Download The theme for worship today is Christian Education. Of course we

9/7/14
Pentecost 13/Kick-Off Sunday
Sermon Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-‐17
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you
learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IS CONTINUING EDUCATION.
I.
II.
III.
Its Power For Salvation.
Its Source In God’s Inspiration.
Its Use For Everyday Life.
INTRODUCTION
There is a program sponsored by WLS called Growing In Grace , which promotes continuing education for the pastors of the
WELS. It promotes professional, personal and spiritual growth. There are many occupations that offer, promote or even require
continuing education. Teachers, doctors and nurses, computer technicians, engineers and auto mechanics take classes and attend
workshops and seminars. They do it to become familiar with the latest developments and learn new techniques, as well as to review
and sharpen old skills. It’s all part of the value of continuing education.
This week we are observing Kickoff Sunday – reflecting a fondness for football on the part of the person who came up with
the name, as well as, and most importantly, that we are starting up again many activities that fall under the description Christian
Education. Sunday School and Catechism Class are starting again in our congregation. Salem Lutheran School and West Lutheran
High School have started their school year. But Christian Education is not just for kids. Or we could say it is for children of all ages
– children of God. Our various Bible Studies here at church for adults, the online Bible Studies offered by the WELS, as well as the
books and periodicals published Northwestern Publishing House provide opportunity for Christian education for adults. Christian
Education is the ultimate example of continuing education. It is intended to be literally “cradle to grave”. It is one form of and area of
education from which there is NO graduation. That is what Paul’s encouragement to the young pastor Timothy remind us today –
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IS CONTINUING EDUCATION and continuing Christian education means continuing in the
Word. – because of its power for salvation, its source in God’s Inspiration and its use for everyday life.
I.
Its Power For Salvation.
“You gotta read this book. It will totally change your life.” How many times have you heard that before? It might be a
novel, someone’s life story, a “how-to” or self-help book. Maybe it’s a book on some on healthy lifestyles or financial planning.
There are many books we read that might be influential. But there is only one book that truly changes us and our lives. That
book, of course, is the Bible.
First of all, only Holy Scripture identifies and pinpoints our real problem better than any other book ever has or could.
People like to point at and blame all sorts of outside influences to explain the troubles in our lives, and the bad things people do. It’s
poverty ( not enough money) , or affluence (too much money), its the media, TV, movies and music, video games, cell phones and
ipads; liberal politicians or conservative politicians;; its education system or the lack of education, its the influence of bad people
around us. People like to point to all sorts of outside reasons and influences to blame or excuse what they do or fail to do. But the
Lord Jesus points to the real problem when He said, For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual
immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil
things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23 ESV) In other words, as the old saying goes, We have seen the
enemy and he is us! The Word of God reminds us exactly who we are and what we have done. We are na t ura l b o rn sinners
with unclean hearts. All kinds of terrible things like evil thoughts, immorality, gossip, slander, lies, and so much more come out
of the heart and result in sinful, evil t h o u g h t s , words and actions.
There is no other book that can so powerfully chop down the arrogant human ego. It smacks us in the face with God’s
r i g h t e o u s h o l y demands. It shine a bright light on our failures and disobedience and then reminds us of the punishment and
hell that awaits us who sin.
Yet no other book so powerfully and clearly proclaims the solution for our sin. The Bible says, “Christ died for sins
once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous,” (1 Pe 3:18) and “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for
ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 Jn 2:2) The Word of God has the power to crush our stony,
unbelieving hearts of sin and then to create faith in those hearts, which trusts that our sins are removed through Christ, who
died for all.
This is the Word that Paul was talking about when reminded Timothy “From infancy you have known the holy
Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” T i m o t h y ’ s m o t h e r a n d
g r a n d m o t h e r t a u g h t h i m G o d ’ s W o r d , b u t t h e y d i d n ’ t c h a n g e h i s h e a r t a n d l i f e . No person on his or her
own makes the decision to follow Christ or to choose Jesus as Savior. No! It is the Bible, holy Scripture, which first makes
us “wise for salvation.” The Bible is what reveals our Savior Jesus. The Bible is what God uses to work faith in us.
This power for salvation is for everyone. It was the grown-up pastor Timothy who “from infancy” knew the holy
Scriptures. It is for children and adults. This is why our Sunday School and Catechism class are so important. This is the
value of Lutheran elementary and secondary education. The purpose is to reach out to children and to families with the
powerful Word of God which reveals our Savior Jesus. Paul encouraged Timothy: continue in what you have learned and
have become convinced of. The reason we have Bible Studies is so that we can continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ. There is no book more important than the Word of God. So Continue in the Word because of its power for
salvation!
