True Hope

1 Corinthians 15:14 – “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” 

1 Corinthians 15:17 – “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” 

1 Timothy 1:15 – “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.” 

I. A Humble Admission (1 Timothy 1:12-13)

Acts 8:1 – “And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” 

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 – “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” 

II. A Gracious God (1 Timothy 1:14)

Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” 

III. Missional Example (1 Timothy 1:15-17)

2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”