January 26, 2025 | Zach Schlegel
Passage: 1 Timothy 1:12-17
Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God, all of mankind inherited a sin nature. This causes us to bristle against authority. In our Western society, we have been conditioned to distrust those in authority but consider ourselves THE authority. The call to submit brings negative feelings.
Paul wrote about the good news of the gospel that was entrusted to him. This comes with a call to repentance and a call to submit. The false teachers didn’t want to hear this, so they began to undermine Paul’s authority, reminding people that before he was “Paul the apostle,” he was Saul, an opponent of Jesus. As author of thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, Paul's authority was often under attack. Even today, many scholars challenge Paul’s authority today when his teaching rubs them the wrong way.
The gospel demands our entire life - our thinking, our actions, our money, our work, our words - submission to God in every area of life. God isn’t something that we add on to help achieve our personal goals. The gospel uproots our goal and makes God and His glory our goal. We must find our life in Christ. It takes faith. So, why should we trust Paul?
Sermon Outline
1. Trust Paul because he was appointed by God. Vs. 12-14
2. Trust Paul because he was saved by God. Vs. 15-17
Series Information
