Hold True To The Word

Sermon on 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Text: 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 servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
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 people 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.

Most of the things that we use to measure are not always exact. The ruler may have slightly rounded edges. When we fill a measuring cup, sometimes it is a littler fuller than others. There are times when we think we can trust a way to measure, but it proves false. The scale might not be zeroed out. The different size tires put off the odometer. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had something that we could measure with and we could count on the fact that it is precise and true? There is something that meets these criteria and that is the Word of God. This morning we are encouraged to HOLD TRUE TO THE WORD. 1. It Is The Fountain Of Our Faith. 2. It Is The Foundation Of Our Faith.

As Timothy faced those people who were promoting their false teachings and ideas, he needed encouragement to stand true to the Word of God. Paul had been speaking about these false teachers. Then, he offers this contrast in verse 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.” Timothy was to continue in what he had learned, namely the truths of God’s Word.

As one reason for holding true, Paul says, “You know those from whom you learned it.” (Verse 14) Yes, Paul was speaking about himself, but he was also speaking about Timothy’s mother and grandmother. (2 Timothy 1:5) Paul writes, “From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures.” (Verse 15) Lois and Eunice had seen to it that Timothy knew about God and his love for Timothy. Lois and Eunice had told Timothy about the coming Messiah, who would save the world. The Apostle Paul had revealed to Timothy who that Savior was during his second Missionary Journey. Paul reminds Timothy that the people who taught him God’s Word did not have a hidden agenda. They were not out to get something from Timothy. They were simply sharing their faith.

Ultimately, however, what made Timothy’s learning so reliable was not the people who taught him, but the fact that it came from holy Scriptures. These Scriptures were what was important. Again, Paul says, “From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (Verse 15) The Holy Spirit had worked through these Scriptures to create faith in the heart of Timothy, a faith which believed in Jesus as Savior. This faith began already at the time of Timothy’s childhood and continued to grow.

At this time, we thank our God for faithful parents, pastors and teachers who loved us so much that they shared the Gospel message with us. These people taught us the truths of God’s Word. They pointed us to our Savior. Through the washing of Holy Baptism, we became the children of God. Through their words, their teaching, the Holy Spirit strengthened that faith. For the child of God, the Bible is the fountain in which we quench our spiritual thirst.

We all know how important water is in our daily lives. Our bodies would die a slow, agonizing death, if deprived of water. We need to drink water to live. None of us would ever think about drinking only once a week and calling that good enough. This is also true with our exposure to God’s Word. We need to be in constant contact with God’s Word. If we deprive our faith of God’s Word, it will shrivel up and die. That is why Paul also encourages us, “Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of.” (Verse 14)

If we have been working hard, especially in the hot sun, we know how good it feels to sit down and take a long drink of water. We feel the soothing coolness as the water goes down our throats. I think that we all have experienced the refreshing feeling that comes with that experience. The same is true when we have been working at something hard in our lives. Sometimes, we feel the heat of problems, worries or troubles. Sit down and experience the cooling, refreshing feeling of drinking deeply from God’s Word. It is the fountain of our faith. It refreshes us and keeps us going.

The Holy Scriptures are not only the fountain of our faith. They are also the foundation of our faith. When called upon to defend our faith, the Holy Scriptures are the sure foundation that does not crumble, even under the harshest of attacks.

Why can we count on the Scriptures as our sure foundation? The Apostle reminds us of this: “All Scripture is God-breathed.” (16) Here Paul is speaking of the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures. It is interesting to note that no other ancient religious writings speak of being inspired by God. Paul is not borrowing the concept from pagan or philosophical resources. Paul does not try to explain the process of inspiration. Nor does he present arguments to show that the Bible is inspired. He simply affirms the truth.

What exactly is meant by inspiration? The Apostle Peter in his Second Epistle gives us a definition, “Prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21) Peter states that the prophets and apostles did not simply sit down one day and write down their musings. Rather, God gave them the very words that they were to use. Though there may be different vocabularies and styles of the various writers, the message, indeed the very words, came from God himself. What a great comfort to know this! Though men may lie and get things wrong, God does not. Since this is God’s Word, you can count on it. You can be sure that Jesus Christ came to the world to pay for your sins, that you stand forgiven and that at the end of time, you will be in heaven.

These God-inspired Scriptures are ultimately useful for us. Paul writes that they are “Useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (Verses 16&17) The Bible is useful for the growth of those who know them and believe them. They stand to correct and rebuke when we are wrong, and they direct us in what God would have us do, how we are to live our lives. As the psalmist says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105) All of God’s Word, both its condemnation of our sins and the promise of forgiveness in Christ, is important to our lives. May we continue to build our lives on the foundation of God’s Word.

