3rd Sunday of End Time, Saints Triumphant, Stewardship Sunday #2, 11/14/10
Colossians 4:2-6
Join Triumphant Saints in Prayer!
I. For others
II. For yourself
If this year’s Ohio State University football team reaches its goal and wins the national championship this coming January, can you imagine not hearing about? Can you imagine any scenario in which the university would decide to keep that information to itself? Of course not. Every media outlet in the state would make it headline news for day after day.
If some cancer research doctor somewhere in the world discovered an amazing cure for cancer, do you think he or she would keep that information under wraps? Can you imagine a person so evil who would hold that information hostage for any reason? Of course not. That’s the kind of information that is instantly shared and applied.
Now take that a step further. If some medical researcher after years of intense work discovered a cure for death itself, as impossible as that may seem, do you think that researcher would keep that news to himself? Of course not. It would easily be the only subject of news and conversation for days on end. And we’d want to see proof that this cure actually works.
Well, Christianity has possessed that “cure” for nearly 2,000 years. Our last great enemy is death. It often comes slamming into our lives as we deal with the deaths of loved ones. And eventually, it will claim us as well. For all our medical advances the death toll remains the same: one for each person. But Christianity has the cure. It’s what we confess in the Apostles’ Creed with the words, “I believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.” On this Sunday of the church year we’re celebrating the truth that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead gives us the victory over death. He has promised to raise our bodies and glorify them on the Last Day. And the proof that this “cure” for death works rests on the solid foundation of Christ’s own resurrection. We have the cure. We have victory.
So what should we do with that astounding news? We can’t keep it to ourselves. That would be the lowest, most vile form of evil ever. Instead, let’s share it. In fact, that’s the great commission that Jesus gave to his church on earth—to share the good news of Jesus, the crucified and risen Savior.
But sharing that good news isn’t easy. Not only does our world wage war against it, so does our timid sinful nature. So what should we do about that? Do what the Apostle Paul encouraged in these words from Colossians 4 (read text).
As we’re celebrating our victory over death as saints triumphant, one issue that comes to mind is how to share that victory with our neighbors and there’s the connection with today’s stewardship theme: seeking time for my neighbor. So let’s pray about it. Join triumphant saints in prayer. Let’s see for what to pray as Paul shares his answers with us this morning.
Part I.
Sometimes people ask for the most unexpected things. When it’s a child, the situation is often comical to say the least. For instance, last Christmas I heard the story of a little lad who climbed up onto Santa’s lap and when Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas, he replied, “Green beans and chicken and a fork.” Why would you ask Santa for that? What he asked for was surprising.
Paul wrote these words of our text while in prison in Rome. The fact that he encourages the Colossians to devote themselves to prayer and specifically to “pray for us” meaning Paul and his companions, doesn’t surprise us. If I were in prison for proclaiming the gospel and asked you to pray for me, you wouldn’t be surprised, would you? But what Paul asks them to pray for is surprising. He says, “Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message.” He prays for an open door, but he’s not talking about the door to his prison cell, as the Lord had done previously for his apostles. He doesn’t even ask them to pray for the legal system to open that door for him.
Instead, he asks them to pray that the Lord would open a door for his message. He’s talking about the message of Jesus as the world’s Savior from sin, crucified and risen from the dead. Paul desires to use his imprisonment as a means to share the gospel. Perhaps that was with his neighbor there in that prison. Perhaps that was with the prison guards or with the judges Paul would later face.
And he gets rather specific about the content of those prayers. He writes, “Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” Paul was in prison for proclaiming that message so clearly. No doubt the temptation was great for him to pull back a little bit on that message, to soften it so that it wouldn’t bring him further trouble. He wanted these Christians to pray that he would declare the whole counsel of God, as difficult as that may be.
Furthermore, he wanted them to pray that he would share that message as he should. Paul was called by Jesus to be an apostle. Jesus asked his apostles to suffer the loss of everything, even life itself, for the truth of Christianity. Paul wanted the Colossians to pray for him to fight the temptation to love his own life more than his Lord Jesus.
Jesus gives us that same encouragement. Join your fellow Christian, the triumphant saints, in prayer. First, pray for others.
