LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 456

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456 ADDITIONAL THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS—OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

What a temptation it is for us to become so involved in pro-
grams and plans and meetings and the hundreds of other duties in
the congregation that we lose sight of the most important aspect of
our calling as shepherds—faithfulness. We may need to hear the
strong warning of our Lord, “You have neglected the more impor-
tant matter of the law: justice. mercy and faithfulness. You should
have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matt.
23:23). We hear the encouragement of our Lord to faithfulness as
well: “Well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful
with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come
and share your master’s happiness” (Matt. 25:21).

Our strength for continued faithfulness in our ministry is pro-
vided by our Lord. As St. Paul reminds us. “God who has called
you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, ts faithful”
({ Cor.1:9). Because of His faithfulness, we in turn are empowered
to be faithful. Because He has gone before us, we now are able to
follow. Because He suffered for us and for our salvation, we now
are able to endure patiently those trials and temptations that come
our way. The Lord. speaking through St. Paul, assures us, “The one
who has called you is faithful and he will do it” (1 Thess. 5:24) and
again, “The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you
from the evil one” (2 Thess. 5:24).

The confessions remind us of God's faithfulness. “The Holy
Scriptures assure us that God who has called us will be so faithful
that after ‘he has begun the good work in us’ he will also continue
it to the end and complete it, if we ourselves do not turn away from
him but “hold fast until the end the substance which has been
begun’ in us. For such constancy he has promised his grace” (SD
XJ.32; Tappert, p. 621).

Therefore, in the words of the author cf the letter to the Heb.,
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who
promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23). As you go about your work you
repeatedly will be tempted to overlook or ignore the great need for
faithfulness to your calling in Christ. Satan, the world and your old
sinful flesh will tempt you to become lazy and weary of your min-
istry. Unfortunately, sometimes even those who share in the pas-
toral office will tempt you to slacken your faithfulness in holding
fast to the pure Word of God and the confessional commitments of
our church body. You will be tempted to become callous or indif-
ferent to the needs of your parish. Frustrations will come your way
and burden you with loads of concern and worry. Here too Satan
will tempt you to give up, to lose hope and to become discouraged.
He will try to convince you that you have more problems and chal-
lenges than any other pastor who has gone before you. He will
whisper in your ear, “Is this really worth it? Are you sure you are a
good pastor? Do you really want to do this?” This is why it is so es-
sential for you daily to be in the Word in personal prayer and med-
itation on the Holy Scripture. This is your resource against such
temptations as you again and again return to the source of God’s
power. His Word.

In like manner, you also will be tempted to Iet theology take
second place in your work. You will be tempted to stop your read-
ing and studying of God’s Word. When a brother allows that to
happen he is headed in only one direction—downward. And might
I add that our pastors must not neglect their studies of the Lutheran
Confessions either. Other works of theology, including the writ-
ings of Martin Luther and the other fathers of our church, are
tremendous resources. You will be tempted to put sermon prepa-
ration in second, third or maybe even in last place. You will be
tempted to skip over the preparation necessary to teach Bible
classes, or confirmation classes, or adult instruction classes. Satan
will not want you to give the ministry of the Word the highest pri-
ority in your routines and parish activities. There are so many dis-
tractions and many other things, such as routine activities, that can
steal time away from your highest priorities in the ministry. For
that reason I cannot emphasize enough the call for faithfulness.

2001 Convention Workbook

At the first convention of the Iowa District, Dr. C.F.W. Walther
delivered an essay titled On the Primary Duties Incumbent on a
Synod That Wants Rightly To Be Considered an Evangelical
Lutheran Synod. The first thesis in this presentation indicates that a
Synod’s

... primary duty is to be faithful to the Confessions in word and
deed, and therefore it must: a) without reservation confess the creeds of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church; b) accept only pastors, teachers, and
congregations that are faithful to the Confessions; c) supervise the con-
fessional faithfulness of its members; d) practice fellowship only with
church bodies that are faithful to the Lutheran Confessions.“

Walther describes the dangers of shepherds who do not faith-
fully teach God’s Word in all its truth and purity.

Imagine what would happen if every pastor could preach whatever
he considered right! Then there would be as many different faiths in the
congregations as there are pastors, and such an abominable person
would have the right to say, ‘I have the right to preach whatever I
please!’ He could proclaim the right, or a wrong, way of salvation. . . .
Congregations should have the assurance that when they receive a pas-
tor he will preach the true, Christian, saving faith.

Walther quotes from the 1866 Missouri Synod Agenda, which
tequired the candidate to pledge his faithfulness to the Lutheran
Confessions in these words, “I accept these as my own statements
of faith, and will faithfully and diligently administer my office in
accordance with them until | die. May God help me by His Holy
Spirit to do this! Amen.”

Yes, Lord, ever keep us and preserve us in your almighty,
Spirit-filled Word and to the absolute truth and purity of that Word!

Comfort and strength for Christ’s shepherds

I suppose about now you are asking, “But who is equal to all
the duties and responsibilities the Lord entrusts to the pastoral of-
fice?” Well, when we ask that question, immediately we realize the
necd to hear, really hear, the comforting assurance of God’s Word
to pastors: “Since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we
do not lose heart” (2 Cor. 4:1). Yes, by God's mercy you have been
entrusted with this ministry. By His mercy you have been given the
privilege of proclaiming Hts Word to His people—people who at
times are difficult; stubborn; willful; full of pride; full of anxiety,
worries and troubles—the very people whom God has chosen for
Himself and has placed under your care as their shepherd. The call
into the pastoral office carries with it the Gospel promise of God’s
never-ending presence and peace. As St. Paul told Timothy, “Keep
your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an
evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:5).
As an undershepherd in Christ, you have received the pastoral of-
fice that Christ has given to us through the cal] He issued
through. The pastoral office is a glorious ministry. As the writer to
the Heb. described it, “The ministry Jesus has received is as supe-
rior to theirs [the high priests] as the covenant of which he is me-
diator is superior to the old one, and it ts founded on better
promises” (Heb. 8:6).

Jesus Christ has called you to be a shepherd of His sheep. Never
forget that before He called you to be one of His shepherds, He first
called you to be His own dear child in Holy Baptism. He sustains
and nurtures you with His Supper of grace and mercy. He holds
you closely in the very palm of His hand. Our response to His
mercy is faithfulness. Thanks be to Christ for the double blessing
that has been bestowed upon you, first, through baptism to have
been made a member of the royal priesthood and then, secondly,
through His call, to serve Him and His people as an undershepherd
in the pastoral office! Yes, thanks forever be to God for this double
blessing!

III. The Royal Priesthood’s Relationship to the Pastoral Office

Having discussed the nature and authority of the pastoral office
and the care the pastor gives to Christ's sheep, it is time for us to