Evan Pederson: your spirit, give us understanding, turn our eyes from looking at worthless things and give us life in your ways.
Evan Pederson: Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.
Evan Pederson: Today's scripture comes from 1 Timothy 1, 12-17.
Evan Pederson: I'd invite you to stand, if you are able, for the whole scripture reading.
Evan Pederson: I thank him who has given me strength, christ Jesus, our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor and insolent opponent.
Evan Pederson: But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly, in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Evan Pederson: 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.
Evan Pederson: 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 are to believe in him for eternal life.
Evan Pederson: To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.
Evan Pederson: Amen.
Evan Pederson: This is God's word.
Evan Pederson: Thank you, god.
Evan Pederson: You may be seated.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Well, you may have heard about what Kenny and Michael and Sam were talking about and thinking does that even work?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Is that even effective?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Is that seems like a waste of time, and I want to tell you a quick story to start off, to tell you no, it's not a waste of time.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: There's powerful ways in which God is weaving invisibly at work in the people around you, in what becomes visible ways.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So I was trained to do what they were doing in college in a campus ministry, and so we would walk around and we'd have conversations with people and we would offer to do, we'd invite people to do a spiritual survey, which was a wonderfully sketchy way of getting into a conversation about Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And there's a question in there that I still have asked often now, which is hey, can you tell me a little bit about your spiritual or religious background?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: A lot of people will answer that question with no problem your co-workers, your neighbors.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's an easy question in some ways for people to answer.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so we were doing that and I was with another guy named Tyler who I was discipling, kind of teaching him this is how you share your faith with somebody, and we ran into a guy who was I mean just maybe, in his own words, belligerent, like he was not about what we wanted to talk to him about and he made sure we knew that.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so, by every external marker, the conversation did not go well, until I get an email from him four years later.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Now, how did that happen?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I gave him my email then and there and said hey, if you ever want to talk more about any of these things, shoot me an email, let's get together, I'll buy you coffee, I'll buy you lunch, whatever that kind of thing.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Four years later, he sends me this email.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It's long.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I'm going to read the whole thing, because that's how you're supposed to start a sermon right, by reading emails to people.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Know, if you remember me, we met a few years back.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You and another dude approached my buddy and me.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You two had a survey you asked us to participate in pertaining to our religious and spiritual beliefs.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I accepted your request to participate in the survey solely to engage in a debate with you and to prove you wrong.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: My ultimate motive, I regret to admit, was to cast doubt in your minds.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Now I want you to know a few things.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: First and foremost, I want you to know that I am sincerely sorry.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Unfortunately, our two paths crossed during my young, extremely arrogant, militant, atheist years.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: If I were granted a few do-overs in my life, that encounter we shared together, believe it or not, would be one of them.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Second, although I've thought about our interaction only a handful of times over the years, I want you to know that you had a profound effect on me.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: One of the main reasons I turned my back on God and Christianity was due to the sheer hypocrisy I continuously perceived amongst the Christians I deeply respected and admired.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I witnessed so much incongruence between what they said, they believed and how they actually lived their lives and treated others.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Despite the fact that I treated you so despicably during our brief interaction, I sensed a truly sincere care and kindness within you.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You were patient with me and, although our beliefs were clearly at odds, you seemed to accept me, despite my juvenile, disrespectful behavior At the time.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It further aggravated me, yet I didn't understand why.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I've come to realize over the years that it aggravated me simply because I didn't understand it.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You were authentic.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You were genuine in character and in faith.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It was something I perhaps had only witnessed a couple times in my life and, though I didn't realize it at the time it gave me hope.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Third and lastly, I'd simply like for you to know that several months ago, I came to accept Jesus into my life.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It's been an intriguing journey, getting to where I was to where I am now.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So as to not take up too much of your time, I'll spare you the details which I would have replied.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Don't spare me the details.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's the very thing I want to hear, but alas.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: However, suffice it to say the changes God has made, not only within my life but within me personally, have been profound.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Though we quite literally do not know each other, it is my sincerest hope that you are well.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I do not know if I affected you in any way that particular evening, but I want you to know that, through God's awesome power, you certainly had an effect on me, and for that I am eternally grateful.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Seriously, thank you.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Keep on keeping on.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: God bless Matt.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: What an incredible.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I read that to you because every time I read it I'm struck by the language he used at the end there, which was this is a testimony, this is a witness to God's awesome power and just the unexpected ways in which he uses simple seeds that are sown that don't bear fruit for years and years and years that you never actually know about.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so today is part two of a two-part series on bearing witness to Jesus, which is simply talking about who we know Jesus to be and what he's done both in history and in our lives.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so, as we looked at this last week, we kind of talked about a couple reasons that hinder us from living everyday life with gospel intentionality, like what gets in the way.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Last week we talked about one thing that gets in the way is we don't know the heart of Jesus for our not yet disciple neighbors, people who don't know him.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But Jesus' heart beats with compassion for your neighbors and your co-workers and your friends and your family.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The second reason I gave was busyness.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Simply, we have full lives and it takes time, it takes interruptibility, in order to be a witness to Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But this week I want to tackle two other ones One pretty simple in one sense.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The other one's more deep and takes a little bit more work.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The first one is, I don't know how, just the simple, like I don't know how to speak to people about Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: What does that actually look like?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And the second one the gospel has ceased to be good news to us.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The old news, the good news became old news, and so it needs to become fresh, alive in our lives in a new way in order for it to be good news, for us to want to actually share with other people.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so I want to look at 1 Timothy together, chapter one.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: If you have a Bible or a device, so I want to look at 1 Timothy together, chapter 1.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: If you have a Bible or a device, we're going to look at this text over three points, which are the simply, this is kind of a structure for the gospel itself guilt, grace, gratitude.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Those are my three points.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Look at 1 Timothy, chapter 1, verses 12 through 17.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: With me, if you have a Bible or device, go ahead and get it out in front of you.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: We're going to work through it verse by verse.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: First, timothy 1.12 says this I thank him who has given me strength, christ Jesus, our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor and insolent opponent.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But I received mercy because I had acted arrogantly in unbelief.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Right out the gate, paul gives us what is actually a helpful tool, which is called a before-because story.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So you want to learn how to share your story with people.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is a helpful framework.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Who were you before Jesus?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Who are you now?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: After or because of Jesus?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Now, some of you are like, oh, I've always known Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's great, that's a fantastic testimony.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: What is God doing in your life?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's a great way to answer that question.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Before you gave fresh faith to Jesus and who he says he is, and because of that, what difference has it made?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's just simply a way to do it.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So my before because story and I've written this out I'd encourage you to take the time 10 minutes, just jot down 30 seconds of before Jesus, because of Jesus, that you might be able to share with a barista, a coworker, whatever.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: As they ask about why you believe this weird thing called Christianity, mine goes something like this I lived a life searching for satisfaction and belonging and purpose, but I did it all on my own terms and I didn't realize that the fact that my life revolved around me was actually a rejection of God.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But because of Jesus, he actually exchanged my brokenness and rejection for his beauty and belonging and he gave me newfound purpose.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He gave me belonging I could have never had on my own and he's satisfied me in ways that I never thought were possible.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Full stop.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's it A before-because story, super simple.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You're able to tell somebody very quickly, and I get that from Paul.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Look at what he does in the text.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: We get his before-because story, verse 13,.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Though formerly you could say, before I was a blasphemer, persecutor and insolent opponent, that's the way he describes himself before he knew Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And Paul wants you to see what in our tradition we call total depravity, which basically means there is not one part of who you are that is not desperately in need of the grace of Jesus Christ.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so he says he's a blasphemer, which means he opposed Jesus in his speech.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But not only that.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He was a persecutor, which means he opposed Jesus in his actions.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And then, maybe, underlying all of that, he was an insolent opponent, which means there was an arrogance there, which means he opposed Jesus in his whole attitude and entire way of life.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Paul needed the grace of God and he knew it.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So the question is, how does a blasphemer persecutor, son of a Hebrew and a Pharisee, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in Jerusalem by a Damascus road encounter, grow up to be a hero and a scholar?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: How does that happen.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Well, look at Paul's because story, verse 13.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He says this but I received mercy because I had acted arrogantly, ignorantly, in unbelief, because you hear the word there.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Then he goes on in verse 12, christ Jesus, our Lord, because he judged me faithful.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So which is it, paul?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Were you faithful or unbelieving?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Yes, the answer is yes.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: How is that possible?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Well, because Paul knew what was his unbelief, but Jesus knew what could be.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Faithful missionary, faithful apostle.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You see, the story that Jesus can tell about your life will always surpass whatever story you tell about your life or anybody else tells about your life.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so, while Paul is admitting I lived in unbelief, jesus declared over him, judged him and said I see faithfulness Now.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Was that because he looked at Paul and thought oh, there's a spark of something really good inside of you?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Not at all, in fact, later in the text, paul tells us that the faith itself came from Christ Jesus, which we'll look at in a moment.