Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Now Here's Something to Shout About! (A sermon based on Revelation 14:6-7)

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What do you do when you're excited about good news? Do you sometimes shout out loud? This week as we celebrate God's eternal Gospel preserved for his Church through the Lutheran Reformation, we rejoice in that Gospel! We rejoice that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, by Jesus alone. We rejoice that this Gospel is for everyone who lives on the earth. That means it's for us! We rejoice that this eternal Gospel can never be stopped! Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Revelation 14:6-7 and be encouraged to shout out loud that eternal Gospel for all to hear!


Now Here's Something to Shout About!

A sermon based on Revelation 14:6-7

Sunday, October 27, 2013 - Reformation Sunday

Well... the economy is still down and the unemployment rate is still up. Friends are still sick. Marriages are still dangling by a thread. Sin still ruins lives and satan is alive and kicking. So... could you use some good news? The residents of Columbus, Ohio sure could. And boy, did they get it! A while back a woman named Linda Brown stepped out of her Hummer limousine, walked into a store and announced that she had won the lottery and would pay for everyone's purchases, up to $500 each. What good news! People called their friends and family and soon 500 people were standing in line at the register and another 1,000 were waiting to come into the store.

But after an hour or so, the store owner realized that Ms. Brown hadn't paid a single bill yet. When they went looking for her, they found she left to go to the bank to get her cash. But they soon discovered that Linda Brown didn't have the money—to pay for the store purchases or even for the limo she'd rented. It was all a joke. The good news didn't last very long. And the people who'd been lied to went berserk. They still wanted their free stuff. Some fled with stolen merchandise. Others started trashing the store in an outrage. Everyone was disappointed... even Linda Brown, who ended up in jail for her little prank.

The truth is that not all good news lasts. A woman announces she'll pay for your purchase, but turns out to be a liar. The good news was short lived. A certain man won the lottery, but within a few years he filed for bankruptcy because he could no longer afford the nice things he bought. The good news was short lived. A friend of a woman I know heard the good news that her teenage son's terminal cancer had gone into full remission. But a year later he was hit by a car and killed on impact. The good news was short lived.But this morning—this Reformation Sunday—we hear about some good news that lasts... forever! It's eternal good news! And that kind of news... well, it's worth shouting about! The apostle John talked about that good news when he wrote in Revelation 14:6-7…


Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

On February 22, 1546 thousands of people walked the streets of Wittenberg to the Castle Church—the same church that Martin Luther had nailed his famous 95 Thesis on 28 years earlier. Now, this same Martin Luther was being buried. People packed into the church to listen to the sermon based on these verses—Revelation 14:6-7.

You see, the people of his day, recognized Martin Luther in this prophecy. He was an angel (and remember, the word angel literally means "messenger") who proclaimed the good news of Jesus in an age where that message had almost been lost. The papacy was teaching that sins could be forgiven... for the right price. And there was a dollar sign on that price! "Buy an indulgence and be forgiven! Buy your way into heaven!" was the message that was heard. But Luther would not be quieted. He would shout "in a loud voice, 'Fear God,'" not the pope! "And give him glory." He is the one we must answer to and he has good news! And Luther would shout that message out with total disregard as to how this might put an end to his career, to his reputation, or even to his life. And his message has clearly had an enormous impact on every nation, tribe, language and people.

 But, as I consider Luther's bold stance on the Word of God, I've often wondered, would I have that same courage? But I don't really need to ask, "Would I?" I can ask "Do I?" And the answer is a clear and certain, "No." And I'm pretty sure the same could be said of you. You see, all too often we don't shout out the gospel message "in a loud voice." We don't fear God as much as we fear people. What will they think of us? How will they react?

When you have a friend who's living with their boyfriend or girlfriend, or deliberately violating God's will in some other way, have you ever kept quiet, because, well... you don't want to ruin the relationship? When people talk religion, is it ever you who changes the subject? When you know what's right, but fear rejection, do you keep quiet?

 Well, for those times that we've clammed up, or nervously whispered the good news that God reveals in his Word, instead of shouting it out with a loud voice, we deserve to have God be ashamed of us. For the times that we've feared what other people would think instead of fearing God, "who can destroy both body and soul in hell" (as Jesus warned in Matthew 10:28), we deserve to that very punishment—to have both body and soul eternally destroyed in hell.

But thank God that we don't get it, because of that very Gospel that Luther preachedthat we are saved, not by our works, but by God's grace in Jesus alone, received not by effort on our part, but by faith alone—a faith that God gives! And because Jesus was never ashamed of the gospel but always shouted it in a loud voice, even when it meant his death... and because Jesus gave that perfect courage and his perfect life to us... and because he took our cowardice and fear and timidity on himself on the cross and endured the hell we deserve on the cross, you and I will not die forever in hell, but will live forever in heaven with eternal life!

