october 9 2022
October 9th 2022
Old Testament: Ruth 1:1-19 “Your God shall be my God”
Psalm: Psalm 111 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of …”
Epistle: 2nd Timothy 2:1-13 “Remember Jesus Christ”
Gospel: Luke 17:11-19 “Where are the nine”?
Sermon Text: 2nd Timothy 2:1-13
Sermon Title: “Remember Jesus Christ”
Grace to you and peace, from God the Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus”. (2nd Timothy 2:1) “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus”. (2nd Timothy 2:3) “Remember Jesus Christ”. (2nd Timothy 2:8a) “He remains faithful”. (2nd Timothy 2:13a) “The Word of God is not bound”. (2nd Timothy 2:9b) These are our sermon texts.
Was the Apostle Paul a successful preacher? He certainly is considered to be by most people in the church. Paul traveled extensively, preaching the Gospel and planting congregations in countless places during his missionary trips; he wrote 13 letters that are included in Holy Scripture that have been read in the church for nearly 2000 years. Therefore, it is assumed that he was a great success.
Yet Paul said to Timothy earlier in this letter, “do not be ashamed about the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner”. (2nd Timothy 1:8) Paul was a prisoner of the Roman government. He was literally “bound with chains as a criminal” (2nd Timothy 2:9b) for preaching the Gospel. And, he was virtually all alone. He said “all who are in Asia have turned away from me” (2nd Timothy 1:15a) and “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me … Crescens has gone, Luke alone is with me … Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm … at my first defense, no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me”. (2nd Timothy 4:10a, 14a, 16a)
If Paul was a great communicator, a great missionary, able to persuade anyone to become a believer and follow Christ, why did all these people desert him? If Paul was a “successful” preacher; founder of Christian congregations around the known world, why was he nearly all alone in prison? But they did desert him, for the same reason people deserted Jesus; they didn’t want to hear the Gospel.
We know from Scripture that Paul was called directly into the ministry by God on the road to Damascus, and we know that he was faithful in proclaiming the Gospel, against severe opposition. Paul spoke of his call to the ministry in this way, “I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher”. (2nd Timothy 1:11) So, I ask the question again; was Paul a “successful” preacher?
Yes, but only in the way God defines success, not the way we usually do. We tend to define success as having increasing numbers and revenue; “the bottom line”; but God defines success, not in the number of people who believed in Jesus or in the amount of revenue raised; but rather in the faithful proclamation of the Word and the right administration of the sacraments. In this Paul could say without any hesitation, even though he was in prison awaiting his execution, “I serve God … with a clear conscience”. (2nd Timothy 1:3a)
Paul begins our text this morning by exhorting Timothy to “be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus”. (2nd Timothy 2:1) This verb is passive, meaning that strength for the battle that is the Christian life, comes not from some goodness inside us, not from our own efforts and works, but rather through God’s grace alone; which is received in the faithful hearing of His Word and partaking of the Sacrament by the powerful working of the Holy Spirit. Timothy needed this strengthening of God’s grace, as do we all.
“What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also”. (2nd Timothy 2:2) What Paul has proclaimed throughout his entire ministry, is the Word of God, the Gospel, and that is not to stop once he is executed. Paul has affirmed Timothy in his calling as a pastor and so, he has authority to do what Paul now declares.
He is to pass on these teachings, the entire doctrine of the Christian faith; the law and the Gospel; to others who will preach and teach it faithfully. This is the same Word which we preach today and this shows that the Word of God is always relevant to our lives, no matter what anyone in the sinful culture or even the church says to contradict it. So, “share in suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”. (2nd Timothy 2:3) Paul has made it clear in numerous places, as did Jesus; this “suffering” is the normal life for the Christian and we are to be faithful to the truth of God’s Word, no matter the cost.
Paul now gives three analogies, comparing the life of a pastor to a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer saying; “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops”. (2nd Timothy 2:4-6) Our aim therefore, is to please the one who called us; (that is the Lord, not man) and to work hard and according to His rules or Word.
“So, we (preach) speak, not to please man, but to please God, who tests our hearts”. (1st Thessalonians 2:4) That means we are accountable to Him and not to please man’s “itching ears”. Paul tells Timothy to “present yourself to God as one approved; a worker … rightly handling the Word of truth”. (2nd Timothy 2:15)
So, “think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything”. (2nd Timothy 2:7) This phrase actually reads like a confident prayer, asking God to give Timothy understanding in all matters of doctrine and teaching as he “thinks over”, ponders, meditates upon the sacred words of Holy Scripture.
“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my Gospel”. (2nd Timothy 2:8) Remember His atoning work on the cross, where He died for the forgiveness of sins of all people. That is why we “proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. (1st Corinthians 2:2b)
But we also clearly preach “the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting”; for Jesus has conquered death by His own bodily resurrection on Easter morning. As Paul said elsewhere, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins”. (1st Corinthians 15:17)
This Gospel that Paul preached for the salvation of his hearers, is the reason he is being persecuted; “suffering, bound with chains as a criminal”. (2nd Timothy 2:9a) Paul is in a dungeon, literally chained to a wall, unable to move about freely; being treated as a common criminal, even though his only “offense” was proclaiming the Gospel of the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul’s body may be “bound with chains … but the Word of God is not bound”. (2nd Timothy 2:9b) “The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”. (Hebrews 4:12) “The Word of the Lord remains forever”. (Isaiah 40:9) “It shall accomplish that which I purpose and succeed in the thing for which I sent it”, (Isaiah 55:11b) says the Lord.
Knowing these promises about the Word he proclaims, Paul said; “I endure everything for the sake of the elect (those who will believe in Christ through his preaching), that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2nd Timothy 2:10) when Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead.
Paul continues by quoting what many think is an early Christian hymn, “The saying is trustworthy; If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him”. (2nd Timothy 2:11) We have died with Christ in our baptism where; “our old self was crucified with Him” (Romans 6:6a). So, we are also to remember our baptism, by “daily contrition and repentance”. (Explanation, 4th part of Baptism, Small Catechism)
“If we endure, we will also reign with Him”. (2nd Timothy 2:12a) If we are willing to endure suffering for the sake of Christ, we will “be glorified with Him. For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:17b-18) on the last day. Christ promises, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life”. (Revelation 2:10b)
On the other hand; “If we deny Him, He will also deny us”. (2nd Timothy 2:12b) Christ Jesus our Lord declared “whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven”. (Matthew 10:33) “And then I will declare to them, depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness”. (Matthew 7:23)
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself”. (2nd Timothy 2:13) Our faithlessness, does not in any way nullify the faithfulness of God. (See Romans 3:3-4a) In fact, we are totally dependent upon our Lord and Savior Jesus, and His faithfulness, in order to stand up in the midst of trials and persecutions. In His faithfulness, God continues to invite sinners to repent/return to Him. This truth of God’s faithfulness; which simply means that He keeps all of His Word and promises; is repeated over and over again in Holy Scripture.
Hear the Word of the Lord; “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son”. (1st Corinthians 1:9) “He who called you is faithful”. (1st Thessalonians 5:24) “God is faithful and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability … but will provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it”. (1st Corinthians 10:13) “The Lord is faithful; He will establish and guard you against the evil one”. (2nd Thessalonians 3:3)
Jesus is a “merciful and faithful high priest … atoning for the sins of (all) the people”. (Hebrews 2:17) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. (1st John 1:9) Jesus, the sinless Son of God was faithful in doing all that was needed for our salvation; and He is still with His people in all circumstances. Therefore, “be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2nd Timothy 2:1) who is faithful to fulfill His Word and promises; unto life everlasting. Amen.
The peace of God …