Confirmation (2)
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1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
The rite of Confirmation in the Lutheran Church (which we observe today at Grace) is a goal that is reached by a member of a congregation. Typically it is reached in this way.
Soon after the birth of a child of a member or members of a Lutheran congregation, that child is baptized in the name of the Triune God. We believe that in baptism God’s goal of saving that child is reached as through baptism that child is brought to faith since the Word of God connects that child to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We can identify this as STEP ONE.
In theological terms, the child is justified and has been saved by faith in Jesus Christ which is given in baptism. This is not a process but a pronouncement of a new status for that child in his/her relationship with God.
At this point, the child is also sanctified. (Set apart to begin a life of dedicated living to God.) This goal is never fully reached until that person reaches heaven so it is an ongoing series of goals that are pursued and hopefully accomplished.
Since Confirmation involves a major step in Christian education, we will consider how our sanctification involves growing in faith and knowledge.
At baptism, we make a solemn promise to teach children in the faith into which they have been baptized. (Quote)
Our Lord commands that we teach his precious truths to all who are baptized. Christian love therefore urges all of us, especially parents and sponsors, to assist in whatever manner possible so that _____ may remain a child of God until death. If you are willing to carry out this responsibility, then answer: “Yes, as God gives me strength.”
How is this done?
Sunday school.
Vacation Bible School.
Lutheran Elementary School (for many)
Teaching in the home.
Confirmation class—study of Luther’s Small Catechism.
This is in keeping with the encouragement of Scripture to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” — Even Jesus according to his human nature was educated.
Although someone could become a lifelong student who formally takes Bible and religion classes for decades, we have decided that three years of catechism class is sufficient. At the conclusion of that formal instruction, a goal has been achieved. This is marked in a formal way by Confirmation.
Ceremony
Certificate
Change of Status
Invitation to the Lord’s Supper.
A sermon just for you?
Have you ever wondered how a pastor decides what text to use for a sermon on Sunday? Normally, I follow a pericope. But on special occasions, I will choose a special text. Confirmation is a special occasion. The text I have chosen is the confirmation verse that Emmitt chose for himself. This image of Jesus as the Vine and we as Christians as the Branches reminds us that even though we may achieve the goal of being confirmed, God has in store for us the ongoing goal of bearing much fruit.
What does this mean? See passages on being fruitful.
John 15:7 (NIV)
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
John 15:11-12 (NIV)
11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Galatians 5:22-24 (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
How can we do this?
Just as a branch needs to remain in the vine in order to be nourished to produce fruit, so too the Christian needs to stay connected to Jesus through the means of grace so that the Holy Spirit can inspired him/her to be productive.
Jesus teaches this to those with whom he had been in daily contact for the better part of three years. Emmitt, you have had to “put up with me” in class for the past three years. You may even have looked forward to not having to be in class anymore. Although I would like to say that you have been a very engaged student and always seemed eager to learn and apply the word of God to your life. But now this will change.
Things would change for the disciples as well. Jesus was going away and where he was going they would not follow until they were reunited in heaven. But even though they would not be with Jesus in the same way, Jesus promises that he would never leave them. “I am with you always, until the end of the age.” He would be with them through the Word and sacraments.
You may remain here for decades to come but at my age, that won’t be possible for me. But confirmation is not about remaining a student of the pastor who instructed you. It is about remaining in Jesus about whom you have been instructed. We do that by remaining in his Word.
One reason part of the curriculum for catechism class is memorizing Bible passages is that they will be in your heart and mind so that they can give you guidance and strength in your thoughts and actions.
Those who do so are promised to be blessed.
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
We are also encouraged to reflect on and add to what we have learned and become convinced of.
12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Jesus warns what can happen to those who try to go it on their own and forsake the lessons they have learned. They are like dead branches. Jesus says dead branches are useless. I think of this passage every spring and after some wind storms. Branches fall of the trees around the parsonage. I pick them up, throw them into the fire, and burn them. Jesus was most likely referring to branches from grape vines but the effect is the same.
Does this happen to young men and women who are confirmed? Are there those who neglect the means of grace and falter in their faith?
Way back in 1984 NPH published a book for pastors called Sermon Texts: It is a compilation of lists of passages that can be used to base sermons on. On page 98 in Part Three we have suggested free texts for confirmation. The introduction of that section has this wise observance by the author: “The pastor will try to bring a message in his confirmation sermon which will stay with the members of his class through life. He will do so not without a tinge of sadness as he recalls others of previous classes who have since proved to be like the seed which fell upon the rock. He will remind the class of the blessings which they have received from Lord in their baptism, their Christian training, and the new blessings which they are soon to receive in the Lord’s Supper.”
The man who wrote this was an experience pastor who had seen this happen in his ministry and understood the challenges that young confirmands face. I have been using this book for almost 40 years and can now look back and have witnessed his same sadness at times.
But I have also seen reasons for hope. Just as the early disciples listened to Jesus and his illustration of the vine and the branches and remained in him and bore much fruit, I have witnessed many young Christians who have grown in their faith and have become very productive Christians who trust in the Lord and have proven to be fruitful.
Why? Because they have remained in the Word and sacraments — the means of grace.
Reason #1. The Word remains. And that word has remained for all these years. Earlier I had read that a pastor in the confirmation sermon will try to preach a sermon that will remain with his student their entire lives. I find that hard to accomplish. It is difficult for me to write or say anything that will so noteworthy that anyone would remember it for more than a short period of time. But we have the teachings of Jesus preserved for us in the Bible.
God's Word is our great heritage
And shall be ours forever;
To spread its light from age to age
Shall be our chief endeavor.
Through life it guides our way,
In death it is our stay.
Lord, grant, while worlds endure,
We keep its teachings pure.
Throughout all generations.
Reason #2. Emmitt has show faithfulness. I have this confidence in God’s power to work this in Emmitt. He has already shown himself to be a faithful servant of the Lord and volunteered for a number of things at church, in his home, and in the neighborhood. We pray for him and look forward to seeing him be even more productive as he grows in his faith and godly living.
Reason #3. God is Faithful. That same Jesus who promised to be with his disciples promises to bless his church and it members as our prophet, priest, and king.
Conclusion
Amen.