Who Desires Everyone To Be Saved

Summary

The sermon is based on I Timothy 2:1-7.

During Children’s Time, we sang the song “Jesus Loves Me.”

Jesus loves me, this I know.

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong.

They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

Hear again these words from First Timothy:

“…of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all.”

Jesus gave himself for all. God desires everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

But the reality is that not everyone believes in God. And some people who do believe in God, do not believe in Jesus, the Mediator.

In my sermon today I’m going to talk about the challenge of believing in Jesus. It can be difficult and I think it’s important to recognize that it can be difficult. I hope you can see the challenge, feel the challenge, and yet still take hold of the faith – there is one God, there is one Mediator, who gave himself a ransom for all.

This past week there was an article by Åste Dokka in the Norwegian Christian newspaper Vårt Land. She told about a friend who had grown up in the church, but then had left the church as an adult. This friend said the following to her:

«Jeg liker alt som har med kirka å gjøre. Og jeg savner fellesskapet. Men jeg kjøper ikke det med Jesus.»

In English – “I like everything that has to do with the church. And I miss the fellowship. But I could not buy into this business about Jesus.”

Why have people believed in Jesus?

Because Jesus is the one mediator between us and God. Because He gave himself for us. Because He showed God’s power in His Resurrection. Because He saves us and God wants everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Yes, Jesus loves me! Jesus has brought me back to God!

Why have people rejected Jesus? Why do people today find it difficult to believe in Jesus – even people who like the church and like the music and the fellowship – they like being in church?

Everything with Jesus happened so long ago. The world has changed. We know so much more now. We live in a very different world. We are multi-cultural, we recognize there are so many different religions and perspectives on life. We are tolerant, we are scientific, we are logical. Why should we keep talking about this person who lived so long ago? We have many challenges to face in today’s world.

I think it’s important to recognize the challenge – the difficulty – of believing in Jesus – both as we consider our own faith and as we invite others to have faith in Jesus.

For me, it is important to begin with the recognition that the difficulty of believing in Jesus is not something new in our modern day world.

Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther wrote the Small Catechism as a guide for parents to teach their children about the faith. Listen to Luther’s words as he wrote about the Third Article of the Apostle’s Creed –

“I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him – but the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts and strengthened and kept me in the true faith.”

Or back in Bible times, listen to the Apostle Paul describe the difficulty in his First Letter to Corinthians –

“God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”

And what did Nathaniel, one of the first followers of Jesus, say when he first heard about Jesus – “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

And Jesus himself in his preaching recognized the difficulty of believing him. “Some people are like the seeds that fall along the path; as soon as they hear the message, Satan comes and takes it away. Other people are like the seeds that fall on rocky ground. As soon as they hear the message, they receive it gladly. But it does not sink deep into them, and they don’t last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once. Other people are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. These are the ones who hear the message, but the worries about this life, the love for riches, and all other kinds of desires crowd in and choke the message, and they don’t bear fruit. But other people are like seeds sown in good soil. They hear the message, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred.”

It has always been hard to believe in Jesus. Many people have believed. But many people have not.

I wish we could persuade everyone to believe, but I know we cannot – Luther could not, the Apostle Paul could not, Jesus himself could not. But together with Jesus, Paul, and Luther, we can all preach the message. I hope and pray that every one of us will be able to believe the message.

“We have one God; we also have one mediator between God and humankind, Jesus Christ, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all.”

“Jesus loves me, this I know.”

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