Advent 2025 - Week 4
This is the manuscript of the 1 Timothy 1:12-17 sermon I preached on December 21, 2025 at Trinity West Seattle as part of our Advent 2025 sermon series.
You can watch it here or read the manuscript I preached from below.
SERIES INTRO
Almost Christmas! If you have been reading Advent devotionals or the gospel of John, you are almost done. That’s so exciting!
[INTRODUCE YOURSELF]…I am excited to open God’s word with you today. I am so excited that each of you are here! If you are here in this room today, you are here for a reason. I think that reason is to hear what God has for us today in his word.
Just a quick reminder, this Advent we looked at the Word became flesh and dwelt among us! The Author of all things wrote himself into the pages of history so that we could clearly know him and believe in him.
The past two weeks we address Christ’s divinity and his humanity. His preeminence and humility.
This week, to conclude our series, we are looking at the “why” behind it all. Why did the Word become flesh? Why did Jesus have to be fully divine, fully God? Why did he also have to be humble, and fully man?
Pray with me and for me as I pray for our time together.
SERMON INTRO
I have a bit of a warning for you all today. We are going to get straight to the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ today. My aim is to convince everyone here today why Jesus came into the world, and what we are supposed to do with that. It is what Paul does here in 1 Timothy, and so we’re going to do it today too.
But in order to do so, we have to dig deep into the dark corners of our hearts. The nasty pieces and bits that we don’t want to share with anyone. The sin committed by us. The things we chose to do.
Those moments where we mess up or hurt others are what we who are Christians call sin. Sin is literally missing the mark. Here in our text Paul uses the word “sinner” and it means a person that does not meet a standard. They miss the standard…don’t measure up to it.
Whose standard? Well, we Christians believe we are not meeting God’s standard as revealed in the Bible. In God’s word. That standard? Perfection.
That’s impossible, you might say…sure. However, if we dig more deeply and assess our lives honestly, we have our own standards too. And how often do we miss the mark on our own standards? And our standards are often much much lower.
Right now, I want you to think about the worst thing you have ever done.
Maybe there are multiple moments.
Maybe it was a whole season of your life or a pattern.
Maybe you did horrible things to yourself or maybe it was to others.
Maybe you are even in a season where that is your current reality even now.
Maybe you can’t even admit to yourself the things you did. You can’t even look at yourself in the mirror.
Think of yourself in your absolute worst moment…
Hold it. Picture it.
WHY DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD?
That person you were or are, those messy moments you experienced or are currently experiencing…That is why Jesus came into the world. Jesus came into the world to save sinners like you and like me.
In a moment of vulnerability I’ll share…my mind immediately goes back to over 10 years ago.
I was in graduate school at LSU. I was pursuing a Master’s degree in Analytics at the time. Now, a bunch of stuff happened in my life that was incredibly stressful.
The details are less important than how I responded to the circumstances in my life. How did I respond? How did I try to relieve my stress?` I self-medicated.
I would drink to calm myself to the point where I could sleep. Tobacco was a very close “friend” at the time too. Lust showed up as well. I chose each of those things.
In short, my world was falling apart and I made some horrible, sinful decisions to try to make myself feel okay. It only made it worse. The spiral continued…
The standard God has, and the standard I had for myself were completely thrown out. I did what I needed to do to feel okay. But all I did was make it worse. I was acting ignorant of what God
But you know what? That 22-year-old Jayson lying on the couch, in that trashy grad school apartment, crying himself to sleep each night while self-medicating with alcohol…THAT is who Jesus came into the world for.
Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Just like me. Just like you.
God wasn’t done with me then, and he isn't done with you now.
1 Timothy 1:15
[15] The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
And Paul, the author of our text today, affirms this and even mentions himself as the worst of sinners.
WHO ARE THE SINNERS JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE?
(Paul is, we are)
Paul mentions his wickedness in a few different places in this text. You can see them bolded there on the screen. So let’s take a look at those times.
1 Timothy 1:12-15
[12] I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, [13] though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, [14] and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. [15] The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
Paul labels himself as the foremost of sinners. This passage has also been translated as “chief of sinners.” He labels his sin as the absolute worst. He is honest and accurate about his sin. He doesn’t hide it or sugarcoat it. He is honest.
What was that sin? Well he alludes to blasphemy, persecution, and being an insolent opponent. If you aren’t aware, Paul was originally called Saul. Eventually, he starts to go by the name Paul instead. But look at an example of what sin Paul is referring to…
Acts 7:58 - 8:3
[58] Then they cast [Stephen] out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul….
[1] And Saul approved of his execution…
[2] Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. [3] But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Paul, then Saul, was overlooking the death of the very first martyr, Stephen. He watched with approval and Stephen was violently bludgeoned to death with stones.
Then in the next chapter of Acts (which records the beginning of the church) it talks about how murder was on Paul’s breath. He even got permission from the religious leaders to drag men and women from their homes if they followed Jesus. If they followed Jesus, Paul wanted them gone.
This dude didn’t play. The craziest part? He felt fully justified in his actions too.
These events also explain why he called himself a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent earlier in the text. How was Paul these things you might ask?
Blasphemer? Paul openly stated blasphemy, he verbalized and acted upon the belief that Jesus is not the son of God. Blasphemy is demeaning or denigrating God. Saying that God is not really God. Paul did that to Christ, God in the flesh.
Persecutor? Paul was going to do whatever he could to get his way. He’d even go into homes and violently drag people from their places of safety, maybe even kill.
