One of the things we put a great deal of importance on in our American society today is education. We encourage our kids to “stay in school” and to do well in school. We now also live in an age where most of our high school graduates go off to college, or some type of specialized education in order to get the kind of jobs that they want. Where a couple of generations ago, it was still somewhat more common to view graduation from high school as a noble goal, but not necessary in order to make a living, today, times are different. We don’t make as big of a deal about 8th grade graduations as we once did, even in my generation.
Now let’s imagine for a moment that you had a child in school, and they were in Math class. Early on, we learn how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. One of the basic rules of math that doesn’t change is the fact that 2+2=4. You would assume that if on your child’s math test, they answered 2+2=5, they’d fail the test, right? What happens if you don’t teach that child that 2+2=4? Well, if that child grows up to be an engineer, I don’t think I’d want to be on a bridge that they designed, in case their math is wrong. Disastrous things can happen to us if we don’t learn those basic things, right?
Today is Sunday School Rally Day, or as I have termed it, Christian Education Rally Sunday, a day where we mark the resumption of our Sunday School and Confirmation programs, and that some of our adult Bible study activities are resuming as well such as the Thursday evening Men’s Bible study. Have you ever wondered why this is so important, that we set aside a Sunday in September every year, and that we give out Bibles to our pre school age and 3rd grade age children? Do we do this simply because “That’s what we’ve always done”? This morning, we’re going to learn from a young pastor the necessity of Christian education in the parish. We’re going to see what our responsibilities are in this endeavor, and it is my hope and prayer that once we are finished, you too will understand the necessity of sound teaching.
Our sermon text for today is from 2 Timothy. It’s one of three of the epistles that we have termed the “Pastoral Epistles”, because they were letters that were written specifically for young pastors, giving them some practical advice and warning as they go about their ministry. In fact, to remember this, the chapel at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, a place that is charged with the task of preparing pastors, is called the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. During his missionary journeys, St. Paul had established a Christian congregation in the city of Ephesus, and once he left, he placed a young man in the congregation named Timothy into the pastoral office of the congregation there. Paul wrote two letters to this young Pastor to help him in his ministry. Paul actually writes this letter to Pastor Timothy behind bars, in prison, believing that this is essentially his “farewell letter” to his young co worker in the Gospel.
In the text we have before us today, young Pastor Timothy is being encouraged to do the following: “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (v.1-3)
Paul has several instructions for Pastor Timothy in his ongoing ministry, instructions that will also guide our Christian Education programs in this congregation. The first is this: preach the word, be ready in season and out of season. This falls right in line with Jesus’ “marching orders” for the church in the Great Commission in Matthew 28 when He tells the church on earth “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (28:19-20a) Here, Jesus says “teaching them to observe ALL that I have commanded you.” Not just “the parts that are popular.” Thus, Paul is encouraging Timothy and you and me, to continue to proclaim all of God’s Word. And here, Paul’s comment about proclaiming it “in season and out of season” means that there will be some times and places where what we preach will be extremely popular, and other times, not so much. Just look at Paul’s own ministry. Some places, he’d preach and there would be so many converts, a new congregation could be established in that place, like what happened in Ephesus. Other places, he’d preach, and they’d nearly stone him to death.
Today, we face a similar situation. What does that mean to proclaim everything in God’s Word? It means we preach the Law. It means we show in God’s Word where our true standing is apart from Christ. It means sometimes, we are pointed out specific sins of thought, word, and deed. This fall in Confirmation class, and also in adult Sunday School, we are learning the 10 commandments, and as we learn them, we discover rather quickly how we are not able to keep God’s law perfectly, which is what he requires. Then, when we allow this word of Law to show us our sin and our inability to save ourselves, we point people to the cross. We show them that where we couldn’t save ourselves, that Jesus Christ has saved us by his perfect, sinless life, his sacrificial death on the cross, his resurrection from the dead, and his ascension into heaven to be with us always. We show people that there is no sin too great that the blood of Christ cannot cover. That’s the wonderful news we have been given, and that’s the message we are to proclaim in Sunday worship, in Sunday School, Bible Study, through music, confirmation class, everything that we do as a congregation is to be Christocentric, or Christ-Centered. The cross is at the center of our theology, what we do and say in this place about God.
The great temptation, however, is to take Christ out of the center, and put ourselves there. And there are several ways we do this. This is why Paul warns Timothy to be ready to preach the Word in season and out of season. In my newsletter article a few weeks back, you heard me comment about recent actions by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly that were not in conformity with the Word of God, and I commented that we may be in an era where it may not always be in season to preach the Word. One of our society’s great trends that has infiltrated the church is the idea that we need to affirm the individual, and we need to ignore God’s word of Law, and immerse people in the Gospel. And there are a lot of pastors and teachers out there, many even bearing the name “Lutheran”, that are seeking to do just that. But what happens if that’s all we teach here? If we don’t tell you what you need to be saved from, then at some point, the line of thinking goes “hey, I’m not that bad of a person. I’m a pretty good person. God has to like me because I feel good about myself. I don’t need this Savior stuff, I don’t have anything I need to be saved from.” And once you get into that mindset, then Jesus is no longer your Savior from sin, death, and the power of the devil, and you’ve just been stolen right out of the kingdom of God by the wolf in sheep’s clothing called self righteousness. These are the folks that Paul describes as having “itching ears”, wanting to hear what their ears want to hear, wanting the focus of worship, Sunday School, and everything else to be about them and how good of a person they are, instead of what Christ has done for them.
Let’s go back to that illustration of 2+2 I used earlier. In our schools, if a child is convinced that 2+2=5, do we just let that child pass elementary math, believing that answer is right, because we don’t want to give that child a bad image by correcting him or her? No. If you let that child believe 2+2=5, they’re going to have a LOT of problems later on as they continue in math, because their false belief that 2+2=5 will completely destroy their chances of succeeding at math. Likewise, when we fail to use God’s Word to reprove, rebuke, and exhort the young and old of this congregation, out of fear of offending someone, or out of a desire to see our congregation grow in numbers, we’ve set them up for spiritual failure, which is a lot worse than believing 2+2=5.
So, Sunday School teachers, what is going to be your priority this year? The same mine is as your Pastor. Paul tells young Pastor Timothy in verse 5 of our text “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” For you, that means work hard at learning the lessons you will teach your children each week. Look for the portions of God’s Law, and what He requires of us in that lesson, and how we don’t live up to it because of our sinfulness. Then, point the children entrusted to you to the cross. Show them that because of what Jesus did there, they are children of God and will one day inherit the gift of eternal life. I can’t stress this enough! That means study your lessons carefully, and when you get to difficult parts that are hard to understand, don’t be afraid to come and ask another teacher or myself. Pray that your students will have their minds always opened to the Scriptures. And don’t get discouraged if you don’t think you’re getting anywhere. Some days the kids will be more receptive than others. In a way, it’s a lot like preaching. Some sermons I preach are extremely well received. Others, not so much. But when your teaching is from the Word of God, and the Word of God alone, God will be with you, using you to be His instrument in His saving plan for the children of the congregation.
But these words aren’t just for Sunday School teachers, they are words that guide all of us. With 2009 being our Centennial year, we’ve been taking the opportunity to look back at the last 100 years. And we’ve been able to see how from humble beginnings, God has used this congregation as His instrument to bring His Word to the people of Audubon and surrounding communities. Sometimes, the preaching that has taken place from this pulpit has been in season, and we saw many people come through these doors. At other times, the going hasn’t been as easy, with some folks walking away when a particular teaching from the Word of God didn’t suit their itching ears. And now, as we look to the future, the same will hold true. The success of this congregation won’t be in numerical results, which always change based on several outside factors, the success of this congregation will be measured in how it goes about “fulfilling its ministry”. About how well we proclaim Christ Crucified to this community.
That’s why I can’t stress enough why it is so important for us to be a Christ centered Church. Where we put Christ and the Cross at the center of all our activity. Not ourselves, not our itching ears, not our feelings or emotions. But Christ and His Word! Each week, we are so blessed to be able to have Christ come into our presence here and through His Word, offer us the gifts He won for us at the cross. Gifts we can’t find anywhere else and certainly not within ourselves.
Education in the Word of God is a lifelong experience. It is extremely important in our lives as Christians, and in our life together as the body of Christ in this place. I would encourage each and every member of this congregation to take that education seriously, not just for the children of this congregation, but for all of us. As we go about this year of Christian Education, let us keep these words to a young pastor in mind. Let us be ready to preach the word in season and out of season. Don’t let yourselves get swept away by the latest fads or ideas that take the message of Christ Crucified away from the center of our proclamation. Don’t let your itching ears get the best of you. But remain steadfast in the Word of Christ. Take every opportunity you have to read it, hear it, study it, and share it. Because a church that does that, is a church that is fulfilling her ministry. May God grant that to us for Jesus sake. Amen.
