What Do We Say 1 Tim 2 1 6

Thanksgiving Eve                                       27-November-2024
Sermon Text: 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Sermon Theme: “What Do We Say?” I. Please! (Vs.1-2) II. Thank-You! (Vs.3-4)
I.N.R.I. The family gathered to give thanks. The Lord God had abundantly provided them food and clothing - everything needed for body and life. Their two sons offered their best crops and livestock to God. Then the family sat down to feast upon them. The oldest son rejoiced in his hard labor bringing forth bountiful crops from the earth. The youngest son rejoiced in the Lord alone for blessing their herds. The family feast stirred up strife. The older son grew angry at his younger brother, Scripture describes it as his face falling. How often don’t the looks we give our family betray our hearts, no matter how we pretend niceness.
    Their father tried to set his firstborn son straight. Taking him aside he said, Gen 4:6-7 ....., "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? (7) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." He listened to his father’s advice outwardly, but his heart seethed with anger. Anger kept in grew into hatred. Hatred gave birth to murdering his own twin brother - Abel. Unrepentant Cain shattered the family thanksgiving meals from that day forward.
    Tomorrow our nation, by presidential proclamation pauses to give thanks for the blessings showered upon us over this past year. Do we sit with Cain or with Abel? Are we thankful for what our hands have earned for us? Are we thankful to our Heavenly Father as the Source and Giver of our daily feasts? Will you sit at table nursing old wounds, slights, anger? Will you come to the feast to be reconciled, forgiven, forgetting past sins, washing them clean in Christ’s blood? How will you give thanks?
    In the past extended families gathered to feast on Thanksgiving. Often a division was made between the adult table and the children’s table. Even at the children’s table we were expected to mind our manners. If we stepped out of line a parent, aunt, or uncle would remind us, ‘What Do We Say?” Let us become little children again in our Father’s House at His Son’s Table learning as the Holy Spirit teaches in His Word to say: I. Please! (Vs.1-2) II. Thank-You! (Vs.3-4)
I.   The apostle Paul had become Timothy’s spiritual father in Christ. He taught him Jesus of Nazareth crucified for him. Timothy’s mother and grandmother had grounded him in the faith teaching him the Old Testament Scriptures at home from infancy. Bringing baby Timothy every Sabbath into the local synagogue to hear, sing, pray, and learn the Word of God. Paul completed his training of this young man and he was called to pastor the congregation at Ephesus. God the Holy Spirit through Paul’s preaching of the cross of Christ Jesus established the congregation at Ephesus. Paul entrusts his beloved congregation into the hands of pastor Timothy.
    Apparently questions arose about the Divine Service. How should it be conducted? Whom should be included in the prayers? What should they ask? The Holy Spirit answers through Paul’s pen (vs.1) When you gobbled down the healthy helping of mashed potatoes and gravy on your plate, how would you get more? If you hollered, “Give me the bowl of potatoes, I’m hungry!” Your ear might be twisted as you were reminded, “What do we say?” Then remembering your manners you’d say, “Excuse me, please - pass the potatoes!”
    As children we hadn’t bought or prepared the potatoes - they were all gifts through our hostess and host. Trusting their love and care for their own family we learned to ask ‘please!” Who is the Master of your daily feast? In the Small Catechism Dr. Luther instructs: The children and the members of the household shall go the table reverently, fold their hands, and say: The eyes of all look to You, O Lord, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:15-16). Then shall be said the Lord's Prayer and the following: Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these Your gifts which we receive from Your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.   In our rush to get to the turkey, we’ve shorted our prays to ‘Come, Lord Jesus, be our Guest...” which is fine as long as we constantly remind ourselves that He is the Master of the Feast supplying day by day all that we need for body and life. God the Father gives us all we have, cares for all our needs, supplies every breath we take - when do you pause to remember this and say to Him... “please”?
    Learn to daily say to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - “Please!” Supplicate Him for all of His gifts and blessings both great and small. God alone is the Supplier of all that is good and wholesome in our lives. He gives us physical clothing and shoes. He clothes our sins with the perfect life of His only begotten Son - Jesus of Nazareth our Brother and Savior. He births us again every morning by His Holy Spirit through His Word daily and richly forgiving you all your sin. Strengthening you to forgive, reconcile, love one another.
