Ordination Sermon

October 15, 1876

Madison, Wisconsin

"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful." 1 Corinthians 4:1.2.

THE GLORY OF THE HOLY MINISTRY

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah." Ps. 24:9.10. With these inspiring words the psalmist exhorts us and all the ends of the earth to lift up our ears and hearts to the Gospel in which the King of glory comes to us.

He exalts this Gospel and its hearers gloriously when through the prophet he exclaims, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation; that says unto Zion, your God reigns!" (Is. 52:7.) Surely, then, dear congregation, do we have much reason to rejoice today with the many congregations who are long-ing for these messengers who shall bring them the Gospel of peace and break the Bread of Life for them, when we have gathered to ordain these dear young men to the Holy Ministry which proclaims peace. With these dear brethren we have much reason to thank God for the grace and glory he shows them by calling them into the great harvest as his co-workers. I am convinced that also our participation now, our thanks and glory will be an encouragement to you, my young friends, as you enter this Ministry! The Lord himself however gives you the strongest encouragement when he says, "If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desires a good work." (1 Ti. 3:1.)

And you really do need such encouragement when you rightly consider its seriousness in the Lord's words through the prophet, "O Zion, that brings good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Je-rusalem, that brings good tidings, lift up your voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him!" (Is. 40:9.10.) Because here surely the Lord lays it upon the hearts of the Gospel's servants that they give themselves to the work and apply all their strength to its faithful performance, so that he, the Lord their God, will be with them and give them the victory and a rich reward of grace.

Even though in this way there surely is prompting enough for servants of the Word to embrace their calling and to enter into the work with serious concern and yet with the confidence of faith too, yet we cannot however deny that experience, the pastor's later life and work, unfortunately often show that dangerous temptations lie right here, at the entrance into the ministry. For example, the danger is here, a) that a man enters the ministry frivolously, or b) at any rate, does not sufficiently count the cost, or c) on the other hand, he enters upon it faintheartedly and despondently.

a) Some men of course do seek their livelihood, a position in life in it, thoughtlessly, yes, presump-tuously, or they allow themselves to be led by the pursuit of gain, a good, comfortable life, vain glory, power, etc. That's why Peter admonishes the elders, "Feed the flock of God, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind," (1 Pe. 5:2) and Paul says, "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom." (1 Co. 2:1-4.)

b) Others are gripped by the loftiness of the goal: the salvation of souls, and they themselves are gripped by a sure recognition of and confidence in the power of the Word of God. But the opposition of the enemy, the gravity of the work and the kind of battle, as well as victory, that they do not understand how to judge in a truly spiritual way. Therefore when the anticipated fruits are not visible, the world's hatred becomes their reward and their bright hopes are disappointed, then they lose heart, consider their work wasted and give up the fight because they forget that Christ won his victory right there on the cross.

c) Others again go to the work with a certain earnestness, but faintheartedly and unwillingly. As build-ers, they do not count the cost but along with the counting they take only or mostly their own strength and ability. And when they find so much weakness, sin and inability in themselves, they become faint-hearted and say with Peter, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord," (Lk. 5:8) and they lose heart. But the power of God which is strong in the weak and the ability which God gives where the proper prepara-tion and estimate of natural ability are present, that they do not properly take into consideration. They for-get the Lord's words to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Co. 12:9.) The same apostle of course also says on another occasion, "And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling." (1 Co. 2:3.) So will it also be for you, dear brothers, as truly as the proper humility is in you. However, we hear that the apostle Paul can also say confidently, "But by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain." (1 Co. 15:10.) That's why the Lord cautions us now already through the prophet Jeremiah, "Be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound you before them." (1:17.)

Yet it is now quite clear to us. If we desire and undertake the office of a bishop thoughtlessly for the sake of worldly advantage, then it will be impossible for us to be able to show the faithfulness which God requires of stewards right here in our text. Likewise if we underestimate the powers of the enemy and per-haps overestimate our own at the same time, as we forget that we must work and fight with hope against hope and that our victory is often the most secure when in the judgment of the world we get the worst of it. But on the other hand, if we enter the work faintheartedly and with unreasoning fear, then we our-selves would place many obstacles in the way of our demonstrating the proper faithfulness. Yes, we would torment ourselves with charges of our unfaithfulness for which there was otherwise no valid reason.

