Friday, July 20, 2012

“The Church We Are” The Basics of the Christian Faith, July 15th ‘12



1.                       Sanctify us in the truth, O Lord, Your Word is truth.  In the name of our crucified and risen Lord and Savior Jesus.  Amen.  The message from God’s Word that we’ll be looking at today continues our series on the basics of the Christian faith.  Today we’ll be looking at, “The Church We Are,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
2.                       There are some critics who criticize the church and the role she has played in society.  In decades past these critics have accused the church of things such as: class favoritism, intolerance, opposing progress, distorting history, opposing science, being anti union, trying to legislate morality, promoting censorship, instilling guilt and fear, and having a lack of faith in humanity.  We hear some of these same charges even today, including new ones like the church is sexist, trying to tear down the wall between church and state, being irrelevant, meddling in politics and you can probably think of more.  It’s a long list, isn’t it?  No doubt churches have erred in all these ways and more at one time or another.  Still, the church’s critics have often blanketed the entire Christian church with criticism for attitudes and actions taken only by a few institutions or individuals.  Critics fail to distinguish between what the Bible actually teaches and what sinful, individual Christians say and do.  It’s a lot like what Mahatma Gandhi was once quoted as saying, “I like your Christ, just not your Christians.”  We would admit that we have sometimes opened the door for the church’s critics failing to reflect the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in our words and deeds.  And yet, the New Testament describes the Christian church in glowing terms!  For this church, the body of Christ, the holy, catholic church crosses space and time.  The eternal, apostolic church will outlast the prophecies of its critics.
3.                       But, is the church a human institution that was put together by human beings?  The Christian church can trace its origin to the beginning of human history.  In Gen. 3:15 the Lord promised to send His people a Savior.  Throughout the Old Testament God repeated this promise in many ways and through many people.  Jesus didn’t begin a new church.  He came to fulfill God’s promises made from the beginning.  Christians are those who place their trust in Jesus as the fulfiller of the promises and the Savior of the world.  In fact, our English word church comes to us from the Greek word that means “belonging to the Lord.”  The Christian church consists of all those who belong to the Lord through the saving work of Jesus.  And the church prior to the birth of Jesus placed their trust in the Christ who was to come.  In light of this, we can see that the church isn’t a man made institution.  It’s God’s creation, with Christ as it’s head.
4.                       Who belongs to Christ’s church?  The Church consists of those who belong to the Lord by the saving work of Jesus (Eph. 2:8-9).  The Bible teaches us that God saves us solely by His grace through what Christ has done for us.  We receive this gift by faith through the Holy Spirit.  But, saving faith involves more than just head knowledge.  Saving faith shows itself in living out our relationship with Jesus in a life of self giving love as the Bible tells us in James 2:17, “Faith without works is dead.”
5.                       Christians of every age have struggled with the temptation to focus on “my faith” or “my works” instead of the object of faith, which is Jesus and His atoning work.  As the church of God we focus our assurance of salvation on Jesus’ atoning work, rather than on the strength of our own faith, realizing that justifying faith is a gift given to me by God through His Word and Sacraments.  The place where our love toward God and others begins with Jesus who empowers us to do good works.  Ephesians 2:10 says, 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  And, Philippians 2;13 says, “3for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”  God in Christ is the one who saved us.  God in Christ is the one who is at work in us.  And now as His workmanship we’re to bring forth the works of faith.  But, the power to do so comes from Christ alone. 
6.                       But, should the church emphasize fellowship more and its teachings less?  The truths of God, like the doctrines of justification and sanctification make a difference in our walk with God.  Doctrine does matter.  It matters because it affects our most important relationships--our relationship with God Himself and our relationships with our brothers and sisters in the faith.  That’s why we take care to believe, teach, and confess God as He has revealed Himself to us in His Word.  We don’t want to worship and serve a god who’s the figment of our own imagination or our own personal desires.  For some, the term doctrine is viewed negatively.  But, doctrine simply means “teaching.”  The Scriptures teach us to watch our life and doctrine closely and to always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that’s in us in Jesus (1 Tim. 4:2; 1 Peter 3:15).  God wants us to have sound doctrine, but to teach others with gentleness and respect.  In the life of the early church 2000 years ago people found themselves drawn to the Christians’ fellowship before they knew very much about their doctrine. They saw how the early Christians loved  one other.
