We appreciate that. Word, Brother
Streeter. If you would, open your Bibles
with me to First Timothy, Chapter One. First Timothy, Chapter One. I've already enjoyed very much
being here today. Enjoyed the songs that we've
sung. I enjoyed the message that I got to hear during the Sunday
school hour. Pray that the Lord will continue to bless as we
study his word now. First Timothy chapter one, verse
number 15. The scripture says, this is a
faithful saying, and it's worthy of all acceptation. that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. This is a faithful saying. The
word faithful means it's trustworthy. It's surely true. This is a surely
true saying, that is message. And it's worthy. Worthy, it's
deserving. of all acceptation, it deserves
that all accept and believe this message. It's worthy that you
and I this morning, that we receive this message and rejoice in this
message. That Christ, that is God's anointed,
the one that he chose and set apart to be our prophet to reveal
God unto us, to be our priest in order to offer himself a sacrifice
that God would accept to put away our sins, and to be our
king to rule in our lives today, that Christ Jesus came into the
world. It's a worthy message that we
all accept that Christ Jesus, God's son, came into this world.
In the beginning was the word. And the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God, and the Word was made flesh. That is, Christ came into
this world. The Word was made flesh, and
He dwelt among us. He lived among us in this world. And we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and of truth. This is a message that's worthy,
that we accept and believe today, that Christ Jesus came into the
world. But why did he come into the
world? To save sinners. This is a message that we should
all receive and rejoice in this morning, that Christ Jesus came
into this world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Every believer
here You feel just like the Apostle Paul. You who have believed in
the Lord Jesus Christ, that he came into this world to save
you, you believe just like him, that when he saved you, he saved
the chief of sinners, right? All of us feel that very same
way. The word save actually means,
it means to deliver and to protect. Christ came into this world,
the Son of God came into this world to deliver sinners and
to protect sinners. Now lost men and women, they
believe that's the silliest message that could ever be said, that
they would need to be saved. People make fun of those who
believe in the new birth, that we must be born again. That God,
the Holy Spirit, must do something for us as sinners or we will
forever be lost. That he has to give us life and
that we need to be saved. The lost world, those who are
dead in trespasses and sins, all of us before God brought
us to faith in Christ, we thought that was silly. To be saved? What do I need to be saved from?
You know, why do people believe that that's a ridiculous message
if they're lost? There's many, many reasons, but
I want to mention three this morning. First, because as we
come into this world dead in trespasses and sins, we don't
understand, first of all, that God is holy and that he's just. We just, we don't understand
that. And even as a child of God, we, I don't speak for you. I speak for myself. I can't even
begin to understand just how righteous and holy God is. Why? Because I'm everything that's
not righteous and holy. But the scripture teaches that
God hates sin and that he is angry with the wicked every day. And that word angry, you know,
there's different levels of angry, right? You can be a little bit
upset. You know, maybe you get a little bit cross ways. Then
there's a more severe anger and a more severe anger. But the
word that the psalmist uses there when he says that God is angry
with the wicked every day, it's the strongest sense of the word
anger. It actually means to foam at
the mouth. And the picture is of that mad
dog. You've seen that dog that has
rabies or that dog that's chained up to that house and someone
comes up to that fence and they're just foaming at the mouth. That's the word that the psalmist
actually used when he says that God is angry with the wicked
every day. But people, they think that it's
a silly message that they need to be saved. Why? Because by
nature we don't believe that. We cannot enter into the fact
that God is holy and just and righteous and that he will punish
sin. Secondly, it's because we just
don't get our own sinfulness. David mentioned in his lesson
this morning that God looked from heaven, not that he needed
to, but he says that he did and that there is none righteous,
not even one, and that there is none good. Not even one in
this whole world of billions of people, that there is not
one who's good. And yet God is holy and he's
just. And as a just God, he will, he
must punish sin. If you don't hear anything else
that I say this morning, please hear this. There is not one sin
that any of us or anyone else that has ever lived in this world
commits that God will not punish. He must. Why? Because he's holy. He must punish
sin. But thank God, I'm so thankful
that when God, in his mercy and grace, reaches down to us as
sinners and he gives us spiritual life, he teaches us this truth,
that he can be just His justice is never compromised and the
justifier of him that believes in Jesus. God can be just and
punish every sin and justify the sinner that believes in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because Christ Jesus came
into this world to save sinners of whom I'm chief. The Lord Jesus
He said, I came not to judge this world. He did not, the Son
of God did not need to come into this world to judge the world,
did he? This world was already judged. He said, I came not into
the world, he says, I came not to judge the world, but to save
the world. Just like Paul said that Christ
Jesus came into the world, the Lord Jesus says, I came, I came
into this world, not to judge the world, but to save the world. He said, for the Son of Man is
come to save that which is lost. Isn't that good news this morning?
