The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1929, Page 168

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168

in this connection. Thus the serpent of brass made
by Moses in the wilderness is explained by Jesus
with these words: ‘As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be
lifted up that whosoever believeth in Him should
not perish, but have eternal life.? In our text Jesus
is represented as a sure Foundation. Hence we
shall consider : —

“Christ as the Foundation of the Christian Church.

“1. In what respect Christ ts the Foundation
Stone.

“The word foundation is an architectural term
for that part of the building on which the super-
structure is erected. Thus Christ is the Foundation
of all spiritual blessings. God’s grace and mercy
rest on Jesus. Does not every one of us confess:
Jesus has ‘redeemed me, a lost and condemned crea-
ture, purchased and won me from all sins, from
death, and from the power of the devil, not with
gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and
with his innocent suffering and death that I may be
His own’?

“Since Jesus is the Propitiation for our sins, He
is the Foundation of our acceptance with God, and
through Him we come to the Father.

“furthermore, Jesus is the Foundation of our
glorious hope of eternal bliss. Through Him we
may triumph and join Paul in saying: ‘I have
fought a good fight, I have finished my course,

LT have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up
for me a crown of righteousness.’

“finally, Christ is the Foundation of the whole
Christian Church. When Simon Peter confessed:
‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,
Jesus answered: “Thou art Peter, and upon this
rock,’ namely, the confession that Christ is the Son
of God, ‘I will build My Church.’

“2. Some of the distinguishing characteristics
of this Foundation.

“Qur text states that sean is a ‘tried’ Stone.
The saints for thousands of years have been built
upon it. Abel and Noah rested on it. Abraham
beheld it by faith, and on the basis that man is
saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ,
‘Dr. Martin Luther brought about the Reformation.

-“Our text also declares that Jesus is a ‘sure’
‘Foundation. Other foundations have crumbled into
dust ; but this one has withstood the iron tooth of

7 “The rain descended, and the flood came,
» winds blew and beat upon this Foundation ;

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

but it fell not. It bears the inscription: ‘Jesus
Christ, the same yesterday and to-day and forever.’

“Let us conclude our meditation by considering
how we may be built upon this Foundation. Our
text hays: ‘He that believeth shall not make haste.’
Peter’s interpretation of this passage is: ‘He that
believeth on Him shall not be confounded.’

“God so loved the world that He gave His only-
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.’

“Not the labors of my hands

Can fulfil Thy Law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

“In short, we are built on this Foundation when
we accept Jesus as our personal Savior.”

A quartet, composed of students of the college,
then sang an anthem, of which the burden was:
“T shall not be moved, just as little as a stone that
is placed in the Temple.”

Thereupon the Rev. Jesse Hunt, of Winston-
Salem, N. C., delivered a four-minute address on
the meaning of the corner-stone. He declared in
substance that the purpose of the corner-stone was
to signify that true Christians are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ Himself being the chief Corner-stone.

Rev. Hunt then read the list of contents of the
copper box sealed in the corner-stone. The usual
publications and historical information were en-
closed: a list of important events in the history of
the congregations, the Lutheran Catechism, the Lu-
THERAN PIONEER, the Missionstaube, the Missionary
Lutheran, the Lutheran Witness, the Northwestern
Lutheran, the names of the communicant members
of the congregation, of the contractor and the archi-
tect, and of the members of the Missionary Board,
a mimeographed copy of the order of service, a copy
of the invitations to the services, a copy each of the
Greensboro Daily News and of the Greensboro Daily
Record.

Hereupon the Rev. John Fuller laid the corner-
stone. After the audience had confessed the Apos-
tles’ Creed, the service was closed by Student Albert
Dominick, who is acting as supply of Grace Con-
gregation.

The service was, of course, interspersed with
hymns by the audience. The singing was accom-
panied’ by a trumpeter from the college.
The service was brought to the attention of the