7.                       As a church our faith in Christ and our love for Him leads us to love His body, our fellow believers, especially those united with us in our congregation.  That’s not always easy.  An old Irish ditty goes like this:  to live above with saints we love, Ah, that’s the highest glory.  To live below, with saints we know, Is quite another story!”  Living together as the saints of God on earth with the “saints we know” challenges us.  We fail to show the love our Lord would have us give to one another.  When we do this we need to ask the Lord for forgiveness and also to forgive one another.  And, as we consider our own role in our congregation, we also need to consider the office of the Pastor.  Ideally pastors and laypeople work together in harmony, but this isn’t always the case.  Because of misunderstandings or conflict lay people may not faithfully carry out their ministry activities.  And, pastors may mistrust members or members may mistrust pastors.
8.                       We need to remember that whether or not we agree with our pastor that the pastoral office is an institution created by God.  Just as the church isn’t a human institution, so the pastoral office isn’t a human invention.  Led by the Holy Spirit, the church calls its ministers to lead them.  The pastor teaches the Word and administers the Sacraments.  By His example the pastor, “speaks the truth in love” and he encourages each member to “grow up in all things into Him who is the Head, that is Christ.” (Eph. 4:15).  But, in their leadership Pastors aren’t lords over the flock.  Together God’s people are the church.  By God’s grace, Martin Luther restored to the church the teaching of the priesthood of all believers.  Ultimately, each person must believe and learn for himself.  The teachers of the church preach the Word and guide the souls that Jesus has entrusted to them, but each of us must assume responsibility for our own Christian faith and life.
9.                       But, do we go to church primarily to “get something out of it?”  The pastor and laypeople share a common ministry.  We worship together, we both receive and give.  God’s people interact in worship.  God speaks to us and we speak back to Him.  We also speak to one another in worship in the confession of sins, the Creed, the hymns and as we participate in exchanging the peace of God.  And as we receive Holy Communion we “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes,” (1 Cor. 11:26).  Worship is a corporate and not a solo experience.  The Apostle John reminds us, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be hasn’t yet been made known.  But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2).  As the people of God we realize that we’re simultaneously sinners and saints.  We realize that in our own strength we fail totally to be kind, humble, self controlled, patient and peaceful.  But, through Christ’s death and resurrection we receive forgiveness for these sins and with His forgiveness we receive the power of the Holy Spirit to bear the fruit of faith for the good of our neighbor. 
10.    A popular Christian radio speaker tells the story of a young man from a Christian home who went away to college.  And when he returned home he had long hair, wore tattered pants and a bandana.  The first Sunday morning of the young man’s visit his mother asked, “Are you going to church with us?”  When he said he was, his mother said, “Well, you’d better get dressed.”  “I am dressed,” he replied.  His parents said nothing.  After the service the young man stayed chatting with people.  He was the last one to leave.  As he got into the car with his mother he said, “Boy, it’s sure easy to see who’s a Christian and who isn’t when you go to church barefooted.”  Of course this young man erred in trying to judge the hearts of others based on evidence like their acceptance of him.  But, the life of Christ within us does show itself in our actions.  And the love for others that we’ve been given in Jesus through worship is one of the primary pieces of evidence that our faith is genuine.
11.    Not long ago, in an Asian church in the Los Angeles area, the time had come for the offering.  The pastor addressed the congregation in these words:  Now we come to the time when we bring our offering to the Lord.  With all respect, I should say to our visitors that this isn’t a collection of money.  This isn’t a collection for charity.  Those who aren’t Christians aren’t permitted to contribute to this offering.  This is a privilege, a spiritual and holy ritual for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and are baptized.  We respond to God’s love and grace.  It’s our opportunity to fulfill an obligation of love as the children of God.  We return part of the money we’ve received from Him to build the church and reach out to the world.”  The pastor bowed first to the people and then toward the altar.  Then the ushers appeared with the offering plates.  The Old Testament speaks often of offerings that were unacceptable to God. (Gen. 4:5; Proverbs 15:8; Isaiah 1:11; 66:3; Jer. 6:20; Amos 5:22).  Peter once told a man who was captive to sin, “May your money perish with you!” in Acts 8:20.  And the Apostle John notes that he received, “No help from the pagans” in 3rd John 7.  Even the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Philippi that they should take an offering, but he added, “Not because I desire a gift, but because you need the spiritual exercise” in Philippians 4:17.  Paul didn’t need the money, but the people needed the opportunity to give.  They needed the spiritual discipline of stewardship. 
12.    Only Christians can bring a true offering of praise and thanks to God.  And when we do, the Holy Spirit wants us to do it for the right reason.  God doesn’t need our money.  We need God.  And we need the opportunity to serve and worship Him with our time, talents and treasures.  We don’t give because there’s a need.  We give because God has told us this is our spiritual act of worship.
13.    Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.  Today we have heard from God’s Holy Word that we’re not solo Christians.  You can’t be a Christian in a vacuum.  God has called us into the fellowship of His church through Holy baptism.  We’re the body of Christ, with Jesus being our head.  Please pray with me:  Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people.  Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

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