# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S574
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

4 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

such a weak, helpless, sinful creature that only the Spin
could bring us to faith.
Next, let us get this lesson fixed in our minds.,
Church is weak and helpless and could accomplish no
soever were it not for the Spirit of God. If there is. to,
success, the Spirit of God must achieve it. This is soy
which many overlook. Do we in our Church place enough
on the Holy Spirit and His work?
There are those who labor under the impressio
need great numbers to do effective Kingdom work.. Son
of numbers. David did. He ordered a census of the.: ‘peopl
was eager to know his military strength. He wanted -to sath
pride. God was sorely displeased with David on ace
census, and by sending a pestilence showed him the folly 9
on numbers for strength.
Some have charged our Church with a reliance on ‘hy
Let me say at once that there is a right use of numbers..:%%
mentions numbers in connection with church work. ..
the three thousand on Pentecost. Then the Bible mentions
thousand in Jerusalem. We read furthermore: “And .4
added to the Church daily such as should be saved.” Ag:
the Word of God increased, and the number of disciples m
in Jerusalem greatly.” Surely we are not to be ashamed 2
when the Lord graciously grants increases. We are goin
Him for blessing the Church with success.
Next, let me frankly admit that sometimes we ha
of making the wrong use of numbers. Either we boast
or else relied upon them. That is a wrong use. God doe
great numbers. He has shown that repeatedly. Let me
the forces of Gideon. He had gathered an army of 32,00
battle against the Midianites. God reduced the army:
and delivered the Midianites into Gideon’s hands. a
There are those who urge linking up with other chi
in order to have the strength of greater numbers, ‘Yo
argument again and again that then there would be.
cial strength or that then you could make greater and mo
‘impacts on the community or on the nation or on the
Surely it is not wrong and sinful to seek union ;
church bodies. However, this can and should be done
basis of genuine doctrinal unity. Where it is based
faith, God is pleased. If, however, it is a mere strivin
numbers and if it results in a compromise of God’
indifference to Biblical doctrine and a weakenjng in-soii
tural practice, it is sinful and God cannot be pleased: