LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1995, Page 82

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CONVENTION ESSAYS
1. Grow in the Word

Introduction

The theme for this day, “Grow in the Word,” is a serious
theme because it is an important one. But as we quickly
proceed through it, I hope I will be able to bring a little
smile to your faces now and then. After all, we are God’s
people to whom He has given the Gospel!

There is an old saying, “A person who refuses to risk
change fails to grow.”

Change, whether for good or ill, is a reality we all face,
whether ready or not. I, for-one, have a tendency to fear it,
and thus to resist it. How many of you felt uneasy the first
time you sat down at a personal computer? I sure did! For
the longest time I would say, “The only place where I want
to see a mouse is in a trap, and if I want an ‘apple’ I'll go to
the grocery, not the computer store.”

But I finally moved a computer into my little “mon-
astery.”

One place where some people think there is no change
or development going on, indeed, don’t want it to be going
on, is in the area of religion, of spiritual experience and the-
ological expression.

Maybe you have heard the story that has been making
its rounds in Lutheran church circles. It involved a prob-
lem a few churches in a small Minnesota town were sup-
posedly having with an invasion of bats. One church (I
won't mention its denominational affiliation), being
strongly into ecology, came up with the idea of capturing
the bats and then taking them out of town and releasing
them. But that didn’t solve their problem, for the bats soon
found their way back into the church. Another church in
the town decided they would take more drastic measures,
they would fumigate. But when they found out how expen-
sive that would be and how long its aftereffects, they said,
“It’s better to live with old problems than take the risk in
new solutions.” So they did nothing. But soon it was dis-
covered that the Lutheran churches in town found the so-
lution. Those still troubled with bats in their belfry went
and asked the local Lutheran pastor what his solution was.
His response. “Ah, it’s not a big deal. We just caught them,
confirmed them, and we’ve never seen them since!”

Joke? Or a description of a terrible problem we know we
all face.

There are some Christians, yes, Lutheran Christians,
who mistakenly think that after a time of intensive train-
ing in the Word (be it confirmation or seminary training),
they can “graduate,” fly free of the need’ of being grounded
in a lifelong study of God’s Word. But we are here this
morning to motivate each other to grow in the Word, not
graduate from it.

Part 1
The Needs That Encourage Growth

Since I don’t know most of you, I don’t know what would
motivate you to grow in the Word. I do know what is moti-

83

vating me; it’s certain wants, rather certain needs, that can
only be met through the Word of God. 7

(A) I gladly accept the Scriptures’ description of me as
God’s child. I acknowledge that I need His guidance, the
power that comes from His presence, and I need the com-
fort of His voice. .

God speaks into my ear and enters my heart through the
Scriptures. Through them He brings me His presence, and
with His presence comes His power.

Wherever the Word of God is, there God is in action.

We read in Genesis, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’
and there was light” (1:3). The psalmist says of God, “He
spoke, and it came to be. He commanded, and it stood firm”
(33:9).

I'm no fool, I want to be in the presence of that kind of
power. I want to experience in my life the reality of Jesus’
promise, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and
they are life” (John 6:63). And besides that, I have been told
that when I internalize God’s Word it will empower me in

my continuing struggle with sin. Remember the words of .

the psalmist, “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I
might not sin against You” (119:11).

(B) Another reason why I want to grow in the Word is
because I need confidence—confidence that what that Word
says still has something extremely valuable to say to my
time and place.

Certainly there is a cultural and social distance from the
types of societies described in the Bible, and that of my
own. But there is not a distance in what is important and
universal. ,

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