WHY I AM GLAD I’M A CHRISTIAN

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Whenever I read Paul’s letters, or whenever I read the book of Acts I think I can sense a great amount of feeling in the Apostle Paul.

Paul was a man under tremendous pressures.

He was constantly under attack by those professing to be Christians

He was constantly under threat by those who were avowed anti-Christian

Paul would enter a city and suffer physical violence in order to establish a church.

Then he would leave the city to start a new church only to have the last church infiltrated by teachers of false doctrine.

It is not difficult to see and sense the kind of pressure Paul experienced.

But even with the pressures and attacks he faced there is an overruling sense that Paul was glad to be a Christian.

·   Even though he was criticized, he was glad to be a Christian

·   Even though he was condemned he was glad to be a Christian and

·   Even though he was cast down, he was glad to be a Christian

And he wanted to convey that gladness to others.

I, like Paul, am very glad I am a Christian.

I am thrilled that God called me to be a preacher, but more so I am glad to be a Christian.

And if I can do anything for you this morning I want to stir up in you a joy for being saved.

·   I wouldn’t want to give you something that will wear off in an hour

·   I wouldn’t want to give you something that will fade when the trials begin

I want to try to pass along to you a joy that can make you glad you are a Christian at all times and in all situations.

So I want to remind you of a few things that I believe cause a Christian gladness

I am glad I am a Christian because I enjoy

I. KNOWING I AM RIGHT

2 Tim 1:12

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (KJV)

I am not trying to be smart-allick or egotistical.

I just know that one of the things I like about being a Christian is the confidence that what I believe is right.

I like being right.

Paul said

·   I know and

·   I am persuaded

Those are terms of confidence.

He was sure he was right about eternity.

·   No more guesses

·   No more hope so’s

·   No more questions and doubts

He was saved and he was sure of it.

·   He had confided in the right Saviour

·   He had trusted the right Gospel

And his struggle for his soul was over.

I remember reading about Martin Luther.

Luther was a Roman Catholic priest.

He was so anxious to know that his sins were forgiven and that he would go to hell that Luther went to incredible extremes to try to please God.

·   Luther fasted until he was physically ill - trying to get God to forgive him

·   Luther became a great theologian - trying to get God to forgive him

·   Luther would crawl on his knees in prayer up the steps to his church - trying to get God to forgive him.

But still

·   Luther was a physical wreck.  He was near dead from nerves and anxiety over what would happen to his soul if he died without his sins forgiven.

But one day Luther read in the Bible, “The just shall live by faith.”

The Lord opened his eyes to the fact that salvation is not granted because of how good we can be or what things we might do.

Salvation is given for faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

It set Luther free!

He was saved and he knew it

And it changed him

This once nervous, sickly man became

·   Confident,

·   Fiery and

·   Passionate

In telling people salvation is by faith in Christ, not by goods works we may do.

People all over the world are looking for something they can count on.

·   We wonder who really would make the best President

·   We wonder who really knows what to do about Middle East

·   We wonder what church really does teach the truth

When you finally come to the place when your search for right is over IT IS THRILLING!

Praise the Lord we Christian are right

·   Jesus assured us we are right

·   The Apostles assured us we are right

·   The example of 2000 years of Christianity assures us we are right

A. We are right about salvation

There is a heaven

There is a hell

Man does deserve to go to hell but God has provided a means of pardon.

The Christian has no doubts or fears about eternity.

He knows the One who saved and he is sure He has saved us

B. We are right about today

·   We are right about what is moral

·   We are right about what is sin

·   We are not condemning people when we point out sin.

·   We are just telling the truth.

We are not trying to control people by urging them to get saved.

We are just showing them the truth.

I am glad I am a Christian because I am glad I am right.

Secondly, I am glad I am a Christian because

II. I LIKE CHRISTIANS

Whenever you read Paul’s books you have to see that he liked being around Christians.

Romans 16:1-15

I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.

Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:

Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.

Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.

Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.

Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household.

Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.

Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.

Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.

Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them. (KJV)

Romans 16:21

Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. (KJV)

Romans 16:23

Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother. (KJV)

Paul had a hard time deciding when to stop naming the people he loved!

I have to tell you - I like being around Christians.

I have had close friends who were:

·   Cowboys

·   Hippies and

·   Athletes

I had some wild times with those guys.

But there is nobody I enjoy being around more than I enjoy being around Christians.

I can look down through the years since I became a Christian and recall Christian after Christian I loved being around.

·   Mike Riggs in Kennewick

·   Pastor Roger Belshaw in Hermiston

·   The Winnons in Boulder

·   Pastor Smith in Platteville

·   I could not name all of the people in Astoria I loved

·   Pastor Ray Wells in Covina CA

·   Jamie Jett at the college

·   Jeff and Jayne Girtz in Spokane

·   And nearly all of you here J

I like Christians.

·   I like the kind of music we sing

·   I like the kind of games we play

·   I like the kind of entertainment we enjoy

·   I like he kind of jokes we tell

I am glad I am a Christian because Christians are right

I am glad I am a Christian because I like Christian people

Thirdly I am glad I am a Christian because of

III. THE JOY OF SALVATION

Psalms 51:12

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (KJV)

There is a joy that comes form being made a new creature.

Paul said that the fruit of the Spirit is

·   Love

·   Joy

·   Peace

Etc.

When a person gets saved God makes them a new creature and one of the things tat new creature is given is joy.

I am glad I am a Christian because I have joy.

I am a step ahead of the world.

Jesus said in

John 10:10

….I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (KJV)

When you are a Christian life is just better.

Sure we suffer - but that doesn’t stop us from living abundantly.

When you are a Christian

·   The mountains are a little more majestic

·   The oceans are a little bluer

·   The grass is a little greener

·   The stars shine a little brighter and

·   The sun is just a little warmer

A man told me once, before I got saved, “You are miserable and don’t know it.”

I laughed at him.  I thought I was a happy-go-lucky person with my whole life ahead of me.

But after I got saved I knew what he meant.

Compared to the joy of my salvation, I was miserable when I was unsaved.

·   I am glad I am a Christian because Christians are right

·   I am glad I am a Christian because I like Christian people

·   I am glad I am a Christian because of the joy of salvation

Fourth, I am glad I am a Christian because

IV. I LIKE HOW GOD IS USING ME

1 Tim 1:12

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; (KJV)

The best thing in the world is to be used by God.

The evolutionist would try to deny it but men are not animals.

We have not been placed upon this planet simply to balance out nature.

The one who wanders aimlessly through life is destined to be:

·   Unhappy

·   Unfulfilled and

·   Unsatisfied

But a life that is lived on purpose, with that purpose being to please the Lord Jesus Christ is a life that is

·   Full

·   Exciting

·   Happy

Conclusion:

More than anything in this world I want you all to be happy.

I want you to wake up each morning anxious to see what the day holds.

I want you to know joy and gladness.

And I know for a fact that life can only be lived that way when we are Christians.

Of course, some Christians lose the joy of salvation through sin.

And all of us have times of stress and trials.

But when we:

·   Trust Christ for salvation

·   Put confidence in the Bible

·   Yield our lives to serve Jesus and

·   Hang around the believers

It becomes pretty easy to wake up every morning and say, “I am glad I am a Christian.”

O TIMOTHY

1 Timothy 6:20-21

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

Which some professing have erred concerning the faith....

I tried to point out last week that, although last words tend to be the most urgent words a person says, and we know that a second letter from Paul to Timothy is coming, Paul doesn’t “let down” at the end of this first letter to Timothy. He maintains urgency and intensity to the very last word.

Notice the phrase, “O Timothy”.

He is indicating the importance of this final topic of the letter.

And I think it is interesting that it is a topic that he has already addressed three times previous.

