Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 5, 2006
Scripture Readings: Isaiah 51:1-8; John 4:27-42
Hymns: 130:1,5-6; 511; 425; 315; 50:1-2

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The word of God taken for our instruction in righteousness this morning comes from Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians 2:13-17:

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

Theme: Good Reasons to be Thankful for Those Who are Discouraged!
- God’s Work
- His Means
- The Result

In the name of Jesus the Christ, who is the Savior of the world; Dear Fellow Redeemed,

Martin Rinckart was a pastor who served a congregation in Eilenburg Germany during the mid 17^th Century at a time when the Thirty Years’ War was blazing in Europe. During this war many of the people of the area came to Eilenburg for safety. But the overcrowding and unsanitary conditions led to famine, disease and death for many of the people in that small town. During this dark time, Martin lost his own wife, and the town came under siege by the Sweedish army which demanded that the people pay a hefty tribute. Discouragement and despair is something that all of us can relate to in one degree or another. During times like this, it is common to have a very negative outlook on life. We may have a hard time looking at our life and seeing the positive things that have happened. We might expect this to be the attitude of Martin Rinckart during this time in His life. But instead we find Rinckart confessing all that he had to be thankful for as he penned the word of the familiar hymn: “Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things hath done, in whom His world rejoices; who from our mothers arms hath blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love and still is ours today.”

When such a time comes, how do we respond? How do we deal with such situations when they arise in our lives? In the verses we are considering this morning, the apostle Paul offers some very good reasons to be thankful, for those who are discouraged. He writes to discouraged believers reminding us of God’s Work of salvation, sanctification and faith in us; He points us to the Word which is the means which God had given us to bring that work about; and he shows us the results of comfort and strength which are ours now. May the Holy Spirit comfort and strengthen our weary hearts through this Word of God. Amen.

How much do you remember about Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica? You may recall that of all the places that Paul visited during his missionary journeys, the unbelievers in Thessalonica were among the most dangerous and ruthless of all. Luke tells us in the book of Acts that the unbelieving Jews, “becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them [Paul and his co-workers] out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city...” (Acts 17:5-6). That was just the beginning of the unpleasantries for Paul and the believers in Thessalonica. When Paul and Silas left Thessalonica, these same men followed them to Berea, and did the same thing in that city, forcing Paul to leave Berea as well. But after they had driven Paul from the area, they didn’t give up. When they returned to Thessalonica, they continued to persecute these new Christians.

The theme of persecution and suffering is a common theme in Paul’s letters to the believers in Thessalonica. Paul speaks of the persecution that they were facing, saying, “for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen” (1 Thessalonians 2:14), and yet is able to say, “we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure” (2 Thessalonians 1:4). The Thessalonians had many reasons to be discouraged and even depressed because of what they had been through since becoming Christians. No doubt many of them were greatly discouraged and depressed. Yet in spite of all that was going wrong, and all the horrible things they were facing, Paul reminds them that they had far greater reasons to be encouraged, to rejoice and be thankful!

The first reason for us to be thankful is the work of salvation which God has brought about in us as believers. Paul says, “we are bound to give thanks ... because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” That is certainly something to be thankful for! Especially when we realize that there is nothing that we can do to earn it, and there is nothing that we can accumulate that we can give for it. Our salvation from sin and eternal death is something that only God can accomplish for us.

What’s more, “God from the beginning chose you for salvation.” That word “chose” has a very special meaning. Literally it means “to take for oneself.” God has taken you for His very own. He has brought you into his family, as His very own child. Regardless of the sins you have committed, and the many ways you have broken His commands, He has chosen you as His own and gives you a new life in Him.

God has chosen you for salvation “through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” Salvation from the punishment of your sins in hell is made possible through the work of the Holy Spirit called “sanctification” and “faith.” The Holy Spirit begins the work of salvation in us by bringing us to believe in the truth - the truth about who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Because of our sin, we are unfit for the kingdom of heaven. But faith is letting go of our own supposed goodness and trusting in the righteousness of Jesus for our salvation. Belief or faith is how God’s salvation becomes our own.

