Confirmation Sunday
Sermon: “Steadfast in God’s Word” Rev. David Anderson
Daniel 6:26 Rev. 2:10
At both of our services today, we are looking at saints who are taking steps into a more steadfast walk with the Lord. To become confirmed members within a congregation leads to a deeper commitment within one’s Christian faith. Martin Luther’s commitment resulted in a massive reformation of the Church.
This morning, however, I want to look way back into history for another example of outstanding steadfastness and commitment to God and His Word. I want us to consider a man of God who put his life on the line and no doubt no wears a crown in glory.
We are going to look at Daniel. Listen to the decree that the king issued because of Daniel’s outstanding witness as recorded in Daniel 6:26: “I make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and His kingdom.... shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall endure unto the end.”
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A shift in the great subterranean plates of our planet takes place beneath the ocean floor. Suddenly a massive shock wave hits the water. The mammoth vibration travels out in concentric circles until it moves up gradual slopes towards islands and continents. Waves 50 feet to 100 feet high began smashing inland along coastlines.
On one tropical Island a small girl sees the first great wave coming toward her as she plays along the beach. It seems far away, but even at a distance it looks like a massive wall. She starts running inland but the first wave breaks into the land, strikes her hard, and throws her into its roaring belly.
Somehow she survives the first wave, but another wave,
even larger then the first, is heading for the beach. She runs to a tree, but cannot get her small arms around its trunk. Just as she begins to slump hopelessly to the ground, strong arms come from behind her and latch her to the tree.
“Take a deep breath,” says a seasoned voice, “Trust my
word, I will hold you fast. You will not die. Here it comes!”
Have you ever faced a problem so large that you felt that it would sweep you under... that you could not possibly handle it by yourself?
Martin Luther, whose catechism we have studied, stood
before a great political wave that declared open season on Luther’s life. He could be hunted down and killed without any questions asked and with the blessing of the church of his day.
His crime? He stood steadfast upon God’s Word when
forces were at work to damage that Word.
Refusing to compromise the meaning of Jesus and the
power of the Gospel, Luther wrote: “Lord, keep us
steadfast in Your Word; curb those who be deceit of sword, would wrest the kingdom from Your Son, and bring to nought all He has done.”
Daniel was another individual who stood before a great
wave that had the power to ruin his name and destroy him. Advisors close to King Darius had become jealous of Daniel. They devised a plan to get him away from the king’s ear and have him put to death.
Their plan was simply and ingenious, they tricked the king into passing an edict that mandated a 30 day period in which only King Darius was to be worshiped as god– no other gods were to be worshiped or sought out. The penalty for disobedience was death.
The evil advisors who hatched this plot had correctly
assumed that Daniel would not honor this decree. The
Bible clearly tells us that Daniel knew that the document had been put into effect. Still, he “got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before God...”
Now I thought about Daniel’s decision, and I wondered
what I might do... or you might do, in this situation. I mean, “come on Daniel, let’s be creative here! There’s got to be come kind of compromise that could spare your life.”
OPTION ONE: Thirty days is only a short period of time. Some people stop their daily devotions for months and are still saved within God’s gigantic grace. Couldn’t Daniel just let things slide for 30 days and then get back to his usual devotional practice– maybe even double it to make up the
difference?
Some people will confirm their faith and then drop out of worship and Christian service for years, misapplying the meaning and intention of God’s gigantic grace.
OPTION TWO: God is gracious, slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love. Daniel could change his
devotional habits, God would understand. After all, we have to live in the real world. Daniel can’t control the decrees made by Darius.
Some adults and young confirmands will confirm their faith and then get busy on their jogs and building their careers. In the real world there just isn’t time for lots of attention spent on spiritual matters. “I have faith,” they reason, “God better be content with that, ‘cause I’m building my kingdom
and don’t have much time for His.”
OPTION THREE: Daniel could have decided that his faith
is really a private matter. There’s no need for others to know about his religious life. You don’t have to be public about what you believe. “Daniel, just close your window and pray privately....”
Some will begin their confirmation of faith in a public
worship, but spend the rest of their life hiding it. They will avoid speaking about their religion (after all, it’s not politically correct...), or they will avoid religious devotion by neglecting worship. Social issues and faith? Well, let’s not get into that...
OPTION FOUR: Daniel could have given up on God. After
all, if God cared so little for Daniel that He allowed him to be placed in harms way, maybe He doesn’t deserve our prayer and worship— Right?
There are those who start their faith with a lot of
enthusiasm, but when difficult times come along, or set- backs appear in the road of life, they give up on God. They decide to live for the world, because they are mad at God (and for good reason!).
Daniel could have taken many steps that would have
avoided harms way, but he took the risk. He stood the
test. He trusted God and His Word, and took on the world.
Daniel, standing before all the power and privilege of King Darius, was like that little girl about to be gobbled up by the wave– no strength in herself, but trusting in the strength of another.
Daniel was delivered! The strong arms of God’s angel
prevented the lions from serving Daniel up for a lunch. King Darius recognized the presence and power of God behind Daniel’s actions and his miraculous deliverance.
Now here’s the point: Daniel’s faithfulness gave glory to God... pointed to God... brought God’s presence out before all the people. We also have the power to be faithful, and in our faithfulness, bring glory to God.
King Darius cried through the door of the lion’s den,
“Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to save you from the lions?
Daniel’s answer was a resounding YES! Darius was not
disappointed, but pleased. And here’s another point, when you stand strong on principle, powerful people may
become irritated at first, but they also may come to respect you.
Darius ordered that his tricky, evil advisors be thrown to the lions. Well, the lions were hungry now, having missed their Daniel sandwich. Daniel, on the other hand (who served God faithfully), was saved. Daniel was steadfast. God was steadfast.
Confirmands and new members, I want to encourage you
with the example of Luther, and Daniel, to be faithful and steadfast. What happens today in your testimony is easy, it’s the rest of your life that counts. The glorifies Jesus once promise, “Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.”
Our church rolls, like most congregations, are filled with the names of people whom I will likely never know until they are sick or dead. Our Elders... our outreach efforts... seek to reach them, but these absentee members have forgotten what it means to be steadfast in the Lord.
Don’t make their mistake. You have a great testimony to give! You represent the most beautiful individual to ever have walked upon the earth. Jesus Christ reached His arms around you on the old rugged cross as we faced the inescapable, gigantic wave of death created when sin caused the titanic shift within the course of human history.
But Jesus’ arms surrounded us in His cross, and He said, ‘Have faith, I will hold you secure. You will not die, but live!”
Some year ago, 20th Century Fox wa looking for someone
in New York to work in its sales force, and placed an add in various New York papers. One applicant replied in a letter with an invitation that went something like this:
“Presently I am selling furniture at the address below. Please feel free to come in and test my sales ability by seeking out the red-headed young man and ask to look at a piece of furniture. You will know who I am, I won’t know who you are. You will see me in action as I work everyday, and then you can judge, not because I’m trying to impress you, but because this is how I am.”
Out of more than 1,500 applications, this red-head got the job.
You are saved by faith, not works, but God seeks that your faith be put into action. By our fruits we are known! I encourage you to so live out your faith that no one will ever wonder whether you are a follower of Jesus. Not to put on an act... but because that simply is who you are. Amen.