II.
Its Source In God’s Inspiration.
It is often the case that good authors gain good reputations. After reading a good book, people will often want to read other
books by the same author. Simply put, if you are a good author, people will want to read your books.
So why do we struggle often to open the Bible and read it? Why is that often the last thing that we think about doing? I have
always meant to, but . . .
Paul has already reminded us that Christian education is important because of its power. But here is a second
reason. The Bible is important because of its source. “All Scripture is God - breathed.” The Latin translation of the Bible,
the Vulgate, translated “God-breathed” with the Latin word inspirare. Inspirare gives us the English word inspired. When
we say that the Bible is inspired, we aren’t saying that someone was moved and motivated to write the Bible. “Godbreathed” is more than that.
One of the interesting things when you study the Bible in a l i t t l e m o r e depth is that you learn about the individual
writers and see how each writer had his own style. Luke the doctor wrote with many careful details. Paul the brilliant scholar
and wrote some very complex sentences. Mark was a man of action, and jumps from event to event to event with very few
details. Yet all of the prophets and apostles were inspired by God. That means that God gave them or literally “breathed” into
them in the very words that He wanted them to write .
There is no other book that is completely and wholly God’s Word. What that means for the Bible is that there
are no errors, no mistakes, no discrepancies or contradictions. The Bible is God’s own Word. M o r e t h a n t h a t t h e
B i b l e is God’s love story—the story of how He so loved the world that he gave His only Son so that whoever believes in
Him will have eternal life.
God does not touch or change lives in any other way. He does not speak to us in dreams. He does not use “situations in
life” or “life- changing events” to speak to us . He will not speak to you during meditation. God only speaks through his Word.
At one time in history that was through the Prophets. At another time in history that was through Hs own Son Jesus the living
Word. Shortly after that it was through Apostles. But now, God speaks through his written Word, the inspired, inerrant, infallible
Word. This is how God comes to us. This is how He reveals what He has done to save us. This is how He touches our lives.
So Christian education needs to be continuing education and continuing education means continuing in the Word because
of its source! I always liked the wording of the closing collect from the old hymnal: Blessed Lord, who hast caused all Holy
Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them because it is God-breathed!
III. Its Use For Everyday Life.
Books that remain popular over the years d o s o because they are d e e m e d t o still be relevant. The writings of
Plato and Aristotle are still useful today because of the wisdom they contain. Romeo and Juliet is still a relevant play
because it so beautifully tells a story of undying love that so many search for yet even today. O n t h e o t h e r h a n d books
that are no longer relevant or useful sit on shelves and collect dust.
Just as no other book has the same power as the Bible, or the same source (God) as the Bible, so also no other book
is as useful as the Bible. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The Bible has so many important uses for our everyday lives. It teaches us. It teaches us what we need to know about
sin, death and hell. It teaches us what we need to know about our Savior from sin, Jesus Christ, how He lived, died and rose
again for us that we might live with Him forever in heaven.
The Bible is useful for rebuking. With it we rebuke, challenge and attack false teachings and doctrines. We don’t
tell people what we think or what Lutherans think or what our pastor says. We use the Word of God to rebuke false teaching!
In the same way, the Bible is useful for correcting. When a friend or neighbor or family member is caught up in a
particular sin and i s l i v i n g i n a w a y t h a t i s not God-pleasing, we use the Word of God to correct that
behavior, just as we also read and use it to correct our own behavior.
Finally, the Bible is useful for training. It trains us in righteousness. It trains us in trusting the righteousness of
Christ that makes us right before God. It also trains us in doing righteousness, the things that God wants us to do, and not
doing the things God doesn’t want us to do. The Bible trains us in showing love for God and love for others.
The Bible trains us to such a degree that we are “thoroughly equipped” for serving the Lord. There is no other book
that is more practical, more important, or more useful for our everyday lives. But the Bible is not a self-help book. It’s a Jesushelp book! Jesus helps us through His Word. That is why it is so useful. So Christian education means continuing education which
means continuing in the Word because of its use for everyday life.
CONCLUSION
The theme for worship today is Christian Education. Of course we are reminded how important the mission of our
Sunday School, Catechism Classes and Bible Studies are. Christian education is not just for children, it is for everybody.
God teaches us a great Be in and around the Word of God every day. Or as Paul would say, Continue in the Word because
of its power for salvation, its source in God’s inspiration, and its use for everyday life. AMEN