Category: Confirmation

How to Love Jesus

5/22/2024

Pentecost 2024
John 14:23-31
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
May 19, 2024

If you asked people today if they love Jesus, most will say, “yes.” I think that is safe to say. Yet, how do they love Jesus? The truth is, many claim to love Jesus, when their actions show that they do not love Him. Jesus gives us a description of who actually loves Him. He says, “If anyone loves me, He will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come and make our home with him.” (John 14:23) In the Confirmation Rite, we ask our confirmands, “Do you intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully?” to which they respond, “I do, by the grace of God.” Yet, it is frustrating and disheartening that many, who make that promise do not really intend to hear God’s Word and promptly stop listening to it. So, many in the church try to figure out how we can prevent this, children leaving the church after they promise that they will remain.
But Jesus tells us the answer. He says, “If you love me, you will keep my word.” If a child loves Jesus, he will keep Jesus’ word. He will continue to listen to it and cherish it in his heart. The only way that a confirmand can keep this promise to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully, is if he loves Jesus. But how can someone love Jesus? The Holy Spirit creates love for Jesus in our hearts through faith through the proclamation of the Gospel. St. Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus, “In [Christ] you also, when you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit.” (Ephesians 1:13) Again, the Apostle writes to the Thessalonians in chapter 1, “For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our Gospel came to you not only in Word, but also in the power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction… And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thess. 1:5-6) And again, St. Paul writes to the Romans in chapter 5, “And hope does not put to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (vs. 5)
The Holy Spirit comes to us through hearing the preaching of the Gospel (Galatians 3:2). Through the preaching of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit produces faith in our hearts, so that we truly believe and trust in God through Christ Jesus. This faith in God’s love for us produces love in our hearts toward God, as St. John writes in 1 John 4:
By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in the world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:13-19)
You listen and keep Christ’s Word, because you love Him. You love Him, because you have faith in Him and trust that He has taken God’s punishment away from you and that God loves you. You have this faith, because the Holy Spirit has convinced you of the Father’s love through the proclamation of the Gospel. And you continue to listen to the proclamation of the Gospel, because you love Christ. All this is the work of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus suffered and died to take away your sins. God the Father, who sent Jesus to do this, now forgives you for the sake of Christ’s suffering and death. The Holy Spirit proclaims this message of forgiveness and reconciliation with God, and thereby pours faith and love into your heart.
And so, is fulfilled what Jesus said in one of His parables, “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.” (Luke 8:18) The love you have for Christ has been given to you by the Holy Spirit through the proclamation of the Gospel. So, if you love Christ, then you will continue to hear His Word and the Holy Spirit will give you even more faith and love. Yet, if you stop hearing, even the faith and love that you thought you had will be taken way. This is why Jesus warns, “Whoever does not love me does not keep my word.” To keep Jesus’ Word, you must first hear it.
Today, we celebrate Pentecost, the day Christ fulfilled His promise to send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to His disciples. Pentecost is rightly considered the birthday of the Holy Christian Church, because it is through the Holy Spirit that we are born again and become members of Christ. Pentecost could also rightly be considered the anniversary of Christ and His bride the Church. Christ is the head of His bride the Church. The Church is His body. It is the Holy Spirit, who unites the Church to Christ her head.
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would teach His disciples all things and bring to their remembrance all that He said to them. And indeed, the Holy Spirit did just that. The Apostles preached Christ’s Word with power on that Pentecost, and continued to preach Christ’s Word as long as they lived. Some of them wrote down Gospels and Epistles by the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit, which is how we got our New Testament today. Yet, the Holy Spirit continues to work in the Church. In fact, without the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to be a Christian (1 Corinthians 12:3). But we have this promise from Christ, that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, will continue to work in the Church through the preaching of the Word and the Sacraments.
And what benefits do we receive from the Holy Spirit, who works through the Word of Christ? I’ve already mentioned faith in Christ and love, which draws us ever closer to God, who in turn produces more faith and love in us. Yet, listen to this promise of Jesus, “And my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit makes His abode in His Christians. There is no temple in Jerusalem anymore. The temple was where God dwelt with His people. Now God dwells with His people even more closely. I just read from St. John, “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit.” (1 John 4:13) It is the Holy Spirit who gives us certainty that God dwells with us through faith. St. Paul writes in Ephesians 3, “according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith… and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-17, 19) Again, he writes in 1 Corinthians 3, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you! If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” (1 Cor. 3:16-17)
The Holy Spirit has made you God’s temple through faith. This is a wonderful comfort, because God will protect His temple from attacks from the Devil, demons, and any other power on earth. It is another reason to guard your faith in Christ, so that you do not drive the Holy Spirit away from you through wicked sins and unbelief.
Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Comforter or Paraclete, who gives us peace. The peace Jesus gives us through the Holy Spirit is peace, which the world cannot give. It is peace that comes from the forgiveness of Christ and from being declared righteous by God for Christ’s sake (Romans 5:1). The world cannot give you this peace. The peace the world gives is shallow and fleeting. The peace the world gives you is slavery, which tells you not to confess the truth what might offend others. The peace that the world gives you fades away and cannot withstand the test of time. But the peace that Christ gives you through the Holy Spirit endures forever. The world cannot give it to you, but neither can it take it away from you. Rather, this peace and comfort that comes from the Holy Spirit endures even suffering and death. It gives you reason to rejoice, even if you are in prison, alone, or in pain. This is peace, which can comfort you when every medicine fails, when the doctors give up, when your friends have forsaken you, when your sins accuse you, when the world melts away. Because this is peace with God, who stands forever. And this peace with God will grant you confidence to stand even on the day of judgment.
The Holy Spirit never stops giving, so never stop receiving from Him. Scripture says, “He whom God has sent utters the words of God, for He gives the Spirit without measure.” (John 3:34) When you hear Christ’s Word, you receive the Holy Spirit without measure, who continues to increase your faith and love toward God, to cause God to dwell in you as His temple, to comfort you with the peace which surpasses all understanding and cannot be taken away by poverty, sickness, or death. This Holy Spirit also works in you to put to death your sinful impulses and to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. Scripture calls this the fruits of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” We live by the Spirit through faith in Christ Jesus, so we also walk by the Spirit, crucifying our sinful flesh with its passions and desires and walking in love toward God and one another. This is all made possible through the working of the Holy Spirit, whom you received through hearing the Word of Christ.
If you love Jesus, you will listen to His Word and He will give you His Holy Spirit, so that you may keep it and walk according to it. When you sin, the Holy Spirit will convict your conscience, so that you repent. When you repent, the Holy Spirit will comfort you with the Gospel that God forgives you for the sake of Jesus’ blood shed for you. When you are tempted, the Holy Spirit will strengthen you to pray. And when you do not know what to pray for as you ought, the Holy Spirit will intercede for you with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26). When you are sick, alone, or afraid, the Holy Spirit will give you courage. This is why those who love Jesus continue to hear His Word and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully. Because they have been granted such faith and love by the Holy Spirit and they want to receive more. And the Holy Spirit is more than willing to give more. Amen.

