2ND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER — CONFIRMATION
Text: Psalm 100:1-5
Source from Back to Luther with German archive reference. Back to Walther's Epistle Sermons.
Every time we gather here, O God, you are the one to whom we lift up our eyes, hands, and hearts, and whom we implore for grace, assistance, and blessing. Today, however, when great things are to take place among us, we especially call upon you, Oh Lord God of Hosts, and ardently beseech you, look in grace upon our gathering. Let us experience in our hearts, that you are truly among us.
Let your Word preached today become a fire, which seizes us all powerfully, kindles us all, and bursts into flames as ä brightly burning fire of faith and love. Oh, in grace do not pass by any of those present today, knock at every heart, and open it; pour your Spirit upon all, old and young, parents and children, teachers and hearers; make this an hour of gracious visitation, of salvation and bliss, so that we may all finally exclaim with Jacob: "Surely the Lord is in this place, and 1 knew it not. How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Gen 28,16.17. Here I have found God. Praised be his name. Amen. Amen.
In Christ dear Christian friends!
Something important and joyful has caused us to gather here today. The church is decorated with flowers; an unusually large gathering is present; every countenance expresses joy; these children, who in due childlike modesty otherwise had to take the last seats in this holy place, are today assigned the first; dressed in festive garments, they are gathered about this altar; their parents, sponsors, and relatives look upon them with trembling joy; today this entire congregation offers the incense of ardent prayers for them. What is it, oh, what is it that makes this Sunday such a solemn and festive occasion?
Today we are to witness something great and glorious, something at which hell is alarmed, over which all heaven rejoices, about which the believing members of the Christian Church shout for joy, what especially the parents of these children cannot view without tears of emotion, from which all faithful servants of God obtain new awakening to become more and more faithful to the Lord; even the hearts of those who despise God beat, the conscience awakens, and a groaning for deliverance from the bonds of their sins must arise in their souls.
These children have appeared here in order to confess publicly, that they have known the true living God who created heaven and earth, that they are ready to serve him, and by word and deed, in life and death, glorify him for whose honor they were created. These children have appeared here to confess publicly, that they have known the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as God's eternal Word, that they want to persevere in this divine truth, reject all human wisdom which contradicts the Bible, all error, and become faithful members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which is founded alone upon the clear Word of God in all its teachings. These children have appeared here to confess publicly that they not only understand the covenant which they as infants made in Holy Baptism with the Triune God, but also deliberately, joyfully, and by the impulse of their own heart renew it, acknowledge God as their covenant God, separate themselves from all the impious, the mockers, heterodox, and worldly minded, forever renounce the world, its vanities, and all its sins, confess Christ and his Gospel, adorn it by a pious life, defend it against all foes, and battle for it until death; yes, that they would rather die the most painful martyr's death than deny God, Christ, and his truth in order to please men or to surrender for the sake of temporal gain.
Is that not something great, important, and glorious ? Oh you parents, who are fortunate to hear such a public confession today from the mouth of your dearly beloved child, who today see a child finally step up here after much care and anxiety in regard to its bodily and spiritual welfare to witness of his God and Savior, cast yourselves down in spirit before the throne of grace and thank the All Merciful, who kept his fatherly eye open over your child, faithfully led him in all his ways, and hitherto helped him so gloriously. Of a truth, you must confess today, that God has done superabundantly more than you could ask or understand! Oh, then offer God your thanks today and pay the Most High your oaths and exclaim with David: "Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto ?" 2 Sam 7,18, "Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul (and to my children). I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer." Ps 66,16.17. 19. "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Ps 34,2.
Not only the parents of these children, but all of you who are present and fear and love the Lord, all of you have reason today to praise and glorify God highly. Many times our courage wants to fail, when we see our times, see
the dark shadows of unbelief cover all Christendom more and more, and a mighty flood of errors and sins threaten to submerge everything; if we look at the present condition of the Church of Jesus Christ, we must join in the lamentation of the prophet; "How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people!" Lam 1,1.
Though it may always appear as though the people who fear the Lord and confess his name will soon die out, and darkness finally triumph over the light, the world over Christ and his Church, look! Here again stands a small troop which has been raised by the Holy Ghost through his holy Word, soldiers under Christ's banner of the cross. Here again stand a small troop which today publicly steps to Christ's side, declares lasting war upon all of God's enemies, and who, when death calls us from this battleground, will fill the broken rows and take our places after us. At the sight of these faithful children, let us take courage for the future. The Lord is still in his Zion; he has not yet given up his vineyard; he keeps his promise and remains with his own until the end of days; if the fathers die in the faith, the youth and the children will arise and place themselves in the gap in Jerusalem's walls. If one or the other of these children will forget his oath and faithlessly break it, a few, and that we dare and should hope for, will remain faithful and some day die believing in the Sou of God. Yes, the world will not overcome them all; as they today cry: We will fight for the Word of life! we will certainly hear a few of them exult before God's throne: We have conquered through the blood of the Lamb. Hallelujah!
