(The 6^th Sunday of Easter)

Pastor: Paul D. Nolting

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WELCOME in the name of Jesus, who promises a crown of life to those who remain faithful until death! (Revelation 2:10b)

Pre-Service Meditation: Psalm 119:105-112

Lord God, our blessed heavenly Father, we pray that You would send Your Holy Spirit to be with us and to bless us on this Confirmation Day. As our twelve confirmands promise to be faithful to You until death, may we all be reminded of the importance of our relationship with You and Your beloved Son, Jesus. Strengthen our faith. Increase our love. Renew day by day our hope and confidence as we seek faithfully to serve You now, even as we look forward to being with You in heaven. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Hymn: 15 ~ "From All that Dwell below the Skies"

Confession and Absolution: The Lutheran Hymnal, p.16

The Epistle Reading: 2 Timothy 3:10-17

Remaining faithful to God in this world is a real challenge. Those who desire to live godly lives will be persecuted. St. Paul encourages us in the face of all such challenges to continue following the word of God, which is able to make us wise unto salvation.

Church & High School Choirs: "Shout to the Lord"

Darlene Zschech arr. Jack Schrader

The Gospel Reading: John 8:31-36

Faithful Christians will strive to abide in Jesus' word, rejoicing in His promise that as they do so, they will know the truth and enjoy true spiritual freedom. Our world does not and cannot understand such commitment to Jesus. Those who are faithful, however, will live with God in heaven forever.

Hymn: 337 ~ "Our Lord and God, Oh, Bless This Day"

SET YOUR HEARTS ON ALL THE WORDS OF GOD!

TEXT: Deuteronomy 32:46

In Christ Jesus, who said as we heard in our Gospel Lesson, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32), dear fellow redeemed:

Several years ago, Dr. James Dobson, the founder the Christian ministry known as Focus on the Family, suffered a heart attack. He survived and afterward commented regarding the experience. When you are lying in the hospital recovering from a heart attack, not knowing whether you will live or die, it does not matter whether you are a famous author or the President of a large organization. Only two things really seem important when you are facing death-your relationship with God and the love of your family.

Moses was facing death. God told him that he would not lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land, for that work would be entrusted to Joshua. Rather, God told Moses that after leading Israel for forty years, it was now his time to die. Consequently, Moses prepared a series of addresses to the children of Israel, which became the book of Deuteronomy. In these addresses Moses spoke of things close to his heart-things that would be most important for Israel's future. He did not talk about quail hunting in the Sinai, or the price of camels at Gaza, or Jericho's thirty-day weather forecast. He shared with them the truths of God-His laws revealed Mount Sinai and intended to show them their sin and their need of a Savior; His gospel promises of a Savior to come-a Prophet who would further reveal God's gracious, good will. He urged them to keep their priorities straight, for thereby they would experience God's richest blessings. Moses urged Israel then even as he does us today-SET YOUR HEARTS ON ALL THE WORDS OF GOD!

What does it mean to "set your hearts on all the words of God"? Those things and those people close to your heart are the things and the people most important to you. God and His word were close to Moses' heart. He had seen God's glory in the burning bush on Mount Sinai. He had experienced God's power, as He destroyed Egypt with ten plagues and as He delivered Israel from Pharaoh's armies at the Red Sea. He knew of God's holiness, for he had seen His just judgment upon rebellious Korah. He saw God's mercy as water poured out of desert rocks to quench the thirst of weary Israelites. Israel was about to begin its conquest of Canaan. While there were many preparations to make, there was none as important as securing the Lord's blessing. That could be accomplished only if the children of Israel would set their hearts on all the words of God!

So it is today! While we do not have to conquer Canaan, we all have been given many tasks to do by God. We are busy people, but we ought never get too busy to set our hearts on God and His words! We must know and understand God's will, as revealed in His law. We need to recognize and repent of sin. We need to understand God's expectations, for we want to please Him. We must hear about God's love for us in Christ, so that our hearts may be refreshed by His forgiveness and encouraged with the certainty of His plans for our eternal future. We too need to set our hearts on all the words of God, so that we might fully experience God's blessings!

