You're Terrible? I'm Worse!

1 Timothy 1:15 (NLT) — 15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.

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I think there's this misconception that Christians are people that have their act together. It's actually the opposite, Christians are people that realize they're terrible and need help! Let's talk about Saul/Paul.

Okay, let's try and put ourselves in a first century Jewish mindset. Imagine that church and state are united. Imagine that the guy at the top of politics is also the guy that the head of the church. Saul is one of these guys, he's the "ish." Not only is he apart of this group, he's one of the best of them! When this whole Jesus-rose-from-the-grave debacle arose Saul hated it. He spearheaded the effort to wipe these guys out. At that time Christianity was still a sect of Judaism called "the way."

There was a preacher named Stephen who was proclaiming Jesus as Messiah and Son of God. He was stoned to death in Jerusalem for blasphemy.

Acts 7:59–8:1 (NLT) — 59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died. 1 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. 

Acts 9:1–2 (NLT) — 1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

...This guy Saul, he actually went on to write most of the New Testament. So the question arrises, what does it take to change ones convictions so drastically?

Jesus himself...

Acts 9:3–6 (NLT) — 3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” 5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Saul has a personal encounter with Jesus. A personal encounter is what changes lives...

Think about this, if you were to list it out on paper, what are all the reasons to get married? It might not actually be that good on paper. You have to share everything you have, if you earn money, you don't get to keep it all. You don't get to make all of your own decisions, you don't always get to spend your time the way you want to, etc. 

So why do people get married? He meets her, or she meets him, then all of those concerns get minimized because of the personal encounter. The concerns are real, but the relationship itself is bigger than those concerns.

Acts 9:19–21 (NLT) — 19 ...Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. 20 And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!” 21 All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”

This Saul changed his name to Paul, he went around all the surrounding countries proclaiming Christ as Messiah, savior to sinners. Like we said before he went on to write most of our New Testament.

Jesus doesn't want you to clean up your act before you come to him.

Mark 2:16–17 (NLT) — 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

If Jesus accepts Saul/Paul while he's on his way to persecute Christians by killing/imprisoning them, Jesus can/will accept you too.

Here's the rest of the verse that we started with...

1 Timothy 1:15–17 (NLT) — 15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.