 And that's all in thanks to the eternal gospel! The gospel that God wouldn't let be buried under the papacy's lies. A gospel that God would restore through Martin Luther. A gospel that is for all "who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people," and so, we know is for us.

But the gospel isn't just eternal because it gives eternal life. It's also eternal in that it can never be stopped.

A woman was walking past a pet shop when she was drawn in by the cute puppies in the display window with a sign that boldly claimed, "Love Guaranteed Forever!" But how could they make such a claim? Would the dog never die?

The truth is that outside of the gospel, no place can guarantee love forever. Because  of sin, there is death. And because of death, even the most faithful of spouses will eventually have to say a farewell. No good news that originates on earth can ever last forever. Eventually, even the Energizer Bunny will have to quit going. But not the good news of Jesus. His gospel can never be stopped. It's invincible! And that, dear friends, is something worth shouting about!

The gospel couldn't be stopped in Luther's day and it cannot be stopped in ours! By God's grace, he sent some angelsome messengerto share the eternal gospel with you. And now, he intends to use you to share the eternal gospel with others! You can be that angel that flies in midair proclaiming the eternal gospel in a loud voice.

Don't be ashamed of what God's Word has to say. Because it is, as Paul said in Romans 1:16, "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." Don't be embarrassed of the teachings God gives us in love! Isn't it awesome that our God created the world in just six days by the power of his Word instead of over millions of years by trial and error? Isn't it awesome that you can receive the Lord's supper with those who believe the exact same thing as you? Isn't it awesome that God works faith in the hearts of adults and infants alike by means as simple as water and the Word?

Then boldly proclaim these truths as Luther did! And shout out, "I cannot and will not take back or hold back anything that is in God's Word! To do so would be neither wise nor right. Here I stand. I can do no other! Do to me what you will! God help me!" Shout out the eternal gospel—the good news of God's love for us in Jesus that is guaranteed forever. Shout it out to all who will listen. For "the hour of his judgment has come." And we have real good newsof Jesus' love and forgiveness given "to every nation, tribe, language and people" of all time—the eternal gospel. And that, dear friends, is something to shout about! In Jesus' name, amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Use the Word and Be Useful! (A sermon based on 2 Timothy 3:14—4:5)

Ever feel useless? Not a good feeling, is it? It's always better to feel useful. Sadly, in our sin, we're often worse than useless in the Kingdom. We're sometimes harmful to it! But thank God we have the inspired Word that makes us certain of Christ's work for us. Through his perfect life and innocent death, we are forgiven. And when we use the Word of God that is so useful in every area of our lives, we too become useful, serving others with that same Word. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 and be encouraged to use the Word and be useful!


Use the Word and Be Useful!

A sermon based on 2 Timothy 3:14—4:5

Sunday, October 20, 2013 – Pentecost 21C

 

The anesthesia was starting to do it's thing. Bob could feel the effects of the drugs within minutes. Everyone in the room sounded funny. The words they spoke were echoing in his head. And his eyes were getting heavier and heavier. Bob was glad that he would be completely unconscious for his root canal. But right before he closed his eyes, Bob saw something horrifying… The doctor wasn't holding a pick. He wasn't holding a mirror. He wasn't even holding a scalpel or a drill. He was holding a hammer and a screwdriver. That's when Bob passed out.

Okay, for those of you who have a phobia of visiting the dentist, let me assure you that this horror story is totally fictitious. I'm confident that your dentist would never do that! But can you imagine if you were in Bob's place? Sitting in the chair about to go under when your dentist approaches with the wrong tools? With the wrong tools, he won't be able to do the job properly. With the wrong tools he's worse than useless! He could do serious harm, irreparable damage!

And what is true of dentists is also true of pastors, of teachers, of Christians. If they use the wrong tools and share teaching that aren't from God's Word, they're worse than useless, they can do serious harm, irreparable damage that could last an eternity. But with the right tools, or rather tool—the Word of God—they're useful, helpful, and can do a world of good.

This morning as we again consider a portion of Paul's prison encouragement to young Timothy, we are reminded that we have the right tool. We have the inspired and inerrant Word of God that is useful for so many things! And when we use the Word we become useful. Paul encourages Timothy and us to use the word and be useful in 2 Timothy 3:14—4:5…

 

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 4:1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.



