LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 97

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“We cherish the anticipation of a brighter day . . .”
Amen! Though the forces of darkness and the evil
one surround us, and while at times it seems that all
may be lost, our reality is assured by the unwavering,
certain promise that is Christ for us; for “In him was
life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines
in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome
it” (John 1:4–5).
At times, it may seem dim, even dark. And yet, the
light of Christ’s unchanging Gospel always shines.
Our first president, C. F. W. Walther, captured this
reality in his first speech to the Synod:
Let us above all and in all matters be concerned
about this, that the pure doctrine of our dear Evangelical Lutheran Church may become known more
and more completely among us, that it may be in
vogue in all of our congregations, and that it may
be preserved from all adulteration and held fast
as the most precious treasure. Let us not surrender
one iota of the demands of the Word. Let us bring
about its complete rule in our congregations and
set aside nothing of it . . . Here let us be inflexible,
here let us be adamant. If we do this, we need not
worry about the success of our labor. Even though
it should seem to be in vain, it cannot then be in
vain, for the Word does not return void but prospers in the thing whereto the Lord sent it. By the
Word alone, without any other power, the church
was founded; by the Word alone all the great deeds
recorded in church history were accomplished;
by the Word alone the church will most assuredly
stand also in these last days of sore distress, to the
end of days. Even the gates of hell will not prevail
against it.10
Good words in 1848; good words for us in 2016.
Many Christians are perplexed by and some even fear
the Book of Revelation. They find its imagery confusing and even troubling. However, it is one of the great
books of comfort for us Christians as we struggle to repent, confess, and rejoice here in the Church Militant.
Yes, the message can be direct and discomforting. A
picture of the Church under duress continually emerges. At times, it is the weakness of the church’s members
that lead to harsh assessments of the contemporary
church. To the Church at Ephesus we hear: “I know
you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my
name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have

this against you, that you have abandoned the love you
had at first. Remember therefore from where you have
fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not,
I will come to you and remove your lampstand from
its place, unless you repent” (Rev. 2:3–5). Then there
are the external threats: the devil and world. Later, we
hear of the woman and the dragon, of Satan thrown
down to earth. Indeed, when the beast from the sea
and the beast from earth make their appearance, it
seems certain that the Church will be overcome. “This
calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding
calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number
of a man, and his number is 666” (Rev. 13:18).
And then comes the great break. Chapter 14 opens,
and we get a preview of real life, the overarching reality that is ours in Christ. And that vision transforms
our experience—for we catch a glimpse of the eternal
realities that are already ours in Christ:
Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood
the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his
name and his Father’s name written on their
foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like
the roar of many waters and like the sound of
loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the
sound of harpists playing on their harps, and
they were singing a new song before the throne
and before the four living creatures and before
the elders. (Rev. 14:1–3)
Can you see it? Here, among us, in our humble circumstances, the Lamb is on Mount Zion. And in repentance, confession, and rejoicing, we seek over the
course of this convention to do His will and marvel at
the way He continues to achieve His purposes.
It is a miracle that confessional Lutheranism exists in
any form today. Humanly speaking, it should not. But
because it does, we are moved to repent, confess, and
rejoice, purely by God’s grace. In the continuing existence of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod—with
all of its triumphs and challenges, capabilities and limitations, beauty and warts—we see evidence of God’s
continued fulfillment of the promise spoken by our
Lord Jesus Christ, “the gates of hell shall not prevail
against my church.” For it is built Upon This Rock.

The Christian Book of Concord, or Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church (Newmarket, VA: Solomon D. Henkel and Brs., 1851), iii.
10
C. F. W. Walther, Synodal Rede, 1848.
9

“Upon This Rock: Repent, Confess, Rejoice”

U P O N T H I S R O C K • Essay

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