However, Moses does not stop there. Moses knew that the truths, which were so important to him and the generation of people who had witnessed the mighty deeds of the LORD, had to be passed on to the next generation. So he told the children of Israel, "You shall command your children to be careful to observe-all the words of this law," law referring to the entire revelation of God at that point. My dear friends, instruct your children well in the word of God!

This past Sunday was my father's 79th birthday. Last Monday I sat down to write a belated letter to him expressing my appreciation to him for everything that he had done for me throughout the years. My father was a good father, although he would be the first to admit that he was rather busy when I was young and so was unable to spend as much time as he would have liked with me. However, as I reviewed my father's influence on my life, there was one thing perfectly clear. My father's greatest influence on me came through the instruction he gave me in God's word. My father was a pastor, so I listened to many of his sermons and had him for confirmation instruction. My father's greatest spiritual influence on me, however, was not through formal instruction. Rather, it came informally in the prayers he would offer at the dinner table-prayers not just for the food we were about to eat, but for people in crisis and for the Spirit's guidance on important decisions. It came when He took me to the home of a poor man without indoor plumbing and explained how God loves every soul and wants them to hear about Jesus. It came when he sent me off to dust church pews, a job I was loathe to do, with his standard, cheery encouragement, "Son, learn to serve the LORD with gladness" (Psalm 100:2).

My dear friends, we parents need to do that for the next generation. It is not good enough to tell our children to "go to church," when we do not. We cannot afford to say, "Do as I say, but not as I do!" We cannot adopt the cavalier attitude of many, "I am going to let my children be free to choose what they want to believe. They can make their own decision." No, we are to lead our children personally and faithfully to the Lord. While it is true that religious views cannot be forced upon people, we are to instruct our children in the truths of God's word so that the Spirit of God can work faith and strengthen that faith in their hearts. We do not allow young children to decide whether or not they will take a bath. We march them into the bathroom, have them climb into the tub, throw in a rubber duck, lather them up, make horns out of their hair with shampoo, and have a great time. Why do we do that? We do it, because it is important that their bodies are clean, and when they are done, they want to do it all over again! We cannot take the attitude that children should decide when or if they will go to church, but rather we are to recognize the importance of instilling within their hearts a love for their loving God. Let us go to church with our children. Let us talk to our children about God when we are on our walks and as we play our games. Our faith life can and should be part and parcel of our daily lives, and when it is, our children will love it! Moses urges us to set our hearts on all the words of God. Let us do our very best to instruction our children well in that word of God, so that they, too, under the influence with the guidance of the Holy Spirit might be led to do the same. Amen.

...to the Congregation: As the confirmands now make their vows before God, I encourage all of you who are already confirmed to hear again the vows you made and reaffirm them in your hearts as the confirmands publicly make their promises.. For those whose confirmation yet lies ahead, hear and consider these promises and apply yourselves diligently to your study of God’s Word.

Dear Students of the Word:

When you were little children, you were received into God’s covenant of grace in Holy Baptism. Now, having learned the meaning of this covenant from your instruction in God’s Word, you have come here before God and this Christian congregation to make a public profession of your faith in the Triune God; to dedicate yourselves body and soul for time and for eternity to the Lord your God; and to receive Christ’s body and blood in the Lord’s Supper for the forgiveness of your sins.

You stand today before the Lord’s altar in willing response to the Word of God in Romans 10, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"(Romans 10:9-10).

Having hearts filled with faith and encouraged by God’s grace and promises, lift up your voices to answer the following questions which we will ask you in the name of our Lord, and on behalf of this congregation.

Pastor E: Do you renounce the Devil and all his works and all his ways?

Confirmands: I do.

Pastor N: Do you believe in God the Father?