Now if we know how much a proper estimate of the worth of a gift, a proper recognition of a work of great importance can contribute to our accepting it with the proper earnestness, the proper humble thanks, and preparing ourselves for it and carrying it out with the confident mind which is called for and where faithfulness in the work is to be demonstrated, O how good it would be if we could all therefore be permeated by a true respect for the Holy Ministry of the Word and be full of thanks and joy over the fact that of his great grace God is again sending us a host of workers into his harvest. How good, if you, my dear young friends, who in this hour are going to be ordained to the ministry according to apostolic custom, could be encouraged and strengthened already now at its undertaking, so that you enter into it neither thoughtlessly nor with exaggerated expectations nor with faint hearts and unreasoning fear but on the contrary with the conscientiousness, the awe and humility and yet also the confidence and assurance which are the very conditions for the proper faithfulness in its performance and so that in that way the glad hope which we nourish for you in this hour does not have to be disappointed! So then, with the aid of the Holy Spirit let us consider now:

THE GLORY OF THE HOLY MINISTRY,

and then how this is evident from the fact that in this ministry you

1) are being sent by God.

2) You are being sent for the salvation of souls, and

3) you are being sent to preach the Gospel of Christ.

1.

The glory of the Ministry of the Word is already set forth by the praise which the Lord gives it in our text. In it he of course calls upon all the world to regard and to honor the bearers of this ministry as his servants. However, its glory is evident most clearly from this that it was instituted by God himself, the almighty Creator of heaven and earth, the Majesty who is enthroned on high, our Redeemer and Sanct-ifier, our Lord and Judge. That is why the very men who carry out his ministry are called "the ministers of Christ and the stewards of God" in our text, as they who are sent out by him, the Lord of glory himself, and are installed by God himself to direct the stewardship in the house of God and to give him an account of it. In 2 Corinthians Paul calls them "messengers in Christ's stead." (8:23.) In Acts he says, "The Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God." (20:28.) in the Epistle to the Ephesians, "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets, and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry." (3:11.12.)

When a powerful prince sends his ambassador, how humble does not that man feel then over toward his lord and yet also how highly honored by him! How faithfully does he not seek to carry out his mission, how careful is he not to convey the message correctly, and how sensitive of his lord's protection! He knows that his prince looks upon an affront against the ambassador as though it was committed against himself, his own person and honor, and that he will avenge it as such.

How much more then should not we who are stewards of the Most High, his ambassadors who is the Lord of lords and the King of kings, we who are "ambassadors in Christ's stead," yes, "workers together with God," feel ourselves humble over toward the divine Majesty, and yet besides, how highly honored by being entrusted with such a mission by him! Yes, how is it possible that we could rightly think of this and yet enter thoughtlessly upon the mission of such a Majesty! He, before whom the kingdoms of the earth tremble, who uses the winds as his servants and whose commands the holy angels stand ready to carry out, he, you see, lowers himself to us who are dust and ashes, poor worms, and chooses us over the angels to be bearers of this ministry, to be messengers of the Gospel! How can anyone who is conscious of these things take on such a mission without holy earnestness, without deep reverence, without heartfelt confidence! If they apply anywhere, the words which Moses heard at the burning bush apply here, "Draw not nigh hither: put off your shoes from off your feet, for the place whereon you stand is holy ground." (Ex. 3:5.) If you are genuinely convinced what Majesty it is who has entrusted his message to you, how dare you then presume to misrepresent or just to adjust it? How dare you then risk uttering your own thoughts, the doctrines of men instead of the counsel and will of the divine Majesty?

And just as you will then strive after demonstrating the greatest faithfulness , faithfulness in the least details, in little things as well as in big things, so will you then also be zealous of your Lord's honor. Personal insults, contempt, yes, hatred, you are always to bear patiently. Often, you must keep quiet about it. But scorn for the ministry, contempt for the message you bring, the misrepresentation and the adul-teration of it can bring, that you must not tolerate. You are to see in it a violation of the divine Majesty himself and be inflamed to defend and to sacrifice everything for your Lord's honor in holy zeal. Here you are to say: "The zeal of your house has eaten me up." (Jo. 2:17.) That's why David says, "I hate them that hate you." (Ps. 139:21.) Cursed here is every yielding, every complaisance! That is not zeal, not humility, not faithfulness, but thoughtlessness, presumptuous arrogance and impudent unfaithfulness over toward the Most Holy.

