I'm gonna ask you to take your
Bibles and turn with me to the book of 1 Corinthians chapter
15. While you're turning there, I would like to say what an honor
and a privilege it is to be here with you. I love your pastor. Your pastor's been a friend of
mine for a long time, thick and thin. Scripture says in Proverbs 17,
17, a friend loveth at all times. And I can truthfully say that
for this church and for your pastor, he's loved me, been a
friend, helped me. The Apostle Paul had declared,
verses one and two, Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the gospel. The gospel is a declaration. I've told the folks at Katie
many times, I'm not offering you anything. I'm declaring unto
you that which Almighty God has set forth. I declare unto you
the gospel, the good news, which I preached unto you, which also
you've received, wherein you stand, by which also you're saved,
if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you've believed
in vain. The gospel of God's free grace. this glorious message of life
in the Lord Jesus Christ. One message, Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. And Paul said in verses three
and four, I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received. He's saying I didn't tell you
anything that the Lord didn't tell me first. This message has
got to be taught. A message taught, a message delivered
to God's people. How that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures. that he was buried, that he rose
again the third day according to the scriptures. Paul was a
man that God called to be an apostle. The Lord had taught
Paul the gospel and commissioned him to preach the Gospel to Gentiles,
kings, and the children of Israel. But Paul the Apostle arrested
on the road to Damascus. The Lord revealed Himself to
him, Who art thou, Lord? I'm Jesus that you're persecuting.
Hard to kick against the pricks, Paul or Saul at that time. So the rebel, regenerated by
the grace of God, cried out unto the Lord, Lord, what would you
have me to do? The Lord sent him into Damascus,
sent him a preacher, taught him, commissioned him, and the apostle
Paul never saw himself to be any more than the low man on
the totem pole. What humility. Almighty God would
use this man to write, to pen, under the inspiration of God's
Spirit, a major portion of the New Testament. And Paul the apostle
said of himself in verse 9, chapter 15, for I am the least of the apostles. I'm not meet,
I'm not fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church
of God. None of the other apostles did
that, that's what Paul was saying. I treated God's people, God's
elect with such hatred and resentment. He said in 1 Timothy chapter
one, concerning his attitude, his walk. 1 Timothy chapter 1
and verse 13. He said, Who was before a blasphemer? I spoke reproachfully against
the Lord. I was a persecutor, an injurious,
one that spoke Blasphemously of the name of the Lord accused
him of being an imposter. Accused the Lord of being an
imposter and a deceiver. And I insulted God's elect, shamefully,
those that Almighty God had everlastingly loved, chosen in Christ, Christ redeemed
by His blood, I spoke against them. Can you imagine a believer
speaking reproachfully of the Lord and then being a persecutor
of God's body? Injurious, I injured the people. He says in Acts chapter 22 and
verse 20, He said, this is the way I did
it. When the blood of thy martyr
Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consented unto
his death and kept the raiment of them that slew him. He said
in Acts chapter 26, in verse 9 to 11, he said, I barely thought
with myself, now listen to this, that I ought to do many things
contrary to the name of Jesus in Nazareth. I thought within
myself that it was right and it was proper and it was necessary that I injure these people. These
people need to be taken out. These people are the way. He said, I'm not fit to be called
an apostle. The Lord called me by His grace
and I'm not even worthy of this. Paul never forgot what he was
before and obviously the Lord had forgiven him. The Lord had
taught him. But though a believer is assured
of his forgiveness in the Lord Jesus Christ, the remembrance
of his past. past disrespect toward the Lord
and toward the Lord's people, coupled with the knowledge of
that old man that still resides within sin that dwells in the
flesh, caused Paul to have a constant awareness of the presence of
his unworthiness. I am the least. That's what he said. of the apostles. I'm the least. I'm not meet. I'm not fit to be called an apostle. I persecuted the church. He never got over that. But then
he said in 1 Corinthians 15 chapter 10, but by the grace of God,
I am what I am. By the grace of God, Now, he
had already told us what he was before. He admitted before. He
said, I was a blasphemer. I spoke disrespectfully of the
Lord. Now, every believer can enter
into this. Every believer can say, before
I was called out of the darkness of sin and unbelief, I blasphemed
the Lord. I didn't speak with respect of
him. I was a persecutor, I was injurious. But now he's said
to be something other than that. He's something now that he was
not before by the grace of God. And whatever Paul says, he is
now. Every believer could accurately
say that that's what I am. So what does the apostle say
that he is now? By the grace of God, I am what
I am. Well, what are you, Paul? By the grace of God, I am. Well,
here's the thing, comparing scripture to scripture. This is Paul speaking
of himself in scripture. First of all, this is what Paul
says I am. I'm a sinner. Now, every believer
can admit that. Now, I know that all men, you
know this, all men are sinners before God. Scripture says in
Romans 3.23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God. But here's the problem. All sinners. don't recognize themselves to
be sinners. Look at Luke, very familiar passage
of scripture, Luke 18. All men are sinners. All men don't know it though.
