The 14th Sunday after Trinity

SERMON - Thank You, Jesus!

INI

Text: 1 Timothy 1:12-17

I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

In Christ Jesus, for whose grace we are truly thankful, dear fellow redeemed:

We Lutherans do not get into “personal testimonies” all that often, as do some other Christians. They do not play a significant role in our worship services. In fact, I believe that it is accurate to say that we Lutherans tend to be a bit uncomfortable with personal testimonies. We much prefer to talk about Jesus’ completed work of redemption and what it means to us, rather than about our personal lives. Consequently, we would be quick to agree with the apostle Paul and offer a hearty “amen” to his statement: “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified!” (1 Cor. 2:2)

Yet, our text for consideration today is, quite frankly, a personal testimony of the apostle Paul. Listen once again to this statement in our text: “For this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe.” Jesus’ direct involvement in Paul’s life was to serve as a pattern with which to compare His involvement in our lives and those of others. Let us, therefore, consider today Paul’s personal testimony. Interestingly, we will see that it does not really dwell that much on Paul, but rather upon the work of Christ in, through, and on behalf of Paul. As we then consider Jesus’ work in Paul’s life and compare it with His work in our own, we will find ourselves doing exactly what Paul does—expressing his immense gratitude to Jesus! Let us, therefore, say: THANK YOU, JESUS! Yes, thank you, for a past life forgiven, for a present life enabled, and for a future life secured!

I.

Paul’s profound gratitude to Jesus was based upon a past life forgiven! Paul describes his earlier life with these words: “I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” Paul certainly had been an unlikely candidate to become a Christian. He had grown up in a strictly, religious Jewish home, where he had been taught to honor and observe the laws and traditions of the Pharisees. He had gone to school in the best and most orthodox Jewish school in Jerusalem. He was being groomed for a position on the Jewish Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court. As the early Christian church began to grow in Jerusalem, Paul was there to oppose them. He was present when Stephen was stoned. He led the effort in that early apostolic age to persecute, imprison, and penalize the early Christians. He blasphemed the name of Christ in his pride and was determined in his insolence to bring the early church to its knees—with violence, if necessary. Truly, a less likely candidate for confession could hardly have been found!

Yet, Paul “obtained mercy” from God. He goes on in our text: “The grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” It was the undeserved love of God that brought Paul to his knees on the way to Damascus. He was struck down and as he groveled in the dust, Jesus called out to him: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” At first, Paul did not know who was speaking. He asked, “Who are You, Lord?” Jesus responded: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” There Paul lay—guilty of the gravest of sins, worthy of eternal damnation, but upon inquiring what he should do, he heard not condemnation, but a simple instruction: “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (cf. Acts 9:1-9).

My dear friends, it was in view of his past that Paul identified himself as the “chief” of sinners. Still, he lived to thank Jesus for a past life forgiven! Do you have a past of which you are not too proud? Do you have a past filled with missteps, mistakes, and rebellion? Has Satan ever suggested to you in view of your past sins, that you are outside the realm of God’s mercy and grace…that there really is no real hope for you? If this is true in any way for you, take heart in Paul’s example. The same God of mercy, who in love struck down Paul on the way to Damascus and changed his life forever, desires to forgive and change you! Yes, He is calling to you to come—as you are—and with a penitent heart to receive the assurance of His forgiving love. He assures you that He has separated you from your sins “as far as the east is from the west” (Ps. 103:12), and He affirms for you that He has taken your sinful past and “cast (it) into the depth of the sea” (Micah 7:19). Yes, come, for you and I have reason to say THANK YOU, JESUS, just as did St. Paul, for a past life forgiven…

II.

