E.P.I.C. Word of Truth

Despairing Even of Life (II Corinthians 1:8-11): Prisoners of Hope - Sermon 1

The Apostle Paul, the most influential missionary in church history, a man of unwavering faith and perseverance, openly confesses here that he was "pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life." This is not a casual statement. The Greek word for despaired (ἐξαπορέομαι, exaporeō) means to be utterly without a way out, completely at a loss, to feel trapped with no escape.
This is deep affliction.
This is the kind of suffering that pushes a person to the very brink.
This is the kind of affliction that pushes a person to the edge where life itself feels like it is slipping away.
This is the inspired Word of God - Paul is not exaggerating here. He is describing a moment in which he and his companions believed they were going to die.
And yet, what do we see in this passage? That God had a purpose even in this depth of suffering—to strip Paul of all self-reliance and teach him to trust only in "God which raiseth the dead” (v.9).
This passage is not just about suffering; it is about where we place our trust in suffering. Paul’s affliction serves as a lesson for us: When we reach the end of our rope, the end of our strength, we discover the sufficiency of God's power.
Let’s examine four key truths from this passage that will help us understand how we, as believers, are to respond when we find ourselves despairing even of life.
The Weight of Suffering
The Purpose of Suffering
The Power of Deliverance
The Role of Prayer
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The Fall of False Religion to the Sovereign God (Revelation 17)

Let us fix our hearts and minds on the grandeur of God’s righteous judgment, a truth proclaimed from the pages of His eternal Word.
As we delve into the mystery of divine justice upon Babylon, that city of ancient pride and rebellion, we are drawn to the sovereign orchestration of God in the affairs of nations, “For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will” (Revelation 17:17).
Babylon—first among the Gentile kingdoms to subdue God’s chosen people, Israel—was not merely a tool of conquest but an instrument of divine discipline.
Thus saith the Lord through His prophet, "And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the Lord" (Jeremiah 51:24).
How sobering is this truth: God, who raises up rulers and nations, also casts them down for their pride and iniquity. Babylon, far more than an ancient empire, stands as a symbol of every false system of worship and rebellion against the Most High.
From her idolatrous foundations to her end-time personification as the harlot of Revelation 17, she epitomizes humanity's defiance against the holy God.
As we contemplate this, let us marvel at the divine paradox: God’s sovereign use of evil to accomplish His purposes while rendering just recompense to wickedness.
Babylon’s rise and fall unveil both the holiness of God and the rebellious heart of man. Yet, in these judgments, we see the gospel’s shadow—pointing to the ultimate victory of Christ, the Lamb who was slain, who will one day cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess His Lordship.
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The Awe-inspiring Wisdom of God (Romans 11:33)

Have you ever paused to consider what it means to worship a God who is infinitely wise?
His wisdom is not like ours—limited, flawed, or bound by time. His wisdom is eternal, universal, and incomprehensible.
It is a wisdom that designed the heavens, ordered the earth, and set the boundaries of the seas (Proverbs 3:19).
It is a wisdom that governs the rise and fall of nations, the movement of the stars, and the beating of your very heart.
But more than the grand works of creation, consider this: God’s wisdom reached into the abyss of human sin and, through the foolishness of the cross, made a way for sinners like us to be reconciled to Him (1 Corinthians 1:21 - For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe).
Think about it—while we were lost, blind, and running headlong into destruction, God’s wisdom wove a plan of redemption so perfect, so profound, that even the angels marvel at it (Ephesians 3:10).
And yet, how often do we lean on our own understanding, dismissing His perfect wisdom for the fleeting counsel of man?
How often do we measure God’s ways by our standards, doubting His goodness when life’s path twists and turns?
The wisdom of God is not a mere theological concept; it is the foundation of our faith, the comfort of our trials, and the guiding light for our lives.

War a Good Warfare (I Timothy 1:18-20)

This is our fourth message in I Timothy and we have seen a charge, its purpose, and why it was necessary in 1:1-7. Paul introduces his letter to Timothy with a command: “charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do” (vs.3-4).  
The charge is a command to not teach things that undermine, mute, or contradict the gospel or engage in needless debates or questions that do not edify.
Its aim is love from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith. The implication is that true doctrine creates and sustains a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith, and in so doing produces love.
Paul is saying that everything he teaches, and every command he gives to be rid of false doctrine is for the sake of faith that produces love.   
It was necessary because some men who wanted to be teachers of the law were misusing it and in so doing undermining the gospel. This leads Paul to an explanation of the law and its proper use in verses 8-11.
Paul then spends 6 verses explaining how he came to have this ministry of ensuring that truth was being taught in the local church; and how God transformed him from a blasphemer into a faithful gospel teacher (1:12-17).  
And then there is a hard stop at the end of verse 17.  A very strong, “enough about me.” A point at which I think a summary is appropriate.
Like Paul, Timothy is to call others to believe and teach “sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God” (vs.10-11). Or another way to word it or look at it:
Timothy is to call the church, the local church to right faith and right teaching, which flows from and agrees with the gospel.
He is to ensure that the faith and teaching in the local church fits with the gospel. He is to protect and promote true doctrine.
This leads us to our current text, which can be summarized this way: War a good warfare for the sake of your faith.

