LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 72

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Even after the resurrection, He still served. He makes breakfast
for them on the beach. When He is about to go back to heaven, He
still serves. The Great Commission is about serving and waiting
on others. Go and baptize and teach. That’s serving. Baptizing
them in the name of the Father, who gave them a Savior and who
gives them all that they need for life. Clothing and shoes, meat
and drink, household and all the things we need for life in this
world and the world to come. In the name of the Son, who served
them by dying on a cross to take sins away. In the name of the
Spirit, who serves them by bringing them into the family of God.
He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies them and offers them
gifts. Jesus tells those disciples, “You don’t have to send the world
away; you feed them. And I will be with you like I was on that
mountain to multiply blessings. You don’t have to send the world
away; you feed them.”
He waits on us to come to our senses to get back to our right
mind, just like the prodigal son came to his senses and ran back
to the waiting father. He waits for us to come to our senses like
Paul tells us to do. We should have the same mind in us as Christ
Jesus, who being of the very nature of God did not think equality
with God was something to be grasped or flashed in front of
everybody’s face, saying, “Don’t you know who I am?” But He
humbled Himself and became obedient even to death on a cross.
He was the Suffering Servant.
God wants us to have the mind of One who said, “I came not to
be served but to serve and give My life as a ransom for many. I
came not to be waited on but to wait on, and I’m waiting on you.
Waiting on you this moment to understand what your Baptism
means, what you were baptized for, and it is service.”

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2 0 1 3 C o n v e n t io n P r o c e e d i n g s

He is waiting on us to come to our senses and realize it is not about
getting gifts, being served, and hoarding everything for ourselves.
It is not about us thinking we are the center of the universe and
wanting to be served, but it is realizing that the center of the universe
served us poor, wretched, blind beggars and made us the center of
His universe so that we can serve in His kingdom in everlasting
righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.
Back at the beginning, I was wondering about those apostles. Did
they think preaching and administering the Sacraments was better
than waiting on tables? No. For it was all of a piece like Jesus’
seamless robe. We need to be as smart as those soldiers under
the cross and not divide this garment—we shouldn’t gamble for
it, either. We shouldn’t gamble on getting it by our own reason or
strength, but keep it together.
When our servants serve us in Baptism, they free us to live a merciful
life. When our servants serve us absolution, they speak so that
we can speak freely to our neighbors and be of service. When
our servants serve us the Lord’s Supper, we get Jesus wholly and
entirely so that we can give ourselves wholly and entirely to our
neighbors and serve them.
This is what we’ve been baptized for. We’ve been baptized for
fellowship with the One who invites us to the banquet hall, and
His banner over us is love. He’s the maître d’. He is the server. He
is the waiter who gives us the clothes we need to wear—His own
righteousness—and He’s the feast. In the water and Word, in the
bread and wine, He serves us so that we can serve others.
In His name and for His sake. Amen.

C o n v e n t io n se r m o n s