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But I think what it comes down to is that Jesus loves to flex his grace muscles to take the most antagonistic opponents and make them the most enthusiastic proponents.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I'll tell you a quick story.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Just last month, we have this prayer gathering on Wednesdays from 12 to 2.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Seek Orlando it's when we, as the church in Orlando, gather with for and as the church of Orlando, to pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our time, in our city.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's what we do, so there's always people from other churches there gathering together.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And a woman came up to me after one of the prayer times last month and she said hey, I came one other time and you don't maybe remember, but I came with another woman that was with me and she said she recognized you, but you didn't recognize her.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And I was like, oh, I always feel bad when that happens.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: She said but it's okay.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: She said she's changed a lot since you saw her last.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You see, when you were a student at UCF, you were trying to tell her about Jesus and she was this is her word, a quote stubborn atheist.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And she said but I think you'd be interested to know this that she and her husband are planting the church that I now am a part of, and she wanted you to know that, but didn't get a chance to tell you that day when she came to this prayer meeting.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Listen, that was 15 years ago and that story was just dormant.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I didn't know anything about it until one month ago.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Because Jesus loves to show his awesome power in the lives of the least expecting the least, the people that you would think that would be the most antagonistic to the good news of the gospel, and that's why Paul actually tells us his story here and he wants to belabor the point that it's nothing in Paul that made him judged faithful by Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: In fact, he goes on look at verse 15.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It says this Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He's just like double underlining that for us.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Now you've probably heard some of you heard this before, but if you pay attention to the letters of Paul, there's this interesting progression in Paul's self-perception that happens over his writings.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Like look at this in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 9, which was probably written about AD 55, okay, he says this I am the least of the apostles.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So that's his first statement about himself I'm the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God, which is like there's a humility in that.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But listen, if you're riding the bench on a championship team, that's still pretty good.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Right To be the least of the apostles.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But he goes on in Ephesians 3, 8.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is about seven years later.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: After he said he's the least of the apostles, he writes to the church in Ephesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He says this to me though I am the very least of all the saints.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Okay, so now there's a progression Not only the least of the apostles, I'm the least of the saints.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: In other words, you're the least but you're still kind of on.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It's a little low but you're still on the team.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But then we get to our text this morning, which was about three years after that, AD 65.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And he says this 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.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Do you hear the progression?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Now he's the chief of sinners.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He went from the least of the apostles to the least of the saints, to the foremost or the chief of sinners.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: What's happening here?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Like what is going on in Paul's self-concept, his evaluation of his life.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Is he actually getting worse over time or is his sense of self deteriorating?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Or does he need a little Stuart Smalley?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Daily affirmations like I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggone it.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: People like me Like does he just need a little of that in the mirror.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is what I think is happening.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is how the gospel grows as good news in the life of a believer in Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Now I'm going to throw a diagram up behind me here.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is something that some of you I'm sure have seen the gospel grid.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I just pulled that out of Google because I knew what I wanted, had to find it.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The gospel grid looks like this when you come to know Jesus, that says conversion.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: There the cross is kind of small because you don't know much about God.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You don't know much about you.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You definitely don't understand the depths of God's holiness or the heights of his holiness and the depths of your sinfulness.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But as you grow in an understanding of who God is and who you are, the cross of Jesus Christ becomes more significant and profound and you see how much the grace of God in Jesus Christ really was for you.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But let me show you the second slide.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is the constant temptation for all of us right here that as we get to a certain point we cannot tolerate the holiness of God or our own sinfulness, and so we shrink the gospel.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: We make the cross smaller by basically either denying that God is as holy as he really is, or denying that I am as sinful as I really am, because, as we all know, honest self-awareness can be painful.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And without this one thing, there's one thing that makes it possible for us to take an honest look at our own lives in light of the holiness of God.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Only one thing, and that is grace.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Only if I know that I could be accepted and belong and beloved by God, regardless of who I am.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Only by grace, not a result of me doing enough to perform or to prove myself, only grace can actually enable me to see God as holy as he really is and myself as sinful as I really am.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And then the cross bridges the gap more and more and more, and we see, we grow in thanksgiving and gratitude for all that Jesus is for us.