They didn’t hear that the attacks were some special judgment upon those who suffered loss or who perished, or that “they” deserved what they got.  Rather they heard the words of Christ, Luke 13:5 “I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

They didn’t hear that there was something we did to make other people take the life of noncombatant civilians in an act of terrorism.  They didn’t hear that if we had just the right policies we would have no enemies.  Instead they heard the words of Christ, Matthew 15:19  “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”

They didn’t hear an analysis of American foreign policy or a parsing of whose fault it was – Democrat or Republican, Clinton or Bush, because those are the responsibility of the government, not the church.  Romans 13:1–5 (excerpts)  “…The authorities that exist have been established by God. …He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.”

They didn’t hear that God is “on our side,” as though this nation is not a nation of sinners.  This is a nation of sinners as much as any other.  Instead they were reminded of the word of the Angel of God to Joshua before the taking of Jericho:  Joshua 5:13–14 (NIV84) “Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, …”

They didn’t hear that there is really one god, and that all religions are just different ways to find him/her/it.  Instead they heard, Acts 4:12 (NIV84) “Salvation is found in no one else [than Jesus Christ], for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Now that ten years have passed, we may well ask again, “What is the church of Christ to say to those who live in a world where people seek to establish a power for religious (Islamic) purposes or for personal or political purposes over others, and resort to terrorism to do so?

1. Sin is the problem.  Murder rises out of the evil heart of man. We live in a broken world that will not be “fixed” but must be remade.
2. Through the various vocations in which He places people, including the vocation of warrior, God defends and protects people, just as he uses farmers to feed, etc.  He also uses citizens in our country to choose who governs.
3. God has entered this broken world in the person of Jesus Christ, who has atoned for the sins of the world, and by his turning back the blindness, sickness, hurt, disease, and death He has shown that He is the Savior of this world.
4. The message of the church, therefore, is to speak first of our sin and our Savior, warning that our sins have separated mankind from God, and that we have been reconciled through the word of Christ.
5. The calling of the church as the followers of Christ is to speak this word, and to reflect the unmerited love of Christ in what we do.
6. We are to pray for governments that they may faithfully defend the upright; we are to pray for the free course of God’s word and the conversion of all who do not have faith in Christ.
7. We are to attend to our vocations as parents, citizens, husband, wife, son, daughter, and all things, so that we may honor our Savior and be His blessing to others.

Throughout History, the church has been speaking to a broken, suffering world.  We will speak words of eternal hope in Jesus Christ our Lord until He comes again in glory to usher in His kingdom in all its fullness.

Share on Facebook

I.  Light Removes the Shadow of Death
II. Fishers-of-men Gather People In
III. We Have Received the Light

Listen

Share on Facebook

I. Not Our Culture’s Kind of Profit
II. The Profit of Faith and a Changed Heart
III. The Profit of Everlasting Life

Conclusion: Keep the Faith

Share on Facebook

Earthly joys turned out to be an illusion. As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we already know this, although a reminder is in order from time to time.  But Paul is going beyond this natural wisdom in our text for today.  Godliness (a word Paul uses ten times in the letters to Timothy) makes for an even better life than contentment alone. “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

 “Godliness” is a living, practiced, Christianity.  Although for some it conjures up pictures of people in drab clothes making a show of religion, Paul’s use of “godliness” means a living and vibrant faith that permeates life.  It is about Christians living in hope and expectation in every part of life.  It is about having meaning to life as we know that the life we live is appreciated by our Lord and Creator.  He has called us to live with affection and zeal and energy in all our callings, giving meaning to all of them, for we are part of the new age that Christ brought about in His defeat of death and hell.  Because of that, we live in expectation of the fullness of that age when our Lord appears, or calls us to Him.

It goes beyond mere contentment.

Share on Facebook

It’s not surprising, then that many people are leaving the Christian church and not returning.  Besides that, between the number of senior citizens and the low birth rate among Christians we are not “replacing ourselves”.  And you can add to all this the fact that fewer people are turning in repentance and faith to Christ.  Even the churches that are growing are doing so significantly at the expense of other churches – and at the expense of the truth of the Christian faith, for that matter.

In contrast cults like Mormonism are refining their message according to what people want to hear in order to gain numbers.  Islam is making great inroads into our country through immigration, high birth rates, and zealous proclamation of their false faith.

So what should we do?  Some churches water down the truth so as not to offend the unbelieving world; but what good is it to have members who still reject the truth of the Bible?  Others try to cover over the truth with a change in style.  But the timeless message of salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ Jesus is a universal message, and every style you choose leaves out others.

I spent two days this last week at a strategic planning session for our synod.  We, after study, have concluded that we Christians tend to talk about our faith to one another, so we need to learn to engage others with Jesus.  I think you know that also, and that it is something we all struggle with.  Clarity of communication, friendliness, and showing true love to one another are all important, but the gospel is first and foremost, as Paul says in Romans 1:16-17 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

It is God who builds the church through His word, and the power is His not ours.  We can’t say whether the gospel will be accepted or rejected.  But we can rejoice in our Savior, and make sure that others know about him, as we have the ability an opportunity to do so.  After all, our great joy is that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – sinners like you and me.

