# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1908_S40
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

40 Proceedings of the twenty-second convention

and lusts of the flesh. They do not know the heavenly folds, but seek their heaven on earth. Because they do not know the Shepherd, they also have no rest, no peace, no comfort, no hope. They are lost sheep. They perish in the wilderness; they are a sure prey of the wolf, a sacrifice to the devil, the plunder of death and hell. It is with such strayed and lost sheep that missions have to do. The Lord says: "Them also I must bring." All missions by which these strayed and lost sheep are not brought in are no true missions.

3. Further, these words show us in what the work of missions consists. The Lord says: "Them also I must bring." Bring where? To himself. He is moved with pity at the misery of the sheep; his shepherd's heart breaks. He lays down his life for the sheep, in hot combat with the wolf. He leaps into the jaws of death and hell to tear them out. But he slays the wolf; he becomes the poison of death and the plague of hell. He takes his life again and gives it to the sheep which he has bought. He calls and lures them kindly to himself, that they may partake of his salvation: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," and with me you shall "find rest unto your souls." That they recognize him as their Shepherd and Savior, on that everything depends. Nothing else can help them. There is salvation in no other. The work of missions consists in leading the lost sheep to Jesus. Every mission that does not lead the strayed and lost to Jesus is no true mission.

4. Further, these words tell us what is the sole means of missions: "And they shall hear my voice." It is the Shepherd's business to bring the sheep in. He must therefore also know the ways and means by which that can be done. To achieve it he lets his voice sound, his Word, his Gospel. With it he opens to the sheep the closed ear, so that they hear his voice and follow it. He makes himself known to the sheep by telling them: Behold, I am your Shepherd. And through his Word they recognize him as their Shepherd, rejoice in him, trust in him, and so become sheep of his pasture.

5. The Shepherd's voice is therefore also the successful means of missions. The Shepherd, he alone, has power over the sheep. He has the success of the mission among them in his hand. He alone can break lock and bar and open the doors of hearts. He can say: "They shall hear my voice." But he claims not merely the power to bring in by his voice the sheep that are still outside, but he goes further. He says: "And them also I must bring." For this he has come, for this he has acquired them, for this he lets his voice sound. This he does not want to be in vain