LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1992, Page 83

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LIFELIGHT BIBLE STUDY ; 83

great thought or deep analytic reflection back of it, the sort
of impulse that had him outside the boat in the middle of
the Sea of Galilee. Once he drew his blade in the face of
the whole armed guard from the high priest’s palace. He
even took on the Son of God. “Never, Lord. Don’t be ridic-
ulous. It'll never happen to you” (Matt. 16:22).

This time, however, there was more behind it, I think,
something he had thought about, some deliberate conclu-
sion he had reached. It was deliberate alright, and with
good reason. It’s that conclusion and Peter’s reason for it
that we want to talk about. “What Made Peter Brassy” is
today’s title, or for those of you who require more dignity,
“Whence Great Boldness?”

Years ago we used to have a great time twitting preach-
ers of the Reformed persuasion that no matter what the
occasion was, they would go cross country just as fast as
their legs could carry them to the doctrine of election and
want to talk about that. A word of apology is in order this
morning because that’s exactly what I want to do, talk
about election. There is some logic to it. You simply cannot
comprehend Peter and John before the authorities in Acts,
chapter 4, you cannot fathom their motives or measure
their courage, unless you begin with the foremost fact
about them, the presupposition of their lives and ministry,
the base on which everything else was fitly framed to-
gether, namely that their names “were written in heaven.”

An English officer Many years ago made a hazardous
trip into Tibet on a mission for his country. He accom-
plished his task with such poise that someone asked him
the secret of his casualness. “I couldn't lose,” he answered.
“I had been sent by an unimpeachable authority fora pur
pose which was sound. I knew that if I got into a tight apot
my government would use all of its resources to see me
through.” Think of the elect. Pick just these early ones,
chosen out of a world of madness at a time when the church
was young. They had certainly embarked on a hazardous
enterprise and somehow impressed their contemporaries
with their courage and assurance. Their simple fearless-
ness was like a miracle and so impressed the world around
them that in spite of all the persecutions that were set

‘before them, the Christians conquered. What was their
secret? Election—the knowledge that their names were
written in heaven, the conviction that they had been sent
by an unimpeachable authority for a purpose that was
sound and the certainty that the tighter things got the

more totally their heavenly government would throw all

of its resources into and behind their cause.

The early elect were convinced that they had been sent
by an unimpeachable authority. They had an authority to
live by. Of all the concepts that have lost status in our
cynical age, the most pitiful is the concept of authority.
And therein lies a modern paradox. We are mired in en-
slavement today for the simple reason that there is no one
and nothing in charge. Behind the simple testimony of
Peter and John was their conviction that in Jesus, God had
spoken and their lives were under His command. In other
words, they had an authority to live by, and it made them
more than conquerors.

One of the old, official reports that never fails to lift my
spirits or cause me to want to hop and skip a little when
I think about it, comes out of ancient Smyrna. It begins i in

|

its staid and stilted way, | “Statius quadratus being full
counsel, but Jesus being king forever.” Momentary, ma-
jority opinion may be good enough for some decisions in
life, but for the really big choices, a person needs a king.
For the elect Jesus is the king, and God’s Word is the last
word for life and ministry. We have an authority for our
lives, and it makes us bold and even a little bit brassy.

; In the second place, the early elect had discovered a
purpose for their lives. They found in their election that
they were not just fishermen or tradesmen or tax collectors.
They were evangelists entrusted with the word of recon-
ciliation. They had it in their hands to set this world free,
and they intended to do it.

i A magazine cartoon some time ago showed a publisher
ushering an author out of his office with the words, “Your
novel i is excellent; but just now we are looking for trash.”

. That i is a tragic parable of our day. There is a good and

noble life, but our current generation is tinkering with the
possibilities of evil and self-service. But the elect swim
against this current of our time. The elect have a high and
a'holy purpose and are committed to its fulfillment. It’s
part and parcel of knowing that your name is written in
heaven.

; William Turnbull is the one who said, “The church ex-
ists primarily for those who never go near it.” The tragedy
of the church is among those of us who have forgotten what
we are here for. “Behold,” cries a voice out of the vision of
St. John, “I have set before you an open door that no one
can shut” (Rev. 3:8). For all whose names are inscribed
indelibly and forever in heaven’s ledger there is an over-
riding, demanding, driving purpose so to live and move
and have our being as will inscribe the names of those not
yet of the fold in the book of life. That i is our purpose. And
it makes us bold and even a little bit brassy.

Finally, the elect believe they have the government of