Share on Facebook

The self-appointed rules and observances offered a feeling of special holiness while the supposed insights and even visions encouraged a feeling of possessing the keys to a special knowledge not known to others.  But it was hollow and deceptive.  Any holiness we might feel falls far short of the holiness that Christ gives, and any spiritual powers are nothing compared to the Creator who has redeemed us and made us his own.

Yet today also many are attracted by the pop spirituality and grow indifferent to the real treasure that we have in Christ.  Because of a “consumer mentality” toward faith, many view religion like a popular song, something they go to for the feelings that it gives until something else comes along, and helpful for coping with the troubles of life.

But as Paul points out in his letter to the Colossians, we shouldn’t settle for so little, because God doesn’t just have some cool things to say to help us cope, “…He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves…” (Col 1:13).  God Himself speaks to us through His word and gives us His own comfort of forgiveness and salvation.  In speaking His law and gospel to others, we are already ruling with Him in His kingdom of light that lasts forever.  When we think about it, who would want to give that up for just a little pop spirituality?

Share on Facebook

ONLY ONE THING COUNTS

I.     There Are Many Counterfeits
II.     There Is Only One True Hope

Share on Facebook

MANKATO, MINNESOTA— A local pastor, together with officials of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), a church body based in Mankato, noted with concern and disappointment the decision of the national convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), held in Minneapolis August 17-23, to allow the ordination of practicing homosexuals and lesbians as pastors of the church.

The smaller ELS is not affiliated with the larger ELCA, even though the names of the two churches are very similar.  The confusion of the names has led a number of local congregations to make the differences between the two church bodies very clear.  “We take God’s word very seriously,” said Pastor Edward Bryant, of St. Timothy Lutheran Church (ELS) in Lombard. “We don’t set it aside in order to accommodate practices that the Bible clearly teaches to be wrong.”

ELS President, Rev. John A. Moldstad, said:  “Ordaining practicing homosexuals and lesbians to the ministry is a serious departure from the Biblical standards of morality to which Lutherans and Lutheran pastors have historically been held.”  Moldstad clarified that, in contrast to the newly-adopted position of the ELCA, the position of the ELS on the matter of homosexuality and marriage is as follows:

We confess that Scripture condemns homosexuality and extra-marital relations (fornication and adultery) as sin. Nevertheless, when an individual caught up in such sins truly repents, the forgiveness of the Gospel is to be fully applied. We confess that the divine institution of marriage is to be heterosexual, in which, according to God’s design, a man and a woman may enjoy a life-long companionship in mutual love. We teach on the basis of Holy Scripture that marriage is the only proper context for the expression of sexual intimacy and for the procreation of children. See Rom. 1:26-27, 1 Cor. 6:9, 18 and 7:2-9, John 4:17-18, 1 John 1:9, Gen. 1:27-28 and 2:18-24, Matt. 19:4-6. (From We Believe, Teach, and Confess, adopted by the ELS in 1992)

Moldstad explained that ELS churches welcome into their midst those who may struggle with temptation toward a same-sex attraction, but who know in their conscience that this is wrong, and who seek God’s help in their struggle. Said Moldstad, “The ELS believes that in this world it is the duty of the church – as the body of Christ – to be a community of healing and reconciliation in the Gospel, and a beacon of hope to all humanity. And so, while the church is indeed called by the Lord to condemn as sin that which God condemns as sin, it is the church’s privilege also to offer and apply the grace, forgiveness, and acceptance of God, in Jesus Christ, to all who repent of their sins – whatever those sins may be.”

In addition to the similarity in names, the ELS shares a common heritage with some segments of the ELCA.  The Mankato-based group was organized in 1918 by pastors and congregations that had declined to enter a merger that formed one of the predecessor bodies of the ELCA.  The ELS has not participated in subsequent Lutheran mergers either – including the one that formed the ELCA in 1988 – because of what it saw as doctrinal compromises that these mergers represented.

President Moldstad may be contacted at the synod office in Mankato, by telephone (507-344-7354) or by email (elsynod@blc.edu). The synod’s web site is evangelicallutheransynod.org.  Pastor Bryant may be contacted at St. Timothy Lutheran church (630-627-2435). 

Share on Facebook

Please join us for our Fall Schedule Kick-Off on Sunday September 13.  There are a lot of great opportunities to better know your Savior!

Sunday Morning Bible Class & Sunday School

Something for all ages!  Kids have songs and crafts and Bible Stories.  Adults are studying the history behind the letters of the New Testament and the beginning of the church.  Sundays at 9:00 AM

Search the Scripture Hour

Classes meet Thursday evenings at 7 PM in a pleasant informal atmosphere in the Church library.  Classes start with an introductory session on Thursday, September 17, at 7pm.
 

Wednesday Bible Fellowship

Join us for an evening of good fellowship as we go over the key events in Biblical history that tell us how God promised the Savior, preserved the promise, fullfilled in, and brought the promise to the world.  Wednesdays at 7pm at the Parsonage, beginning September 16.

Youth Bible Fellowship

We gather for good fellowship and take some time to examine the challenges to our faith in the light of God’s word.  For high school and college students.

Share on Facebook

I.  The Holy Spirit Builds through the Word
II. The World’s Attitudes are Condemned and Corrected
III. The Spirit Gives Truth and Salvation

Share on Facebook