WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.325 --> 00:00:03.925 Grace, mercy, and peace to you from our Lord. 2 00:00:03.925 --> 00:00:04.925 Jesus Christ. 3 00:00:05.025 --> 00:00:05.925 You may be seated. 4 00:00:09.825 --> 00:00:14.925 The Apostle Paul is obviously such a pivotal character in the history 5 00:00:14.925 --> 00:00:18.725 of the Christian Church a larger-than-life character. 6 00:00:19.425 --> 00:00:23.225 We can't even imagine what the Christian Church might have been like 7 00:00:23.725 --> 00:00:28.325 without his letters, without his missionary work to the Gentiles in 8 00:00:28.325 --> 00:00:29.625 that first generation. 9 00:00:31.225 --> 00:00:34.225 The Christian faith as understood by Luther and the Lutheran 10 00:00:34.225 --> 00:00:34.925 confessors 11 00:00:34.925 --> 00:00:37.225 since him is not even possible 12 00:00:37.225 --> 00:00:43.325 without Paul. Romans the two Corinthian letters Galatians and others 13 00:00:43.325 --> 00:00:43.725 reveal 14 00:00:43.725 --> 00:00:52.225 Jesus, and the gospel to us in a cruciform way that is focused on 15 00:00:52.225 --> 00:00:58.025 Christ's death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead for us. 16 00:00:59.325 --> 00:01:04.025 We rightly hold up Paul in such high esteem, especially for writing 13 17 00:01:04.025 --> 00:01:09.925 of the 27 letters, 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament and being a 18 00:01:09.925 --> 00:01:12.025 central character in Luke's second 19 00:01:12.025 --> 00:01:14.825 book, The Acts of the Apostles. 20 00:01:17.025 --> 00:01:23.125 Our text today is the last few sentences of Paul writing to Timothy 21 00:01:23.825 --> 00:01:26.625 and writing to the Church of Christ. 22 00:01:27.825 --> 00:01:29.025 We thank Luke 23 00:01:29.325 --> 00:01:32.425 the Evangelist, not just for his writings, but for apparently, being 24 00:01:32.425 --> 00:01:38.425 one of the very last Brothers to visit Paul in prison and for in all 25 00:01:38.425 --> 00:01:44.125 likelihood, being the one who carried this letter out of prison and 26 00:01:44.525 --> 00:01:46.525 sent it to Timothy 27 00:01:47.825 --> 00:01:48.625 and to us. 28 00:01:50.425 --> 00:01:54.225 These words are poignant and they reveal the humility and the faith in 29 00:01:54.225 --> 00:01:54.925 Jesus 30 00:01:55.325 --> 00:01:59.925 that our Father Paul was clinging to in the last days of his Earthly 31 00:01:59.925 --> 00:02:00.425 life. 32 00:02:03.325 --> 00:02:07.825 I like watching various movie portrayals of biblical stories or 33 00:02:07.825 --> 00:02:09.425 serials, like the Chosen. 34 00:02:10.525 --> 00:02:15.025 If you've never seen the 2018 movie of Paul the Apostle of Christ, I 35 00:02:15.125 --> 00:02:16.225 commend it to you. 36 00:02:17.425 --> 00:02:23.025 The movie starts with Luke entering into Rome during the time of Nero. 37 00:02:23.625 --> 00:02:29.425 When Christians are being persecuted and martyred, even used as human 38 00:02:29.425 --> 00:02:32.525 torches to light the night time streets. 39 00:02:33.925 --> 00:02:37.725 Ironically, the actor who is portraying Luke in this movie, is Jim 40 00:02:37.725 --> 00:02:38.325 Caviezel. 41 00:02:39.125 --> 00:02:43.625 Who portrayed Jesus in Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ. 42 00:02:44.925 --> 00:02:50.325 The Paul movie then moves to Luke seeking out the hidden Christian 43 00:02:50.325 --> 00:02:56.725 Community in Rome and then Luke gaining access to an imprisoned Paul 44 00:02:56.725 --> 00:02:58.425 just as our text says. 45 00:02:59.525 --> 00:03:03.125 And then, according to the movie, he begins interviewing Paul, so that 46 00:03:03.125 --> 00:03:07.725 he could share even more of Paul's cruciform teachings with Christ 47 00:03:07.725 --> 00:03:09.025 persecuted Church. 