Scripture says, Luke 18, verse 10, it said two men. And here's the, here's the, Here's
all mankind, Lindsey, right here. He's summed it up right here.
Every man, every woman's gonna find themselves in one of these
two men right here. All of us. Two men went up into
the temple to pray. The one a Pharisee, the other
a Republican. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself. It's always just amazed me every
time I read this. He prays thus with himself. He
says, God, I thank thee that I'm not as other men are. Now you can read that, a believer
will read that and he'll say, well I can tell you this, here's
a man that doesn't know God. I'm thankful that I'm not as
other men are. A believer will say this, I'm
just like other men. An extortioner. Maybe not outwardly, but inwardly. Unjust, adulterous, or even as
this publican, I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all
that I possess. Everything now, everything you
got. Not just your money, time, everything. I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar
off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. By the grace of God, the Apostle
Paul was made to know something of his condition in Adam's fall. Here's what Paul says, by the
grace of God, Almighty God has shown me that I'm a sinner. One that does nothing but sin. Unbeliever. Now, they're gonna
say, well, I'm not gonna say that I don't ever sin. I'm sure
I have at times, you know, passed. I can't think of it right now,
but I'm sure that I have. I'm not perfect, but I'm not
like what you're talking about. I'm not talking about being a,
you know, filthy, low life, good for nothing sinner. He said, you know, one that doesn't
know the Lord say, well, the way you say it, You know, you're
making me sound like I'm just, you know, nothing but a lowlife. Well, I don't know how to say
it bad enough, because that's what we are by nature. Listen
to what Paul says. Oh, wretched, wretched man that
I am. Who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? How many people do you know out
where you work, neighbors? How many wretched sinners do
you know? A believer says, well, I know
one for sure, me. That's the one I know. Paul says
in Romans 7, 18, I know, I know this. I know that in me, that
is in my flesh, There dwelleth no good thing. I know that. And
to be honest with you, I don't know the depth of it. I don't. I know it's there. The Apostle
Paul knew himself to be one worthy of death, worthy of eternal separation
from God, and he knew that God was just, and that God Almighty
was just, would in no wise just Wipe away. Just forget about
it. Well, I'm just going to in no
wise clear the guilty. God Almighty is just. So Paul, by the grace of God,
knew that he was a sinner. All men are sinners. But Paul
knew himself to be a needy sinner. That's what that publican says.