As a congregation we’re concerned about opening the doors of our congregation to others so that they can hear the message of Christ. In fact, we spend a considerable amount of time talking about it. But how much time do we spend praying about it? Through his apostle, Jesus here shares with you and me what should be one of the first things we do in order to reach out to others—to seek time with our neighbors—and that’s to pray. Pray for others to reach them with the gospel. Instead of taking the approach of “that’s someone else’s job” or “that‘s not my thing,” here’s something we all can do—to pray for others as they share the gospel. Certainly that includes our missionaries, but today we’re emphasizing sharing that message right here, with our neighbors. Please pray for me that the Lord opens doors for me and that I speak clearly as I should. Pray for our newly formed Outreach Team. Pray for the Lord to use our church website to open doors for our neighbors. We have the message of forgiveness of sins through Jesus who was crucified for the sins of all people. We have the message of a risen Savior who gives us victory over death. Join triumphant saints in prayer for others!
Part II.
While we’re on the subject of prayer this morning, do you ever wonder what other people pray about? A study by Barna Research from a decade ago on that very topic revealed that 95% of adults use prayer to thank God for what he has done in their lives. 76% pray for forgiveness for specific sins. 61% use prayer to ask for help for specific needs. I don’t think any of those responses startle us.
But they might disappoint us in light of Paul’s words to us this morning. After the general encouragement to devote yourself to prayer, Paul writes, “Be wise in the way that you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” After asking for prayers for opportunities for himself to share the gospel, Paul urges that triumphant saints pray for opportunities for themselves to share the gospel. He says, “Be wise.” Why? Because we tend to act in ways that aren’t wise. We often fail to grab opportunities that are right in front of us, or we fail to use our Christian wisdom to construct opportunities to share the gospel with others.
And when he tells us to “make the most of every opportunity,” he’s telling us to use it to the fullest to share God’s truth as we’ve come to know it. Don’t think that Paul means you need to share every truth of the Bible when you get the opportunity. What he’s saying is, “Don’t shy away.” Instead, boldly proclaim God’s truth as it fits the situation.
But that implies you know what to say when the situation arises. Who feels confident doing that? That’s where prayer comes in once again. Paul writes, “Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” What does it mean to let your conversation be full of grace? It means that you focus on what your loving God has done for you, not because you’ve earned or deserved it, but because he’s gracious. He gives us earthly blessings even though we don’t deserve them. Chiefly, he gives us forgiveness and eternal life even though we don’t deserve them. That’s his grace to you. That’s his grace to all people. Let others know it.
But what does it mean to have conversation seasoned with salt? It’s probably best to understand these words in the way that Jesus often used the word “salt”—to indicate something that is pure and wholesome. Salt was used to preserve food in Bible times. Paul encourages us to have conversations that are wholesome and preserve the life of others. Well, what kind of conversation is that? It’s a conversation about Jesus as the way to eternal life. There’s no more important conversation to have with someone else. Join triumphant saints in prayer—prayer for yourself to have that kind of conversation with others.
Someone once said, “A good beginning is half-way done.” A good beginning to seeking time with our neighbors is to pray that God would give us the opportunity to share our faith with them and to give us the words to say when that opportunity arises. And that’s not some pious wish. Your God promises to do so in his word. He wants to use you to reach others. He promises to be with you and to give you the words to say. Certainly the Savior who has the power to make us triumphant over death can do what we ask of him in sharing our faith with others. May he bless us as we share his message of victory with others. Amen.
November 13, 2010
Make Time for God's People!
2nd Sunday of End Time, Last Judgment, Stewardship Sunday #1
11/7/10
Acts 2:37-47
Make Time for God’s People!
I. To grow stronger in faith
II. To grow closer in fellowship
In our lightning-fast world, time has become our most prized possession. We never seem to have enough of it and yet not a day goes by in which we don’t misuse it. More than one of you has told me you’d rather pay someone to do something for you than do it yourself because you want to use what little time you have to do things that are more satisfying and more rewarding for you. It’s all about prizing your time.
And on this Sunday in the church year, that prized possession charges right at us and smacks us in the head. Each year on this Sunday we focus on the Last Judgment. Just as there was a beginning to our world and universe, so there will be an end. And on that final day the Lord Jesus will come to judge all people. Once the end hits, there will be no more time for anything to be done. It will be the greatest “ready or not” moment in all of history.
But I’m not telling you that to alarm you or to cause you spiritual distress. I want you to know and believe with all your heart that you are ready for that Last Judgment, for the final second of history, by faith in Jesus as your Savior from sin. Do you trust in Christ? Then you’re ready for his return no matter when it occurs.
