Sermons

Dear Friends in Christ, but especially dear 27 members of the Confirmation Class of 2003, As we observe Confirmation at our church today, I would guess that many of us can remember and recall certain memories of our own Confirmation Day. Perhaps it was what we wore that day; or what our Confirmation verse was; or who the other young people were in our class; or how nervous we were at our Examination. The reason Confirmation is for many of us a memorable event is because it is intended to be a memorable event in our lives. That’s why we make such a special occasion of it. After all, it’s not every Sunday that our youth wear white robes or sit in the front of the church or receive an individual blessing from God’s Word before the altar. In the years ahead our confirmands will look back on this Confirmation Day have memories of their own. Certain things that were said or done on or in anticipation of this day may stick with them. For these reasons and others our day of Confirmation is a memorable event and so it should be. But I hope and pray you that what our confirmands and each of us will remember about our Confirmation goes far beyond what you are wearing today or where you are sitting or what flavor your Confirmation cake is because Confirmation is more than just a day to remember. In the words of our text God tells that Confirmation Day is an encouragement 1) to hold on to your instruction and not let it go, and 2) to guard your instruction because it is your life. The divinely inspired author of these words is King Solomon. You will recall that Solomon was known far and wide (and still to this very day) as a very wise man. In the chapter from which this verse is taken, Proverbs 4, Solomon talks about the subject of wisdom. And in this short verse, God, speaking through Solomon, has direction for us on this Confirmation Day. Part One The first piece of advice from God is this: HOLD ON TO YOUR INSTRUCTION. What kind of instruction do you think Solomon is talking about? Math? English? Social Studies? No. He’s talking about instruction in spiritual matters – the Word of God. This is what you are told to "hold on to." This encouragement is important because one of the things that Confirmation means is that a period of formal, systematic instruction between you and your pastor has come to an end. Throughout your young lives all of you have studied the Word of God at one place or another and to one degree or another. But for all of you, these last few years have been more concentrated than ever before. On Thursday night you were examined. You did well as you proclaimed God’s love and grace for sinner. You shared with your family and the members of the congregation that you have indeed learned from your instruction. So now what? Hold on to it! Think about the things you’ve learned and how they apply to every area of your life and incorporate them into every decision you must make. Pray that God will keep you as close to his Word in the future as he has the last couple of years in catechism class. Read your Bible regularly and periodically review your catechism. Feed your spiritual life in whatever ways are open to you. In other words, remember this piece of godly advice from wise King Solomon "Hold on to (your) instruction." Part Two Solomon’s second piece of advice about your instruction is this: DO NOT LET IT GO. When you were little and you went to the country fair or a birthday party, did you ever get one of those helium filled balloons? You know, the ones that stay up in the air all by themselves. They’re fun to have, but you can’t let them go. You have to hold on to them. You know what happens if you don’t. If you don’t, if the string slips out of your grip or if you intentionally open your hand, the balloon is gone. Think of your instruction in God’s Word as one of those balloons. With God’s help, each of you has the power to hold on to the truths of the Christian faith that you have learned. But you also have the capability of letting it go. This can be done quite easily, actually, if… you no longer think about these things, or if you aren’t faithful about coming to church, or if you take the attitude that I know everything there is to know and don’t read your Bible or catechism, or if you simply don’t attend to your spiritual life, then you’ll be letting go of all that you’ve learned. Like the balloon that is let go, you can still see it for a while, but it gets smaller and smaller, and eventually it’s gone. Solomon’s second piece of advice to you takes the form of a warning, "Do not let it go." Part Three The thirdly piece of godly wisdom that Solomon shares with us today is this: "GUARD IT WELL." We guard things that are important to us. Let me give you an example. If you ever collected sports cards or know someone who does, you can probably appreciate that card collectors go to great lengths to guard and keep their cards in mint condition. I once had a college classmate who collected baseball cards. As a part of his collection he had a 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card. (You may not know who he is, but your parents do.) This card was given to him as a boy and it was in mint condition. It’s a very rare card, and, according to the books, a serious collector would be willing to spend top dollar for one little baseball card. Let me tell you what my friend did not do with his Mickey Mantle baseball card. He did not use it as a bookmark. He did not use it to set his coffee cup on to avoid making a water ring on his furniture. And he did not give it to his son to put on his bike and hit along the wheel spokes so that his bike makes a neat sound when he rides it. What he does do is keep this card in a thick plastic container in a safe place, free from harmful sunlight. He guards it because it is important to him and he knows how valuable it is. What does this have to do with your Confirmation? We’re talking about guarding the things that are important to us. And there is nothing more important than what you have learned and studied the last few years. You have learned the Gospel message; how God in love sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross to save sinners like us from the wages of sin and eternal death in hell. You have learned the promises of God’s help and abiding presence for every aspect of your life. You have learned the commands of God, his Ten Commandments, which we as grateful children of God willingly wish to obey. In the Bible, Jesus often refers to those who have faith in him as having a treasure. Solomon’s counsel to you is to treat the Word and the knowledge you possess as the treasure it is, and to "guard it well." Part Four Why? Why does God’s Word speak so pointedly about guarding our instruction in his Word, our knowledge of his love and our faith in his promises? Solomon’s last piece of information gives us the reason: "FOR IT IS YOUR LIFE." What you have learned in the Word of God translates into life in a couple of ways. First and foremost, it means eternal life. In the Book of Revelation Jesus encourages us by saying, "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." You are all young, and the thought of your own death undoubtedly seems – and we pray will be – very, very distant. But every day with its daily reports of car accidents and shootings and tragedies that befall young people as well as old people, the media reminds us that death can come at any time. And what assurance it is to know that whenever and however our death may come, we will be in heaven – thanks be to our Savior, Jesus Christ. But there is a second, more immediate way, in which the Word of God is "your life." Knowing what you know about God’s promise to love you, guide you and forgive you translates into a fulfilled, satisfying and meaningful life now here on earth. That kind of life comes only to those who know God and believe that God loves them. Why is that knowledge and faith so important? Well, God tells us in the Bible that “The devil prowls around like a roaring lion look for someone to devour.” That means he’s looking for you, and me, your parents and grandparents. Satan is hungry and we’d better know it. So unless your lives are going to be radically different from any other life that has ever lived, you will undergo periods of trial and hardship, temptations and doubts, sadness and sorrow. When such temptation touch your life, and they will, what will you hang on to then? Where will you turn then? God’s says, “Hold on to your instruction.” Hold on the knowledge that your sin are all forgiven in Christ. Hold on to the promises that you through your Baptism have been adopted into God’s family and that Jesus has prepared a place for you in heaven. Hold on to the truth that God is in every way working things out in your life for your spiritual and eternal good. The time of your Confirmation is literally minutes away. In the years to come you will have varied and different memories of your Confirmation day. And that is just fine. But above all, you will be eternally blessed when by God’s grace you remember that Confirmation is more that just a day on the calendar. Confirmation is a lifetime of opportunities to hold on to your instruction in the Word of God and guard it well for it is your life now and for eternity. Amen