Sunday 7th July 2024, Confirmation Service, Sixth Sunday after Trinity
Psalm 48, 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10, 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, Mark 6:1-13
As I’ve read our passages I’m struck by the common theme – we are nothing without God. It’s not something that we always think about as we go through life aiming to achieve the next step on the ladder.
In verse 10 of the reading from Samuel we read that David became more powerful: “because the Lord God Almighty was with him”.
In 2 Corinthians 12 vs 10 Paul writes ‘when I am weak, then I am strong’ tells us that when he is weak, then he is strong.
Our Gospel tells how Jesus was rejected in his home town because people thought they knew him – “isn’t he the carpenter?” – how could he know the things he was teaching? We read that while he performed miracles wherever he went he was unable to perform anything other than healings in his home town – and that He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Our Psalm tells us that God is great! When I stop to think how great God is my thoughts are based on my worldly view – I know He is so much bigger than I can think or imagine – but because He is so big I cannot fully comprehend His greatness. As human beings our ability to grasp His greatness is limited. Except, that is, when the Holy Spirit gives us a glimpse.
It’s the same great God, who David talked of in the Psalms, who gave David the power that he needed as king, who gave Jesus the words to speak in the synagogue, that gives each one of us – who follow Him – the power, the words, the knowledge, the grace, everything we need to do all that He asks us to do today.
For those of you who are being confirmed this morning, you will make promises, in front of witnesses, to follow the way of Jesus. Through your confirmation you are acknowledged as a member of the worldwide Anglican church. Many of us here have made those same promises over the years and we, with brothers and sisters around the world, welcome you as part of the Anglican church. It’s an important day in your life, but it doesn’t make you a Christian.
To be a Christian there needs to be a moment in time where you accept Jesus as Lord in your life; when you invite Him to guide and lead you; when you repent of the wrong things you have done; when you receive His forgiveness and resolve to follow His path. If you came here today for confirmation because “that’s what people do” and you haven’t made a commitment to follow Jesus I would encourage you to consider making one.
Don’t let anyone fool you – being a Christian isn’t easy. We see from our gospel reading that Jesus was questioned and rejected in His home town. We do not live in a world where everyone is a Christian – and we are not called to live our lives surrounded by Christians – so we will find ourselves questioned, rejected and even attacked because of our faith – we only have to think back to the time Sudan and South Sudan were one country and how the regime in Khartoum treated Christians.
We are called to be salt and light in a world full of darkness. The enemy – Satan – is real. His aim is to discredit us; to make people question our teaching; to direct people away from Jesus. The religious leaders in the time of Jesus were well educated, Jesus was the son of a carpenter, he would have grown up to learn his father’s trade. And yet Jesus walks into the synagogue and opens up the scriptures with such understanding that they question how he – a simple carpenter – can possibly know what He is sharing.
Jesus appeared – in worldly terms – the son of a carpenter; yet we know that He is the Son of God. Yes, Jesus learned the trade of his earthly father – but He also learned the trade of His heavenly father. And it’s the same for us as Christian’s – whatever role we have – whether we learn a trade from our parents, whether we study and qualify in a particular field, whether we work in the church or in business – we need to learn from our heavenly father. We need to spend time reading our bibles, spend time in prayer – not only asking God for things but actively listening to the answers that He gives us.
We may find ourselves rejected by those we have grown up with or work with. We are in good company – Jesus was rejected in his home town! We read in verse 5 of our gospel reading that Jesus was not able to do miracles in his home town and that the lack of faith amazed Him. I wonder, we know there were people in the synagogue, were they the people without faith? The church here is full this morning – if Jesus came now would He see our faith or would He be amazed at our lack of faith? Just because we come to church doesn’t mean that we have faith.
The people who were questioning Jesus’ authority to preach, questioning the miracles He was performing, took offence because God was convicting them and showing them that they needed Him. People see Jesus when they see us; and that can be a reason that they will try to distance themselves from us.
It is possible to live our lives without God. But it is not the way to live life to the full.
You may sometimes think that it would be easier not to be a Christian – in one respect it probably would be. You would be free to do what you wanted, when you wanted, you would not have to think about others, you wouldn’t have to forgive those who hurt you. But is that what you want for life? Or do you want to have the life that Paul and others have had through the years.
It is not easy – there will be temptations and trials. Paul talked of a thorn in the flesh – Satan is good at finding our weaknesses and using those to try to separate us from God.
Jesus was tempted – and we know that each time Satan told Him to do something Jesus rebuked him with scripture. Do we know our scripture well enough to rebuke Satan when he tempts us? Are we standing on a firm foundation?
I was in Juba when the ECSS guest house was being rebuilt. There were single storey buildings that had been built back in the 1970’s, they were being knocked down to make way for a new two storey building – with an option to add another floor if funds allow later. I was able to watch as the workmen dug into the foundations. They were strong foundations – they had held the single storey in place for almost 50 years, but they were not strong enough to add another floor. And so the workmen needed to dig down and reinforce so that they could build up – taller and stronger.
As Christians we need to keep digging, to keep shoring up our foundations – life will knock us about, we’ll falter from time to time, we may even give in to temptation, but God is always with us. You’ll remember the first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to the church – the Holy Spirit is as relevant today as He was on that first Pentecost Day. He’s here to guide, to comfort and to encourage.
Are we people who want to boast in things of the world – the job we have, the house we live in, how many children we have, how many degrees, masters’ or even PhD’s we have? Or are we people, like Paul, who want to boast in their weaknesses – to point the way to Jesus – allowing others to see Him through our weakness. I remember the first time I came here to South Sudan, I had never been on a mission in my life – it was not something I had really thought about doing. God somehow picked me up and dropped me in a place called Bentiu – we were leading a conference for youth leaders and I was asked to prepare one of the talks. I stood next to my new South Sudanese friend who was translating for me; I positioned myself by one of the metal poles holding the roof up – so that I could lean on it – everyone could see I was shaking as I held the papers with my talk written out. Somehow I got to the end! Somehow the participants heard what God needed them to hear from that talk. In my weakness God’s power was made perfect.
We get into a problem, so often, when we think that we can do things in our own strength. When we stop relying on God to provide all we need.
We do not like to admit to being weak – it goes against our human nature. I watch in awe as I see women carrying jerry cans of water from the bore hole – I cannot carry one more than a few steps, and certainly wouldn’t try to carry one on my head! Being weak in human terms can be good – the weaker we are the easier it is to lean on God, to come to him and ask for our daily bread. I know that here in South Sudan it is often easier to pray that with meaning than it might be in some western countries. But we all need daily bread from God – whether that’s actual bread, physical strength, or words to share with those He puts in our path day by day.
We serve a great God – enemies flee from Him but those of us who know Him can rest secure under His protection. In God we are stronger than our enemies, we are on the winning side.
In the same way that, in our Gospel reading, Jesus sent the disciples out to preach a message of repentance and to heal the sick and cast out demons, He sends us today. I struggle with verse 8 when I travel – it can take me many attempts to keep my luggage within the weight allowed by the airlines! I think what Jesus is really saying here is that when we go in His name, He will give us all that we need for the journey.
Let us leave behind the things of the world, concentrate on the things of God and, in the power of the Holy Spirit, keep walking the way of faith.
At all times – whether life is going well or things are tough may we be people, like Paul, who delight in our weaknesses so that we see God’s power at work. His grace is sufficient for us, His power is made perfect in weakness.