Ordination at Spring Prairie Lutheran Church

Keyeser, Columbia County, Wisconsin

September 15, 1878

Text: 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

TRUE FAITHFULNESS IN THE MINISTRY

My dear fellow redeemed in Christ! Grace and peace from God our Father through Jesus Christ!

We've just heard that we have gathered here with these young men, one of whom is certainly well-known to you, having grown up in your midst, in order to ordain them to the Holy Ministry according to apostolic custom with the Word and prayer, and we have called upon God for his blessing upon this holy calling.

Now it is the bearers of this holy office whom the apostle Paul admonishes the congregation in the text I have read to regard as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. It is an admonition which our times really should take to heart since many people think that it is something which is optional for them whether they esteem the Holy Ministry and its bearers or not, since in many ways these men must be the nobodies of this world.

Yes, both for the Lord's sake who has given this admonition and for the sake of the salvation of the souls which of course the servants of Christ are to further, it is profitable for a congregation that it heeds the admonition and regards us as the servants of Christ, because Christ says, "He that hears you hears me; and he that despises you despises me; and he that despises me despises him that sent me." (Lk. 1O:16.) And he who has said that he will allow a dreadful judgment to come upon the despisers of his Word and his grace has shown it upon the people of Israel and Jerusalem. He has shown how fearful his punishment is upon them who mistreat his prophets.

But you, my young friends, who now are to assume this ministry, to you it must truly be comforting and encouraging that the Lord himself introduces you to the congregations with this admonition that they should regard you as the servants of Christ and that the Lord will watch to see that it happens. You are able to step into the work then with the comforting assurance that there will however be some who will be obedient to the Lord and take his Word to heart. And even if there will also be enough of them who will despise you and the Word, yet you know for your comfort that the Lord will count it as contempt against himself and will punish it as such. And then of course you also know that you should rejoice when you suffer persecution for the sake of the Lord's name, because great shall be your reward in heaven. How-ever, my brethren, if we are to be able to demand and to hope that everyone regards us as servants of Christ, then we must consider ourselves as such.

Then all our effort must go toward proving ourselves such! That is why we also see that in this same text Paul admonishes servants of the Word to faithfulness, since he says: "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."

When I turn now to this admonition of Paul to servants of the Word, it is not my intention at this time to dwell upon the theme of how we should demonstrate such faithfulness in general or of how we should become capable of it. I know of course that you were well instructed in your Pastoral Theology course about how faithfulness is to be demonstrated with respect to the message we are to bring as well as with respect to the manner and the spirit and purpose with which it is to be brought. On the other hand it is my wish, dear brethren, while I am laying upon your hearts with this admonition of Paul the importance of showing such faithfulness, to caution you against a couple of very common mistakes to which we are so easily exposed and in which it is impossible for a servant of the Word to preserve faithfulness.

The one temptation for a servant of the Word against which I would caution here is that of wanting to be the congregation's lord instead of its servant. Peter cautions about it when he says, "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof not as they who want to be lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." (1 Pe. 5:2.3.) Precisely because a servant of the Word is to be considered as a servant of Christ and comes to the congregation in Christ's stead, therefore is he also to stand out as he who has authority. He is not to relax in the least way his demand to the congregation of unconditional obedience to the Word of God which he proclaims. But here the danger lies near of demanding obedience to his word instead of to God's Word.

When a servant of the Word demands obedience because of his office, authoritatively demands that peo-ple believe what he proclaims and do what he commands, not because he has proven that it is the Lord our God who teaches and commands it, but because he is the pastor and has the office, then he makes himself lord over God's heritage. Therefore he does not merely succumb to this temptation and proclaim himself when he demands that people are to accept the doctrines of men he perhaps utters or to obey him in such things which God really has not forbidden but not commanded either, but also then when he really only demands obedience in the things commanded by God but demands it for his person's sake, not because God has said it but because he, the pastor, says it.

Experience teaches us that it is a strong temptation to rule over the Lord's heritage, and the papacy shows us to what heights the appetite to rule can rise. Here it has reached its zenith, since as the true Anti-christ the pope has placed himself in God's stead, and as God, demands unconditional obedience to him-self, his doctrine and his commands.

