1 00:00:01,170 --> 00:00:03,170 Grace you in peace from God our Father and 2 00:00:03,170 --> 00:00:07,270 our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. I 3 00:00:07,270 --> 00:00:11,930 have at home a few flathead screwdrivers 4 00:00:11,930 --> 00:00:16,070 that I have used as chisels. One is bent, 5 00:00:17,070 --> 00:00:19,430 another has the handle sort of pushed up 6 00:00:19,430 --> 00:00:23,530 onto the metal shaft from that activity. I 7 00:00:23,530 --> 00:00:28,000 have a proper chisel, a wood chisel that 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:32,270 I've used on concrete. It's dull and 9 00:00:32,270 --> 00:00:36,030 nicked. The latest casualty of my zeal is 10 00:00:36,030 --> 00:00:39,770 a PVC drain pipe cutting tool which also 11 00:00:39,770 --> 00:00:42,800 has a nicked blade. I'm not sure why but 12 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:44,070 there was something about the normal 13 00:00:44,070 --> 00:00:46,370 specifications for that that I 14 00:00:46,370 --> 00:00:50,230 misapprehended. All of these tools have 15 00:00:50,230 --> 00:00:54,930 two things in common. They're damaged but 16 00:00:54,930 --> 00:00:58,830 not totally unusable and they're still in 17 00:00:58,830 --> 00:01:04,170 my toolbox. And that means perhaps they'll 18 00:01:04,170 --> 00:01:06,830 all wind up one day the property of my 19 00:01:06,830 --> 00:01:12,130 son. Poor kid. What is he supposed to do 20 00:01:12,130 --> 00:01:16,600 with a bunch of broken tools? A good 21 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,770 answer to that question gets us today into 22 00:01:19,770 --> 00:01:23,070 our celebration today and also this 23 00:01:23,070 --> 00:01:26,130 Jeremiah passage. Jeremiah knew that he 24 00:01:26,130 --> 00:01:28,870 was an imperfect tool, inadequate to the 25 00:01:28,870 --> 00:01:31,030 task that God was preparing to set before 26 00:01:31,030 --> 00:01:35,070 him. But God chooses to carry out his work 27 00:01:35,070 --> 00:01:38,230 by the hands of sinful men, that's you 28 00:01:38,230 --> 00:01:42,270 guys, and sinful women. Where are the 29 00:01:42,270 --> 00:01:44,130 deaconess interns so I can gesture toward 30 00:01:44,130 --> 00:01:49,300 them? Oh okay and you ladies online, very 31 00:01:49,300 --> 00:01:53,570 well. You're imperfect tools, not up to 32 00:01:53,570 --> 00:01:56,200 the task. But this text isn't actually so 33 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,600 much about you not being up to it as about 34 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,630 how God is up to the task of accomplishing 35 00:02:01,630 --> 00:02:04,670 something with you nevertheless. So we'll 36 00:02:04,670 --> 00:02:07,130 ask the question today, what kind of tool 37 00:02:07,130 --> 00:02:11,870 do you become in God's hand? A precisely 38 00:02:11,870 --> 00:02:16,370 designated tool, an ever ready tool, and a 39 00:02:16,370 --> 00:02:20,600 really useful tool. Precisely designated. 40 00:02:21,170 --> 00:02:24,230 God has designated Jeremiah. He had done 41 00:02:24,230 --> 00:02:25,870 that before he was a twinkle in his 42 00:02:25,870 --> 00:02:28,730 father's eye. The prophet trajectory had 43 00:02:28,730 --> 00:02:30,370 been his his whole life even though he 44 00:02:30,370 --> 00:02:32,770 didn't know it. Before he was born God had 45 00:02:32,770 --> 00:02:35,700 selected him for the task, designated him 46 00:02:35,700 --> 00:02:39,070 as a prophet, even consecrated him. And in 47 00:02:39,070 --> 00:02:41,200 a certain way then left him to the the 48 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,770 proverbial wolves raised by men exposed to 49 00:02:44,770 --> 00:02:48,230 sin and sinners. Jeremiah surely comes to 50 00:02:48,230 --> 00:02:52,030 this day already scarred, seared in his 51 00:02:52,030 --> 00:02:56,200 conscience, needing himself a preacher of 52 00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:00,330 God's word. He's a damaged tool but one 53 00:03:00,330 --> 00:03:05,470 designated by God for the task. Your call, 54 00:03:05,900 --> 00:03:08,000 properly speaking, is still a ways off but 55 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:10,500 God's first selection and designation 56 00:03:10,500 --> 00:03:12,700 precedes it all. Precedes today as well. 57 00:03:13,430 --> 00:03:15,370 You're being consecrated today in a manner 58 00:03:15,370 --> 00:03:17,730 of speaking but another consecration 59 00:03:17,730 --> 00:03:20,630 precedes it all. So don't worry as you 60 00:03:20,630 --> 00:03:23,030 head out feeling like you've woken up in 61 00:03:23,030 --> 00:03:26,130 the wrong movie or you've made the wrong 62 00:03:26,130 --> 00:03:29,470 decision. God forms, consecrates, 63 00:03:29,970 --> 00:03:32,570 appoints, designates his own tools. 