Let's open our Bibles together
to 1 Timothy chapter 1. 1 Timothy 1 verse 15. This is a faithful saying. worthy
of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners, of whom I am chief. The title of my message is Faithful
Saint, Faithful Saint. Now I would have you consider
the man who wrote this scripture, Paul, once known as Saul. held the coats of those men who
stoned Stephen. They sat him at his feet as they
stoned Stephen. Saul, who we read, made havoc
of the church, entering into houses and dragging men and women
out into the streets and casting them into prison. Paul described
himself in the previous verses here. If you look up in verse
13, he said, I was a, let's just read that, he said, I was a persecutor. a man who persecuted the church,
a blasphemer, a man who blasphemed the name of Christ and encouraged
others to do the same. He said, I was an injurer, an
injurious man. Not only did he speak evil, but
he also did evil against believers. And he said, I did these things
in unbelief, an unbeliever. And here in our text, he calls
himself the chief of sinners. Paul was also a very religious
man. Turn over to Philippians chapter
3. Just a few pages over to Philippians
chapter 3, verse 4, beginning in verse 4. He says, though I might also
have confidence in the flesh, any other man thinketh that he
had whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. Circumcised
the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,
Hebrew of Hebrews, is touching the law, a Pharisee. Concerning
zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which
is in the law, blameless. Paul would later say all these
things. He said, I count them but done. But think about that. Think about what kind of man
Paul was. What a wicked man. What a wicked
religious man he was. Yet God was merciful to him.
God showed mercy to him. Think of the wickedness. Think
of our own wickedness. Our own sinfulness. And yet God's
pleased to be merciful to sinners. I believe what Paul is saying
here in spite of who and what I am. Forget about that for a
minute. Forget about who and what I am.
But consider what's written here in God's Word. This is a faithful
saying. This is a faithful saying. It's
a faithful saying in which the faithfulness of God is displayed. His holiness, His justice, His
love, His grace, and His mercy displayed in these scriptures.
It's a true statement. It's not to be disputed. It's
not to be doubted. It's not to be debated. It's
a true statement that's to be believed. It is certain that
God sent His Son for this purpose. In this day, in a day when there
is so little true gospel preaching, it seems like there's nothing
but a false message broadcast over the radios, over the internet,
over the television, even in pulpits. But my friends, this
is a faithful saying. This is a faithful saying. Aren't
we thankful? Aren't we thankful that Almighty
God has given us this place where we can come, where we can sit
and listen week after week to those faithful saints, to faithful
men whom God has called a faithful pastor who Almighty God has blessed
us with in this place to preach the truth. Well, this, what we
read here, it's a true and faithful saint. This is a true and faithful
saint, worthy of all acceptation. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Look at that word, worthy,
worthy. You know, when we read through
God's Word, and I'm guilty of this, sometimes we just breeze
right through. We're so anxious to see something
at the end of the verse, we skip over things. But look at that
word, worthy, worthy. Worthy indeed, worthy in every
point of view, worthy as the gift of God. Worthy is the price
of Christ's blood, the effectual application of it by the Holy
Spirit. He's worthy of praise. We read, worthy is the Lamb. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory, honor, power. Thou hast created all things.