Now my dear children, if the hearts of your parents, sponsors, relatives, and all of us are today full of praise and glory to God because we see you here today, how much more should your heart beat for joy! Yes, rejoice, and again I say to you, rejoice! for today you are to confess God and speak of his truth publicly for the first time. Speak loudly and joyfully; you will fill all the angels with praise to God over you, draw tears of joy from the eyes of your parents, comfort and cheer anxious Christendom, strengthen the weak in faith and perhaps many, who but a short time ago gave their hand to God but became unfaithful; I say, today by your beautiful example you perhaps will again awaken and call back to God many who have fallen away. Therefore cry most ardently to God in your hearts to equip you with courage and joyous faith for your confession, that your words may not be the empty words of your, mouth but the truth, full of power, spirit, and life, so that the fire which glows in your hearts becomes one large flame which enkindles all hearts, binds them to God again, swears faithfulness to God with you, enters the narrow way to heaven with you, and thus finally reach the heavenly goal with you.
However, before you make your oath, first give evidence of the knowledge which you have received in the doctrine of salvation, that everyone may see, that from a voluntary conviction of your heart worked by God's Spirit himself you embrace only the Christian teaching and promise to persevere in it until your death.
EXAMINATION, CHOIR NUMBER, SERMON
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
My dearly beloved children.
The moment is drawing closer and closer, when you must promise: We want to remain God's possession in body and soul for time and eternity. How do you feel, now? Are you anxious? Are you depressed and sad? Does anxiety and doubt oppress your heart? Definitely not! No, you should not appear today before God and this congregation with fear and trembling. You should do nothing terrible or difficult: but by God's grace something enjoyable and easy.
I do not say that; God himself in his holy Word says that through the king and prophet, David. He says in Psalm 110:1-5: “ Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
On the basis of these words permit me to impress upon your heart:
YOU MUST BE HAPPY TODAY TO EMBRACE THE LORD AS YOUR GOD
If you ask me: Why? I will reply: Because your oath of allegiance today is
1. Your Greatest Obligation,
2. It Redounds to Your Honor, and finally,
3. It Brings You the Most Blessed Advantages.
I.
My dear children, as you know there are only two ways to be saved; there are only two lords whom a person can serve. No one can travel two ways at the same time, nor can anyone faithfully serve two lords at the same time. By God's grace you must decide, and you must decide today, yes this very hour, which way you will go, which lord you will serve. Either serve God alone, or the world; either Christ alone, or sin.
Most, when they must make this decision, become sad, or they stand doubting at the crossroads and do not know what they should do. They think: Alas, most men, especially the great, the learned, the wise and rich of this world, do not think much of God; if you are going to side with God's Word in everything, you will be hated as an odd person and despised as foolish and unenlightened; you will have to deny yourself much that you like; your life will lose much joy which others have; what should you do? Believe me, flesh and blood speak that way to all men and want to hold them back from joyfully swearing allegiance to the Lord as their God. And hasn't your flesh and blood spoken that way to you and said: When you are out of school, then do what your
heart desires; who can conform to the views of God and his Word in everything?
In order that you may conquer this temptation, remember that the allegiance which you today wish to swear to the Lord as your God is your highest obligation.
Do you not owe everything which you are and have to your dear God? if he had not created you, where would you be now? you would not enjoy life; your body, your soul, your reason, your powers you have from God. And who saw to it that you were not born among the heathen but among Christians, where you have learned that the Son of God is your Savior, that he died for your sins, that he earned grace for you and wants to save you? Who has given you your dear parents, who provide not only for your body but also for your soul? who baptized you and thus brought you early to Christ? Who had you instructed in a Christian school concerning the way to salvation? Who in Holy Baptism made you children of God and his grace? who as a father provided for your body and soul from your youth up, guarded and protected you in all dangers, and watched over you until this
hour? Is it not your faithful, merciful God? And does he not want to be your God and Father? who even from eternity thought of you in love and to all eternity not only can alone save you but also so gladly, so lovingly, so mercifully wants to save you? Must you not says with David: " HE hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture "?
Now my dear children, tell me, should not your greatest obligation be to serve such a faithful, gracious, beneficent God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, with your whole mind, and with all your powers? Should not this God, who must give you everything and gives it here and in eternity, should he not have the right to say to you; "My son, my daughter, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways"? Prov 23,26. Can you say that this is asking too much? Yes, I ask you: Would it not be shocking, unpardonable, inexcusable unthankfulness, if you would want to turn your back to this good, loving God and say: No, I do not have to serve you! my life will not conform to your Wor d! I will live as I desire! I will not ask about you! I will side with the world!?