I.             Sometimes Useless

 

Someone once said that the worst form of child abuse is to neglect their spiritual care. And if that's true, and I believe it is, then what a deadbeat dad Timothy had. In Acts 16(:1) we're told, "[Paul] came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek." Two weeks ago we heard how Timothy became a believer—through his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. From the time he was an infant, those godly women used the right tool—the holy Scriptures—to nurture Timothy's faith in God's gracious promises. But by contrast, Timothy's dad was a spiritual deadbeat who practiced vicious spiritual neglect. What a useless dad.

So, let's ask the important question: Which are you? Are you your home's Eunice? Are you sharing the Word of God with your family? Or are you like Timothy's deadbeat dad? Are you like the dad who said in an interview for Issues in Lutheran Education, "I see myself as being in charge of logistics—getting my kids to school or Sunday school. I believe in letting the experts teach and the parents be facilitators."  That dad saw the spiritual care of his children as a job to be hired out for someone else to do. As long as he got them to the "experts" he felt he was doing just fine.

The sad reality is that many, if not most, Christian parents are no longer the primary faith-nurturers of their own children. And why not? What kept that dad from being the expert? The answer is obvious, isn't it? He wasn't spending enough time in the Word himself. He was spiritually starved and so was spiritually starving his children.

The seven year-old came home from school and announced to his parents: "I'm not going to school anymore." When they asked why not he replied, "I don't need to. I know how to read. I know how to add. I know everything I need to know to get by in life." What useless parents they would be, if they let their son drop out of the second grade.

But, sadly many Christians say, "I'm not going to Bible Class anymore. I don't need to. I was confirmed. I did my memory work. I completed the Bible Information Class. I know all I need to know to get by in life and for eternity." What useless Christians we become when we stop growing in our faith.

And aren't we all guilty of doing this? When you heard Paul say, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths," be honest. Did you think about all of those churches and those preachers who have no problem changing their doctrine to please their audience? But did you think of yourself? Do you sometimes prefer spiritual junk food to the truth of God's Word?

Sometimes it's preferring to hear that I'm a pretty good Christian instead of a corrupt and vile sinner. After all, here I am in church on Sunday when I could be sleeping in and did you see all the work I've put in volunteering around here? Sometimes it's not false doctrine our itching ears want to hear, but simply entertainment. I'd rather watch another movie full of myths to numb my mind than read the Word full of truth that will feed my soul.

And when we don't continue in the holy Scriptures that we've learned and become convinced of, then neither do we, "Preach the Word… in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction." Underfed, malnourished, we can't nourish others. And when we don't use the right tool, then instead of being useful to the Kingdom, we become useless, even harmful.

If heaven had a health and human services department there would surely be an angelic social worker checking in on you and me, threatening to haul off those under our spiritual care to the foster home of Lois and Eunice. And we surely deserve the divine manager to take away our resources—to take away the Word—and to give it all to someone like Timothy who will use it well and be useful. Let's face it. Too often we are useless in the Kingdom. And you know what happens to things in your home when you determine that they've become useless. They get thrown away.

So are we all destined to be thrown away into hell for how useless we've been by our spiritual neglect of ourselves and others? No. That's not our fate. Not when we, "continue in what [we] have learned and have become convinced of… the holy Scriptures, which are able to make [us] wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."



II.            Use the Word

 

If I told you that I had a product that was guaranteed to make you perfectly healthy forever, would make you wealthy beyond your wildest dreams, and would make you happier than you could possibly imagine… if I told you that this product has worked 100% of the time for all who have applied it properly and regularly… if I told you that you could get this product free of charge not for a limited time, but whenever and as often as you want, that it was readily available whenever you go… would you use the product?

I do have such a product: The holy Scriptures. These sixty-six books offer more than just wisdom to get ahead in life. They're more than just flat-lifeless words on a page. Because they're not produced by just some human authors, but are the product of the Holy Spirit.

A friend of mine was telling me how he went on his very first hot air balloon ride this past summer. He said it was pretty amazing how the balloon could lift the weight of the entire party off the ground and into the air, to soar high into the sky offering breathtaking views. But can you imagine how much fun the ride would be if the balloon weren't filled with air? Not much, right? The balloon would be useless.

Likewise, if the Scriptures were just the words of men, writing their thoughts about God, it wouldn't be enough to lift us from this life into heaven. It would be useless. But they're not lifeless words. They are the God-breathed, with the Spirit of God filling up the balloon. And because the holy Scriptures are not produced by just some human authors, but are the product of the Holy Spirit, they are useful. They can lift you up to heaven. They "are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

That is, they share with you the truth of Jesus' perfect, sinless life lived in your place, of his innocent suffering and death also done in your place, and of his resurrection that guarantees that you too will rise to live with him forever in heaven where you will be perfectly healthy forever, wealthy beyond your wildest dreams, and happier than you could possibly imagine. And because it's the product of the Holy Spirit, of God who cannot lie, you know that it will work 100% of the time for all who apply it properly and regularly.