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is how the good news doesn't become old news but stays fresh, fresh good news for us.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so we looked at Paul's guilt.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But let's look at grace.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is my second point.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Look at verse 14.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It says this, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Listen, there's something we believe as Christians that the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible, co-authored it, with Paul in this case.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But we also believe that the Holy Spirit takes the inspired scriptures and illumines them as we read them.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And this sermon right now is growing out of September I'm sorry, april 12th, a Saturday.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I was reading the McShane Bible reading plan that's like on the front of your worship guide here, and 1 Timothy 1 was the date was reading for that day and I'm just cruising along and I get to.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The grace of our Lord overflowed for me and I was struck, and so I like to pause where the Spirit gives me pause, and so I slowed down and I lingered over that and I began to meditate on that that day and over the next few days and even weeks, and I would just ask questions like Lord, how are you going to show your grace overflowing for me in this?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: What is that going to look like?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And this sermon, like I said, grew out of that.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: We call this series Preach your Heart Out.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is coming from my heart, because this was the Lord met me in this particular text.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so what can change an opponent of Jesus to a proponent of Jesus?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Only the embracing grace of verse 14.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The grace of our Lord that overflows for me Notice the personalization, not overflows for people, for me as that begins to be internalized.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Like we can exaggerate about a lot of things in life.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You just listen to people talk.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: People exaggerate all the time.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You can never over exaggerate the abundance of favor that is found in Jesus Christ towards sinners like you and me.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You will never over-exaggerate that because the grace of our Lord overflows.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The picture is like a cup that's being filled to the brim and you're like uh-uh, stop slow down.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And then it just pours over and over and over a super abundance.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Paul does this sometimes where he's at a loss for words, so he's just grappling for language to describe how much there is for us in Jesus Christ.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: When we say all of us need all of Jesus for all of life.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: There's a lot in Jesus and it overflows for us.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But notice how it continues.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He says the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The faith to believe in Jesus is in Christ Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The love for Jesus is found in Christ Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So even those things you don't muster up Another way to say that is Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Would you let your grace just hop the banks of the river and flow towards me and let your faith overcome.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Let this faith overcome my unbelief, let this love overcome my animosity.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And Jesus says yes, that's what I love to do, that's my joy, to overflow with grace, coming at you with faith and love that are all in Christ Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's part of what comes to us through Jesus in the gospel.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so Paul goes on to explain a little bit more what this looks like.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Verse 15,.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He says this the saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He's getting superlative here.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He's like listen, what I'm about to say is not only true but reliable.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And not only reliable, but you can bet your life on it, and therefore I want you to open yourself up fully to receive it without defense.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: What the Spirit of God is about to say in this next phrase deserves unhindered openness from you for these words.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: What are the words?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The pre-existent second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, came into the world, took on flesh and bones in every way, just as we are yet without sin.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Why, what's the purpose clause?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: To save sinners.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is what he's about.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It's what he's been about.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It's why he came.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It's what he's still about.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It's why he's inviting you to join him in his mission to bear witness to this good news to everyone.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You can hear that, can hear it.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Now notice something here it doesn't say he came into the world to make salvation possible.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: No, it's all of a piece.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Jesus saves sinners.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: One of the reasons I have confidence to go up to somebody like Matt, who I talked about in the introduction, and just talk to him about Jesus he's stubborn, atheistic, militant, all these things he called himself is because I have zero confidence in Matt.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I have no confidence he's going to like or me for that matter.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I'm going to have a great logical flow to my argumentation.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It's going to be winsome in, for that matter.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I'm going to have a great logical flow to my argumentation.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It's going to be winsome, and stories and all that, and I could do some of that stuff.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: No confidence in it.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I have confidence that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and that he saves them fully and completely and entirely, with no lack, and that he is powerful to save and that the resistance of a militant atheist is nothing for the king of the ages, as he calls him later in the text.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That gives me boldness, because one of the other reasons we don't share Jesus with people is because we're afraid.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I get afraid.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Paul got afraid.