The following is a manuscript of the sermon presented by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, June 18, 2023 at our West U Baptist campus. To view the sermon in full, check out the link below.

Happy Father’s Day. I love this day. I love that we get to celebrate dads today!

I am blessed with an incredible dad – Dave.  My dad has taught me so much…

• He’s taught me what hard work looks like. Dad, thanks for teaching me the value of hard work.
• He’s taught me what it is to be a man of faith.
• He’s taught me to love and serve the local church.
• He has taught me what it is to be a leader in the church. Some of my earliest memories were of my father and mother on stage at church where she was playing the piano and my dad was leading the congregational worship.
• He has taught me the value of wisdom — that it is more valuable than precious stones.

Dad, thank you. And I love you! Happy Father’s Day!

//PAUL – THE DAD //

Paul was a father as well. We don’t know if he had any children of his own, but we do know he took Timothy under his wing and related to him as his own son, and he acted as a Father to Timothy.

Paul as a Spiritual Father

– 1 Timothy 1:2 – To Timothy, my true child in the faith.

– 2 Timothy 1:2 – To Timothy, my beloved child.

One of the best things a father can do is offer his children a long-term view of things. As you may know, I just moved Brady, our oldest son, to Atlanta, on Thursday

During our 13 hour drive to Atlanta on Thursday, we had a chance to have some incredible conversations about:

• life,
• our careers,
• his long-term purpose,
• the kingdom of God,
• and a number of other topics.

He had thoughts and questions, and it was an honor to offer him my perspective and to point him forward. It was a longer persepective, and one that he received.

Additionally, it was also tough…tough when he and I pulled out of that driveway for the road trip, leaving his mom behind.

It was tough having him drop me off at the airport and giving him that hug and boarding a plane.

But it’s good. It’s good when our sons and daughters reach maturity and stand on their own two feet. This is what we have been training them to do.

But, like we will see the Apostle Paul do this morning, a dad always has wise counsel and often a different perspective. Notice Paul’s words to Timothy today. Look at 1 Tim. 1:12-16

1 Timothy 1:12-16

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. 

What perspective is Paul sharing with Timothy?

I think it boils down to one sentence: Jesus Christ doesn’t CANCEL people.

Aren’t you glad for that?

We stopped last week at verse 11 in 1 Timothy 1 where Paul speaks of the “glorious gospel.”

Look at verse 11 for a moment.

1 Timothy 1:11

“in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.”

One writer says that Paul is reflecting on this glorious gospel and he can’t help but tell his own story. It’s a story of not being cancelled by Jesus but being called by Jesus.

Let’s keep in mind that as Paul counsels his young son in the faith, Paul will, in the chapters ahead, challenge him to activate his leadership gift as well as the gift of others.

And last week, we saw that Paul had charged Timothy, through a heart of love and sincerity, to correct the false teachers in his midst, by speaking the truth in love. There was a cultural storm in their church. It was raging. And Paul wanted Timothy to get it under control so that he and his church would not lose sight of the gospel.

You see, in culture wars, one group is trying to cancel the other. That was afoot in this church and it’s afoot in our culture today. But, Paul takes us back to his story, with fatherly wisdom, saying, “Timothy, let me show you another way.”

The first thing we see here is this:

Paul’s counsel to Timothy

1. The Gospel is for Those who Try to Cancel the Gospel.

I. The Gospel is for those who try to cancel the gospel.

1 Timothy 1:12-13, 16

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…

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. 

Did you know that Paul’s life shows us that the gospel is for those who try to cancel the gospel?

The Lord Jesus wants us to know that the gospel is for those who try to cancel the gospel.

Notice in verse 16 where he says, “…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.”

Paul is saying…

 “God picked me to be an example of the depths of his love and patience. God picked me to be the place where this perfect patience might be on display.”

You see, we as the people of grace, need to keep in mind that its really easy to do the tit-for-tat game. It’s really easy to hit back.

But Paul is saying, “Jesus didn’t hit back. Instead, He extended mercy to me.”

Now, let’s keep in mind Paul’s story.

Look at Acts 8:1-3 with me.

Acts 8:1-3

“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. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.”

Then, we see this in Acts 9.

Acts 9:1-2

“But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

What is Saul trying to do?

He’s trying to cancel the message of the gospel. He is working to shut it down.

