# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1908_S41
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1908. 41

come to pass. He foretells decisively: "They shall hear my voice," and what he foretells is fulfilled. To be sure, his voice meets with many obstacles, much contradiction and hostility. The devil hinders the course of the Gospel, fills the hearts of men with hatred and enmity against it, and strangles the sheep where he can. But through all these obstacles the mission of the good Shepherd goes on, until the number of his elect is full. He says: "I must bring them. They shall hear my voice." He vouches for the success. The sole successful means of missions is Jesus' voice, his Word, his Gospel. All missions that are not carried on by this means are no true missions.

6. Finally, these words tell us what the goal of missions is: "And there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." A flock brought in and gathered from the lost sheep under one Shepherd, that is the goal of missions. This goal is being realized even now. There is one Shepherd, Jesus Christ. There is one flock, the one holy Christian Church on earth. All who believe in the one Shepherd from the heart, to whatever people they may belong, are members of the Church of Christ. All true missions aim at this, that the one holy Christian Church be increased and built up. If that is not the goal of missions, then one is carrying on no true missions.

"And there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" is a prophecy that is fulfilled again and again, but will be fully fulfilled only on the Last Day. One Shepherd, and around the one Shepherd the one, whole, complete flock, that is the final goal. The Shepherd will one day muster his flock, will count it and call all the sheep by name, and behold, not one will be missing, not one will be lost. The full number of the elect will be eternally saved and secured. That is the goal of all mission work, and where this goal alone is not sought, there too no true mission is carried on.

So our Lord Jesus Christ carries on the work of missions in the world. But how? He has commanded this precious work to us. He carries it on through his Christians. Through them he seeks the strayed and lost sheep, through them he lets his voice sound, through them he brings his mission to its goal. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," is his charge to his believers. They are to bring his Gospel to all peoples, they are to preach it in all languages. And he will bless it as if he himself proclaimed it with his own mouth. "He that heareth you heareth me," he says. In Zion, his Church, children are therefore born to him like the dew from the womb of the morning. Moors too are born there. And one day a great multitude, which no man can number