So use the Word! Read it. Learn it. Inwardly digest it. Study it. Memorize it. Put the useful Word to use in your life! Let it teach you when you need instruction. Let it rebuke you when you're selfish. Let it correct you when you're thinking is off. Let it train you in righteousness and in righteous living.

Don't wait until January to make resolutions. Resolve to read through the book of Romans by the end of the month. Or resolve to listen to an audio version of the Gospels by the end of the year. Resolve to memorize a verse a week or to attend Bible Study again. Dig into the Word! and if you have questions, email them me. Or better still, post them to Facebook where others can join the discussion and we'll create an online Bible Study! I don't care how you do it, but use the useful Word regularly and faithfully and put it to work in your life.

And when you do use the Word, you know what the results will be. You will be, "thoroughly equipped for every good work."  You'll be useful.



III.           Be Useful

 

Have you ever needed a screwdriver, but all you could find was a hammer? have you ever needed packaging tape, but all you had was masking tape? Have you ever needed baking powder, but all you had was baking soda? Sometimes, you can substitute the wrong tool for one that will make do. But other times, you need the right tool or the job can't get done.

Thankfully you and I are equipped with the right tool. It won't work to raise our kids using just the theories of Dr. Spock. But we have the Word of God. It won't work to change our spouse by nagging or ignoring. But we have the Word of God. It won't work to change our own behavior by will power and self-discipline. But we have the Word of God.

You are equipped with the right tool to change things for the better for eternity! You have the Word of God and you know that it works! "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." So use the Word and be useful!

Teach your children the Word of God and give them the most useful tool for life—both this life and the life to come. Loving rebuke your spouse with the Word of God and correct the thinking and the behavior, by pointing back to the cross. See the empty cross and the empty tomb in the Word and be trained to live a godly and righteous life in thanks for the righteousness given to you. And you, man or woman of God, will be thoroughly equipped for every good work. You will be thoroughly equipped to help others. You will be, "prepared in season and out of season; [to share the Word, to] correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction." You will no longer be useless is the Kingdom, but as you use the Word of God which is useful in every situation, you too will be useful in service to God.

So, "keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist," sharing the holy, God-breathed Scriptures with those you know, "discharge all the duties of your ministry." Use the Word. Be useful. In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.



In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Keep On Keeping On (A sermon based on 2 Timothy 2:8-13)

How do you keep going when you struggle, when you suffer, when you're in physical or emotional pain? It's not easy, is it? But the Apostle Paul knew what gave him strength when he was chained up in prison, expecting to die. And he shared that strength with Timothy. It was remembering Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. It was remembering the results of Jesus' work and his own. He would be victorious in the end and for eternity. Now he could suffering anything to help share that message with others, knowing some would be saved through his ministry. Going through some tough times? Feel like you're chained up? Then read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on 2 Timothy 2:3-14 and be encouraged to keep on keeping on...

Keep On Keeping On
A sermon based on 2 Timothy 2:8-13
Sunday, October 13, 20123 – Pentecost 21C 

"Keep on keeping on." That's what my bishop, or supervising pastor, always told me when I was a vicar, a pastor in training. "Keep on keeping on." That was his way of saying, keep at it. Keep doing what you're doing. Keep preaching Law and Gospel. Keep serving God's people. Keep serving your family. Keep looking for opportunities to share God's love with strangers. Sometimes you won't be thanked for it. So what? Sometimes you'll even be hated for it. So what? Someday you might be hurt or even killed for it? But so what? We don't endure because it's fun. We don't endure because it always get the results we want. We endure out of thanks to Jesus who endured the cross for us. So keep on keeping on.

That's good advice. And it's similar to what Paul told Timothy. "Endure to the very end! Endure even as you see me endure to the point of death." And Paul had a lot to endure. He was now sitting in prison, not house arrest, but in a cold, dark, wet cell. This is where most believe he was put: [Click here for a panoramic view of the Tullianum where Christian tradition says Paul was held.] 

Of course, there was no altar when Paul (and later Peter) were held in this small cell in Rome (if they were indeed held here). There were no bright lights when Paul sat in the darkness. See the hole in the ceiling? That was the only way in or out and the only source of light. It must have been cold in this underground cell. (The door here led to an underground sewer. So it was cold, damp, and probably didn't smell to great.) That's probably why Paul asked Timothy to bring him his coat (4:13).

