Church Sermon - October 17, 2004

Rev. Bernt P. Tweit

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

He was a man who was nearing the end of his life. He was in prison. He was lonely. He was reflecting over his past life. And, his thoughts turned to a person that he had met. The last time he had seen this man, he was crying. Now, it was his desire to sit down and write a letter to this man, encouraging him in his life of faith. While he wrote that letter, his heart was being poured out, showing his love for this man, encouraging him to keep the faith. He was handing over to him, something that once had been entrusted to him.

The man who was writing that letter was the Apostle Paul. The man to whom the Apostle Paul was writing was a young pastor, by the name of Timothy. While Paul was in prison, while he was in chains, his heart was going out to that young pastor, Timothy, to whom he was handing over his ministry. He was encouraging him to keep the faith and to share that faith with others, the faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

I. Thank God for it (faith)

Paul, in our text for today, is also encouraging us also to keep the faith. As he is encouraging us to keep the faith, he asks us to thank God for the faith that has come to us. Yes, it is God, the Holy Spirit, who has brought us to faith. Martin Luther was considering this, as he was going through the Apostle’s Creed. When he came to the Third Article, he wrote an explanation. It reminds us that it is God, the Holy Spirit, who brings us to faith. We don’t come to faith on our own. Martin Luther wrote:

Yes, the Holy Spirit works through God’s Word. The Holy Spirit works through the sacrament of Holy Baptism. The Holy Spirit works through the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, to bring us to faith and to keep us in the faith. But, God, the Holy Spirit, also uses people, who share that Word of God with us. Paul, in this letter, writes to Timothy. He recognizes those people who were useful in bringing Timothy to faith. They were his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice.

In Timothy’s day, it was the case where the woman, the wife in a household, would raise up their children in the faith. Then, at the age of seven, the father would take over and raise their children, from a spiritual standpoint. We know, from scripture, that Timothy’s dad was a Gentile. He was an unbeliever in the God of Israel. He was an unbeliever in Jesus Christ, as his Savior. How wonderful it is that Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and mother, Eunice, raised Timothy up in the faith. It is later on in this letter, that Paul acknowledges the faith that came to Timothy. Paul says, "As for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of because you know those from whom you learned it. And how from infancy you have know the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 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." (I Timothy 3:15-17)

Today, we also are thankful that the Holy Spirit has brought us to faith and has used people like our parents and grandparents, a pastor, a teacher, or a friend to bring us to faith.

II. Use it (faith)

In our text for today, not only does Paul tell us to be thankful that we have come to faith, but he encourages us to use our faith. He says,

"Fan into flame

the gift of God." (vs. 6)

Now, imagine sitting around a campfire in which the campfire has burned down to glowing embers. You throw on a new piece of firewood. And, for that new piece of firewood to start on fire, you blow some breaths onto those glowing embers so that it can fan into flame and start that new piece of firewood on fire. Here, Paul is encouraging us to use our faith, and to fan it into flame.

The story is told of a man, who was a faithful member of a church, who stopped attending the regular worship services. The pastor noticed that this man had not been in church for a month, so he stopped by his house, to make a visit. While he was walking up the sidewalk on that cool, crisp evening, he saw his member sitting by the window in the living room, around the warmth of a fire. He went up to the house and rapped on the door. His member invited him in.

They went into the living room, and before they sat down, the pastor took the iron poker, and poked the fire a little bit. He then moved a glowing hot ember from the midst of the fire, up to the very front of the hearth. For the next hour or so, he and his member were visiting about how their families were, visiting about the hobbies they were interested in, and visiting about politics and sports. When their conversation was coming to an end, the pastor stood up and went to the fireplace. He grabbed the piece of wood that he had moved to the front of the hearth, handed it to his member, and simply commented, "It is cold."

His member knew what his pastor was doing. He knew that just as the piece of wood that was once warm and glowing, became cold after it had been removed from the fire, so was he. He knew that the pastor was demonstrating how he, who once was warm, glowing, and bright in his faith, had removed himself from worship with other members, and now had grown cold in his faith.

In the book of Hebrews we are instructed and encouraged "not to give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing. But, to encourage one another all the more, as we see the day, as we see Judgment Day, approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)

We thank God the Holy Spirit for bringing us to faith. And now, may we use the gift of faith that God has given to us. All of us have different gifts of faith. May we use our gift, as we grow stronger in our faith, as well as in encouraging others in their faith!

III. Be Proud of it (faith)

Paul, in our letter today, is also encouraging us to be proud of our faith. He says,

"Do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord." (vs. 8)

I believe that there are two things that can prevent us from testifying about our Lord. One is having a fear of a world that is hostile toward Christ. An example of that would be Peter. He was afraid of a world that was hostile to Christ. While Jesus was on trial, Peter denied Jesus three times.

The other example that would prevent us from testifying about our Lord is simply a failure to see in Jesus that He is our priceless treasure. The Apostle Paul is an example of that. In his former life as Saul, he didn’t see Jesus to be that priceless treasure. He didn’t see Jesus to be the fulfillment of the Messiah, or the Savior. He wanted to persecute those who believed in Jesus.

How sometimes we are like Peter or Paul, ashamed to testify about our Lord, because we are afraid of the world that is hostile toward Christ and what they may think about us, as we fail sometimes to see fully that Jesus is our priceless Savior. But, today we can be proud of our faith, especially when we remember the price that Jesus our Savior paid for our salvation.

Today, as you go home, and sometime this week, I encourage you to pick up your Bible and look at 1 Corinthians, chapter 15. 1 Corinthians, chapter 15 is the chapter in scripture that often times is known as the Great Resurrection Chapter. It is in this chapter that we are reminded of the price that Jesus paid for our salvation, to bring us to faith, and to keep us in our faith. I want to share just a portion of that with you this morning. Here the Apostle Paul also says, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day, according to the scriptures, that He appeared to Peter and then to the twelve, but if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 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. The first fruits of those who have fallen asleep."

Today we can be proud of the faith that the Holy Spirit has brought to us. May we use it. And also, not be afraid to testify about our Lord.

IV. Guard it (faith)

The final thing that Paul tells us in our letter for this morning is that we are go guard the faith that has been entrusted to us. Paul, today says, "Guard the good deposit that has been entrusted to you." (vs. 14)

Let’s say that I told you that I was going to take a crisp one hundred dollar bill. I was going to go to downtown New York City. I was going to raise that crisp one hundred-dollar bill above my head. I was going to walk from one street corner to another street corner. Would that crisp one hundred-dollar bill still be in my hand if I did that? The answer is probably not. Probably not. That crisp one hundred-dollar bill is like our faith. Sometimes our faith is weak and could so easily be snatched from us and taken from us. Here in our text for today, in this letter, as Paul is encouraging us to keep the faith, he asks us to guard, to guard that good deposit that has been given to us. He is really asking us to cling to our life of faith - to guard it.

How wonderful this letter is that Paul once wrote to a young pastor named Timothy. This portion of God’s Word also comes down to us, in which Paul is encouraging us to keep the faith. Today, we thank God, the Holy Spirit for bringing us to faith. May we use the gifts that God has given to us. May we be proud to testify about our Lord. May we guard that good deposit of faith that has been entrusted to us.

This morning we close in prayer.

Almighty God,

We ask you to grant unto your Church your Holy Spirit, that your Word may be preached to the joy and edifying of Christ’s holy people, that we keep the faith, and serve you. And in the confession of your Son’s name, abide until the end.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be forever more.

Amen.

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