God, be merciful to me. I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. Secondly, by the grace of God. Apostle Paul confessed himself
to be a sinner, but he was an object of God's mercy. By the grace of God. All men
are sinners. Oh, but by God's grace, the Lord
has been pleased to show mercy. to me, admitted himself to be
formerly a blasphemer, persecutor, injurious, and that certainly
grounds to qualify a man to be a senator. But listen to the
next words. Back when I, 1 Timothy 1, 13, but I obtained mercy. I was, I was a blasphemer against
God, injurious of his people, but I obtained mercy. I was one
of the ones that Almighty God was talking about when Moses
asked him in Exodus 33, when Moses said, show me your glory. And the Lord said, I'm gonna
cause all my goodness to pass before you. I'm gonna have mercy on whom
I'll have mercy. and I'm going to have compassion on whom I
have compassion. Paul said, by the grace of God,
Almighty God had mercy. I obtained mercy. I was made to be an object of
his mercy. A believer will think this, Lord,
how is it How is it that you could have mercy on me? How is
it, Lord, that you, in your infinite wisdom, I know you will, Lord, that you had mercy on me
and stopped me on my road to Damascus, that you were pleased
to arrest me and stop me And the grace of our Lord was exceeding,
Paul said, 1 Timothy 1 14, abundant with faith and love, which is
in Christ Jesus. I obtained mercy by the grace
of God. God was merciful to this sinner. Oh, the sweet, precious. thought of God's mercy to an
unworthy sinner. The Lord said in Genesis 6, 5,
I'll read this to you, God saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth. Now listen, listen, now this
is the way we are. This is not the way we THINK
we are by nature. We think that there's a little
good in all men. Well, that's not according to
scripture. None good is what scripture says. But here's what,
we don't think that we're this bad. Listen to how God says we
are. God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil. Listen how often. You mean to tell me that Almighty
God is saying that there's never a time in the thoughts, the imagination
of a man's heart, there's never a time that evil is not there? Is that what you're saying? That's
exactly what I'm saying. So you understand. There's never
a moment in the heart, in the mind of the old man when there's
not evil thinking, intense, conniving, continually. Listen to what Genesis
chapter six, verse eight says, but Noah, found grace. Noah obtained. Noah acquired. Noah received grace. Not that Noah was looking for
it. When it says Noah found grace, he wasn't seeking the grace of
God. I can tell you, and neither was
I, neither were you. If you know Him, you weren't
looking. No man seeketh after God. Noah
found grace. To find grace, In the eyes of
the Lord, scripture sets forth that almighty God is pleased
to bestow it and then give you a heart to know it. He teaches you. I gave you. I bestowed upon you. My grace. Listen to this concerning
Noah finding grace. Men, the grace of God, it's to
have God's mercy, God's grace bestowed. John 1.43, the day
following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee and findeth Philip
and saith unto him, follow me. Philip found grace in the eyes
of the Lord, not in Philip's eyes. The Lord said, the Lord
found, the Lord declared. Luke 1.30, and the angel said
unto her, speaking of Mary, fear not, Mary, for thou has found
favor. You found favor. Noah found grace. Mary, you found favor. You've gotten, you've obtained,
you've been given. You're a recipient of the grace
of God. And thirdly, Paul said, I'm a
sinner. By the grace of God, I'm a sinner,
but a sinner that has obtained mercy. And then thirdly, by the
grace of God, the scripture says that Paul was given a heart. He was imparted with life and
given a heart that exhibits now the character of a believer. A believer, he walks like a believer,
he talks like a believer. I've had people, I've told the
folks there in Katie, I said, a believer talks like a believer.
They said, well, how is that? I said, I don't know. I don't
know. I don't know how to tell you
that, but I'll tell you this. When they open their mouth, you
know it. There's a spirit in the walk,
in the life. There's that constant reminder.
I'll tell you where it's going to start. It's going to start
back with them knowing they're a sinner. They're a sinner that has that
God has shown mercy to. And there's the foundation. It builds on that. And everything
out of that new heart, there's a continual remembrance. Paul never forgot. I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy of this. That's
a believer. There's a spirit about a believer. You listen to somebody talk.
And that spirit of self-worth, and I did this, and I've been
faithful, and I've always liked a son that didn't leave his father,
that prodigal son that took off. Here comes the other boy. And
he said, I've always been faithful. Boy, I tell you what, I don't
know one believer that has ever said that. I've always been faithful. No, every believer is going to
talk with a spirit of humility. How is it Paul said, by the grace
of God, I am what I am. Here's where does that come from?
Where does that where's that spirit of a manifestation of
the character of a believer? Remembering, recognizing what
it is. Well, here it is right here.