God’s Word is also the place where we can take our stand when others attack our faith. Paul writes in verses 3&4, “For the time will come when people 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.” There are many myths that people turn away from God’s Word for. Yet, they think that they are true. Just to name a few examples, we think of evolution – man’s attempts to explain the beginnings of our world without God. Yet, we know from the Bible that God created all things. Another myth that people sometimes follow is astrology or horoscopes, thinking that, somehow, the alignment of the stars and planets can foretell their future. The Bible teaches us that the stars are not responsible for our future. God has our future in his hands. The Bible clearly condemns these ideas. The Bible also condemns the idea that we add anything to Scriptures, putting our teachings on the same level, such as the Roman Catholic Church has done with its doctrine of purgatory, praying to the saints and especially salvation by works. The Bible also tells us that we are not to subtract from what it teaches, as if somehow we can pick and choose what we want to believe. A good example of this is the Jesus Seminar, which was founded in 1985, with so-called scholars who looked at the four Gospels and tried to decide what Jesus really said and did and what was added later.

The reason that people turn aside to these myths is, as Paul writes, that they have “itching ears.” (Verse 3) Paul is referring to the idea that people want to hear something that is new, interesting, mentally challenging or logical. Maybe we, at times, also have itching ears, tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. We find ourselves wishing that we could hear something different, something new and interesting. We need to be very careful about that type of thinking. When we search for something else, the devil will be more than happy to provide what our itching ears want to hear. He is glad when we focus our attention on something other than God’s Word.

Rather, if we wish to read or hear something different, there are many sections of the Bible that we can read and study. There are sixty-six books in the Bible, where God speaks to us. Sometimes, it’s good to read something that is not the old familiar stories, because God has something to say to us there, as well. Yet, we also go back to the old familiar stories, because we can continue to learn things there, as well. Sometimes, we read an account one time and that same account another time and it affects us differently both times. That is because we may be at a different stage in our lives. Our emotions are not the same every day. The same message may comfort me one day when I am sad and cause me to rejoice in my Savior’s love another day. There is one thing for sure. God’s Word stands secure. We can place our hopes in it. There is no other book like it, and that is because it is God’s Word. It is the foundation on which our faith rests, because in it my Savior is revealed to me. Through it, the Holy Spirit creates and strengthens my faith.

With that in mind, then, let us encourage one another in our dealings with God’s Word to hold true to the word. There are many temptations to deviate from the truth. Remember that it is both the fountain and the foundation of our faith. We pray that the Lord would allow us to continue to hold that in its truth and purity and that he would continue to strengthen our faith through the Word. Amen.

Jesus Was Anointed To Give Sight To The Blind (Pastor Andrew Frey)

