More Precious Than Gold; But Tested by Fire Easter 2, A / Junior Confirmation Sunday & Wednesday, May 1 & 4, 2011 Zion Lutheran Church, Beecher, IL Sermon Text 1 Peter 1:3-9 Reading from the Book of Acts Acts 5:29-42 Epistle Reading 1 Peter 1:3-9 Gospel Reading John 20:19-31 Alleluia! Christ is risen! [He is risen, indeed!] Alleluia! Our sermon is based on todays Epistle reading. Dear friends in Christ Jesus and especially you, the Junior Confirmation Class of Zion Lutheran Church of 2011, On January 12, 2007, Joshua Bell, one of the most accomplished violinists in the world, set up to play along a side wall in one of the Metro stations in Washington, D.C. He was sent there as part of an experiment designed by a team of reporters of The Washington Post. The experiment was looking to see if the beauty of the music that would be played would transcend and, in a sense, defeat the banal, bland, and boring surroundings of a train station during rush hour. To help him in the experiment, Bell used a Stradivarius violin that had an estimated value of 3.5 million dollars! Also, during the experiment, Bell played six of the most treasured, time-tested musical pieces that have ever graced the finest concert halls anywhere, at any time, in human history. To the surprise of even the most jaded and cynical, the response of the passersby was stunning. Going into the experiment, certain assumptions were made. It was estimated that before Bell finished playing, 75-100 people would appreciate his music, stop their routine, and gather around him anxious to hear more and more, and gladly put off going to work for a few minutes. It was also estimated that passersby would throw approximately $150 into the open violin case. That to be done, as a way of showing appreciation to the street musician (or so they would think Joshua Bell to be!). But, all during the 43 minutes of the experiment, no crowd gathered at all! 1,007 people passed by the violinist but no one stopped. Only about 1/5th of the estimated donations to Bell $32.50 to be exact was thrown into the open violin case! In essence, the experiment showed that the people, by and large, had no perception of the value of what was right in front of them. For Joshua Bell, when he performs, usually plays to sold out audiences where the cheap seats that is, those seats near the rafters right next to where the pigeons roost where those seats cost $100 each! Thats a long introduction, but I take so much valuable preaching time in order to draw a parallel with St. Peters epistle to us today. There, Peter reminds us all you 14 confirmands as well he reminds us that we each possess something far more valuable that what it was, that those 1,007 people passed by in that Washington D.C. train station. Peter describes the incredible status thats ours: Were born again to a living hope (1 Pet. 1:3, ESV) a sure and certain hope of life eternal! And, he tells us, Jesus secured it for us in His resurrection from the dead! Think of it All where you came up short All where you fail not only those around you, but even with the almighty God, Himself All the things that youve done that were not in keeping with how God commands and expects His people to act the punishment for each of those sorry, sordid actions was rendered upon Jesus as He hung, crucified on the cross. Truly, He bore our stripes suffered our pain endured our punishment all so that we might avoid eternal death in hell! He did all that so that we might be children of God walking with Him dwelling with Him for time and eternity. And, as weve said, its ours as Gods gift to us given to us when God adopted us in our Baptism. Its because of that Peter tells us that our God-given faith is more precious than gold. Thats because all of Gods gifts to us through His Son, Christ Jesus, have as their ultimate result a rich inheritance in heaven that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading. Sooner or later, that 3.5 million dollar Stradivarius violin will be as nothing. Someone will inadvertently drop it or fire or some calamity will render it useless, and its value will be gone. But, again, our faith in Christ, and all that it brings, St. Peter reminds us it endures throughout time and lasts forever! But, right along with that, Peter also reminds us of another reality that simply must not and cannot escape our attention. He tells us that right now, especially today, in the immediate aftermath of our Easter celebration of one week ago and also here and now, as we celebrate confirmation for these 14 young adults he says that even though we rejoice in all thats been gifted to us, well also be grieved by various trials. (v. 6) You see, our precious gift of faith in Christ that gives us so much, will be tested by [the] fire of life. What do you think? Is Peter wrong on that or not? Our confirmands, at 13 & 14 years old, have already seen, with crystal clarity, that their faith in Christ is challenged and tested nearly daily. Gone are the days when Christ is generally respected and His Church on earth is honored as a good thing for society and culture. Gone are the days when a persons world view shaped and normed by the truth of Gods Word is held in high esteem. For example, Christians are considered weird if they believe (based on Scripture) that the only acceptable marriage to be that between a man and a woman or if they hold to the fact that life begins at conception. My oldest daughter, at Andrew High School years ago, told her Earth Science teacher that she believed in the teaching of a young earth thats no more than 10,000 years old. The teacher (who supposedly is there to promote unhindered learning and the free exchange of ideas) quickly belittled her in front of the class. He, with a Masters degree and years of speaking on the subject matter, teed off on a sophomore girl who was simply wanting to learn why he believed in the theory that the earth is billions of years old. By simply opening our eyes, we see that horrible mindset of so many that isnt just apathetic toward Christ and His teachings No we see that the world now has a mindset thats decidedly anti-Christian and its wildly intolerant of Christianity wherever its values are different from the world. With all this in mind, about 200 years ago, as my research learned, the Roman Catholic Church began the practice of slapping each confirmand on the cheek immediately after theyd received the blessing of confirmation. I quote from one of their writings: The person when anointed and confirmed next receives a gentle slap on the cheek from the hand of the Bishop to make him recollect that, as a valiant combatant, he should be prepared to endure with unconquered spirit all adversities for the name of Christ. http://www.catholicapologetics.info/thechurch/catechism/Holy7Sacraments-C onfirmation.shtml You know I like that idea! But I like it, not because it calls for me to slap someone; rather I like the rich and true symbolism of a slap to the face to the newly confirmed as a stark and bitter reminder that if anything now that theyre a communicant member of Christs Church, the devil and the world will consider them to be more of a target than ever before! The slap to the face represents the adversities that befall Gods people as their faith is tested and challenged. (v. 7) Confirmands, may that slap strengthen your resolve to say connected to Christs Church where the wounds of this life are nursed and healed through our Lords eternal Word and blessed Sacraments! Resolve that youll be here week after week, hearing of Gods eternal love for you hearing His absolution and eating that meal of immortality in His Supper that you receive for the first time this day. Those frightened apostles to whom Jesus appeared in that upper room stayed the course of their faith. Most were martyred, that is, killed because of their faith. But, in the end, its all worth it for them and for us! This is because our loving Lord promises that all who abide in Him, will, by His grace, obtain the outcome of their faith the salvation of their souls. (v. 9) Indeed, through our faith in Christ tested, refined, and hardened in the fires of this life it will all result in praise and glory and honor to Gods faithful people at the revelation of Jesus Christ on the Last Day! Confirmands all of us May each of us ever consider our faith indeed to be more precious than gold for by persevering through the testing of the One True Faith, heaven is ours and well celebrate Easter forever! Thanks be to God! [Amen.] Alleluia! Christ is risen! [He is risen, indeed!] Alleluia!
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