THE

GIFT OF GOD

Rev. Bernt Tweit

Old Testament Lesson: Habakkuk 1:1-3; 2:1-4
Gospel Lesson: Luke 17:1-10
Sermon Text: II Timothy 1: 3-14

I am sure many of you have gone camping. One of the highlights of camping, is the camp fire. To sit around listening to the crackle of the campfire, sing songs, and share fellowship with one another, makes it a highlight!

When I was in the Boy Pioneers, we went on fall and spring camp outings. I enjoyed waking up early in the morning, and going out to the campfires. There, underneath a few of the charred logs, would be some glowing embers. I would add some leaves or paper and begin blowing on the embers, to light the leaves on fire. The embers would begin to flame and soon the leaves would be on fire. Next, kindling could be added and finally some wood. The little embers were now a big burner of a bonfire.

The embers needed to be blown on, to become a fire. So also, we need the Holy Spirit to fan (or blow) the gift of God into a flame within us. We need the gift of faith that we have received, to be fanned into flame. Today I would like to concentrate on that flame.

I. What would happen if the flame of faith went out? Someone once, rightly said, that we are one generation away from losing the Gospel. If our children don't pick up the gift of God and fan it into a flame of faith, the next generation is in jeopardy of losing that message.

In the Old Testament the Kingdom of Israel was united under the reign of King Saul, King David, and King Solomon. For about 120 years the kingdom was united under God. After Solomon's reign, the kingdom was divided. The Book of

II Chronicles says, "After Solomon's son became king and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him, abandoned the law of the Lord." The flame of faith had gone out, the flame of faith had disappeared. So the Lord handed them over to the king of Egypt and said, "that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands."

When the flame of faith has burned out, and we turn away from the Lord, a person is in danger of losing out on the git of eternal life. When the flame of faith has burned out, there is no love for Jesus or repentance of sin.

Time and time again we see young people go through confirmation classes only to stop fanning into flame the gift of God. We also see young adults who have no time for the Lord, thinking, "I learned that 'God stuff ' when I was younger." Or mature adults who think that church has become routine and boring. The thought becomes, "The church doesn't have anything to offer me."

Some of the reasons why people lose their faith are:

• spiritual starvation - neglecting to use the means to strengthen faith;
• self-righteousness - shifting your trust from God's grace to yourself;
• pride - not willing to submit to the authority of God's Word;
• love of the world.

We are only one generation away from losing the Gospel.

The Bible says a bruised reed, he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. God promises us that weak faith, is saving faith.

Our faith in Jesus is not equal, in all of us who are here, today. For some the flame (or strength) of our faith is strong, and for some the flame of our faith is weak. Our faith does not stay the same in us. Our faith varies, it fluctuates between a longing for the forgiveness of our sins and knowing that our sins are already forgiven.

For example, the disciple Peter had a strong faith, but he began to trust in himself. The flame of his faith became so weak, that he fell from the faith, and denied that Jesus was his Savior. Peter, even though his faith was weak, was restored to an even much stronger flame of faith.

Martin Luther once said, "The flame of faith is a steadfastness of the heart, which does not waver, wobble, shake, tremble, or doubt, but stands firm and is sure of its case. When the Word of God enters the heart by true faith, it makes the heart as firm, sure and certain as it is itself, so that the heart is unmoved, stubborn, and hard in the face of every temptation, the devil, death and anything whatever, boldly and proudly despising and mocking everything that spells doubt, fear, evil, and wrath. For it knows that God's Word cannot lie. Such a person is made certain and has a strong faith, as the Word of the Lord is certain."

Now does this mean that having a strong faith, you will have an easy row to hoe in life? Does having a strong faith mean that you won't struggle with afflictions? Certainly not. If God sent afflictions to Jesus, God will certainly send afflictions to you, and we should expect them. But when afflictions come our way, we are sometimes surprised by them. We are excited and confused. We may even accuse God of being cruel, and cry out, "Why does God do this? I deserve better, God doesn't love me. I'll quit his service. I'll curse God and die."

This is exactly what the devil wants. He wants you to get so worked up and concerned about other things, material things, that the flame of your faith grows dimmer and dimmer. He wants the flame of your faith to go out.

The apostle Paul, whom I would probably consider to have had the strongest faith, knew just this. He knew that to keep himself from becoming conceited because of his strong faith, he was given a thorn in the flesh. He asked that it be taken away. But Jesus said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Paul, as a matter of fact, boasted about his weaknesses, because he knew that Jesus was his strength. Paul said, "For when I am weak, then I am strong." Paul knew that the flame of his faith didn't depend on his weakness, but rather on the merits of Jesus.

The flame of a fire does two things: it consumes fuel, and it produces heat and light. Our faith has a double function, too. In the first place, it clings to the promise of God, namely the gift of God's grace and the saving power of Jesus' death on the cross. This is what our faith consumes. The book of Romans says, "We concluded that a man is justified by faith, apart from observing the law."

In the second place, our faith produces something. The Bible says, "Faith expresses itself through love." This is what our faith produces.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not of yourselves, it is a gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." 

We have the gift of God,

Just as Paul thanked God for Timothy's sincere faith, I want you to know that I thank God, through prayer, that you have a strong faith. I thank God that your parents or grandparents took the time to share with you our Savior, Jesus. I thank God for the faith that you now have, that you believe in God's One and Only Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light, through The Gospel.

 Jesus, our Savior has destroyed death, through his own death on the cross. And, He descended into hell, to proclaim victory over our sin and the devil! Jesus proclaimed victory over death, to give us the forgiveness our sins and eternal life in heaven. Guard this message of The Gospel and fan into flame, the gift of God.

Amen.