Pastor E: Do you believe in God the Son?

Pastor N: Do you believe in God the Holy Ghost?

Pastor E: Do you desire to become a communicant member of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church?

Confirmands: I do.

Pastor N: Do you believe that all the books of the Bible are the verbally inspired and inerrant Word of God; and that the teachings of this Lutheran congregation drawn from the Bible as you have learned to know them from Luther’s Small Catechism, are true and correct, as the Holy Spirit has led you to know and understand them?

Confirmands: I do.

Pastor E: Do you also, as a member of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, intend to continue steadfast in the confession of the truth of Holy Scripture, and to suffer all—even death—rather than fall away from it?

Confirmands: I do so intend, with the help of God.

Pastor N: Finally, do you intend faithfully to conform all your life to the rule of the Divine Word, to be diligent in the use of the Means of Grace, both in Word and Sacraments; to walk in accordance with the Gospel of Christ and in faith, word, and deed remain true to the Triune God, even unto death?

Confirmands: I do so intend with the help of God.

Pastor E: Come forward now to give your hand at the Lord’s altar, as a pledge of your promise; and kneeling, receive His blessing.

Revelation 2:10 -- Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

May God, your Creator; the Lord Jesus Christ, your blessed Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit the Comforter ever remain close to your heart and active in your life now and forever.

Matthew 6:33 -- But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

May God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, give you His Holy Spirit—the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge, of grace and prayer, of power and strength, of sanctification and the fear of God.

John 3:16 – God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

May God, who has begun a good work in you, complete it until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, when this present world will pass away and all who by His grace are faithful will receive the crown of life.

Psalm 46:1 -- God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

May God, who by grace has saved you and promised you the gift of life everlasting, ever be near you to keep you strong in faith, fervent in love, and filled with hope until life’s end when you will experience the joys of heaven.

John 14:27 -- Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

May God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love may know the love of Christ and be filled with the fullness of God.

1 Corinthians 6:20 -- You were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

May God, our eternal Father, walk with you throughout your life, as He did with the prophets and apostles of old, so that your life may be grounded in His Word and your testimony confirmed by His promises.

Joshua 1:9 -- Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

May God who has reconciled us to Himself, through Christ Jesus, present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight, never moved away from the hope of the Gospel which You have heard and believe.

Joshua 1:9 -- Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

May God, our Father in heaven, ever renew in you the gift of the Holy Spirit, to strengthen your faith, cause you to grow in grace, increase your patience in suffering, and preserve you unto the blessed hope of everlasting life.

John 14:27 -- Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

May God, our Father in heaven who has called you unto eternal glory through our Lord Jesus Christ establish, strengthen, settle you, and keep you through faith unto eternal life.

Psalm 37:5 -- Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

May God, the LORD, stand by you and strengthen you so that the Gospel will be preached through you and that you be delivered from every evil work and preserved for His heavenly kingdom.

Psalm 27:1 -- The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

May God our Savior, who alone is wise and able to keep you from stumbling, preserve and guard you in the faith to present you faultless before the presence of His glory on the Last Day.

Jeremiah 29:11 ~ I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

May the God of peace sanctify you completely; and by His grace preserve your spirit, soul, and body blameless until Jesus’ promised return at the end of time when you will see the fulfillment of the promises you now accept by faith.

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Pastor E: Upon these your voluntary professions of faith and promises, I, in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ and this Christian congregation, welcome you as communicant members of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mankato, MN. I invite you to participate with us in all the rights and privileges of the Christian Church for whom Christ "gave Himself…that He might sanctify and cleanse her" (Ephesians 5:26).