The reason that those who should be Christ's servants are tempted to want to be lords over Christ's flock lies chiefly in the heart's natural pride and self-importance. They cause a person to demand something for himself, both glory and power, to want to be something himself and have something to say but not to want to concede other people the same things. Add a good dose of self-confidence to this distrust of the Lord and his Word about what he knows it can and will accomplish, and a person thus tries to help it along, and in this way makes himself - often with the best of intentions - a lord over the flock. It is certainly hard for a servant of the Lord to see how many people despise and make light of the Word and the admonitions of God which he preaches. But if he thinks of helping the cause along by adopting a sanctimonious mini-sterial air by placing his personality in the foreground or by using means of punishment for which God has given him no authority, then he makes a big mistake and proclaims himself against both God and the congregation by forgetting that he is only a servant. Likewise it is hard for a zealous pastor to see that his well-meant, well thought-out appeals to good works and beneficial projects stumble upon all kinds of op-position, and because of prejudice, ignorance or contrariness are rejected to the great harm of the congre-gation's development and growth. But if now in such things which God has left to Christian liberty and where love is to rule, he wants to force his will through with the appeal that people are to "obey them that have the rule over you in the Lord," (He. 13:17) then he proclaims himself loudly by making himself ruler over the Lord's heritage. He thereby is breaking down the church of God instead of building it up as he perhaps thinks he is doing. What misery this sin brings upon Christianity is clear as day. The papal church as well as the state churches offer sorrowful as well as frightening examples. The name of God is taken in vain, consciences are confused, the Christian liberty which Christ has earned for the congrega-tion with his blood is lost and the congregation becomes the slave of man. Yes, even in the orthodox church where the pure Gospel can still be heard for a while, the hearts will be turned from obedience to the Word of God to obedience to human authority, from the worship of the true God, to the worship of man and to idolatry.

That such a rule over God's heritage cannot be consistent with the faithfulness which is required of a servant of Christ and a steward of the mysteries of God is obvious. He is unfaithful over toward God in the highest degree because the obedience he is to demand for God, he takes to himself. He is unfaithful over the congregation which he is to serve in the ministry of the Word as a co-laborer to its joy, because he violates its most precious right and makes it to be a slave of man. He seduces it to letting the heart depart from the Lord and he makes flesh his arm, and in this way robs it of God and of joy in him. How fright-fully will not the Lord's judgment someday sound upon such an unfaithful servant! And how important therefore, my brethren, that we stand on guard and arm ourselves against the enemy who wants to seduce us to such unfaithfulness! Let us never imagine that we should be able in that way to further the Lord's cause or to build up the Church of God! On the contrary, here it is up to a man to strive for humility so that a person will not be concerned about being something more or something other than a servant of Christ but also humbly regards this as the highest honor which is given a pardoned sinner. Here we should consider with horror and disgust the presumptuousness of which he makes himself guilty when a person places himself in God's stead by making himself to be lord over his flock while he is however only his poor, unworthy servant. How anxiously does not even a Paul seek to avoid even the appearance of wanting to take such a lordship over the congregation to himself when he says in 1 Corinthians 7:6.12.25: "I say this by permission ... Now concerning virgins I have no commandment, but I give my judgment." The pious consideration of the exalted nature and grandeur which God has given his church will also make us humble and keep far from us every thought of setting ourselves up as lord over such a congrega-tion of God which consists of nothing but priests and kings whom he has cleansed with his own blood and made to be a holy people, a royal priesthood who bring forth spiritual sacrifices well pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

Furthermore it is important here through devout prayer and meditation to strengthen faith in the power of the Lord whose servants we are and in the power of the Word we preach, about which the Lord has promised that it shall not return void. Because when this confidence dwells firmly in the heart a person will not be tempted to resort to human authority or other self-chosen means.

But, my friends, if a servant of Christ thus truly has to watch that he does not "rule over the Lord's heritage," he has to beware just as much that he does not become a slave of man! Thus we hear Paul caution the Corinthians: "You are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of man!" (1 Co. 7:23.)

A servant of Christ becomes a slave of man when because of respect  of  persons he becomes disobed-ient to God, suppresses, denies or distorts the truth and thus becomes false in his confession, in his conduct.

In our days, and not least in this country, we must be painful witnesses to the fact that the church of Christ is also becoming more and more filled with such servants of the Word who show themselves slaves of men. A strong temptation to this lies in our natural carnal mind which loves riches, favor and an easy life. A servant of Christ sees that he can get those things by denying a little of the truth when he should confess or chastise, by concealing it entirely, or only half of it, through ambiguities and flowery speech. He sees that in that way he can avoid unpleasantness, hatred and mockery. On the other hand, through standing firm in the truth just as John the Baptist did, of whom Scripture says: "He confessed, and denied not, but confessed," (Jo. 1:2O) he will suffer loss of temporal goods and expose himself - if not to behead-ing as John was - then, however, to lack of due appreciation and hatred, yes, to removal from office and disgrace in this life. Besides this, by faithfully confessing the truth he gets a reputation for being hard, unloving, proud and contentious. On the other hand, if in his confession and chastising, he, as it were, breaks the sharp tip off of the testimony, he is praised for love, forbearance and modesty. At the same time he perhaps excuses himself by saying that otherwise he would make his work in the congregation imposs-ible but in this way he will gain its confidence, and that later, then he will be able to come forward with so much greater firmness and resoluteness in his confession, and to the congregation's benefit. All this in connection with the fear of man renders him powerless and thus he gives away as he preaches as to itch-ing ears. Thus he denies the truth and Christ, and becomes a slave of man instead of a servant of Christ. Yes, my dear brethren, even if it is the truth which you proclaim and even if you were in a position to do it fully in all points, but you did it for the sake of gain in order to please men because pure doctrine was in style, because the truth appealed to them for a while, or they really liked it, - you would, however, be a slave of men and not a faithful servant of Christ!