Here's an illustration of the prison he was in. [Click here to see the bulletin and turn to the last page.] See the hole in the floor? This shows you how much room there would have been. And to make it all worse, most of Paul's friends and co-workers had all deserted him. He was chained, cold, all alone, and expecting to die.

But Paul didn't give up. He didn't give up hope. But he endured. He kept on keeping on. And when his friend, Onesiphorus finally found him in that dark, lonely cell, Paul wrote what may well have been his last letter ever written in order to encourage Timothy to keep on keeping on.

So what did he say? "Shoot for the moon, Tim, even if you miss, you'll still be among the stars!"? No. "Trust in yourself. You know more than you think you do."? No. "'Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."? Ungh-uh. Did he say, "Don't see things, Tim, and ask, 'Why?' Dream things and ask, 'Why not?'" Definitely not.

What would you say? If you knew that whatever you put in a letter today were likely to be your very last words to your loved ones? What parting thoughts would you leave them with?

Paul's were simple: Keep on keeping on. Endure in your faith in spite of the suffering it will bring. Endure in your faith to the very end. Endure by remembering. Endure by remembering the resurrection. Endure by remembering the results. Listen to Paul's encouragement to Timothy and to us preserved for us in 2 Timothy 2:8-13… 

8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.


I.             By Remembering the Resurrection 

"Oh no! Now I'm really in trouble," thought the young man on the way to his wedding. There was no way his fiancé would forgive him for this. There on passenger seat of his car was the form and the deposit that he was supposed to drop off at the reception hall last week. But he forgot. Oops.

But he had a plan! One quick phone call later and the reception hall was no longer full that day. It was suddenly available. You see, he called to tell them that a bomb was about to go off in the hall. Everyone evacuated. And when the wedding party arrived, it was empty. Now, instead of facing the wrath of his new bride, he's facing a judge and a jury. [Read about it here in the Toronto Sun.]

Do you ever forget things? Does your forgetfulness get you into trouble? Maybe you didn't call in a bomb threat to cover up your forgetfulness, but did you ever miss a meeting, ever double-book, ever forget the name of the person you're talking to?

The truth is, we are all forgetful at times. And it does get us into trouble. And nowhere is this more true, than when we're talking about our faith. Do you sometimes think you're all alone and no one understand the pain you're going through? Then you forget that God became man to endure pain far worse than you ever will, that he knows what you're going through, that he is with you.

While Paul was sitting in a cold, dark, prison cell, chained up and all alone, it may have been easy to forget that God was with him, that God was still in control, that God was working all things, even this prison sentence for the good of his people. And when he had a get out jail free card readily at his disposal—all he had to do was deny Christ and go free!—he may have been tempted to give up and give in. But he didn't. He kept on keeping on.

And while we may never be chained up in some underground pit, don't we sometimes get forgetful when we face suffering and pain. Do you sometimes forget God's promises and think you're all alone? Do you ever forget his commands in pursuit of your own selfish goals? Do you ever think that your sin won't be found out? Then you forget that God is everywhere, that he knows all, that he sees all. And for so often forgetting God's commands and God's promises we deserve to have God forget about us.

So what's the cure? How can we be less forgetful? Get an app on your phone? Take your daily ginkgo biloba? Tie a string around your finger? How did Paul endure, when he went through such suffering? He tells us: "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David." Literally, the Greek says, "Keep on remembering." The cure for our forgetfulness is to remember the resurrection.

First, remember that it's a historical fact. The New Testament is not a legend. It describes historical figures and events that are corroborated by at least thirty non-Christian writers. The New Testament is not a lie. The authors tell brutally honest and embarrassing details about themselves and they were willing to die to maintain that what the said was true. No one knowingly dies for a lie. Make no mistake: the New Testament is a true and accurate account of historical events.

The resurrection account was not the result of a hallucination. Hallucinations aren't group events. No one says, "Remember the dream we had last night?" The resurrection account was not the result of a mistake. Jesus wasn't just passed out. The Roman soldiers were good at making sure the crucified were dead. They had lots of practice. It wasn't a case of mistaken identity. His followers clearly identified the body and grieved their loss. It wasn't a case of deception or misguided zeal. The disciples were surprised by the resurrection. They had to be convinced in spite of themselves. Make no mistake: The bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead is a true historical event. Remember that.

But what's the big deal? So what? Remember the significance of the resurrection. Paul earlier wrote,

"If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith… If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins… But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!" (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17, 20)

The resurrection is the proof that all that Jesus did for you is real. Descended from David, Jesus was true man who lived under the law in your place, who died for you. Risen from the dead, Jesus proved that he is true God, who kept the law in your place, who's death has paid for your sin.