Andrew K. Frey. KRT Sunday—2021-2022 Luke 4:14-21
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through
the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went
into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet
Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[f] 20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of
everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today
this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Theme: Jesus was Anointed to give Sight to the Blind
Who is the most famous person to come from Clatonia (Cortland)? I tried doing a little research
this past week, and to tell you the truth, I didn’t find anyone worth noting–perhaps you can
enlighten me after the service! Wilber–I know that Dana Altman, The University of Oregon’s
head baseball coach, is from Wilber. That’s pretty cool. (According to Wikipedia, someone
called Orah Dee Clark, the first superintendent of Alaska schools, was born in Firth–but I found
nothing for Cortland).
When someone makes it big—especially if they are from a small town, it seems as if everyone
gets excited. There is a sort of pride and accomplishment when someone from your hometown
becomes famous. And when they return home, they receive a hero’s welcome. This is not
unlike the way the people of Nazareth looked at Jesus.
Nazareth was a backwater town, about 15 miles west of the Sea of Galilee—the entire region of
Galilee was away from the mainstream. Once, when Philip told Nathanael that Jesus of Nazareth
was the Messiah, Nathanael responded, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Nazareth
was a nothing town with nothing to brag about, until now.
Jesus, the son of Joseph the carpenter, was starting to make a name for himself. His ministry had
been going on for at least half a year; by this time he had performed a number of miracles in
Jerusalem and throughout Galilee. Before our text takes place, Jesus was going from town to
town in Galilee sharing God’s Word. We are told, news about him spread through the whole
countryside. And, everyone praised him.
And then Jesus returned to Nazareth—as a hometown hero. He went to the synagogue, the
Jewish house of worship, on the Sabbath as was his custom. The worship service in a Jewish
synagogue at Jesus’ time has many similarities to our worship services today including the
reading of God’s Word. The first came from the five books of Moses; the second, from one of
the books of the prophets.
Those who read the lessons had the opportunity to offer up a commentary on what they read,
similar to our sermons today. Often this privilege could have been bestowed on anyone who had
such an ability. Jesus was the hometown hero who was making a name for himself, at least in
part, by his ability to teach Scripture plainly. So, it was perfectly understandable, if not
expected, for the synagogue leaders to ask Jesus to speak.
Jesus found the prescribed reading for the day, Isaiah 61, and, as was custom, stood up and read
the text. Then, as also was custom, he sat down to speak. And he began his sermon by saying,
Today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Jesus made it perfectly clear that the words
of Isaiah 61 were talking about him.
That certainly is a striking thing for Jesus to say–even more so when we examine what Isaiah
was saying in chapter 61, which starts, The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he anointed
me to preach good news to the poor. To be anointed means to be chosen, to be set aside for a
special service to the Lord. Typically someone was marked as anointed by having oil poured on
their head. Jesus was anointed at his baptism when the Holy Spirit landed on him in the form of
a dove. In Acts chapter 10, Peter refers to this when he says, God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and with power. We read at the beginning of our text that Jesus came in
the power of the Spirit.
The Jews rightly saw the words of Isaiah 61as referring to the Promised Messiah. In fact,
Messiah is the Hebrew word for the Greek word, Christ, and both Messiah and Christ mean the
Anointed One.
So, what was Jesus’ anointed to do? To preach the good news to the poor. That is, to spread
the gospel, the good news of free and full forgiveness in himself. Jesus was chosen to spread the
word about what he would do to save us. And this message is shared with the poor—not those
who lack wealth or possessions, but the poor in spirit. By nature, we are spiritually poor. We
have no righteousness on our own. We are sinners who deserve his punishment and who cannot
rid ourselves of the guilt of our sins. And it is to us poor and miserable sinners that Christ
preaches the Good news of the forgiveness of sins.
The rest of this quote from Isaiah essentially says the same thing. He has sent me to proclaim
freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are
oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. We are held captive by sin because;
we are ruled and controlled by sin. But Christ sets us free from sin—both from sin itself and
from the effects of sin. We are also free from the wages of sin: eternal death. Because Christ
suffered and died on the cross to save us from our sins and then three days later rose from the
dead, he has set us from our sins and their condemnation; and he proclaims that freedom to us.
And, as we’ve been focusing on today, Christ gives sight to the blind. We are spiritually blind,
walking around in the darkness of unbelief and sin. Because we are completely corrupt we are in
complete darkness, unable by ourselves to see how sinful and wicked we truly are. We are
unable then to see Jesus as our Savior from sin, let alone believe in him. The picture portrayed
Isaiah is that of someone who is released from a dungeon and sees daylight for the first time in
months or years. Just think of the pure joy that hits you as you see and feel the sunlight hit your
face! That is what Jesus does for our soul–in Christ, we see the light of salvation after living in
darkness! Because of the Holy Spirit through the gospel, we now see him as our Savior from
sin; and our salvation.
Next, Jesus is sent to set free those who are oppressed. We face troubles and hardships in this
life. In one way or another, we are persecuted for our faith. Christ will set us free from such
oppression when he takes us to his heavenly home—a place free from sin and free from sinners.
The final picture is Jesus proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor. This is a reference to the
Year of Jubilee, which took place every 50 years. All slaves were to be set free, all debts were to
be canceled, and land and property which had been sold was returned to the original owner. And
so, there was joy throughout the land. With the coming of Christ, we have that same joy because
Christ has come and has ushered in a new era—the era of forgiveness through faith in Jesus
Christ, who has shined the light of the gospel into a world darkened by sin and unbelief!
As we look at this prophecy from Isaiah 61 we marvel at what Jesus says about himself–he
claimed to be the Promised Messiah. And this fact wasn’t lost on the people of Nazareth. But
instead of rejoicing that the long-awaited Savior had finally come–and he was from their
hometown, nonetheless; they became upset. As you remember, they tried to throw him off a
cliff!
Jesus said, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I understand what Jesus is saying. Not
that I’m Jesus, or anything close to him; but coming back to Nebraska Lutheran after 20 years,
there are some who remember me. And some look at me as I was 20-30 years ago, as a little
spark plug getting into mischief.
Notice how the people of Nazareth reacted, Isn’t this Joseph’s Son? They knew who Jesus
was–they saw him grow up, they used to run around with him, he built a chair for their
family. How can he claim to be the Promised Messiah–he may have been a really good kid
growing up; but Jesus, the Son of Joseph, has gone too far! So they rejected Jesus.
We tend to look down and frown upon the people of Nazareth–and for good reason. But, we’d
do the same thing by nature. We are born into the darkness of sin and unbelief; we spiritual
blind by nature, who hate God, want nothing to do with him or his Word. His gospel is
foolishness to us; and so by nature we would do the same thing as the people of Nazareth.
And so we praise the Lord that we have not rejected him. And that’s only the case because the
Holy Spirit has worked faith into our hearts! Through the gospel, he has led us out of the
darkness of unbelief so that we see Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life–and that no one
comes to the Father except through him. Again, we don’t see this on our own, we only see
Christ as the light of salvation through faith, worked in us by a gracious gift of the Holy Spirit!
And this light, this gospel, the light of salvation, is a message that is shared here at Zion (St.
John), and at NELHS. How important is that in today’s world which is getting more and more
bold in it’s blatant rejection of God’s Word; to share the light of the gospel, so that the blind
would receive light, the poor would hear the good news, the captives and those oppressed would
be freed, and all believers would have the Lord’s eternal favor.
The people of Nazareth saw Jesus as a hometown hero, but not nothing more. But Jesus is far
more than a hometown hero. He is the long-promised Messiah, the world’s one and only Savior,
who was anointed to proclaim the gospel, giving sight to us blind sinners. We have seen the
light of salvation, and we long for his coming when we will live in his glory forever. Amen.

