The Lord Will Keep You
19th Sunday after Pentecost – Oct 19, 2025
Psalm 121 and 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5
By Pastor Jane Shelton
One of the writers in my commentary referred to this message from Paul in 2 Timothy as a “warning message.”
Olive Hennant explained that in today’s world, we might find it listed as a warning label for last minute instructions. For instance, “in case of an emergency, follow these directions: proclaim the message, be persistent, convince, rebuke, and encourage!”
This scripture is an urgent call to action.
This scripture causes us to pause and consider what is central to our faith and our calling as believers. We are reminded that our salvation is through our faith in Christ Jesus.
There is a hearkening back to the heritage of the scriptures, but not just any scriptures. These scriptures are those inspired by God, the divine. They are our guidebook for how to live into righteousness so that we become proficient in the knowledge of the scriptures.
As we discussed last week, the more we study the scriptures, the word of God, the more we learn, the more wisdom we gain, and more is revealed to us by God so that we can share that wisdom with others. We share sometimes by word, sometimes by action, and even sometimes through prayer.
Paul makes it clear that we are to be equipped in every good work in the presence of God and Christ Jesus. It is through the divine power of God working through us, and the love of Jesus who showed us the way, that we proclaim God’s word.
Our words are empty outside the presence of God and Christ.
Paul is expressing extreme urgency to encourage the people and us to act with urgency because if we don’t act quickly and responsibly, false teachers easily distract with their cunning and charismatic words.
Let’s face it, living the Christian life is not necessarily the easiest route to take in life, and there are many other roads that seem easier to choose to go down that does not require the work Paul is urgently calling those in his presence to do.
As humans, we may want to justify an action rather than taking the time to discern whether it is an action God is calling us to pursue.
Paul is telling his listeners to get up, face the day armed with God, and remember how Jesus addressed the crowds.
“Be sober in everything,” he says. Be alert, be prepared and be ready for whatever you may face in every minute of every day.
One thing that I have learned in my years is that life can change in a minute. Events happen in your day that surprise you. They can shock you and turn your world upside down. We are to be ready to face whatever challenges come our way, and unless we remember that we are in the presence of God so that when something happens we are not expecting, we will not be ready to react in a righteous way. We can be ready to respond in a Jesus way.
And I’ll be the first to tell you, it is easy to be off guard and not have the answer when someone asks you something that tests your righteousness. Or you are called upon to pray when you least expect it. Perhaps a stranger calls upon you for help when you are totally focused on what you have going on in your day, or someone you love is taken to the hospital, and you have to drop everything and go.
How are we able to cope with these events unless we are sober in God’s presence?
The last instructions in this scripture are to do the work of an evangelist and carry out your ministry fully. Oh no! Not that!
We’re Presbyterians. We can’t be evangelist. And you are probably thinking, we’re not the minister, you are. You’re probably wiping your brow right now, and thinking, “Whew, I thought Paul was talking to me for a minute, but I’m not a minister.”
Well, here’s a news alert. WE ARE ALL CALLED TO MINISTER!
You may not be called to stand in this pulpit; however, in Mark 16:15, Jesus instructs his disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
This is a universal mission for all of us who believe what we profess as the gospel, the good news, to share with everyone Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he died so that we might be forgiven of our sins, and was resurrected to give us victory over death. To give us eternal life.
Like Jesus, Paul reminds his listeners that it is a universal mission to spread the message of salvation to everyone, regardless of a person’s background or beliefs. Regardless of how they act or how they dress or what they say.
The beautiful fact is that we do not have to judge those to whom we give the message. That’s not our task. It is God and Christ Jesus who judge the living and the dead.
If we can just grasp that, how much more love and peace could be shared in the world? We don’t have to be burdened with “Am I telling the right person?” “Are they living in such a way to receive the message?” “Will they remember what I tell them tomorrow?”
We don’t have to judge, and we don’t have to be responsible for what they do with the message. We are just called to deliver the message accurately in the presence of God. God and Jesus will do the rest.
We spend so much time in life worrying about one thing and another. How things and people are going to turn out. We worry about the way people are living when they choose to live a different life than us, or when they think differently from us. All we are called to do is spread the good news of Jesus Christ.
We lose sight of our calling, and we lose faith in what we know. Despite our faithlessness, God will always be there for us.
The Lord keeps us because we are saved by grace. Let me say that again and make it more personal. The Lord keeps YOU because YOU are saved by grace.
When you need a reminder that the Lord keeps you, when life gets tough and the road seems like every day is uphill, remember our First Scripture Reading, Psalm 121. “From where will my help come? The Lord is my keeper.”
What beautiful words of assurance. “The Lord is my keeper.” Say it with me. THE LORD IS MY KEEPER.
There are so many flags being waved in the world today. So many signs with different sayings. Many are written out of anger or fear or hatred, and maybe even a few written out of love.
I was thinking this week as I chose the picture on the front of the bulletin, how much better our lives would be if we got rid of all the different flags and signs, and just waived the one flag “Jesus,” and held the one sign that read, “The Lord is my keeper.” How different our world would be.
Wouldn’t it be great if every time someone went to sew a flag, it changed to “JESUS” and every time someone went to write a sign, the words just filled in, “THE LORD WILL KEEP YOU.”
If you joined me for Centering Prayer this week, you have heard this reading written by St Augustine, and I want to share with all of you today this beautiful writing.
‘We are one bread, one body, even though we are many. Oh, great mystery of love! Great symbol of unity! Great bond of charity! Whoever desires to live has a place to live in, and what he needs in order to live. Believing, I will draw near, I will become part of him in order to be vivified by him. Let me not avoid union with the other members, nor be myself a corrupt member that deserves to be cut off, nor a deformed one of which the body is ashamed; rather, let me be a beautiful, modest, healthy living member, joined to the body and alive in and for you, O God; I will toil now in order to reign in heaven. O Lord, let me be inebriated with the riches of your house, and give me to drink at the torrent of your delights, for in you is the source of life. Not outside of you, but within. In you is the spring of life. Here would I enter in order to live. I ought not believe that I am sufficient myself, for I would perish; I do not believe that I can be satisfied by myself alone, for then I would die of starvation; I must put my lips to that fountain whose water never fails.’
As we take a few minutes for silent meditation, as we sit in God’s presence, let us consider, let us imagine what our lives could look like if we truly considered God our source of life, our keeper. Would it be a new springtime every day in Christ.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Lord our Keeper, may we never neglect to drink from the fountain whose water never fails and give thanks for the treasure you provide for us. Keep us away from all false sustenance along the way to seeing the face of your Father in heaven. As we live in this moment of peace in the Middle East, we are reminded that through you all things are possible, and we give you all the praise and glory. We rejoice with families that have been reunited, and we grieve with families that will never see their loved ones alive or even their bodies again. Lord our Keeper, we call upon you trusting in your Word for all people and all nations that all weapons everywhere be laid down and more people will know your peace of eternal life to come. Be with us this day as we pause to remember those on our hearts and minds who need prayer due to illnesses and grief of all kinds. Here our silent prayers O Lord…………
Lord of all healing, the Keeper of our souls, we lift our prayers to you this hour trusting in your power heal and give strength where needed, as we faithfully say together the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, Our Father, who are in Heaven, ………
AMEN.
BENEDICTION
Go in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and remember to put your lips to the fountain that never fails.
May God the Father,
Jesus Christ the Son,
And the Holy Spirit
Bless and keep you.