Our text for today is going to be 1 Timothy chapter 1, verse 12 through 17. Would you join me now in standing

for the reading of God's word in order to show reverence and respect for how God has chosen to reveal

himself in Scripture? I'll read the text. When I finish reading the text, I'm going to say this is the

word of the Lord, at which point I would appreciate very much if you would respond by saying thanks be

to God. One final time. Our text for today is 1st, Timothy chapter 1, verses 12 through 17. The Bible says

this, I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus, our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly

I was a blasphemer, persecutor, an insolent opponent.

But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord

overflowed from me with the faith and love that are in Christ

Jesus. 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. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me as the foremost,

Christ Jesus, might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in

him for eternal life. To the king of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be

honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. This is the word of the Lord. All right, please be seated.

Let's begin. The first thing that I've written in your notes is the following. In verse 15 of our text,

Paul says, the saying is In verse 15 of our text, Paul says,

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. The first thing that we must recognize from our text

today is this. The gospel is for sinners. If you are not a sinner,

Jesus is not for you. If you are not a sinner, the gospel is not for you. If you are a basically

good person who has made some mistakes along the way, the gospel is not for you.

If you are a victim, that ultimately all of your failures can be tracked back to the

sin of someone else, but you yourself, if protected in a vacuum, in a perfect scenario,

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