But now what? What should we do from this moment until the end of time? What should we do with the time that we have left? That’s a critical question in view of what we said our experience with time has been—that we never seem to have enough of it. Assuming that we’ll continue our time deficit, how we use our remaining time is critically important. What should we be doing with our time?
Keep that question in mind as you listen to the words of our text from Acts 2. (Read text.) Are you impressed with what these early Christians did with their time? One way to characterize their use of time was that they made time for each other.
As we focus on the Last Judgment and our use of time until that day arrives, let’s do the same. Make time for God’s people! As we take these words of our text to heart, may the Holy Spirit guide and direct us to do just that.
Part I.
Do you recall the potential flu epidemic we faced a year ago at this time? It revolved around the dreaded H1N1 strain of influenza. Medical experts were predicting that it could spread through the entire population of our country and cause 1,000s of deaths. They encouraged everyone to get vaccinated. But then another difficulty emerged. The supply of vaccinations was reported to be inadequate. Manufacturers scrambled to increase production. When the vaccinations became available, doctors’ offices, pharmacies and county health departments made them available as best they could. And eventually those who wanted the vaccination received it and a threatened epidemic was avoided. The news of something dreadful occurring spurred people into action.
For some, the thought of a Last Judgment is dreadful news. It ought to spur them into action, but often doesn’t. But as God’s people by faith in Jesus we have nothing to fear. But what should we be doing now that we know it’s coming? Listen again to the words of our text, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.’” Martin Luther, in the first of his famous 95 theses, wrote that it is God’s will that the entire life of the Christian be one of repentance. God didn’t intend repentance to be a yearly painful ritual such as filing your tax returns or a monthly ritual such as paying your mortgage. Daily he wants us to recognize, confess and admit our sins. That’s how we should be spending our time.
And then spend time receiving forgiveness. Peter urged all his hearers that day to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. I’m sure all of you that I know have received baptism, most of us many years ago. And since then we’ve been receiving forgiveness through the gospel of Jesus as it has been shared with us verbally and through the gospel of Jesus in the Lord Supper as we receive his body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. That’s how we should be spending our time.
And as we do that, our faith in Christ grows. Notice and follow the example of these early Christians in our text. The Bible says “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.” They focused on the word of God that the apostles shared with them. That word built them up in their faith. It brought maturity to their new faith in Jesus.
What’s more, they focused on their baptisms. Thousands of baptisms were occurring in a very short amount of time. After receiving their own baptism, these new Christians could witness other baptisms and recall the promises God made to them at their baptism. In doing do, their faith was strengthened.
And they shared the Lord’s Supper. Twice our text speaks of the breaking of bread. Bible scholars debate if this is a reference to the Lord’s Supper or not. It certainly might be. But we do know from other parts of Scripture that their early practice was to enjoy fellowship meals and celebrate the Lord’s Supper in connection with those meals. By doing so they were growing in their faith.
In short, they used their time to gather together to grow in their faith.
Make time for God’s people, to grow stronger in faith!
In one way your faith in Jesus is like your health. Take it for granted, ignore it, pay no attention to it, and you will lose it. And don’t go thinking it couldn’t happen to you. Just look around you. Try to recall a face you no longer see. While it’s true that many of those people have relocated and/or joined a different church, it’s also true that some of them have decided to take their faith for granted. They no longer feed it with word and sacrament. They’re in danger of losing it altogether. It could happen to you. So, as you determine how you’re going to use your time between now and the Last Judgment take your Savior’s advice and make time for God’s people. At the end of worship I’ll talk about a Christian time management tool that can help you focus on making the most of your time by growing in your faith in Christ. That Savior lived and died so that you could spend all eternity with him. He focused his time on winning your forgiveness and eternal life. Respond to his love for you with time for him and for God’s people in order to grow stronger in your faith.
Part II.
Is it possible for a person to be a Christian all by themselves, isolated on some deserted island in the tropics or holed up in some cabin deep in a national forest? It’s possible. But I imagine it would be difficult. Left all to yourself, who would correct you when you’re wrong? Who would encourage you in your faith when you were troubled or despairing?
I’m sure it’s possible to be a Christian all by yourself, but that’s not the model we see on display in the words of our text. We read, “Every day they met together in the temple courts.” What were they doing there? Most likely they were talking about their Christian faith with one another, sharing the issues in their lives and how their faith guided them in those issues, and sharing their faith with non-Christians.
They likely used these opportunities to “devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching.” There was instruction in the word of God going on among them. They searched the Old Testament for the promises of the Savior and noted how Jesus fulfilled them all. They recalled the words and acts of Jesus, especially his death and resurrection.