Almighty and everlasting Father, we thank You for Your grace in sending Your Son to redeem us sinners from the death we all deserve. Especially, this day, we praise You for Your grace in bringing these 12 young people into Your family through Holy Baptism, preserving them in their faith, and now leading them to the confidence in Your truth which they have here confessed. Be with each one of them throughout their entire lives, pour out Your Holy Spirit upon them so that they may remain faithful to their promises and hold fast to the confession of their hope without wavering. Daily increase their knowledge and trust in You, and lead them to greater obedience toward You in sanctified living. Preserve them, O Lord, in the midst of this evil world that is filled with so many temptations. In like manner, we pray for the same blessings upon all your children. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Pastor E: On the past two Sundays, the confirmands proclaimed the truths of Scripture under the theme of Psalm 103 — BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL! The class hymn they have chosen continues in that theme by giving praise to great and glorious God. The Confirmands will sing three stanzas of the hymn: How Great Thou Art, and invite you to join them in the refrain of the 2nd and 3rd stanzas.

TEXT: Deuteronomy 32:47

"For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess."

DATE: May 16, 1982.

MEMORY VERSE: Romans 1:16 - "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes."

WEATHER: Sunny & warm.

In a week-and-a-half, it will be twenty years since I was in your position-sitting in a congregation, being confirmed, and hearing a pastor speak God's Word to me. You all seem much older than I remember feeling at the time; but what lay ahead for me now lies ahead for you, and really lies ahead for all of us.

Everything that my pastor told me during the time of instruction has come true. He wasn't a prophet. He didn't attempt to predict specific things in my life, and had he tried to do so he certainly would have failed. But he spoke of sorrows that would lie ahead. He spoke of poor choices I would make. He told of temptations that would greet me, and he spoke of difficult decisions over which I would need to pray.

Did I believe my pastor when he was telling me all of these things? Certainly, I did! I believed that those things were lying in my future somewhere, but did I understand what these things would really be? ...not so much. I believed him, but I really didn't know, or maybe even somewhere in the back of my mind didn't think that they would be all that bad.

In Psalm 103 which you studied and used in preparing for the last two worship services, you will recall that King David said, "...As for man his days are like grass; as a flower of the field so he flourishes, for the wind passes over it and it is gone..." (Psalm 103:15f). The apostle Peter said much the same when he quoted Isaiah in his first letter, "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away..." but the Word of the Lord endures forever (1 Peter 1:24-25)

In the 20 years since my confirmation, there has been a lot of withering. The pastor who confirmed me is now in heaven. Life is quite a bit different at 33 than it was at 13. BUT...David says, "...the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting..." (Psalm 103:17), and Peter & Isaiah said, "...the Word of the Lord endures forever!" (1 Peter 1:25).

No matter what withers, no matter what comes down your path in all the years the Lord will yet give you, God's mercy and His Word REMAIN! The Mercy of the Lord and the Word of the Lord are tied inseparably together. The words which your parents have taught you, the words which they have striven to insure would be taught to you through your Christian education, are the words that bring you God's mercy. This is the reason Moses could say in Deuteronomy, "It is NOT A FUTILE THING because it is your life!"

The "it" is the instruction in God's Word. It is not a futile, empty, worthless thing. I can tell you what IS futile, however. It is futile if all that you recall is the date, the memory verse, and perhaps even the weather of your Confirmation Day so that you can recite them like name, rank, and serial number-that IS futile...that IS pointless. If that is all you are going to do, you could just as well forget it. But it is NOT futile to remember and embrace the teachings of Scripture which you have learned to believe and confess.

We have talked about this in class...how there can be so many people who know all the right answers, who will have a "HEAD knowledge," but nothing more. Even the devils KNOW the true God. The apostle James says, "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe...and tremble!" (James 2:19). But you KNOW and you BELIEVE SO MUCH MORE! Hold onto that...embrace that! Remember some "soul math."

Embracing and using God's Word does not equal "Nothing"

Embracing and using God's Word = Your LIFE

By human standards, you have many, many years ahead of you. You can go forward in physical life-breathing, heart beating, working, playing, having success, forgetting about God's Word, and really your life will keep going. Can you live on this earth without God's Word? Surely, you can. That is why this is so tricky because now when you are 13/14 years old you are promising faithfulness, but you are going to find that as you go through life there is the temptation to conclude, "I don't really need that stuff so much, I have other things to do." But REMEMBER: It is NOT FUTILE because it IS YOUR LIFE!!