1 Timothy 1:3-4 (KJV)

As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. 

1 Timothy 4:6-7 (KJV)

If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

1 Timothy 6:3-4 (KJV)

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

1 Timothy 6:20-21

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

Which some professing have erred concerning the faith....

You will notice, I think, that in every one of these the first verse is personally addressed to Timothy and the following verse has something to do with topics that have no value – they distract from the true work of the preacher.

Looking more closely at the closing verses of 1^st Timothy I see

*I. THERE IS A TRUST

1 Timothy 6:20 KJV 

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

One commentary notes that the phrase "O Timothy," "...marks at once his affection for Timothy and his prescience at the coming heresies." 

A. Paul knew that the ministry was going to get more difficult as time when on and that it would become increasingly important to focus on the faith once delivered.

The word, keep means to isolate and guard - maybe lock up what has been committed to us. 

While we must go into the world with the gospel we must also carefully protect ourselves from those who would take what was committed to our trust and pervert it in our lives.

And 

B. We are to avoid, which means to deflect, to turn or twist out

"profane and vain babblings and oppositions of science falsely so called." 

When people try to get us to hear these “vain babblings”  the Bible tells us to twist away. 

Don't listen even if it means wrestling yourself out of their grasp so you don't have to. 

Secondly

*II. THERE IS A TRUTH 

1 Timothy 6:20 KJV

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

Science falsely so called… 

I listened to an interview on the radio with two men, who recently wrote a book, attempting to reconcile the two supposedly opposing worldviews of science and spirituality. 

Of course the man representing spirituality was not a Christian but someone involved in an eastern religion of "consciousness." 

As the interview progressed the radio personality asked the scientist, a physicist if he had come to believe in God. 

The scientist acknowledged that it is impossible to prove there is no God but then said that he definitely did not believe in the Biblical God because the Bible teaches too many things that scientists know are wrong. 

Let me just give a couple of thoughts concerning this idea that, “the Bible teaches things that scientists know are wrong.”

A. I have discovered that too much of what science professes to know is not knowledge at all but theory. 

1. They begin all of their studies on the premise that the God of the Bible does not exist and try to find answers to their questions that do not include that God. 

2. They propose theories and study one another's theories. 

The science of today is not based upon knowing truth but knowing their own theories. 

*B. If there is a scientific fact that the Bible apparently contradicts, 

I would suggest that the problem is with their understanding of the Bible and not with the truths that exist either in science or the Bible. 

People who begin by doubting the Bible look for things that they believe are contradictions in the Bible. 

I don't pretend to have all of the answers to all of their contradictions but I am confident that when God reveals all truth to us (when we get to heaven) every scientific contradiction (falsely so called) to the Bible will be perfectly reconciled. 

• I believe the Word of God. 
• I believe God Himself, and not 

science falsely so called.

Finally

*III. THERE IS A TASK 

1 Timothy 6:20-21

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

Which some professing have erred concerning the faith....

A. We, who are the children of the Living God, have been given a wonderful treasure in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

It is this treasure, committed to us, 

• which we are to keep, 
• which we are to preach and 
• around which we are to serve the Lord

There are many other philosophies, ideas and movements that a man might get himself involved in but, 

*B. To do so would be to err concerning the faith. 

• Our task is not to politic
• Our task is not to reform 
• Our task is not to indoctrinate into our way of life
  

*C. Our task is to keep the Gospel, to preach it in its purity and to see that it is spread throughout the world. 

If we will stick with that, we will not go wrong.

The truth is so important that we must not allow ourselves to be turned from that which is committed to our trust. 

We must keep and guard it at all costs. 

DON’T TUNE ME OUT

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (KJV)

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

One has to wonder what was racing through the mind of the Apostle as he approached the end of his letter to Timothy.

There isn’t yet an urgent sense of his own departing, as we will see in his second letter to Timothy. But he is in prison and he must be aware that, unless the Lord does something very amazing, his time on earth is fast reaching its end.

