Matthew 10:24-33
“Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)
Every week, you are asked to stand up in worship and give an “Affirmation of Faith.” To an outsider, such a practice very clearly resembles brain-washing. To an addict in recovery, such a practice looks like a communal step in individual healing. For the Church, though, it is merely the public practice of acknowledging Jesus before others in the sure hope that we will one day be acknowledged by Jesus before God.
It is important that we place the Affirmation of Faith after the sermon. All of worship is structured around a three-part movement – and every movement is centered around the Word, Jesus Christ. We begin by being “Called by the Word.” This is an admission that without the grace of Jesus Christ, we wouldn’t even have the wits or morals to show up to worship. But here we find ourselves, so it must only be because Jesus has brought us here. The second movements, which we begin with the Children’s Focus, is “Receiving the Word.” This is where we hear the scriptures read and hear Good News proclaimed. God is offering Himself to us in Jesus Christ, who is present in the reading of scripture and the proclamation of the word. Finally, the last part of worship is where we “Respond to the Word.” It is the part where we acknowledge that if the One who has brought us to worship is faithful and true and is the One we have received in the proclamation of the word is faithful and true, then our lives will be forever changed. We will act differently. And so we start, immediately, to enact this changed life.
The Affirmation of Faith is found, rightly so, in this third part of worship. It is here where we begin to behave as we must if we are to display our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, which includes nothing less than acknowledging Him before others. Of course, it is easy to stand in a room full of Christians and say Christian things, so much of this activity is a training ground for when we leave the church and face the same world that crucified our Lord. We practice our public acknowledgement in a safe place in order to grow in the courage and strength to practice it in every place. And we practice it in every place because we are sure that, one day, the Lord will acknowledge us before God. On that day, we will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” and our souls will be at peace.
The three parts of our worship service can also be understood as being called, being equipped, and being sent. Friends, trust that you are called, equipped, and have been sent with a purpose. Go out into this day as ambassadors of Good News and do not hesitate to share the love and grace of God with all those you encounter. Amen.
