My text, as you may have guessed,
in 1 Timothy chapter 1 is verse 15. But I'd like to begin the
message by sharing another pastor's comments. on this text of scripture. The title of the article that
I'm reading, just a portion of it, was called The Old Old Story. And this pastor wrote, when I
was a little boy, my uncle boss would tell me stories of things
that happened to him when he was young. And I love to hear
them over and over again. Those stories, although old,
never grew old to me. And he wrote, this is the way
it is when a child of God hears the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ. This is our favorite story. So
much so that we desire no other. Late in the evening, after Uncle
Boss's work was finished, I would anticipate sitting by him on
the front porch and listening to him repeat those stories.
The child of God looks forward with great anticipation to meeting
with other believers and hearing God's preacher tell them one
more time of him who loved them and gave himself for them. This faithful saying and the
one that is worthy of all acceptation is worth repeating over and over
again. And to that I say amen. And perhaps you know that what
I just read was from The book Line Up Online by your former
pastor, Tommy Robbins. Now look at verse 15 with me.
This is a faithful saying and 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 Christ
Mission of Mercy. And what is true of this verse,
of course, is true of the entire Word of God. It's always timely. It's always relevant. People
today seem to be, and I mean the religious world, seem to
always be searching for something new, something relevant, something
that speaks to our day. Well, God's word does. It always
does. As long as this world stands,
what we just read will be so. Perhaps even, to put it a little
plainer, or more accurately, it would be to say, because this
is so. that this is the only reason
the world exists. Actually, the only reason that
the world was created in the first place. For the Son of God
to come into on a mission of mercy for the redemption of His
people. This world with everything else,
we're told several places in Scripture, everything in it was
created by Him and for Him. And when the fullness of the
time was come, God sent his son into this world that he created
for the redemption of his people. John said he was in the world,
chapter 1 of John, and the world was made by him. Turning, if you will, back to
Galatians, Galatians chapter 1. This is what we read here. As I said, we read it in many
places in Scripture, but let's just look at one or two places.
Colossians 1, verse 16. Speaking of Christ, the firstborn
of every creature, he says in verse 16, For by Him were all
things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible
and invisible. Whether they be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers, all things were created by Him
and for Him. And He is before all things,
and by Him all things consist. And this is one of the reasons
that they sing his praises in glory. Turn, if you will, to
Revelation chapter 4. We'll read this in another place.
Revelation chapter 4 verse 10. The 4 and 20 elders, they sing
this song as well. Verse 10 of chapter 4. The 4
and 20 elders fell down before him that sat on the throne. Well, that just seems like the
right thing to do, doesn't it? He that sits on the throne, that's
who we bow to. And that's who every man will
bow to, every woman. And worship Him that liveth forever
and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying in
one united voice, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and
honor and power, for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy
pleasure they are and were created. Now looking at our text, let's
let it stand exactly as we find it without changing anything
or explaining anything away. I read an interesting comment
by Brother Henry in his commentary on this. He said, although there
are those who say they believe this about Christ's mission to
save sinners, they whittle down the greatness of that salvation. Well, we'll not do that. God
forbid that we should do that. But looking at the text without
changing anything or explaining anything away, look at it head
on. What does it say Christ Jesus
came into this world to do? And three things I'd like to
consider. First of all, who came? That
makes all the difference. The other things will never be
realized unless we understand who came. And why did he come? To do what? And for who? For
who? This text answers all three of
those questions. First of all, who came? That's the place to begin, isn't
it, Joe? That makes all the difference in the world. Salvation, the
success of it, the realization of it, the reality of it, or
the failure of it. depends upon who does it. Who does it? And our text tells
us Christ Jesus came into the world for this very purpose.
Who else is going to do it? Who else is going to save sinners?
And remember, don't think of this as restricted to Paul's
day or even to our Lord's coming into the world. Yes, that's past. But this applies to our day as
well. If Christ Jesus doesn't save
sinners this morning, they'll not be saved. He came into this
world to save sinners. That was His purpose. And remember
what that required. Remember what that required.