The Lord Jesus came into this world to save that which is lost. I find myself in that description,
that which is lost. The Lord Jesus said he came to
save one like me, one who's lost. You see, to save sinners, our
sins must be paid for, and for our sins to be paid for, the
Son of God had to come into this world. He had to become a man,
and he had to live a perfect life Not for himself, he was
already perfect. He had to walk through this world
as a representative for his people, living a perfect life, always
thinking good, and saying good, and doing good. He had to if
we were gonna have our sins forgiven, right? We needed a righteousness
that God would accept, and the Lord Jesus walked in this world
perfectly as our representative. And then he went to the cross.
and died the cruel death under the punishment of God as a substitute. He didn't die for himself. He
had no sins of his own. So why was he there dying? He
was dying in the place and in the stead as a substitute for
sinners. He came into this world to seek
and to save that which was lost. What a blessed message that is. You know, this morning, believers,
our entire hope and confidence that we are right with God today
and that we will be accepted, not only today, but for eternity,
our entire hope, every bit of hope and comfort we have today
is wrapped up in this truth, that Christ Jesus came into this
world to save sinners, of whom I'm chief. Apart from that message,
there is no hope for us. But he came to save sinners.
How can we know that the one named Jesus that was born of
Mary that I've been talking about so far this morning, how may
we know that this really is a true saying? Paul said, this is a
faithful saying, it's worthy that all accept it, that all
receive it. Well, how can we know? How should we know? How
can we know that that's a message that's worth receiving? It's
good news, isn't it? Is it true? It's only good news
if it's true. How may we know that this is
a true message, that this is actually the truth? I want to
quickly give us seven reasons, seven reasons why we can know
that this message is a faithful saying and it's worthy that you
and I receive it this morning, that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners and to receive it so that we may cast
our eternity upon him. It's not so that we may know
this just in our mind, but that in our hearts and souls, we may
be able to trust him, to believe upon him, to save our souls. So seven reasons. Here's the
first reason we know that this message is true. The substitutionary
death of the animals commanded by God through Moses and the
law of Moses It teaches us that this message
is true. The substitutionary death of
the animals that God commanded. You see, there were thousands
and thousands and thousands of animals that were sacrificed.
Animals that were slain in the place or in the stead of sinners,
of the Israelites. But God's word teaches us that
it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should
take away sin. All of those thousands of animals
that were sacrificed by God's command never took away not even
one sin. God said it's not possible that
the blood of animals, of bulls and goats, should take away sin.
So why were they offered? Why was all that blood shed?
Because they were able to picture They were able to foreshadow
the Lamb of God that would come into this world, the Son of God
that would become man and come as the Lamb of God and offer
that sacrifice and that blood that can put away sin. That was the purpose of every
one of those animals that will sacrifice. The sin offering,
the trespass offering, all of those offerings, the offerings
on the Day of Atonement. the goodwill offers, all those,
how many, how many animals that never took away sin, but they
did picture, they did picture God's lamb. God taught in that
temple, day after day after day, that there was a sacrifice that
was coming into this world that really could put away sin. We
read in Isaiah that the Lord Jesus, he hung upon that cross
as our substitute. Surely he had borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted. But 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 are healed. Can you enter into that verse?
