LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 101

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4. Ablaze in One Mission
by Sharing the Hope of Christ
Seeking, Saving the Lost
Introduction
For the Son of Man came to seek and
to save what was lost!
Luke 19:10
Jesu Juva
+++
Thanks to President Kieschnick, to Bob Roegner, to the
Mission people of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
for their determination to set this Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Ablaze! with the fire of God’s Spirit. The
Ablaze! goal is to reach 100,000,000 people with the Good
News of the Gospel within a few years.
The goal is worthy, inspirational, and, I believe, doable!
Does this mean that 100,000,000 will be converted to Christ
Jesus as Lord? Let’s hope so, but the harvest is not our primary concern. Ours is the sowing! The Sower went out to
sow (Matthew 13). The seed falls here and there. Some
takes root. Some does not. Again, our task is the sowing of
the seed of the Word of God!
Oh, that we will always be filled with a passion to share
the good news in winsome and winning ways. President
Kieschnick speaks of the “critical event,” that is, when one
LCMS person like you, or me, shares the Good News of
Jesus Christ with another person.
Indeed, spurred on by the Spirit, we will always have a
heart for those who need “finding.” We are spurred on by
Jesus who is the Gospel Incarnate to people like Zaccheaus,
that son of Abraham who had lost his way, that one who
was “lost” but now found (Luke 19:10).

I. The Lord God:
Seeking, Saving The Lost
Adam and Eve: Genesis 1–3
The Holy Scripture: the Book written for our sakes that
we might have the revelation of God’s love in Christ (John
20:31 et. al.). God’s Book indeed gives us eternal hope and
an understanding of God’s love for us in Christ and the salvation Christ has won for us in His life, death, and resurrection.
“There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way
or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way.
Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for
the tasks God has for us” (2 Timothy 3:15–17, The Message).
Let us then go to that revelation from God. Let us be instructed about the witness we are privileged to make to
those who are lost, that they may be found.
What was the first witness of God’s love for people
recorded in Scripture? In my mind, it is legitimate to point

to the record of the creation of the universe as the first such
witness. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and
the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
Why did God create this universe? God surely created
this universe for the sake of His most beloved creation,
“Man.” The very act of the creation of the universe is God
“speaking” His love to His beloved Adam and Eve. For God
did not create all things for the sake of all things, but for
the sake of His beloved son and daughter, Adam and Eve,
and for the sake of those who would come from them. He
gave them a good place to live. In that sense, the creation of
the universe is good news of love—from God to us!
In the wondrous record of creation of Genesis 2:4–7, the
making of “Man” is at the center. I love this story, for here
the dear Lord records the mystery of Adam’s creation in a
most wonderful way!
Watch the King of the Universe as he bows to the
ground and places his hands in the earth’s ground. He
molds, as a potter molds the clay, a figure that is beautiful to behold. In my naiveté, I picture the Creator God
turning the figure slightly, then looking, then with a
holy frown, whatever in the world that might be, changing this feature or that:
“Put what we will call the nose on the front, rather
than the side. Only one mouth. Not one “ear,” but two.
Perhaps then he will listen more than speak!”
The mighty Sculptor views the clay-man and says,
“This is good.”

Clay-Adam is beautiful, but lifeless. Then, the mighty
neshawmaw, the breath of God, is blown into his nostrils,
and this clay becomes enlivened. God then gives this living
being a task. “Name the animals!” And in naming them,
Adam discovers his lack. “There is no one for me!”
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2004 Convention Proceedings