Beyond Imagination!

Sermon on Ephesians 3:14-21

Text: For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Can you imagine what a person who lived one hundred years ago would think about how we live today? For example, think about the way that we communicate. Back then, there were a few telephones. Usually, you would have to write a letter or, if something needed to be communicated quicker, there was the telegram. Now we can text, email, facetime, as well as a host of other media. If you wanted to buy something, you would go to the local general goods store or perhaps use a catalogue to order something. Now, we merely open Amazon and order what we want, and it can be here that same day, in some places. The things that we take for granted would have been beyond a person who lived one hundred years ago’s imagination. This morning in our text, the apostle Paul reminds us of something that is truly BEYOND IMAGINATION! It is 1. God’s Love For Us and 2. God’s Power At Work In And For Us.

The Christians in the city of Ephesus may have been having problems believing that God loved them. That tends to happen to Christians when they let their relationship with God be based on their feelings. They may have been feeling a little “empty,” depressed, wondering about God’s love for them. They lived in a big city. Ephesus was a large city on the west coast of modern-day Turkey. It likely had all the problems we associate with big cities, such a being impersonal, crime, and violence. It was a heathen city. It was the center of worship for Greek and Roman religion with temples dedicated to various false gods. Along with this came sexual immorality. The beliefs and attitudes of this heathen religion were all around them.

In addition to that, the Roman government was beginning to persecute Christians. Inside the congregation, there appears that there was some sort of a split occurring. The congregation was a mix of Jews and Gentiles. Apparently, the Jewish segment of the congregation were bothered by the reception of Gentiles into their congregation. They weren’t part of the “chosen” people of God and had not lived under the same ceremonial laws that the Jews had. There was tension. Finally, they may have been questioning God’s love when they heard that Paul was being held as a prisoner for simply proclaiming the peace of God that came through Jesus.

As we said earlier, the questioning of God’s love and care arises when we base our relationship with God on our feelings that arise from the various difficult situations of life that we encounter. We think we don’t see any evidence of God’s love for us. Such questions and doubts may arise within us, too. We live in a big, increasingly non-Christian nation. For whatever reason, usually sinful, splits occur in some of our relationships. We sometimes disagree on things within the congregation that cause tension. We experience physical struggles and financial challenges. Skeletons of guilt rise from a past sin. If we base our understanding and relationship with God on our feelings that arise as a result of our circumstances, we question. We feel “empty.”