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Jesus Remains Our Prophet, Priest, and King

5/26/2023

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Listen Here!
Ascension Day (Observed) and Confirmation Sunday
Mark 16:14-20 and Acts 1:1-11
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
May 21, 2023

Imagine you lived two thousand years ago in a village in Israel, going about your daily work. And then, you saw a great crowd come into your village. The multitude was following a man, Jesus of Nazareth, who healed the sick, raised the dead, even forgave sins, and proclaimed the way of salvation for all people. Would you follow Him? Would you drop your work and go to Him and listen to His words and become His disciple?
Of course, you would! What Christian today would say no? But too bad we can’t follow Him today, right? Jesus has ascended into heaven. He is out of our sight, sitting at the Father’s right hand. Jesus is as far away from us as the heavens are from the earth. So, we can’t follow Him anymore, right? Wrong! Yes, Jesus ascended into heaven, so that we cannot see His physical form anymore. Yet, Jesus is still with us on this earth, even as He is in heaven at the right hand of God the Father.
Yet, how can this be? How can Jesus be both at the Father’s right hand in heaven and here on earth? Because Jesus is true God and true man. His human nature and His divine nature have been inextricably joined in a personal union, so that wherever Christ is, He is there as both God and man.
Some claim since Jesus is a human, His human body must be restricted to space and time as our human bodies are. Therefore, Jesus cannot be with us here on earth in His human nature, but only in His divine nature, while His human body remains as far from us as the heavens are from the earth. But this teaching draws a monstrous Jesus, which the Bible does not teach! A Christ, who is in some places a man and in other places as God. They resurrect the ancient condemned heresy of Nestorianism, which separated the divine and human natures of Christ, so that one could exist apart from the other.
But if Christ is here on earth only in His divine nature and not in His human nature, then He is not with us as the crucified one! And if He is not with us as the crucified one, then we are still in our sins! No, we hold that Christ is true God and true man everywhere He is. Being true God, He can be anywhere and everywhere at once. And anywhere and everywhere He is, He is also true man. Jesus did not ascend to the Father, so that He would be kept away from us. Jesus ascended to the Father’s right Hand of power, so that He can be with us always, even to the end of the age. Jesus has ascended to the Father’s right hand, so that He might be for us here on earth our Prophet, Priest, and King.
From His glorious throne in heaven, Jesus serves as our Prophet. A prophet speaks God’s Word. Jesus is the Prophet of prophets, the very source of God’s Word. And being at the Father’s right hand of power, Christ makes clear to us that He is with us here on earth through His Word. In Matthew chapter 28, after giving the command to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching the to observe all that He commanded them, Jesus says, “And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” And in our Gospel lesson, it says that after Jesus ascended into heaven, “they went and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them…” The Lord worked with their preaching! In another place Jesus says, “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20)
So, Jesus promises to be with us through His Word. Even more, He tells us that if we do not have His Word, then we do not have Him. Jesus says in John 8, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” And again, Jesus says in John 14, “If anyone loves Me, He will keep My Word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words.” And St. Paul tells us that saving faith comes through hearing the words of Christ (Romans 10:17). This is why our confirmands promise before God and the congregation that they will continue to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully.
So, you certainly can be Jesus’ disciple today. You are Jesus’ disciple by hearing His Word and believing it. And when you believe Jesus’ Word, you are not a disciple of an absent Christ, but of a Christ who actively works through His Word. Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” Baptism is not your work, but Jesus’ work. When you were baptized, Jesus baptized you. This is a powerful work, which has given you the Holy Spirit and joined you to Christ’s death and resurrection. And when you receive the Lord’s Supper, it is not the words of the minister that make the bread and wine Christ’s body and blood. It is Jesus’ words, which the minister repeats. Christ’s Word is powerful to forgive your sins and sustain you in the faith.
And this is all possible, because Jesus has ascended to the Father’s right hand. after having suffered and died for all your sins, conquering sin, death, and Satan on your behalf. Christ’s ascension gives you certainty that His Word is powerful, because He has accomplished everything for your salvation.
From His glorious throne in heaven, Jesus serves as our eternal Priest. A priest makes intercession to God on behalf of people. He does this by offering sacrifices, as the Levitical priests did in the Old Testament. Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, once and for all, as the apostle writes in Hebrews chapter 9, “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) He entered once and for all into the holy places, not by the means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross did what countless sacrifices of bulls, goats, and sheep could never do, even if they were sacrificed everyday for the rest of eternity. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross made atonement for the sins of the whole world, which means your debt is paid. God’s wrath is taken away. And not only did Jesus make this payment on the cross, but now as He sits at the Father’s right hand, He is constantly making intercession for you as your High Priest. St. Paul writes, “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who is indeed interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34) Christ Jesus at all times shows His Father His pierced hands and side and tells Him of His spilt blood for your sake, how He has paid for your sins. And the Father agrees with His Son. Again, St. Paul writes, “There is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)
In the Old Testament, the priests and the priests’ families were fed the food offered on the altar. All who partook of the food were holy. Jesus, our High Priest offers us Himself as food and drink, spiritually and sacramentally, so that we have fellowship with Him and are holy. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35) This shows that whoever has faith in Christ partakes spiritually of the sacrifice offered for all sins once and for all. This means that when you hear the preaching of the Gospel and believe it, you are feasting on holy food from the altar of the cross, which only members of a royal priesthood may eat. Jesus also said, “Take, eat. This is my body. 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.” In this way, Christ feeds us His sacramental body and blood as a pledge of the forgiveness of sins, which He won for us on the cross. Through faithfully believing Jesus’ Word and receiving His Sacrament, you are communing with the great High Priest and are made holy.
And through faith in Christ, you are a member of this royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). Which means that you offer up your own sacrifices to the Lord. These are not sacrifices, which pay for your sins. Only Jesus’ self-sacrifice on the cross pays for sins. The sacrifices you offer are sacrifices of thanksgiving and prayer. And because of Christ’s intercession for you, you have certainty that God hears all your prayers and accepts all your sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving.
From His glorious throne, Jesus reigns as our King. Jesus’ disciples thought that Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom. They didn’t know what they were talking about. Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Yet, Christ does establish His heavenly kingdom on this earth, His kingdom of grace. Jesus’ kingdom of grace is His Holy Christian Church on earth. People live in Jesus’ kingdom of grace by faithfully hearing and believing His Word and receiving His Sacraments.
Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, He cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) Again, Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” We enter the kingdom of Christ here on earth through Baptism and faith in Christ. Christ rules over us as our King by teaching and preaching to us. He corrects us and brings us to repent of our sins. And He forgives us and gives us certainty of our salvation. And He prepares a place for us in heaven, where we will leave His kingdom of grace and enter His kingdom of glory.
On the Last Day, Jesus will come in glory and rule. He will no longer rule through faith, but we will see Him as He is. Only those who lived in His kingdom of grace will enter His kingdom of glory. Yet, every rule and authority on earth will be abolished forever. Christ will reign, and He alone.
Jesus ascended into heaven, so that He could be your Prophet, Priest, and King while you live here on earth. He ascended into heaven so that you could be His disciple now. By recognizing Jesus as your Prophet, the one who teaches you God’s Word, as your Priest, the one who makes intercession for you to God the Father, and as your King, the one who rules your heart and mind, you will remain Jesus’ disciple, until He grants you everlasting life. May God grant you His Holy Spirit, so that you will remain Christ’s disciple here on earth and into eternity. Amen.
Let us pray.
Praise to Thee and adoration, Blessed Jesus, Son of God
Who, to serve Thine own creation, Didsts partake of flesh and blood.
Teach me that I never may From Thy fold or pastures stray,
But with zeal and joy exceeding Follow where Thy steps are leading.
Let me never, Lord, forsake Thee, E’en tho’ bitter pain and strife
On my way shall overtake me; But may I thro’ all my life
Walk in fervent love to Thee, In all woes and comforts flee
To Thy birth, Thy death, and Passion Till I see Thy full salvation.
Amen.

