An Eternal Founding - Celebrating God's Mission and Ministry

Fifth Sunday after Trinity
July 5^th, Year of Our + Lord 2026
Our Redeemer and Our Savior’s Lutheran Churches
Custer and Hill City, SD
1 Kings 19:9-21, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 and Luke 5:1-11

Audio of the Sermon can be found HERE.

   Yesterday we observed the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by the United States of America, celebrating our founding principles.  We both pray and commit ourselves to the perennial task of re-establishing and re-invigorating our republic, not to create heaven on earth, but yes, to create a more-perfect union.  We should do this for the good of each other, our posterity, and because America with her freedoms has been a place where the Christian Church could thrive, for which we give thanks. 

   Today, we are blessed to celebrate an even better foundation, the Mission and Ministry of God, by which the Lord builds His Church, in every place and time.  This work too requires constant vigilance and renewal, and the stakes are eternal.

  The LORD God Almighty, YHWH El Shaddai in Hebrew, has always and will always care for His People on earth, His Church militant, as it is called, and He does this in the same way.  The LORD works through His Word, no matter the language, be it Hebrew, Greek, Latin, German, Spanish, or English.  God calls all His people to proclaim His Name and His Truth, the Truth that sets sinners free.  At the same time, the LORD especially calls particular men to be His public preachers, servants of the word, ministers who authoritatively deliver the Holy Spirit’s surprising and life-giving message to men, women, and children, sinners who may like it, or like it not.  It’s been this way for a very long time.   

   At the burning bush, the LORD called Moses to go back to Egypt and deliver His people from slavery to Pharaoh.  Little Samuel, given by his mother to serve at the Tabernacle of the LORD God Almighty, was called to be God’s prophet, and Israel’s judge.  Years later, through Samuel, the LORD called young David away from tending his father Jesse’s flocks, in order to eventually shepherd Israel as their king.  Indeed, the LORD promised David that His throne would last forever. 

   The prophet Isaiah was sent to preach centuries later.  At the time, it appeared that, because of Israel’s sin and idolatry, David’s throne would fall.  Isaiah was caught up in a heavenly vision, during which he hears the LORD wonder aloud, “Who will go and speak for us, and whom shall we send?”  The newly forgiven, ready to serve, Isaiah cried out, “Here I am, LORD, send me!”  And the LORD did.   

   The Pharisee Saul, on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus to seek out Jews who had become Christians and throw them in jail, was confronted by the risen Christ on the road.  “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”  In a flash, the Lord converted Saul, who was also called Paul, and then sent him as His preacher to the Gentiles, to the nations, for the salvation of many.  Paul would go, and preach, and also learn how much he would be privileged to suffer for God’s Name.  This same Paul would later instruct his pupil Titus, Bishop of Crete, to appoint elders, we would call them pastors, in every city, reliable men who will preach Christ and His truth faithfully. 

   And of course, from our Gospel this morning, we enjoyed Peter’s call into the ministry.  The
miraculous catch of fish made Peter realize that this wandering preacher Jesus was from heaven.  Our rough and ready fisherman cried out: “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.”  Which was just the honesty Jesus wanted to hear: “Fear not, Peter, from now on, you will be fishing for men!”  So, Peter, along with his brother Andrew and his partners James and John, left their nets and boats and followed Jesus into Gospel ministry.  God always cares for His Church in this way, calling fallible men into His special public office of the ministry, sending them to preach and teach and care for the Lord’s flock. 

   Time fails us to name any but a few of the faithful preachers the Lord appointed through the centuries: Polycarp, Irenaeus, Cyprian, and Athanasius we know; hundreds of their faithful contemporaries we know not.  Ambrose and Augustine were favorites of a German priest and monk named Martin, who was just trying to clear up the preaching of God’s Law and Gospel, but ended up turning the world inside out.  Martin Chemnitz, the 2^nd Martin, tightened up some of the unfinished details in Luther’s teaching, and on it went.  Thankfully for yours truly, when he came to America, C.F.W. Walther, the primary founding father of the Missouri Synod, proved that a pleasing outward appearance is not a requirement in a faithful preacher.