Paul used the entire first half of his letter to the Ephesians to address this. Listen to just a few of the statements he makes in the first part of this letter to drive home the point that God loves us and what, in love, he has done for us:
• [He] who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (1:3)
• He chose us in [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (1:4)
• He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ. (1:5)
• In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. (1:7)
• He made known to us the mystery of his will . . . in Christ, (1:9)
• In [Christ] we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. (1:11)
• You were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession. (1:13,14)
• It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (2:8)

In the concluding verses of our text for this morning, Paul wrote, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Verses 20&21) What our God has done and continues to do is beyond our imagination! When I reflect on my behavior, I can’t imagine that God would love me. When I reflect on what is necessary to have peace with God, I can’t imagine that love that Christ would have for me, that he would take on human flesh and blood. Jesus was willing to take on every temptation to sin that was set before him, and to overcome every one of them. It is beyond my imagination that he would endure God’s anger over my sins that so offend God on the cross. It is beyond my imagination that he would rise from the dead so that I would receive all those blessings that Paul mentioned earlier.

Paul wrote that as he regularly got down on his knees before God, he would pray the Ephesians might grow in knowing the greatness of this love, the love that God has for them. It is evidenced in what Christ does for us so that we might enjoy forever with God in all his goodness. Paul wrote all this so that those believers might have what he wanted for them, as he expressed in the verse before our text: “I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you.” (Eph. 3:13)

In this section of the letter, Paul went on to tell them that he prayed that as the Ephesians think about what God does for us eternally, that they might be “rooted and established” (v. 17) in the love that God has for us. He would often pray that they might understand a little more each day and, in each situation, how great God’s love is for us. To be rooted and established equals sinking our hearts and minds into the fertile message of his love.

God can make that happen! “[He] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Verse 20) He is able to make us know that he loves us no matter what is going on in our lives. He is able to make that same love flow through and out of our lives in every situation. When he convinces us that he loves us, and that everything in our lives works for our eternal benefit, he makes us more powerful for loving others, so that we strive more and more to do what is eternally good for them, too. How does that play out in our lives? Perhaps, you have been in those situations in which you said, “I’m so angry with them that I can’t ever talking to them again!” When we’re at odds with someone, we can’t imagine ever making peace with them. Maybe, there have been times in our lives that we’ve dug holes for ourselves through our words or actions, we can’t imagine how we’ll get out of them. However, when God’s love has overpowered us, his power takes over within us. His power that has worked through us and now works in us reveals to us and can fill us with his love that does the unimaginable! Look at what Christ did for you. It was all done so that we would have the forgiveness of sins that we need to be at peace with God and to have perfect and never-ending life with him. He can do more that we can imagine! He has worked in us that power. He puts it in his Spirit’s work through the assuring word of forgiveness in Christ.

Perhaps this is the reason that this section from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was paired with the Gospel reading that we heard earlier (John 2:1-11). Jesus did the UNIMAGINABLE! He made wine in a way that is beyond our imagination. He overruled the laws of nature that he established at creation. He made wine out of water. What power! What love for that newlywed couple who may have been a little embarrassed by running out of wine for their guests. The demonstration of his divine power and love combined with what he had been teaching his disciples about himself and his work of love for sinners led his disciples to put their faith in him. They would see more of that power and more of Jesus’ life of love for sinners over the next three years. Then, they would see the ultimate act of love beyond all imagination. They would see Jesus offering his life on the cross to make peace with God. This Jesus would take back life from death. All of this was for them and for all people. After Jesus’ resurrection, they would see something beyond their imagination when 3,000 people were brought to faith in Jesus on Pentecost.

God’s power at work for us and in us is also beyond our imagination. That fact that you and I have faith in Christ for eternal life with God is beyond our imagination. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins.” To be raised from spiritual death and unbelief to faith, life, and peace with God is beyond our imagination or ability. But he has done this for us and in us. The fact that you and I still have faith and trust in the face of struggles that we mentioned earlier is beyond our imagination and ability. Being still able to love and praise our God even in the face of struggles and sorrows is also beyond our own ability and imagination. Yet, God has done it! He can do in and through us those things that we think are undoable and unimaginable – such as forgiving and making peace with others. God’s love for us and his power at work in us and for us is beyond our imagination! However, it is not impossible! Our powerful Savior himself said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) We praise our God who has made those things that are beyond our imagination into our reality. Amen.

What Good Is My Baptism Today?