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The Holy Spirit Grafts Us into The True Vine, So That We Bear Much Fruit

5/23/2021

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Christ The True Vine, Athens, 16c. Public Domain.

Pentecost/Confirmation Sunday
John 15:5; John 14:23-33
Pastor James Preus

Trinity Lutheran Church
May 23, 2021

Joel Alexander Hallgren, your confirmation verse is found just a few verses after the end of our Gospel lesson, John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” I pray that you learn this verse well and live by it until you die and inherit eternal life. May we all recognize that Jesus is our one true vine. We are but branches that live off of him. Without Jesus, we cannot live. Without Jesus we can do nothing good. Your faith in Christ is not just one of many tidbits about yourself, like that you enjoy playing soccer and running the 200-meter dash. Your faith in Christ is your everything. Your faith in Christ is your life. Jesus says, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” Your faith in Christ is not an appendage to your life. God lives within you. You are joined to Christ as a branch is to a vine.
This is most certainly true. Yet, how is it that we are joined to Christ as a branch is to a vine? Earlier in John chapter 15, Jesus tells us that the Father is the vinedresser. And Jesus tells us in our Gospel lesson that the Father sends to us the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name, who teaches us all things. And this is indeed how God the Father, our vinedresser joins us to Christ, our vine. He sends to us the Holy Spirit.
You are by nature a branch from a wild vine planted by the sin of our first father Adam, which produces bitter and sour grapes, that is, you are by nature a sinner, who cannot please God. When you were baptized, the Holy Spirit cut you off of that wild vine of Adam and grafted you into the true Vine, Jesus Christ. As long as you are joined to Jesus Christ, you will live. As a vine sends sap and nutrients into its branches, so Christ Jesus gives you his righteousness and life. Yet, just as when you cut a branch off of a stem, it shrivels up and dies unless it is grafted in again, so too would you dry out and die if you were cut off from Christ. Your leaves would wither. Your flowers and fruits would fall off. For apart from Christ, you can do nothing.
Yet, how is it that the Holy Spirit grafts you into the vine of Christ? And how is it that you remain attached to this Vine and are not cut off? Jesus tells us. He tells the disciples that when the Holy Spirit comes, he will teach them all things and bring to their remembrance the things that he had said to them. And this indeed was fulfilled. On that first Pentecost after Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit rushed upon the disciples and divided tongues of fire upon their heads and caused them to proclaim the mighty works of God in Christ Jesus in numerous languages, which they had not previously learned! And so, we also know that the Holy Spirit caused the apostles to write the New Testament, so that we know that the Bible is trustworthy and is indeed the Word of God. This means that the Holy Spirit speaks to us today. No, there are not tongues of fire on any of our heads. And I am preaching to you in the language I first learned as a child and which you all speak at home. Yet, the tongues of fire and the speaking in tongues were merely outward signs of the coming of the Holy Spirit. We still have the Holy Spirit with us today, working through the same Word of Christ, and igniting a flame in each of our hearts which burns through faith in Christ and produces love toward God and one another, as we will hear the children sing:
O Sweetest Love, Your grace on us bestow;
Set our hearts with sacred fire aglow
That with hearts united we love each other,
Ev’ry stranger, sister, and brother.
Lord, have mercy!
Through the proclamation of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit joins you to Christ Jesus by creating faith in your heart. And through the proclamation of the Gospel, Jesus gives you everything to survive. You live by faith in the forgiveness of sins, which Christ Jesus has won. Jesus has died to sin for you and is risen, never to die again. So, you having died to sin, being cut off from the wild and sinful stem of Adam now live forever attached to the imperishable vine of Christ.
You are cut off from the vine of Christ when you cease to hear Christ’s words and receive his Sacrament. You receive your nourishment from Christ through faith. Faith receives the promise. The promise is in the words of the Gospel and the Sacrament of Christ’s body and blood, which offer free forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake to all who believe it. But, if you stop hearing Christ’s word and if you stop receiving his Sacrament, then you cut yourself off from the Living Vine. In that case, your faith will dry out, your leaves will shrivel, your fruit will drop off prematurely, and you will die. You cannot have saving faith if you reject the Gospel of Christ. This is why you promise in your Confirmation vows that you intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully. This is what Jesus means when he says, “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” To live without the Word of God and Christ’s Sacrament is to live apart from Christ, to be a severed vine that will dry up and be burned.
