Sermon Index
June 7, 2009 Trinity Sunday, Confirmation Day
Matthew 28:16-20 マタイ２８：１６−２０
In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We speak the name of the Triune God at the beginning of our worship, at the end of the worship in blessing, and at the start of the sermon. And we speak this Holy Name at the time of Baptism. In fact, whenever we speak these words we should remember our baptism, because it is baptism that gives meaning to our worship, to our prayers, and to the Word of God in the sermon. They are not magic words; rather they are words that make us remember that our worship has power only through the work of God. This is the work of God that creates, redeems, and sanctifies us.
Today we have the rite of Confirmation. When the Worcester boys, Richard and Andrew, were baptized, they were babies, too young to know what was happening. It was the faith of their parents and sponsors that brought them to the baptismal fount. The parents and sponsors spoke their faith and made promises to bring these boys up in the Christian faith. Today, Richard and Andrew will publicly confess their faith by themselves. They will promise to live as Christians. They will confirm their faith, and the church will confirm that they really do confess to be believers in the Triune God. They have received instruction in the basics of the Christians faith and have made their testimonies.
The other day in Catechism class, as a review of what we had learned, I asked the boys to define the Holy Trinity. They said correctly that there was only One God but God revealed Himself in Three Persons. Next, I asked them why it was important that God was only One. Why not a thousand gods, like the Hindus or the Shintoists? Why is only One God better? First of all, we do not have to worry about which is the correct god to pray to for a particular problem. God Almighty hears all our prayers. And being Almighty, God can do everything, so there is no need for other gods. We see here also the wonderful love of God. God sent his only Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross to save us from our sins. Jesus Christ came into our lives and suffered and died just like we do. So God knows and understands and feels our pain and our every need. And so we can pray and know that God hears our prayers.
We pray in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The important thing is to pray. When we get busy we forget to pray. When we get discouraged we give up on praying. Rather than the true God, we look for answers in other things, and those things become like gods to us to give us the pleasure or the release we desire. But the things of this world can never give us eternal life and happiness.
Today we all remember our baptisms. We remember that the name of the Triune God was spoken over us. We remember that at that time we became children of God. We have the right to speak to God. We have the desire to hear Him speak to us in His Holy Word. We have the courage to live as Christians in this sinful world. We have the privilege to call upon God our Father at all times, especially to pray in the time of need and also to praise him in the time of happiness. Today is one of those happy times. We all confirm and strengthen our faith in the Triune God.
In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor, Okinawa Lutheran Church