While faith in Jesus as our Savior is the key for receiving the salvation God has prepared for us, the Holy Spirit doesn’t stop there. Connected to the Holy Spirit’s work of creating faith, is His work of sanctification. Sanctification is the Holy Spirit’s work of enabling us as Christians to do what God would have us do. Yes, it is God the Holy Spirit who gives us the ability to do things that please Him. And no, we will not be able to live sin-free lives as long as we remain with our sinful flesh here on this earth, but, when we sin, we are brought to repent of that sin, and receive God’s forgiveness through Jesus. Faith and sanctification in the believer are so closely connected that James says “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). All of this, our salvation, our faith and our sanctification is not our work, but the work of God in us, who has chosen us from the beginning for salvation.

The second reason discouraged believers have to be thankful is the means which God has given us to bring about our salvation. When I use that word “means” I am referring to the tool which God uses to create faith within us, sanctify us, and bring us to eternal salvation. What does God use to do all this? “He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” God calls us to His salvation through His Word. Paul calls it the “gospel,” which is the good news of what God has done for us in Christ. The works of God which we studied earlier - faith, sanctification, and salvation - are all brought about in us by God, through His Word. It was through Paul’s preaching in Thessalonica that those believers had been brought to know about Jesus as the Savior of the world. It was through the reading and hearing of Paul’s letters that they had been strengthened in their faith and knowledge about Jesus.

These believers were still struggling, still under going trials. In such situations we may tend to let go of things that were once important to us. As we struggle with discouraging situations in our lives, we may be tempted to forget about the importance of God’s Word in our lives. We may not feel like picking up our Bibles and doing our daily Bible reading. We may not feel up to making the long trip to attend bible class and worship services on Sunday morning. But Paul tells discouraged believers to “stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” Don’t let go of the means which God has given you to keep you on the path which leads to eternal salvation. When we find ourselves in the face of trials and discouragement, we should grip God’s Word even tighter than before, because it is at times like that, when we need it the most.

Finally, through the Word of God, and the assurance of our salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, discouraged believers have a third reason to be thankful: The result of God’s work of salvation in us.

When we are discouraged, there are two main things that we need - comfort and strength. These blessings are offered to us through our Savior Jesus Christ. “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.” Our future is in God’s hands. God has loved us, and sent His Son Jesus to secure our eternal salvation. In spite of the times of discouragement we face in this life, God has given us everlasting encouragement and good hope by grace. This everlasting encouragement and good hope of grace, is not something subjective. It is a done deal through Christ’s work on the cross. He “has given us everlasting consolation and good hope.” These are spiritual blessings which are already ours as we look forward to our salvation from sin in heaven.

But Paul also prays that the Lord would give them comfort and strength in this life, while we await that day of everlasting consolation. Knowing what God has done for us, we should take comfort in the fact that these trials we face in life, whatever they may be, will come to an end. “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself... comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.” As the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God we hear and read to give us ever growing knowledge of our everlasting consolation and hope for the life to come, He will also comfort our hearts in this life, and strengthen us for the trials and tribulations we will face every day. This was Paul’s prayer for the believers in Thessalonica, and it should remain our prayer for one another still today as we continue to face the trials and persecutions which sin and Satan throw our way. Let us take comfort in Word of God which is the means God has given to bring about His salvation in us - all good reasons for discouraged believer to be thankful.

When we are depressed or discouraged, we often realize our own weaknesses. We know that we are in trouble and we need help. We know that we can’t do things on our own. We know that we need help. Paul reminds us that we have the help we need. Notice how Paul addresses those discouraged believers in the opening verse. He calls them “brethren beloved by the Lord.” Think of how you feel when you are discouraged or depressed. Usually we feel very unloved, and that no one cares. We may even feel that God is upset with us and is showing us that through the trial we are facing. But Paul reminds those who are discouraged that through it all we remain “beloved by the Lord.” The Lord loves us no matter what we are going through, and no matter what we might think of Him. In those situations, we seldom feel that the LORD loves us, but we can rest assured that He does.

Certainly, like Martin Rinckart, we have good reasons to be thankful. We know God’s Work of salvation, sanctification and faith in us; we have free use of the Word by which God brings that work about; and we are assured of the everlasting consolation of heaven and the comfort and strength which are ours even now. Amen.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Nathanael Mayhew