And as we noted, they broke bread together, most likely in their homes. They shared meals with one another, getting to know each other better and to enjoy the common bond they now had—their faith in Christ. They helped one another view the joys and sorrows of life through the lens of their Christian faith and how their faith guided and encouraged them. Along with these meals, they celebrated the Lord’s Supper and by doing so, their faith in Christ and their Christian bond were strengthened.
That fellowship they enjoyed also enabled them to care for one another. Times of need were inevitable and they put their faith into action to meet those needs. We read, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” This wasn’t some sort of communal living arrangement. Many of these new Christians had been blessed with material possessions, more than they needed to live on. As they saw fellow Christians in need, they used what they had to help them. They did so out of love for their Savior, Jesus, and out of love for their fellow Christians.
In short, they put into practice the spiritual fellowship they enjoyed by faith in Jesus. Their faith in Christ compelled them to meet together, to appreciate each other as fellow Christians, to encourage each other in their life of faith and to put their faith into action by caring for one another.
In short, they made it a priority to use their time to grow closer in fellowship.
It seems to me that the gift of Christian fellowship is something you don’t fully appreciate until you no longer have it available. Let’s avoid ever getting to that point. Instead, recall how a fellow Christian was there to help you with just the right word or deed when you needed it most. In our computer age, it’s too easy to replace solid Christian fellowship with a colorful monitor. Jesus brought us into fellowship with him by shedding his blood for our forgiveness. In doing so, he also brought us into fellowship with one another. Cherish that fellowship! Look for opportunities to enjoy and enhance it. Make time for God’s people! Amen.
11/7/10
Acts 2:37-47
Make Time for God’s People!
I. To grow stronger in faith
II. To grow closer in fellowship
In our lightning-fast world, time has become our most prized possession. We never seem to have enough of it and yet not a day goes by in which we don’t misuse it. More than one of you has told me you’d rather pay someone to do something for you than do it yourself because you want to use what little time you have to do things that are more satisfying and more rewarding for you. It’s all about prizing your time.
And on this Sunday in the church year, that prized possession charges right at us and smacks us in the head. Each year on this Sunday we focus on the Last Judgment. Just as there was a beginning to our world and universe, so there will be an end. And on that final day the Lord Jesus will come to judge all people. Once the end hits, there will be no more time for anything to be done. It will be the greatest “ready or not” moment in all of history.
But I’m not telling you that to alarm you or to cause you spiritual distress. I want you to know and believe with all your heart that you are ready for that Last Judgment, for the final second of history, by faith in Jesus as your Savior from sin. Do you trust in Christ? Then you’re ready for his return no matter when it occurs.
But now what? What should we do from this moment until the end of time? What should we do with the time that we have left? That’s a critical question in view of what we said our experience with time has been—that we never seem to have enough of it. Assuming that we’ll continue our time deficit, how we use our remaining time is critically important. What should we be doing with our time?
Keep that question in mind as you listen to the words of our text from Acts 2. (Read text.) Are you impressed with what these early Christians did with their time? One way to characterize their use of time was that they made time for each other.
As we focus on the Last Judgment and our use of time until that day arrives, let’s do the same. Make time for God’s people! As we take these words of our text to heart, may the Holy Spirit guide and direct us to do just that.
Part I.
Do you recall the potential flu epidemic we faced a year ago at this time? It revolved around the dreaded H1N1 strain of influenza. Medical experts were predicting that it could spread through the entire population of our country and cause 1,000s of deaths. They encouraged everyone to get vaccinated. But then another difficulty emerged. The supply of vaccinations was reported to be inadequate. Manufacturers scrambled to increase production. When the vaccinations became available, doctors’ offices, pharmacies and county health departments made them available as best they could. And eventually those who wanted the vaccination received it and a threatened epidemic was avoided. The news of something dreadful occurring spurred people into action.
For some, the thought of a Last Judgment is dreadful news. It ought to spur them into action, but often doesn’t. But as God’s people by faith in Jesus we have nothing to fear. But what should we be doing now that we know it’s coming? Listen again to the words of our text, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.’” Martin Luther, in the first of his famous 95 theses, wrote that it is God’s will that the entire life of the Christian be one of repentance. God didn’t intend repentance to be a yearly painful ritual such as filing your tax returns or a monthly ritual such as paying your mortgage. Daily he wants us to recognize, confess and admit our sins. That’s how we should be spending our time.