That’s not dissimilar to the cultural phenomenon we are encountering in our day and time.

Eric Metaxas, a popular Christian writer and influencer, had his YouTube channel shut off because of his discussions with others about his concerns over the vaccines.

I was with a man this week who told me that the Fellowship of Christian Athletes was recently labeled a Hate Group by a prominent charitable trust and that they would no longer allow donors to direct their giving to this amazing ministry.

We live in a day and time where the culture is raging more and more against those who follow Jesus. What is right, by the standards of God, is declared to be wrong. And what is wrong, is declared to be right.

But even so, notice what the Lord Jesus does as the Zealot Jew, Saul, was pursuing these persecutions of Christians.

Acts 9:3-6

Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

Look at the power of Jesus to transform lives. Do you believe that Jesus still wants to do this today?

Look at 1 Timothy 1:13 again.

1 Timothy 1:13

though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief…

A blasphemer is — evil-speaking; slanderous; speaking blasphemy;

Persecutor — One who assaults

Insolent — One who VIOLENTLY INSULTS — cursing accompanying the violence

And, though, this is who Paul was, look at what it says.

1 Timothy 1:13b

But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief…

Mercy — To Withhold what one deserves.

Ignorant — to not know; to fail to understand

Unbelief — not believing; refusing to trust

The Scripture records that the Apostle Paul had scales on his eyes.

This was the case when he was blinded by Jesus. But when he was saved, the scales fell off his eyes.

Acts 9:17-18

“So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;”

People without the Lord have scales on their eyes:

• They can’t fathom the things of God.
• They have no ability to discern spiritual things.
• Their nature is lost, carnal, separated from God.
• The Scripture records them as enemies of God.

Like the Group that the Los Angeles Dodgers honored this past Friday night for Pride Month. They are called the SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE.

They are men dressed up as women, as nuns, and they spend their time mocking God.

Hundreds of Catholics protested their blasphemous displays.

One of their presentations features a man hanging on a cross, and another man using the crucifix for his pole dancing.

It’s wretched. It’s in your face blasphemy, and the Dodgers have just given this group an award.

But listen, Paul is saying, “I’m like those people you see blaspheming God.”

Instead of canceling Saul, and having him drop dead in his tracks, Jesus called Saul and gave him a message. He changed his name, gave him a new identity, a new nature, and he gave him a new mission.

That’s what verse 12 is celebrating.

1 Timothy 1:12

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

Jesus doesn’t cancel, he calls.

Why doesn’t Jesus cancel? Let’s look at it.

Paul’s counsel to Timothy

1. The Gospel is for Those who Try to Cancel the Gospel
2. Why Jesus Doesn’t Cancel, Though the World Does

II. Why Jesus Doesn’t Cancel, Though the World Does.

Let’s spend a moment thinking about this.

To understand why Jesus doesn’t cancel, we need to grasp another level of insight offered to us by Pastor Roger Martin.

Pastor Martin points out a few ways that we can see the truths of the gospel woven into the practice of cancel culture.

1. First of all, ironically enough, cancel culture shows us that humans really do believe in “sin.” Jesus came into the world to save sinners—or to treat those who are “sick,” not those who are healthy—but many in our world don’t believe they are sick nor that they are sinful. One of the leading atheist advocates, Dan Barker, said that atheists don’t need to go to the doctor because there isn’t anything wrong.

However, the fact that certain people are cancelled for holding morally objectionable views indicates that humans really do believe in a thing called “sin.”

Cancel culture proves that our world really and truly believes in the reality of transgression, and that certain actions or beliefs put you “outside the camp.”

2. To take it a step further, cancel culture shows how strongly we desire certain sins to be removed from our presence. It reflects a deep human desire to be morally pure, to be cleansed of any connection with sin.

Someone on Twitter said they got an “unclean feeling” simply because they were followed by someone on Twitter who was supportive of JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter Series. She is very liberal. But the irony is that she is one of the first famous people to get cancelled for insisting that sex-differences are still important designators of what it means to be a woman, even though prior to that Rowling was hailed as the symbol of progressivism as she supported same-sex marriage.

This is reminiscent of the Old Testament, when people feel that being connected to or touching someone “unclean” would also render you unclean.

3. Cancel culture also shows how difficult it is to separate sin from sinners. In todays age:

• sinners seem irredeemable,
• even if the sin was a long time ago,
• or even if it only seems minor.
• Even with an apology, the sinner still bears the stain.

