I invite you to turn to 1 Timothy 1. I just started preaching a series in 1 Timothy, and we've got a wonderful text this morning, verses 12 to 17. You'll follow along in your Bible. I'll read from mine. Let's pick up verse 11. According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust, And I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has enabled me because he has counted me faithful, putting me in the ministry. Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly and unbelief. and the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtain mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe on him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. You know, in verse 11, Paul mentions the fact that the gospel was entrusted to him. That sacred trust meant that Paul was responsible to learn the gospel, to share the gospel with everyone. In fact, he was faithful to the task. He shared the gospel to both Jew and Greek throughout the Roman empire. Now suppose I had $1,000 cash. Could I trust you with that $1,000? If I were to say to you, I want you to hold on to this money. And when I need it, I want you to hand it over to me. Could I trust you with that? I hope I could. But you know what? We have something far more valuable than $1,000 cash, and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the gospel by which we're saved. It is the gospel that brings forgiveness of sins. The gospel changes our lives. The gospel gives us eternal life, and we are entrusted with the gospel. Well, if we're going to share the gospel, we need to know what the gospel is. And so Paul shares with us what the gospel is in this text of Scripture. And the heart of the gospel is the mercy and the grace of God. Because God is merciful, He doesn't give us the judgment that we deserve. What do we deserve? The Bible says the wages of sin is death. We deserve to be separated from God for all eternity, but God in His mercy is willing to forgive. And instead of death, we can have eternal life. And God is also a gracious God. By His grace, He saves us, grants us favor in His sight. And so as Paul thinks about his past sinful life, as he thinks about God's mercy and grace that was extended to him, he exclaims in verse 14, and the grace of our Lord Jesus was exceedingly abundant. That's actually a verb. He caused His grace to abound exceedingly and abundantly toward Him. Reminds me of Romans chapter 5 and verse 20 that says that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. It was by the grace and mercy of God that Paul was saved, and it is by His grace and mercy that you and I are saved. And so I have good news for you this morning. If you or someone you know has fallen into great sin, or you have sinned for all of your life, God's grace is greater than your sin, and you can be saved today, or that loved one can be saved today that you know. And so let's look into this text of Scripture and see of the saving grace of God. And the first point I want to bring out from this text is the persons who can receive mercy and grace from God. who can be shown such mercy and grace? It is those who believe in Christ. Paul says in verse 14, And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. He mentions faith and love in that verse. Those who believe in Christ are also given faith and love. Now that could indicate that it is God's enabling us that we do believe. We will not believe in Christ completely on our own, but God in his grace granted us the faith to believe. And in verse 16, he mentions saving faith as well there in that verse. And so what does it mean to have faith in Christ? You know, it's more than just mental assent. You know, the book of James says that demons believe and tremble. They believe in God, but they're not saved. So it's more than just mentally believing there's a God, mentally believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross. It means that you are counting on Him. You are trusting in Him to save you by His grace, by His death on that cross. that you are not going to rely on your works, but you rely wholly upon Christ to save you. You trust in Jesus. And how can you and I know that we have faith, true faith in Jesus? Well, He mentions faith and love in that verse. Because the two go hand in hand. If you truly believe, you will have the love of God in your heart. In fact, I found not only there in that scripture, but also Ephesians 1 15 and 18 other verses in the New Testament that link faith and love. If you truly believe in Jesus, God puts His love in your heart, and you'll love more than just your family and close friends, but you'll love God's people, you'll want to be with God's people, you love people. God puts love in our hearts if we've truly been saved. And so those who believe in Christ are shown mercy and grace. Have you believed in Christ? But secondly, we also see that even the enemies of Christ can be saved. Saul of Tarsus was a classic example of the great grace and mercy of God that saved even someone who was an enemy of Christ. Notice in verse 13 as he reflects back on what kind of man Saul of Tarsus was. First of all, he was a blasphemer. Now that may be surprising that a Jew would be a blasphemer because a Jew was very careful not to misuse the name of God and certainly not blaspheme the name of God. But if you look at Acts chapter 26 and verse 11, we see in what sense he was a blasphemer. There we read that Paul tried to make Christians blaspheme the name of Jesus. And I'm sure Paul himself blasphemed the name of Jesus, slandered the name of Jesus. And only later, after he was saved, did he come to realize, including on the Damascus Road, that Jesus is the Son of God. So when he blasphemed Jesus, he was blaspheming God. He was one time a blasphemer. What would you do if someone slandered your name? What if someone was hostile toward you? Would you forgive them? Would you show mercy and grace? God did toward Saul of Tarsus. But he was also a persecutor of the church. He was the bitterest persecutor of Christians at that particular time. And he didn't confine his efforts just to Jerusalem and even Judea, but went all the way to Damascus to arrest and persecute Christians. He was that zealous in his persecution of Christians. Yes, that's the kind of man that God saved. Furthermore, he