And just a brief reminder of a few things will emphasize or
rather enforce what I said, or rather ask, who else would do
it? Who else is going to save centers,
Todd? Who else is going to save centers? I can save a sinner. I couldn't save myself, much
less anybody else. No other preacher can save a
sinner, no matter how boldly, how clearly, how ably, how powerfully
they might preach. Yes, that's the means that God
is pleased to use, but unless He uses it, Unless he is pleased
to make it effectual to your hearts, you just sit and listen,
like perhaps you've done Sunday after Sunday, year after year,
and say, good message, preacher, I appreciate that, and walk out
the door as lost as a goose in a snowstorm. More lost than that. A goose might find his way out,
but a lost sinner never will. Christ Jesus came into this world
to save sinners. and the eternal God being made
like unto man. That's amazing, isn't it? Look
what Paul says in Philippians chapter 2. Turn back there for
a moment. Philippians 2 verse 6. Again, speaking of Christ. That was Paul's subject all the
time. Verse 6. who being in the form of God,
that is Christ, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. He told the religious leaders,
I and my Father are one. They understood what he was saying.
They didn't believe it, didn't like it. But he said, we're one,
we're equal. Before Abraham was, I am. He said, and Paul tells us here,
This is not something Christ didn't have a right to. This
is not something that he was stealing to himself. It's something
that he deserves, something that he was. He thought it not robbery
to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and
took upon himself the form of a servant. I mean, it boggles
the mind as we say, I can't get my mind, I can't wrap my mind
around that. that God Almighty became flesh
of my flesh and bone of my bone. And more than that, a servant. Not only a man, but the servant
of men. And was made in the likeness
of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself. Oh, how he humbled himself. And
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. God couldn't die. God can't die. And man can't redeem himself.
Oh, but the God-man, the God-man, he does both. What a stoop this
is. John in chapter 1 again, he said,
and the word, that word that he had already described, that
word that was in the beginning, That Word who was the otherwise
invisible God. That Word that created all things
and without Him was not anything made that was made. That Word,
John said, was made flesh and tabernacled among us. And John
said, we beheld His glory. We beheld His glory. He opened
our eyes and we beheld His glory. And we knew, by the revelation
of God Almighty to our hearts, we knew that we were looking
at God Almighty. What a wonder. And there's nothing
to compare that to, John. When I sat and thought about
it, and was making notes, preparing this message and praying, I thought,
well, how can I illustrate that? Where can I draw a comparison
of that from? And the answer is, there's none.
There is none. We can compare and use illustration
and parable and metaphors and things like that concerning other
things, but not this. Not this. What do you compare
that to? What's that like? Nothing. There's never been nothing
like this. God Almighty became a man. He became what He never was before. He became what He never was before.
It would never be the same after that. The God-man went back to
glory as the God-man. Not God only, but that man who
is himself God. And from that time, that the
word was made flesh, both God and man. As you've heard say,
as much God as though he were not man, and yet as much a man
as though he were not God. You see why I say I just can't
wrap my little mind around that? But what wondrous condescension
on the part of our Lord. No wonder Paul said what he did
in chapter 3 of 1 Timothy, verse 16. Timothy, without controversy,
let other men argue if they will. We won't. We won't. There's no
question about this. Great. Great is the mystery of
godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. And Paul seems to just say, what
a wonder, Timothy. What a wonder. Great is the mystery. God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the
Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up unto glory. came a problem. Paul in 2 Corinthians
wrote, though he were rich, rich, how rich was he? He owns it all. It's all in his hands. The cattle
on a thousand hills, God said, if I needed something, would
I ask you? What can you give me? I'm God. It's all mine. And that includes
you and me. Not just the natural creation,
the heavens and the earth. Oh no, you're in His hand too. You're in His hand too. I'm in
His hand. You're in His hand. The whole
world and everyone in it is in His hand. How do you feel about
that? How do you feel about that, Lester?
