LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Sheet 67

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68 CONVENTION SERMON

was we don’t know, but Paul treated it seriously. In fact
we marvel that this very human dispute in this single
small congregation should have drawn from the apostle’s
pen one of the finest passages about the Lordship of
Christ.

If you read this letter carefully, you'll notice that
Paul puts his finger on three of the causes which brought
about this difference between Christians. He talks of
rivalry. He talks of personal vanity. He talks of self-
interest. And what is the answer to these persistent and
very human causes of disunity even among us today?
Simply to repent of them? That should be the answer. As
Paul admonishes: “Do nothing from selfishness or con-
ceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves.
Each of you look not only to his own interests but also to
the interests of others.” This is precisely what we’re not
able to do. Rivalry, personal vanity, and self-interest are
the sins of our unredeemed human nature. To save us
from these crimes, He had to die on the cross.

Our common life in Christ is the theme of this letter.
Paul is talking about Christ, the risen and ever-present
Savior and Lord. For Paul Christ is a spiritual climate in
which the Christian can live and achieve a spiritual
health and strength he would not otherwise achieve.
That’s why he addressed to his readers one of the great
theological passages about Jesus Christ. We so often
quote it out of context, so often analyze its theology and
lift it into the language of prayer, forgetting that like
the lofty 13th chapter of Corinthians it was intended in
the first instance to settle an ordinary dispute among
ordinary Christians.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ
Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not
robbery to be equal with God but made Himself of no
reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant and
was made in the likeness of men. And being found in
fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became
obedient. unto death, even the death of the cross. Where-
fore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a
name which is above every name, that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and
things in earth and things under the earth, and that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father.” Paul is saying that if the
church lives consciously in Christ it will share the char-
acteristics of Christ’s life. And in so doing it will find the
secret of its own unity. You know the great characteristic
of Christ’s life — humility. It showed in His servanthood,
obedience, self-renunciation. “Our common life in
Christ.” Does that describe us? It can if Jesus Christ is
Lord, if these are the great characteristics people can see
in us. Then we can ring the bell.

A professor once startled his class with a prayer that
began, “O God, we do not come into Thy presence.”
Then after a pause he added, “For we are never any-
where else.” And so we meet here in this Synod in the
presence of the risen Christ. Whether we recognize His
presence or not, He is here now and He always will be. If
we realize His presence, then perhaps we can become
together the people who say, “Jesus is Lord,” and of whom
it is said: “See how they love each other.” Then we will
be like the early Christians, who were led by the Spirit of
God, so united in love that the Spirit of God — so united
in love that the Spirit could work in them and through
them with a minimum of hindrance. No wonder their
enemies could say with tears of rage in their eyes, “These
men have turned the world upside down!”

They found the Holy Spirit has a way of short-
circuiting human problems. Many issues were never
allowed to arise, because these early Christians were led
by the Spirit to the main task of bringing people to
Christ and were not permitted to enjoy fascinating side-
tracks.

One can hardly avoid observing that since God’s Holy
Spirit cannot conceivably have changed one iota through
the centuries He is perfectly prepared by an inflow of
love, wisdom, and understanding to short-circuit our own
many problems today. So together let’s cast down, as it
were, the strong insulations so powerfully built up to
keep the Spirit out. Then right here a new Pentecost
could quickly sweep away our differences to the limbo
where they belong.

Let’s live in the presence of Jesus Christ as Lord.

Have you ever drilled a hole in a record? Just a half
inch off center. What terrible music that makes! Let’s
plug into the Spirit and be centered in Christ. Don’t cast
out. Bring in.

When our Lord wished to teach His disciples a special
lesson, He would call a child, place the little one in front
of them, and forcefully bring the message. He uses them
today too. At-Christmastime we listen to our kindergar-
ten children sing:

Ring the bells! ring the bells!
Let the whole world know

Christ was born in Bethlehem
Many years ago,

Born to die that man might live,
Came to earth new life to give.

So let’s ring the bells, ring the bells,
Let the whole world know

Christ the Savior lives today

As He did so long ago.

Amen.
VicE-PRESIDENT AUGUST BERNTHAL