I Have Overcome the World

Text: John 16:23-33
Date: The Sixth Sunday of EasterConfirmation 5/21/06

  “Rogate!” “Ask ye.” In the historic lectionary the Gospel for this, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, is especially devoted to prayer as we hear our Lord Jesus Christ say to his disciples, “whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you,” “for the Father himself loves you,” and “take heart; I have overcome the world” (vs. 23, 27, 33). Also today we celebrate the faith and the public confession of it of our three junior catechumens, Michael, Lauren and Danielle, in the Rite of Confirmation. These words of our Lord describe both what has happened to them and to all the baptized up till now as well as how if not where we are to go from here. Instruction in the Christian faith, of course, is summarized in the Ten Commandments, The Apostles Creed, The Lord's Prayer, and in the sacraments of Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution and Holy Communion as we have them in Luther's Small Catechism. This we have done. Yet that instruction continues as the living of the Christian faith is a constant testing, filled with trials and opportunities to put our God-given faith into action as St. James said to us today, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 11:22). “Doing the word” means believing it and acting on it trusting in the promises of God we have heard. We can trust God's promises because we have seen them already perfectly prepared and fulfilled in the words, the obedience, the sacrifice and the triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ. For the journey before us faith is to stay focused on Jesus Christ, prayer is made to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ and all confidence and joy is ours as the threats and challenges of the world have already been overcome in Jesus Christ. It's all about Jesus Christ. May Jesus Christ be praised.

  Our Lord urges and even commands his disciples to pray. “Ask whatever you want in my name and it will be done for you.” It's been my experience that when the subject of prayer is brought up the first reaction is that most Christians feel guilty—guilty because they don't feel they pray enough or pray aright or with enough intensity. As a result most Christians are “sitting ducks” for anyone who would presume to have the secret or method or program for what they propose is somehow more powerful prayer. But this assumes that some prayer is somehow weaker than other prayer. All of these things that play on guilt, that suggest you're not praying enough or right are of the devil who would have you not pray, who would try everything in his bag of tricks to separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Because God knows the game, and that our fallen nature still tries to make us fall away and stumble, the Lord constantly, repeatedly, freely and winsomely invites, encourages, urges and even commands his people to pray, to bring your needs great and small, and your praises and thanks to him in every circumstance.

  Because true prayer must be to the one, true God, the Triune God, in the name of Jesus that simply means that it will be in accordance with his word and will. How often are people afraid to say something to someone because they don't know how the other person will react. Well, in Christ we know how God reacts, what God thinks and that his attitude toward us is nothing but love, understanding, grace and mercy. In the name of Jesus faith knows what to ask for, it knows the difference between what we really need and what is, after all, of secondary importance. What we really need every day is the constant supply of the forgiveness of our sins, strength for our weakness, life and salvation, everything that tends to the strengthening and up building of God's gift of faith. Even when you think you don't know what to pray for our Lord has given us the perfect prayer that asks for what we really need, the Our Father. Knowing all the devilish forces at work to sidetrack us and keep us from prayer, Martin Luther suggested, “at least pray in the morning when you arise from sleep, at table, and as you finish eating, and again in the evening when you go to bed, saying” the Lord's Prayer.

  There is no end of needs for prayer. But in those times when your simply do not know what to pray for simply make good use of the Lord's Prayer. In its seven petitions is comprehended everything for which we ought to pray.

  When we pray, “Hallowed be thy name,” we are praying that the gospel would be proclaimed by faithful pastors, heard by faithful Christians, and against all false teaching. In the second petition, “Thy kingdom come,” we pray that the kingdom of the devil and of death might be overcome. Likewise, in the third petition, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we pray that everything that opposes God's will might be thwarted. In the fourth petition, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are actually praying for everyone in authority, for our parents, for world leaders and for workers, farmers, truck drivers, the person at the check-out counter and all vocations that God would provide a bountiful harvest, peace and everything else we need to support this earthly life. In the fifth petition, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,” we admit that we are sinners in need of God's constant supply of mercy to help us do his will and live at peace with one another. In the sixth petition, “Lead us not into temptation,” we are praying for God's deliverance of all who are in any distress. In the seventh petition, “But deliver us from evil,” we pray for final perseverance that God by his grace will deliver us from this vale of tears and save us eternally. So everything that might trouble or concern you and everything that serves to your good is all there in the Lord's Prayer.

