Our preaching is not in vain

(LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

By James Baneck

Why is everyone in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) making such a big deal about forming and recruiting our boys and men to be pastors?

The answer to this question lies in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Sin is a reality no one can escape. God’s Word confronts us with this awful truth: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned — every one — to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). The power and impact of our sin is eternal death and hell.

In His incomprehensible mercy and love, God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to take our sin and death into His own flesh. He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). As our substitute, He died on the cross, bearing God’s judgment and wrath for us all.

And then, after three days’ sleep in death, Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead! In His death and resurrection, our sin is forgiven. Satan is crushed. Death and hell are conquered. With angels and archangels, with organ and trumpet, with every instrument of praise, with choirs and soaring descant, with the whole church of Christ, we sing the eternal hymn of our salvation, “Had Christ, who once was slain, Not burst His three-day prison, Our faith had been in vain: But now has Christ arisen, arisen, arisen; But now has Christ arisen!” (Lutheran Service Book 482).

Now, you may ask, what does this have to do with pastors? St. Paul writes, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. … But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Cor. 15:14, 20). Our preaching is not in vain.

Our risen Lord established the Office of the Holy Ministry to proclaim the crucified and risen Christ into the ears of the hearer. The sermon in the Divine Service is a miraculous, God event. In those 15–20 minutes, the Holy Spirit is planting the crucified and risen Christ — with all of His salvation power — into the ear of the hearer, creating, nourishing and sustaining saving faith in all who believe.

St. Paul writes, “And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? … So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:14–15, 17).

When our pastor speaks the Word of Christ into our ears, he is not just telling us about Jesus; he is literally proclaiming Christ into us, into our body and soul, faith and life. And this happens not just from the pulpit, but at the birth and Baptism of our children, when we lie sick in the hospital, and when our sinful conscience grieves us. The pastor speaks Christ into our broken lives when our marriage is struggling, when we are troubled over our children making ungodly decisions, and when the trauma of war and disaster torment us. Called by God, pastors speak the crucified and risen Christ into our ear at the marriage of our children, at the death of our loved ones and at our last hour.

Our preaching is not in vain because its content and power to comfort and save us is Jesus Christ who died and rose from the dead for our salvation. This is why we make such a big deal about forming and recruiting our boys and men to be pastors.

We also make a big deal of forming and recruiting our girls and boys, men and women to commissioned offices the LCMS established in love to support the Office of the Holy Ministry. The Lutheran teacher teaches Christ to our children. The director of Christian education teaches God’s Word to youth and adults. The director of parish music teaches God’s Word through sacred texts.

Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is not just another Synod program. It’s the church doing what she does as an Easter people — forming and recruiting pastors and commissioned church workers.

Learn more about SAS.

The Rev. Dr. James Baneck ( james.baneck@lcms.org ) is executive director of the LCMS Office of Pastoral Education.

Posted April 6, 2026