Sermon on Titus 3:4-7

Text: But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Over the years there have been many patents given. Some are for very important things that we use every day. Others were given for some rather interesting things, to say the least. For example, there was the “Eye Protector for Chickens,” which was patented in 1903. This device was to help protect the eyes of chickens from fights and general barnyard soot and grime. A “Bird-Powered Flying Machine” was patented in 1887. It was an enormous balloon propelled by large, harnessed birds. The inventor hoped to make mechanical motors obsolete. In 1896, a dimple maker was patented. By means of mechanical facial massage, you could produce new dimples and enhance existing ones. I’m sure that, at the time, these inventors felt that their inventions would be of great help to mankind. Of course, they are now nothing more than oddities at the Patent Office and are of little, if any, good today, more than 100 years later. This morning, we are going to talk about something else that happened years ago, the exact number will vary from person to person, and its benefit today. The event that we are speaking of is our baptism. My baptism occurred years ago, so WHAT GOOD IS MY BAPTISM TODAY? We will see that 1. I Have Been Justified, 2. I Have Been Saved and 3. I Have Been Born Again.

Our text for this morning from Titus is one long sentence in the Greek. Yet, in this one sentence, the Apostle Paul sums up the entire gospel message. Before we continue our discussion of baptism, I would like to turn your attention to something that took place long before your baptism. In verse seven, Paul uses the phrase, “having been justified by his grace.” Paul says that we have been justified. To understand the meaning of this word, we need to think of a courtroom. The entire world is on trial. The judge is God the Father. What are the charges? As we listen to the list of charges, we hear every kind of sin imaginable. There is lying, cheating, stealing, anger, and lust. The list goes on and on. Because God is a just God, he has no choice but to declare the world “Guilty!” and the punishment for breaking these laws is the death penalty. It is an eternity of punishment in hell.

Then, Jesus steps forward and addresses the Judge. He tells him that the sins of which all are accused were all paid for when he lived on the earth, perfectly keeping that law, and by suffering the very torments of hell when he suffered and died on the cross. The debt has been paid in full. Now, again, because God is a just Judge, he has no choice but to declare the world, “Not Guilty!”. That is what the word “justify” means, to declare “Not Guilty!”. Note that God didn’t look the other way when the sin was committed, nor did he dismiss the charges. The punishment was exacted from Jesus Christ. It is because of his life, death and resurrection that we have been justified.

We note the reason we are justified. It was “by grace.” Because of God’s undeserved love, the world was justified. As Paul reminds us, it was “not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” No one in the entire world could save themselves by what they have done. It was because of God’s grace, mercy, kindness, and love. All of these words from our text show us that it was by God’s grace that we have been justified.

How is this justification made mine? How and why am I saved? Why do I receive the benefits, blessings of what Christ has done? Paul says in verse five, “He saved us through the washing . . . by the Holy Spirit.” This is referring to baptism. I have been saved through the washing of baptism. How can that be? How can the application of some water save me? Dr. Martin Luther asks that same question in his First Part of Baptism. He asked, “What is baptism?”. In response, he wrote, “Baptism is not just plain water, but it is water used by God’s command and connected with God’s Word.” As proof of this he quotes Matthew 28:19, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is Christ’s command to baptize. When we baptize, apply the water in connection with God’s Word, we are following Christ’s command.

This brings us back to the question, ‘How does baptism save me?’. We note that Jesus said that we “make disciples” when we baptize. A disciple is a learner or follower. When we are baptized, we become Jesus’ followers or disciples, in other words, we are brought to faith. The Holy Spirit works through the water and the Word to create faith, a trust that Jesus is my Savior. This blessing becomes ours as the Holy Spirit creates faith.

We note that Paul writes, “He saved us through washing.” (Verse 5) This blessing, this benefit becomes ours when we are baptized. Baptism doesn’t just symbolize the washing away of sin, as so many other church bodies teach. In baptism, our sins are actually washed away, because saving faith is created in our hearts. That is why we refer to Baptism as a sacrament, something that God does for us, and we receive the blessings thereof. Baptism is a Means of Grace, one of the vehicles by which God’s grace is poured upon us. Baptism is important to me today because I received the benefits of Christ’s justifying work through it. I am saved. For many, if not most of us, we were first brought to faith when we were infants through this washing of Baptism. That is why Baptism is important to me. It marks that day when I was brought into God’s family.

However, my baptism is more than a memorial day. It is of benefit to me as I live my daily life. Paul speaks of this washing, or baptism, as a “washing of rebirth and renewal.” (Verse 5) It is a washing of rebirth, because through it the Holy Spirit creates faith, making me spiritually alive. Before this, I was spiritually dead, but now I have been made spiritually alive. We celebrate our physical birthday, but of far greater significance, especially in the light of eternity is our “Rebirth Day,” our baptism.

