# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1995_S86
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

86 CONVENTION ESSAYS

Diamonds, especially diamond rings are given by those
who are seriously in love.

We are members of the community of the redeemed, the
church. In the Scriptures, the church is described as the
“bride of Christ” (cf. Rev..21:2, 9; Eph. 5:25). Thus when we
pick up our Bibles,.we need to remind: ourselves to view it
first and foremost: as‘the words from the‘one who truly
loves us in the way no one‘else can, unconditionally and
sacrificially. Therefore, if there is something in the Bible
that you read which scares you or challenges you or chas-
tises you,. remember this—those who truly. love at times
must say no; but always for the-sake of a future greater yes.

(C) When you approach the Bible with the view that it
brings you into the presence of the lover of your soul, then
you will react to itin the proper way. ,

A dear elderly woman told me the other day that the
most wonderful gift that she remembers her dead husband
had given her over their 40 years of marriage was his lis-
tening to her as she unburdened her heart.

Jesus says to us, “Everything I have learned from My
Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Jesus is
the one speaking in Proverbs 8 this promise, “Happy is the
man who listens to Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting
beside My doors. For he who finds Me finds life” (34-35).

Listening is.a valuable art for every child of God to
learn. It helps to cope with life and to avoid many a sorrow.

My nephew, when he was little, had been duly in-
structed by his mother, “Now don’t you attempt to cross the
street by yourself!” One day when they were driving up to
my house, he saw an animal by the roadside which had
been struck by a car. The little boy was visibly moved.
Shaking his head sadly, he observed, “He didn’t listen to
his mommy.” In our growth toward spiritual maturity, we
never outgrow our need to listen to God, our heavenly par-
ent, and then go on to obey.

(D) Pastors! In the little maroon book you carry around
everywhere with you, be sure to pencil in private time for
God to converse with you through His Word. Carve out
time each day to open your Bible and to pray, “Speak Lord,
your servant is listening.” For after all, those who love, lis-
ten!

Guard this private time with God as 3 you would any cru-
cial appointment. Guard this time with your life—because
your spiritual life is at stake. Only the Word can replenish
your spirit and keep you focused on what is really impor-
tant in your busy days.

Part3
The Blessings

Every time you take the time to listen carefully to God’s
Word, He will bring His saving purpose to fuller expression
in your life. You will have the Word that will be the lamp
for your feet and a light for your path. And through which
you will experience “miracle” growth.

In less than five years we will be entering a new millen-
nium. What’s ahead only God knows. We do know on the
basis of His Word that what He desires for us, both as.indi-
viduals and as a Synod, is that we not be merely survivors
in our Christian life.

God desires not only to maintain our faith but to help it

flourish. He promises, “to him who has for her who has]

_ more will be given” (Matt. 13:12).

We need not fear, therefore, the challenges of the future.
As Paul says, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a
spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7).

As we move into the 21st century, all our churches may
have satellite dishes on their roofs. Yet they will also still
need to have the Word of God proclaimed from their pul-
pits and received by those in the pews.

I know some of you are asking, “What’s ahead for our
Synod? What’s the prognosis for its survival?” The word
synod means “walking together on the same road.” But
with whom are we meant to be “walking together”? When
we are in contact with the Word of God, we are in direct
contact with Jesus Himself and in His powerful but loving,
guiding hands. When we grow in His Word, we will know
without doubt, and we will firmly defend God’s primary
principle for His church’s growth, “The church is built upon
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus
Christ Himself as the chief-cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20). Jesus
is Lord! Thank God we don’t have to attempt to be.

God is still on the move building His kingdom and He
wants us to know that He invites us to move ahead to Him.
It will be challenging, but it sure will help us grow!

We continue this day, as God’s people, His church in this
place, because He has already placed us on the path that
leads to His home. Certainly this journey is long and will
be quite bumpy at times. But we do have His provisions for
it.

Christ is still delivering to us His great gifts that expand ~
and strengthen His church on earth. God’s Word in visible
actions, the Sacraments—praise be to Christ!—are still
being celebrated in our midst.

Conclusion

Like a diamond with too many facets to count, what can
I say in these closing minutes to sum up the importance of
growth in the Word, especially growth in the Word, Jesus
Christ.

In all that we do we continue to live under the sign of
Jesus’ cross, the symbol of divine suffering, but also God’s
great plus sign of victory—though it is a victory still hid-

_ den from human sight. We are yet the “church militant.”

We must fight against the sin within and spiritual enemies
without. Yes, we will have to walk through the enemy’s
stronghold, death itself.

Yet in the midst of that, and even when we have to face
the death of a loved one, we can be comforted by the knowl-
edge that in our greatest grief, and on our many tears, the
light of Jesus’ resurrection victory will still glisten.

Because of Jesus Christ, the central diamond in our
crown, we now know that our individual lives are worth
eternally more than a mere hyphen between two dates on a
tombstone.

There is but one life, and it soon will be past. But all
that is done for Christ will last.

Can there be any better reason than this to grow in the
Word?

Richard J. Shuta, Professor Emeritus
Concordia College, Ann Arbor, MI.