64 00:03:33,530 --> 00:03:35,530 Humanly speaking we see some minimum 65 00:03:35,530 --> 00:03:38,730 necessary requirements. Husband of one 66 00:03:38,730 --> 00:03:40,470 wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, 67 00:03:40,630 --> 00:03:42,930 respectable, and so on. You've studied the 68 00:03:42,930 --> 00:03:47,570 list but among those people, among those 69 00:03:47,570 --> 00:03:50,430 men, God chooses according to His own 70 00:03:50,430 --> 00:03:54,430 counsel and He equips whom He will for the 71 00:03:54,430 --> 00:03:58,100 service of His word. For now that's you 72 00:03:58,100 --> 00:04:02,700 precisely designated and in His hand 73 00:04:02,700 --> 00:04:06,830 you're ready for the task. The ministry of 74 00:04:06,830 --> 00:04:10,430 the gospel, the exercise of diaconal care, 75 00:04:10,530 --> 00:04:15,000 will require you to be wise, well-studied, 76 00:04:15,370 --> 00:04:17,730 focused, and attentive, and ready at any 77 00:04:17,730 --> 00:04:21,970 time. It will make legitimate claims on 78 00:04:21,970 --> 00:04:25,600 your life which are still far beyond what 79 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:30,230 you're able to fulfill. God will seek to 80 00:04:30,230 --> 00:04:32,930 accomplish more with you than seems 81 00:04:32,930 --> 00:04:38,830 possible. Jeremiah cited his youth. Don't 82 00:04:38,830 --> 00:04:41,230 suppose that you don't have that problem 83 00:04:41,230 --> 00:04:45,130 with your gray. The solution isn't that 84 00:04:45,130 --> 00:04:49,030 you're not a kid. It's in God's answer to 85 00:04:49,030 --> 00:04:53,030 Jeremiah. To all to whom I send you, you 86 00:04:53,030 --> 00:04:56,570 shall go and whatever I command you, you 87 00:04:56,570 --> 00:05:00,770 shall speak. In other words, just do what 88 00:05:00,770 --> 00:05:05,130 you're told. Where God sends you, you go 89 00:05:05,130 --> 00:05:07,530 and what he has mandated of you, you carry 90 00:05:07,530 --> 00:05:09,230 out. There's a little bit of vocation 91 00:05:09,230 --> 00:05:12,230 here. Some things you'll discover as a 92 00:05:12,230 --> 00:05:15,100 student, as a person under another's 93 00:05:15,100 --> 00:05:18,370 authority, are frustratingly not your 94 00:05:18,370 --> 00:05:22,600 task. There you should say with Jeremiah, 95 00:05:23,230 --> 00:05:28,670 I'm a youth. But where you are sent, don't 96 00:05:28,670 --> 00:05:31,430 speak of your youth. Speak from the word 97 00:05:31,430 --> 00:05:35,230 of God. Speak law in its fullness, not 98 00:05:35,230 --> 00:05:39,000 handicapping it as it cuts to people's 99 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,430 hearts. By the way, you can't stop the law 100 00:05:42,430 --> 00:05:44,870 from working, but you can dull its edge 101 00:05:44,870 --> 00:05:47,330 and prevent people from receiving the 102 00:05:47,330 --> 00:05:51,530 gospel. Don't do that. Don't be surprised 103 00:05:51,530 --> 00:05:54,470 when the law accuses and condemns. That's 104 00:05:54,470 --> 00:05:56,070 what it's supposed to do. That's its 105 00:05:56,070 --> 00:05:59,430 office. But then you must bring people the 106 00:05:59,430 --> 00:06:01,700 gospel as well. The full forgiveness, the 107 00:06:01,700 --> 00:06:04,230 full reason to rely on Jesus Christ, who 108 00:06:04,230 --> 00:06:06,900 made full atonement for every sinner, full 109 00:06:06,900 --> 00:06:09,330 reconciliation with God, has been 110 00:06:09,330 --> 00:06:11,130 accomplished. The full righteousness of 111 00:06:11,130 --> 00:06:13,600 faith is delivered anew whenever God's 112 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:15,270 messenger announces the forgiveness of 113 00:06:15,270 --> 00:06:17,670 sins. When God commands you to go and 114 00:06:17,670 --> 00:06:21,370 speak, don't take youthful half measures. 115 00:06:22,900 --> 00:06:25,970 Stand on the word of God and proclaim the 116 00:06:25,970 --> 00:06:30,770 full counsel of God. It's His word to His 117 00:06:30,770 --> 00:06:33,330 people in His timing. 