try 84 00:06:08.279 --> 00:06:10.759 to convince us that we are enough to overcome our 85 00:06:10.839 --> 00:06:16.040 problems on our own, that we alone possess the strength 86 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:20.680 to overcome life challenges, and if someone or something offends us, 87 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:25.519 then we just cast them off. It's no surprise, then, 88 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:32.160 that our society suffers tremendously from loneliness and despair. If 89 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:35.199 we describe to the subscribe excuse me to that ideology 90 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:38.600 that we are sufficient and true and right all on 91 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:43.399 our own, and that anything suggesting the contrary should be 92 00:06:43.399 --> 00:06:48.160 cut out, we all get into discouragement and loneliness. Loneliness 93 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:53.759 real fast. When the Lord tells us we're enough, we 94 00:06:53.800 --> 00:06:57.319 rely on our own flesh to save ourselves, and then 95 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:01.959 we inevitably fail or fall short. It's just not surprised 96 00:07:01.959 --> 00:07:06.439 that the result is to spare Living our life unaware 97 00:07:06.439 --> 00:07:10.560 of the mercy of our need of mercy is like 98 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:14.519 building a house on sand. It does not stand the 99 00:07:14.519 --> 00:07:18.480 test of time. But our God is an everlasting rock, 100 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:22.759 a firm foundation. We're in desperate need of a savior 101 00:07:22.759 --> 00:07:26.319 to navigate this broken world, and we have that savior. 102 00:07:27.160 --> 00:07:32.439 We cannot do it on our own. Nobody is so 103 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:36.279 bad that they can't have mercy, and nobody is so 104 00:07:36.360 --> 00:07:41.120 good that they've earned a right to have mercy. So 105 00:07:41.160 --> 00:07:43.959 why we asked this question, why mercy? Why do we 106 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:48.560 receive his mercy? We need it because we were dead 107 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:50.879 in our sin, and we receive it because we put 108 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:53.079 our faith in Him alone to save us from it. 109 00:07:54.040 --> 00:07:56.879 Because God loved us enough to send his son to 110 00:07:56.920 --> 00:08:00.160 die on across and not by anything we've done. And 111 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:03.120 I think that's an important thing to frame as we 112 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:06.879 go on into this text, why we need his mercy? 113 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:12.079 We're broken people doing broken things, putting trust in Christ 114 00:08:12.120 --> 00:08:16.519 to save us from our sin. And the point Paul 115 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:19.759 is making in what I hope to reinforce today is 116 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:23.199 that we're in sinners and very serious but also ongoing 117 00:08:23.319 --> 00:08:26.839 need of a savior. And our savior provides a profound, 118 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:34.120 victorious mercy for those that believe in Him for eternal life. 119 00:08:34.679 --> 00:08:39.879 So we are sinners in need of a savior of mercy. 120 00:08:40.039 --> 00:08:43.279 How much mercy do we need. Our second question, how 121 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:47.519 much mercy do we need? And how deep is that need? 122 00:08:49.639 --> 00:08:53.000 Paul says in verse fifteen. Starting in verse fifteen, the 123 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:57.399 saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. That Christ 124 00:08:57.519 --> 00:09:00.960 Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom 125 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:04.960 I am the foremost, but I received mercy for this reason, 126 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:09.240 that in me, as the foremost Jesus, Christ might display 127 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:11.360 his perfect patience as an example to those who were 128 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:16.320 to believe in him for eternal life. You look at 129 00:09:16.600 --> 00:09:20.840 Paul describing himself as the foremost of sinners, and it 130 00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:24.799 might be tempting to brush this off as theatrics or 131 00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:30.000 hyperbole from Paul here, and it most certainly is not. 132 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:34.000 First off, it's important to note to take Paul at 133 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:36.519 his word here he says that it is trustworthy and 134 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:40.840 deserving a full acceptance. I think that makes it pretty 135 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:44.639 clear that he feels himself to be that way. Prior 136 00:09:44.679 --> 00:09:49.200 to being saved, Paul was a bad dude, persecuting Christians 137 00:09:49.240 --> 00:09:53.279 and being an insolent, prideful opponent to the Gospel certainly 138 00:09:53.399 --> 00:09:57.519 qualifies him to think of himself as the foremost of sinners. 