Baptism is also a “washing of renewal.” I am a new creation. Paul puts it this way in Romans 6:3&4, “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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.” When we were baptized, part of us was put to death and buried. That was our Old Adam or sinful nature, which wants nothing more than to disobey God. He was drowned in the waters of baptism. When we were baptized, a new part of us came to life, namely, our New Man. Our New Man delights in obeying God’s will in thankful response for all that he has done for us. In baptism the Holy Spirit works the desire in me to throw off the slavery of sin and live a new life. As Paul wrote in Romans 6:2, “We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”.

Baptism renews in me the desire to throw off the Old Adam and to put on the New Man. As I think of all the blessings that God has given me in baptism, namely the forgiveness of sins, new life and salvation, I want to thank God with my entire life. Reminding myself daily of these blessings helps me want to live for God. It also helps me to daily drown the Old Adam by contrition and repentance. I sorrow over the sins that I have committed, and I trust that God, for Jesus’ sake, has forgiven them. My baptism also reminds me that day by day my new man is to arise, as from the dead, to live in the presence of God in righteousness and purity. My baptism is very valuable to me every day as I strive to live a God-pleasing life, in thankfulness for all that he has done for me.

We began our sermon talking about inventions that seemed like a good idea at the time, but over the years have shown themselves to be, at best, impractical and, at worst, foolish. They are of little, if any, good today. But our baptism, even though it may have occurred more years than we like to think about, is extremely valuable today. For, through it, people, including infants, are saved. Our baptism is also important to us because it serves as a daily reminder to put off the Old Adam and to put on the New Man to live in service to God for all that he has done for us.

Baptism is not just some church ceremony you go through, like a rite of passage. Through it, people are brought to faith and are saved eternally. We also dare never think of baptism as some sort of magical washing, whereby the child is saved for eternity. Faith is created in baptism. But that faith can die if it is not nourished by God’s Word. We, as parents and a congregation, have an obligation to see to it that the faith created in baptism continues to be nourished in our children, as well as in our own lives. Today, as we recall Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, where he was set apart for service to his Father, we also recall our baptism, whereby we were set apart to be God’s children. What good is our baptism today? Our baptism is very valuable, because through it we were brought to faith and now enjoy our status as God’s children. We thank our God for giving us this most valuable gift. Amen.

God Sent His Son

Sermon on Galatians 4:4-7

Text: But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

‘So, what did you get for Christmas?’ ‘Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?’ You hear quite a few questions like these in the days following Christmas. As you look over the gifts that were given to you, you can surely see the love that others have for you. You can tell that they took some time and gave some thought in giving you your gift. Those gifts are another evidence of their love for you. Of course, these gifts serve as reminders of the greatest gift that was ever given: the gift of a Son by a Father for us. This morning, as we look at Galatians 4:4-7, we are reminded that GOD SENT HIS SON 1. To Be With Us Under Law and 2. To Make Us One With Him Through Christ.

We read verses 4&5, “When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” In that one sentence we have the story and meaning of Christmas summarized for us. “When the set time had fully come.” God had a particular point in history set up for the arrival of his Son. All the conditions were just as God wanted them. The world had been prepared for his Son’s arrival.

“God sent his Son, born of a woman.” Here we have reference to the divine mystery of Jesus Christ. He was both true God and true Man. He is God’s Son, yet also the Son of Mary. The Bible does not spend a great deal of time explaining this. Indeed, it cannot. Instead, Scriptures merely states this as fact. Jesus Christ was true God and true Man.

We are reminded of Christ’s mission on earth with the words, “Born under the law, to redeem those under the law.” Jesus Christ was born a human being so that he would be subject to God’s law. God is the author of the law; he is not subject to it. He can take life, for he gave it. He cannot steal, for everything in the universe belongs to him. Yet, the moment that Jesus was born, he became subject to God’s laws. He was under obligation to keep all of them. Because Jesus was a human being, the words of Leviticus 20 also applied to him: “Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them . . . You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy.” (Leviticus 20:22.26) Jesus, as a human being, had to keep all of God’s law perfectly.

He did just that. We have recorded time and again how Jesus kept the law perfectly. It started eight days after Jesus’ birth, when he was circumcised according to God’s law. He went to Jerusalem for Passover as soon as he was old enough. Jesus kept all these laws of God perfectly, as well as all of the others.

Why? “To redeem those under the law.” He did so to redeem us from our sins. The word “redeem” means to “Buy back or ransom.” We were held captive by our sins. We deserved to spend an eternity in hell because of those sins. But Jesus came to the earth to be our Substitute. He lived the perfect life that we could not live. He, then, shed his blood on the cross to pay for all our sins, to ransom us from the punishment that we deserved. Indeed, we cannot look at the little child in Bethlehem without realizing that those tiny little hands would be “pierced for our transgressions.” The child would be “crushed for our iniquities.” That was the whole purpose for Jesus’ arrival on the earth. It was to redeem us to be his own. God sent his Son to be with us under the law to redeem us from that law that held us captive.