And now, my brethren, we dare not hide the fact that the temptations for us to do this are getting stronger day by day! There is a great lack of true Christian understanding in the congregations. Instead of seeking to have their understanding clarified and increased through diligent reading of God's Word and good books, many people are deriving guidance, light and nourishment from unsound books and political newspapers where free-thinkers and the enemies of the church and of the truth are often the leading spokesmen and come forward as leaders even in spiritual things and in the concerns of the church. With the cry: "It's the voice of the people, it's the will of the majority!" many a person then becomes stupified and confused and carried away, just as many were in ancient times by the cry: "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" (Ac. 19:28.) People think it is the voice of the people and therefore it must be right and good and something to which everyone has to submit and be regulated by. Yes, for many people, what so many learned, so many pious people, what the people, what the masses think and say is far more important than what God thinks and says in his Word. The former is decisive for them, the latter they do not ask about and do not want to hear about either. Now when a servant of Christ bows to such opinions from fear or in order to gain favor or even in hope of thereby later gaining access for the truth, without asking about God's Word, or in spite of it - yes, if it were only by being silent when he should speak, - you see, then he makes himself a slave of men. And what trouble and misery do not such servants cause! Peter has even given us a warning example when he denied Jesus in the high priest's courtyard. Such servants deny "the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." (2 Pe. 2:1.) They strengthen the erring in his error and the ungodly in his ungodliness, yes, as they who should be the servants of Christ they even place the stamp of the truth and godliness on error and ungodliness and thus lull the conscience to sleep. With their deification of man they lead other people into idolatry, to fearing, loving and trusting in man instead of in the true God. Blind themselves, they become leaders of the blind, and finally both fall into the ditch.

That now the servants of the Word who thus become the slaves of man cannot possibly remain true stewards is obvious and needs no more explanation. Surely no one can serve two masters. If a person leaves his Lord's service and becomes a slave of another, how can there then be talk of faithfulness! But here again let us remember that we are not only unfaithful to the Lord when we proclaim lies as the ser-vants of lies but also when we proclaim the truth for the sake of gain, because to the faithfulness the Lord demands of his servants belongs also that he does what he is supposed to do in faith and love. Therefore, my dear brethren, let us really be on guard, let us watch and pray that we should be the servants of Christ. Do not become the slaves of men!

It is also profitable here that we strengthen our hearts through considering how strong and mighty the Lord is, whose servants we are. If he is for us, who then can be against us? Furthermore, we should con-stantly remember what mighty, invincible weapons he has given us in his Word. Why should we then be afraid of people, or how they could harm us? And if we do win their favor through denial of the truth, then Scripture surely says, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mt. 16:26.) But if we forfeit their favor through the confession of the truth, yes, if we become the nobodies of everyone in the world, we are walking safely! The hosts of the Lord encamp round about them who fear him. And even if we appear to get the worst of the battle in the defense of the truth, the truth, however, conquers.

Furthermore, let us be reminded of how bitterly Peter wept when he had denied his Savior because of the fear of men. How terrible their pain becomes when the Lord says that he will deny them before his heavenly Father because they denied him before men! On the other hand, think of the joy you will feel when on the Great Day he distributes the reward, and if you remain true servants of Christ you hear this, "Well done, good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter into the joy of your Lord!" (Mt. 25:21.) Think of the joy when the Lord's promise through the prophet Daniel is fulfilled in you: "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament: and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." (12:3.)

O happy day when we shall stand

Amid the heavenly throng,

And sing with hosts from every land

The new celestial song.

O blessed day! From far and near

The servants of the Lord

Shall meet the ransomed millions there

Who heard God's saving Word!

O what a mighty, rushing flood

Of love without surcease,

Shall roll about the throne of God

In joy and endless peace!

So fight lawfully then, so that you can be crowned! Stand fast and immovable in the armor of God, with the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God! To that end may God give you his grace through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Kirketidende, Oct. 25, 1878, pages 669-675