Find it comforting? Oh yeah. I'm in his hand. He's put me in his hand. And
he says, Larry Criss, no matter what happens, no matter what
comes your way in life, nothing will ever pluck you out of my
hand. Nothing can snatch you out. And you who don't know Him, you're
in His hands too. Oh, I know you don't like to
think about it. I know you don't like to hear it. And perhaps
you're trying to turn me off right now as I remind you of
it. But you're in His hands too. And it's up to Him. It's up to
Him. Now you can go elsewhere, and
a lot of people do. And hear another preacher tell
you, it's up to you. It's up to you. And that'll not
alarm you. Why should it? Here told, God's
done everything He can, that's up to you. And you'll just keep
on in your rebellion and say, well that's great. When I'm ready
to die after I live my life like I want to, after I have my way,
my will, then I'll give Jesus a chance. Oh my soul, are you
in for a rude awakening? He's not in your hand. Salvation's
not up to you. It's up to Him. Come to Him. Come to Him, behold the Lamb
of God. Though He were rich, yet He became
poor that we, through His poverty, might be made rich." Remember
when He walked this earth? We read in Scripture, He told
His disciples, count the cost. Count the cost. Our Lord never,
like these modern day ambulance chasers, I'm talking about preachers,
somebody has a problem and they run and try to get a decision
out of them and when the problem's gone or the sickness is gone,
their profession is gone too. But our Lord didn't treat people
that way. He was more concerned with their
immortal souls than to be dishonest with them. And he'd say, he said,
count the cost. Count the cost. You can't be
my disciple if you don't deny yourself and take up your cross
and follow me. And he said, I'll remind you
of this. The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have
nests, but the Son of Man, my what, what condescension. He owned it all. And when he
walked this earth as my substitute, he didn't own anything. He didn't
have a house like we did. After he came to the River Jordan,
was baptized, the Son of Man had nowhere to lay his head for
those years. There were very few places he
was even welcomed. Very few places. And don't forget
how he was received when he did come into this world. He wasn't. He was in the world and the world
was made by him and the world knew him not. He came into his
own and his own received him not. But John didn't stop there,
did he? He said, but to as many as received
him. There were a few. There were
a few. But the majority, they didn't
receive him. The night he was born, wise men
came, seeking he that was born King of the Jews. And Herod heard
about it. And he was disturbed, and Luke
tells us, and all Jerusalem with him. The majority. And how did
the king welcome him? He hunted him to try to kill
him. And when he found out that he'd been deceived, that he didn't
get his way, because God had his way, that he, from the time
he realized it, two years had passed, so he killed all the
infants, two years, male infants from two years and younger. That's
how they received Him. Well, that was the political
powers. Surely the religious folks treated
Him different. When He came and said, I'm the
Son of God, I'm your Messiah, I'm the one that's come to deliver
you, I'm the one that all the prophets, all the Old Testament
scriptures talk about, I'm the one that you've read about, that
every Sabbath day you stand and read about, I've come. I'm here. Surely they'll welcome
him with open arms. Surely they'll say, oh, thank
God, he's come, he's come. No, no, as you well know, the
leaders who said they were looking for the Messiah and told the
people, y'all just count on us, we'll tell you when he's here.
We'll point you to him. They were his chief persecutors. They hated him more than anyone
else. They said, we don't need you. We've got Abraham. You're
a deceiver. You're an imposter. You're a
liar. And they told the people, why
hear ye him? Don't listen to him. They hounded
him to death. They said, we be not born of
fornication like you are, hounded him to death. And then while
he was dying, I don't think we realize, and that's not a fault,
we just can't I suppose, but while he hung on the cross dying,
they had a party. They just had a party. Oh, how
they rejoiced. This is what we wanted. This
is what we plotted for. And they mocked him even then.
As he hung there dying, they said, hey, if you're the son
of God like you claim, why don't you call on him now if God'll
have you? He saved others. He claimed he
saved others. Let him save himself. Come down
from the cross, you so-called Messiah. Can you imagine? Can
you imagine treating somebody like that as they died? Oh yeah,
they didn't receive Him. But here's the thing. Jesus knew
all of this. Of course He did. He's God. He
knew all of this beforehand. And He came anyway. He came anyway. He's told His disciples, as the
time drew near, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son
of Man shall be betrayed. and be spit on, and be treated
with spite, and be crucified. And he said, let's keep going. I have a baptism. I'm going to
be covered up. Wave after wave of God's wrath
is going to go roll over me. And he said, I can't wait. for
it to begin. Let's go to Jerusalem. That night,
after he had instituted the Lord's Supper, John 14, he said, Arise,
let us be gone. When Judas brings that bloodthirsty
mob to the garden, we read, And Jesus, knowing all things that
should come upon him, went forth. And said, Whom sin? Whom sin? He says, greater love have no
man than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends.
