Who Let Him In?

1 Tim 1:12-17

I remember studying with a man who hadn’t lived the greatest life in his early years. He came into the building and kind of looked around nervously. I asked him what was the matter and he said, “I kind of expected the roof to fall in because I was here. I don’t know if God or Christians would really want me here.” In some churches I have attended, I can guarantee the members of that church wouldn’t want those less than perfect picture people in their church, but that was never the case with God. He LOOKS for the worst kind of people and begs them to become part of his family.

One of the most dangerous things we can do is judge who is and who isn’t good enough to become a Christian. In the strictest sense, NONE of us are good enough to become Christians. That’s why we need to get down on our knees every day and thank God for his grace.

PRAYER

I. God’s Grace is for Everyone

A. The Gospel is for all

1. A couple years back I read a true story about an upscale church located near a college campus. They felt they needed to reach out to the college kids, so they put up really nice flyers inviting students to walk over and worship with them. For the first few weeks no one came. One Sunday as the song leader was leading singing, in came a student. Not the upscale type, but the Hippy type. Let’s say he wasn’t what they were expecting, as he walked down the aisle looking for a place to sit, he couldn’t find one, so he simply sat on the floor next to a pew. Down walked old brother Smith in his nice suit to where the boy was sitting. The preacher held his breath waiting for brother Smith to blast the young man, but he didn’t. Instead he carefully got down to the floor and sat next to him. Someone probably thought “who let him in?” when the young man sat on the ground. Brother Smith, by his actions replied, “Jesus did.”

2. Sometimes we have people here who make us feel not quite comfortable and I have been so proud of us as we welcome them here with open arms as Christ would.

3. We need to remember the gospel is for all, not just people of our color, or lifestyle, or area of the country or monetary level.

4. One church I worked with actually debated whether or not to evangelize the inner city where the church was because they wouldn’t bring in enough money like suburb people would.

5. Churches across our nation still separate across racial lines because they don’t want one skin color or another in their congregation.

6. I’ve even had one person tell me we should bar non-Christians from Sunday services because they aren’t good enough to be here.

a) NONE of are good enough to be here.

b) None of us are good enough to be saved.

c) None of us are good enough.

d) Thank God the gospel is for ALL, not just the good enough!

B. The Gospel is for everyone

1. Paul makes his case very clear when he uses his own life to show God’s grace is for everyone.

2. READ vs. 15-16

a) This was a man who encouraged the killing of Stephen.

b) This was a man who took great delight in imprisoning and killing Christians.

c) This was a man who may have even had a hand in mock trial and crucifixion of Christ.

d) You can’t get much worse than that!

3. The Gospel is for everyone.

a) Even people like Jeffrey Daumer who became a Christian in prison.

b) Even people like my Aunt who was married and divorced 6 times.

c) Even people like you who have cheated, lied, stole, cursed, rebelled against your parents, and committed adultery.

d) Even people like me who grew up in a Christian home but never took Jesus seriously for many years.

e) The gospel is not only for all, but for everyone.

II. Telling Your Story

A. A story worth telling

1. Paul shares his story because it was a story worth telling.

2. That God could love him and forgive him and show him grace and mercy still amazed him after all these years.

3. When Helene and I first were married, I loved to tell the story of how we got together. It was so improbable that God surely must have had his hand in it. God must have surely loved me to bless me with such a woman as Helene for my wife.

4. That’s the feeling Paul shares in these words.

B. A love meant for forever

1. Paul had been a Christian for probably 30 years when he wrote these words.

2. Yet, his feelings for Christ weren’t old and stale with time. You get the impression he was still overwhelmed with love and amazement with Jesus.

3. I was talking to Carol Vandermark the other day and she was telling about how these last several years have been the greatest of her life. While she was telling me that she was looking at Lyle with so much love in her eyes you would have thought she was a teenager with a crush.

4. That’s the way a great marriage is meant to be. Over the years, the good times and bad times, the fun times and sad times, you just couldn’t imagine being with anyone else but your spouse.

5. We need feel the same way with God as well.

6. After being a Christian for 30 years we still look at Him with love in our eyes that is evident to anyone who looks at us.

7. I guarantee you God is looking at you the same way.

C. How to tell your story.

1. Be honest about your faith journey.

2. Share how you came to build a real faith in God.

3. Share how it has changed your life.

4. Share about how you feel about God now knowing what he has done for you.

5. When you share that simple story about yourself, many will be drawn in by it and will want to know more.

6. Share how you became a Christian and let them know how easy it is to become a child of God.

7. Sharing the gospel should really be easy for us when we see what God has done for us.

8. It may not have been as dramatic as Paul’s change or someone else’s but that doesn’t matter.

9. What does matter is that by the grace of God you went from a sinner to a saint and so can your listener.