Oreo Twist vs. the Word of God
Rev. Edwin Morrow
04/28/24

Maybe you have heard this as a catchy job description for a pastor: “We hatch ‘em, match ‘em, and dispatch ‘em.” referring to baptizing children, marrying them to others when they grow up, and laying them to rest at the end of their lives. To hatch ‘em, match ‘em, and dispatch ‘em, I add “catch ‘em.” Catch ‘em up in Holy Scripture as they grow and mature in their baptismal faith. This is the job not only of the Christian pastors, but also Christian moms and dads, and sponsors, grandmas and grandpas, and many others in the congregation and the life of the confirmands. Catch ‘em up in God’s Word, the source of all spiritual truth.

Today we celebrate a significant milestone of seven confirmands. Their names are Baylee Caylor, Nicholas Forsythe, Sydney Galinowski, Laura Hamilton, Raleigh Harrel, Wyatt Kurtz, and Maggie Rogers. As I think of them, I want to thank God that they have been raised in Christian homes that have pointed them to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. These seven youth have faithfully participated in the confirmation classes. With all of their preparation behind them, they are ready to celebrate their spiritual growth through the Rite of Confirmation. But here’s the thing, this confirmation celebration, as important as it is, is just a moment in time compared to all their moments to come in their ongoing walk of faith. And that’s the key. Our journey of faith is continual, ongoing until death.

With all of that in mind, let me ask this really profound question: How many of you like Oreo cookies? Great, aren’t they? Some people dunk them in milk. Some people twist them apart, eat the creamy filling first and then the chocolate wafers. So, here is another profound question: Have you ever made any big decisions by twisting an Oreo cookie apart? Back on February 11, there were Oreo cookie commercials during the Superbowl. And they have been airing ever since. With tongue in cheek, the commercials suggest that the Oreo twist has been used to make critical decisions that have affected our world throughout all of history.

One twist shows a meteor striking the earth. A cave man and woman are determining whether to leave the dinosaurs after a meteor hits or to stay with them. Oreo twist … the cave woman says, “Cream on the left, we get out of here; cream on the right, we stay.” The cream is on the left and the cave man says, “Come on people, we are on the move.”

Another twist shows two soldiers outside of the gate of Troy. A man pulling a large wooden horse approaches them. The man says, “I have to deliver this to Athena.” One soldier asks, “Should we let him in?” The other says, “Let’s twist on it. Cream on the right and we let him in.” Then the twist; the cream is on the right. They say, “Welcome to Troy.” There at least three other Oreo twist decisions made: one with a spaceship, one with a boy band, and one with a celebrity business decision.

An Oreo cookie would not be an Oreo with only two chocolate cookies and no cream in the middle. Likewise, our lives as Christians do not consist only of milestones. Our Christian lives are marked by what happens between the milestones. What decisions are you going to make in all the in-between moments? How will go about making them?

• Will you choose to be selfish or generous?
• Will you choose to be full of self-pride or humble before others?
• Will you choose to be mean to people or kind to them?
• Will you choose to quit coming to church or remain faithful in attending?
• Will you choose to move through the day without thinking of God or thanking Him?
• Will you choose to just get by in life or will you choose to use your God-given gifts and talents to the very best of your ability to the glory of God?
• Will you continue to confess that Jesus Christ is God’s Son come in the flesh or will you turn away from Him?
• Will you continue to love and forgive others?

For love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. We love others because God first loved us. It is really easy to be unloving, to ignore our own sins, faults, and weaknesses while holding grudges against others and withholding forgiveness.

I could go on and on and on, presenting you with an uncountable number of choices that you will face between now and the end of your life. John says to us today, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). How are you going to test the spirits to see whether they are from God? How are you going to determine who the false prophets are?

God has given all of us His way to guide our answering these questions. He has given us His Holy Word. The core lie of all false prophets is that Jesus is not God come in the flesh; that He is not the Savior of the world; that He is not the way, the truth, and the life; that He is not the way to heaven.

 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16-8). This is God’s Word of Truth, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ proves it. But roughly ¾ of the people of the world reject God’s Word of Truth.

From all of God’s Word of Truth, I have chosen to make the psalms the source of your confirmation verses. Each of your verses points you to your Bible as the Word of Truth. God’s way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. You have memorized your verse to share in just a few moments. May they be the first of many verses that you memorize in your walk of faith. Put your hope in the word of God. Let the word of God be the guide of your life. Let the word of God give you understanding of God’s will for your life. Guard your life with the word of God. Finally, Jesus says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:7-8).