…and for a present life enabled! Notice Paul’s words at the beginning of our text: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” Once again, when you know the history, who would have been a less likely candidate for Christian ministry than the apostle Paul? Yet, it was Jesus who “enabled” (that is literally: empowered) Paul faithfully to fulfill his calling as an apostle. Paul had been and remained, obviously, an energetic man. He had a high sense of drive and commitment, but prior to his conversion, it had been entirely misdirected. He was pursuing his own agenda, not God’s, and in pursuing his own agenda, he was actually distancing himself from God—not growing closer. But, God’s Holy Spirit had brought him to his knees in repentance, changed his heart, cleansed his life, and recommitted him to service. Yes, Paul had his problems—he was not considered a very powerful speaker (cf. 2 Cor. 11:6), and he had a reoccurring physical problem (cf. 2 Cor. 12:7), which at times hindered his work, but Jesus “enabled” him to go on and persevere! Consequently, having come to know Christ and the power of His kingdom, he was able to say with utter conviction and accuracy: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

My dear friends, you too can do all things through Christ who will strengthen you as you turn to Him, depend upon Him, and seek His direction! Jesus possesses all power and authority in heaven and on earth (cf. Mt. 28:18), and He promises to exercise that power and authority on your behalf and mine (cf. Eph. 1:20-23). Jesus has promised to give just the right gifts to you to accomplish His goals for your life (cf. Eph. 4:7-12). Jesus has promised to be at your side—all the time to give you the necessary wisdom (cf. Jam. 1:5), to help you answer the difficult questions that will be asked (cf. Mt. 10:19), to fulfill your calling or callings whatever it or they may be (cf. Eph. 4:1). Sit down this afternoon and review the “Table of Duties” in Luther’s Small Catechism. It will remind you of all of the various callings you have received from God. In spite of any and all set-backs that you may experience in your life, Jesus will “enable” you too, just as He did the apostle Paul, to accomplish all that He has planned and intended for you. Through His love He will remove your every reason for fear, so that you may approach each task in your lives with calm confidence and the certainty that He will work all things together for your good as you love and seek to serve Him (cf. Rom. 8:28). Yes, THANK YOU, JESUS for a present life enabled…

III.

…and, finally, for a future life secured! Paul writes: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.”

The ultimate goal of Jesus Christ for each and every one of us is the eternal glory of everlasting life! That is the ultimate reason behind God’s entire plan of salvation. In the very next chapter of 1 Timothy Paul writes: “God our Savior…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3b-4). Once converted and entrusted with his ministry, Paul threw himself, heart and soul, into the work of saving souls—knowing that Jesus could do for others exactly what He had done for him. To the Corinthians he wrote: “Though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win the Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without the law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under the law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:19-22). His goal was to help others come to know and believe in Jesus Christ, so that by faith they might secure the gift of everlasting life.

The attaining of life everlasting was not a mere possibility for Paul. Jesus did not say: “He who believes and is baptized…(may) be saved!” No, He said: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mk. 16:16a)—no questions, no doubts, no mere probability, but the absolute certainty and securing of salvation. That is why Paul could later write Timothy in his second epistle as he approached his own death: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

My dear friends, Paul was speaking to you and me! We, too, will inherit “the crown of righteousness” upon our deaths as we remain committed to our Savior. That has become ever so evident for us here at Immanuel this past week. Last Monday we laid to rest the mortal remains of Erma Door. Erma was 96 years old. She had plans to move into Keystone this past Friday, but God had other plans. He secured for Erma through Jesus the gift of everlasting life, which He then bestowed upon her. THANK YOU, JESUS! This past Thursday LeRoy Schweim died. He was only 66 years old. He and Bette had just retired and were anticipating years of reduced schedules and the joys of playing with grandchildren, but cancer struck and things changed. But THANK YOU, JESUS for delivering LeRoy from the pain and suffering of cancer! Yes, THANK YOU, JESUS for keeping Your promise and taking his soul to a place much better than we could ever imagine!

You and I, dear friends, have reason to rejoice, no matter what our current circumstances may be! We have a past life forgiven; we have a present life enabled; we have a future life secured! THANK YOU, JESUS, and with Paul we say: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen”

—Pastor Paul D. Nolting
Soli Gloria Deo!