This again is why the children will sing these words:
To God the Holy Spirit let us pray
For the true faith needed on our way
That He may defend us when life is ending
And from exile home we are wending.
Lord, have mercy!
The Holy Spirit keeps you in the true faith by proclaiming Christ to you, by feeding you his body and blood. You need this true faith not just today, not just at your confirmation, but throughout your entire life, especially when you exit this life to enter the one to come. And so, this should be our constant prayer, that the Holy Spirit would tend to us, so that we are always attached to the Vine of Life.
Jesus says that whoever abides in him will bear much fruit, but that apart from him you can do nothing. To be grafted into Christ the Vine has a greater effect on you than when a branch is grafted into a regular stem. For when a branch is cut off from a tree and grafted into another tree, it continues to produce the fruit of its original tree. But the vine of Christ has such an effect on the branches grafted into him, that he actually changes the branch to be like him and changes the fruit to be good fruit like his. It is as St. Paul writes, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” So, you as a Christian, must consider the works you do as the works of Christ, which you perform through faith in Christ Jesus.
Yet, this is a hard thing to believe. We look at the fruits produced by the Holy Spirit that first Pentecost and in the years following. Men speaking the mighty works of God in tongues they never learned. Men and women prophesying and old men dreaming dreams. The apostles laid their hands on the sick and healed them and were bitten by poisonous snakes and survived. Our works are not nearly so splendid. And many have had this thought before us, so they made up mighty works to prove they had the fruit of the Spirit, by fasting, saying long prayers, going on long pilgrimages, and what is common today, trying to speak in tongues and giving heart-wrenching testimonials to prove their fruits.
Yet, you must stop looking at the fruit, that is, you must stop looking at your own works to determine whether you are attached to Christ. Rather, it is those who are joined to Christ who produce much fruit, not those who produce fruit who are then attached to Christ. It is Christ who works in you through faith. So, if it is Christ who works in you, then even your ordinary works are abundant fruit produced to the glory of God. So, when you obey your parents, do your homework and help clean-up around the house, you are bearing great fruit. When you say your prayers every day and go to church every Sunday; when you marry a Christian spouse, love your wife and support her, bring your children to be baptized, teach them to pray and bring them to church, when you do your job diligently and are honest, when you help your neighbor and humbly do what is right, these are abundant fruits of the Vine, which Christ has caused to be produced in you, his branch.
Yet, this offends the world. They see these works and find nothing special about them. They despise Baptism and the word of God. And many of the other works you do, they claim to do them themselves, and even better. How can Christ say that without him you can do nothing? Aren’t there many people who do not believe in Christ, and who without Christ do many and more of these things than you do? This is why we must not focus on the outward work, but on the faith, which trusts in Christ. What Christ Jesus does is far better. All that we do of ourselves is for selfish gain and following after the lusts of the flesh. But what we do through faith in Christ is holy, honors God, and even, as it is when we bring our children to Baptism and to church, results in eternal life. This is because Christ is perfect. He forgives our sins and even sanctifies our works. Our boasting is never in ourselves, but in Christ.
Having been grafted into Christ by the Holy Spirit through faith in the Gospel of Christ, we have peace with God. This peace is not the same peace as the peace given by the world. The peace of the world comes from obeying the world’s wicked commands. The peace of the world is slavery to sin. It is temporary comfort and shallow love. But the peace, which comes from Christ is reconciliation with God. It is to be forgiven. It is to know that even though your works are imperfect and riddled with sin, God is pleased with you on account of Christ. It is to know that you are joined to Christ Jesus so closely as a branch is to its vine, that you know that as long as Christ lives, so you too will live. As long as you are joined to Christ through faith, you will have this peace. Let us pray.
Shine in our hearts, O Spirit, precious light;
Teach us Jesus Christ to know aright
That we may abide in the Lord who bought us,
Till to our true home He has brought us.
Lord, have mercy! Amen.