Nor of course is it hidden to us that that is how the Lord himself regards the matter. Surely it is written, "Add nothing to the word, so that he shall not punish you, and you shall be found to be liars." (De. 4:2; Re. 2:2.) Likewise Scripture says, "Be not deceived, God is not mocked," (Ga. 6:7) even if it is only against his insignificant servant who is shown contempt and violence is practiced. Because the Lord has said this, "As my Father has sent me, even so send I you," (Jo. 20:21) and, "Whoever receives you re-ceives me; he that despises you despises me." (Mt. 10:40; Lk. 10:16.) Therefore we also hear him cry out in warning, "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm!" (1 Ch. 16:22.)

Confidently and securely therefore can a servant of the Lord also go his way and present his message without needing to look to the right or to the left because "if God be for us, who can be against us?" (Ro. 8:31.) Thus we know also of course that at the very time when Christ gave his command, "Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature," (Mk. 16:15) that he also added the promise, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Mt. 28:20.) Therefore a servant of the Lord, a mess-enger of Christ can also comfort himself with the words which he speaks to the prophet Jeremiah, "For, behold, I have made you this day a defensed city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the Lord. And they shall fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you, saith the Lord, to deliver you." (1:18.19.)

But even if a servant of the Word may feel himself both honored and confident in the certainty that he is a servant of the Most High sent out and protected by him, he has no reason to behave arrogantly because of that. On the contrary, the thought of what kind of Lord he is who uses him as his servant will make him humble. He is and remains forever always only a servant of Christ, therefore never a lord over the flock. If he finds trouble, mockery and contempt, then he is to know that "the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the ser-vant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?" (Mt. 10:24.25.) Also the feeling of the responsibility you owe him who has in-stituted the Ministry of the Word and who has entrusted it to you, can do nothing other than humble you and awaken earnestness in your soul. How soon is not the day's work at its end! How quickly does not the day come when the steward is asked about his faithfulness; when you shall give account to him, the righteous Judge, and account for the talent entrusted to you!

Thus may God then help you, dear brethren, that it may always be vivid before your souls that you are servants of our Lord Christ and stewards of God the Most High, so that you may carry out the ministry entrusted to you with the earnestness and the sincerity, the humility and soberness, the confidence and assurance without which you will not be able to be found faithful in the ministry!

2.

Now, my friends, we turn in our consideration to that which is God's purpose and goal with the estab-lishment of this Holy Ministry. And if we reflect upon the fact that it is nothing less than the salvation and eternal blessedness of souls which the Lord is earnestly seeking through it, then the great importance and the exalted significance of this ministry will be even more evident, because the apostle Paul of course says to Timothy, "Take heed unto yourself, and unto the doctrine, continue in them: for in doing this you shall both save yourself, and them that hear you." (1 Ti. 4:16.) Likewise he also says, "And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Co. 5:18.)

We often worry about caring for the body's well-being. Although it is our duty to take proper care of our body, and we can never thank God sufficiently for his blessings upon our bodies, what is the body however in comparison with the immortal soul? Even if it has lost the image of God in which it was cre-ated through the fall into sin, it is however immortal and eternal. And when this body of ours has at last crumbled, become food for the worms and returned again to the earth from whence it was taken, then the soul has already received "the things done in the body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Co. 5:10.) Then the soul is already enjoying an eternal, unalterable blessedness without any interruption, or, it is undergoing an eternal, excruciating torment and pain without once having the relief with which self-delusion and a false hope here on earth can deceive the soul troubled by a guilty conscience. Therefore the Savior also admonishes us, "Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body what you shall put on," but "seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Mt. 6:25.33.) And he shouts to us, "What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mt. 16:26.) Now of course the preaching ministry was instituted exactly for this purpose that we could be raised up from the fall, so that, born again through the "incorruptible seed," (1 Pe. 1:23) the Word of God which is "Spirit and life," (Jo. 6:63) we could "be created in right-eousness and true holiness" (Ep. 4:24) in the image of him who created us, and "speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head" (Ep. 4:15) and thus be sanctified in order to "live and reign with him for ever."