  The greatest incentive to prayer is in the words, “I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” Jesus Christ came to reconcile us to the Father and the Father to us by means of wiping out our sin, which he took completely and fully to the cross, paid the price and now cleanses us by his sacred blood. He is still our Great High Priest, our intercessor at the right hand of the Father, but he here tells us we can approach God fearlessly because “the Father himself loves you.” He sees you no longer shrouded and enslaved by sin but cleansed and raised up by faith in His Son who died for you. We symbolize this reality in worship by covering the infant, the catechumen, the coffin, the minister and his assistants with the white robe of Christ's righteousness, which is our only hope. Therefore the little catechism begins by saying, “God tenderly invites us to believe that he is our true Father and that we are his true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask him as dear children ask their dear father.”

  Oh, there is so much more—more to say to you Michael, Lauren and Danielle, more for you to learn, and not only you but for all of us. This is no “graduation ceremony” as if somehow today you've got everything you need to “get into heaven” so there is no more need for hearing the Gospel, receiving the sacrament, prayer, worship and participating in the witness aimed at bringing others to the grace of God. This is, however, a moment, just one of many, in which you and we all are privileged to boldly confess the faith God has implanted in us since our baptism, which has grown by the nourishment of his Word, in which we will continue to grow, strengthen and flourish as children of our heavenly Father, fruit-bearing branches of Christ the Vine, ambassadors for Christ to a world still wallowing in spiritual darkness, fellow heirs of the kingdom of heaven.

  This faith and confession will very likely get you into trouble—not with God, of course, but with all the forces of the world, the devil and our sinful flesh that still war against God, and his grace and mercy and love in Christ. Therefore today the Lord gives us not a crown (yet), not a magic wand guaranteeing peace and prosperity, but a cross. The cross of Christ is what opened the kingdom of heaven to us in the first place, and it is the only symbol that will help you make sense of an otherwise senseless world. There are plenty of folks around today, as there have been in years past and will continue to be in years to come, that will tempt you to somehow seek the glory that is reserved for us only in heaven, for which we hope. There are no shortcuts to glory but only through the cross. So we pray in the words of the old hymn, daily, constantly until our last breath, “Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes…In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me” [LW 490]. And as we continue our journey, wherever that may be, we are called not to gloom and doom but to glory in the cross of Christ, to brag about Jesus Christ (remember, it's all about him!), to “Lift high the cross [of Christ]], the love of Christ proclaim Till all the world adore his sacred name” [LW 311].

  Michael, Lauren and Danielle, and to all the baptized, as we now pray a prayer of invocation of the Holy Spirit, we are taken back to our Holy Baptism and hear the same questions that were asked of us then, which were answered for us by our parents and sponsors, but which we will now answer for ourselves. And though you will not necessarily feel anything different, God the Holy Spirit brings his gifts of wisdom and knowledge, grace and prayer, power and strength, sanctification and the fear of God; that Jesus Christ may live in you and through you. Clothed with his righteousness (remember, it's all about him!) we are enabled to pray every step of the way, to take up our cross, to follow him and to enter the great wedding banquet of salvation that awaits us in the eternal day of the resurrection and life everlasting.

____________________
Rev. Allen D. Lunneberg

Contacts:

deblocascio.stmark@sbcglobal.net

Pastor: Rev. Allen D. Lunneberg
7979 Commerce Rd.      (1/4 mile east of Union Lake Rd.)
West Bloomfield, MI 48324
Phone: 248.363.0741
Fax: 248.363.4755