   The line goes on through the decades, including R.J. Uecker, and Bob Anderson, and, least and last of all so far, down to me.  We are nothing but tiny men, standing on the shoulders of giants, to be sure.  But, and this is the important part, we are all involved in the same saving and preserving work of God, who has never swerved from His Mission once.  God has always been working to save you, and all sinners, ever since that dark day in the Garden, when our sin made His rescue necessary.

   We recited from the Augsburg Confession earlier, the AC, for short, presented in 1530 to the Emperor Charles as the confession of faith of the German princes and magistrates who believed Luther had rediscovered the Truth.  The AC holds primacy of place as a statement of Biblical teaching, because it succinctly and clearly declares the teaching of Christ, in general, and also in the light of the particular questions that were roiling the Church in the 16^th Century.  We read articles IV, V and XIV, which specifically treat God’s Mission and Ministry.  Before we talk about those, I should say that Article I speaks of the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Article II describes the problem that God must overcome, which is our human original sin.  And Article III then speaks of the solution, of Christ, who He is, and what He has done to achieve the forgiveness of sinners for the salvation of the world.  After Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension to God the Father’s right hand, the key question is this: How is the salvation which Jesus achieved on Golgotha now delivered to and preserved for sinners in this world? 

   Article IV, on justification, lays out the central reality of salvation: that God in His grace freely, as a gift, counts sinners as forgiven and righteous in His sight, when they believe in the work of Christ on the Cross to win the forgiveness of their sins.  Salvation by faith, given by God’s grace, for the sake of Christ, this is the main thing, the thing God seeks to do in and through His Church. 

   Article V then describes the means, or the instruments, the process through which God justifies, that is forgives and saves sinners.  “That we may obtain this faith, the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted.”  Through the Gospel in Word and Sacraments, (that is, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper), “the Holy Ghost is given,” who alone works saving faith.  God does this not because of our merit, not because of our good works and holiness, but rather solely for the sake of Christ and His self-sacrifice on the Cross. 

   Finally, Article XIV gives some guidelines for this ministry, namely that God has limited the Public Ministry of Word and Sacraments to men who have been rightly called, that is identified, taught, called and ordained, by the Church, to serve in Christ’s public ministry.    

   The public preaching office, which is foreshadowed in the Old Testament, was established by Jesus through His Apostles.  Of course, every baptized believer in Christ has a call to speak the truth of Christ and to proclaim His Name in their daily lives. 

   Privately, individual Christians are often called to preach, to children, family, friends, neighbors.  But to preach publicly, to be an official spokesman for God and His Church, is not something one takes up to do by oneself.  For a man to be a public deliverer of the teaching of God and the forgiveness of Christ, he must be called into this office, either directly by God, or indirectly by His Church.  

   Now, the value of the Augsburg Confession depends on its faithfulness to God’s Word, which the Holy Spirit has preserved for us in the Bible.  A quick tour of Scripture will help us see how articles IV, V and XIV are drawn from Scripture.  Moses, for example, was called directly by God to go with a specific Word, to go proclaim God’s Law and Gospel, to captive Israel, and to Pharaoh, so that God’s people would be freed.  Through Moses’ ministry, His service with the Word of God, the nation of Israel was given birth, set free from slavery and rescued from destruction through the water of the Red Sea.  God through Moses fed His People bread from heaven, and taught them all that the LORD would have them do, and not do. 

   Our Old Testament reading today is set about 600 years after the Exodus.  Serving as the LORD’s minister has proven to be a tough gig for Elijah.  The prophet is distressed, under threat of death, and no longer wants to continue in the service of the LORD.  But God finds His prophet, hiding in a cave, and lifts him up.  God reveals that His way is not like we expect, that He does not usually work through the spectacular, through earthquakes or fires or great winds.  No, rather, the LORD is present to work and to save in a still, small voice, including the voice of truth that Elijah preached. 

   Then the LORD set up Elijah’s relief.  New kings are anointed by Elijah, to defeat the kings that seek to kill him, and a new prophet is appointed, Elisha, who is called to follow, and then replace Elijah, when the Almighty should call him home to heaven.  As Joshua for Moses, now Elisha for Elijah: a succession of servants, ministers, this is part of God’s plan. 