was an insolent man. That means someone who uplifted in pride heaps insulting language upon someone, who treats them shamefully, who is like a bully who inflicts pain upon others just for the sheer pleasure of it. In Acts chapter 9, in verse 1, it talks about him breathing out threats and slaughter against Christians. By his own testimony, he persecuted Christians, not only putting them in jail, but even putting some of them to death. That is how much of an insolent man that he was. Reminds me of these Muslim terrorists that go around killing people in their zeal for their religion. That's what Paul was at that time. Just heard this morning about how Hamas killed six innocent hostages. cold-blooded killers is what they are and what the Apostle Paul was before he was saved. And so it's not surprising that in verse 15, he called himself the chief of sinners, the number one sinner as he looked back on his life. And yet, Though verse 13 reflects the kind of sinner that he was, he did not view himself as a sinner at one time. He was a Pharisee of the strictest sect of the Jews and keeping the law of God meticulously. He would not have called himself a sinner at all, much less the chief of sinners. But when he was confronted with the glory of Jesus Christ on that Damascus road, he realized compared to his glory, compared to his holiness, compared to his righteousness, he is indeed the chief of sinners. Yes, God's grace is so great that even a man like Saul of Tarsus, an enemy of Christ, could be saved. And if you look at 1 Corinthians 6, verses 9 to 11, we read that there's a lot of great sinners that were saved in that New Testament period. John Newton. was a slave trader on a slave ship. He was a vile sinner. But God's grace reached that man and he was saved by His grace. And he always wanted to remember from whence he came. by God's grace, and so he wrote in large letters on the mantelpiece of his study these words from the Old Testament. Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondsman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee. He never forgot that he was a slave of sin at one time, a vile sinner, but God redeemed him. And so we see that the gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. Whether you sin much or sin little, God's gospel is for everyone. And so no one is beyond the reach of the gospel of Jesus Christ. No one is beyond the reach of the mercy and grace of God. There's always hope, and the gospel is for whosoever, as we see in this text of Scripture. So we see the recipients of the mercy and grace of God, but notice also the purposes of God's mercy and grace. Why is it? that He shows mercy and grace to people. Well, one reason is this, to save sinners. Verse 15 is one of the most wonderful statements of the gospel, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That's the general purpose of His mercy and grace, is to save sinners. Jesus says something similar in Luke 19 10. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. In John 12, 47, Jesus said, I did not come to judge the world, but that the world might be saved. Christ came to save sinners. And we see that if Christ came into the world to save sinners, then if someone is going to be saved, they first must acknowledge that there are sinners. Again, Paul at one time would not have acknowledged that he was a sinner. Have you acknowledged that you are a sinner in need of God's saving grace? You know, Jesus said in Mark 2, 17, those that are well do not need a physician, but those that are sick. Those that consider themselves good people and really don't need Christ to die for their sins are never going to be saved. But the Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Every one of us have fallen short. We've all sinned. And so Christ came to save sinners, and the first step of salvation is to acknowledge that you're a sinner. But if the mission of Christ was to save sinners, then the mission of the church must be always to save sinners. If a church is going to be a true church, we must proclaim the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. And so I want to ask you, will you be a part of this mission? We're asking you to pray for up to five people that you know are not saved, that you'll pray for their salvation. We want you to share your testimony of God's saving grace with people. We want you to share the gospel with people. We want you to invite people to hear the gospel in church, at the men's breakfast, The community dinners that we have, they're at the crusade that's going to take place in Farmville. Will you be a part of this mission to save centers? It's so important that we do so. But we see not only the general purpose of saving centers in general, but saving great centers. is the purpose of the gospel as well, is the purpose of God's mercy and grace as well. You know, think of some really bad sinners. I'm sure you can think of some. You know, we hear about them on television and the news and so forth. You know, you may think, you know, those people deserve to go to hell. Well, guess what? So do we. We do as well. You know, but God's grace is for all people, including great sinners. Now why is it that God would save even some of the greatest of sinners among us? Well, God has a purpose in that as well. Look at verse 16. However, for this reason I obtain mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe on him for everlasting life. Now why is it that God would save someone like Paul? First, verse 16, that God would have the opportunity to show how longsuffering he is. That means that God is slow to anger. You know, once Paul started to participate in the murder of a righteous man like Stephen, and when he was arresting even women and children, throwing them in prison as he was persecuting, You know, why didn't God just strike him dead? Maybe even from the very first time he persecuted one of God's children. It's because he's slow to anger. He's not quick to anger. And so, the fact that he was so patient with the apostle Paul magnifies the fact that God is long-suffering. Do you know anybody that's got a short temper? Who will lash at you verbally or even strike you because they're so short-tempered? That's not a good character quality, folks. But God is long-suffering and He proved