Having loved his own that were in the world, he loved them until
the end. And you know what? He's not treated
any better today, is he? After doing what Artex says he
did, and going back to glory, Still today, we hear the same
thing. He wasn't God. He was a poor,
deluded man. And the religious world, they've
not changed either. Just as bad, perhaps worse, than
the secular world, as we call them, that use his name this
morning You know it's so. You turn on your TV, and they're
using that precious name to sell everything from holy water, miracle
water, to prayer rags, to you name it. Jesus trinkets, crosses,
pins, anything to make a dollar in the name of that name which
is above every name. Health, wealth, gospel. and they
can't build buildings big enough to hold the crowds. Others who
claim to speak for him. Fundamentalist. I think that's
what they like to be called. He doesn't fare any better in
their hands because they say that he really didn't do what
he said he did. He only made salvation possible. What an insult that is to the
Son of God. He said it's finished and these
fellas stand up and say it's not finished until you make it
so. Call His name Jesus. He shall
save His people from their sins. And they say, well, if, if, maybe.
Oh, enough of that. Enough of that. Let's turn away
from that. Let's turn a deaf ear to that. That's what it deserves. And consider next what our text
said He did. Not what these fellas claim He
did. Why did He come? To do what? Are you looking at
it? Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. Oh, yeah. To save sinners. Not to make them savable or to
help them save themselves or to offer salvation to them. Oh, no. No. That's not good news. The good news is exactly what
we read. He came to actually save, to
do all that was necessary. Whatever required the salvation
of sinners, he came to do and bless his holy name, he did it. He did it all, didn't he Lord? He came to save to the uttermost. Well, that's a big word, Lonnie.
Salvation. That's a big word. One of my
favorite things. And you grandparents can identify
with this. I've told you before, my one
granddaughter, seven years old, she still likes being around
Pawpaw. Most of the others are teenagers. They don't have much
use for Pawpaw anymore. They go their way. But when I
visit my oldest son, Laura, the one I'm talking about, sat up
next to me and said, Pawpaw, let me read you a story. And
I just loved that. She'll start reading, and she'll
come to a word that is a toughie. Oh, she'll just try her best
to, and she doesn't want to ask me to tell her what it is. She'll
say, Pawpaw, that's a big word. I'll say, yeah, honey, that is
a big word. Salvation. That's a big word. He came to save sinners. Religion
says that's easy. God didn't say it was easy. That
required living a perfect life under God's holy law. Do you
know that? There could be no salvation until
that was accomplished. A perfect life was necessary
to fulfill all righteousness. Someone had to perfectly obey
God's law in word, in thought, in deed, had to fulfill, as our
Lord said, all righteousness. And he did it. He did it. In John 17, he said, Father,
I finished the work that you gave me to do. The fulfilling
of all righteousness. But that's not all. That law
had been broken. Justice demanded satisfaction. It required the paying of a ransom
that God Almighty would accept. And He said, before I accept
it, it's got to be perfect. No wonder the hymn writer said,
depth of mercy, contemplating his sins. He asked the question,
depth of mercy, can there be? Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear and me, the chief of sinners,
spare? How can He? And our Lord, likewise,
concerning the paying of that ransom that God would accept,
He did that too. He did it. That's why on the
cross, again He exclaims, it is finished. It is finished. That part of what God required
in the salvation of sinners, I've done that too. It's finished. But men are dead in sin. You
that don't know Christ this morning, you sit here dead in sin. You
don't need a little propping up. You need life. It's not your
little pinky that's broke. You're dead in sin. Oh, but you
hath He quickened. He said, I'm the resurrection
and the life. And even after that, we must
be kept, Todd. Sinners must be kept. And you
know your heart to some degree, believer. You know what you're
capable of if God for 30 seconds takes His hands off you? If He'll
allow it, you'll curse Him just like Peter did. We must be kept. And Peter wrote, you're kept
by the power of God until salvation. Not keep yourselves, he said,
you're kept. You're in His hand. We must be
brought home. We must be brought all the way
home, all the way to glory. That's salvation. That's a part
of it. To the uttermost, from the pit
to the throne. Listen. Christ says, my sheep
hear my voice and they follow me and they shall never perish.
I give them eternal life. He told his disciples, if I go
and prepare a place for you, you'll occupy it. I'll come again. and take you to be where I am. He does it all. Brother Henry
Mahan, years ago, preached a message. It had five points, but one of
them was this. He said, we have far too much
doubts and fears concerning God's mercy, love and grace for a people
to whom the Lord has said, him that cometh unto me I will in
no wise cast out and they shall never perish. And that's so,
isn't it? Should I doubt his love because
of anything about myself? Now think about that. Should
I? One dear lady said, he must have
loved me before I was born because he could never love me afterwards.