139 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:03.120 But what if we start to have that same level 140 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:09.159 of conviction about our own sin. How would we describe 141 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:14.080 the depth of our own sin. We have all surely 142 00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:17.000 thought something to the effective that I'm a sinner, but 143 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:22.240 at least I haven't done that, or I'm a sinner, 144 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:24.320 but it's not like I murdered anybody. I mean, what's 145 00:10:24.360 --> 00:10:28.679 the big deal. We all have that same sin in 146 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:32.320 our heart. Maybe we haven't done some things as bad 147 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:35.519 as others, but we have. If we're giving up to 148 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:41.000 our own sin, we have that capability, and kind of 149 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:44.240 as an illustration. I love, excuse me. I love the outdoors. 150 00:10:44.360 --> 00:10:47.639 And one of my favorite things to do is to 151 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:51.840 saltwater fish in the Base System. And my favorite way 152 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:55.600 to do that is to go into and the Bass 153 00:10:55.639 --> 00:11:00.039 system has these flats that are incredibly vast and wide, 154 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:01.919 and you can sometimes not even see the shore on 155 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:03.279 the other side, but you can get out of the 156 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:06.320 boat and you can walk or wade and fish, and 157 00:11:06.360 --> 00:11:10.679 the water is never more than waiste deep. And so 158 00:11:11.879 --> 00:11:15.200 jump overboard, hop out, and just walk across this vast 159 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:19.320 flat and can navigate it on my own. No problem. 160 00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:23.200 Catching fish on my own, that's maybe a problem, But 161 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:28.480 walking across it navigating it, that's no problem. But many 162 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:31.799 of us think of our sin as if we're jumping 163 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:36.320 overboard into that shallow water. But it's really a deep 164 00:11:36.559 --> 00:11:42.840 gulf that we're leaping into when we jump out. Our 165 00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:45.759 sin is not shallow water. It's more like the depth 166 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:49.159 of the Marianna's trench. As we get closer and close 167 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:52.159 to the Lord, we get more and more aware of 168 00:11:52.200 --> 00:11:57.360 that depth. How often do we acknowledge that our sins 169 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:00.279 are vast and far as far reaching, but can convince 170 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:05.440 ourselves the implications of our sin are waist deep at most. 171 00:12:07.799 --> 00:12:10.080 We're tempted in our flesh and often course by the 172 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:12.960 world to treat our sin as something that is not 173 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:16.639 a big deal, or that is easily navigable on our own, 174 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:22.840 or something that can be hidden and stowed away. Our 175 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:28.399 sin has consequences. We don't sin in a vacuum. It's 176 00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:32.240 against the Most High God and against others, and it 177 00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:37.720 affects the ones that we love. Our pride damages our relationships, 178 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:47.399 Our greed clouds our financial stewardship, Our covetousness destroys our joy. 179 00:12:47.559 --> 00:12:50.919 The list could go on. The more we realize the 180 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:54.159 depth of our need, he transforms us for our good 181 00:12:54.600 --> 00:13:00.639 and his glory. Dave Harvey wrote a book on marriage 182 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:04.840 called When Sinners Say I Do? That is heavily influenced. 