Dear Christian friends:

Eager to hear the word of men T.V., Schools, and magazines, but who is eager to hear the word of the Lord? 50% don't belong to any church. Only 1/2 of members go to church each Sunday. Below 10% go to Bible class. Only 5% have daily Bible reading and prayer at home.

And while God's messengers preach His Word and that word of God's Son crowned with thorns and nailed to a cross proving God's hatred of sin, but His victorious love for sinners, many in our nation cry "Away with Him, and chose Barabbas, like the mob before Pontius Pilate, rather than Jesus the Savior of their souls.

Then they are surprised because God suddenly takes away their president. Our nation should not be surprised. But rather humbly and with shame seek the voice of God. By our president's death God in mercy is warning our nation, "O earth, earth, earth, hear the Word of the Lord." As long as our nation refuses to hear God's Word and boldly and without shame breaks His Commandments - Bobby Baker scandal now. Bribery, cheating, crookedness in high government places. Our hatreds against the Negroes and others - as long as we mock His Commandments about holy marriage and sex - we cannot expect His blessing on our nation; But more trouble and destruction. But if our nation will hear God's kind and merciful Word in Jesus Christ God will bless and improve us. The Bible says: "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."

Our churches, too, in this crisis must with shame and grief attend to God's cry: "O earth, earth, earth, Hear the Word of the Lord."

Many churches today do not hear God's Word and teach it fully and truly. Teach and preach the words and ideas of man rather than the holy wonderful word's of God. They deny that the Bible is God's true Word. They deny that Jesus is the Son of God born of a virgin. They deny that there is a heaven and a hell. They teach that man can be saved by his own good character and works.

Many churches such as our Lutheran Church who teach and preach God's word correctly are not hearing His command to share that word with others, Mission work, Sunday School, Bible class. We are very careless to hear His Word about our duty to support Church. We deserve this trouble - God taking away our president. God is calling to our churches "O earth, earth, earth, hear the Word of the Lord." Hear God's Word, O Church. Be ashamed and grieve for your laziness and carelessness. Believe His wonderful promises that He will supply all your needs and be with you unto the end of the world as you faithfully do His work on earth.

By taking our president from us, God is crying not only to our nation and churches but also to each one of us seated here today. He cries to you and you and you: "O earth, earth, earth, Hear the Word of the Lord." Love His Holy Bible as your dearest thing on earth. Read it, study it, think about it all the time. Defend it with brave faith; because His Word gives that precious wonderful truth that God loves and forgives sinners through His crucified and risen Son, and it is the only truth upon which we can establish our hope for a happy future on earth and after we die.

You may be troubled by your sins and how easy you fall into temptation. But in His Word you have power that is stronger than mans might or Satan's legions - you have the blood of Jesus Christ which cleans us from all sins, the Spirit that can make you strong to live in right and holy ways.

You may be afraid because of the troubled news in the papers. You may tremble and fear when you think of old age and not enough money. You may worry about losing your job. You may have trouble and problems in your family with your wife or husband or children. But when you hear the Word of the Word, and in Jesus' name put all your troubles on Him because He cares for you: When you accept His gracious call, "Come unto Me, and you come trusting like children, your saddened, troubled heart will be filled with peaceful joy and hope. You will know that earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal. You will receive the comfort that God is stronger than you and can command by one Word the storms in your life to be still.

You may be faced with terrible sickness and death. Your doctor or pastor says you have only 2 months left to live. You may be 70 or over and you know God's limit of 3 score and ten years. You know your day to die is very near and you fear and despair. But if you turn from your helpless thoughts and the helpless friends and doctors and hear the Word of the Lord and His promise: "If a man keep My saying, He shall never see death", then, thank God, you know that although you die, you live, live in God now and forever.

Surely today in the death of our president God in great mercy and kindness admonishes us to "hear the Word of the Lord" with all its wonderful promises of support and life and glory. May God give us mercy and help to hear.

Amen.