Pray, proclaim, invite, and give thanks.

 

Sermon for Pentecost 7, July 27, 2025

Now may the God of hope fill you with complete joy and peace as you continue to believe, so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

1 Timothy 2:1-7  First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, ²for kings and all those who are in authority, in order that we might live a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and dignity.  ³This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  ⁵For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.  ⁷For this testimony, I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I speak the truth; I am not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. (EHV)

Pray, proclaim, invite, and give thanks.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            Many years ago, I had a job selling farm machinery.  At first, I had some success, but the longer I was at it, the more I became reluctant to try to convince farmers to buy.  You see, the farm economy was entering into one of the worst depressions we have ever seen, and the dealership wanted me to see every customer every month to encourage purchases that most of them either didn’t need or could no longer afford.  I felt like I was just badgering people instead of helping them.  I began to hate the job and even to be afraid to try to meet the people I wanted to help.

It’s a sad truth that sometimes, we feel the same way about sharing our Christian faith with our neighbors.  Perhaps, we begin to think that they don’t need to know what we know.  Sometimes, we are embarrassed by the idea that we could help them.  Often, we are simply afraid we will offend others or even hurt them spiritually if we say the wrong thing.  So, we quit, or maybe never begin, to help the very people our God wants to save.  In our text, the Holy Spirit, through St. Paul is inviting, encouraging, and even commanding all believing Christians to Pray, proclaim, invite, and give thanks.

Paul wrote, “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people for kings and all those who are in authority, in order that we might live a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and dignity.”  Through Paul, the Lord is issuing an urgent call and plea, you might even say begging or commanding all people to have this concern and take action for the proclamation of God’s saving grace.  Where then, should we begin?  With the Lord, of course.  Remember how Jesus instructed His disciples before sending them out to proclaim His salvation: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

As believing Christians, we have access to the All-powerful God and His assurance that He hears our prayers and answers them.  Jesus said, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. … Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be made complete.” (John 16:23-24)  King David wrote about the Savior, “You make him the ruler over the works of your hands.  You put everything under his feet.” (Psalm 8:6)  And in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the Holy Spirit encourages us to have confidence in our prayers, for Paul wrote, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope to which he has called you, just how rich his glorious inheritance among the saints is, and just how surpassingly great his power is for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:18-19)  So, you see, Jesus has the power to control the events of the world, to influence rulers and societies, and to give you the strength of faith to overcome your fears.

The most vivid display of Christ’s power is His resurrection from the dead.  Jesus thereby proved His divine nature and His ability to conquer any enemy that might try to stop us from doing God’s will.  Thus, the Lord invites us to pray for all those put in authority on earth, because their very purpose in this world is to provide the peaceful societies that allow for the opportunity to share God’s Good News wherever and whenever it is needed, and it is needed everywhere!

Just as much, Jesus’ resurrection is the certain proof that we have the sure cure every person on earth needs.  Therefore, we never need fear whether we are bringing our neighbors something they need, because we all need God’s grace and the forgiveness of our sins.  Indeed, Paul wrote, “There is no difference, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22-24)

We, likewise, needn’t think we are trying to convince or coerce someone into possessing something they don’t need or can’t afford.  No unbeliever trapped in sin knows he needs Jesus.  Neither does the unbeliever desire to serve God.  He may desire to serve some imagined power or goal, but the sinner can only know Jesus through the faith the Holy Spirit works in him by the power of the Gospel. 

Our job is simply to share the Good News of all Jesus has done for the world.  Furthermore, we proclaim that Good News in a variety of ways.  The preacher is sent to proclaim it publicly.  The faithful believers proclaim it through the lives they live, the kindnesses they show to the hurting and lost, the support they give to the prophets’ hands, and their invitation to troubled souls to learn about Jesus and receive forgiveness and life everlasting.

As far as the cost of forgiveness and salvation, God charges us nothing.  Instead, He graciously gave His Son into death and the grave so that we might be redeemed and cleansed of all sin.  Then by His Word and the water of Baptism, the Holy Spirit brings the faith in Jesus that sets us free from the devil and eternal condemnation.  Death once reigned over us and all people, “But God, because he is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses.  It is by grace you have been saved!” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

Forgiveness and salvation cost us nothing.  Yet, there is a cost for following Jesus; it is the cost of living in this world but not remaining part of the world.  “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.  In fact whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  After all, what will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul?  Or what can a person give in exchange for his soul?’” (Matthew 16:24-26)

Considering that all the riches of this world are mere fool’s gold, we pray for the peace that allows us to live in quiet godliness, for “This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  There has never ever been people so lost that Jesus doesn’t want to save them.  There has never ever been anyone so evil that Jesus didn’t pay for his sins.  “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.” 

No matter how unlikable someone might seem to us, Jesus loved that person enough to give His life to pay for that person’s redemption.  No matter how unforgivable our own shortcomings might feel, Jesus loved you and me enough to purify us in God’s sight by His life, death, resurrection, and the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out on us in our Baptisms.  Continually in heaven, Jesus intercedes with His Father for the defense of His people.  The Father’s love for His Son is gratified and expanded by the love Jesus has shown to us all.  Therefore, through the power of the Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament, we are encouraged to Pray, proclaim, invite, and give thanks.

In fact, that is one of the reasons we are here this morning.  Here, God serves us with His gifts of the Spirit and the salvation of our souls.  Here, by the gifts of the Spirit, He builds up our faith to participate in His saving ways.  Here, we jointly offer up together our prayers and intercessions for those who yet need to learn about Jesus.  Here, Jesus feeds us with His true body and blood in the bread and wine of the Supper.  By that holy meal, we are again and again assured of the forgiveness Jesus won for us all on the cross.  Here, God nourishes us with the Bread of Life which is His holy Word that teaches us right from wrong and shows us the love the Father has for every person who has ever lived.  Here, we lift up our voices in thanksgiving and praise for all that God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has given us.

There was a man who hated Jesus and everything He stood for.  This man hunted Christians with the intention to end their faith and gain his own good standing before God.  That man was lost in his evil ways, but then, Jesus rescued him from darkness on the road to Damascus, and we now know him as St. Paul who the Lord called to faith and sent out as the apostle to the Gentiles. 

Here, Paul writes, “For this testimony, I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I speak the truth; I am not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”  We give thanks to the Lord that Jesus rescued Paul from the darkness of sin and death, because it is through Paul that the Holy Spirit has given us the great teachings and information about forgiveness and salvation through faith in Jesus.

Dear friends, like Paul, you and I can be a great help to the troubled soul, because through the Word of our God and Savior, we can bring life and salvation to the hurting and lost.  We can give comfort to the troubled heart, strength and assurance to the weak and worried.  Not that we ourselves can cure anyone else’s problems, but our Savior Jesus works all things for the good of those who believe in Him.  Thus, we proudly and boldly proclaim the Lord until he comes as we with confidence in Jesus and His sacrifice, also willingly Pray, proclaim, invite, and give thanks.  Amen.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and in his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.  Amen.