And then spend time receiving forgiveness. Peter urged all his hearers that day to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. I’m sure all of you that I know have received baptism, most of us many years ago. And since then we’ve been receiving forgiveness through the gospel of Jesus as it has been shared with us verbally and through the gospel of Jesus in the Lord Supper as we receive his body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. That’s how we should be spending our time.
And as we do that, our faith in Christ grows. Notice and follow the example of these early Christians in our text. The Bible says “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.” They focused on the word of God that the apostles shared with them. That word built them up in their faith. It brought maturity to their new faith in Jesus.
What’s more, they focused on their baptisms. Thousands of baptisms were occurring in a very short amount of time. After receiving their own baptism, these new Christians could witness other baptisms and recall the promises God made to them at their baptism. In doing do, their faith was strengthened.
And they shared the Lord’s Supper. Twice our text speaks of the breaking of bread. Bible scholars debate if this is a reference to the Lord’s Supper or not. It certainly might be. But we do know from other parts of Scripture that their early practice was to enjoy fellowship meals and celebrate the Lord’s Supper in connection with those meals. By doing so they were growing in their faith.
In short, they used their time to gather together to grow in their faith.
Make time for God’s people, to grow stronger in faith!
In one way your faith in Jesus is like your health. Take it for granted, ignore it, pay no attention to it, and you will lose it. And don’t go thinking it couldn’t happen to you. Just look around you. Try to recall a face you no longer see. While it’s true that many of those people have relocated and/or joined a different church, it’s also true that some of them have decided to take their faith for granted. They no longer feed it with word and sacrament. They’re in danger of losing it altogether. It could happen to you. So, as you determine how you’re going to use your time between now and the Last Judgment take your Savior’s advice and make time for God’s people. At the end of worship I’ll talk about a Christian time management tool that can help you focus on making the most of your time by growing in your faith in Christ. That Savior lived and died so that you could spend all eternity with him. He focused his time on winning your forgiveness and eternal life. Respond to his love for you with time for him and for God’s people in order to grow stronger in your faith.
Part II.
Is it possible for a person to be a Christian all by themselves, isolated on some deserted island in the tropics or holed up in some cabin deep in a national forest? It’s possible. But I imagine it would be difficult. Left all to yourself, who would correct you when you’re wrong? Who would encourage you in your faith when you were troubled or despairing?
I’m sure it’s possible to be a Christian all by yourself, but that’s not the model we see on display in the words of our text. We read, “Every day they met together in the temple courts.” What were they doing there? Most likely they were talking about their Christian faith with one another, sharing the issues in their lives and how their faith guided them in those issues, and sharing their faith with non-Christians.
They likely used these opportunities to “devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching.” There was instruction in the word of God going on among them. They searched the Old Testament for the promises of the Savior and noted how Jesus fulfilled them all. They recalled the words and acts of Jesus, especially his death and resurrection.
And as we noted, they broke bread together, most likely in their homes. They shared meals with one another, getting to know each other better and to enjoy the common bond they now had—their faith in Christ. They helped one another view the joys and sorrows of life through the lens of their Christian faith and how their faith guided and encouraged them. Along with these meals, they celebrated the Lord’s Supper and by doing so, their faith in Christ and their Christian bond were strengthened.
That fellowship they enjoyed also enabled them to care for one another. Times of need were inevitable and they put their faith into action to meet those needs. We read, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” This wasn’t some sort of communal living arrangement. Many of these new Christians had been blessed with material possessions, more than they needed to live on. As they saw fellow Christians in need, they used what they had to help them. They did so out of love for their Savior, Jesus, and out of love for their fellow Christians.
In short, they put into practice the spiritual fellowship they enjoyed by faith in Jesus. Their faith in Christ compelled them to meet together, to appreciate each other as fellow Christians, to encourage each other in their life of faith and to put their faith into action by caring for one another.
In short, they made it a priority to use their time to grow closer in fellowship.
It seems to me that the gift of Christian fellowship is something you don’t fully appreciate until you no longer have it available. Let’s avoid ever getting to that point. Instead, recall how a fellow Christian was there to help you with just the right word or deed when you needed it most. In our computer age, it’s too easy to replace solid Christian fellowship with a colorful monitor. Jesus brought us into fellowship with him by shedding his blood for our forgiveness. In doing so, he also brought us into fellowship with one another. Cherish that fellowship! Look for opportunities to enjoy and enhance it. Make time for God’s people! Amen.
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