He may have had the plans in place for the second letter before he penned his name to this one.

But I rather think every word is urgent and his final instructions in this letter are as important to him as the last word he wrote before his execution.

If that is the case then, do you consider it is interesting as I do that he chose these as his final two subjects:

• One last warning for the rich
• One last word about vain babblings

I want to address the first of these this week and begin with the title for the lesson, “Don’t Tune Me Out Yet”.

It’s a message to the rich.

I don’t think there is anyone in this room who thinks of ourselves as rich.

At least not the kind of rich that we would have to be warned about the dangers of being so rich.

So just don’t tune me out too soon in this lesson.

I am the first one to admit that wealth is a comparative standard.

It may be true that I have more than ¾ of the world’s population.

But I also live in a society and culture that requires I maintain a certain level of wealth in order not to lose my standard of living.

There are enough homeless people in our area to remind us that it wouldn’t take that much to lose almost everything we have.

But one of the problems that we have is that, because we live with so much wealth all around us, we forget that passages like this one apply as much to you and to me as it does to the Donald Trumps and Bill Gates of this world.

So please don’t tune me out just yet.

Notice with me, 

*I. A WARNING ABOUT ATTITUDE

Vs 17

“..be not highminded…”

The word has to do with arrogance. 

Those who are rich in this world need to guard against thinking themselves better because of their status.

Webster’s 1828 dictionary says that it is, “….that species of pride which consists in exorbitant claims of rank, dignity, estimation or power, or which exalts the worth or importance of the person to an undue degree…”

I don’t often quote from the dictionary but I loved the phrase, “that species of pride”.

The dictionary goes on to say that it is, “a proud contempt of others.”

We have all seen it, if not in person we have at least seen it represented in stories of “the lifestyles of the rich and famous.”

• The Vanderbilts’s
• The Rothschild’s

Those who have their own column in the newspapers.

• They gossip about one another and
• They snub their noses at the rest of us

The same attitude can be found in people who are not snooty maybe, but they still think they are

• Smarter or
• More athletic or
• Harder working or
• More motivated

Bottom line is they still think of themselves as better than people who have less than they do.

*The right attitude is to see our blessings as being given to us by God so that we can help those who are in need.

There is secondly

*II. A WARNING ABOUT FAITH

Vs 17

“… nor trust in uncertain riches…”

2 Corinthians 8:13-15 speaks to this,

For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

Here’s the thing,

When we understand that God gave us those “riches” we understand that he can just as easily take them away.

During the Great Depression the number of suicides among those who had once been “rich” but who had lost everything in the Stock Market crash was huge.

These were people who did not know how to cope with life in the without camp.

I suggest that those who are living in the bushes behind Haggen’s are better off than someone who can’t live without money.

Paul told Timothy to warn them to put their trust in the living God.

Notice the description of the living God,

“who giveth us richly all things to enjoy”

*A person who trusts in the living God is rich no matter how little of this world’s goods he may have.

Thirdly I find,

*III. A WARNING ABOUT CHARITY

Vs 18

That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

This takes us back to,

2 Corinthians 8:13-15 speaks to this,

For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

We ought to view our advantages as opportunities to do good.

We will be focusing on missions all the month of March. One of the chief reasons to plan, promote and provide for missionaries is that the Bible teaches us to use our advantages for good.

Helping missionaries take the gospel around the world is doing good on the highest order.

Finally there is

*IV. A WARNING ABOUT ETERNITY

Vs 18

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

The word warning may not seem like the most appropriate but don’t these words of the Lord Jesus sound like a warning to you?

Matthew 6:19-21 (KJV)

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

The Bible warns us not to put too much stock in this world. 

• Our hearts
• Our hopes and
• Our homes

are to be in heaven.

Conclusion:

So Paul has almost finished this letter to Timothy, but he is far from finished with his message to Timothy.

Don’t tune him out just yet.

Hear him out to the end.