No, no, I can not believe that one of you would have such a hardened heart. Certainly you will all gladly admit, that all men, and you as well, are obligated to submit to God and dedicate your whole life and heart to him. God has tied you to himself with too many bands of love; you therefore can do nothing else, you must concede that though ever so many people ask little or nothing about God and his Word and will, he deserves to be served by you your whole life. Oh, do not listen to the seducers who will cry to you; Do you also want to be a pious person? Think of the love with which God has surrounded you and say to such seducers: Yes, I will be pious; I will serve the Lord and serve him joyfully; not only have I sworn to do this faithfully at the altar of the Lord, but I also know that he is worthy of having me owe it to him a thousandfold; therefore, every drop of blood in my veins should go out to God; I will go his ways even if no one else goes with me, even if all want to fall away.
May God work this decision, this holy choice in you all and make you immovably firm through his Holy Spirit!
II.
That this may now take place, consider with me in the second place that to swear allegiance to the Lord as your God redounds to your greatest honor.
My dear children, I dare not conceal from you that if you want to become God’s true servants, not everybody will esteem you highly; most will despise you; yes, they will slander you, calling you hypocrites, and because of your piety ridicule and persecute you. There seemingly is more shame than honor attached to serving God and alas countless are ashamed of their Savior before the world — and deny him.
But do not let that fool you. Need you really be ashamed tö be faithful and humble subjects of the Lord? Is it actually something disgraceful to serve him, whose omnipotence has called you into being and at whose nod everything will again collapse? Is it actually something dishonorable to be an obedient son or daughter of him at whose command the sun, moon, and stars run their course? whose commands not only the angels and archangels joyfully carry out, but also all creatures, even if they do not wish to, whom even the prince of darkness with all the spirits of the abyss must serve? Does it actually bring shame upon a person to submit his will and reason completely to him who now often permits men to rebel against his holy Law, but before whom some day every thing
in heaven and on earth and under the earth must how the knee and worship?
No, my dear Christians, in spite of everything let the scorner of God and his Word brag that they are free men who are not afraid of God, that pious Christians, on the other hand, are complete cowards. Those who do not want to be God's servants are not for that reason as free as they brag they are; they lie in the most disgraceful slavery of sin and evil lusts; without thinking of it they are the wretched slaves of Satan; there will come a day when these rebels will tremble at the sentence which God will pronounce. But whoever is God's servant, is a truly free man; for he is the ruler of sin, a conqueror of the world, a victor over death, the grave, and hell; some day he will be revealed as a crowned conqueror of heaven.
Be happy therefore that today you dare publicly swear allegiance to the Lord as your God; this is a day of great honor for you; today you join the ranks of prophets, apostles, martyrs, and all the witnesses and confessors of God and his truth; all the holy angels of heaven are your fellow-servants; and who is the Lord to whose banner you swear allegiance today? He is the Lord of all lords, the King of all kings, the God of all gods!
Confidently laugh away the mockery of the children of this world; though they may seek their honor in the their shame; though they may serve one of the three gods of this world, either the lust of the eyes, or the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life, you seek your greatest honor in serving the greatest and highest of all the lords in heaven and on earth, being God's servants; that can not humiliate you but be the highest degree of honor to which a creature can attain, a degree in which even the cherubs and seraphim stand, who sing the thrice holy to God that he honored them by letting them be a servant of his throne. That is why we read in our Psalm: " Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God. " Vv. l-3a.
III.
If you will serve God faithfully, many will pity you and say that you are making yourselves unhappy and are of your own free will embittering your life. But do not be led astray by this opinion. Believe me, you will find out that if you will decide to have God and his Word continually before your eyes and in your heart, you will never regret it; it will also give you the most blessed advantages; you will experience daily and finally must confess joyfully that you have chosen the best part. For if you take the Lord as your God, God will also be your Lord. And, what is that ?
Who can be more fortunate than you? You won't have to worry about the future, even if you are ever so poor and have only a few joys in this world; you need not anxiously ask: What shall we eat? what shall we drink? what will we wear? for you have a rich, omniscient and good Lord, who not only owns everything, knows everything, but will always gladly give you, who serve him, everything you need in rich measure.
