Constantly Learning the Language

Text: Acts 2:1-21

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight, O Lod, our Rock and our Redeemer.

          God’s blessings to you Bryce and Christian! And all the rest of you as well. While I may be speaking directly to our confirmation candidates this morning, I hope you’re all listening as well. Because this message is for all of us. But today is an exciting day for you guys. I’m excited for you. Whether you realize it or not, this is one of the most important days of your life. I hope it’s a day you’ll remember, because today you have the opportunity to publicly and without reservation professing the faith given to you at your baptism. And one of the things you’ll be doing is answering some of those same questions that were answered on your behalf on the day of your baptisms by your parents and sponsors.

And I know that you’re prepared. You spent many Wednesdays in class exploring this faith that’s been given to you. You’ve welcomed the work of the Holy Spirit in your lives to strengthen and preserve you. You’ve memorized a lot of Scriptures and catechisms parts. So much so that it might seem like you’ve learned a whole new language. You’ve learned what it really means to fear love and trust in God above all things. You can tell others What does this mean? for any of the 7 petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. And I’m sure that at times it felt like you were learning a whole new language. Which in a way you were. It’s a language of faith. A language that can only be fully understood by the work of the Holy Spirit. And

THIS LANGUAGE OF FAIH IS ONE THAT YOU’LL

CONSTANTLY BE LEARNING THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE.

Which is to say that your faith journey doesn’t end here. But you are ready, and what better day to celebrate this stepping stone of faith than the Day of Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian Church. The day when the Holy Spirit descended, and people from all over the world heard the Good News of Jesus proclaimed in their own languages. And upon hearing that Word, they were baptized and added to the Church. Knowing that, it’s most appropriate that today, the communicant membership of Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church will grow. Not by the same staggering numbers as on that first Day of Pentecost, but by two important members. That’s you, Bryce and Christian.

And some of you out there stood in their place not that long ago. For others it may be a distant memory. And still for others, it won’t be long before you’ll be sitting here in the front pew awaiting your opportunity to stand and confess what you believe.

Regardless of whether your confirmation day is far in the past, happening today, or still in the future, we recognize that the life of faith is not a moment in time, but an ever-present reality. And it’s a reality that has a language all its own. A language spoken by God that can only be heard and understood through ears of faith. Today’s reading from Acts is a powerful reminder that God speaks, and when He does, the power of the Holy Spirit allows us to hear and understand. Remember today’s Old Testament lesson where the “whole earth had one language and the same words.” And what those people decided they were going to do as they worked together with this one language as their common bond. They said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves.” Notice the inwardly pointing language they used. “Build ourselves a city.” And, “make a name for ourselves.” Instead of doing something that would glorify God and lift His name on high, they were determined to glorify themselves. It’s the same sin against the first commandment that affects us all. And God, out His great love and mercy for them, determined that the best way to end this self-centered endeavor was to confuse their language and “dispersed them over the face of the whole earth.” Until He was ready to bring them back together.

Which is exactly what happened on the day of Pentecost. Having gathered people “from every nation under heaven” God allows them once again to speak and to hear in their own languages. And it’s not about the languages of the “Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome.” And it’s not even just about the Jews who heard and understood, but also the “proselytes, Cretans and Arabians” – all who heard “them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” It’s not about the languages they spoke or their former creeds, it’s about the language of faith. A language that was only possible because of the One who “came from heaven [with] a sound like a mighty rushing wind.” The One who “rested on each one of them” with “divided tongues as of fire.” It’s that same Holy Spirit that you learned from the third article of the creed who called [you] by the Gospel, enlightened [you] with Hs gifts, sanctified and kept [you] in the true faith.

It’s His language that you began to learn at your baptism when the name of the Triune God was spoken over you and as the water poured over you indicated that the Old Adam in [you] should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires. It’s His language that you’ve spoken regularly in Confession and Absolution as you’ve considered your place in life according to the Ten Commandments. And it’s His language that you’ll hear spoken directly to you today for the first time when you receive the body and blood of Christ as you hear the words given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.

It’s a beautiful language. One you’ve become quite familiar with. But one that you haven’t yet mastered. None of us have. And none of us will. Not in our time here on earth. I’ve heard though that the best way to learn a language is not just to hear it and read it, but to actually speak it. The best speakers of a foreign language are generally those who immerse themselves in the language by going to a place where the language is spoken all the time. If you want to learn German, you go and spend time in Germany. Spanish – take a long trip to Spain. Greek – spend 10 weeks locked in a classroom at the seminary. The language of faith is no different. When we don’t use it; when we avoid the places where it’s spoken; we begin to lose it. And the language of the world we live in is powerful. It will draw us in to its grasp.

Which is why, young men, you need to continue to be in the places where this language of faith is spoken. May it be spoken loudly and clearly in your homes. May you desire to be in church where the language is boldly proclaimed through Word and Sacrament. And may this faith be ever on your lips as you become teachers of it to the world around you through your words and your actions. Because it’s only through this faith that you can be assured of the great love of God for you in Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, [who] is [your] Lord. And who gave everything, including His very life on the cross, so that you might have eternal life. Continue to listen for the unmistakable voice of God, seek out every opportunity to hear Him speaking to you, and live your lives in the knowledge that He is with you every step of the way. And I do mean your whole lives. Every step. Evey breath. Continue hearing and learning His language. And when you do listen to the language of the world more than that of God, which you will from time to time, remember that God is always waiting to welcome you back. To restore you to Himself so that you might continue to be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. And then on that day when He calls you to be with Him forevermore in His glorious presence, you’re going to hear some of the most beautiful words in God’s language. “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.