That is still the central thought of the Christmas season. The cross looms over the cradle in Bethlehem. Christ’s death and resurrection give us the reason to celebrate Christmas. If it were not for the cross and empty grave, these days would be as sad as all the others, for we would still be in our sins. However, God sent his Son to be our Substitute. What better reason could we have for celebration?

God’s sending his Son makes us one with him. The reason we have been redeemed, Paul tells us, is “That we might receive adoption to sonship.” We were not God’s sons, by birth. We were children of sin. But, through the blood of Jesus, we have been adopted into his family. We are God’s sons. Paul uses the word “sonship” rather than “children,” because he is pointing to rights that we have. In Paul’s day, daughters rarely inherited anything, nor did they have many rights. That is why Paul uses the term “sonship” to refer to us, both male and female, for we have rights and stand to inherit a great deal.

He says, first of all, in verse six, “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father’” This is a privilege that has been given to each one of us. The Holy Spirit has come into our hearts. He dwells within each one of us. It is that Holy Spirit who creates faith in our hearts. Faith is a child-like trust in someone or something. We trust that Jesus has done all that was necessary for our salvation. We trust that God will take care of us. This trust comes to us through the working of the Holy Spirit.

Because we have been brought to faith, we can call God “Father.” We call him “Father,” not only because he created us, but, also, because he is our Father through the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ.

We call God “Father.” More than that, we call him “Abba.” Abba is an Aramaic word. It is the word a child would use to address their father. The closest equivalent that we would have today is “Dad.” There are several instances when we might think of a child using the word “Dad.” One of them is in love. If a father has been gone for a while and comes home, the child might run to him saying, “Dad!”. He can feel the love the child has for him. So also, we express our love for God, because he has done so much for us. We express our love in our prayers and songs of praise to God. We, also, express our love in doing things that are pleasing to him. It is similar to a child drawing a picture for their father. The child doesn’t draw the picture to repay him. Rather, it is an expression of affection for them.

Dad might also be used when the child wants something. ‘Dad, I want a drink of water?’ ‘Dad, can you help me with this?’ There is a confidence that the father will supply whatever is lacking, whether it is as simple as a drink of water or help finding the answer to a schoolwork problem. So also, we can have the same confidence in approaching God as our Father. He has promised to supply all our needs. If we are in need, we know that we can go to God for help. He, as a loving Father, will help us in the way that is the best for us, even if it means saying ‘No.’ Good parenting means that, at times, we will say ‘No’ to our children. If that is the case with us sinful parents, who sometimes say ‘No’ for selfish reasons and who make mistakes, how much more so is it true of our perfect heavenly Father, who knows all things.

“Dad” also has a trusting element. If the child is frightened, he might ask, ‘Dad, would you hold my hand?’. He might ask, ‘Dad, would you come here?’. Just knowing that Dad is there helps to alleviate any fears that they might have. So also, we need not be afraid whatever comes our way, because our heavenly Father has promised to stay right beside us, guarding, and keeping us. Earthly fathers may not always be able to take care of what frightens the child, but our heavenly Father can do so. Being able to call God, the Creator of the universe, “Father” is a blessed privilege for each of us, his children.

Verse seven continues, “So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” We are all heirs of God. We stand to inherit something. On the Last Day, our inheritance will be given to us. Jesus speaks of this inheritance when he says in Matthew 25:34, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” That inheritance is nothing less than heaven. That is ours because we are God’s children. An eternity of bliss and happiness with our heavenly Father awaits each of us. How we long for that day when we shall receive from our Father’s hand the crown of eternal life. Eternal life is ours because God sent his Son, and through his blood, made us his children. The gift of his Son makes all believers the sons of God. God sent his Son to make us one with him.

So, what was your favorite gift this Christmas? I’m sure that many, if not all of us, received some wonderful gifts. I would imagine if you would ask some of the younger children what their favorite gift was, their answer would depend on what they are playing with at the moment. However, as all those gifts are put away, may the gift of God remain a part of your lives every day. May God’s gift of his Son move us to say “Thank you” in all that we say, do and think. Indeed, it is true that, if we were asked what our favorite gift was, we can answer the same thing every year: “God’s gift of his Son.” May that gift illume all your days, until you are together with all of God’s children for eternity. Amen.