Jesus Saves, Jesus Enables & Jesus Uses Sinners (I Timothy 1:12-17)

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
The apostle Paul is so straightforward and simple here. He is intending to give us something that he wants us to hold onto. He is telling us something here that he wants us to never forget. And this is it — that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners.
That is the main message of this passage, and therefore it is the main message of this sermon. It is also the main message of this church. This is the reason why any of us are here right now. Its because Jesus saves sinners. 

Sound Doctrine: According to the Glorious Gospel (I Timohty 1:8-11)

When Paul refers to “the law,” what does he have in mind? Is it laws in general and how they work, or the commands of Christ specifically, or the Old Testament law in particular? And what does it mean for how we as Christians read and teach about “the law” today?
But before we get to the question about law, there is another we need to tackle first. So let’s approach  I Timothy 1:8–11 by asking (and answering) three questions.
What is “sound doctrine” (v.10)
How do Christians use the Old Testament Properly? (vs.8-10)
Why is the “Glorious Gospel” so Good? (v.11)
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Doctrine in for Love (I Timothy 1:1-7)

The epistle opens with words that demand our attention, setting before us a foundation so steadfast that it has weathered the scrutiny and storms of time, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord" (I Timothy 1:1-2).
In these verses, we find a declaration as firm as the apostle’s calling, and as broad in scope as the eternal purposes of God Himself.
There is a power, a divine authority that flows through Paul’s words here, tracing its origins to the very command of God—a command that is not a mere suggestion but an edict of heaven itself.
Paul calls himself an apostle not by choice, nor by chance, but by the commandment of "God our Saviour." We are called to serve by the commandment of "God our Saviour."
Paul knows that his purpose is not self-willed but divinely mandated, pointing us toward the infinite grace and boundless mercy of God, who has orchestrated history to bring forth His Son as the beacon of hope for a broken humanity.
As we reflect on this greeting, it is not just an ancient salutation; it is an invitation to consider the weight of this commission. Timothy is called “my own son in the faith,” a reminder of the relational fabric of Christian discipleship and community that binds us to Christ and each other.

Something About the Risen Life: Part 3 (Colossians 3:16-25)

We live in a world saturated with distractions. Every day, we are bombarded by messages, advertisements, and noise that pull us away from the most vital, most soul-sustaining, most life-giving truth available—the Word of Christ.
The question for us today is not whether we are being influenced, but by what are we being influenced? What is shaping your mind, your heart, your decisions?
If you are not allowing the Word of God to dwell in you richly, something else is. And the stakes could not be higher.
Paul commands us in Colossians 3:16 to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” This is not just a suggestion or an option for those who have extra time. It is an urgent and vital command for every believer.
If the Word of God is not filling your mind and saturating your soul, you will be starved spiritually, and you will begin to drift. There is no middle ground here.
Either the Word of God is dwelling richly in you, transforming your mind, and guiding your steps (Romans 12:2), or the world is creeping in, filling the void with its own empty promises.
But Paul does not stop with the command to dwell on the Word. He emphasizes the richness of it—“dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” This is not a shallow, surface-level engagement with Scripture. What Paul is talking about is a deep, transformative, life-changing relationship with the Word.

"How Shall They Hear?" - A Call to Missions (Romans 10:11-15)

We are indeed facing an urgent crisis in missions today. As of 2024, there are an estimated 3.4 billion people—roughly 42% of the world’s population—who live in unreached people groups. These are people with little or no access to the gospel of Jesus Christ. They reside in places where there is no viable Christian witness, no church presence, and often no Bible in their language. Most of these unreached groups are concentrated in the "10/40 Window," which stretches from West Africa across Asia, home to over 3.2 billion unreached souls​.[1]
This staggering number highlights the immense need for missions. Without intentional effort, these people will live and die without ever hearing the good news of Christ. It underscores the urgency of sending missionaries, supporting missionaries, and fervently praying for laborers to enter the harvest fields both in the world and here at home.
In Romans 10, the Apostle Paul lays out a clear and compelling message about the necessity of getting the gospel to all people. The urgency of missions is clear, and Paul’s words echo across the ages: “How shall they hear without a preacher?”
Paul, writing with passion and urgency, reminds us that "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (v.13). But before we can see people calling on the name of Jesus, we must ask, "How will they hear?"
 
[1] (Koering, 2024)
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Something About the Risen Life: Part 2 (Colossians 3:10-15)

There is a profound and foundational truth we need to grasp as believers in Jesus Christ: When we were saved, something radical happened. We were not just given the way to heaven, no, we were made new. There’s just something about the risen life.
In our previous message, we learned that we need to:
Seek the things above with all your heart.
Slay the sins that entangle you.
Stop the old patterns of behavior that belong to your former life.
In this message we will see how we have:
Something to Start
Something to Settle
Something to Surrender
 
The Bible says in II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
In Colossians 3:10, the Apostle Paul declares this transformation clearly: “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” Paul is not just giving us theology to ponder here; he is laying out a powerful challenge.
You have put on the new man—now start living like it! Start acting like the new creation God has made you to be.
This is where the battle begins, isn’t it? We know we have been made new in Christ, but too often we still live like the old person. We fall back into sinful habits, we let worldly desires dictate our decisions, and we forget that we have been given a new nature, a nature that longs to serve God in righteousness.
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