Ezekiel 36, 26. A new heart also will I give
you. A new spirit I'll put within
you. I'll take away that stony heart out of your flesh. I'll
give you a heart of flesh. I'm gonna put my spirit. Think about that. I will put my spirit That very
thought right there amazes a believer. The Lord has put His Spirit in
me. One that can't even keep a consistent
thought. One that struggles with everything
that he says or thinks or my walk. Do I have a walk that adorns
the doctrine? that I believe, I'll put my spirit
within you, I'm gonna cause you to walk in my statutes. You'll
keep my judgments, you'll do them. Lord, if you don't keep me, I'm
not kept. But Paul says, by the grace of
God, I'm a sinner that's received mercy and been given a heart. to walk after him. Before, before
Paul's conversion, oh, this was his attitude. He walked, you
know, with such pride and arrogance. Philippians chapter three, five
and six, I was circumcised the eighth day, stock of Israel,
tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of the Hebrews, touching the law
of Pharisees, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching
the righteousness which is in the law, Blameless, blameless. Oh, but now, there's a different
character. Paul said, by the grace of God,
Almighty God taught me something of myself, given me a heart. The characteristic of a believer.
What is that? How does a believer, how do they
think? Well, turn with me to Matthew
5 and I'll begin to wrap this up. Matthew 5, the Lord graciously
taught us something of how a believer thinks and therefore how he walks. Matthew chapter 5 and verse 3. Blessed, those have been blessed. These are blessed people. Blessed,
five three, are the poor in spirit. For theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Blessed are those that's been made to know something of
their spiritual poverty. Let me tell you what every believer
thinks in here. I'm the low man on the totem
pole in here. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm
not the top rung, I can tell you that right now. Every believer
sees something of his need. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Taught something of the effect. of their ruin in Adam's fall. They know that Christ must save
them because they can't save themselves. Psalm 34, 18, the Lord is nigh
unto them that are of a broken heart. Those that are smitten
with a sense of the presence of sin. You that know Him, you
know what I'm talking about. You know, try to think. Try to
just consider your thoughts toward the Lord. Your time of prayer. Just think about it for a minute.
Blessed are the poor in spirit. Verse four, blessed are they
that mourn. Mourn over that indwelling sin
and grieve daily over the shortcomings. I wish I wouldn't have thought.
I hate I said that. Lord forgive me. Lord for my
attitude. Blessed are they that mourn. Now listen to this promise. They're
going to be comforted. They're going to be taught. afresh
of the forgiveness of sin by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those that bow to
the good providence of God, who are made to be patient in adversity. And we're made to be that way. How? He gave us a new heart.
Lord, thank you. Give me a heart that truly desires
to wait on you. I want to. I want to wait on
the Lord, don't you? I wish I would. I wish I would. I want to. Lord, thank you for a heart that
desires to submit to your will. Why? Blessed are the meek, they
shall inherit the earth. They're heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ, and the scripture says, Revelation 5, 10, they're
gonna reign on the earth. Told the folks in Katy, I don't
know what that means, but according to the word of God, it's so. And whatever it is, for that
I'm thankful. Look at verse six, blessed are
they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, Blessed
are those that recognize that they don't have a righteousness
in themselves. That'll answer before God is
nothing but filthy rags, but oh, to be robed in His righteousness. That's what the scripture says.
He that believeth. Everyone that believeth is robed
in the righteousness of Christ. Lord, these thoughts are too
high for me. Lord, you're talking about one like me? Blessed are
they that hunger and thirst, they're gonna be filled. They're
gonna be filled and satisfied with the sweet word of him who
is the judge who says, well, Well done, well done. In Christ, as he is, so are we in this world. Oh, by the grace of God, I am
what I am. Lord, in me, I see there dwells
no good. Lord, according to your word.