But, my friends, if God has now set so wonderful a goal for our work in the ministry, if he has promised so wonderful a fruit from this work of ours, namely, the salvation of redeemed souls, if he has honored us weak men, us poor sinners so highly that he has chosen us to be "fishers of men," (Mk. 1:17) his own in-struments for the saving of fallen souls from the everlasting sorrow of hell so that they should be partakers in the blessed joy of the kingdom of heaven, then away with all stupidity and lukewarmness, all false and hypocritical being, then "cursed be he that does the work of the Lord deceitfully!" (Je. 48:10.) But then also, away with all faintheartedness and despair because he who has placed us in this lofty, responsible work "will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1Ti. 2:4.) Yes, there is joy over one sinner who repents. On the other hand, he will also require from us the blood of those who are lost through our fault. O, should we not then with the greatest earnestness and zeal, with joy and fear-lessness take hold of a work which in the proper understanding is the Lord's work through which God's holy angels rejoice and immortal souls are saved from hell's eternal flames? What trouble, dear brethren, should really be too great, what privation, what suffering too heavy, where the saving of souls for eternity is concerned, souls for which God's Son has poured out his own precious blood! Now then, "work while it is day! the night coming, when no man can work." (Jo. 9:4.)

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!

3.

Then finally, my dear friends, if we look at the essence or the quality of the preaching ministry from the means with which God has given us to work for reaching that goal, the salvation of souls, then the glory of this ministry meets us also from this side.

It is over the mysteries of God that the apostle says in our text that the bearers of the ministry should be stewards. But by these mysteries which they should distribute to the people of the household of God as faithful stewards, are meant of course the spiritual goods, the heavenly treasures which God the Father has appointed for us from eternity and which Jesus Christ has acquired for us with his blood and with his death, treasures which make their possessors eternally blessed. Because these goods and glorious treasures are of course the forgiveness of sins and peace, the crown of righteousness and the imperishable wreath of glory. These treasures are called mysteries because they are hidden to the human spirit and are foolishness to the natural man. (1 Co. 2:9-14.)

These goods and treasures are now held out and distributed to poor sinners in the Means of Grace, the Word and the Sacraments. Through these Means of Grace flow streams of grace and blessedness from the depths of merciful love in the Father-heart of God to the heart of the poor sinner, healing, comforting and consoling it. It's true, these treasures of grace are insignificant and plain-looking to the carnal mind, just as the Means of Grace which bear them in their bosom, yes, just as the appearance of the Lord of glory was in the days of his flesh. But, dear friend, name for me more precious and more glorious treasures! What, for example, are all the wisdom and splendor of the world, all its honor and glory, its pleasures and tranquility, its piousness and virtue, in comparison with these spiritual, heavenly, eternal goods and treas-ures? What are the world's riches and glory compared with the spiritual riches which he possesses whom God through the Word, forgives all his sins, in Christ Jesus adopts him as his dear child and makes to be an heir of the glory of heaven? He does indeed possess Jesus Christ, the express image of God's glory, his heart's dearest treasure, and in and with him to whom heaven and earth belong are added to him all other things.

What are all the world's pleasures compared to the peace which surpasses all understanding, to the joy of the Holy Spirit, to the forgiveness of sins, this heavenly manna of which the hungry soul eats, and hun-gers no more, this refreshing and regenerating fountain of life by which the faint soul is refreshed and daily comes for new life-giving strength, just as thirsty deer from the spring of water in the wilderness!

What are the best peace and quiet of family life compared to the pardoned sinner's comfort, the rest of the soul which weary workers have in the Savior's arms! What are the hole-riddled and filthy garments of human virtue compared to the radiant robe of Christ's righteousness, whiter than snow, more radiant than the sun! What is the bejeweled crown of the most mighty prince compared to the crown of life which the Lord has reserved for his elect! What is the most beautiful bridal wreath compared to the unfading wreath of glory with which the heavenly Bridegroom adorns his betrothed bride, the believing soul, on its festive day!

