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In the liturgy, Christ is present, self-giving, and ever-addressing his people.
There’s a neglected premise latent in St Peter’s declaration, “Baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21). The premise offers this truth: Christ is present and self-giving in his liturgy. Preaching, absolution, baptism, and communion are his Bible-based liturgical gifts in which our Lord gives us not only the forgiveness of sins but within that great phrase also unlocks a kingdom of divine gifts, supremely the Son and the Spirit (Col. 3:1-4; 2 Cor. 1:22).
Since the doctrines of justification and regeneration by grace alone on account of Jesus Christ alone were most clearly articulated and presented by multifaceted liturgical expressions designed by God Himself, Luther and Melanchthon were eager to see people brought to church. In church, Christ is encountered. In the liturgy, Christ is present, self-giving, and ever-addressing his people. Confidence, therefore, ran high among the first, second, and third generations of Lutheran reformers concerning the purpose of gospel proclamation, catechesis, and liturgical exercises: the Son of God active and present in the word and sacraments that were committed to the Church, indeed, such that constituted and perpetuated the Church throughout the centuries. The Lord’s Supper, then, was not considered incidental to evangelism and Christian discipleship, but the heart of both.
In the intervening 500 years, nothing has changed concerning the presence and promises of God. Every facet of the liturgy offers missional evangelism and Christian sanctification tethered to the promises, presence, and activity of God. The purpose of the liturgy is to bring sinners into encounters with Christ. For the unbeliever, that means salvation. For the Christian, it means life-altering engagements with God the Son. Through the liturgy, Christ is reliably encountered by the Church to foster security (assurance) and transformation (Ephesians 5:25-32) as well as baptism for the unbeliever, Holy Communion for the baptized, and the Word of God for both.
In the Old Testament, the missional enterprise of God’s people, along with their own deepening in faith, was carried out through doxology built into the liturgy. Psalm 105, for example, stands as one of the scores of texts where the outward and missional thrust of liturgical participation is manifest, as well as sweet adoration of the Lord by his people:
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones! (Ps. 106:1-6)
In this song of praise, the imperative carries with it an indicative: “Make known his deeds among the peoples.” The “deeds” that are to be made known to the Gentile nations (i.e., unbelieving peoples) are God’s gracious deeds, particularly his covenant of grace established with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (vv. 8–11). This kind of praise is bound up with affection, feelings of love, and gratitude. Consequently, such proclamatory praise sings of God to others but also occurs, quite consciously, in the hearing of the Lord. In this way, praise commingles with adoration. Liturgical rehearsing of the deeds, miracles, and judgments of the Lord purposes to bring all to “seek his presence.” That’s nothing other than a liturgical encounter, an encounter with the God who is present and actively performing deeds, miracles, and judgments.
God’s great acts are to be made known to the peoples, both believers and unbelievers, in liturgical songs by doxological “singing” and “praising,” but also by liturgical responses like antiphonal “telling” and the confessional “remembering” of God’s gospel deeds. The covenant people of God had that responsibility: get the word out. It comes with notes of duty to God, yes, but also for the souls of people outside the covenant community. The purpose of such liturgical retelling by Israel was not merely historical remembrance but an encounter with the Lord himself.
When praising God in the assembly of believers, there is the proclamation of the character and deeds of God in the hearing of all present. For unbelievers, salvation from sin and lostness is on offer. For believers, the joyful, soul-fortifying encounter with the Lord rises to the fore.
Luther comments on Psalm 105 by saying the church is uniquely distinguished from unbelievers precisely by its privilege of rejoicing in the name of God before the nations of the world. Two things, therefore, belong to the believer: First, an illumined recognition of the Lord’s words and deeds (they have ears to hear and eyes to see the spiritual reality of things), along with affections for the Lord present in his word and deeds. This has the effect of altering the mood of the imperative to “sing praises” and “tell” to one of indicative: from a disposition of joy, love, and confidence, the covenant people of God praise him in the assembly, indeed, even in the hearing of the unbeliever. This aspect of the liturgy, then, is not merely a style of worship but a theology of worshipful evangelism and adoring transformation. Unbelievers hear the good news, and believers are conformed to the likeness of the Lord God whom they worship. When praising God in the assembly of believers, there is the proclamation of the character and deeds of God in the hearing of all present. For unbelievers, salvation from sin and lostness is on offer. For believers, the joyful, soul-fortifying encounter with the Lord rises to the fore.
