THE POWER TO FULFILL YOUR VOW!
We make vows frequently in our lives. Children promise to do a better job cleaning
up their bedrooms or doing chores around the house. Husbands vow to better
remember their anniversary. A mother promises to pick up her child from a
friend’s home at a certain time. Some promises are more serious. One who enters
the military promises to defend the Constitution. A couple vows to love, honor,
cherish, and be faithful to each other until “death do us part” when they marry.
When I was ordained I took a vow to be faithful to the Word of God and the
Lutheran Confessions throughout my ministry. When I was installed as your pastor
I promised to preach, teach, counsel, and shepherd you in accordance to the Word
of God. You promised to support my ministry and pastoral leadership. When
people make a promise or a vow, the expectation is they will keep their vow no
matter how hard or difficult it might be. Today, fifteen young men and women will
stand before God’s altar and make a vow to God in the Rite of Confirmation.
You who have been confirmed, do you remember your confirmation vow? Before
you made your vow, you studied the Scriptures: God’s law, God’s grace, God’s
mighty deeds and God’s awesome acts of mercy and love. Our Confirmation vow
is based on God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. In that love God saw our plight
because of our sins, our helplessness in ridding ourselves of the stain of sin and the
terrible fate we faced in the punishment for our sins. In His love, God stepped in
and sent His Son who became flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus kept
the laws of God perfectly and became the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Jesus shed
His blood on the Cross as payment for our sins. Three days later Jesus rose from
the dead; Jesus is alive! His resurrection makes a difference in our lives. His
resurrection both motivates and empowers us to fulfill our Confirmation vow!
Christ is risen!
We make three wonderful promises in our confirmation vow. First, we promise, “I
do, by the grace of God intend to hear the Word of God and receive the LORD’S
Supper faithful!” Second, we promise, “I do, by the grace of God, intend to live
according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed to remain true to God
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death!” And third, we promise, “I do, by
the grace of God intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to
suffer l, even death, rather than fall away from it!”
What a vow! And did you notice the motivation? “I do, by the grace of God” – that
is by the God’s undeserved love for me in Jesus Christ! That is where the power
comes from: God’s grace in the resurrected Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection empowers us
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to worship and commune faithfully and regularly; to follow the teachings and
example of Jesus’ love and obedience in our lives; and to remain true to God
throughout of lives! That power continues to come to us through the Word of God;
the Word we study in Bible class, the Word we gather around and celebrate in
worship. When we by faith trust in God’s grace in Jesus, that power becomes ours.
With it we can resist temptation, fight off satan, and courageously follow God’s
teachings in our lives! We can have a joyful, meaningful, abundant life!
Just as any promise we make can be a challenge to fulfill, so too our Confirmation
vow will be constantly challenged in life. We may be tempted to disobey God,
ignore God or walk away from God. Our vow is challenged by the temptation to
participate in the sensual pleasures of life including premarital sex, pornography,
or marital unfaithfulness. It might come in the form of addiction to alcohol, drugs,
or gambling. It might come from some in the intellectual world who challenge or
ridicule God’s teachings. It might come in our own sin of self-righteousness when
we think we are so good that we don’t need Jesus in our lives anymore. Challenges
might come from our social relationships, peers, friends, or family members, who
entice to turn away from God’s Word. It might come from new age ideas or
political correctness. Or the hardships of life in a sinful world might lead us to
question God, blame God, and mock His love and deny His existence.
The devil is behind every effort to have us break our vow! The devil wants to
destroy your faith and your relationship with our loving God! He is thrilled when
you stop coming to worship service, never open the Bible to study it again, or
begin to live your life without God. Why the devil might even do back flips over
you when you listen to Him and follow his satanic ways.
But you can have a power to keep your vows and resist all the assaults the devil
may make on your faith and commitment to God. Look at our text. God has
promised Joshua, “Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never
leave you or forsake you.” That promise is for you and me today, too! The God
adds. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be
dismayed, for the LORD you God is with you wherever you go.” Wherever we
go, God’s power will be available for us to resist temptation and sin, and to fulfill
our vows! My friends, remember, there is power in God’s promise! When Jesus
tempted in the wilderness, He used the Word of God to overcome satan. Three
times the devil tempted Jesus; three times Jesus overcame those temptations. Each
time Jesus used the same power that is at our disposal, too. That power is the Word
of God! Take that power and be free of satan’s temptations!
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But understand that this is a conditional promise. God will keep His promise if we
follow two conditions that He gives us in the text. First, we are to carefully follow
the moral law that God gave to Moses. We call this law the Commandments, the
Ten Commandments! We cannot live a half-hearted life of obedience or a lifestyle
opposite from God’s Word, and expect God’s power to be there at our beckon call.
When we live by God’s law we “give it everything we have: heart and soul!”
And second, we to never let God’s Word drift out of our minds. We “ponder and
meditate on it day and night, making sure we practice everything written in
it!” (The Messenger Bible) Then you will have the power of God. Then you will
prosper and succeed! This is God’s promise! God wants us to be in His Word. God
wants us to live by His Word, have His power to resist sin, and succeed in this life
as His children.
Some of you may wonder, “Why do some keep their promise to God and yet others
will fail to keep their vow and fall away from our LORD?” The answer is found in
the Parable of Sower that Jesus told. In that parable, our LORD makes it clear the
difference between those who believe and those who fall from faith, those who
keep their promise and those who won’t and don’t, is based on the soil in which the
seeds are planted. Literally, Jesus speaks of our relationship to the Word of God. If
we are rooted in God’s Word, if we continue to nurture our faith through study and
reflection on God’s promises and teachings, and if we continue to draw spiritual
strength and power from it, we will remain with Jesus and will have the power to
fulfill our vows. But it will not happen if you allow things, events, or others to
keep you from worship and your Bibles closed and hidden out of sight!
Maybe today there are some with us who have strayed away from the Word.
Maybe there are some who have stopped coming to worship and Bible study.
Maybe there are some who have allowed the troubles, trials, hardships, or losses in
life to drive them away from God. Maybe there are some who have been deceived
by the devil and have allowed sin to master their lives. Maybe there are some who
abandoned the power of God and now are victims of satan’s seductions. Perhaps
one of those people is you! Then I have some good news for you! Now is the time
to change. Now is the time to turn back to God. He is waiting for you with open
arms. God still loves you. God wants to free you from your sins and its
consequences of fear, guilt, worry, anxiety, restlessness, doubt, and the sense of
loss and hopelessness. God wants to give you the power to reconnect with Him
today! With God it is never too late! Make today the first day of your new life with
God. Believe that Jesus is your Savior. Confess your sins to Him. Step out in faith.
Be in the Word and take its power! Live your life by God’s Word.
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In Revelation 2:10 Jesus encourages us to be faithful to God throughout our lives
with this wonderful promise. “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give you
the crown of life!” My friends, make the Word of God part of your life. Believe it,
know it, live it, and share it. God will give you the power to fulfill your vow. And
someday God will give you the crown of life!
As you live your confirmation vow, as you follow and imitate the example of
Jesus’ life, you will have a positive influence on others: your family, friends,
coworkers, fellow students, neighbors, and even strangers. Your life of faith, your
witness of the true Christian life, your striving to fulfill your vow will bear good
fruits in their lives, too! As you employ God’s power in your life you will make a
difference in the spiritual lives of others!
Remember: the power is the Word of God. Jesus, who was crucified and now is
alive, is the Word in the flesh. Jesus, the Word, is the power! Live with Jesus and
His power will always be with you! CHRIST IS RISEN! In Jesus’ name, amen!
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