May 17, 2026 Text: Acts 1:12-26
Dear Friends in Christ,
Matthias was called to an office job. Not in the clerical administrative way. His office job was a position of public authority and service. The Oval Office. It was around long before Donald Trump or Joe Biden. The office of the President of the United States is bigger than anyone who holds it.
Still bigger was the authority given to Matthias to proclaim the crucified and risen Savior. He was called to be an apostle. The sent ones. They were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ death and resurrection being sent to proclaim this Jesus. After Judas’ disgraceful betrayal, they needed to fill his position. Two men are put forward. Barsabbas and Matthias. After the assembly of believers prayed, “they cast lots on them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” (v. 26)
Pastors are called into the apostolic ministry. They are not eyewitnesses to Jesus’ death and resurrection, but like the apostles, they are called and ordained to say what Jesus said, nothing more and nothing less. For the Lord’s words, not ours, are the words of eternal life. That’s why we say . . .
“YOUR PASTOR HAS AN OFFICE JOB”
In this office job, your Pastor works in the stead and by the command of Jesus Christ. Pastors are not their own boss. It is God’s Work and Word at work in and through them. Pastors are called and ordained servants. The call makes a Pastor. When I graduated seminary if I hadn’t received a call to Emmanuel Lutheran in Littlefield, Texas, I might still be sitting in Ft. Wayne. Good Shepherd hasn’t had a call meeting in years because your Pastor just won’t leave. But someday you will. You will then decide – do we call from the field or the seminary? If you call from the field, you will get a list of names, pray about it and issue a call. Not much has changed since Matthias was called.
No matter which avenue you take you can be confident that whoever you call is well trained. He will have taken 139 hours of credit hours, he will have made calls at a nursing home and a hospital, he will be assigned to a local church and do the liturgy, preach and teach. His 3rd year, he will serve that full year in vicarage. He will be given even more responsibility and learn the day-to-day life of being a Pastor. He will return for his 4th year and use that knowledge to grow in the ministry. After receiving his call, if it is anything like your Pastor, he and his wife will get out of a U-Haul truck, and everybody welcomes him and calls him “Pastor.” He looks around for the Pastor and realizes it is him.
The men called to this profession are not perfect. Like the Apostle Paul, they have blemishes in their past. A few months ago, my seminary brother was here and commented that he and the brothers were surprised I went into the ministry. Why the comment? Because I had my less than perfect moments during my undergrad days. Every called Pastor has their own stories. But our socialization makes us who we are. Paul is considered a great apostle because his past guided his future.
What are the expectations for the congregation members? Let’s cite The Brief Statement of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod adopted in 1932. “Although the office of the ministry is a divine ordinance, it possesses no other power than the power of the Word of God, that is to say, it is the duty of Christians to yield unconditional obedience to the office of the ministry whenever, and as long as, the minister proclaims to them the Word of God.” It is quite simple. If the Pastor is doing his job, respect the office.
Pastors and lay people say and do things that fall short of the glory of God. It gets us into trouble. Your Pastor is put into his office, like Matthias, to carry out Christ’s mission for you. His stole is a reminder of the vow he made at ordination to preach and teach the Word of God faithfully and administer the Sacraments in accordance with the Lord’s Word.
Jesus prayed, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3). When you hear your Pastor proclaim Jesus’ words, words that forgive sins, words that are spirit and life, you know that you are forgiven, you have eternal life.
If you don’t like the sermon today, see the Lord about it. I only work here. This is an office job that is good for you and me. This office exists to proclaim the Word of God written for us so that, as John writes, “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)
Amen.