183 00:13:05.399 --> 00:13:08.120 Parts of it heavily influenced by this text and on Timothy, 184 00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:11.639 and towards the beginning of the book, he writes, if 185 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:15.480 like Paul, I recognize the enormity of my sin, seeing 186 00:13:15.480 --> 00:13:19.240 myself as the worst of sinners, then I understand I 187 00:13:19.320 --> 00:13:24.039 have been forgiven much. That's when biblical reality begins to 188 00:13:24.039 --> 00:13:27.360 make sense. I start to see God as he truly is. 189 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:32.879 His vastness becomes bigger than my problems. His goodness comes 190 00:13:32.919 --> 00:13:36.159 to me even though I'm not good, and his wisdom 191 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:39.080 and power are visible in the perfect ways. He works 192 00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:41.799 to transform me from the inside out. And that's a 193 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:46.759 good word. So with that in mind, knowing how vast 194 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:50.960 but also how deep our sin can be, how much 195 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:55.240 mercy do we need? We're asking our question how much 196 00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:57.919 mercy do we need when we hop overboard? How much 197 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:00.519 mercy are we going to need to pull us out 198 00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:05.120 of that depth. We can't underestimate the depth of our sin. 199 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:09.919 We cannot take sin lightly, and we can't give residence 200 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:13.600 to sin. It's like those stories when you hear in 201 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:17.679 the news sometimes every so often about someone that has 202 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:20.840 been keeping a wild animal as a pet in their 203 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:24.720 home and then they inevitably get out and attack their owner, 204 00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:28.159 and then we all, if you're like me, we have 205 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:31.279 kind of that unavoidable response, like, man, that's really sad, 206 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:35.279 but like probably don't keep a pet wild animal in 207 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:40.120 your house. Don't get comfortable with sin in your house 208 00:14:40.840 --> 00:14:44.759 and in your life, in your soul. If you keep 209 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:48.720 a pet sin, it will attack you and it will 210 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:54.480 destroy you in the same way. Also, don't hide it. 211 00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:56.559 It's like a blemish or a wound, and you're hiding 212 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:00.240 it with your shirt sleeve and you're acting like it's 213 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:03.960 not there. It will grow in fester, and then it 214 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:07.840 becomes a big problem, and then it is unavoidable. So 215 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:13.440 bring it to the Lord. If we're harboring sin, kill it. 216 00:15:14.799 --> 00:15:20.120 If we are hiding it. Bring it to the best 217 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:24.279 physician we could ever find. Expose it to the light, 218 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:27.639 bring it in confession to the Lord and to your 219 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:31.960 brothers and sisters in Christ, and welcome accountability and fighting 220 00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:37.200 it together. And I promise you it will be received. Sins, 221 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:43.480 deceitful and it's patient. It lies in wait. It might 222 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:49.159 feel like it provides promise or comfort or a big 223 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:52.519 one upbreak from things that are hard. It's not, and 224 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:58.320 it won't identify it for what it is, evil death 225 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:02.919 causing relationship to shrawing sin. Realize it now and how 226 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:06.320 significant it is. It's better to get rid of a 227 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:09.559 caged animal while it's still in its cage, then hope 228 00:16:09.559 --> 00:16:12.600 that it doesn't get loose, because it will get loose. 229 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:17.320 If we harbor and insulate Sin thinking we don't need 230 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:20.480 his mercy to overcome it, we will eventually find out 231 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:28.480 how much mercy we're gonna need. The legendary Spurs basketball 232 00:16:28.519 --> 00:16:34.200 coach Greg Popovich, I'm sorry, it's definitely too soon to 233 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:37.840 talk about the Spurs. I'm sorry, but the analogy just 234 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:40.720 works so well, so I'm sorry. I hate to bring 235 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:44.720 it up, but the legendary coach Greg Popovic always encouraged 236 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:49.440 his players to have an appropriate fear of their opponents, 237 00:16:50.519 --> 00:16:54.080 and I always love that. His point is that if 238 00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:57.639 you don't respect your opponent, your opponent is sure to 239 00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:04.200 sneak up on you. Sin is a formidable foe. Treat 240 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:09.759 it with that appropriate fear to put it into maybe 241 00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:12.559 some more biblical terms. Charles Spurgeon wrote, too many think 242 00:17:12.680 --> 00:17:16.960 lightly of sin, and therefore think lightly of the Savior. 