We are grass, we are flowers that fade, but by the grace and mercy of God given to us in His Word, we have forgiveness of sins, LIFE, and salvation. It is the Word of God you are confessing which makes your life much more than grass or flowers. You are a CHILD OF GOD by the mercy of God found in His Word. You are an heir of heaven. You are the light of this world. You are a student of the powerful Word of God. You are someone who holds in your hands the joyful privilege of telling someone about the way to eternal life. You are someone who can tell others, "I have good news for you! Jesus died for you! You too can live with Him in heaven!"

The mercy of God and His Word define your life. Moses does not say this instruction is not futile because it BRINGS you life (though that is also true). He says, "It IS your life." It is part of everything you are and everything you do. When people describe you and your personality what is the first thing that comes to their minds? What a wonderful thing if the first thing they think is: "THERE is a child a of God! THERE is a Christian."

Moses told the people that if they were to follow the instruction of God's Word "you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess." God promised that if the Old Testament nation of Israel remained faithful to Him, He would prosper them as a nation and they would remain in the physical land of Canaan. God does not make this same promise to you. You may not have an incredibly prosperous life in material things and earthly wealth and success. Nevertheless, it WILL BE a life through which you will persevere into everlasting life.

I am not a prophet any more than my pastor was. However, I can tell YOU...there are sorrows that lie ahead, poor choices, temptation, sin, difficult decisions...but most importantly the grace and mercy of God and the forgiveness of your sins. These REMAIN forever and with them God will bless you throughout the future and in whatever lies ahead.

Your parents have given you a remarkable gift. First of all, your Father in heaven has given you the gift of the forgiveness of sins through His Son, Jesus. Your earthly parents have given you the gift of instruction in this Word of mercy and truth. You appreciate these things now, but I guarantee you that you will appreciate them even more later.

Today THANK your parents-your heavenly Father, and your earthly parents. Then treasure as a gift that Word of mercy which they have given you. Embrace it in your life. Let it define every part of what you do. Hold onto it...love it...treasure it...and never, ever let it go. Amen.

Lord God, our dear heavenly Father, we come before You this day and confess that while we are unworthy of Your love and mercy, we are so thankful that in Your grace You have revealed Your love for us through Jesus. He was rich in heavenly glory, but became poor, suffering the punishments of hell in our place so that we who by nature are poor and sinful might become rich with His glory. Keep us ever mindful of our dependence upon You and move our hearts day by day to renew our commitment to serve You. Lead us to demonstrate our love for You by loving one another. Grant us the strength to confront the evil of this world with the light of Your Word, exposing that which is wicked in Your eyes and refraining from the same in our lives. Very simply, may we set our hearts on all of Your words, and may they bear fruit in our lives!

As we prepare ourselves for the reception of Your Supper, and especially the confirmands receive this blessed gift for the first time, move us to examine our hearts and lives. May we truly repent of our sins with sincerity, rejoice in our Savior with confidence, and desire the presence of the Holy Spirit to empower our lives. All other petitions, O Lord, we ask in the words You have taught us...

We believe that God desires unity of faith and confession among all who commune together. All communicant members of Immanuel and of our sister congregations in the CLC are welcome at the Lord's Table. If there are visitors present who wish to commune with us in the future, you are invited to speak with the Pastor about this at your convenience. Communicants are all ushered to the communion table together. Those desiring an individual cup, please take a cup when the tray is offered. The common cup will immediately follow.

Communion Hymns:

335 ~ "My Maker, Be Thou Nigh"

315 ~ "I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table"

The Nunc Dimittis & the Thanksgiving:

Hymn: 800 ~ "Go, My Children, with My Blessing"