Review And Renew (1 Timothy 1:1-17, 2 Chronicles 33:10-16)
Rev. Tim Leslie, January 7, 2024Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
We often make resolutions to change things with the coming of the new year. Jonathan Edwards made many resolutions. All to the glory of God. Live with all my might while I do live. Do my best to cast myself on Christ. Renewal lies at the heart of real change. Paul did review and renewal throughout his life. He was wicked, but God's grace was poured out on him. In his wickedness Paul actually thought he was serving God. Jesus foretold this. Paul thought he was serving and worshiping God by persecuting Christians. On the Damascus road, Jesus met Paul and stated that Paul was persecuting Jesus Himself. Paul didn't know or understand Jesus. He was met with grace, faith and love. We live among people who are just as ignorant as Paul was. Paul explained this in 1 Cor., telling us that knowledge and understanding of Jesus is spiritually discerned. We must deal compassionately with ignorant neighbors. Paul didn't wallow in the bad stuff. Paul rejoiced in his salvation and his service/worship of Christ. We all have a ministry of service and worship for which we are nurtured day by day. Paul reviewed his past life. He testified that he is the foremost of sinners. He didn't stay there. He was lifted out of darkness into grace, faith and love. Paul understood the patience of God; he was an example of the patience and kindness of God. People are watching us; what are they seeing? What will they see this coming year? Paul erupted with praise to God, who turned Paul completely around. We must be thankful to God this year, even as we experience trouble. Prayer, watchfulness and thanks for grace, love and faith should characterize us.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « How To Judge Rightly | None | Seeing God More Clearly » |
1 Timothy 1:1–17 (Listen)
1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 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. 16 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. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
(ESV)
2 Chronicles 33:10–16 (Listen)
10 The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. 11 Therefore the LORD brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.
14 Afterward he built an outer wall for the city of David west of Gihon, in the valley, and for the entrance into the Fish Gate, and carried it around Ophel, and raised it to a very great height. He also put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah. 15 And he took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside of the city. 16 He also restored the altar of the LORD and offered on it sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.
(ESV)