243 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:21.319 He who has stood before is God, convicted and condemned, 244 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:23.599 with the rope about his neck. Is the man to 245 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:27.319 weep for joy when he is pardoned, to hate the 246 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:30.839 evil which has been forgiven him, and to live to 247 00:17:30.920 --> 00:17:34.680 the honor of the Redeemer whose blood he has been cleansed. 248 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:40.240 To put it more simply, not acknowledging or realizing the 249 00:17:40.279 --> 00:17:43.359 depth of our sin from which we've been saved is 250 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:48.640 selling short the depth of christ mercy. When we, as 251 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:51.279 Christians say things like I'm a sinner in need of 252 00:17:51.319 --> 00:17:54.720 a savior, let us not allow that to become a 253 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:59.160 perfunctory or cursory statement, like some sort of boiler play 254 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:04.440 disclaim language. It has weight, it's blood bought, and it's 255 00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:08.519 a fight against an opponent that we cannot defeat on 256 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:15.880 our own. Paul is keenly aware of his sin, and 257 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:19.720 he's deeply convicted by it, but it does not in there, 258 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:24.680 Praise God, it does not in there. He then gives 259 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:27.839 his testimony to the magnitude of the mercy he has received, 260 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:32.079 the Christ's perfect patience is displayed through him and his 261 00:18:32.200 --> 00:18:38.440 work and his ministry. In one Corinthians fifteen, Paul writes, 262 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:42.000 for I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to 263 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:45.680 be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. 264 00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:49.200 But the grace of excuse me. But by the grace 265 00:18:49.240 --> 00:18:51.720 of God I am what I am, and His grace 266 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:55.440 toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I 267 00:18:55.480 --> 00:18:57.720 worked harder than any of them, though it was not 268 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:00.119 I but the grace of God that is with me. 269 00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:05.480 Now these are some big statements from Paul, the author 270 00:19:05.720 --> 00:19:08.759 of a lot of the New Testaments, saying he's unworthy 271 00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:11.720 to be called and impossible, but in the next breath 272 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:15.359 declaring that he, by God's grace, outworked all of the others. 273 00:19:18.119 --> 00:19:22.119 One takeaway here is that sin is big, but grace 274 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:28.680 is bigger. Sin is big, but there's a larger, more 275 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:32.920 joyful work, a bigger praise, a big robust praise and 276 00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:36.000 worship to the one that saved us from that enormous sin. 277 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:41.119 The closer we get to Christ, the more we realize 278 00:19:41.160 --> 00:19:44.720 the magnitude of sin. The more we realize and are 279 00:19:44.759 --> 00:19:48.279 convicted by the true depth of our own sin. The 280 00:19:48.279 --> 00:19:50.319 better we unders excuse me, the more we realize and 281 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:52.039 are convicted by the true death of our own sin. 282 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:55.119 The more we understand what we've been saved from, and 283 00:19:55.160 --> 00:19:59.279 the more we understand how profound and undeserving our salvation is. 284 00:20:00.039 --> 00:20:05.240 The more we grow in our worship of Christ, our Lord. 285 00:20:06.680 --> 00:20:12.519 So we ask why mercy and how much mercy do 286 00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:16.039 we need? And then now we'll ask how much mercy 287 00:20:16.119 --> 00:20:20.519 do we then receive? As we examine our sin and 288 00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:22.799 think of ourselves as the worst of sinners, it might 289 00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:27.359 be easy to overcorrect into the ditch and start feeling 290 00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:33.920 way down and burdened by our sin into despair. But 291 00:20:33.960 --> 00:20:37.640 as vast and deep as our sin is, his grace 292 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:42.640 and mercy are infinitely more. Paul and his testimony, describes 293 00:20:42.680 --> 00:20:47.680 himself as an insolent opponent. The Greek word