As he hung up on that cross, the chastisement of our peace
was upon him. Every one of those stripes that
he was beaten with, with his stripes, we're healed. He hung there as that substitutionary
sacrifice that all those animals pictured. I can't spend long. I have seven of these points,
so I have to be short on each one. You could preach a whole
messages on each of these, but here's the second reason. How
do we know that this message is true? Because God promised
it through the prophets. God promised it through the prophets
over and over again that Christ Jesus was going to come into
this world to save sinners. We have hundreds of years of
prophecies. God promising, I'm sending my son. I'm sending my
servant. I'm sending my chosen one over
and over and over. You know, in Jeremiah, we read
this. Try to listen. Behold, the days come. says the
Lord. Wait a minute, here's a message
from God. You read in those, in the prophets, there's so much
bad, isn't there? So much doom and gloom about
what was gonna come upon the people of Israel, and in the
midst of all of this darkness and sadness and grief, there'll
be these nuggets of promise of the Lord God. He said, behold,
the days come, says the Lord, that I will raise up unto David
a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and
he shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his
days, Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely. And
this is the name whereby he shall be called, the Lord, our righteousness. Now look with me in Jeremiah
chapter 33. I'm gonna look at a few verses
with you, Jeremiah 33. I start to just read you these
verses, but I know you're probably, it's hard for you to listen as
it is for me, and sometimes when someone's just sitting there
talking, It helps me to come back to a scripture and refocus. And so turn to some of these
scriptures. Look at Jeremiah chapter 33 verse
number 14. With that promise in mind from
Jeremiah 23 that I just gave you. Jeremiah 33 verse 14. Here's another promise. Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord, and I will perform that good
thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the
house of Judah. In those days and at that time
will I cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David. Who's
that speaking of? It's speaking of the Messiah,
of Christ. And he shall execute judgment
and righteousness in the land. He'll live a holy life. In those
days shall Judah be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely. And this is the name wherewith
she shall be called the Lord, our righteousness. He's going
to be called the Lord, our righteousness, and she's going to be called
the Lord, our righteousness. Isn't that what we do this morning,
believers? We fulfill this promise. We call
the Lord Jesus, the Lord, our righteousness, all our righteousness. For thus saith the Lord, David
shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house
of Israel, neither shall the priests, the Levites want a man
before me to offer burnt offerings and to kindle meat offerings
and to do sacrifice continually. You see the Lord Jesus Christ,
that righteous branch, he is a savior forever. God said, I'm
gonna send him. There's never going to be A shortage
of an acceptable sacrifice with which I'm well pleased. That
sacrifice is the Lord Jesus Christ, that sacrifice he offered upon
the cross. Now, I'm gonna move on here.
I had some other verses here, prophecies, but I wanna give
you all seven of these points, so I'm gonna move on. Here's
the third reason we know this is a faithful saying. The angels
announced it. Look at Matthew chapter one with
me. Matthew chapter one, the angels
announce this truth that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners. Matthew chapter one. And verse number 18. Matthew
1, 18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ
was on this wise. When as his mother Mary was espoused
to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the
Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, being
a just man and not willing to make her a public example, he
thought to put her away privately. But while he thought on these
things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream, saying, Joseph, our son of David, Don't be afraid to
take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived,
that which is begotten in her, is of the Holy Ghost. And she
shall bring forth the Son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus,
that is Savior. Why? For he shall save his people
from their sins. You see, the angel told Joseph,
here's the promise. You'll call his name Jesus. Why?
Because he's going to save his people from their sins. And then
on the night of our Savior's birth, the angel of the Lord,
you remember he announced to the shepherds, he said, fear
not. I don't know about you, if I'd have been out there keeping
sheep in the dark of the stars and the moon and all of a sudden,
You know, an angel appeared, I think I'd be a little bit afraid
myself, but the angel said, Fear not, for behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto
you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ
the Lord. See the angels, they announced
it when the Savior came into this world. I think, you know,
we sing some of these hymns and we sing them only generally at
Christmas time. But on my playlist, I listen
to them year round. Why? Because there's no happier
message, no happier song. But this one Christmas hymn we
sing, oh holy night, The stars are brightly shining. It is the
night of our dear Savior's birth. Long lay this world in sin and
error pining, till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a
new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees. Hear the
angels' voices. O night divine. night when Christ
was born. You see the angels announced
the most glorious, happiest, wonderful message ever heard,
that Christ Jesus had come. The prophet said he's coming,
the sacrifices pictured that he was coming, but the angels
they announced And the heavens were filled with their glory,
wasn't they? As this glorious message, Christ has come, he's
here, he's here, he's here to save sinners. The prophet, fourthly, John the
Baptist, he identified him. John seeth
Jesus coming unto him and saith, behold the Lamb of God. which
taketh away the sin of the world. You see, he pointed him out.
