Sermon Text: Psalm 20
1 May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.
4 May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.
6 Now this I know: The LORD gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.
9 LORD, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!
Morning Message:
Today is a day of celebration. You should feel blessed to be here today. I honestly feel bad for people who miss worship, especially on such an occasion as this. The world and the devil tell God’s people that coming to worship is a hassle, just another thing that you have to try and fit into your busy schedule. After all, there are so many other, better things that you can accomplish in the time that it takes to go to worship, and if nothing else, you can get some much deserved, extra sleep. What we miss when we are not at worship cannot even be measured. In God’s infinite wisdom he gave us six days to accomplish our work and commanded us to rest on the seventh day. Worship is part of God’s design for us to have holy rest in Him.
Now apart from regular worship we have these times in our lives when we get to celebrate the wonder of all that God does in our lives, special occasions in the church that need to be recognized as blessings from God. Far too often in today’s society, we celebrate the special occasions in our lives outside the walls of the church and give very little thought to bringing our celebrations before our loving God who has blessed us with these joys. Do you remember when I used to come down into the congregation every Sunday morning and ask you: “How is God moving in your life?” God moves in our lives each and every day. Most of the time, we don’t even notice it, and rarely do we stop to acknowledge it and give thanks for the blessings. Today we will see some of the results of God moving in the lives of children, young adults, and families. Today there will be no mistaking what God has done and continues to do in our midst.
Let me walk you through the blessings that we celebrate. Maybe you have never understood the process of what takes place in the lives of our children and why we do some of the things that we do in the church. Let me just stop for a moment to say what a blessing and a privilege it is for me that God has allowed me to be here today, to see the entire process and the results of His work. I realize that not many are blessed with such an overview of God’s work. God has allowed me to see children born; that wonderful miracle of birth, many times. I have celebrated with all of you on the occasions of the birth of your children and grandchildren. I have had the privilege of baptizing many children, including many who are here today. It is always a joy to take part in a baptism, and I have always taken this sacrament very seriously. When I meet with the child’s parents, I want them to fully understand that they are taking vows, before God, to raise that child in a Christian way, always pointing them in the direction of Jesus. The actual baptismal events: pouring the water, the cries of the child, the introduction to the family of faith, all are secondary to the commitment of the parents. You will see why in a few moments.
Today we got to witness the result of why we baptize our children and take vows to raise them and place them under God’s care. Baptism is wonderful, but do you realize what you have witnessed this morning? These previously baptized young people stood before this congregation and professed their faith in Jesus Christ, Hallelujah! Praise God! This is the hope that we have for our children and grandchildren: that they will accept and profess Jesus as their Savior. They now have such an advantage as they move forward in their lives. They will always have the guidance of the Holy Spirit and their faith in Jesus to see them through every obstacle that they may encounter in their lives. The angels in heaven celebrate this and so should we. Hallelujah! Praise God!
For our graduates: this morning we celebrate you for many reasons. You are all fine young men; you have wonderful, bright, futures ahead of you, and I see you this morning ready to move forward into adulthood and take your places as God’s representatives in the world. The possibilities for your lives are endless, and with God’s blessing and your dedication to him, you will be wonderful representatives of Christ’s church. You will learn so much as you move forward in your lives. I would only say this to you as you move onward: remember your faith, and don’t let anyone pull you from it, and remember where you came from. No, I don’t necessarily mean this church. Your life has been given to you by a loving God. You have been raised to believe in God and entrust your lives to Jesus Christ. Take that with you and God will bless you, and the rest of your lives will fall into place according to God’s will. Look at the scripture from Psalms 20.
As I said before, I have never felt so blessed as I feel today because God has allowed me to see and be a small part in His plan for the lives of these children and young people. You should feel that blessing as well. You are witnesses to what God’s amazing love can do.
In Christ’s Love and Peace
Pastor Bob
Views: 2