by pleasure they are and were created worthy. He is worthy. He alone is worthy. Worthy of
all acceptation, the educated, the uneducated, the rich, the
poor, black, white, any category you want to put there. He is
worthy of all acceptation. The words in this book, they're
not just merely the words of men. is the inspired word of
God. Turn with me to Luke chapter
4. Luke chapter 4, beginning with
verse 16. Our Lord came to Nazareth where
he had been brought up, and as his custom was, he went into
the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto
him the book of the prophet Isaiah. When he had opened the book,
he found the place where it was written, Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the
poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives, the recovering of sight
to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach
the acceptable ear of the Lord. Are you poor? Are you brokenhearted,
held captive, blind, bruised? Well, this gospel is worthy of
all acceptation. Let's look at this faithful saying,
this faithful saying here this morning. Now, back to our text,
first Timothy. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation. That Christ Jesus, Christ Jesus,
this saying, this message, this decree, It concerns a person. A person. Years ago, I was thinking
about this in preparation. I remember Brother Henry bringing
a message. It was on TV. And the title of
the message, Who is Jesus Christ? Who is Jesus Christ? Well, first,
He's God Almighty. Jesus Christ is Almighty God. Turn to John 1, verse 1. Probably many quote this scripture. In the beginning, in the beginning
was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Matthew 1.23, we read, Behold,
a virgin shall be with child, and thou shalt bring forth a
son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted
God with us. Over in John 10.30, these are
the words of our Lord Himself. He said, I and my Father are
one. Who is Jesus Christ? He's God
Almighty. Second, He is the Christ. He is the Christ. His coming
was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. The first of which
we find over in Genesis chapter 3. Look at Genesis 3 verse 15. Actually, let's start with verse
14. The Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done
this, thou art accursed above all cattle, of every beast of
the field. Upon thy belly shalt thou go,
and thus shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will
put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and
thou shalt bruise his heel. Christ, the seed of woman. All
who are born into this world are the seed of men, except Christ,
who is born of the Virgin. He's the woman seed. He's the
God man. He's bone of our bone. He's flesh
of our flesh. He says he shall come into the
world, and by his life, he'll destroy Satan and all evil and
death on the behalf of his people. Satan will bruise his heel. His human life, he'll suffer. He'll die. But he'll bruise,
he'll crush Satan's head, which is his power and government.
He is the Christ, the Redeemer, the Lamb of God. He's God my
Savior. Turn to Matthew chapter 16. beginning in verse 13, when Jesus
came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked the disciples,
saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they
say, Some say thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, others Jeremiah,
one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom
say ye that I am? Who do you say I am? Simon Peter
answered him, and he said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God. Jesus answered and said unto
him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood
hath not revealed that unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Who is Jesus Christ? He is God
Almighty. He is the Christ. He is our substitute. What is
a substitute? It's one that takes place of
another. You little ones, you guys have
substitute teachers come in your class. Someone who's not your
teacher, they come in and they take the place of another. Well,
the Lord Jesus Christ, he's the sinner's substitute. The wages
of sin is death. But he bore our sins in his body
on the tree. Without the shedding of blood,
there's no remission. But he shed his blood for his
people. We love this scripture, for he
hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. Surely he hath borne
our griefs, carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken
smitten of God and afflicted. Why? For what we deserved, the
sins of His people. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes
we're healed. Back to our text, 1 Timothy. This is a faithful saying. worthy
of all acceptation, Christ Jesus, He that is Almighty God, He that
is the Christ, He that is our substitute, came into the world. He came into the world. Christ
Jesus came into the world. He came according to the will
of the Father. He came willingly. He came in the fullness of the
time. He came from glory. Think about that. He came from
glory. into this sinful world. This world is not this Jesus,
the carpenter's son, whose father and mother we know. People called
him a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. He came
into this world where he was betrayed by his own, where he
was denied by his own. And though he did no wrong, though
he had no fault of his own, he was mocked, blindfolded, beaten,
spat upon, scourged, clothed in a robe, and then had that
crown of thorns plaited upon his head. And when the people
were told, I see no wrong in this man, he's done no wrong,
and they were given the choice of freeing Christ or Barabbas,
they said crucify him. We said crucify him. Crucify
him. Think of the depravity of man. And in reading that, who would
want to be left to their free will? If left to my free will,
I'll say, release a murderer. Crucify him. Crucify the Lord
Jesus Christ. And then he was placed on the
cross between two thieves. And even there, the people continued
to mock him. And on that cross, he died to
satisfy God's justice and His wrath, the wrath and justice
of Almighty God for the sins of His people. Jesus Christ came
into the world. Now let's read on in our text.