So the resurrection means that your forgetfulness is forgiven. Your every sin is slain. What was once chained to your soul has been chopped away. That means that you have peace with God even if everyone else deserts you. That means that you are truly free even if chained up and suffering in some cell.

And it is this peace that gives us the strength to endure and keep on keeping on. So remember the resurrection. "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is [our] gospel…" 

Put your Baptismal certificate on display in your home, where you'll see it often. Mine is right across from my desk where I see it every day, reminding me that I died with him. Leave a devotion book out in the open where you'll see it and remember to read it. I don't like clutter and horizontal surfaces tend to collect it. But I do leave my Bible and devotion book on the kitchen table. Put time in God's Word on your calendar. And keep that appointment with Jesus.

I have a friend who took a rock and drew a cross on it. He puts it on his pillow when he makes his bed in the morning. That way, when he goes to bed at night, he hits his head on the rock if he forgets to pray. Then, after he prays, he puts the rock on the floor right next to the bed, so he stubs his toe if he forgets to pray in the morning. It helps him to remember.

Remember the resurrection. Remember that it is a historical fact. Remember what it has accomplished. And you will be able to keep on keeping on. And you'll be able to help others remember too, as you remember the result of what God's done…


II.           By Remembering the Result 

It was a very exciting day for me. Our basketball team had gone to state and we were in the playoffs. Though I was only a sophomore, I got to play on the varsity team in the playoffs. The ball was passed to me and the lane was wide open. So I took the ball and drove the lane. And you who know my awesome skills can guess what happened next. I promptly bounced the ball off my toe and out of bounds. That was my glorious moment playing in the state tournament.

Sure it was embarrassing. But it wasn't that bad. You see, the coach only put me in the game in the few minutes of the last quarter of the game because our team already had a sizeable lead. We were pretty much assured the victory. We already knew the result of the game.

In a similar way, Paul reminded Timothy that he could endure and keep on keeping on because he already knew the outcome of his life, even if he were to suffer for a while. He wrote: "Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him… he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself."

As Paul quoted what most believe to be an early Christian hymn, he told Timothy about the sure and certain outcome of their lives: They died with Jesus through faith in him. So they would live with him in glory. If they endured and would keep on keeping on to the very end, they would reign with him. And they could be certain of these truths, because God who promised them would always remain faithful.

And you know that the same is true of you too! You died with Jesus when he died for you. You died with Jesus when you were baptized. Paul wrote, "all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:3-4) We live with Jesus now and we will live with him forever! We will reign with him forever! We are assured the victory!

Now remember those results of the resurrection. When you're suffering, maybe you too can remember the comforting words of a Christian hymn. Sing, "Surely it is God Who Saves Me," or "What God Ordains is Always Good," or "I'm But a Stranger Here; Heaven is My Home" and again be reminded of the results of the resurrection. 

And let that reminder encourage you to keep on keeping on as you share the message of God's grace with others.

For, "God's word is not chained. Therefore… endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." The Word of God is not chained. It can't be hindered. It can't be stopped. It will keep going and going, long after we're dead and gone. It's been said that, "God buries his workmen, but he always continues his work." And the Word of God will continue to work unchained in you and will keep you going and going. And through you, the elect will be saved. Remember those results.

Remember the resurrection. Remember the results. And by remembering, endure. Keep on keeping on. In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen. 


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Fan into Flame the Gift of God (A sermon based on 2 Timothy 1:3-14)

"It only takes a spark to get a fire going..." says the old song. But it takes effort to keep the fire going. In this week's sermon, we're encouraged to fan into flame the gift of God. He started the fire of faith in our hearts and he will help us to keep it. But he encourages us to fan our faith into flame as we fuel it by the Word and as we encourage one another. Then our faith will be a burning blaze that can't be contained but will spread to others. And through us, the Spirit will kindle the fire of faith in the hearts of others too. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on 2 Timothy 1:3-14 and let the Word of God fire you up again...

Fan into Flame the Gift of God
A sermon based on 2 Timothy 1:3-14
Sunday, October 6th, 2013 – Pentecost 20C 

It was only supposed to be a week long hunt. But the storm that kicked in kept the plane from coming back to pick them up. They didn't mind. They enjoyed the extra time away from work. They didn't mind, until the storm hit them. Away from their camp out on a trail, an avalanche wiped the party off the side of the mountain. No one was hurt, but there was no way to get back to their camp or where a plane could easily spot them. Now it was up to them to survive until a rescue party could find them.