48 00:03:11.325 --> 00:03:14.225 Paul is languishing there in prison 49 00:03:14.725 --> 00:03:17.625 during this time that he would have written second Timothy. 50 00:03:18.925 --> 00:03:23.925 But in the movie, He's also sharing the story of Jesus with the 51 00:03:23.925 --> 00:03:26.525 guards, the Roman guards, who are guarding him. 52 00:03:28.225 --> 00:03:32.625 I do wish the movie had focused better on Christ's cross and 53 00:03:32.625 --> 00:03:37.025 Resurrection, but the rest of the movie actually help me consider what 54 00:03:37.025 --> 00:03:40.325 Paul was going through in those last days. 55 00:03:41.225 --> 00:03:42.825 From my psychology background 56 00:03:42.825 --> 00:03:48.325 I especially appreciated the portrayal that Paul's Thorn In the Flesh 57 00:03:48.325 --> 00:03:54.125 might have been PTSD. That is Paul in the movie as having flashbacks. 58 00:03:55.025 --> 00:04:01.125 Shame filled nightmares to the times that he persecuted Christ Church 59 00:04:01.125 --> 00:04:02.625 before he became a Christian. 60 00:04:03.925 --> 00:04:07.125 Obviously, we don't actually know what Paul's Thorn In the Flesh was 61 00:04:07.125 --> 00:04:10.925 but PTSD is a plausible and tormenting option. 62 00:04:12.325 --> 00:04:16.325 I won't spoil any more of the movie for you, but it's not like you 63 00:04:16.325 --> 00:04:19.125 don't know how the movie ends. 64 00:04:21.925 --> 00:04:24.025 Paul is awaiting martyrdom 65 00:04:24.025 --> 00:04:27.125 here in our text, his execution. 66 00:04:27.825 --> 00:04:31.025 He writes for I am already being poured out as a drink offering in the 67 00:04:31.025 --> 00:04:33.825 time of my departure has come. 68 00:04:35.025 --> 00:04:36.525 I have fought the good fight. 69 00:04:37.325 --> 00:04:38.825 I have finished the race. 70 00:04:39.225 --> 00:04:40.525 I have kept the faith. 71 00:04:41.725 --> 00:04:45.525 Henceforth is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the 72 00:04:45.525 --> 00:04:50.725 Lord, the righteous judge will award to me on that day. 73 00:04:52.025 --> 00:04:56.825 And not only to me but to all those who love his appearing. 74 00:04:58.225 --> 00:04:59.825 Both this first appearing 75 00:05:00.825 --> 00:05:02.525 and his next appearing. 76 00:05:04.725 --> 00:05:08.425 Paul goes on to say the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and 77 00:05:08.425 --> 00:05:13.825 bring me safely into his Heavenly Kingdom to him, be the glory forever 78 00:05:13.825 --> 00:05:14.325 and ever. 79 00:05:14.925 --> 00:05:15.525 Amen. 80 00:05:17.625 --> 00:05:22.025 Ever since that day, that Jesus Christ appeared to Paul and knocked 81 00:05:22.025 --> 00:05:28.025 him down on the road to Damascus. Paul has been learning and declaring 82 00:05:28.025 --> 00:05:28.925 to others 83 00:05:29.225 --> 00:05:30.725 the sound Doctrine. 84 00:05:31.425 --> 00:05:38.125 The life-giving teaching of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected. For 85 00:05:38.125 --> 00:05:38.925 Paul 86 00:05:39.525 --> 00:05:43.825 and for those who he spoke to and for us. 87 00:05:45.225 --> 00:05:49.725 Paul had put on Christ's death and Resurrection in his own baptism and 88 00:05:49.725 --> 00:05:54.825 then God chose Paul to teach the sound Doctrine to millions of others 89 00:05:54.825 --> 00:05:57.525 of us for the past 2000 years. 