“A Hope that Won’t Disappoint” 1 Thess. 1.1-10 Pent 21A Oct. ‘23

 

1.                Please pray with me. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock, and our Redeemer. Amen. “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (Eph 1:18). That’s Paul, writing to the Ephesians, from a prison cell. But, he dares to speak of hope? Clearly, Paul saw life through a different set of eyes, the eyes of faith. Please, tell us, Paul, what do you see from your prison cell to inspire your joyful song? How can you sing of hope? The message today is entitled, “A Hope that Won’t Disappoint,” it’s taken from 1 Thess. 1:1-10, dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                Not only did Paul sing of hope, but he also taught others to sing of it—like these Thessalonians. Really it was the Spirit who taught them, as he taught Paul to sing his song of hope. For it is a hope that “does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Rom 5:5). Today, then, God’s Gospel comes so that you may be “inspired by hope, a hope that won’t disappoint.”

3.                Our Bible readings today center on the Lord of the nations and an interesting thread ties them together. The Psalm for today from Psalm 96 invites God’s people to “declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. . . . For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens” (Ps 96:3–5). This truth is proven in the Old Testament Reading, where the Lord chooses Cyrus as his instrument, “though you do not acknowledge me” (Is 45:4). In the Gospel from Matthew 22, Jesus’ opponents attempt to trap him as either rebellious against Caesar for endorsing nonpayment of taxes or rebellious against the God of heaven, whose people Israel were subjects of Rome.

4.                The Thessalonian Christians face a similar dilemma. They have welcomed Paul and Silas, who were then falsely accused by their Jewish opponents of “defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus” (Acts 17:7). Turmoil breaks out, and Jason, hosting the apostle, is made to post bond. That night, the infant believers send Paul and Silas away from the danger, but they remain and must face the hostility of their fellow citizens (1 Thess 2:14–16; 3:3–4), although the charges are without merit. Like Paul and the Lord he followed, they find themselves traveling the way of suffering. But it is a way of hope (as Paul will repeatedly remind them, 1 Thess. 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 5:23), for it ends with Jesus’ triumphant return.

5.                Our hope in Christ is inspiring. Hope had inspired these Thessalonian Christians, even to the point of suffering for their faith. 1 Thess. 1:3 says, "We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul’s sequence (work . . . labor . . . endurance) builds in intensity: From “work” to “labor” (“toil” involving hardship), to “endurance” (hardship sustained). Are we so inspired by this faith as to suffer for it? Time to examine our own faith: Where have we veered from the real Gospel to unfounded hopes because we want to avoid the rejection of man?

6.                Hope thus inspired Paul and his co-workers (1 Thess. 1:2–3). The Lord, who would “show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16), would also through such people as these Thessalonians bless and encourage his messenger and turn his suffering into a blessing. Hope inspires others and us. The Christian’s quiet acts of committed love and service may not receive public fanfare, but they often make deep and lasting impressions, one individual at a time, and leave the beneficiary, “thank[ing] God for all of you” (1 Thess. 1:2).

7.                One can imagine the mental battle of the marathon runner drawing near the finish line. Just as the body is most loudly screaming, “No more!” the heart and mind overrule it and even call to pick up the pace. And all for the sake of the prize (cf 1 Cor 9:24)! In the movie, “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” the ranking officer redeemed the captive lives of his British prisoners of war by giving them a purpose for living—the construction of the bridge. So, Christ has redeemed our lives from hopelessness and given us a purpose and a meaning that is secured by his grace and grounded in eternity.

8.                Hope in Christ had inspired these Thessalonians to work, labor, and endure and these, in turn, had inspired Paul, giving him yet more evidence of the power of God’s weak and foolish Gospel (cf 1 Cor 1:18–25). Theirs was an inspiring hope, but that’s because it came from God himself, and freely, in Jesus Christ.

9.                Our hope in Christ is inspired (God-given). It comes from the Gospel of Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 1:5 says, “because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake." A powerful Gospel. The Gospel is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16; cf Rom 10:17). The Holy Spirit’s tool (1 Corinthians 2; 12:3). Effectively used, as seen by the results: The depth of their conviction, a conviction willing to withstand suffering. 1 Thess. 1:5-6 says, “5because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake." 6 "You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."

10.             This Gospel calls us and makes us God’s beloved and elect. 1 Thessalonians 1:4 says, "For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you." (Luther’s explanation of the Third Article "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith." Luther emphasizes that it is not through our own efforts, reason, or strength that we come to believe in Jesus Christ but through the work of the Holy Spirit. Working through the Gospel and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Spirit brings us to saving faith and sustains us in faith. God works out our whole salvation, from first to last.

