Sermon in Ishpeming 19.02.2012

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God our Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and always. Let us join our hearts in mutual thanks and prayer.

Father, we thank Thee, dear Heavenly Father, for Thy great love and grace. We thank Thee that we are able this morning to gather around Thy holy and precious Word without fear and in freedom. We thank Thee, dear Father, for all gifts and blessings Thou hast so richly given unto us. We thank Thee for our homeland, for all our needs. We thank Thee also, dear Father, especially, that Thou hast in Thy great love protected us and kept us as children of Thy kingdom and that through the merits of Thy dear Son we have permission, even this morning, to believe the forgiveness of all our sins in His name, in Jesus' name, in holy and precious blood.

And so we ask, dear Father, that Thou might again open Thy Word unto us according to Thy measure of grace. Bless our service. And we pray that prayer that Thy dear Son has taught us. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

For our text this morning, we'll read a somewhat lengthy portion of God's Holy Word. The first chapter of the first epistle of Paul to Timothy and the first eight verses of the second chapter. And there are three verses in the second chapter that are the appointed epistle text for this Shirov Sunday. We read these words in Jesus' name.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God, our Savior, 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. As I besought thee to abide still at Epiphas, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest 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.

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of good conscience and of faith unfeigned, from which some have swerved, having turned aside unto vain jangling, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm.

But we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.

According to the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the blessed God, which is committed to my trust. And I thank thee, and I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious. But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus.

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. Howbeit for this cause I obtain mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering for the good of the world, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him unto everlasting life.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou might be a man of God; by them that thou mightest war a good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience, which some have put away concerning faith have made shipwreck, of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and to come into the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Whereof I am ordained a preacher and an apostle. I speak the truth in Christ and lie not, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. Amen.

In one of the other writings of Apostle Paul, he was remembering the words of the psalmist when he said, as we believe, so we also speak. And the psalmist also included these few words that I am greatly afflicted.

So what would this mean? It means, dear travel friends, how often we feel the pressures of this world, of the powers of evil, when we endeavor to speak as we believe. And as we believe, we desire to speak.

In another place, the apostle mentions how God has ordained that they which preach the gospel also live of the gospel. And of course, that means that we all are authorized through the power of the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel. We preach this gospel of repentance and the forgiveness of sins to any who would be willing to hear.

But how precious it is that we are able to comfort and assure one another with this same message, the message of the gospel.

Jesus authorized his own and commanded his own to preach this gospel of the forgiveness of sins. And so it is by this gospel that we endeavor to live and from it we draw strength to believe.

It is, as the apostle has written those familiar words, the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.

And so this morning, dear brothers and sisters in faith, we come to hear God's holy and precious word. And if nothing else was said but this, that son and daughter be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you in Jesus' name and holy and precious blood, that would be sufficient.

But we also trust and believe that God, in his love, in his mercy, and through the grace that he offers here in the midst of his kingdom, is to help us on our journey of faith, to teach us, to guide us, to comfort, and give increase unto that hope that we hold in our hearts through the message of the gospel. Amen.

The thought to read this entire first chapter seems to lay a foundation for those few words that are appointed in the second chapter for this Sunday. And we heard here a very precious testimony of one who experienced the grace of God and how he wished to emphasize to especially reveal how greatly God loves the sinner.

But in the beginning of this text we heard a very precious testimony of one who was a co-worker to whom he was writing, Timothy. And we notice how he first identified himself to be an apostle. And he says, by the commandment of God, our Savior.

This was a special holy calling that the apostle experienced. We could briefly remember how he was a very self-righteous Pharisee. He was a very learned man of the scriptures. And he was a very aggressive worker on behalf of the Pharisees.

The enemy of the Pharisees were those who believed on the Lord Jesus. The Pharisees were offended by the teaching of the Lord Jesus. They could not bear to hear that they were sinners. And they were not willing to accept such a simple mysterious way by which a sinner could be reconciled unto God.

And so the apostle was one of them. He identified himself to be a Pharisee of the Pharisees. And he had authority from the Pharisees to go and take captive those believers of that time. He had permission to arrest them and have them put into prison.

He was one, as it is written in the book of Acts, who approved the stoning of the first martyr of the New Testament, the apostle and worker of God's kingdom, Stephen.

And so, he here reminds us that it was by the commandment of God and through the grace and forgiveness of the Lord Jesus that he became an apostle. And that spirit, the Holy Spirit that came upon him was that spirit of love, of grace, and forgiveness.

And it was a spirit that kindled that desire in his heart to make known a sinner. And so, he made known this message of the grace gospel of the Lord Jesus.

And so, in writing to his co-worker, his young co-worker, he wished to encourage him in the work. And we see how he identified him to be even as his own son in faith. And he greeted him with such a precious message, grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ our Lord.