Then you dare not be restless and despondent because of your daily sins and weaknesses; you have a merciful Lord who has patience with you, his weak servants; he will daily and richly forgive you all your sins and will graciously and mercifully sustain you. You need not be afraid of any misfortune, or danger, or ever so cunning and mighty foes; you have an almighty Lord, who will guard you in all misfortune, snatch you from every danger, protect you against every foe, and be your shield and best friend in all trouble. Then you need not be afraid of death; you have as your Lord he who will deliver you even
from death. Yes, then you can look confidently into eternity; you will not enter into judgment; when you die, it is the time for leaving your work; your Lord will say to you: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord!" Mt 25,21,
Oh my dear children, what a joyful entrance that will be! How blessed you will be in heaven! How happy you will forever be with your good and faithful Lord and God! How blessed you will call yourselves that you did not follow the world and sin, but swore allegiance to the Lord äs your God!
Now ponder upon when the pious are in great misery, especially the misery of death; you will see that almost all of them regret than they did not pay attention to God, that finally they must also cry to God for help; but alas, with most of them it is too late; most can only be terrified at God's terrible majesty, can not confidently entrust themselves to his fatherly arms and must go into eternal darkness without God and that also means without comfort.
Oh, therefore, joyfully lift up your voices today in the holy promise: The Lord shall be our God in joy as in sorrow, in life as in death, as sure as God will help us through Jesus Christ! If by God's grace you will keep this oath, God will be your gracious God and Father, the holy angels will be your friends and companions, the world the vestibule to eternal glory, your death the entrance into life, heaven your only eternal home, in short, here and in eternity you will be the most blessed people.
Though ever so many may have solemnly Sworn faithfulness to their great blessed God and then faithlessly broke their covenant, you, dearly redeemed children, remain faithful through Christ! Oh remain faithful, I beg of you with tears; yes, your parents and your sponsors and the whole assembly say to you with tears: Children, oh my dear children, think to whom you have promised yourselves today and do not fall away; remain faithful, faithful until death, until God crowns you with the crown of life !
I therefore say to you once again in the words of our text: " Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Vv. 4.5. Hallelujah! Amen. In Jesus name! Amen.
CONCLUDING TALK AND PRAYER
So now these dear children are dismissed from the close supervision of their teachers and given back to you, dear members of this congregation. Take them from our hands; receive them as your brothers and sisters in the faith. God will some day demand the blood of their souls from your hands; do not offend and mislead them, but take the lead as shining edifying examples on the pilgrimage in the heavenly Zion; then as we are gathered here before our invisible God, may we all some day be gathered In heaven with these children, where we shall see God face to face.
However, God alone can keep these children unto the end; let us therefore once more kneel before God and pray:
Thus have we led these dear children to you, O Triune God; we have joyfully heard how they confessed your name before all the world, and have solemnly promised that you are to be their Lord and God; they want to be your faithful servants; nothing, neither joy nor pain, neither honor hör disgrace, neither
life nor the pains of death, is going to separate them from you. Oh, take them up as their friend; lay your hand of blessing on their heads; enfold them in your arms and place them on your lap; let their names bo indelibly written in the book of life, ah yes, deeply engraved in your divine loving Fatherly heart.
Lord, our heart rejoices that again a great number have surrendered themselves to you forever; but how uneasy we are when we cast a glance into the future! How many have already shed tears of love at your altars; how many with weeping eyes and softened hearts have knelt before you as their God and King. And alas, so quickly have they shamefully forgotten you and your Word; so quickly have they again taken a fancy to sin and the world, and now they laughingly go the way of vanity and eternal ruin.
We therefore fervently beseech you, do not only call those lost souls back and, if one of those lost souls should perhaps be here today, crush not only their heart and cast it anew in the dust before you; grant them repentance, and help them to be converted; but above all, with your gracious power enter today into these children who today have sworn the oath of faithfulness to you; take pity on them; compensate for their inexperience with your wisdom, their weakness with your strength, their sinfulness with your righteousness, and thus continue and perfect their good work which is begun in them until that day.
Lord, never forsake them even if they forsake you; remain faithful to them even if they become unfaithful to you; even if they turn their backs to you, go after them, follow them everywhere with your mercy, tear them mightily from the hands of those who seduce them, snatch them from the grave of ruin, and finally carry their souls into your heavenly kingdom.
Lord, we can not guard them; we can not save them; that is why we are binding them on your heart; you watch over them; you guard them; you help them in life and in death. Oh, Lord God the Father, their Creator, Preserver, and Ruler, have mercy upon them and remember that they are your children. Oh, Lord God the Son, Jesus Christ, their Redeemer and Savior, have mercy upon them and remember that they are your possession purchased with your precious blood. Oh, Lord God the Holy Ghost, their Comforter and their gracious Guest in their hearts, have mercy upon them and remember that they are your temple and dwelling-place. Oh, Holy Trinity, you are their gracious covenant God; have mercy upon them and remember that you have promised them salvation. Keep them, oh, keep them from sin, death, Satan, and hell, and make them blessed, eternally b lessed. Amen. Amen.