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Exaudi (Confirmation) Sunday: The Testimony of the Holy Spirit Brings True Comfort

5/14/2018

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John 15:26-16:4

May 13, 2018

The rite of Confirmation is not in the Bible. Jesus never commanded that we confirm teenagers before they receive Holy Communion. Jesus did command that the Church baptize all nations. He commanded that we preach the Gospel. He commanded that we have the Lord's Supper. Yet, he never once commanded Confirmation. Confirmation is a tradition, made up by people in the Church.

A few weeks ago, I met a man, who told me that our church was doing things wrong by celebrating Christmas and Easter and doing a bunch of other things, because they are traditions and Jesus didn't command them. He then cited the Gospel of Mark chapter 7, where Jesus says to the Pharisees, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!" Of course, Jesus doesn't here or anywhere else in Scripture condemn all traditions or forbid them. He condemned traditions that go against God's commandments and teaching.

A tradition is simply something that is handed down from generation to generation. They can be good or bad. Our Lutheran confessions state, "Our churches teach that ceremonies ought to be observed that may be observed without sin. Also, ceremonies and other practices that are profitable for tranquility and good order in the Church (in particular, holy days, festivals, and the like) ought to be observed." (Augsburg Confession XV) And this ought to be kept in mind when considering your Confirmation.

Confirmation is a tradition, a man-made ceremony. It can be either good or bad. It is good if it is used to teach the Word of God and for good order. It is bad if it works against faith in Christ and his Word. Our church practices Confirmation, because we are convinced that it does good and promotes the Christian faith. We confirm after the confirmands have gone through thorough Christian instruction. This is in accord with our Lord's command to teach all that he has commanded us (Matthew 28:19) and with the command of St. Paul that ministers teach in accord with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). In Confirmation the confirmands confess the true Christian faith, as it is taught in Scripture. This too is in accord with God's Word. Psalm 119:46 states, "I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame." St. Peter writes, "In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." (1 Peter 3:15) And of course, our Lord Jesus says, "So everyone who confesses me before men, I also will confess before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32) So, we have good reason to believe that Confirmation is a good tradition.