Verse seven, blessed are the merciful. they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are those that are compassionate,
those that have received a new heart of compassion from the
one who's been pleased to show compassion and mercy. I can't
think of a greater example of compassion than one that was
exhibited by the woman at the well in Samaria. The Lord crossed
her path, talked to her. You know the argument that she
gave her. She said, I'm a Samaritan, you're a Jew. Jews and Samaritans,
Jews don't have anything to do with Samaritans. And the Lord
taught her something of herself. Go get your husband. And she
said, I'm not married. He said, that's right. And he
said, you're five before. Do you remember what that woman
did? She left her water pot there and she went back to the city
and began to talk to some men and this is what she said. Now
this is compassion. This is compassion. Come see
a man which told me all things that I ever did. Is not this
the Christ? I want y'all to come hear what
this man's got to say. Greatest exhibition of compassion. is to tell someone or invite
someone, would you come hear what my pastor has to say? Would
you just come, you don't have to do anything, just come sit. You're not gonna pressure you
to do anything, you don't have to do nothing, just come. Come see a man which told me
all things that ever I did. You that know the Lord, do you
not desire for your family, your husband, your wife, your kids
to hear the gospel? Blessed are the merciful, the
compassionate they'll receive. Look at verse eight, blessed
are the pure in heart, they shall see God. Blessed are those who
stand not in themselves, the pure in heart, not in themselves
but in Christ, not satisfied with a mere charade of outward
religion, a correctness, a show, but truly adorn the gospel, the
doctrine they preach and believe. They make no boast, no claim,
their own works, their own efforts. Job said, Job 19, 25, 27, I know,
I know that my Redeemer liveth. That he shall stand at the latter
day upon the earth, and though after my skin worms destroy this
body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. whom I shall see for myself,
mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reigns be
consumed within me. That's what he's saying, though
everything within me, this is my desire. This is what I pant
after. Verse nine, blessed are the peacemakers,
the peace lovers, who desire blessing, are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are
those striving to follow after those things which make for peace
among the brethren, those whose heart is ruled by the Prince
of Peace. They're the children of God.
Then verses 10 to 12, blessed or they which are persecuted
for righteousness is saved. Paul said, by the grace of God,
this is, I am what I am. Paul says that to be made poor
in spirit, mourning over the presence of sin, meek, bowing
to the good pleasure of God's providence and will for me, that
hunger and thirst after righteousness that he thought he had before,
By the grace of God, I realize now, not my righteousness, but
His, the pure in heart that stand in Christ, the peacemakers, those
that are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Blessed are you when men shall
revile you, persecute you. Paul could truthfully say, I
know something about that. and say all manner of evil against
you falsely for my name's sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad. Think what the Lord said. Rejoice
when you're persecuted for the sake of the gospel. Rejoice and
be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for
so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Be thankful
if Almighty God has been pleased to permit you to be persecuted. I mean, so often, you know, somebody
says something about us and just says, woe is me. Lord said, be
exceeding glad that Almighty God has allowed you the privilege,
the blessing, the mercy to have all manner of evil said against
you falsely for his namesake. Rejoice. Oh, by the grace of
God, Paul said, I am what I am. I'm a sinner. A sinner that God's
shown mercy. A sinner that Almighty God's
been pleased and instilled in part, a heart. And lastly, he
said, by the grace of God, I'm a kept object of God's mercy. The Lord said in Matthew 10,
22, you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but he
that endureth to the end shall be saved. He that endures in
the gospel, never leaves, that's kept by God's power. Paul says, by the grace of God,
I am what I am, but he didn't finish right there. Back in 1
Corinthians 15 he said, and His grace which was bestowed upon
me was not in vain. That means it was not without
effect. His grace that was bestowed upon
me was not fruitless. I labored more abundantly than
they all yet. Now listen to this, he's gonna
say, I'm gonna qualify the statement I just made. I labored more abundantly
than they all, than they all yet, not I. But the grace of God, which was
with me. By God's grace, Almighty God
give me heart. Follow after him. But he said,
that wasn't me. By God's grace, 2 Timothy 4,
6 to 8, I'm now ready to be offered. That's what he said. The time of my departures at
hand, he said I fought a good fight. I finished my course. I kept the faith. Henceforth
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me
only, but unto all them that love his appearing. Paul says, I am what I am by
the grace of God. What are you, Paul? Well, I'm
a sinner. Never got any higher than that.
I'm a sinner. A sinner that Almighty God was
pleased to show mercy. A sinner that Almighty God was
pleased to impart life. He gave me a new heart and a
desire to walk after them, but a sinner that the Lord kept by
His grace and mercy and compassion. That's all I am. May the Lord
bless these words to our heart for Christ's sake and our eternal
good. Amen.