11.             Consumer Reports once published a little booklet entitled “How to Clean Practically Anything.” It tells you what solvent to use for a particular stain. Glycerin will remove the stain from a ballpoint pen. Boiling water will remove berry stains. Vinegar will remove crayon stains. Ammonia will remove bloodstains. Alcohol will remove grass stains. Hydrogen peroxide is good for permanent-marker stains. Use bleach on mildew stains. Lemon juice works well on rust stains. But the book lists nothing for sin stains. Nothing can wash away the stain of sin, “nothing but the blood of Jesus.” That’s the Gospel, Jesus has washed away your sins and made you holy in the sight of His Heavenly Father.

12.             Therefore, we are made sharers in his kingdom (vv 10; 2:12; cf Mt 5:11–12). Precisely because it doesn’t depend on what we are supposed to do, but on what Christ Jesus has already done (Jn 19:30), nothing is more sure or certain than the Christian’s hope in Christ (Rom 8:22–25; Heb 11:1).

13.             Viktor Frankl, was an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor who later became a famous psychologist. He is one of the most well-known figures who has spoken about the importance of hope, especially in the context of his experiences during the Holocaust of the Jews during World War II. Frankl's book "Man's Search for Meaning" explores his experiences as a concentration camp inmate. In the book, he emphasizes the critical role of hope in the survival of those who endured the Holocaust. Here are a few key points from Frankl about hope: Finding Meaning: Frankl believed that the primary human drive is the search for meaning. Even in the most difficult circumstances, he observed that individuals who found a sense of purpose and meaning were more likely to survive. Freedom of Choice: Frankl argued that even in the most extreme situations, individuals retain the freedom to choose their attitude and response to their circumstances. The hope for a better future and the belief in the power of choice provided the strength to endure. Maintaining Human Dignity: Frankl highlighted that hope played a role in this by giving individuals the strength to resist dehumanization and maintain their self-worth. Positive Outlook: Frankl's experiences led him to appreciate that hope was a source of resilience that helped individuals cope with the most challenging situations.

14.             As a Holocaust survivor, Frankl knew just how unbearable life could be. But, Frankl explained, humans are meaning-seeking creatures. We want to believe that there’s more to life than meeting our basic survival needs of food, water, shelter, and safety. Without meaning, hope is difficult, if not impossible. At best, without meaning, we resort to a kind of detachment from our society. At worst, we resort to self-harm, violence, or even suicide.

15.             An essential place to begin is the opening sentence of Rick Warren’s The Purpose Drive Life: “It’s not about you.” Purpose isn’t found by looking inward. It’s found by looking outward, in what we do for others. Such examples might be volunteering our time and talents at church, donating to charity, and “joining a group Bible study.” What all of these ideas have in common is that they remove us from the center of our personal universe.

16.             Of course, nothing turns our perspective outward like faith in Jesus. I mean something along the lines of what Paul told the Corinthians: “And [Christ] died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them” (2 Cor 5:15). Living for Jesus who died and rose again not only removes us from the center of our own universe, but aligns our hearts with what is actually true about the universe: that it belongs to God and that our purpose is given by Him not determined by us. True faith locates our lives within the larger story of God, and how He is fulfilling His purposes throughout each chapter of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. When we no longer see our lives and actions as isolated, we realize they are part of the story and even the means by which God is restoring all things. 

17.             This hope “does not disappoint us” (Rom 5:5). It comes from God, is grounded in Christ, and is inspired by his Spirit. With such a hope to inspire us, we join with Paul and the Thessalonians, with angels and archangels, in an inspired song of praise. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, until life everlasting. Amen.

“Maximizing Minutes for the Master” Col. 4.3-6 Oct. ’23

 

1.                Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The message from God’s Word as we conclude our stewardship emphasis, “Bringing out the Best,” is taken from Colossians 4:3-6, today we are going to focus on God’s gift of time that He’s given to us. The message is entitled, “Maximizing Minutes for the Master,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                If a genie popped out of a vase and could grant you one wish, would you wish for more treasure, more talent, or more time? Let’s do a quick survey to find out our answers. The three choices are more treasure (or money), more talent (or abilities), or more time. Which one would you like more of. More treasure? More talent? More time?

3.                The past two weeks the focus has been “bringing out the best” as God’s stewards, or managers, of treasure and talents. Yet some of us consider time even more valuable. Why? Because when you spend or lose money, you will usually earn more. When it comes to talents, often you may be able to work hard to develop a new ability or skill. But each of us receives the same amount of time every day—24 hours. For some of us, that makes it the most valuable of the three. St. Paul says in our text from Colossians 4:3-6, “3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

4.                The hard truth is this: the time we waste is gone forever. Does that mean “wasting time” is a sin? It depends on what you mean by “wasting.” Our text from Colossians 4 helps us understand by talking about the opposite. Paul writes in v 5, “Make the most of every opportunity, or the best use of the time.” If I turn on the TV this afternoon to watch a show, it could be that I am just relaxing after a strenuous day at church. That’s not a sin. But it could be that I’m wasting time by being a couch potato, instead of going out for a walk to get some needed exercise. It may even be—as it is for many wives and husbands—that Roxanne and I will disagree on whether or not I am wasting my time. If I function better after I relax, that’s good. If I’m just sitting there because I have nothing better to do, that could be wasting time. And when we waste time, it’s gone. St. Paul talks about this in another way in Ephesians 5:15-6, “15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” And, King Solomon writes Eccl. 3:10–13 “¹⁰ I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹² I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; ¹³ also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.”

5.                It’s not always easy for us to know if we or someone else is wasting time. We’re not called to watch our loved ones and friends to scold them when we think they may be wasting time. Usually, we have our hands full ensuring that we’re not wasting time. So, if that time could be used for God’s purposes, and we selfishly use it for ourselves, that’s sin. And if that time could be spent sharing Christian love or witness with someone else and we find something else to fill up our time so that we can excuse ourselves, that’s also sin.

6.                But, there’s hope when you and I are not “bringing out the best” with how we spend the time God gives us for this life. That is because Jesus came at the right time to redeem us. The apostle Paul writes in Gal 4:4–5: “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” To redeem means to “buy back,” like buying slaves from an evil master to set them free. That is the intent in Galatians.

7.                Jesus came from eternity—and entered our time through his birth. In fact, he came at exactly the right time. He kept the Law of Moses perfectly which we, by our sinful natures, couldn’t. Then our Lord went to the cross to pay the price of our sinfulness. We deserved not only earthly death, but also eternal death in hell. But we have been set free from that judgment because, by his substitutionary and meritorius life, death, and resurrection, Jesus made it possible for us to become God’s children. We are forgiven, even of those times when we waste time or use it selfishly. We are freed from guilt, given a fresh start as God’s children to spend our time for God’s purposes.

8.                Thus, like the apostle Paul, we can “make the most” of (redeem) our time by pointing others to Christ the King. That is why he writes in Colossians 4:5-6, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

9.                We are called to stand up for Jesus as our King, to use what we say to show others how beautiful it is that Jesus is our Savior from sin and Lord of our lives. When people ask you about your faith in Jesus Christ, they want to talk to you about your faith in Jesus Christ. They want an answer in your words, not mine. We can make the most of the time when we tell “what Jesus means to me” because of “what he has done for me,” but each in our own words.

10.             Then we are “bringing out the best” by being faithful stewards. Paul writes in Colossians 4:3, “Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” Even with chains on his hands and feet, Paul wanted to share the mystery, God’s secret plan, of salvation through Jesus Christ. If Paul thought that God could help him make the most of his time in jail, we can look at our own lives too.

11.             Ask yourself, “Does the way I invest my time show that my priorities are in sync with the acronym JOY, that is, Jesus first, others second, yourself third? How do I put Jesus first in how I use my time? It starts here in church with the time I spend in worship, receiving God’s gifts and responding with praise and thanksgiving. But I can give God more than one hour of the 168 hours in a week. I can come closer to him by reading my Bible regularly, by myself or in a Bible study class; by praying for the needs of others, for the church, and for myself; by praising God for all that he has done for me; and by thanking God for the blessings he daily gives to me.

12.             Second, my relationship with others, especially my family and others whom I love, are of high priority as well. That may involve giving others in my life not just quality time (good time), but quantity time (enough time). As a wise person once said, “No one ever said on his deathbed, ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office.’”

13.             Third, I may also use God’s gift of time for myself, including time to relax, to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, to learn a new ability or skill as I continue to grow as part of God’s creation. When I use time in these and other ways, empowered by the Holy Spirit, I am “maximizing minutes for the Master, bringing out the best in the time God gives to me.

14.             St. Paul wrote our text from prison, but he didn’t feel he was just “doing time.” It was, after all, “the mystery of Christ for which [he was] in chains.” Paul knew that every minute, even the minutes spent in prison, were minutes redeemed by Christ—who had redeemed him by his timely death. And while each one was precious, each one, Paul knew, was still a foretaste of the eternity he, and we, will share with our Redeemer. Amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, until life everlasting. Amen.