How many people do you think are mentioned by name in the Bible? That’s an interesting question, isn’t it? Perhaps you already know the answer. Or maybe like me you never really thought about it. So, for those who don’t know the answer I am going to ask you to make a guess. Give it some thought. How many people are mentioned by name in the Bible? 300? 500? 1000? More than 1000? Pick a number and then I’ll give you the answer.
Okay, it looks like y’all are ready. According to the Biographical Bible, 2nd Edition, there are 3,237 people mentioned by name in the Scriptures. Perhaps you were pretty close with your guess. Maybe you were off by a long shot. But that’s a lot of people, wouldn’t you agree? 3,237 individuals mentioned by name in the Bile. Of course, some are very familiar and others not so much. With 66 books in the Bible covering thousands of years of history, I suppose it makes sense that the Bible mentions thousands of people. Some play a prominent role in the Bible (heroes like Abraham, King David, Paul, and of course Jesus who is mentioned more than anyone else) while others are just given a passing mention.
Since you and I are among the literally millions of people who are not specifically named in the Bible how do we connect with it? Is every page of the Bible meant for each of us? How do the stories of hundreds and hundreds of people intersect with our lives?
In one way or another each one of those 3,237 people listed in the Bible shows us how God interacts with humans. There are stories of disobedience and punishment. There are stories of doubt and faith, of obedience and blessing. But each one of them is written with God’s purpose and plan in mind. Each of them is written to teach you and me something. The Apostle Paul wrote that exact thing in Romans 15:4. “4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” The stories of the famous and the infamous, the familiar and the unfamiliar, as they are recorded in the Bible are meant for us—to teach us. Today, we hear a little of the story of someone who is super well known in the Bible—the man with two names. Saul/Paul is the author of our Second Scripture Lesson. His words were specifically addressed to one other person---a pastor name Timothy. And yet, in a way his story is our story. Their stories are our stories. These words meant for one person are meant for every person. Today, I ask God the Holy Spirit to enable each of you to:
“SEE YOURSELF IN PAUL’S SANDALS!”
I. Worst of sinners
II. Chosen by grace
III. Appointed to service
These verses come from one of the three “Pastoral Epistles,” as they have been called—letters to pastors. (1 & 2 Timothy, and Titus) 1 Timothy let’s us in on the personal instructions from the veteran missionary Paul to his younger colleague, Timothy. Pastor Timothy had spent nearly twelve years with the Apostle Paul. But Paul had left Timothy in the City of Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3) to care for several congregations while Paul carried on Gospel Ministry elsewhere. Through this letter The Apostle Paul offered encouragement to Timothy for this challenging work. But before he talked about ministry, he reminded Timothy about the love of God they had both received through Jesus Christ. This is where we see one of the universal messages in the Bible. When it came to salvation, by grace through faith, what was true of Paul was also true of Timothy. And what was true of them is true of us. We have been saved by grace through faith. Jesus has shown us mercy. And although their service to Christ and their ministry was different than ours, we too are appointed to service.
I.
Of course, Timothy knew the Apostle Paul’s history of persecution and violence against Christians before his conversion. But Paul brings it up to him again to make a powerful point. “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” Unlike Timothy who seems to have been born and raised a Christian, the Apostle Paul had once worked hard to destroy the Church of Christ. He doesn’t defend his actions he just explains that he acted in ignorance and unbelief. Then he points to the Good News of what Jesus accomplished. “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” So, how do you think Timothy reacted to these words from his friend and fellow pastor? Do you think he shook his head with thoughts of shame for the Apostle Paul? I doubt that. I am wondering if Timothy had a very different reaction when he heard Paul called himself the “worst of sinners.” Perhaps Timothy had the reaction that I have had to Paul’s words. “At least he acted the way you did in ignorance and unbelief! I have sinned against Jesus and against my fellow Christians when I knew better and I wasn’t ignorant of God’s Word. And I have thought, said, and done sinful things while a believer not an unbeliever! In fact, I am ashamed to admit that I have at times done sinful things with full knowledge that what I was doing was wrong.” No, this isn’t some kind of “I’m a worse sinner than you” competition. But what it leads us to is a recognition of how all sins bring God’s condemnation and righteous wrath. From that perspective, we can see ourselves with Paul as the “worst of sinners.”
That being said, we can still understand the point that the Apostle Paul made when he told his personal story of redemption. He knew that there would be some people who would look at what he had done and how he had been forgiven as an example. The message would be that if Christ can forgive a persecutor and murderer of his followers, then he can certainly forgive anyone! If Paul can be forgiven, then no one is beyond forgiveness.
That message would be comforting to Timothy. And that message is comforting to us as we see ourselves in Paul’s sandals. Whatever we have done. Yes, those things we are ashamed to even admit, are forgiven. And yes, those sins we committed in ignorance, or in self-indulgence are forgiven.
At the close of our service today we are going to sing a very familiar hymn—Amazing Grace. Although we know the words of his beautiful hymn, we may not know what the author said about himself and how he had received God’s grace. He described himself before being brought to repentance as “arrogant, rebellious, and living a recklessly sinful life.” “I sinned with a high hand,” he wrote, “and I made it my study to tempt and seduce others.” But then as Jesus worked repentance and faith in John Newton, he described the hope sinners have in Christ in this way. “I am not what I ought to be. / I am not what I want to be. / I am not what I hope to be. / But still, I am not what I used to be. / And by the grace of God, I am what I am.” And we have the words that John Newton penned for his grave marker. “John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.” Whether we compare our story with the Apostle Paul, or Timothy, or any of the other thousands of sinners mentioned in the Bible, or whether we have committed the most sins, the worst sins, or least sins, we know we fall short of God’s holy expectations and need his mercy. Only the amazing grace of God could save us.