Things are only intensified in the New Covenant. “Unbelievers or outsiders” are not merely invited into the worship of God by his adoring people. Instead, they are expected to be there, just as we find them present in 1 Corinthians 14:22–25. There, St Paul assumes their attendance and anticipates their response to the liturgical features of the gathered Church. The Lord Jesus performs his word, deeds, miracles, and judgments in the liturgical assembly. In the efficacious hearing of God’s Word, the “unbeliever or outsider…is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.” That which evokes the awe, conversion, and worship of sinners saved by grace is the Lord forgiving the sins of people and comforting them with his Word and sacrament presence (1 Cor. 1:18–31, 10:16–22, 11:20–29). Christ is present both to make disciples and deepen discipleship. Paul could not be more explicit, through the liturgy, “God is really among you.”
It has to be said that the most explosive means of God-inspired, theology-laden, liturgical missional activity comes by way of Holy Baptism. Neither going door-to-door, having tent revivals, nor even stadium crusades have been the greatest vehicle of Christian evangelization. In every age of the church, baptism—particularly infant baptism—has been the overwhelmingly greatest means of expanding the church. Christians have babies and, in faith, bring those babies to Christ for Holy Baptism.
Through baptizing adults and children alike, the Lord Jesus has built into the covenant of grace an evangelistic liturgical feature that ensures the propagation of the faith where the Lord does all the work and receives all the glory. If pastors and parishioners desire to see the church grow, then they would do well to break out their baptismal liturgy and start asking people in their church, neighborhood, and workplace if they or their children have been baptized. Following this question, you will find a great deal of gospel discussion taking place. Equally effective for the enjoyment and enrichment of our holy faith, encourage couples within Holy Matrimony to have children — birthed and adopted — and bring them to the font of encounter. The Word of God should be preached to that end, namely extolling the blessings of family, a family formed and purposed in faith.
Nothing but God’s outward, objective sacrament speech act makes and defines persons as sons and daughters of God.
A rigorous theology and practice of baptism keeps the Church mission-minded and thoroughly evangelistic. It is a mighty deed of the Lord, a miraculous act, and absolving judgment — giving the people of God much about which to praise and adore Him. Thus, no standard of law, no decisional reliance, no self-evaluation, nothing but God’s outward, objective sacrament speech act makes and defines persons as sons and daughters of God. His grace in Christ alone fills the mouths of Christians with praise, and the liturgy gives us the words to do so most fittingly and truthfully. The evangelism of baptism covers all persons within its scope, just as in the Old Testament, but this time bringing the fulfillment of the promises of grace. Unbelievers, like Gentiles of old, come to believe the gospel and are baptized into the covenant (Mark 16:16), while the children of believers inherit the gospel benefits by way of God’s promise (Acts 2:39; Luke 19:15). Either way, the liturgical rite of baptism engenders query and conversation, even self-evaluation by unbelievers, especially when it is regularly taking place during the Divine Service. Its remembrance is constantly on the lips and at the fingertips of believers (for those who make the sign of the cross) and give rise to doxological proclamation and adoration.
As a pastor frequently found in urban and collegiate settings, I am ever amazed at the openness of people to enjoin discussions that move from baptism to Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom. 6:1–11). All of my best evangelistic moments have started with asking either of these simple questions: Are you baptized? Has your child been baptized? Mission strategies have to take into account the obvious confessional direction offered in biblical baptism-evangelism. Then, once the conversation has been opened, I invite them to the domain of encounter: the liturgy of the Divine Service. Since I cannot convert the soul nor engender illumination, I bring them to the threshold of the Kingdom that they may hear and see that “God is really among you.” Indeed, he is among us, working mighty deeds and miracles out of his great love for us. This, in turn, constitutes the affections of our doxological liturgy. And, so, we have come full circle: confidence in the Divine Liturgy saves and sanctifies because, in it, Christ is present as our salvation and life.