Yet, Confirmation can also be used for bad. This is done when you remove learning God's Word and confessing Christ. Sadly, within our church body it has become common for people to regard Confirmation as a life-long ticket to Communion and into heaven. Individuals confirmed in an LCMS congregation believe that they should be permitted to commune at any LCMS altar even when they live in open and impenitent sin, join themselves to churches that teach falsely, or even if they give up hearing the word of God all together, all of which are breaking the vows made in Confirmation. So, it is important to remember that Baptism, which is commanded by our Lord and is given a sure promise of salvation, does not save anyone without faith. How much less can Confirmation, which is a man-made tradition, save those without faith?

God does not command Confirmation. But he does command that we teach the Word of God to everyone, especially to children. He does command that we confess Christ and that a person examine himself, before he eat and drink Christ's body and blood. Therefore, Confirmation is good. But you, Jaime and Luke, are not done learning the Word of God after today. Neither are you done confessing Christ before men. Nor is this the last time you will be examined before you receive the Lord's Supper. Rather, you should continue to learn God's Word throughout your life, confess Christ at every opportunity, and examine yourself every time you receive the Lord's Supper and be willing to be examined by the pastor as well. You are not worthy to receive the Lord's Supper because you are confirmed, but rather because of the faith which you confess in your Confirmation. Likewise, no one ever went to heaven because he was confirmed. But you cannot go to heaven apart from the faith, which you confess today.

Jesus says in our Gospel lesson, "Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God." It is very appropriate that this is the Gospel lesson for this Confirmation Sunday. In a little bit the confirmands will be asked, "Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed to remain true to God, Father Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death?", and, "Do you intend to continue in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?", to which Jaime and Luke will answer, "I do, by the grace of God."

Jesus is telling the disciples in our Gospel lesson that they will suffer all, even death, for the sake of the faith that Jaime and Luke are confessing today. Nearly all the disciples died for the name of Jesus. And many more Christians suffered and still suffer a similar fate for the sake of Christ. And do not be mistaken, it is not simply for the sake of ceremony that we have confirmands make this promise even here in cozy safe America. If you are to be a Christian you should be prepared to suffer persecution.

Perhaps you will not be killed for confessing Christ, but you will be persecuted. You will be pressured into silence. People will try to intimidate you into thinking that you aren't as smart for believing in what the Bible says. And you won't be able to choose how you will suffer for Christ. It is a romantic fantasy that persecution will find you standing before the firing squad and being ordered to deny Christ, so that the smell of gunpowder gives way to incense, and the sound of gunfire gives way to angels singing as you confess Christ with your last breath. Remember that John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded for preaching against adultery. And Christian bakers and florists are losing their businesses for confessing marriage between a man and a woman. Yet, they too suffered for Christ.

The world hates Jesus. And if you are a Christian, it hates you too. And the world will show its hatred by pressuring you to consider your faith as inferior to the world. When sporting events for children are scheduled on Sunday mornings, the world shows that it hates Jesus, because they know that is when Jesus teaches his little lambs. When sexual immorality and moral relativism is pushed on you in high school and college both in the classroom and in movies and sitcoms, the world shows its hatred for Jesus. And if you confess Christ, its hatred will turn to you too.

Jesus tells us plainly that we will suffer for having faith in him. Yet, he doesn't leave us without comfort. Christ promises to send the Helper, that is, the Spirit of Truth. The Helper can also be translated the Comforter. The Comforter is the Holy Spirit, of whom we confess in the Creed "proceeds from the Father and the Son." He provides comfort for Jesus' disciples in every generation, even under the harshest persecution. And Christ still sends him to us today.

To understand the comfort given by the Holy Spirit, you need to distinguish it from the comfort offered by this world. The comfort of this world is what you probably are most familiar with. It's being wrapped in a warm blanket next to a fire when it's minus 20 degrees outside. It's having enough money in the bank account, so that you aren't worried about any unexpected expenses. It's being healthy and pain free, having friends and family who like you. This is the comfort the world wants you to cherish.

The comfort of the Holy Spirit is different. It remains when the cold bites and the fire burns, when hunger fills your stomach and when you have no money or friends. The comfort of the Holy Spirit can be with you whether you are free or in prison. The comfort of the world leaves you on your death bed, but even there the comfort of the Holy Spirit remains. The comfort of the world is fragile and fleeting. The comfort of the Holy Spirit endures forever.

This is because the Holy Spirit doesn't comfort you with physical comfort, but with spiritual. How does the Holy Spirit comfort you? Jesus says, "He will bear witness about me." The Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus. That is how he comforts you. He gives you hope for eternal life that cannot be taken away from you.

