Sixth Sunday of Easter (2024)

1 Timothy 2:1-6

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we have before us today Paul’s letter to the Timothy a young pastor, who was serving a church, and He was writing to encourage him and remind him of the Gospel as He went about the task of Serving God’s people. Never forgetting what all Christians are called to do, and to remember the reason that Christ came into this world. For on the day of Pentecost, we saw a pattern begin for the Christian Church that they would gather together around the Word of God to pray, and to receive the Sacrament.

Prayers for Rulers

There is a command to pray.

We are encouraged not just to pray for Christians, but for all people. It doesn’t matter their background or where they come from. For God isn’t just the God of the Christians, He is the God of all creation, and he knit together each and every person who is on earth. He wrote and established their days, and continues to watch over them

We pray in particular for our leaders.

This surprises some people, especially in a land that is torn apart by political turmoil, and parties going after each other. This is not encouraged in our present age, but rather we ought to find all manner of ways to mock or insult them instead of praying for them.

We are sojourners here.

This is not our final home, rather we are guests here for a time, and whichever country Christians have found themselves in, we remember that this is not where we want to remain. We have something better, that is waiting for all of us. Satan would have us forget that and have us think this is the only thing that matters are our political leaders.

God entrusted them with authority for our good.

This is why when Paul says that we are to keep them in our prayers, He isn’t talking about a government that protects freedom of speech, a government that permits Christians to worship safely, he is talking about the governing rulers that have put him in prison, and will behead him.

Guarding Our Minds

It’s tempting to slander our leaders.

In this day and age where everything is recorded and able to be replayed, it is easy to find it and put it on repeat, and here voices that do nothing but mock our leaders. Remember the Commandments, and how we are to explain everything in the kindness way.

If a leader falls it affects the people.

So do you want to spend your time tearing them down and destroying their leadership. As Christians, the nation in which we dwell is like a boat that we are sailing on until we reach the shores of heaven, or an inn where we dwell. Do you want to embitter the rest of the people that are around you? Do you really want the captain to sail this boat into an iceberg?

Consider Israel who grumbled against God.

In our old testament lesson, they were upset with Moses, And with God and thought that by grumbling against him, the Lord sent snakes amongst them to afflict them.

Look how strong the temptation is!

These are the people who saw the might and power of God as he rescued them from Egypt, who crossed through the red sea, who saw water come from a rock that was struck by moses staff, who had food provided from them daily, and full day to rest every week, and yet.

Rulers as God’s Gift

When we have good rulers, we rejoice.

For we give thanks to God that they have helped us have peace in this world, and that we are able to make good use of those days for the benefit of our neighbors. Our families, our friends, to attend church in safety and to give thanks to God for He is not giving us what our sins deserve.

When we have evil rulers, we repent.

For we are sinners, who have sinned in thought, word, and deed and deserved every temporal and eternal punishment. Those aren’t just meaningless words we say, they are important. We keep them in our prayers, that they might take their rule seriously.

We pray for them that there might be peace.

We see the pictures that are upon the land, and to those who have gone out and seen the horrors of war, they can tell you that you want peace. While we have some political unrest in our country, we don’t have war. So we pray for all who are afflicted.

God Our Savior

God desires all people to be saved.

When Jesus died, he died not just for the jews, but for all the children of Adam. This is why you find Christians all around the globe, and why we send missionaries out. However, there is also a question we have to ask.

So why aren’t all saved?

Many have attempted to answer this question using logic or reason, but it leads them into error, because it goes beyond what the Scriptures say. God instructs us to listen and abide by His Word, not by our reason, or by our own hearts. The Scriptures don’t tell us, why some and not others.

We know if you are saved its by grace.

That is to say it is solely the work of God that has forgiven your sins and claimed you as His own, and you receive the benefits of that grace, through faith, which also gifts to you, by the Holy Spirit who works through the Word. So it’s all about God’s action.

If you are condemned, its because of your sin.

God won’t measure you based on how good or bad your neighbor was, God will measure you against His own holiness and righteousness. There is not middle ground, and that is why it is important that we proclaim the truth, lest people be lost.

What is Truth?

How important is this today?

The question of truth is coming up more and more, as people want to know what is really happening. The world is in a great deal of confusion as they abandoned that there is knowable, searchable, truth that is unchanging. When people say your truth, my truth, etc. they are confusing truth with opinion. THe truth is

There is one God.

The Holy Trinity, who has ordered and created all things. It is an absolute, and if you deny it you end up in error.

There is one mediator, Jesus.

Only one person that is able to stand between the Father in heaven and mankind and plead for our forgiveness. There is no one else who has fulfilled the Law and is able to stand before God’s holiness and plead for us. That’s why

Jesus paid the ransom for all.

When we share the Gospel, it is telling people, Christ has given you a blank check, and He will cover the cost of your sins, whatever that amount is write it down, Christ will pay it for you.

People Need the Truth

We speak the truth in love.

For when we look at our neighbor, we see that the trouble that they are in. We see how they get wrapped up in this world, certain that the one who has the most toys wins, but they can’t take it with them. We see folks who will invest incredible amounts of time with their families, but neglect the one who would give them eternity with their families. Who get wrapped up in the politics to the point of obsession, because they believe this world is all that matters. We want to speak to them out of love, because we know those same temptations, and who saves us.

To speak we need to know it.

Take a moment and consider, how well could you lay out the policies of your political party? How well do you know your work, or your hobbies? How well do you know your kitchen? How well do you know the Scriptures? How well do you know the teachings of Holy Scripture? Can you still list the 10 commandments? Where do you find the Lord’s Supper in the Bible?

Have we made good use of our freedoms to prepare?

God has given us a wonderful country in which our freedoms are protected and we are allowed to gather together in safety. That is why it is good that we have our kids in Sunday School, why it is good for our members to be in Bible Study. For the closer we are to the Scriptures the more we lead peaceful and quiet lives that are godly and dignified in every way, which is pleasing in the sight of God.

So my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we will continue to pray for all people. Not only for us here, but for those outside these walls. For everyone is in need of the help that comes from Christ, and it is by His grace and his grace alone that we preserve. We also want to take advantage of the days that God has given us, that we may share the Truth with all people, and share with them who God is, and What He has done for us through Jesus Christ our Lord, who gave his life as a ransom for all. In Jesus’ name. Amen.