90 00:06:00.125 --> 00:06:02.025 President Emeritus Dale Meyer 91 00:06:02.125 --> 00:06:03.425 has stood in this Pulpit 92 00:06:03.425 --> 00:06:08.725 many times in the last decade and talked about how he gets older, the 93 00:06:08.725 --> 00:06:10.725 life narrows down. 94 00:06:11.725 --> 00:06:16.925 That the extraneous aspects of life become less and less important and 95 00:06:16.925 --> 00:06:20.425 Jesus becomes more and more of a focus. 96 00:06:21.725 --> 00:06:24.625 If you happen to speak to any of the alumni that were here last week, 97 00:06:24.625 --> 00:06:29.225 especially those, who graduated 50, or 60 or 65 years ago. 98 00:06:29.725 --> 00:06:33.025 They would probably have said, some very similar things to you as 99 00:06:33.025 --> 00:06:33.425 well. 100 00:06:35.425 --> 00:06:41.225 Many of you are studying desiring to become pastors and deaconesses of 101 00:06:41.225 --> 00:06:42.125 Christ Church. 102 00:06:43.425 --> 00:06:48.225 In your future roles, you will be called upon to make visits to aging 103 00:06:48.225 --> 00:06:53.525 parishioners, parishioners who are homebound, or living in their 104 00:06:53.525 --> 00:06:58.025 children's home being cared for them by them or living in a nursing 105 00:06:58.025 --> 00:06:58.825 facility. 106 00:07:00.125 --> 00:07:05.325 Many of them will know that it is their last year's maybe even their 107 00:07:05.325 --> 00:07:07.525 last months or weeks. 108 00:07:09.025 --> 00:07:14.325 You will visit them, to bring them God's word and to strengthen them 109 00:07:15.025 --> 00:07:16.525 in faith toward him. 110 00:07:18.125 --> 00:07:23.525 But I think you'll find in the majority of cases, your visit to them will 111 00:07:23.525 --> 00:07:26.425 be one that strengthens your faith. 112 00:07:27.425 --> 00:07:32.825 As they tell you how life has narrowed down for them in Jesus is 113 00:07:32.825 --> 00:07:35.225 standing there in that narrow spot. 114 00:07:36.325 --> 00:07:40.425 Even those who have dementia, who don't remember you, or your last 115 00:07:40.425 --> 00:07:44.425 visit, or maybe even their own, kids will surprise you with their 116 00:07:44.425 --> 00:07:45.125 faith. 117 00:07:45.625 --> 00:07:48.825 When you start saying the Lord's Prayer out loud, and they start 118 00:07:48.825 --> 00:07:51.825 saying the Lord's Prayer along with you. 119 00:07:54.125 --> 00:07:59.825 For Paul life is narrowing down and he is being poured out like a 120 00:07:59.825 --> 00:08:05.625 drink offering as a sacrifice, for the sacrifice, for the sake of 121 00:08:05.625 --> 00:08:06.825 Christ's sacrifice. 122 00:08:08.025 --> 00:08:11.925 He wants Timothy to continue preaching that message of Jesus after he 123 00:08:11.925 --> 00:08:12.625 is gone. 124 00:08:13.525 --> 00:08:17.625 And Paul knows that he will receive that crown of righteousness. 125 00:08:18.425 --> 00:08:22.425 Not because he's been some successful preacher or apostle. 126 00:08:23.525 --> 00:08:29.625 But because his Lord Jesus Christ, the righteous judge gave his life 127 00:08:30.125 --> 00:08:31.925 as a ransom for Paul. 128 00:08:33.725 --> 00:08:35.825 The good news for you 129 00:08:36.225 --> 00:08:39.425 and for me, is that this same righteous judge 130 00:08:39.425 --> 00:08:40.025 our Lord 131 00:08:40.025 --> 00:08:41.025 Jesus Christ 132 00:08:41.425 --> 00:08:47.625 gave his life as a ransom for us. And will give us that same crown of 133 00:08:47.625 --> 00:08:52.625 righteousness, for all, who love his appearing and to all, who are 134 00:08:52.625 --> 00:08:57.325 watching faithfully for his next appearing on that last day. 135 00:08:58.625 --> 00:09:01.725 To him, be the glory forever and ever. 136 00:09:02.725 --> 00:09:03.425 Come quickly 137 00:09:03.425 --> 00:09:04.425 Lord, Jesus. 138 00:09:05.725 --> 00:09:06.125 Amen. 139 00:09:08.325 --> 00:09:09.625 We Stand For the Kyrie.