They quickly got to work. They easily built a lean-to at the base of a large tree where the low hanging branches kept much of the snow away. And the snow itself served as great insulation. They snared some hares for food. And they had plenty of snow to drink. But what they really needed was fire. Fire would melt the snow for potable water. Fire would cook the hares and make them edible. Fire would warm their bodies and save them from hypothermia. Fire would keep the predators at bay which might otherwise love an easy mark.

They had to start a fire and they had to keep it going. With fire, they'd be just fine. Without, they'd surely be dead before long and even their bodies might never be found.

In a similar way that is true of all of us. We need the fire to keep burning if we hope to live. I'm not talking the dropping temperatures outside as that first snowfall looms ever closer. But I'm talking about the fire of faith. God's started it in each of our hearts. And we, with God's help, need to keep it burning! And when it's burning strong, that fire will quickly spread.

As Paul was sitting in prison, fully expecting to die, he wrote the last letter that he penned that's in our possession. And he wrote to fan into flame the gift of God in Timothy, that Timothy in turn might come and fan Paul's faith into flame, and then continue the ministry that Paul had started to spread that flame to others. Listen to the opening of that letter, which is preserved for us in 2 Timothy 1:3-4…

 

3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.


I.              The Fire Started 

Wood doesn't usually spontaneously combust. It can happen that through decomposition, flames can ignite in piles of compost. But when you're out in the woods and it's cold and wet, the fire won't just start itself. Someone or something, a match, a lighter, some sparks, some lightening, must hit the wood to get it burning.

Thankfully one of the men on the hunting trip came prepared. Well before the storm, well before he left home, he packed a lighter. And just in case that didn't work, he packed waterproof matches. They could easily start a fire once they found some dry wood under the low hanging branches.

But much like a wet piece of wood, there was no way that you or I could start the fire of faith in our own hearts. You know how Luther put it: "I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him."

On our own, we were sopping in sin and soaked in selfishness We were flooded in filth and waterlogged in waste. There was no chance we could start a fire in ourselves so we were drenched in damnation.

But God was prepared. Well before we sinned, well before we were born or even conceived, well before the world began God chose to rescue us. "This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time…" He chose us, "Not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace."

And having chosen us in eternity he rescued us in time. He redeemed us in Christ, by his death and resurrection, two thousand years ago. "It has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

And then he personally started the fire of faith in each one of us as Luther continued in his explanation of the work of the Holy Spirit, "I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him…. But… the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel…"

The Holy Spirit got the credit, but Lois was the instrument he used to share the Gospel that started the fire of faith in Eunice, just as Eunice was the instrument he used to share the Gospel that started the fire of faith in Timothy, just as Timothy was the instrument he used to share the Gospel that would start the fire of faith in others.

Who did the Spirit use for you? A parent or grandparent who shared the truths of God's grace? A boyfriend or girlfriend, or maybe a spouse? Was it the pastor who baptized you? Though it seems like a mixed metaphor, when that water trickled on your head, a fire was started. We won't die in our sin! With this fire of faith, we'll be just fine. …Provided it keeps burning…


II.            The Fire Fanned 

As the men waited for rescue, they took turns to go to look for food and to increase visibility for the rescue planes to see. But they always left someone at their new camp to tend the fire. They knew they had to be careful. They had to keep fueling the flame or it would go out. And their fate would be the same as if they had had no fire at all.

Likewise, we too need to keep fueling our faith, we need to keep fanning it lest it go out. And through those same parents and grandparents, pastors and teachers, that started the fire, he keeps it burning. And in our gathering together we fan our faith into flame so it won't go out. "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…"

But there's an enemy that desperately wants to extinguish your faith. And satan will work especially hard on you, using whatever he can to get that job done. After all, while the fireman does work to prevent fires, he expends the most energy trying to put out the fires that are blazing the biggest. He'll use persecution and ridicule. He'll enlist his agents and his duped, unbelieving minions, to keep you quiet. To keep you in sin. To keep you ashamed.

Paul was sitting in prison—not in comfortable house arrest anymore, but in chains—fully expecting to be killed any day. And he knew that might make Timothy a bit timid to speak up for the Gospel himself. Did he have the stomach to be a martyr? Or would he just let the fire go out? So Paul wrote:

I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you… For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God…"

Paul told Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God which was in him, and then he proceeded to fan Timothy's faith into flame by his encouraging Words. And that's the same way we keep our faith burning hot too. We fuel it with the encouraging words of Paul and of Timothy. We fuel it with the words of all of the apostles and prophets. And we fuel it with the words of each other as we echo their words and encourage one another in the faith.

You know what happens when you take a burning hot coal and remove it from the other coals. It quickly cools to the touch in a matter of minutes. But when you put the coal back, next to the other burning coals, it quickly gets its heat back and starts glowing again.

