Faith and Why Some and not Others

Here is a current video from World View Everlasting (see link in the sidebar). It is an "Ask the Pastor" section and covers Faith (is it something we do or a gift) and why some are saved while others are not.



Blessings in Christ
Pastor John Rickert

Synod's June emphasis on parish education – timely and timeless‏

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Stay the course: teach, learn, live The headline was eye-catching: “Christians lose ground, ‘nones’ soar in new portrait of US religion.” The article’s first line was even more alarming: “The United States is a significantly less Christian country than it was seven years ago.” That Religion News Service article, reporting on a recent Pew Research Center report regarding the state of religion in America today, was meant to shock and awe. And it did, because the numbers don’t lie. The percentage of atheists and agnostics in the United States is growing. Persecution of Christians is on the rise. Christian morals and values are increasingly denounced in the public square. This shouldn’t scare us, and frankly, it shouldn’t surprise us. The Church has always been in the minority, because the Word of God has always been a stumbling block to those who don’t believe it. We are witnessing today what the apostles, the church fathers, the reformer and our LCMS forefathers all observed in their lifetimes as well. The good news? The Word of the Lord endures, regardless of public opinion and irrespective of cultural whims. Our Lord is timeless and unchanging. His love endures, despite polls and statistics. That’s why it’s important for Lutheran Christians to continue focusing on parish education, on teaching the faith in our homes, schools and churches — regardless of what the popular culture says. It’s important that we set aside time each day — as families or singles, grandparents or confirmands — to spend in God’s Word and to pray. It’s important that we know our catechisms, our hymnals and, most importantly, our Scriptures. It’s important that we commit Bible verses and hymns and prayers to heart. It’s important that we teach. It’s important that we study. This month, let’s rediscover together the rhythm of that learning and teaching, of ordering our days around Christ and His Word, despite the world’s distractions. Let’s focus again on daily devotions, whether done alone, in your congregation or with your family. Let’s recognize that our Lord has given us the ability to share His Gospel with “nones” and with all others, putting His Word in our hearts and on our lips. And let’s study together what He has to say, so that we aren’t scared or surprised. Instead, let’s live in and by His mercy and forgiveness, day in and day out. Visit June Emphasis Webpage >>

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Worship Notes for Pentecost, 2015

Thursday after Easter 7

Commemoration of Emperor Constantine, Christian Ruler, and Helena, Mother of Constantine

May 21, 2015

The Lord be with you.

This coming Sunday marks the 50^th day after Easter. It is the day we celebrate as the Feast of Pentecost. On the first Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples with the sound of a mighty rushing wind, with the appearance of flames, and with the gift of foreign languages. The day is often called the “birthday of the Church” for on that day about 3,000 people were brought to faith in Christ (Acts 2).

While Pentecost will be the main focus of the day, there are two other celebrations we shall recall. First is really a national holiday instead of a Church holiday; Memorial Day. This day is still marked in many places in our country with parades, civic gatherings, speeches, visits to graveyards and even fireworks. For others it has been downgraded to just a long weekend. Memorial Day now falls on the fourth Monday of May (which is not always the last Monday in May). The day honors the memory of our military personal who have died protecting our nation. The day will be remembered in our prayers and in the sermon. There are also two Memorial Day Prayers in the Additional Notes section of this post that you may desire to use in your Memorial Day celebration Monday.

The third celebration is the Commemoration of Esther. Her story is told in the Old Testament book that bears her name. She is a true heroin, whose actions saved the Jews from certain extermination. If you have never read the book, it is a great read. There is also a movie about her story titled “One Night With the King.” While it certainly adds much that is not in the Bible, it remains true to the biblical text in that it doesn’t change anything the Bible has. One small lesson from Esther might be that, while some in government can be far from the will of God, there are also some who are quite faithful. We must be careful, to this very day, of making sweeping generalizations about “politicians” or “Columbia” or “Washington.” We will thank the Lord for the witness of Esther in our prayers.

We will be using a special Pentecost Day liturgy this Sunday. It is all printed in the bulletin, except the hymns for which we will use the hymnal. This will be a Communion service. So, with the Communion hymns and hymns being used as portions of the liturgy, there are quite a few hymns to be listed. For our Offertory we will use “Create in Me” (LSB 956). For our Sanctus we will use “Holy, Holy, Holy” (LSB 507, vs 1-2). For the Agnus Dei we will use “Lamb of God, Pure and Holy” (LSB 434). Our opening hymn will be "Holy Spirit, Light Devine" (LSB 496). Our sermon hymn will be “Lift High the Cross” (LSB 837). Our closing hymn will be "Go, My Children, with My Blessing" (LSB 922). Our distribution hymns will be "Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord" (LSB 497), "Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord" (LSB 637), and "Creator Spirit, by Whose Aid" (LSB 500).

Sunday’s Scripture readings (which are printed in the bulletin) will be Ezekiel 37:1-14, Acts 2:1-21 and John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15. The sermon text will be John 15:26. The sermon will be titled “The Holy Spirit’s Memorial Day.”

Below is a video of our sermon hymn, “Lift High the Cross” (LSB 837). It is being sung at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa, WI. They were celebrating Christ the King Sunday and Pastor Gary Erickson's retirement on Sunday, November 20, 2011.

What follows is a synopsis of Sunday’s lessons, provided by the synod, then the lessons.

The Holy Spirit Brings the Dead to Life by the Righteousness of Christ

In returning to His Father by way of the Cross and Resurrection, Christ Jesus sends “the Helper” to His Church, that is, “the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father.” The Spirit testifies of Christ and glorifies Him, by taking what is His and declaring it to the world in the preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (John 15:26; 16:7, 14).  He convicts the world of sin by the word of the Law; He forgives sins and justifies sinners by the Word of the Gospel; and He bestows the faith which says “Amen” to this righteousness of God (John 16:8–11). Therefore, the Lord pours out His Spirit on the Apostles, that by their preaching, the Spirit should be given to His entire church. As the multitudes are gathered from all the nations by “this sound,” that is, by the preaching of “the mighty works of God” in Christ Jesus, so does God the Father pour out the Spirit of His Son “on all flesh” (Acts 2:6, 11, 16). The Lord God breathes upon the slain, and so shall they live; for so the Lord has spoken, and He shall do it (Ezek. 37:5–14).

Ezekiel 37:1-14

^37:1        The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. ²And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. ³And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” ⁴Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. ⁵Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. ⁶And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

⁷           So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. ⁹Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ¹⁰So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

¹¹          Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ ¹²Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. ¹³And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. ¹⁴And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

Acts 2:1-21

^2:1         When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. ²And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵           Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. ⁶And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. ⁷And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? ⁹Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, ¹¹both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” ¹²And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

¹⁴          But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. ¹⁵For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷          “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,

            that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

            and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

                        and your young men shall see visions,

                        and your old men shall dream dreams;

¹⁸          even on my male servants and female servants

                        in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

¹⁹          And I will show wonders in the heavens above

                        and signs on the earth below,

                        blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;

²⁰          the sun shall be turned to darkness

                        and the moon to blood,

                        before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

²¹          And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

^15:26      “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. ²⁷And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. …

^16:4b      “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; ¹¹concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

¹²          “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Some Additional Notes

• Information for the June newsletter is due Sunday  

• The Board of Evangelism meeting has been moved to this coming Sunday.   

• Our Sunday morning Bible hour begins at 9:00 am. We continue our examination of the biblical teachings concerning Vocation.

• Walking our neighborhoods and meeting our neighbors is off and walking. Remember to record your miles each week on the bulletin board in the hallway. Our collective goal - 2,015 miles in 2015.

• Remember, we have pledged to pray for our neighbors. You can get a list of your 100 your closest neighbors from pray4everyhome.com. If you have no internet access, speak with Rachel Swain or Kitty Rickert and they will sign you up and get you a list.

• Here are two Memorial Day prayers. You may wish to use one of them Monday.

Almighty God, you are our strength and our shield. We give you thanks for the men and women of our armed forces, past and present, and especially for those who have died while serving. May their sacrifices serve the cause of peace, and may our nation be ever grateful for their service. With your wisdom and strength guide our military's leaders, and give to all people a desire for justice and peace. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. 

