Brokenness

What’s wrong with the world?

What’s wrong with the world?
GK Chesterton: “I am.”

Could truer words ever be spoken?

It’s so hard to say, “I’m sorry.”

Words more difficult than “I’m sorry.”

Words more difficult than “I’m sorry.”
“ I have sinned.”

“ I’m sorry” admits a mistake.

“ I’m sorry” admits a mistake.
“ I have sinned” admits transgressing a holy God.

Several biblical characters admitted sin.

Pharaoh: “This time I have sinned; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong” (Ex 9:27, ESV).

David: “I have sinned against the LORD” (2 Sm 12:13, ESV).

Judas: “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood” (Mt 27:3, ESV).

Judas: “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood” (Mt 27:3, ESV).
In tonight’s text, Paul says, “I have sinned.”

“ I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I

“ received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Tm 1:12-17, ESV).

Paul was not simply a sinner.

Paul was not simply a sinner.
He was the chief of sinners!

A DISGUSTING MAN.
A DOMINANT MAN.
A DELIVERED MAN.

A Disgusting Man
V 13

“ Formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” (v 13, ESV).

We typically think of blasphemy as speaking against God.

The Gr simply means “speak against.”

“ Why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge [Gr: “blaspheme”] us with saying. Their condemnation is just” (Rm 3:8, ESV).

“ Why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge [Gr: “blaspheme”] us with saying. Their condemnation is just” (Rm 3:8, ESV).
“ With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign [Gr: “blaspheme] you” (1 Pt 4:4, ESV).

Why do we note that people can be blasphemed?

Paul’s blasphemy seems to be against Christians, not God.

Paul’s blasphemy seems to be against Christians, not God.
“ But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1-2, ESV).

Paul was formerly a persecutor.

“ They cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58, ESV).

“ They cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58, ESV).
“ Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3, ESV).

Acts 7:58.
Acts 8:3.
Paul also details his life of persecution.

Acts 7:58.
Acts 8:3.
“ You have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers” (Gal 1:13-14, ESV).

Acts 7:58.
Acts 8:3.
“ If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless” (Phil 3:4-6, ESV).

Paul was also an insolent opponent.

The Gr for “insolent opponent” refers to being a violent person.

The word was used to refer to wild, untamed animals.

The word was used to refer to wild, untamed animals.
The idea is of a violent, unruly person.

What is the most disgusting thing you can imagine?

Rat in
NYC
KFC

SIN IS ABSOLUTELY FILTHY!

“ I’m not that bad!”

“ I’m not that bad!”
What a smug thought!

ONE sin would have caused Jesus’ death.

Paul was a Dominant Man
Vv 13-15

“ I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (vv 13-15, ESV).

Paul describes himself as a dominant man, i.e., the foremost of sinners.

Paul was the foremost of sinners because he acted ignorantly in unbelief.

Ignorance is no excuse!

“ What about the lost who have never heard of Jesus?”

Paul was damned to hell when he didn’t know better!

“ The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31, ESV).

“‘ Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Rm 10:13-14, ESV).

Do you get what Paul is saying here?

You must call on the Lord in order to be saved.

But, if you’ve never believed in him, you can’t call on him.

If you’ve never heard of him, you can’t believe on him.

If you’ve never heard of him, you can’t believe on him.
Thus, knowing of Jesus is absolutely essential to salvation.

If those who have never heard are damned, what shall we do?

We should be grateful that we have the opportunity to hear & believe.

We must be committed to sharing Jesus’ message.

“ How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Rm 10:14-15, ESV).

Rm 10:14-15.
“ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19, ESV).

In his ignorance, Paul was the foremost of sinners.

This indicates that he was of FIRST RANK among sinners.

Do you honestly believe Paul was the worst sinner of all time?

Adam & Eve.

Adam & Eve.
Muhammad.

Adam & Eve.
Muhammad.
Hitler.

Paul understood how serious his sin was.

We need to understand how serious how sin is.

“ Behold, I was brought for in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Ps 51:5, ESV).

This text has often been misunderstood.

David is writing in hyperbole & expressing his emotions.

David: “I’ve never been able to do anything right.”

David: “I’ve never been able to do anything right.”
“ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps 51:17, ESV).

How broken are our hearts?

Paul was a Delivered Man
Vv 16-17

“ I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (vv 16-17).

Paul received mercy.

Is that not an amazing thought?

Paul was a vile, vile sinner.

Paul was a vile, vile sinner. Yet, he received redemption & mercy.

Even the vilest sinners can find redemption in Jesus.

Some amazing women show up in Jesus’ genealogy.

Tamar.

Tamar.
Rahab.

Tamar.
Rahab.
Bathsheba.

Peter.

Peter.
The multitude at Pentecost.

God is able & willing to forgive.

Because he has been delivered, Paul break out in a doxology at the end of this passage.

Is that not the most natural response?

Is that not the most natural response?
Are you praising God because of his great mercy?

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Brokenness

by JJustim on Sep 13, 2008

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Brokenness — Presentation Transcript