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He told the church, I think in Colossae he said pray for me for boldness.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You don't ask for that if you're not afraid.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But one of the things that buoys me is the fact that there is something that is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, including the one in front of you that you're sharing Jesus with and the one in front of you that you look at in the mirror.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He came to save sinners.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So some of you this morning you maybe wonder you've got that little part, that little corner of your heart that you're just like is this like?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Have I gone too far?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Even this?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I think we all have that, these little pockets of darkness in our hearts and our minds and our souls where we wonder if there's enough in Jesus for even that.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And I would just say to you his grace overflows, because Christ Jesus came into the world for this purpose to save sinners.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But Paul goes on, he says of whom I am the foremost.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So not only does Jesus come to save sinners, that's a universally true statement offered to all who will receive it, but it must be personally applied, of whom I am the foremost of sinners.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: In order to come to Jesus and him to be good news for you, you have to be willing to recognize I need him.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: All of us need Jesus for all of life.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I am a sinner.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I am somebody who actually needs this from him, and Paul got there, which is why this was such good news for him.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He was able to receive this offer of Christ Jesus coming to save people like him.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But why did Paul receive it?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Look at verse 16.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But I received mercy for this reason that in me as the foremost in case you forgot the sentence before he's reminding you again, I'm the foremost of sinners.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He says it twice 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.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: What I love about that sentence is that is actually empirically true.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is what I mean.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: In our cultural parlance, like the way we talk.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: We talk about a Damascus road experience, don't we, as a moment where somebody had a radical encounter that led to a life-altering kind of event that led to a change of life right, we use Damascus Road experience.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So Paul, actually, this became true in his life.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He became an example, a pattern.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But Jesus had a deeper intention than just a radical encounter that leads to a change of life.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Look at what he says in verse 16, that in me, jesus Christ might display his perfect patience.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Does anybody need any perfect patience in here this morning, like I told you that I actually saw a hand.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I like that, I see that hand.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's what I should say.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I told you back in April I was meditating on this text.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Overflow of grace was so meaningful In preparation for today.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The two words the Holy Spirit was illumining in the text were perfect patience.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Oh, I need perfect patience Like.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: There is no source of doubt in my life about Christianity greater than this one I'm about to name right here the lack of life transformation I see in myself that causes doubt.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I struggle with it.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The Bible, true, authentic, yeah, that doesn't bother me.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Jesus Christ resurrected, ascended, whatever God existing, not a problem.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The fact that I don't look more like Jesus than I thought I would by now, that troubles me.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so I go to Jesus and I say Jesus, I need your perfect patience With somebody like me who takes a long time.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I think I'm a work in progress, but man, progress is not fast enough.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And Jesus comes and he says hey, look at Paul.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Look at Paul, if I could have mercy on him, I can have mercy on you, like you're a junior varsity center Ben Jesus said that, not me.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I'm just saying he didn't say that.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But you track with me.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I need his perfect patience.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is what this looks like.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Is inviting this, asking for it?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so some of you this morning, when you hear me talking about bearing witness to Jesus, you think how could I possibly do that?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I've ruined my witness.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's maybe true.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Actually, you've lived in a certain way.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You've said certain things that are so antithetical to Jesus and the gospel that people wouldn't actually want to hear anything from you about Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Well, good news the world doesn't just need our righteousness, it needs our repentance.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Where else are they going to learn what it looks like to turn back to Jesus for mercy?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But you.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Where else are they going to learn that there's a king of ages who also happens to be full of grace, overflowing with perfect patience towards people who can't get their act together fast enough?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: But you?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so it might look like something like this hey, listen, I just want to acknowledge, like, when I said this or when I did that, like you know, that I professed to follow Jesus and that did not look anything like Jesus, and I've asked him for forgiveness and he's forgiven me, but I want to ask you for forgiveness too.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Will you forgive me for that?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Now, that's simple, not easy.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's simple, though, and it's amazing the way that opens up opportunities to talk to people about the perfect patience of King Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so where do we get the strength to do that, though?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Because if it is simple but hard, we might need strength.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Well, this is where I'm going to close.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Paul back at the top.