Servants of Christ

Servants of Christ

Gaudete, the Third Sunday in Advent – 12/14/2025

1 Corinthians 4:1-5

Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer

                That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Epistle lesson from First Corinthians in the fourth chapter, with special emphasis on verse one which reads as follows:

“This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“That we may obtain this faith, the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted.” So begins Article V of the Augsburg Confession. After confessing who God is, what sin is, and how we are justified by Christ alone, the Reformers knew the next question would arise immediately: If Christ has won forgiveness, life, and salvation for us, how does He give these gifts to us now? The answer is not left to guesswork or human invention. Christ Himself established a means by which His saving work is delivered with certainty. He sends you a pastor.

Christ Institutes the Pastoral Office

Scripture teaches that the pastoral office is not a human tradition or a pragmatic structure created for efficiency. It is Christ’s own institution. Just as God established father and mother for the good of the family, Christ instituted the preaching office for the good of His Church.

St. Paul says, “How are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?”[2] The Lord Himself creates this office because He desires that His Word be proclaimed not vaguely, not accidentally, and not anonymously, but concretely and publicly so that His sheep receive His gifts with clarity.

This is why the public ministry is the bedrock of the Church’s life. Other activities may help, but the heart of the Church is simple: Christ speaks. Christ forgives. Christ baptizes. Christ feeds.And He does this through men He has called, trained, and placed into the pastoral office.

Because Christ instituted this office, it is not optional. Congregations are not free to dissolve it, redefine it, or assign its responsibilities wherever they wish. The Lord has entrusted His Word and Sacraments to a specific stewardship so that they are administered with order and the people of God do not live in uncertainty or confusion.

At the same time, the office is not a personal possession of the pastor. It is Christ’s office, entrusted to a steward. A steward is one who takes care of and uses something that belongs to another, greater authority. The pastor stands under orders. He is bound to Scripture and accountable to Christ and to the Church.

The Office is Public, not Private

Christ has arranged things so that the ministry is not secretive or ambiguous. Call, ordination, and installation are public for a reason: the Church must be able to identify who is responsible for preaching and administering the Sacraments. This protects the congregation from false teachers and private self-appointed prophets. It also comforts the conscience. You are not left to wonder who speaks for Christ among you. You are not asked to guess whether the Word you hear is authorized by your Lord.

When the pastor preaches in this place, it is not a personal performance or the expression of a private spirituality. It is a public office, carried out on behalf of Christ and for the sake of His people. Christ sends you your pastor, yes, even the ones that you don’t care for. This office is His and the call through this church is His as well.

The Priesthood of all Believers and the Pastoral Office

Every Christian is a priest before God. You are able to pray, confess the faith, read the Scriptures, encourage the weak, teach the young, and speak the Gospel to your neighbor. You are not shut out from God’s Word. But the public administration of Word and Sacraments is entrusted to those called to do so on behalf of the congregation. This is not a limitation of your Christian freedom. It is Christ’s ordering of His Church for your benefit.

The universal priesthood and the pastoral office are not competitors. They serve one another. The one provides the steady public proclamation of Christ’s gifts; the other lives out the Christian life in homes, workplaces, and friendships. The body has many members, and Christ assigns each its work.

Pastors Act in the Stead and by the Command of Christ

When a pastor absolves you, he does not offer his own pardon or his own authority. Christ says, “He who hears you hears Me.”[3] When your pastor baptizes, Christ is the One washing. When he places the Body and Blood of Jesus in your mouths, Christ is the One feeding you. When he preaches, Christ is the One calling sinners to repentance and faith. This is your comfort: the certainty of the Gospel never depends on the pastor’s personality, cleverness, or moral greatness. The power is Christ’s. The gifts are Christ’s. The promise is Christ’s. The pastor is the vessel and steward.

Pastors Preach, Teach, and Administer the Sacraments

The core duties of the pastoral office remain the same in every age and culture. The pastor must: proclaim the whole counsel of God, teach Christian doctrine, administer Baptism, preside at the Lord’s Supper, forgive and retain sins, comfort the suffering, correct those in error, seek out those who stray, exercise church discipline when needed, and prepare the faithful for death and the resurrection to come. None of this is glamorous. All of it is necessary. Christ knows what His sheep need, so He places shepherds to do this work in His name.

Pastors Serve Under Scripture and Can be Held Accountable               

Christ never gives pastors unchecked authority. The office is ministerial, not magisterial. Pastors serve the Word; they do not rule over it. They serve the congregation; they do not dominate it. This means a congregation must hold its pastor to Scripture. Should he teach falsely, neglect his duties, or fall into scandal, the Church must correct and, when necessary, remove him for the sake of the flock. Pastors call their people to repentance; the Church may call the pastor to repentance as well.

The Purpose of the Pastor is Salvation

The authority of the pastoral office exists only for one purpose: the salvation of Christ’s people. Every aspect of the pastoral vocation is directed toward that one goal of keeping the flock in Christ until the Last Day. The pastor’s labor is not finally about programs, meetings, administration, or public visibility. It is about preparing souls for the resurrection.

Your pastor is God’s gift to you for that purpose. He preaches so that you trust Christ’s promises. He absolves so that you know Christ’s forgiveness is for you. He baptizes so that you are united to Christ’s death and resurrection. He feeds you with the Supper so that you are sustained in faith. He visits, counsels, consoles, warns, and intercedes so that you do not drift away from the faith but endure to eternal life. This is Christ’s care for you.

The pastor is only the instrument; Christ is the Shepherd. Through this office, Christ ensures that His Gospel is not far from you, not conditional, not theoretical, but placed directly into your ears and into your very body.

Christ gives this office because He wants you to have certainty. Certainty that your sins are forgiven. Certainty that God is gracious to you. Certainty that you belong to Christ. Certainty that you will be raised on the Last Day.

In the Holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] 1 Corinthians 4:1 English Standard Version. All further quotations from the Holy Scriptures are from the ESV unless specified otherwise.

[2] Romans 10:14

[3] Luke 10:16