So we gather to worship. We gather to study the Word of God. We gather to hear those beautiful words of absolution and those encouraging words of the confession of faith—that we don't believe these things alone. The concept of a Rambo Christian, taking on the hordes of hell all alone, is completely foreign to the Bible. God puts us together because he knows we need each other to fan the flames of our faith.

And when we do, we find courage. Not self-confidence, but confidence in our God and in his promises. 

·         And when you wonder, "How do I know God really loves me?" you're reminded (by Paul, or Peter, or John, or by Rob or Ryan or Bob) that you have been baptized. God has chosen you in eternity and adopted you in time. He loves you!

·         When you wonder, "How could I possibly be forgiven for committing that same sin again?!" You're reminded, "Take and eat. This is the true body of Jesus Christ our Lord, given for you…" "Take and drink. This is the true blood of Jesus Christ our Lord, poured out for you, for the forgiveness of sin."

·         When you wonder, "How can I possibly break free from this sin?" You're reminded that you have been buried with Christ and a new person has risen with Christ. Sin is no longer your master. It cannot control you any longer.

·         When you wonder "How will I know what to say if someone asks me about my faith?" You are reminded that you don't need to worry about what to say because the Spirit promises to give you the words.

·         When you wonder, "What if my friends don't like me anymore because I keep talking about Jesus?" Then you're reminded that they're not really your friends if they won't accept you with your love of Jesus and that he will never leave you nor forsake you. 

And through these encouragements, we have even more help! It's not just up to us to keep the fires of our faith burning brightly. Paul says, "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us."  Yes, the Holy Spirit himself fans our faith into flame with the Word of God and gives us, "a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline," so that we're not ashamed, but can boldly confess with Paul, "I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.:

And when our faith is burning brightly, fueled by the Word, fanned into flame by the Spirit, finally, it cannot be contained. It will spread like wildfire!


III.           The Fire Spreads 

One of the guys waiting for rescue may have been a bit of a pyromaniac. Once they'd waited more than a day for rescue, he decided they needed a signal fire. So, with some care that he not extinguish the fire, he built it up, letting it grow bigger and brighter, tossing big logs and fallen trees on the blaze for all to see. And to their surprise, another party of hunters, who had also been lost in the storm, saw their fire, and they came to its warmth and heat too.

You know, I think God's a bit of a pyro too. He doesn't want a comfortable little flame just keeping things toasty. He wants an inferno of faith burning in our hearts and burning out of control. He wants us fired up for the Gospel and fired up to share that good news!

And we are fired up! And we do spread the flames to others! Just as the Holy Spirit used Eunice and Lois and Timothy to spread the flame of faith, he uses us as his instruments too.

First, we fan into flame the gift of God when we pray for others as Paul did for Timothy. "I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers." Pray for the lost. Pray for the wandering. Pray for the strong in faith that they might get stronger. Start a prayer list. Write names on a calendar or put them in your smart phone. Pray for the kids of the congregation and for their future kids that the torch might be passed. Pray for pastors and teachers and synod leaders that they might help in the spread of the Gospel. Pray for the courage to boldly share your faith yourself.

Who's your Timothy that you can encourage? To whom can you be a Lois or a Eunice? With your kids or grandkids? Talk to them or write them a letter about how important their faith is to you. With whom can you be a Paul as you encourage a co-worker or successor? Whom can you mentor in the faith? Encourage a young pastor. Encourage a teacher that they might not ashamed to share the Gospel with others. Share your appreciation with them. They may often hear criticism far more readily than encouragement. With whom can you be a Timothy, being the one who cares enough to take the saving message of the Gospel to them for the very first time? Whom can you tell without timidity or fear, but with courage, with power, with love?

Sometimes it only takes a spark to get a fire going in a dry, dusty heart. Other times it takes patience and care. So practice. No one learns to start a fire with in wet wood without a few failures first. Strike up conversation:

"PDF's were small again, huh?"

"Yeah, they were. I'm sure glad that Jesus isn't like that." If they're not ready, they'll let the sparks fizzle… for now. Or they might invite you to gently blow on the spark. "What do you mean?" 

"Well, he's consistent. Giving me the same forgiveness that I need all the time." Try it. See how it goes. 

Eventually the weather cleared and the rescue plane saw the blazing fire from the distance. The men were saved. And eventually, the Lord will return and will rescue us from this world of suffering and pain. And we'll rejoice in the safety and comfort of heaven. But until then… keep fanning into flame the gift of God. For, "[You] know whom [you] have believed, and [know] that he is able to guard what [you] have entrusted to him for that day." In his name, dear friends, amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast