Concordia Lutheran Church
Pentecost 20, October 18, 2009
“Do Your Job Well”
2 Timothy 4:1-18
† IN THE NAME OF JESUS †
You are the beloved Children of God, and I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ’s kindness and mercy will free you to enjoy complete peace!
Is it Law – or Gospel?
Do your Job Well!
Last week, as Deacon Mark stood in this spot, he made an observation that I hope you all caught. That when Jesus invited the rich young ruler to come and share Jesus’ life, and sell all that he had, that the command wasn’t Law, but gospel.
Jesus wasn’t trying to test obedience as much as He was trying to free the man from the things that stopped him from relating to God. It wasn’t about pass/fail tests, but look, see the burden you have placed on yourself. Jesus says, let me carry your heavy burden, and take mine yoke, for the burden is light.
I believe that same odd turn is seen here, in the Paul’s letter to his protégé Timothy. When in verse 5, the older apostle writes, “But you must stay calm and be willing to suffer. You must work hard to tell the good news and to do your job well.” 2Ti 4:5 (CEV) he is not burdening the young man, but instead showing him the blessing of the gospel.
The problem is, that when we hear “do your job well!!”, or “go sell all you have and come follow me” we hear law. Here is the challenge – for if you or I hear this as law, and bind ourselves to it, we will only be condemning ourselves in a week. We cannot, by our own reason and strength, stay calm, suffer, work hard as evangelists and do the job well. Neither could have Paul, even with the blessing of being an apostle.
Yet, if we realize the law would condemn us, we must look to see if it is gospel, we must see it as grace, and when we do….
But first – let’s see if this “command” is one of Law….
If it’s Law…
Then God wants you to suffer and be “patient”
Then God wants you to have to “work”
Then God wants you betrayed, dismayed by those who reject God, those who abandon you”
Focused on your own work.
And you will stand condemned
A quick review, in scripture, when we talk about Law – we are talking about the commands that if you do not obey, you find yourself in trouble. It’s what we call sin. If you don’t obey the 6th commandment, and fool around on your present or perhaps future husband or wife, and you have sinned. Spread stories about people, whether true or false, which is what Gossip is, and you have witnessed falsely about them. Misuse God’s name, or don’t take time to rest and you have sinned.
The nature of the Law is simple – God knows what is best for you, and the Ten Commands and the other laws are set up to describe life as it should be, as God guides us. IF no one cheated on those God meant for them to share life with, if no one lusted and schemed after what belongs to others, if no one murdered others, either in thought or word, or deed, what kind of life would this be?
If Timothy is obedient to the direction Paul would set for his life, would all be well? Paul isn’t just talking about bad suffering in verse 5 – it is a compound word that is the word for bad, horrible, and the word for suffering. Earlier Paul had told Timothy to be ultimately patient – the word is one that primarily describes God in the Old Testament, and His patience with Israel. In other words, hold off on God’s wrath or even our own, even as Paul will hope for those who abandoned and deserted him.
Indeed, Paul will describe the life he lives, almost to hold out an example to Timothy what awaits him. He will have the people like Demas, who will walked away. Others will leave to pursue ministry somewhere else, forgetting that Timothy exists. Others will be like Alexander, who purposefully challenged Paul’s words, and will cause pain as they oppose what the work of sharing Christ.
To say that these commands are the Law –the submit yourself to this or you aren’t mine, is to claim that God would desire we suffer, that God would desire us to hurt, that God only cares about the results. We then begin to focus on the numbers, and making ourselves feel like we have accomplished something. We look for the inspiring stories in our lives, than the faithfulness of God to sustain us in the midst of the hard times.
Oswald Chambers on Serving
Oswald Chambers described this when he wrote:
The proof that we are rightly related to God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.
One of the great snares of the Christian worker is to make a fetish of his rare moments. When the spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you say—‘Now I will always be like this for God.’ No, you will not, God will take care you are not. Those times are the gift of God entirely. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best, you become an intolerable drag on God; you will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously inspired. If you make a god of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life and never come back until you do the duty that lies nearest, and have learned not to make a fetish of your rare moments.
IF it’s gospel
We will have been found faithful
We will be first-fruits of others who God provides
You will realize God is standing beside you, endunamis’ing you…
And you will be safe from evil, and to His kingdom
In these words to Timothy, if it is law, it will condemn us. So, could it be really gospel? Could this phrase “do your job well” be a way to realize the extent of God’s grace to us? Could suffering, and being required to be patient be a door to seeing the intimate love and peace of God?
Paul will, even as he encourages Timothy to do his work, realize this. Paul indicates his time is over, his race complete. He even dare says that he has fought well, that he will receive a crown because he pleased God. Pretty incredible words for a man who would also declare himself a wretch for being unable to stop sinning.
But if Paul, the chief of all sinners can be found faithful, can we? Can we find ourselves doing the things we know should be done? Telling people about Jesus, forgiving those who are unforgivable, being patient with those who try our patience, that we too could say that we hope their sins won’t be held against them?
Yes. More than yes, for we are more than conquerors, as we live in the reality that we are joined to Christ in our baptism. That we are made one with Him!
Look at verse 17 again,
17 But the Lord stood beside me. He gave me the strength to tell his full message, so that all Gentiles would hear it
Not only that, but God would keep him from all evil, and deliver Him to God’s incredible heavenly Kingdom. But the strength is important to notice. You need to be patient- lean on Jesus – He is there, right there with you. In you lives the Holy Spirit, guiding you. You are not alone. God has already, because of Christ’s death and resurrection, determined that you are righteous, because Christ was righteous.
Jim’s message –it’s not about Dad being good, it’s about Jesus being God..
On Friday, I got to witness this. It was at the funeral of a friend’s dad. As the service started, the minister talked about all the good that Jim’s dad did, and how he deserved. The sermon would have left most of us ready to proclaim Jim’s dad a saint, someone who spiritually left us in the dust. And in light of that, many there felt that we fell short, and deserved God’s wrath. It wasn’t the pastor’s intent, but in view of the praise, people were more discouraged than uplifted.
Jim got up, following his uncle and aunt, to do the liturgy. And he preached about the fact his dad wasn’t perfect, that he would have been embarrassed to have all this attention on him, rather than on Jesus. Jim spoke about the fact that the day wasn’t about Jim’s dad’s faithfulness, but Christ’s faithfulness to his dad, and to us. Jim spoke with power, about a God who could save and heal and in the midst of Jim’s own suffering, he did his job well. That is what Paul was encouraging Timothy to do.
Jim did his job well. He pointed to Jesus, his dad’s hope, Jim’s hope. Our hope. He shared the message of Christ’s redeeming love.
Things tough in life right now? Point others to Christ. Hate being patient with others? Point them to a Lord that is long suffering, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to Him. Feel abandoned, or betrayed, realize that the Lord is right there with you! Everything working? Point people to Christ now as well.
For as you do, you will again realize how much God loves YOU, and those you know. You will realize the incredible blessing that comes from being God’s.
You will show, more than that you will see, that His gift, the Father’s incredible, grace-filled, merciful gift of peace, which no one can know on their own, is truly yours. And that the peace is guaranteed to be yours, for Christ is guarding you heart and soul.
As the Lord stands by you…and empowers you to do His work…
Amen?
