I Timothy 1:12-2:8 - You are in the right place

I Timothy 1:12-2:8

Thesis: You are in the right place at the right time.

I have this theory. I call it my choreographed life. I�m sure you�ve all watched at least part of a ballet or figure skating in the Olympics. My kids are big into High School Musical. The dancer has every step planed out and timed to a fraction of a second to stay in time with the music. When they do it well it can be spellbinding, breathtaking. Even if you�ve never been a fan of the sport, you become one for a moment.

I like to think of my life as a beautifully choreographed dance. Every person and challenge that enters it was planned by the great musician.

A Christian friend while back was feeling sorry for some circumstances in my life and commenting on how well I was handling it. And I responded that I�m just playing the hand the Lord deals me.

He got offended. He argued that God didn�t cause my wife to leave me. My point was, �How�s in charge?�

Now, I�m no theology major, or Calvinist, and I realize we live in a fallen world where everyone has a free will. But if you truly believe,

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Then I think God can work our mistakes and those of others into His beautiful plan. All I have to do is be willing to do what He wants me to do at every step.

So my point is that you are in the right place at the right time.

Of course, we�re still looking at I Timothy. Today I want to focus on 1:12 - 2:8 and look at God�s plan for us in relation to the past, future and most importantly, the present.

12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners�of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

18Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. 20Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone� 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all men�the testimony given in its proper time. 7And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle�I am telling the truth, I am not lying�and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.

8I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

Let�s start with your past.

God came for sinners (15)

15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners�of whom I am the worst.

Ya know what?

God �s not limited by your past (1:12-15)

It doesn�t matter what happened when you were a little kid, or last year, yesterday, this morning, or two minutes ago. As far as your being qualified to serve, the only thing that matters is your willingness to do so, now.

It�s funny how our main excuse not to serve, not being qualified, is the thing God likes to use most, our unworthiness.

2 Corinthians 12:10
For Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

There are countless people in the Bible that God used not because of their righteousness, but primarily because they where in the right place at the right time.

Zacheous

All the disciples

Mary mother of Jesus

And the list goes on.

God sees potential in you (12-14)

12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus

God is not concerned with how you�re not qualified. He put you right here, right now, to do what only you can do.

So embrace it.

At our kids church we have a missions Sunday once a month, where we highlight a missionary and or a country and tell the kids how the Lord and his people are working. But we noticed a problem. We were making our missionaries out to be celebrities and we needed better application for the kids other than maybe God wants you to go to Mozambique someday.

We decided to change our focus from �someday� there� to �today� right here.�

If you are in the Kingdom you are set apart, a chosen one, a member of the holy priesthood. If you call yourself a Christian, you are called to be a minister, a missionary, not someday, but right here right now. Light your little world. Be a peacemaker.

We�ll talk about this a little more in a minute.

Next we find that

God has vision for the future (2:3-8)

God wants all people to look to Him (3-6)

It�s our job to help make that happen.

3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all men�the testimony given in its proper time.

An author by the name of Sandy Reynolds once said, �The door of life is a door of mystery. It becomes slightly shorter than the one who wishes to enter it. And thus only he who bows in humility can cross its threshold.�

Your life is not about you.

Love God, Love others.

God wants you to bless everyone you touch (7-8)

7And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle�I am telling the truth, I am not lying�and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. 8I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

I was telling my kids the other day that they are leaders. Not because they are Menefees, but simply because you�re breathing you are influencing others. You are a leader because your actions affect those around you. Spread the light as much as possible because it�s like what Robert Moffat, the great missionary to Africa, once said, �We'll have all eternity to celebrate our victories, but only one short hour before sunset to win them.�

You are in the right place at the right time.

So what kind of a leader are you going to be?

Here�s my opinion. Most Christian schools, like churches, need a lot more cheer leaders, (pause) No, I�m not talking about pompoms and rhyming chants. I mean we need more positive people, encouragers. Our church is going through some big changes. I tell my kids, there are enough negative people in churches; we need to be the cheerleaders.

So we�ve considered God opinion of our past- �Don�t stress it� and His vision for the future- �everyone.� Let�s consider the present.

God wants you to focus on today (1:16-2:2)

God wants to use your live as an example (16-20)

I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

18Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19holding on to faith and a good conscience.

Now living in or around the utopia of KCCBS, finding ways to witness your faith may seem empty or fruitless. I mean everyone here pretty much believes in Christ. Though there are varying degrees of maturity. So we have to ask, �What�s your fight?� What are you fighting with or for? I find that the biggest battles in the good fight take place right here (point at heart). There could be scores of different unseen fights going in the lives here. Maybe your fight is showing respect for an instructor. Maybe it�s fighting laziness, that addictive TV show or video game that waist so much of your time.

Perhaps your fight is with your attitude or you thought life.

I got this haunting mental picture the other day. You realize that you�re never alone? God hears your thoughts and Satan hears your thoughts.

Imagine the spiritual battle going on all the time. You�re standing in a valley. God�s army, countless in number are on this side, and Satan�s dark forces consume the mountain over here. You are the reason they have met here. This is your life, and your thoughts are being yelled though a megaphone. You decide who the winner is. Even when you�re check�n out some hottie or ticked off with an instructor, parent or boss. Countless unseen ears are hearing what you think.

2 Corinthians 10:4&5

Says that 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. And that, We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Taking our minds captive this leads us to the subject of prayer and verses 1-2 of our text.

God wants to hear from you (1-2)

1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone� 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

Now, prayer could be the topic of not only a completely different sermon, but a sermon series, but since Paul brings it up, I�m just going to just touch on it a little.

But I don�t mean to discredit the importance of prayer. Notice Paul says, �I urge, then, first of all.� Communication with God should be a top priority.

Most of you have seen the serenity prayer,

�God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

That�s beautiful isn�t it.

Well, I�m a big Calvin and Hobbs fan, and this is what Calvin prays for,

�the strength to change what I can,

The inability to accept what I can�t,

And the incapacity to tell the difference.�

The point?

Don�t worry about weather or not you can make a difference. Have faith, pray big, and remember that simply the fact that you are alive makes you a leader, because every action, every word, and every attitude affects those around you.

Conclusion: You are in the right place at the right time, It�s up to you to be willing to serve, and do the right thing at each step of your life, at each moment. Live your beautiful choreographed life abundantly.

Don�t assume you�re not good enough or that you have to wait for an opportunity. Today, this minute, you are where you are for a reason. What are you going to do with it? How can you glorify God in it?

17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.