paul uses 294 00:20:47.680 --> 00:20:51.640 to describe an insolent opponent basically translates to someone that 295 00:20:51.799 --> 00:21:00.839 is dangerously and excessively prideful. Before becoming a Christian, I 296 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:06.519 was a fearful, prideful and self righteous man. Behind me, 297 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:10.480 I left a wake of people that I'd offended it 298 00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:17.119 best and deeply hurt and wounded at worse. Jesus says 299 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:19.880 in Matthew five. You have heard that it was said 300 00:21:19.880 --> 00:21:23.079 to those of will you shall not murder, and whoever 301 00:21:23.160 --> 00:21:27.119 murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to 302 00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:29.920 you that everyone who is angry with his brother will 303 00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:35.359 be liable to judgment. Whoever insults his brother will be 304 00:21:35.400 --> 00:21:39.559 liable to the council, and whoever says you fool, will 305 00:21:39.559 --> 00:21:44.039 be liable to the hell of fire. No, I've never 306 00:21:44.119 --> 00:21:47.960 murdered anyone, but just like Jesus is describing here, I've 307 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:51.559 done it with my words and my thoughts a thousand 308 00:21:51.640 --> 00:21:56.079 times over. I've lived my life thinking my own strength 309 00:21:56.519 --> 00:22:00.440 and my own morality were sufficient, and when they weren't, 310 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:05.720 hit me like a mack truck. It's a pretty desperate feeling. 311 00:22:07.640 --> 00:22:09.799 But praise the Lord, he humbled me and saved me 312 00:22:09.880 --> 00:22:13.039 from being dead in that and plenty of other sins. 313 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:17.440 He provided a perfect patience with me that I desperately 314 00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:22.960 needed and I certainly did not deserve. But that's a 315 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:26.960 battle that I still fight every day. But I don't 316 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:30.119 fight it alone. Praise God, I don't have to fight 317 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:32.559 it alone, because I'd be right back where I started 318 00:22:35.400 --> 00:22:37.720 in addition to the Holy Spirit, I have brothers and 319 00:22:37.720 --> 00:22:40.960 sisters in Christ that help hold me accountable and helped 320 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:45.599 me to stay downwinded myself. I trust in the Lord 321 00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:49.039 and his word to know how much grace I've been afforded, 322 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:53.279 and how selfish and broken it is to withhold grace 323 00:22:53.359 --> 00:23:01.559 from someone else, someone made in His image. There are 324 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:05.559 some wounds that, by God's grace, I've been able to 325 00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:10.200 help prepare, but there's some that I haven't and some 326 00:23:10.359 --> 00:23:14.000 that I can't anymore. And I feel the weight and 327 00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:20.160 saying of those sins often, I feel them deeply. But 328 00:23:20.200 --> 00:23:23.799 the blood of Christ overflows like I've fountain, and washes 329 00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:29.759 all those sins away. Praise God, and that calls me 330 00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:35.359 to worship. It encourages me to work really, really hard 331 00:23:35.799 --> 00:23:39.200 unto Him, and He gives me a zeal and a 332 00:23:39.240 --> 00:23:42.119 boldness to share that good news with everyone I can. 333 00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:47.400 You might be here today and you're already well aware 334 00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:50.799 of your sin, but you might be here today and 335 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:55.920 convicted by sin in a new way, and that way 336 00:23:56.079 --> 00:23:58.920 of shame and guilt can feel almost like we've fallen 337 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:03.119 into the depths of a deep well, as as if 338 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:07.319 there's no pulling us out of a certain sin. But 339 00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:12.839 don't despair. Do not despair. We've asked ourselves, how much 340 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:18.079 mercy do we receive? Hard to put that fully into words. 341 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:22.000 But it's enough to wash away those sins white as snow, 342 00:24:23.279 --> 00:24:27.440 enough to take the broken pieces of our hearts and 343 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:31.079 put them back together and make them whole again. It's 344 00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:34.440 enough to seek us out and find us at any depth. 