      Daily pray! The first commandment teaches us to fear, love, and trust in God above all things. We don’t, so we grow tired of praying. Prayer is faith’s breathe. God the Holy Spirit teaches, Gal 4:3-6 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. (4) But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (6) And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Adopted by God the Father in Holy Baptism through Jesus’ cross the Holy Spirit opens our lips to cry out,“Our Father!” Ask Him as dear children as their dear Father! Boldly. Confidently. Prayer is thanksgiving for our Father’s great love for us in His Son through the Holy Spirit.
    Intercessions - praying for our neighbor’s needs and our own. Here we follow the footsteps and prayer life of Jesus. Crucified for your sins. Risen to proclaim you forgiven in His blood. He ascends is enthroned serving you by ever making intercession! He prays for you! I think you hear the echo of His intercession for you every time you fold your hands and unite your voice with His praying, ‘Our Father, who art in heaven.” Like Jesus you pray for the needs of all.
    Whom should we pray for? (Vs.2) In a few short years Emperor Nero would order St. Paul’s execution. Paul was executed for not bowing to the government as God. Paul respected God’s authority in government. All rule flows from God through civil government. Whether it is a monarchy with a king, or a representative republic with a president and representatives, or a parliament with a prime minister. Government has no authority apart from that which our ascended King Jesus grants it. It is established punish evil and protect those who uphold natural law.
    We say “please” by praying, interceding, supplicating our Triune God for all those in authority. This isn’t natural to our fallen nature. Like our first father Adam we love to rebel, seeking to seize power to serve self. Like Cain we object that we aren’t our brother’s keeper, while our hands are stained blood red! Have you used your tongue to explain everything done by those in authority in the kindest way possible? Or, have you complained, grumbled, cursed them for not following what you want? Repent! Pray for those in authority by name, from those who serve in our community, our county, our state, and our nation. Say “please” Father give us good government and uphold and guide all those whom You have place in rule over us.
    “Please Father” keep civil order in our nation that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. Quiet life of faith as day by day our heavenly Father gives us all we have. A life of peace - forgiven through Jesus’ cross and resurrection freeing us to forgive - to reconcile in His love. In all godliness and reverence - daily and richly God the Holy Spirit calls and renews us in the Gospel of Christ Jesus. We live our Father’s will loving our neighbor in our vocations upholding the Ten Commandments. We live reverently confessing reality - the Apostles’ Creed - walking daily by faith and not by cipher.
II.   Daily learn to say, “Please!” as the mash potatoes where passed down to your end of the table you learned another necessary phrase, “Thank-you!” (Vs.1) We are to give thanks for all! All are created by God the Father, redeemed by Jesus’ cross, and God the Holy Spirit calls all through the Gospel to trust in Jesus!
        Ten men dying of leprosy cry out to Jesus. He speaks His Word, they go, they are healed - why did only one give thanks? Pastor Charles Brown used his imagination: Why did only one cleansed leper return to thank Jesus? The following are nine suggested reasons why the nine did not return: One waited to see if the cure was real. One waited to see if it would last. One said he would see Jesus later. One decided that he had never had leprosy. One said he would have gotten well anyway. One gave the glory to the priests. One said, "O, well, Jesus didn't really do anything." One said, "Any rabbi could have done it."One said, "I was already much improved."
Do we run with the nine, or return with the one to daily give thanks to Jesus? (Vs.3,4)
      Tomorrow sitting at table, rejoice in the Father’s love. He showers you with all you need for this life. Rejoice that He sends trials in life keeping you with Jesus. Say, ‘Please!” Keep me in Your Word and Faith! “Please! Keep my children, grandchildren, friends in your Word and Faith!” “Please bless all in authority over me obeying You by protecting and serving those entrust to their care!”
        Then say, “Thank-you!” You have not only given us our body and life, but You gave your only begotten Son to pay our debt on Calvary! You desire all men to be saved in Jesus by your Holy Spirit calling and keeping! Thank You! For You alone have brought us to the knowledge of the Truth!
      A meal of thanksgiving was held by twelve men and their Teacher. He had to fulfill the Sacrifice for them and all sinners the next day. As they ate He took bread, gave thanks and broke it saying, “Take eat, this is My Body, given for you!” “Remember Me! Until I return!” As the supper ended He took the last cup of wine, giving thanks He gave it to them, “Drink of it, all of you. This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me!” Cain’s thanksgiving shattered the family of Adam. Jesus’ thanksgiving reunites us here on earth freeing us to forgive and be forgiven. Reunites us with all the company of heaven. Some may not be at your table in your home anymore - they are here at the Lord’s Table! “Thank-you! Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!” Amen.