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is third point, gratitude, verse 12.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Paul says this I thank him.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I thank him who has given me strength, christ Jesus, our Lord.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Notice Paul begins with thanks and he ends with praise.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Look at the last verse, verse 17.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: To the king of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Amen.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Paul's writing a letter, and he just breaks out into doxology.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He can't help himself.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He's just getting dialed up as he's writing this out and he's like oh, my goodness, this is true writing this out, and he's like, oh, my goodness, this is true.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So where does our strength come from?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Paul says in verse 12, I thank him.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Who has given me strength, christ Jesus, our Lord.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The very strength to bear witness to Jesus comes from Jesus himself, according to Paul.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so how do we draw on that?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I wish I had a whole, not other, sermon to preach on how do we draw on the strength of Jesus?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I've been meditating on this for a while, so it's probably coming down the pike.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I'm just warning you, but this is my point right here the strength that we need to bear witness to Jesus, this strength comes as the overflow of grace flows over in gratitude.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's where the strength comes from, as the overflow of grace to us flows over ingratitude to God.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Because, like many of us, the gospels just become white noise.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It's like a family that lives really close to I-4 or something like that, and you go over their house for dinner.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You're like, don't you hear all the cars?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Like, no, what cars?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It just becomes white noise, it's kind of the background.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so the gospel penetrating again into our hearts with freshness is so essential, and one of the ways that the old news becomes good news again is when we use our tongues properly.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: This is what I mean by that James, in James 3, the half-brother of Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He says this just like a ship is steered around by this little tiny rudder.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: In the same way, he says actually, here's the exact quote.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He says quote so also the tongue is a little tiny part of you, steers your entire existence.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Let me say that differently.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Your soul goes where your praise flows.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The things you speak about, the things you praise, the things you say affirmative things about, is going to shape and direct your entire life.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I think that's why Paul begins in thanks and ends in praise.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He knows this is true.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so what does that mean?
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Maybe, after this, you take this text, you take it home with you and you just simply go.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Jesus, thank you for your perfect patience.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I need it, jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Thank you that your grace overflows for me.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Those two words are so beautiful for me.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Maybe it looks like Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I praise you that the immortal God verse 17, became mortal, took on mortality so that through his dying, his undying love could be made known to me.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Thank you, jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Father, I thank you that you are, from age to age, king of kings.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Holy Spirit, I thank you.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The invisible God verse 17, is visibly at work in my life and in the life of people around me.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You begin to thank and to praise and you speak to God who he is, tell him who he is.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Cs Lewis says that praise is inner health made audible.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He goes on in.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You can look this up a word about praising Just Google that.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You'll find this section from him.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He says all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: The world rings with praise.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite sport, praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I like how beetles made it in there before politicians.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: He knew a thing or two.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: You see people spontaneously praise whatever they value.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: So then, when they value something, they spontaneously praise it, and then they urge us to join in in praising.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's what it means to bear witness to.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Jesus is for the good news to become so good to you, to mean something so much to you that there's a spontaneity to the fact that you start talking about Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: I've been around people like this.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: They're infectious with their love for Jesus.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so, to close, when we bear witness to Jesus, what we're doing is we're simply doing what all people do when they speak about things they care about.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: It's nothing more than that.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: And so, as we tell Jesus about how good Jesus is, we will grow in our ability to tell others about how good Jesus is.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: We will grow in our ability to tell others about how good Jesus is.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That's the invitation.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: As we recognize our guilt and see the overflowing grace of Jesus, and it results in gratitude, we will become witnesses of the King of the ages.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Let's pray, lord Jesus, we come before you.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Thank you that there is a fullness in you that we don't even know.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: That gives us such hope and expectancy and we want to reach.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: We want to reach for all that there is in you.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: Christ, I pray, holy Spirit, that you would fill us, give us the boldness that you gave the church in Acts 2 and Acts 4, the boldness to go out and tell others about Jesus, but a boldness that flows from us tasting and seeing that our Lord really is good.
Rev. Benjamin Kandt: We pray this in his name, amen.