Thus, the only way to purify the camp is to remove the entire person, to purge them and their sin from our presence.

4. There is no mechanism in our culture to separate sin from sinners, and thus no forgiveness.

Martin says, “Cancel culture seeks to destroy sin, but in the process, it destroys people and creates relentless and unsustainable purity purges, allowing only ‘those without sin’ to participate in social dialogue.”

In essence, cancel culture is a new, ever-evolving law, that relegates people to a place of condemnation.

So, why is it that Jesus doesn’t cancel?

I think there are two primary reasons.

1. First, the law was enough to condemn you. As the Apostle Paul says in Romans 3:19-20:

Romans 3:19-20

“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

The law makes one knowledgeable of sin. Cancel Culture is a form of a law, though it is contrary to everything that is written in the law of God. It heaps condemnation. It heaps death!

2. The second reason that Jesus doesn’t cancel is because of his great love and mercy for mankind.

Notice what Paul says in two distinct places about the mercy of God.

1 Timothy 1:13

though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief…

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. 

Mercy is withholding what one deserves.

When I saw the demonstration of the crucifix and the pole dancing on it, I was mortified. My first thought…my very first thought, was, “They better watch out. God’s going to strike them dead!”

Can I be honest? That’s what I wanted to see happen.

Now, listen to me a bit more closely, please.  There will be a day when Jesus will judge the living and the dead. There will be a day when those who have put their faith in Him will receive eternal rewards. And there will be a day when those who have blasphemed Him, and rejected Him, and have cursed Him…they will receive the just judgement that they are due. These will have canceled themselves because they did not believe in the name of the savior, Jesus.

But, Church, we live in the AGE of GRACE.

Romans 1 closes with these words.

Romans 1:21-32

“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

And we see this and we want to shout, AMEN. Right, because these have rejected God and his love for them, and so we take the posture, “They are getting what they deserve.”

We take the posture of canceling them!

But notice what Paul says in Romans 2.

Romans 2:1-4

“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

You see, the kindness of God has provided a way.

As Martin says…Of course, the Bible has the answer to this. The Old Testament portrayed it as a scapegoat who would symbolically take the sin and be driven away from the camp. The New Testament shows us a true sacrifice in Jesus himself, who was cancelled and cast out so that we might be un-cancelled by God. He was exiled from the city so that we would be welcomed into God’s city to come.^[1]

[1] Robert Martin, “The Gospel of Cancel Culture,” gospelcoalition.org

We need the Father’s perspective. The Father’s perspective isn’t the one of the older brother who says…

“Dad, I can’t believe you are welcoming that filthy immoral son of yours home. He doesn’t deserve your kindness.”

And yet that is often our posture in the church.

Though they house is on fire, we allow people inside to be burned up.

• Will we give them the good news?
• Will we model the Father’s love who goes out to the front porch every night, just looking down the road wondering if this will be the day when my boy comes home?

Jesus doesn’t cancel because he knows the heart of the Father. He knows the love of the Father. He models the love of the Father.

So, you may now be feeling like you are in a paradox.

You may be saying,

“Okay, Pastor. Help me here. So, we teach right and wrong. And we are to speak the truth in love. We are to hold to what is right. Help me know how to live and what to do!”

Alright. Will do. Notice the third thing that we need to do.

Slide: Paul’s counsel to Timothy

1. The Gospel is for those who Try to Cancel the Gospel
2. Why Jesus Doesn’t Cancel, Though the World Does
3. What God did, we are to hold-fast to and Proclaim

III. What God did, we are to hold-fast to and proclaim. – v. 15

1 Timothy 1:15-16

“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, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

What did God do?

God sent the Son, Jesus, to redeem us.

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”

And notice his humility: “…of whom I am the foremost.”

“…but I received mercy…”

Church, we must be anchored to the good news. And we must be clear that the good news solves our biggest problem…the fact that all of humanity are sinners. And the wages of sin is death. That’s the bad news.

We can’t let people off from the bad news. We have to tell them.

AND…

It’s not just certain sins, either. Re-read Romans 1. It’s all sorts of sinfulness!

But we must be ANCHORED IN GRACE.

And here is that grace…that Paul…previously known as an insolent, violent, persecuting, blaspheming person proclaims…

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.”