LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1971, Page 64

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CONVENTION SERMON
(Sketch)

Revelation 7:9-17

In Curist Jesus, THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH, DEARLY
BELOVED:

Our scene is laid in heaven through the eyes of Saint
John, who looks about him in heaven, listens to the
messages sung by the choirs of heaven, and then him-
self becomes enthused at what he hears and sees.

One of the elders, bursting with information John
should have, asks: “Who are these, and whence came
they?” John replies: “Sir, thou knowest,” and the elder
gives John the information he wished to impart: “These
are they which have passed through much tribulation
and have washed their clothes and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb.”

To be sure, all of these in heaven in John’s account
are individuals who through faith in Jesus, their Lord,
have borne the heat of the battle in the world and now
are reaping God’s own reward of the faithful, the joy
of heaven. Among them are heroes of the church, who
strove mightily for the Lord during their time spent in
the church militant on earth.

Were we to look about through the eyes of John,
we would see Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Aaron, Samuel, the prophets of
old, Mary and Joseph, the disciples of Christ, the mar-
tyrs, Luther, and many others. As they stood firm in
the forefront of God’s warriors, each in his own day,
so it falls to our lot to bear the banner of God in our day.

The 49th Convention of The Lutheran Church — Mis-
souri Synod finds itself in the forefront of the battle,
contending for the Word of God, commissioned by our
God to bring to all people in the world the saving Gospel
of Jesus Christ. To carry on the work and to plan for
the future of our particular denomination, we will be
speaking to one another about many things pertaining to
Kingdom work.

Our Convention Workbook is bulging with memorials
on many subjects, and we must recognize the problems
and address ourselves to them.

In a permissive society in which everything is ques-
tioned and tested to find something new, and different
ways to express faith and life, we have come to look on
Scripture with a critical eye. Is it really the inerrant
Word of our great God, or is it the word of man speaking
to God end extolling His mighty acts? Is it trustworthy?
What is its authority? Is it binding on us? Is it inspired
indeed? Is it the message from God to people in the
world?

All our struggle in the church today seems to center
in our approach to the Word of God.

Many issues are set forth in memorials in the Work-
book, Topics need to be studied, and floor committees
have already labored long and arduously in bringing
order out of it all. We must come to grips with issues
such as Mission: Life, fellowship, fact-finding at the

65

Dr. Edwin Weber, Third Vice-President

seminary, administrative matters, missions, and the like.
Central to it all is our attitude toward God’s Holy Word
and our understanding of it.

The world wants to hear nothing of sin and the
breaches of God’s commandments, nor the shame and
guilt of it all. The church is looked upon as irrelevant
when it speaks the truth of God. Miracles, the person
and work of the God-man Jesus Christ, God’s plan of
salvation for a fallen world — these and all things per-
taining to man’s fallen state are not at all palatable to
our society.

What is the cure for it all? The Holy Word of God,
His Law and Gospel, are the means whereby all men
must know their God’s will and come to faith and find
forgiveness, This Gospel of the kingdom is the power
of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. This
Word needs to be proclaimed. The philosophies of our
day cannot and will not redeem us nor reconcile us to
God. The church must proclaim her God clearly as the
Author and Finisher of our faith.

Those in heaven have washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb. They are now in
possession of all knowledge and spend their time in
harmonious proclamation of God’s love to mankind and
the wonders of His grace in Christ.

EWR TUONO STS TOPO HRN A NR RRP TN ONE RR WHET ER TA Pc

“Aeros heae aT EOP RRS NEY