From Scripture you know that God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24), who punished the whole world with a flood that killed all people except 8 souls. He rained down burning sulfur on sexually immoral and greedy Sodom and Gomorrah. Time and again he sent punishment upon Israel for their false worship. And as you examine yourself according to the Ten Commandment you see that you are indeed a poor miserable sinner, who deserves both temporal and eternal punishment from this wrathful God. Yet, the Holy Spirit comforts you by bearing witness of Jesus, whom God sent to bear his wrath on the cross. In Jesus, you see God's love for you. His blood washes away your sins and appeases God. There exists no true comfort for a conscience burdened by sin outside of the comfort of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which the Holy Spirit preaches to you.

Not only does the Holy Spirit comfort you when your conscience stings with guilt. He strengthens you to endure in the faith and confess Christ, even under extreme circumstances. Take St. Peter for example. He denied Christ three times when questioned by a few people, even calling down curses upon himself swearing that he was not Jesus' disciple. Yet, when the Holy Spirit fell upon Peter, he preached repentance and forgiveness of sins to the same crowd that cried, "Crucify him!" on the day of Jesus' death. And so, the Holy Spirit can strengthen Jaime and Luke, not only to confess Christ in the presence of family and friends today, but before hostile forces throughout their lives.

It is also important to note how and where the Holy Spirit testifies of Christ and gives comfort. Jesus says to his disciples, "And you also will bear witness." Jesus' disciples bore witness of him when they preached and wrote the New Testament. You can find the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which he makes of Jesus in the Holy Scriptures and in the preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments. This is why Jaime and Luke will confess that the Scriptures are the inspired word of God and that they intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord's Supper faithfully. This is where the Holy Spirit works and brings comfort: through his Word.

It is impossible to become a Christian without the Holy Spirit working through God's Word. This is how the Comforter takes out your heart of stone and gives you a heart of flesh, so that you walk in God's statutes and obey his rules. This is also how the Holy Spirit keeps you in the true faith.

The testimony of the Holy Spirit is the only thing that can give comfort to your conscience when it is burdened with sin and guilt. It is the only thing that can give comfort when you face persecution from the world. It is the only thing that can give comfort when every worldly comfort has left you, even when you are dying. And that is why we rejoice at Jaime and Luke's Confirmation today. Because they have been taught the testimony of the Holy Spirit. And they are going to testify themselves that they believe in Christ. And it is this testimony, which will give them comfort throughout their lives. And it is this testimony that will give them confidence to stand before God on the Last Day. Jaime and Luke, may the Holy Spirit comfort you with the testimony of Jesus Christ today and every day of your lives. Amen.

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Rogate (Easter 6) Sermo/ Confirmation Sunday: Jesus Invites Us to Pray

5/22/2017

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John 16:23-30

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." Our Lord Jesus Christ has given you a promise that God will answer your prayers. That's awesome. When the Israelites were dying from venomous snake bites they had to ask Moses to pray to the LORD for them. But not you. You can ask God directly! Your Savior Jesus says, "In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." So you see that it is by faith in Jesus Christ that you have the promise to pray directly to God and have the assurance that you will receive whatever you ask for.

Jesus Christ won this privilege for you by coming from the Father to earth, joining our human race, dying for our sins, and returning to the Father alive. It's all about what Jesus has done. That's why you can pray with certainty. This means that your sins cannot disqualify you from prayer nor will God ignore your prayers, because of your sins. It is a lie of the devil that you are unworthy to pray or that God will not hear you. When you feel least worthy to pray, that is when you need to pray all the more! And your heavenly Father hears your prayers and answers them, not because of your worthiness, but because of Christ. Therefore, if you have faith in Christ, you are worthy to pray and God hears your prayers gladly. So if you are tempted or fall into a horrible sin or doubt, that is not a time to hide from God, but to run to him in prayer. He will hear you.

St. James says not to be hearers of the word only, but doers. Prayer is the word in action. You have the right to pray to God through faith. Faith comes from hearing the word of God. Your prayers and God's word are inseparably linked. God's Word gives you Jesus. Your prayers and Jesus are inseparably linked. If you have Jesus, your prayers will be answered.

Not only do you have the promise that your prayers are effective, but you have the command to pray. Pray without ceasing.

So you know that you have the promise that God will hear and answer your prayers. You know you have the command to pray. So, what should you pray for? Well, we already know that prayer cannot be separated from God's word and faith in God's word. So it's a good idea to ask God what to pray for. And your dear Lord Jesus has taught you a prayer, the Lord's Prayer. In the Lord's prayer we make seven petitions directly to God our Father. Every request a Christian makes in prayer fits into one of these petitions in the Lord's Prayer. The first three petitions specifically address the needs of the confirmands today.

The first petition is, "Hallowed be thy name." In other words, "Let your name be holy among us, O Lord." How is God's name kept holy? You were all taught, "God's name is kept holy when the word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!"

Sam, Thane, Olivia, Matthew, and Zack, in your vows this morning you will confess to believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as he is confessed in the Apostles Creed, and that the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures, that is, the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are the true Word of God. And you will confess that what you were taught from the Bible and from the Small Catechism drawn from the Bible is faithful and true. When you pray, "hallowed be thy name" in the Lord's Prayer, you are asking that God will provide you with faithful pastors who will teach what you here confess to be true. And you pray that you would actually listen to what is preached and taught to you and that you would believe it.