Heavenly Father, as our nation pauses today to remember those in the military who have given their lives for freedoms we enjoy, we pray you would have us all look to you for strength, comfort and guidance. Be with all who serve in our Armed Forces. Bless them and their families. Grant your loving protection. Let peace prevail among all the nations, O God. Especially let your mercy rest upon our land, even as we acknowledge with thanksgiving your past goodness on this country. If it is your will, preserve the lives of the men and women in uniform as they defend our citizenry. Most of all, we pray that you would turn the hearts of all – military and civilian – to your holy Word where we find the true peace for our sinful souls that surpasses all understanding. Keep us repentant of sin. Move us to know, take hold and treasure your saving grace. In the name of Jesus, our Savior and Your beloved Son, who alone gives this peace and hope for eternity, we pray. Amen.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Rickert

Pastoral Letter from President Harrison on Pending Supreme Court Same-Sex "Marriages"

	Harrison encourages pastors: “We speak the truth in love to all” on same-sex marriage Download bulletin insert Dear brothers, In the face of another radical cultural shift — a denial of God and His creation, a rejection of Christ, the Ten Commandments and God-given natural law (Romans 1) — a great Lutheran responded with truths that are also true for our times: The lie is the death of man, his temporal and his eternal death. The lie kills nations. The most powerful nations of the world have been laid waste because of their lies. History knows of no more unsettling sight than the judgment rendered upon the people of an advanced culture who have rejected the truth and are swallowed upon in a sea of lies. Where this happens, as in the case of declining pagan antiquity, religion and law, poetry and philosophy, life in marriage and family, in the state and society — in short, one sphere of life after another falls sacrifice to the power and curse of the lie. Where man can no longer bear the truth, he cannot live without the lie. Where man denies that he and others are dying, the terrible dissolution [of his culture] is held up as a glorious ascent, and decline is viewed as an advance, the likes of which has never been experienced. (Hermann Sasse, Union and Confession, 1936) In just a few weeks, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the legality of same-sex marriage in America and roll out the implications of that ruling for individual states. I expect the ruling to create an alleged constitutional right to same-sex marriage, contrary to God’s created orders, natural law and the inerrant Scriptures. This will be the earnest beginning of a very long struggle for faithful Christians who will, more and more, be driven from participation in the culture. We shall come to know and understand parts of the Word of God like never before. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). Brothers, the battle has already been won. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, has already defeated the foe. Satan surrendered at Golgotha. It is finished. But what do we do? If the Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage is legal in every state or must be recognized in every state, what is our response? We stand fast (2 Thess. 2:15). We live in and by our Savior, who calls us to stay the course, to repent of our sin, to be in the Word of God and in prayer. We redouble our teaching on God’s gift of marriage. And we show love and mercy to those harmed by the dissolution of God’s ordering of marriage and family, intended for protection for all. We take legal action where absolutely necessary. “Public remedy, made through the office of the public official, is not condemned, but is commanded and is God’s work, according to Paul (Romans 13)” (Apology XVI 59). The plan fits the nature of the Church: she is enduring and eternal. She speaks Christ’s forgiveness and peace to men and women struggling with same-sex attraction and heterosexual attraction alike, in and out of season. She doesn’t do flash-in-the-pan or drive-by ministry. She works in the world for the long haul. She doesn’t change her tune or stop her singing. She keeps telling real people about a real Jesus, from black-robed Supreme Court justices to the protestors on the steps of that building to the young people in college watching the ruling unfold to those of us who never imagined we would see this seismic shift in our lifetime. And she lives to demonstrate the mercy and love of Christ (1 John 3:15ff). Most importantly, she speaks of the One who came for sinners — all sinners — and of the One who showed His love for us by dying for us. She simply stays the course. That’s why you, dear brothers in the Office, will need our prayers in the days ahead. And you will have them. Legal marriage may be redefined, and outcomes we never imagined will occur. But these don’t surprise or alarm us. The crumbling culture merely proves that what began in the Garden of Eden is still prevalent today, that we are sinners among sinners, that we are all in need of Christ’s mercy and grace. This world is wending its way toward the end (Matthew 25). The story ends well (Revelation 7). That is what those in the pew and those disenchanted by the people in the pew need to hear, and will always need to hear, the most. Beyond the theological consequences of this ruling, however, there are also practical implications, and I urge you to consider the following: (1) The Synod’s legal team is carefully examining the potential ramifications of this case. It will likely be a messy ruling that will require time to unpack. We may discover that there is ultimately no constitutional protection for the Synod, its institutions, you or your congregation. We don’t know, but we will be reporting back to you with our findings. (2) Your congregation should give serious thought to obtaining counsel from your own attorney. Also consider utilizing the Synod’s document on marriage policies for member congregations, which offers sample provisions limiting the use of church property to marriages that are consistent with LCMS beliefs. The day may come when even this legal protection will not be enough, but it may assist you and your congregational leadership in forestalling issues as long as possible. (3) Be prepared to discuss what marriage will look like in the future. Will LCMS pastors eventually be forced, as agents of the state, to perform same-sex marriages? If that happens, will we be prepared to let the state perform the legal marriage ceremony, while we as pastors provide a religious ceremony for those marriages that are in keeping with our confession of faith as Lutheran Christians? We must have these discussions as pastors and as a Synod, and we may even need to make decisions at the next Synod convention in the summer of 2016. (4) Know that I, as Synod president, stand with you. What protections will the Synod or even the Constitution offer you? I don’t know. But here is what I am personally sure of: The Gospel is enduring. It never changes. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. We as pastors are called to repent and to be faithful to Him — and to His Gospel — alone. Will we be fined for not performing same-sex marriages? Potentially. Will we be thrown in jail? Maybe. A recently deceased Catholic bishop (Cardinal George) described what I believe we shall now begin to face: “I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history.” Make no mistake, the battle has been won. The devil has been defeated. The Victor reigns triumphant in mercy, love and truth. The Gospel knows no limits, but proclaims the gracious kingdom of our Lord to all, through Christ’s Word and Sacraments. The temptation will be to run out into the melee, to abandon the home front or to give up all together. But we are called instead to repent, to be ready, to move confidently into the future, come what may. We speak the truth in love to all. We share Christ’s forgiveness with each person He sets in our path. And the Lord will work all things for good, even these trying times. He is faithful, brothers. He will do it. In Christ, Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison President, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

