Lord’s Table Meditation: This short message from 1 Timothy 1:12-17 by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, September 23, 2018.
Intro:
We’re all different. Some of us are more “out-going” than others. Some more verbal. Some easily share their feelings or emotions while others are more guarded.
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It’s not that one is right and the other is wrong – it’s just that we are different. When at a ball game I don’t clap and stomp and shout and cheer. When those cheerleaders tell me to stand up and cheer I sit there in absolute defiance! Stone faced, arms crossed declaring, “You can’t make me cheer.” You see I’m perfectly capable of enjoying a game without making a fool of myself. I just happen to believe what is needed is a little dignity and decorum in the stands. Let’s show a little class here. But try as I might, some things bring me to me feet. Sometimes, without warning, words, phrases fly out of my mouth. Without a moment’s thought, without being aware of any formation of words, I’m cheering. When that happens, I quickly survey the room and see if anyone noticed my outburst and then I regain my composer. Regardless of my disposition some things just demand a response. Something internal says, “You aren’t setting through this one and you aren’t remaining silent!” I didn’t plan it and I can’t stop it. The more unexpected and the more incredible – the louder and the more exuberant the response.
The apostle Paul was writing to young Timothy, his son in the Lord and co-laborer in the Gospel, about life in the church when all of a sudden he burst forth with a shout of praise concerning God’s grace in salvation. Our text this evening begins in verse 12 of 1 Timothy chapter 1.
Text: 1 Timothy 1:12-17
This evening we gather around the Lord’s Table. I think this is an appropriate text for us to consider. It is about the gospel. It is about God’s grace extended to hell-bound, undeserving sinners and the wonder of realizing the extent of God’s grace.
As we walk through these verses we learn that…
Thesis: The heart touched by grace erupts in spontaneous praise of God’s saving work.
When you consider what God has done for us in Christ – it is not time to sit on your hands. It is not time to defiantly sit with arms crossed – unmoved – it is time to cheer!
There are three things I want us to note in our text.
- Those who have been forgiven are overwhelmed by the magnitude of the mercy shown to them. (1:12-14)
- Those who have experienced the grace of salvation joyfully declare the wonder of salvation to all. (1:15-16)
- The heart set free bursts forth in praise to God our Savior. (1:17)
Some things just demand a response.
The heart touched by grace erupts in spontaneous praise of God’s saving work.
It is in this spirit that we come to this table. We recognize none of us are “worthy” of this meal. None of us are deserving of God’s mercy and grace. That’s the point of grace! So we come in humility, overwhelmed at the grace extended to us. Overjoyed by the salvation lavished upon us. Come tonight in joy. Come tonight in gratitude. Come tonight in remembrance.
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