LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 81

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sees others as objects to control. The world promotes
power that pushes God out of the picture and strives to
dominate fellow human beings.
On the other hand, the Gospel displays God’s powerful
weakness, a profound paradox based on God’s love for His
fallen world. The Creator of all became a weak, humble
baby who grew to be the lowly perfect sacrifice, suffering
persecution and death at the hands of sinful men who
crucified Him. But this was so He could redeem the world.
This redemption and the very righteousness of Christ are
imputed to us by grace through faith, bringing to us who
believe restoration with God and eternal life. It is so
demonstrably powerful because it does things no earthly
power can accomplish. The Gospel saves people by
connecting us to Christ. Also, the Holy Spirit works faith
through the Gospel. And because of that, the Holy Spirit
makes us unashamed to proclaim this powerful Gospel to
others. Regarding such powerful weakness, Martin
Luther wrote: “He who believes in the Gospel must
become weak and foolish before men so that he may be
strong and wise in the power and wisdom of God”
(Luther’s Works, 25:150).

Paul says he is obliged to preach the Gospel to the wise
and foolish, Greek and barbarian. And then he makes his
remarkably unashamed understatement. Of course, he is
unashamed! Look at what this powerful Gospel enabled
him to do. Though he suffered beatings, stoning, jail,
shipwreck, and more, Paul traveled thousands of miles so
he could preach Christ crucified. To most of the Roman
world, the Gospel was weak foolishness, and Christians
were pathetic fools. But Paul knew better. He knew the
power of God’s Gospel, and so he made every effort to
boldly broadcast this beautiful blessing wherever he
could.
Though the world distorts the truth of God’s Word,
mocks us as feeble and foolish, even murders fellow
Christians, still we are not ashamed. We, too, know the
power of the Gospel. We are privileged to preach Christ
crucified, which is eternal salvation for all who believe.
More power? Yes, please! God’s Gospel Power. In the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Know Christ Jesus
PHILIPPIANS 3:4B–11

LCMS Sixth Vice-President Rev. Benjamin T. Ball
68th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod • July 31, 2023 • Midday Prayer
Our first mother wanted to know. She wanted the
knowledge of Good and Evil, and she wanted to be like
God. St. Paul wanted to know. He wanted knowledge, but
of a different kind. He wanted the knowledge of Christ
Jesus, and he wanted the righteousness that comes
through faith in Christ. Eve received the knowledge of
Evil and found it in herself. St. Paul received the
knowledge of Christ, and the righteousness that comes
through faith, and he found those outside himself. The
true and living God, Christ Jesus, met him on the road to
Damascus and he received such an unexpected gift—
Christ Jesus. Previously, Saul of Tarsus thought that what
he knew from the Law, and what he could do under the
Law were sufficient. Circumcised on the eighth day of the
people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of
Hebrews, as to the Law, a Pharisee, as to zeal a persecutor
of the Church, as to righteousness under the Law,
blameless. Until the Damascus road, he did not know that
such things could not bring him the knowledge of
salvation. The knowledge he had could not bring the
resurrection from the dead, nor deliverance of the curse
Adam received after our first father listened to the voice
Convention Sermons

of his wife and ate from her hand. What Saul did know
could only bring condemnation, but that is the very thing
Saul did not know. What was needed for him and what is

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2023 (68TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 81