it in His saving grace to the Apostle Paul. And you know, You know somebody that's a sinner that's been sinning for years. Is there any hope for them? Yes. The example of the Apostle Paul is hope to any sinner, no matter how deeply you have sinned, no matter how long you have sinned, God's grace can reach you. So let me tell you something. You need to heed the warning. Just because God is long-suffering, never presume on the grace of God. You don't know that you'll have tomorrow. You don't know that God's going to keep waiting and waiting for you to get saved. If God's Holy Spirit convicts you of your need for Christ, you better be saved today while you have the opportunity. But note also that word pattern. pattern, he's a model, he's an example of God's saving grace. Paul was an example of what God can do in the life of a sinner. And that example was held up by Paul and can be held up even to this day. Let me try to get across to you how important an example is by looking at the flip side. Suppose that you need to have a surgery. And it's one of those dangerous surgeries. And you don't know if you're going to make it through the surgery. Now, one of the worst things that can happen is for someone to go to that person and say, you know, I know someone that had that surgery. And after it was done, they suffered terribly. And within a week, they were dead. Now, you think that would encourage that person, you know, to have that surgery? No, no. But I tell you what would, is for someone to go visit and pray with that person and say, you know what? I had that surgery, that same surgery, and God saw me through that surgery, and I've been cured and healed ever since. Oh, listen, the testimony of what God can do is great encouragement for someone that's facing the same problem. I'm glad that though I sinned the sins of youth, especially when I was 15 and 16 years old, that God got a hold of my life and from around 17 on, I have never repeated those sins of my youth. And so I've lived a clean life since I was pretty much 17 years old. But I know that I may have a hard time reaching some of the centers of society who don't look like me, who don't talk like me, who don't act like me. But I tell you, there's some people that have been through that kind of life for years, and yet God saved them by His grace and changed their life. And that person who's been there and done that perhaps can reach that kind of person better than I could. So share your testimony of what God has done in your life. Well, Paul talks about how God saved even a great sinner like he was. And so it's not surprising that he concludes praising His grace with a doxology of praise in verse 17. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. This passage of Scripture exalts God with thanksgiving and praise. He thanks God in verse 12 for strengthening him, for enabling him to be faithful, for putting him in the ministry of the wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ. And I tell you, God not only has saving grace, but he has enabling grace. When he saves you, he can change your life. He can enable you to serve him in some wonderful and effective ways. And folks, it's God that does it. It's not us. It's God that does it. And so we thank God. for His enabling grace, for giving us a privilege of serving Him, and to be able to serve Him effectively. Folks, it's what God does in our lives, and we should thank Him for it. But we should also praise God. Notice that he praises God by magnifying His attributes in verse 17. You know, If you want to bless someone, give them a compliment. Tell them how good and wonderful they are and just describe some of the ways that they bless you by being the kind of person that they are. And that's exactly what Paul does here. He praises God by magnifying his attributes. He is sovereign. He is the king, literally the king of the ages. He is sovereign not only over the eternal kingdom to come, but He is sovereign over this present evil age as well, who works all things together for good to those that love God, the Bible says. He's also the Eternal One. He has always been, always will be, and our God is the Eternal God who can grant unto us eternal life. We praise Him that He is eternal. We praise Him that He is immortal. He is not subject to decay like we are. Christ died but His body never decayed because He's the Son of God. He rose from the dead and we can have that kind of immortal life because God is immortal. He is invisible because God is spirit. He doesn't have a body. That means He's everywhere. No matter where you go in life, God is there with you. We praise Him that He is invisible. That He is the only God it should indicate there. He's unique. He has no one that compares to God. To Him be honor and glory forever and ever. That word honor means to value highly. When you value someone very highly, you honor them. There is no one more important to me than my God. Oh, listen, He has given me life. He has provided for me. He's given me a ministry. He has strengthened me and done so much for me. And so I honor God. I value God. I highly esteem God. Praise God. Give honor to Him for His saving grace. But we also give glory to Him. We recognize His glorious attributes, His praiseworthy attributes. Give glory to God for what He's done in your life. And so I ask you this morning, have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior and become a recipient of His wonderful grace and mercy? If not, I invite you to do that today. Repent of your sins. Trust in Jesus as your Savior. May God show His mercy and grace to someone today. And those of us that have been saved, we have been entrusted with the gospel. We are to see to it that the gospel is shared with others. Will you do that in the days ahead? Would you bow with me in prayer? Heavenly Father, we thank You so much that God's grace is so great and so abundant that Saul of Tarsus could be saved. And I'm sure we have some in this audience here today that at one time were pretty great sinners. But Lord, You saved them. You changed them. And whether we've sinned lots or not so much, we're all sinners in need of grace. And I pray that not one sinner will walk out this door without knowing that they've been saved by Jesus Christ and His grace. We pray in His name. Amen.