II.
As the Apostle Paul reflected on his sinful past, and the mercy and forgiveness he had received through Jesus, he may have been asking the question, “Why me?” Why had he been chosen to receive these blessings? As is the case with anyone who is saved whether the worst of sinners or the best of sinners, he was chosen by grace. He declared to Timothy, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” Because of God’s undeserved love being poured out on him Paul was brought to faith in Jesus. That meant his sins were forgiven and forgotten!
Have you ever asked the “why me” question about your salvation? Like the Apostle Paul and Timothy, we were chosen by grace. Although there are many places we could look in the Bible for a reminder of the fact that our predestination is completely because of God’s grace I want to direct your attention to another of the Apostle Paul’s letter. In 2 Thessalonians he wrote, “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Only because of God’s undeserved love for them the Thessalonian Christians were, “Loved, chosen, saved, called, sanctified, and sharers in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The relationship that believers have with God isn’t dependent on anything that they have done. In eternity God chose them to be his people. That is pure grace. In time, he sent his Son to live and die in their place. That too is pure grace. Finally, God reached out in love to sinners through the Word and the Sacrament. Also, all God’s grace and all God’s doing. That is how God saves sinners by grace, through faith.
For just a moment let’s go back to Paul and Timothy. Each of them is an example of how God chooses and calls sinners to faith. Each has a very different story. As we have said, Paul persecuted Christians and refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Timothy, as we have said was raised in a Christian home and was a follower of Jesus his whole life. But their story of salvation is the same. God chose them and called them to believe that Good News.
The wonderful news for you and me is that God has done the same things for us. In eternity he chose us to be his people. He reached out in love to save us by sending his Son as our Savior from sin. Then at his appointed time he called us to faith through the Gospel. God knew every rotten, stinking sin that you and I would commit. He saw our sorry excuses for lives that are so stained with sin. Yet he chose us to be his own before we were born and even before creation was born! In mercy he looked down on our wretched condition and implemented his plan to save us.
The Gospel—the Good News in the Bible not only informs us about what Jesus has done it also creates faith in us to believe the Good News and to put our faith in him. In his explanation of the Third Article of the Apostle’s creed Martin Luther reflected on this beautiful truth that our salvation is all God’s doing. “I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.” It was through the Gospel that God called us to faith and enabled us to believe in him.
Reflecting on what God’s grace to us in Christ Jesus means a Christian author noted that we have, “A love that can never be fathomed / A life that can never die / A righteousness that can never be tarnished / A peace that can never be understood / A rest that can never be disturbed / A joy that can never be diminished / A hope that can never be disappointed / A glory that can never be clouded / A light that can never be darkened / A purity that can never be defiled / A beauty that can never be marred / A wisdom that can never be baffled / Resources that can never be exhausted.
III.
So where was Paul going with this review of his past sins and the present grace that he enjoyed through faith in Christ? He was circling back to the ministry. Forgiveness, grace, and faith were pushing Paul to serve his Savior as the Apostle to the Gentiles. And he wanted it to motivate Timothy for ministry as well. The first and last verses of our lesson make this clear. He wrote, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.” And then in the last verse he gives glory to God for the fact that he was called to service. “17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
So how can we connect with these words written by one pastor to another? Yes, it is true that Jesus didn’t appear to us personally and commission us to be a missionary to the Gentiles. But he has given each of us The Great Commission. We too are now grateful in service to our gracious God.
And what does that service to others look like? Whenever the topic of service comes up I want you to think of the numbers 12-12-4-4. 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 mention the gifts of “prophesying…serving…teaching…encouraging…contributing to the needs of others …leadership…showing mercy.” (Romans 12:6-8) There are two other places in the New Testament where we read about spiritual gifts. They are Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4. “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.” (Ephesians 4:7-8) And, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 4:10-11) The topic of Spiritual gifts is addressed in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4.
Since “service” is such a broad category that it could include a nearly endless list of tasks let’s get specific. Here are some of the areas of service available at our congregation: Serving as a greeter, ushering, yard care, setting up for communion, preparing snacks for our fellowship time or food for soup suppers and potlucks, setting up our worship services and operating the MIDI. Maybe you have the gift of encouragement. As you look at your financial blessings perhaps the Holy Spirit has given you the gift of contributing to the needs of others.
When I began our sermon together this morning, I asked you how many people are named in the Bible. In case you are thinking about what it would mean for you if your name was found in its pages let me make a quick point. Almost half of the over 3,000 people named in the Bible (1,443 of them) do not have unique names (for example, there are 4 Benjamins, 14 Josephs, and 31 Zechariahs named.) So even if you were mentioned in the Bible there might be someone with the same name and you really wouldn’t know if it was talking about you. The point is that the Bible is intended to teach us through the lives of regular folks who were touched by God’s grace. Like the Apostle Paul, like Pastor Timothy, like you and me. Worst of sinners, chosen by grace, appointed for service. That’s their story, that’s my story, that’s your story. Amen.