This is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation. Jesus Christ
came into the world. Look carefully at these next
two words. To save. To save. Why did Jesus Christ
come into the world? To save. This verse doesn't say
he came to offer saving. It doesn't say he came to help
save. It doesn't say he came to make
me savable. It says he came to save. He came to save. Turn to Isaiah
63. Isaiah chapter 63. Look at verse one. Who is this that cometh from
Eden, with dyed garments from Basra, this that is glorious
in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength?
I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save, mighty to save. This is not A weak, impotent,
helpless Savior that the world preaches. This is not one who's dependent
upon you to make a decision. The Savior that this world speaks
of is no Savior at all. But the one we read in God's
Word, it says He's mighty to save. He came to save and He's
mighty to save. We worship, we trust, we preach
an almighty, all-sufficient, effectual Savior. Who is He? He's the Lord Jesus Christ. He's
the Son of the living God and He is mighty to save. He doesn't
merely provide salvation, offer salvation, or try to get sinners
to be saved, he saves his people from their sins by his almighty,
irresistible grace. Matthew 1.21, the Lord spoke
to Joseph in a dream saying, Mary shall bring forth a son,
thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall, he shall save his
people from their sins. Who does he save? He saves those
chosen of God. Turn with me to a few scriptures
in the book of John. John 6.39. He saves those chosen
of God. Verse 39 of John chapter 6. This
is the Father's will which has sent me of all which he hath
given me. I shall lose nothing, but raise
it up at the last day." He says through his substitutionary work,
look at John chapter 10 verse 11, John 10 verse 11, I am the good shepherd, the good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. He makes intercession
on behalf of his people. John 17, 9, he says, I pray for
them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. He calls his people by the power
of the Spirit through the preaching of his word. In John 10, 3, he
says to him, the porter, open it. The sheep hear his voice. called his own sheep by name,
and he leadeth them out." Over in Psalm 110, all those he calls
will come to him. Psalm 110, thy people shall be
willing in the day of thy power. All those who come to him by
faith are saved by his grace. Look at John 6, verse 37. all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." And listen, all that
he says, every last one of his sheep that he says, he keeps.
He keeps. Look at John 10, 28. eternal life, and they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand,
for safe and secure in him." He came to save, and he saves
completely. Well, back to our text, this is a faithful worthy of
all acceptation. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. Who did he come to save? Sinners. It's right there in it. Sinners.
He came to save sinners. Sinners by birth, sinners by
choice, sinners by practice. We're all without excuse. He
came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Turn
with me to one more passage of scripture, Luke chapter 19, Luke
19. We'll close with this. this scripture
here, Luke 19, beginning in verse 1. Jesus entered and passed through
Jericho, and behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which
was the chief among the publicans. He was rich, and he sought to
see Jesus, who he was, and could not for the press because he
was little in stature. They ran before and climbed up
into a sycamore tree to see him. He was to pass that way. And
when Jesus came to the place, I think about he came to the
place. He knew that place forever, for eternity. And he looked up
and he saw him. And he said unto him, Zacchaeus,
he called him by name, make haste and come down. For today I must
abide at thy house." And he made haste and came down and received
him joyfully. And when they saw it, I don't
know who they was, but when they saw it, those Pharisees, they
all murmured, saying that he was going to be guests with a
man that is a sinner. Zacchaeus stood and said unto
the Lord, Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor,
and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation,
I restore him fourfold. Jesus said unto him, This day,
this day is salvation. Come to this house, for so much
as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man, Christ Jesus,
is come to He came into the world and to save that which is lost. He came to save sinners. Now,
there are some who will murmur and complain when they hear a
message of God's grace, but not a lost man, not a sinner. We rejoice in it, don't we? We're
thankful for it. This is a faithful saint worthy
of all acceptation, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,
of whom I am the chief." I pray God bless his Word.