Yes, "all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away: but the word of the Lord endures for ever!" (1 Pe. 1:24.25.)

And it is through this Word of his that the Lord not merely tells us of all these wonderful treasures which his Son has acquired for us, yes, neither merely holds them out to us in a way. How would even that help us since we are dead in trespasses and sins? We could however not accept these wonderful trea-sures by our own strength or believe so exceedingly great a grace. Yes, the more we learn to understand and to feel the depth of our fall, the less will we be able to believe that the holy God against whom alone we have sinned is so gracious toward us and is in earnest in giving us such incomparable treasures And what good then does all their sweetness, all their glory do us? They are of course still not ours. But at this very point the glory of the Holy Ministry which is entrusted to us is revealed even more in the fact that the Word of God is not like the words of men, powerless to help the helpless, but it is "Spirit and life," mighty to the pulling down of strongholds, also of the devil's in a poor sinner's heart. It not merely crushes the poor sinner but it also heals and raises him up. It regenerates him, namely through the Spirit of God which dwells in him, the frightened sinner's heart and works in him the justifying faith through which he becomes a child of God, an heir of the kingdom of heaven, blessed in time and eternity if he re-mains in faith until the end. "Is not my word," says the Lord, "like as a fire and like as a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" (Je. 23:29.) And again Scripture says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (He. 4:12.) That is why the apostle Paul testifies also to the Romans, "the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salva-tion to every one who believes," (1:16) and Peter, "You are born again, not of corruptible seed, but of in-corruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever." (1 Pe. 1:23.)

And now, my dear brethren, when we now have such treasures to distribute which can make the poorest people rich and the most wretched blessed, how can we then go to our work coldly and indifferently or do it as they who halt between two opinions? And when God himself now arrays us in "the full armor of God" for the battle, and above all, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, what do we then have to pride ourselves in as if we were capable of accomplishing something by ourselves? And when he not only hands us such spiritual weapons for the fight "which are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds," (2 Co. 10:4) even the strongest which the devil can erect around a poor sinner's heart, but he himself even fights for us and with us, and blesses our work and gives us victory in the battle, why then are we despondent and do we let our hands drop? "When I am weak," says the apostle, "then am I strong." (2 Co. 12:10.) Therefore, go confidently to the work in the Lord's name! "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and does not return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Is. 55:10.11.)

Therefore, brethren, since the Lord has now called us to "catch me," (Lk. 5:10) then let us also leave all things behind and follow him! Let us not be idle where diligence is called for! Let us not become weary of holding forth the gift, proclaiming the heavenly message! "He that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." (Ga. 6:8.) And even if we must go and sow the seed in tears we shall however someday gather our sheaves with rejoicing. Halleluia!

Now I could of course, my dear brethren, in order to set forth the glory of this Holy Ministry even more, point out in closing, what co-laborers you have in this work, the holy prophets and apostles, yes, the Son of man himself; however, let this be enough! Because this much is sure: No office is as exalted and glor-ious as the Ministry of the Word. No work can be compared with the preaching ministry in importance for time and eternity, in power and might, in glory and honor. Therefore, let us be faithful, faithful unto death! Because "it is required in stewards that they be faithful."

And then, dear brethren, when you lay down your pilgrim's staff and long for rest after faithful service, weary and exhausted from the work and the battle, then shall also the Lord's friendly voice speak into your ears, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of your Lord!" (Mt. 25:21.) Then shall also the glory of this ministry, whose servants you were here in great weakness, finally shine forth through your revelation in glory when he fulfills his promise upon you, "And they that be wise shall shine as the bright-ness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." (Da. 12:3.)

Grant it, Lord, for Jesus' sake! Amen.

Kirketidende, January 19, 1877, pages 33-42.

A search of Festskrift yields these apparent ordinands:

Nils A. Forde

Halvor B. Hustvedt

Olaf Mandt

Jrgen Nordby

Christian Keyser Preus

Andreas R. A. Rystad

Thore Pedersen Schesvold

Viking Larsen Seim

Hans P. Solstad

Nils P. Xavier