118 00:06:37,530 --> 00:06:40,230 Finally, in God's hand, you're a really 119 00:06:40,230 --> 00:06:43,570 useful tool. I'm borrowing, some of you 120 00:06:43,570 --> 00:06:45,370 will recognize, from Thomas the Tank 121 00:06:45,370 --> 00:06:49,670 Engine. Thomas is a young whippersnapper 122 00:06:49,670 --> 00:06:52,200 kind of train engine whose job is mostly 123 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,730 to push cargo about the train yard, but he 124 00:06:55,730 --> 00:06:58,930 dreams of being a really capital R, useful 125 00:06:58,930 --> 00:07:03,030 capital U, engine capital E. And as he 126 00:07:03,030 --> 00:07:05,270 sometimes steps up to a bigger task 127 00:07:05,270 --> 00:07:08,270 successfully, Sir Topham Hatt, as we know 128 00:07:08,270 --> 00:07:10,700 him in America, also known as the Fat 129 00:07:10,700 --> 00:07:14,470 Director, sometimes assures him if you 130 00:07:14,470 --> 00:07:17,800 keep it up, pretty soon you'll be a really 131 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:22,770 useful engine. Your training, study, now 132 00:07:22,770 --> 00:07:25,600 vicarage and internship are all steps 133 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:30,500 toward that end and they make you a really 134 00:07:30,500 --> 00:07:35,370 useful tool in the Lord's hand. And 135 00:07:35,370 --> 00:07:37,330 they're all that way because they're 136 00:07:37,330 --> 00:07:40,230 equipping you to wield His word among His 137 00:07:40,230 --> 00:07:43,100 people. Jeremiah, though he's a youth, 138 00:07:43,500 --> 00:07:45,470 learns that he's going to be set by God 139 00:07:45,470 --> 00:07:48,930 over nations and kingdoms. Jeremiah, a 140 00:07:48,930 --> 00:07:52,200 broken, too small, inadequate tool, would 141 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:56,170 be a really useful tool in God's hand. And 142 00:07:56,170 --> 00:07:59,730 you as well, because that's what we become 143 00:08:00,570 --> 00:08:06,000 in God's hand. Why He chooses this path 144 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,270 and not another to condemn sin and apply 145 00:08:09,270 --> 00:08:12,370 forgiveness to the world's relationship to 146 00:08:12,370 --> 00:08:16,000 Him lies in His own secret counsel. But 147 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,100 that He does it this way and that it is 148 00:08:19,100 --> 00:08:24,200 effective is open for all to see. You're 149 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:25,800 not likely to be set over nations and 150 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,070 kingdoms but in God's hand you will pluck 151 00:08:28,070 --> 00:08:31,170 up and break down, destroy and overthrow, 152 00:08:31,930 --> 00:08:36,000 build and plant because that's what God 153 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,070 does. He breaks down self-righteous 154 00:08:39,070 --> 00:08:41,530 sinners and builds up the despairing and 155 00:08:41,530 --> 00:08:44,100 broken-hearted. He destroys places 156 00:08:44,100 --> 00:08:46,630 overgrown by the thorns and thistles of 157 00:08:46,630 --> 00:08:50,270 greed, adultery, pride, hate, arrogance, 158 00:08:50,270 --> 00:08:53,370 and He plants gardens of true faith and 159 00:08:53,370 --> 00:08:56,330 love and service to the neighbor. And He 160 00:08:56,330 --> 00:08:58,070 tends those gardens by the power of His 161 00:08:58,070 --> 00:09:01,070 word but He'll do it through you suddenly 162 00:09:01,070 --> 00:09:04,200 indeed a really useful tool. 163 00:09:07,130 --> 00:09:09,300 Now in the second part of our reading 164 00:09:09,300 --> 00:09:12,670 Jeremiah sees two visions which I won't 165 00:09:12,670 --> 00:09:14,730 unpack for you this morning except to note 166 00:09:14,730 --> 00:09:19,070 this. God himself sees to it that His word 167 00:09:19,070 --> 00:09:22,900 performs as intended. You must rest on 168 00:09:22,900 --> 00:09:26,730 that and take refuge in that. Proclaim as 169 00:09:26,730 --> 00:09:31,700 faithfully as you can what the 170 00:09:32,670 --> 00:09:38,870 word of God is. Trust His word and then 171 00:09:38,870 --> 00:09:43,270 trust His word to you. Do not be dismayed 172 00:09:43,270 --> 00:09:47,170 for I am with you to deliver you. That 173 00:09:47,170 --> 00:09:49,270 promise to Jeremiah is surely for all 174 00:09:49,270 --> 00:09:53,000 those whom God wields as His tools to 175 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:54,630 spread His word. Amen.