It was a long time from the time when the Lord Jesus was born
and then at 12 years old when he went to the temple till he
appeared in his earthly ministry, wasn't it? And John saw him coming
and he said, behold, look, the Lamb of God that takes away the
sin of the world. You remember the Pharisees, John
was out there in the wilderness baptizing. And they sent that
group of Pharisees to go ask him, why are you doing this,
John? Are you the Christ? John said, no, I'm not the Christ. In fact, there's one among us
who is, who's shoelatched. I'm not worthy to even get down
and unloose. But no, I'm not the Christ. Are
you Elijah? No, I'm not Elijah. Well, John,
are you at least a prophet? John said, no, I'm not a prophet. And they said, well, John, why
are you baptizing then? That was something that had never
happened before, right? Baptism was something new that
John the Baptist had basically brought onto the scene. So they
said, John, why are you baptizing? And I want to read you what John
answered from the New International Version. John said this, he said,
the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed
to Israel. Who? The Lamb of God. He said,
the Spirit came down from heaven as a dove and remained on him. He said, and I myself, I did
not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water,
he told me, he said, the man on whom you see the spirit come
down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
I have seen and I testify that this is God's chosen one. And then the next day, when he
sees the Lord Jesus coming, once again, he says, behold the Lamb
of God. who taketh away the sin of the
world. God in some way in the scripture
that I can find doesn't teach us where he taught John this,
but he had told them that whoever he baptized and when he saw the
spirit descend upon that individual and stay upon him, that that
would be God's anointing. And John saw it and John testified. So here's the sixth reason we
know this message is truth. The enemies of our Lord Jesus
Christ recognized. There's a lot that they got wrong,
but there was one thing that they got right. The enemies of
our Lord Jesus Christ recognized that he received sinners. He received sinners. Look at
Luke chapter 15. And I'm almost done here. Luke
chapter 15. Verse number one. Then drew near unto him all the
publicans and sinners for to hear him. That's my prayer this
morning, that here, all the publicans and sinners, starting with me, may we draw
near to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes
murmured saying, this man, Best news ever spoken by Christ's
enemies. This man receives sinners, and he eats with them. And he spake this parable unto
them, saying, what man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he
lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness
and go after that which is lost until he find it. And when he
had found it, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing. And
when he cometh home, he calls together his friends and his
neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found
my sheep which was lost. I say unto you that likewise
Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than
over 99 just persons which need no repentance. Today, maybe there's someone
here and somehow you believe that you're such a sinner that
you're beyond. beyond being able to be saved,
to be able to be rescued, to be able to be delivered, to be
able to be protected. Paul said that in a pattern,
an example was shown to him through him, that Christ Jesus came into
this world to save sinners of whom he said he was chief. So
if he can save the chief, let's just say you are the chief
of sinners, that I'm the chief of sinners. It's not beyond. There's no sheep so lost that
the Lord Jesus Christ cannot find it. There's no sheep so
lost that he, when he finds that sheep, can't take that sheep
and put it on his shoulders and protect it and carry it all the
way home. You know, the way the Lord gives
this parable, I don't have time for us to really look at it,
but he says it's almost as though, it's almost as though, if it
were possible. So there's these 99 sheep that are already safely
in the fold. And the way I interpret the parable
is that those are those who the Lord Jesus Christ has already
saved. He's already brought them into
the fold. And perhaps they're already safely in heaven. But
the Lord Jesus gives this parable as though if it were possible
that when he finds that lost sheep, and maybe he's going to
find one here this morning, when he finds you and brings you to
himself so that you trust him fully to believe only in him
for your salvation, that there would be more rejoicing over
you coming to him today in faith and believing and trusting in
him than there would be in all in heaven. of all of those that
are already safely in the fold. How much does the Lord Jesus
love to save sinners? Words, words cannot, even the
words of the Lord Jesus Christ, language cannot go far enough
to show this great news that Christ Jesus came into this world
to save sinners of whom I am chief. I have to finish here. Here's the seventh reason. We
know that this is a true saying. The resurrection of the Lord
Jesus proved that he is the Savior, as he and others declared of
him. It proved beyond a shadow of a doubt. The Lord Jesus hung
upon that cross, and he died, and he was buried. Praise God. His body is not buried
somewhere over in Palestine this morning. On that third day, it
wasn't possible. Our pastor brought us that message
recently. It wasn't possible that the grave should hold him.
He came forth victorious over death, never to die again. Why? Because He was truly God's
son. He was who he said he was. And
that when he died, he put away sin. And sin being paid for,
death had no right to hold him. And so he came forth. He came
forth from the grave. And today, he ever lives to make
intercession for all that come unto God by him. You see, this
is a faithful saying. It's worthy of all acceptation. Don't be afraid of this truth
that sinners must accept this message. We do accept this message,
don't we? Christ Jesus came into this world
to save sinners, of whom I'm chief. Trust him. Believe him. You say, I don't feel like I
can trust him. Trust him anyway. Trust him with
your untrust. Trust Him with your lack of faith.
Trust Him with your hard heart. Trust Him as who He is, the Savior
of sinners. May the Lord bless His word.
Let's be dismissed in a song. Thank you.