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SED Electronic Front Porch

 

Rev. Dr. Arthur Scherer

Electronic Front Porch

Tuesday, Jul 14, 2015

July's Electronic Front Porch will be presented by Rev. Dr. Arthur Scherer, SED President Emeritus.

The address for the webcast is: https://webconferencing.cuchicago.edu/sedm
Please log in as a guest.  You may also sign in using you iPad or other tablet by downloading the Adobe Connect app.

Time: 7:30 PM

Where: webcast

 

SED Digital Outreach Conversations

 

Digital Outreach Conversations

Tuesday, Jun 9, 2015

Join Ryan Radke, Jennifer Einolf and Sally Hiller as they share conversations about congregational digital outreach. Each session is planned to last no more than 30 minutes.

If you have any questions contact Ryan Radke

Time: 11:30 AM

Where: Webcast @ 11 :30 am

 

Peru: Our Global Mission Partner

Members of the Southeastern District, voted in Convention, to support the global mission work of the LCMS by partnering with the new mission outreach being developed in Peru. This ministry is served by LCMS Missionaries Rev. Mark and Sandi Eisold and their family.

The strategy is to start churches, and to begin a new national Lutheran church in Peru. The Mission Team strives to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, gather them into a worship community, raise up new disciples in the teachings of the Bible, identify leaders, equip them for leadership and commission native Peruvian believers and leaders to partner with missionaries as they are sent out to start more worship communities.

Currently work is being done in San Borja, Los Olivios, La Victoria and Ricardo Palma.

Ron Bostick is the coordinator of this mission effort. Ron is available to visit congregations and schools to share the story of the on going mission work. He is also coordinating mission trips to Peru.

For more information and links, including how we might participate in a mission trip, you can visit the District’s page at: http://www.se.lcms.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=251681. We will be remembering this mission in our Sunday prayers.