It matters what you believe. Despite what you may learn elsewhere, there is such a thing as truth. God's word is truth. Jesus is truth. You have a real Creator, there is a real heaven and a real hell. You have real sins, the wages for which are death and hell. You need a real Savior. So the truth matters. What you have been taught and what you are confessing before God and man this morning is the truth. Jesus Christ is true God, the second Person in the Holy Trinity. He is also true man, sharing in your flesh and blood, yet without sin. Jesus took your place under the law and he loved perfectly. Yet he died for your hatred and sin. This is true. This is what your faith depends on.

Your faith depends on the truth. That means that you need to hear the truth, so that you can believe and confess the truth. When you pray, "Hallowed be thy name" you are praying that God would grant you the grace to keep your confirmation vows and to confess the truth unto your dying day.

Your prayers depend on the truth of God's Word. If what you believe is false, then how do you know whether God loves you? How do you know if Jesus has reconciled you to the Father? How do you know if God will answer your prayers? And so you pray, "hallowed be thy name" for the sake of your prayers, so that you may know that God does hear them and answer them.

This is why you learned the Small Catechism by heart. Your memory work wasn't some mindless assignment. I didn't assign it to you kids, because my pastor assigned it to me when I was younger and his pastor assigned it to him and so forth throughout the generations and we're all afraid to fall from tradition. The Small Catechism teaches you the basics of the Christian faith drawn from the Bible. The Small Catechism is not a textbook. It is a prayer book. That is why we recite it together as a congregation. You should recite at least a portion of your Catechism everyday as part of your prayers. And when you have a family, you should recite it to them, teach it to your children, and pray it with them. The Small Catechism teaches you the truth of God's Word. God answers your prayer, "Hallowed be thy name" by you praying the Catechism. That is where you learn who God is, what his Law and Gospel are, how to pray, and where to find Jesus. Keep your Catechism by your bedside. Pray a portion of it every night before you go to bed. And God's name will be hallowed among you.

Thy kingdom come. God's kingdom certainly comes without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also. How does God's kingdom come? You learned, "God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity." The confirmands will be asked, "Do you intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord's Supper faithfully?" They will answer, "I do, by the grace of God." Whenever you pray, "thy kingdom come" in the Lord's prayer, you pray that God would give you the grace to keep this vow. How does God's kingdom come to you? Through his Word. The Holy Spirit will come to these confirmands through the holy Word of God, to create faith and guide them in the way of truth.
The Third Commandment is, "Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and his word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it." This of course means that when you skip church, neglecting to hear the preaching of God's word or to learn it, you are breaking the Third Commandment and sinning. That is serious in and of itself.

But there's actually something even greater than that. God's kingdom comes through his Word. The Holy Spirit comes through God's Word. God answers your prayer, "Thy kingdom come" by preaching God's Word and sending you his Holy Spirit in church! So breaking this vow by not going to church is not only a sin, but it is damaging to your faith and goes against your prayer, "Thy kingdom come." When you pray, "Thy kingdom come" you are praying that God will either get you to church or get God's word to you in some other way if you are physically incapable of going. When God's kingdom comes to you through his Word, your faith is increased, you become more sure of your salvation and more confident in your prayers.

Finally, the Third Petition: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Well, what is God's will? "God's will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God's name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. This is His good and gracious will."

The confirmands will be asked, "Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death?", and, "Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?" And to both questions they will answer, "I do, by the grace of God." Now why are we asking kids to keep this faith and to live according to God's Word even to death? Is it appropriate to ask such a question? To death? Yes, it is. Why is it appropriate? Because it is God's good and gracious will that these five youths reject all evil plans of the devil, the world, and their sinful nature and hold fast to God's word in faith, trusting in Jesus Christ unto life everlasting.

It is God's will that you be baptized and believe the Gospel. It is God's will that you go to church and hear his word and believe it. It is God's will that you continue to read and learn your catechism and grow in faith each day. It is God's will that you trust in the cleansing blood of Jesus, shed for you to wash away your sins. It is God's will that you receive Jesus' body and blood in the Sacrament for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith. It is God's will that you pray to him often, alone, with your family, with the church, night and day, when you are afraid, when you are brave, at all times. This is his good and gracious will.

In confirmation class you have learned that God loves you. You have learned to be confident in your salvation, because Jesus cannot fail. And you have learned to be confident to pray. You're not done learning. And Jesus is not done teaching you. He will continue to teach you to pray through his Word and Sacraments until all your prayers are finally answered and your joy is full.

Amen.

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

How to Love Jesus

Jesus Remains Our Prophet, Priest, and King

The Holy Spirit Grafts Us into The True Vine, So That We Bear Much Fruit

Exaudi (Confirmation) Sunday: The Testimony of the Holy Spirit Brings True Comfort

Rogate (Easter 6) Sermo/ Confirmation Sunday: Jesus Invites Us to Pray

Rev. James Preus

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