And then he went on to give him very precious advice in his, that is in Timothy's work as a co-worker in the kingdom of God. He warned Timothy as he had, as the apostle had experienced the continuing work of evil, of the enemy of souls to destroy that work that had been begun in the hearts of those who believed.

And it was because it was offensive. They could not bear to hear the truth.

An apostle here then mentions how it was important to be on guard. He says, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which are not true, which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith.

There is always a tendency of the human mind to search and look for understanding in order to accept what is said. But the matters of living faith, of soul salvation can only be accepted and received in faith. And all else is, as the apostle says here, which is not edifying.

It does not help to understand, for example, how did God create all things? Or how did all things come to being? Or how could this have been or that have been? Or how can it be? It is simply that by faith we wish to accept those things that belong to faith.

We heard in here in this text how the apostle mentions to hold faith in a good conscience. In another place he says the mystery of faith. It is a mystery. But a portion of that mystery has been revealed, dear brothers and sisters, unto you and I. And that is the mystery of the power of the gospel.

It is a mystery. But yet it is acceptable by and through living faith. This simple message of believing. Believing that the Lord Jesus came into this world as a perfect sacrifice.

That through his redemption work, through his suffering and death, his death of the cross, and his glorious resurrection from the power of the grave, brings hope unto the sinner through faith.

So the apostle here warned about those who would be teachers of the law, and we by faith understand that the law was given for two purposes, two reasons.

One is the law was given to teach mankind how to live in this temporal life. The spiritual teaching of the law is that the law is the law. As the apostle very simply explains, it is to bring the knowledge of sin.

When the law has finished or accomplished its work to reveal unto a sinner that he is a sinner and that when sins are unforgiven the law judges unto death. The law judges without mercy. If you sin, you must die.

But how precious it is, dear brothers and sisters, the gospel judges in a different way. It judges with grace and forgiveness.

Luther describes the difference between the law and the gospel in various ways. One way, he says, is that the difference between the law and the gospel is like the difference between light and darkness.

But I often think of another example he gives when he says that the law demands from us what we must do or what we must not do. But the gospel gives. God, love and grace is offered through the gospel.

And it says unto the sinner, you need not die in your sins, but grace and forgiveness is offered and it is offered abundantly.

And the apostle also says in this way that where sin is, where sin abounds, grace does much more abound.

So even the greatest sinner and unto the greatest sinner there is this hope that the power of the gospel overcomes the powers of sin and death and hell.

And so the apostle uses himself here as an example of how he was one who had formerly been, as he says, a blasphemer, a persecutor, an injurious.

And then describes in this way, he said, Howbeit for this cause I obtain mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ, might show forth all longsuffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Is that not our goal this morning also, brothers and sisters in faith? We endeavor to believe because we have been given into our hearts that living hope unto life everlasting.

We know we can easily understand that we do not live this life forever. We know that we must one day pass from this life to eternity.

How good it is to know, dear brothers and sisters, that when our sins are forgiven through that gospel of God, we are able to enter into the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

In Jesus' name and precious blood, we do not have to fear that moment of departure, but we can look forward with a longing heart unto that moment when we leave and when faith changes to sight.

So we endeavor to believe that we are not alone.

For that reason, that we might one day reach that eternal home in the glory of heaven, of which is said, there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more sorrow. Amen.

Come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time.

As we heard last Sunday, we are going to be testifying.

We are now in a few days beginning this Lenten season, when again our minds are turned to that which took place about 2,000 years ago, when God's promise was fulfilled.

That promise he gave unto the first human pair, who were deceived, who had fallen into sin. But God promised the Savior.

And as a result of that fall, according to God's word, all have become sinners. And there is none that does good, no, not one. There are none righteous. There is only one righteous, and that was God's own beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

And as we heard here, He gave Himself a ransom for all. His redemption work was so perfect and so complete that it brings the hope of life unto all mankind.

So it is by the grace of God, as the apostle has said, that even you and I today, brother and sister, are able to claim and own that name of a child of God and through faith believe that our names are written in the book of life in heaven.

So this morning again, dear travel friends, there is permission to believe from grace that precious message from the heart of Him who has loved you and who has given His life so that you have the hope of life.

You may believe freely from grace the forgiveness of all journey faults, all doubts and fears, all are forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

Especially you young brothers and sisters, Sunday school children, you too together with us carry the same living hope in our hearts.

You too may believe freely from grace all sins, all journey faults, disobediences, all forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

And be of good cheer and remember that our Lord Jesus promises that He will never forsake one.

He is always available here in His kingdom where that message is proclaimed to one who is sorrowful, who feels weighed down by the burdens of sin or by the weariness or by the temptations that this world and the enemy of souls seems to continually and even more forcefully in these last days bring before us.

But He that has begun this good work in you is able to complete it unto that day when faith will change to sight.

Be of good cheer. Sins are forgiven in Jesus' name and holy and precious blood. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

And can I also believe together with you, the Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make His face shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up His countenance upon us and give us peace.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.