[Sermon Archive] - [Weekly Devotional Guide]

This Week's Sermon THE FESTIVAL of ST. TIMOTHY, PASTOR & CONFESSOR 24 January 2010 "But as For You, O Man of God" 1 Timothy 6:11-16 LSB Series C Vicar Jeffrey M. Dock Soli Deo Gloria!

In the name of Jesus + Amen

Our first reading, from the books of Acts, talked about Paul finding a young disciple named Timothy. Paul chose Timothy to accompany him on his further journeys. It's never said whether Timothy is ordained as a pastor at that point, though he eventually is since he serves as both a pastor and a bishop to the early church. I like to think he wasn't a pastor yet though, because it means Timothy here was serving a 'vicarage' of sorts. It puts me in good company.

The Acts reading ends with this verse "So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily." I can't tell you why, but God chooses to use men to grow His church. The Almighty Lord, who has countless numbers of angelic hosts, chooses to use a relatively small number of mortal men. The Glorious God, who in the angels has an army of perfect messengers, chooses to use imperfect and sinful men to preach His Gospel. Such is His good and gracious Will.

It's nothing new. God chose Moses, who certainly didn't want to be God's spokesperson, to be the one who would proclaim liberty to His people. Moses didn't have a lot of qualifications. He was a murderer, constantly doubted God, and had difficulties speaking. Yet God chose him and worked out the Exodus and countless miracles through his hand.

In the New Testament, the first thing Jesus does when he starts His ministry is to call His disciples using simple words like "Follow me." The disciples came, not knowing exactly what they were in for, but finding faith kindled within their hearts by Jesus words. Reading the Gospels, we find that the disciples were not shining examples of virtue such as we'd expect. They suffered doubts, and anger, and despair, and unbelief. They were sinful human beings, and yet God chose them. And through them, He built His church and spread His Gospel to all the corners of the Earth.

So today, fittingly, we remember St. Timothy. Another man who God chose to serve in Christ's church. Timothy suffered his own share of problems- coming from a Gentile household; he was never fully accepted by the Jewish Christians he worked with. When you read the epistles of 1st and 2nd Timothy, written to Timothy by Paul- you find that Timothy suffered physical afflictions and needed advice, the same as any man. He was a sinner, and yet He was also an ordained minister of God. A pastor in Christ's church. One given the sacred responsibility of safeguarding God's mysteries. Preaching the Holy Word. Baptizing converts. Feeding Christ's Sheep with Christ Himself. Eventually, as a bishop, choosing men to be pastors over various congregations. This is no small thing.

I cannot answer the question of why God chooses to use sinful mortal men to accomplish His will. You know your pastor isn't perfect. You certainly know your vicars aren't perfect. We stumble into sin, can fail in our duties, sometimes say senseless things when we shouldn't- and occasionally don't say something important when we should. You've all heard the stories of scandals that pastors and other Christian leaders have been involved in. Even within our very own Missouri-synod communion. Even within our own Terre Haute community. The typical person falls into some sort of shame, vice, or sin and it doesn't get much attention. But when a pastor does it, it's local (and sometimes national!) news. It destroys people's faith. It is a horrific sin against God and against His people. And yet, in spite of all that, God chooses to use men to serve as pastors.

It's almost like Satan came before God and issued Him a challenge. Satan says "Well sure, you could use angels to accomplish your Will. You can snap your finger and instantly have the Gospel preached to everyone. But can you use those fallen humans you've created? The ones I tempted into sin. The ones who are so corrupt they can't even properly recognize you or see you face to face? You claim to love them so much, why don't you use them to accomplish Your will?!" And God says "Yes, I can. And I will." And He does.

In fact, He goes one step further. He sends His Son to take on human flesh. He redeems the entire world through Christ's sacrifice, and then chooses to use those redeemed human beings as His servants. What was lost is now found, and is now used to save the lost. Freely God gives to us, and then He uses us to freely give to others. God was not content merely to redeem our flesh and forgive our sins, and leave it at that. He now uses our flesh. He uses our minds and bodies to His glory. It's as impressive as the first victory. Not only is God able to forgive sinners, but He is able to use sinners to accomplish His Holy will and perfect purpose. That's pretty incredible. God entrusts His greatest gifts to the most unworthy.

That is love. Free, reckless, love. He loves us enough to entrust us with His gifts. The greatest things in Heaven or on earth, and He entrusts them to sinners. He loves us enough to let us make our own decisions as to how to run the church. He loves us enough to not force us to pray and make us receive His gifts, but to offer to us the invitation to come and taste and see that the Lord is good. It isn't a perfect system. Some make really poor decisions. Some despise Christ's gifts. Some spit upon their baptismal birthright, and never again come to the Lord's table. God calls us into the Christian Church, giving us the gift of faith, of His own Will- but He does not force us to stay there. Many who have been baptized into the Christian faith choose to later reject God's gifts. And that is sad. Jesus laments over Jerusalem because He offers them all good things, and they want nothing of it. He offers them life, and they cling to death. Jesus mourns. This is no small thing.

And yet there is hope in the midst of all this. For at the last day, Jesus will be able to point at His redeemed saints and say "Look what I have done through them. Look at the fruit that those who remained in the true vine have brought forth." God has pride in his children. As unlovable as we often are, God loves us. Poor sinners though we be, God uses us. Though we are weak vessels that can do nothing on our own, God utilizes us to accomplish His will upon this earth.

This was certainly true of St. Timothy. Here was a pastor who accompanied Paul on his journeys, preaching to both Jews and Gentiles. Here was a pastor who was eventually made into a bishop over Ephesus (according to church tradition). Here was a pastor who, Paul tells us, knew the Scriptures from His childhood and firmly believed them, preaching and teaching them to others¹. Here was a pastor who was murdered for his faith. Timothy's zeal for the Gospel led him to try to stop a pagan procession of idols, and in response to Timothy preaching the Gospel- the pagan crowd beat him, dragged him through the city, and stoned him to death. Precious in God's sight is the death of His saints. Blessed are those who die in the Lord.

It's worth noting that Timothy's faith and strength came from the teaching he had since childhood. The Word of God created and strengthened His faith, allowing him to be a faithful pastor in Christ's church. It is the same with Pr. Meyer and me. Any good pastoral ability we have is a free gift of God. Our faithfulness toward God and His church is not our own work, but is completely a gift given to us by our Savior. We hear the word so that our faith, which is weak and fragile, might be strengthened. We listen to the word so that we can believe firmly in our savior and tell of His wondrous love to others. So also you listen to God's word that your faith might be strengthened, and that you might lead God-pleasing lives in service to Him and your neighbor.

In our Gospel reading, Jesus says "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes." These words described St. Timothy. He recognized that his congregation did not live on bread alone, but on every word which proceeded from the mouth of God. So He preached these words. He recognized that His congregation needed more than earthly food, and so He gave them the body and blood of Christ. He is the one the master set over the household of the Christian church to give them their food at the proper time.

May it ever be so here at Immanuel. May Pastor Meyer continue to faithfully feed you with the food you certainly need. Pray that the pastor who comes after Him remain faithful to Our Lord's words. Pray that pastors the world over be kept from sin, and be faithful shepherds to their flocks. Pray that I be allowed to become an ordained minister in Christ's church and be a faithful pastor. On their own, pastors could do none of these things. But what is impossible with men is certainly possible with God. He used St. Timothy, may he also now use His ministers here on earth.

Christ commands that we pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Let us do that. This day, and every day. That the kingdom of God might come among the peoples of the earth, and that all who hear of it might rejoice in Him.

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

¹2 Timothy 3:14-15