Nothing in me that would attract his love. Should I question his
grace because of anything in me? It was free. It was never given to me for
any other reason or for any other cause. My peace I give to you. You've never earned it and you
never will. Should I suspect, be suspicious
of, or stand in doubt of His mercy because I don't deserve
it, John? I've never deserved it. Oh no. Mercy there was great and grace
was free. Listen to these few lines of
an old hymn that expresses it well. what mercy from his bosom
flows to every true believer. He put away the countless woes
of us poor needy sinners. Oh, blessed are his saints indeed.
Christ Jesus is our savior and everything that we can need is
ours in him forever. Now, last of all, last of all,
who did Christ come to save? To save who? And our text says
sinners. Doesn't it? Sinners. Now, don't
see anything before the word or after the word or above it
or below it. Sinners. No qualification. Well, Larry, you mean elect. Well, of course, he came to save
those. His people, yes, he will save his people from their sins.
But his elect? His people, all are sinners. Sinners, every one. The question
for a lost man is not, am I one of God's elect? It's impossible
for you to know that. And that's not the place to start
anyway. You can never know that until
God Almighty shows mercy to you. And that's not the concern. The
concern for you is, I'm a sinner and I need a Savior. God teach
you that. You'll come to him and then you'll
know, oh, he did this on purpose. What a wonder. He did this and
had purpose to do this before the world began. Come to Christ
and he'll not cast you out. And then you'll know. You'll
know. Like Bobby sang a few minutes
ago. It's not been that long. I am his and he is mine. Oh, the wonder of that. As long
as God and I shall be. I am his and he is mine. Our
text doesn't say he came to save repenting sinners or believing
sinners or willing sinners. And no man is saved who doesn't
do all those things. What I'm saying is he doesn't
find them that way, he makes them that way. They're willing
in the day of his power. When a seeking Savior finds a
seeking sinner, salvation happens every time. Every time. Sinners in the plural. Thank
God, I don't know Or rather, I don't preach the same message
I realize it's preached all around us, and the reason is, while
I always declare that salvation is of the Lord, I want you to
behold the Lamb of God. You can't be saved otherwise.
I don't want, if I didn't care, I wouldn't care what you beheld
or what you trusted in, yourself or a preacher, including this
one. Behold an altar or a decision? No, no. I don't want you to follow
that broad way that leads to destruction. But this I do and
pray. that while God is enabling me
to preach the Gospel, which includes this blessed, blessed Word, behold
the Lamb of God, look unto me and live, that at that very moment,
He'll open your eyes and He'll enable you to do it. To behold
the Lamb of God, to look, to look away, look away. Look. Look away from self. Away from all your works. Away
from all self-righteousness. And look to Christ and live. Right now. Right now. That quick. Look and live. God make it happen. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. And does He still? Of course
He does. If he doesn't and isn't, everything
would be wrapped up now. Everything would be over. Oh,
but he's calling out sinners. Ask the man who wrote these words.
Does he save sinners, Paul? Oh, yeah. This is a faithful
saying. You can take it to the bank.
Oh, it's more sure than that. It's worthy of all acceptation
because the one who made the promise is worthy. Listen to
the voice of that multitude of the redeemed in glory, already
in glory that John saw. Ask them, does Christ still save
sinners? The very fact of them being there
is proof that He still does. But listen to them. Listen to
them. Unto Him that loved us and washed
us in His own blood, to Him be glory forever and ever. And I'm
going to close. But I can't close until I add
my voice to Paul's, to those already in glory. And if you
ask me, Larry, will Jesus Christ, even today, now, this moment,
will he receive all that come unto him? You don't know what
a rebel I am. I know what a rebel I was. And
I'll tell you, yes, he will. Yes, he will. Bless his name. He will. He saved this rebel. Don't miss Christ. Don't miss
Christ. Don't substitute anything for
Christ. Come, come. While the door is
open, Christ said, once the door is shut, many will seek to enter
in and will not be able. The prophet said, whoa! Stop! Stop! Listen! Listen! Stop! Isaiah said, pause in your rush,
in your rush in life. Stop! Behold! Is anybody thirsty? Anybody thirsty,
behold, come and drink. Buy wine and milk without money
and without price. Behold, and see if the Lord doesn't
delight to show mercy. Paul in verse 17 says, Now unto
the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor,
and glory forever and ever. Amen. Amen.