345 00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:38.119 And as far as the east is from the west, 346 00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:44.640 so far does he remove our transgressions from us. You 347 00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:47.759 might be here today as a Christian, or you might 348 00:24:47.799 --> 00:24:49.920 be joining us this morning and you're not a Christian, 349 00:24:50.519 --> 00:24:53.480 and you might be thinking, there is no way that 350 00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:57.160 he covers that sin. Or you might say there's no 351 00:24:57.519 --> 00:25:00.960 way anyone can pull me out of this sin. I'm 352 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:04.680 too far gone. But for those that put their faith 353 00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:09.160 in Him for eternal life, he can, He has, and 354 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:12.960 he will. There is no depth he won't dive to, 355 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:20.079 no height to which he won't climb. There's no sexual sin, 356 00:25:21.160 --> 00:25:27.880 financial mismanagement or ruin, broken family, addiction, broken relationship, nothing, 357 00:25:28.599 --> 00:25:31.720 nothing will keep the Lord from coming after his own 358 00:25:31.960 --> 00:25:35.759 in every corner of the world. So don't despair. There's 359 00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:39.000 a big sin, but there is a bigger savior and 360 00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:47.880 a bigger mercy. Paul's testimony is a beautiful one. He 361 00:25:47.960 --> 00:25:52.759 warned Timothy shared the Gospel through his own testimony, and 362 00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:56.319 then in the following text charges Timothy to get to work, 363 00:25:56.680 --> 00:26:03.160 to share the Gospel, to share this sufficient of the Gospel. Paul, 364 00:26:03.319 --> 00:26:07.200 of course, goes on after being saved, to author most 365 00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:10.799 of the New Testament, a lot of the New Testament. 366 00:26:10.839 --> 00:26:13.599 It's safe to say, though, that none of us are 367 00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:15.119 going to be authors of any of the New Testament. 368 00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:19.480 But the discipleship work of the faithful Christian in San Antonio, 369 00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:24.359 Texas in twenty twenty six is significant and profound, even 370 00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:29.440 if it's ordinary. The tears you've shed, the scars and 371 00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:33.559 wounds that you've carried from waging for against sin, he 372 00:26:33.960 --> 00:26:39.240 knows them, and they're not in vain, and he's using them. 373 00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:42.640 So Christians, let us be an instrument of his grace. 374 00:26:43.480 --> 00:26:47.960 Share your testimony, seek out and be encouraged by others testimonies. 375 00:26:49.839 --> 00:26:53.000 Just as Paul sends out and entrusts Timothy with a 376 00:26:53.079 --> 00:26:58.720 recharge on the sufficiency of the Gospel through his own testimony, 377 00:26:59.240 --> 00:27:03.839 so to you refresh others by sharing your testimony and 378 00:27:03.880 --> 00:27:12.680 receiving the encouragement of theirs. We'll close with this, If 379 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:18.359 we inspect our hearts earnestly and honestly today, it hopefully 380 00:27:18.359 --> 00:27:23.400 elicits some deep thoughts and convictions. When we begin to 381 00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:27.039 recognize ourselves as the foremost of sinners, we realize the 382 00:27:27.160 --> 00:27:31.680 enormity of our salvation and can rest knowing His mercy 383 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:37.680 covers it all. It's mercy we don't deserve, but we 384 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:42.160 receive freely through faith in Him, mercy that is in 385 00:27:42.279 --> 00:27:49.119 tremendous need, but is an infinite supply. We ask ourselves 386 00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:54.400 why mercy, in part because apart from Him we are 387 00:27:54.440 --> 00:28:00.599 a rudderless ship, completely lost at sea, and asks how 388 00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:06.640 much mercy do we need? Like a lost sheep wandering 389 00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:10.640 in the cold dark knight, completely cornered by wolves. We 390 00:28:10.680 --> 00:28:19.680 need a mighty, merciful rescuer capable of defeating a formidable adversary. 391 00:28:20.160 --> 00:28:25.480 So then, how much do we then receive? More than 392 00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:30.000 we can ever fathom or comprehend, beyond where the enemy 393 00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:33.880 could ever lead us or find us, From the highest 394 00:28:33.880 --> 00:28:37.000 peak to the lowest valley, from end to end, and 395 00:28:37.079 --> 00:28:41.799 everywhere in between. It overflows, It fills our hearts and 396 00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:48.640 it never ever fails. And knowing that transforms our hearts 397 00:28:48.680 --> 00:28:54.039 from the inside out, it encourages us toward a heart filled, 398 00:28:54.440 --> 00:29:00.759 zealous and joyful worship of the One who saves. To 399 00:29:00.839 --> 00:29:05.440 share the deep diving, chain breaking, life saving and giving 400 00:29:05.799 --> 00:29:09.119 wonderful good news of the Gospel with everyone we can, 401 00:29:10.359 --> 00:29:14.200