In the name of Christ Jesus, dear Christian friends,

On November 6, 1860, the United States elected a new president by the name of Abraham Lincoln. Three weeks before that, this congregation was formed in Adrian. This weekend, St. Stephen Lutheran Church turns 144 years old. The Lord has blessed us richly during all those years. Let us join the apostle Paul and...

He wrote: {3} I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience... This was Paul's last inspired letter. At this time, he was in a cold prison cell in Rome, waiting to die as a martyr. While he was waiting, he had plenty of time to think. For Paul, that meant he had plenty of time to thank God. Perhaps we would do the same thing. If I were waiting to be executed, I think that I would probably reflect on my past, thinking about my parents and grandparents. Here Paul mentions his believing forefathers. He identifies with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Isaiah, and others who looked forward in faith to the coming of the Savior. We like to do the same. Luther insisted that the Lutheran Church was not a new church, but went all the way back through Scripture to the Garden of Eden, when God first promised a Savior. Luther said that we preach the same gospel as Paul, the same gospel as God proclaimed in Genesis chapter three. Some people might think 144 years is a long time, but the anniversary of our real church, the holy Christian Church, the invisible church, goes all the way back through Bible times to the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve first believed that promise of the Savior.

As Paul was waiting to die as a martyr, he had time to pray too. He writes: {3b} Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. {4} Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. "Night and day" Paul prayed for Timothy. Do you pray "night and day" too? Sometimes, we think that we don't have time to pray, but we do. Here in prison, Paul prayed often. He longed to see Timothy one more time. He was lonely. And he began to think about Timothy.

He remembered Timothy's heritage. {5} I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. Paul remembered how Timothy's mother and grandmother were believers and taught Timothy God's Word. Timothy's father was a Gentile, so they saw to it that Timothy knew God's Word. And so, by God's Word, Timothy became a believer too. This weekend, let us pause to thank God for all the parents and grandparents who taught us God's Word, who saw to it that we learned God's Word. The ancestors in this congregation valued Christian education enough to establish and maintain a Christian Day School. They knew that God's Word was the one thing needful for their children. May we never forget the importance of Christian education! Do you support Christian education by your words and example, by your prayers and your offerings? Do you consider this to be your responsibility, or do you leave it to others to tell the children and grandchildren about Jesus? Parents, do you see to it that your children regularly hear and learn God's Word? How do you support the Christian education program of our congregation and school? It isn't free. It isn't even cheap. But it is important - eternally important. The benefits last forever.

Paul continued: {6} For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. {7} For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. {8} So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. A blacksmith at his forge uses a bellows to make the flame hotter. Timothy was to do that with his gift. When Timothy was installed as a pastor, the Lord blessed him with a special gift to serve in the public ministry of the gospel. That gift certainly involved his faith and his ability to serve as a pastor. He would need a strong faith if he was going to boldly proclaim God's Word. He would need courage too. He could keep silent and avoid suffering, or he could proclaim Christ boldly and suffer, as Paul was suffering. Paul urged him to not be timid or afraid. God did not want Timothy to be a coward! He was to proclaim God's Word with power, no matter what the danger or the cost. He was not to be ashamed or afraid. He would be a soldier of the cross. Some things are more important than comfort and ease! And this was one! He was to testify about our Lord Jesus.

{8b} Join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, {9} who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, {10} but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. The reason why Timothy was to be willing to suffer was quite simply this: God has saved us by grace. God has saved us, without our works. We don't deserve it. We have sinned against God in thought, and word and deed. But, God chose to save us before time even began. He revealed his grace in his Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior. "Jesus has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (v.10). He lived a perfect life and died on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for all our sins. He rose from death and has destroyed the power of death. Because Jesus has saved us, whoever believes in him has "life and immortality." By faith in Christ our Savior, we will live forever in heaven. That is the gospel.

{11} And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. {12} That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. The Lord called Paul to be his spokesman. As a "herald" Paul was to proclaim the decree of the King: You are forgiven through Christ! As an "apostle," Paul was sent out to go all over the world as a missionary, bringing the good news of Jesus to all creation. As a "teacher," Paul was to teach and apply the words of forgiveness to all who would listen. But, this was not easy. It led to suffering for Paul. He was in prison because he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. But he was not ashamed to be a prisoner for Christ. And he knew exactly where he was going now. Sure, they would behead him, but Paul knew where he was going! He looked forward to his heavenly home with confidence. And dear believers, you can be sure that you are going to heaven! You can be as sure as Paul was here. God has promised to give heaven to all who believe in Jesus as their Savior from sin. You can be sure that God will keep his promise!

{13} What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. {14} Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Paul was always concerned about the message. And may we share that concern. Paul told Timothy to keep the very same words, the very same pattern, as he taught God's Word. There is right and wrong. There is true and false teaching. And yes, it does matter. We have received, from the Scriptures, God's pure Word as a good deposit. Timothy received it from Paul. We have received it from the Bible, but many of us heard God's word from our parents, grandparents, Sunday School teachers, Christian Day School teachers, and pastors. God's Word is our great heritage! May we guard and keep it carefully.

But let us never be selfish with God's Word. "To spread its light from age to age shall be our chief endeavor!" Share the light of God's Word with your children and grandchildren as a great heritage! And may God help us to do mission work here and all around the globe.

We must guard God's pure message of Law and Gospel, and we must share it with others. "Lord, grant while worlds endure, we keep its teachings pure, throughout all generations." May it never be said of our generation that we were the ones who lost the truth, that we permitted false teaching, that we failed to teach our children God's Word, that we did not pass the gospel on to others, that after all those years this great heritage stopped with us because we were too greedy, too selfish, too lazy, or too careless. Our ancestors are gone now, and this is our time. By God's grace, now we have been entrusted with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. May we guard it as our greatest treasure! May we study it, ponder it, and value it as the one thing needful. May we pass it on to our children, and our grandchildren, to our neighbors and friends, to our families, and to people all around the globe.

May God bless and protect us so that St. Stephen Lutheran Church and School are still preaching and teaching God's pure Word 144 years from now, if the world lasts that long. May God so bless us that when Christ returns for the final judgment, St. Stephen will still be standing as a beacon of light in a sin-darkened world, still lifting high the cross of Jesus Christ. And on that day, may every one of us be found ready, by faith in Christ. And then, we will really appreciate the great heritage God has given us in his Word. Amen.