   Preachers come and go.  By the Holy Spirit’s grace, they are faithful in their calling.  They may see better days, or worse, but in time, their service will end.  But, the Word of the LORD endures forever.  God’s Word endures because the Holy Spirit is the power behind it, and He will always guarantee there is someone to speak the message of life.  This is why say we extend a “Divine Call” to a pastor – not because the man called nor the Church calling is perfectly holy and divine, but rather because God the Holy Spirit is in the midst of the process, including the very earthly and imperfect parts, like making hundreds of copies, pouring over information sheets for prospective pastors, and participating in congregational call meetings.

   Because the call process is divine, or Godly, it is a blessing for those involved, because God always blesses His Church.  The Circuit Visitor who guides the process may think he has better things to do.  The District President who pulls together names of candidates to consider may get weary, because he has so many congregations who need a pastor.  And the Call Committee may not have done this much reading in a long time.  I rejoice that Divine Shepherd in Black Hawk now has a new Senior Pastor on the way, and I pray that Peace in Rapid City, along with First in Wall and Emmanuel in Creighton, will find their new shepherds soon.  But I also thank God for including all of us in His work of establishing and sustaining His ministry.  Because it is good. 

   We need a Biblically faithful system to administer the office of the ministry, (and we have one).  Then, we need to understand and work that system, because the sad truth is that we sinners have always and will always tend to buck God’s system.  The two-year-old’s attitude “You’re not the boss of me!” is still present in us sinners. 

   But of course, God is the Boss of us, the eternal Father who loves us and knows what is best for us.  God is in charge, He is sovereign, and He gets to set the pattern for His Mission and His Church.  But who is willing to accept it? 

   People, inside and outside the Church, have always tried to pervert God’s plan for providing faithful preachers.  The problem of self-appointed prophets and preachers is ancient.  God’s way is to place a call upon a man, very often against his desire.  But for unbelievers and even for some believers who lack sufficient Biblical understanding, the authority and central role that a pastor plays in a given church can be a tempting way to seek power, or popularity, or wealth.  False prophets typically abuse whatever power they acquire, and people Christ died for get hurt.  Such abuse leads some to reject the idea of a public ministry, to reject the Biblical teaching that particular men be given authority to lead and teach and preach. 

   This is understandable, but not o.k.   We must not throw the baby out with the bathwater.  That is, while illegitimate and abusive ministers should be removed, and will be held accountable by God, this is no reason for the Church to deny or ignore the correct way that the Lord has established for the ministry.    

   The authority of the public ministry is to serve God’s truth, and to serve God’s people with that truth, for God’s glory and the people’s blessing.  The New Testament established that a congregation is, in its essence, pastor and people together, the shepherd and the flock of God in that place.  The minister’s charge is simple, and is well described in our Epistle: Preach the Word of the Cross. 

   This Word of the Cross is of course another reason some resist God’s way of caring for His Church.  The central act of salvation, the deathly work of Christ for sinners, is offensive to anyone who thinks they can be right with God on their own.  The death of the sinless Son of God on the Cross destroys the notion that men can save themselves.  The Word of the Cross is an insult to the self-righteous, and so they may reject it, to their own destruction.  This is a tendency we must all watch out for, in ourselves, and in our churches.  For the self-righteous tendency remains within all of us, the pride of the sinful nature that we still bear. 

   Likewise, the Cross is ridiculous to men blinded by human wisdom, who will not believe in a God who would give life through His own sacrificial death.  We humans like to think we have discovered how just about everything works, without reference to God.  So, a faith which shatters our assumptions is easier to mock than to consider.  Because to consider God’s Truth is to risk shattering our impressive self-image. 

    But we preach Christ crucified, the power of God and the wisdom of God, and the only way of salvation.  This biblical truth, declared in Articles II, III an IV of the Augsburg Confession, is the content and reason for the public ministry.  We preach the Word of the Cross, because by it, sinners like you and me have hope, hope and a future, won by the suffering of Jesus.  This hope is revealed and guaranteed by His victorious Resurrection, and by His Ascension to reign over all things, for us.   

   The Word of the Cross is the Truth of God’s love, hidden under opposites, hidden under shame and suffering and death.  But it is this hidden truth, it is the victory of Jesus’ death, that lifts us from guilt, shame, defeat and death, and enables us to live humble lives of peace, integrity and joy, today in the Church on earth, and one day soon, with all the saints, gathered around God and the Lamb, forever and ever, Amen.