Insolent opponent? This is also translated as “violent, arrogant person”. Basically it shows how Paul was (1) fully willing to get his hands dirty, (2) fully believed he was correct, (3) was fully willing to act in VIOLENT opposition to whatever God was up to.
I mean, we in the US worry about people teaching weird ideologies or being influenced by worldly things…and rightfully so…but Paul took that to a whole other level.
He went INTO home if you followed Jesus. Snatched you and your family, dragged you into the streets…the stuff we see happening to Christians in Nigeria…Paul was doing THAT to people.
If anyone was beyond mercy, it was Paul.
And God saved him anyway.
What Paul is declaring here in this text is, “If God can save me, he can save anybody. If there is mercy for me, there is mercy for anybody.”
WHY DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS?
But why did God pick Paul?
1 Timothy 1:16
But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
God wants to show the world his extravagant love. Paul should have been cancelled by all Christians 2000 years ago. But God had a better plan. That plan was so much mercy that it shows the love he has, even the love he has for his enemies.
God chose Paul to show the world that he is perfectly patient. There is no one too far gone or too violently opposed to him that he can’t save.
Paul is an example that if God picks that guy, then maybe he can love me too.
And he has a better plan for you too! So believe in him for eternal life.
HOW DO WE RESPOND TO JESUS COMING INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS?
(receive his mercy & testify about him)
Some of you might be thinking, well…my sin isn’t as bad as this Paul guy’s sin though…I need you to (1) go watch the sermon last week on humility and (2) I need you to think again. Be honest about who you are with the Lord.
But we are all in the same boat as Paul you guys. We are all in need of mercy.
Romans 3:9b-12:
[9b] For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. [10] As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; [11] there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. [12] All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
Just as I mentioned at the beginning of the sermon, we don’t meet the standard nor measure up to a holy God. But furthermore, we don’t even meet our own standards. Scripture itself, in Romans 3, affirms that.
We are the ones who don’t have it all put together.
Those of you feeling condemned by these ideas, I need you to hear this right now…It is the most famous verse in the whole bible…and hear the one that immediately follows it…
John 3:16-17
[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
God doesn’t want condemnation, he wants salvation…for the whole world. He no longer wants us passing out from drinking on the couch in graduate school. He doesn’t want religious zealots killing people. He doesn’t want little white lies to your spouse or friends. He wants all of you, every bit. And he came for YOU.
Mercy and grace mean that God is willing to dig into the messy things of life.
Luke 19 says Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost. If you feel lost in this crazy world, Jesus came for you.
Mark 2 says “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
If your heart is sick and your soul feels broken, Jesus came for you.
Does everything in this world feel dreary and upside down? Do you feel the darkness of anxiety or depression sneaking around the corners of your mind? Jesus came to beat back that darkness. Jesus even says in Jn 12:46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, so receive his mercy.
How do you receive his mercy? It tells us right here in the text in verses 13-14.
1 Timothy 1:13-14
But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Grace through faith. The mercy and grace came when Paul had faith in Jesus. So I urge you today, believe in the name of Jesus Christ and receive the mercy and grace he freely offers. Be free from sin!
Now some of the Christians in the room might be thinking, “Well I already beleive…so what about me?” Great question, I am glad you asked.
I have something for you to chew on as well.
I am gonna ruffle some feathers here too…
Who have you decided is beyond the scope of God’s mercy?
Intellectually you may say, “No one.” But your heart…your actions…who have you avoided? Who have you excluded? Who have you given up on?
Maybe it's a person or a group?
“Those people over there…they REALLY need Jesus. But I can’t be around them.”
If God can save Paul…
If God can save you…
If God can save me…
There is no one beyond the scope of his mercy.
We don’t get to draw lines where God hasn’t drawn any.
We don’t get to decide.
Do not be a barrier to God’s mercy, be a conduit of it.
Proclaim his name. Testify about him unto the ends of the earth.
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, so receive his mercy and testify about him.
Tell his story.
We honestly assess the brokenness we all experience and we bring Christ into that brokenness. You all know where your coworkers or friends are hurting. So bring Christ into those places!
In Revelation 12:11 it says the following:
They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;
That is a promise you guys! The blood of Christ and the word of the testimony of those who have faith in Christ is how Satan himself is defeated in the end.
The gospel doesn’t need rebranding, it needs bold proclaiming.
Paul gives his testimony to Timothy here in this text. We need to give ours. But Paul gives a very specific way to do it, lets read the verses here in 1 Timothy again. I want you to notice Christ throughout the whole story!
[12] I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, [13] though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, [14] and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. [15] The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. [16] But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. [17] To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Every time Paul tells of his sin, it is paired with truth AND grace.
In his testimony, his sin is great but Christ is always greater.
When we share our stories, it needs to be the same way. Christ and his grace shine through.
And he concluded as he began, God received all the honor and glory.
CONCLUSION
To end, let me wrap up the story that I began with. One day after weeks of sinful living and dealing with anxiety. My mom shows up.She reminded me of God’s provision and mercy. She testified to how God showed up in her life when my dad was clinically diagnosed with major depressive disorder for a large portion of my childhood. She highlighted event after event where God was present. She also pointed me to God’s word and 2 Chronicles 20:12.
God was where she looked then. And God was where she pointed me in those moments. God was patient, loving, gracious, and merciful and she testified about his work in her life and in the life of my dad.
The work of God was testified to me, and that is when my own healing began…
Testimony is a vehicle through which God works. So tell God’s story.
No one is too far gone for God’s mercy. Not even you.
If you have received his mercy, then testify to the good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, came to the world to save sinners.
So my friends, as we wait for the second coming of Christ, remember:
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, so receive his mercy and testify about him.
