“God Has Blessed Us” Psalm 67, Thanksgiving Day Sermon Nov. ‘12

1.                           Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  A Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!  Today we’re going to be looking at the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 67.  The message is entitled, “God Has Blessed Us,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                            To understand how God has blessed us as citizens of this great nation of America on this day we give thanks to God for all He’s done for us, it would be good for us to look at an illustration on this point.  Henry Smith Leiper points to American prosperity with some startling statistics. Imagine that we could compress the world’s population into one town of 1,000 people, keeping proportions right. In this town there would be only 60 Americans. These 60 Americans would receive half the income of the entire town. They would have an average life expectancy of seventy years; the other 940 persons would have less than forty years. The 60 Americans would own 15 times as much per person as all of their neighbors. They would eat 72 percent more than the maximum food requirements; many of the 940 other people would go to bed hungry every night.  Of 53 telephones in the town, Americans would have 28. The lowest-income group among the Americans would be better off by far than the average of the other townsmen. The 60 Americans and about 200 others representing Western Europe and a few classes in South America, Australia, and Japan would be relatively well-off. The other 75 percent would be poor.

3.                          Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God has richly blessed us in this great nation of America.  Even with all of the problems we deal with here in this nation, the economy, social issues, etc. etc. we still are way better off than much of the way the rest of the world lives.  But, God hasn’t just blessed us with physical blessings.  He’s also blessed us with our Lord and Savior Jesus who has saved us from sin, death, and the power of the devil.  Let’s listen to what the Psalmist says in Psalm 67, “1May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, 2that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. 3Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. 5Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 6The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. 7God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!”

4.                           Let me again quote verses 5 and 7 of Psalm 67 together: “Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee…. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him” (to fear God means reverential trust in Him). From this Psalm what do we learn about the goal of missions? “Let all the people praise thee.” The chief end of missions is to glorify God. That’s the focus to pull the train of every mission program of the Church. It’s to glorify God, and that which follows it is this: preach the gospel of our Savior Jesus. I wonder on this Thanksgiving Day if we’ve lost that focus today?  What’s our goal as Christians? “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” That’s the purpose of man. Why do you and I exist? Are we here only “to eat the meat and fish and leave behind an empty dish”? Is that all man is supposed to do? No, man is to glorify God. We glorify Him when we get His Word out. We glorify Him when we preach the gospel. We glorify Him when people are saved.

5.                            The opening words of psalm 67 sound like a repetition of the Aaronic benediction. God wanted his name to be spoken by his people to bless and save them. What is God’s name? God’s name is everything that he has revealed about himself in his Word. What God has revealed about himself centers in the way he won salvation for mankind through his Son, Jesus Christ, and how he offers that salvation as a free gift through faith in Jesus. This is how God is gracious to people and blesses them.  These words represent the prayer that we as God’s people offer. As we’ve received God’s grace and the blessing of salvation, we want others to know the way of salvation through faith in Jesus too!

6.                             It’s interesting that this psalm ends with talking about the harvest, and the harvest we may be thinking about today is the harvest of our crops, yielding to us the blessings from God’s green earth. And yet what’s this harvest the Psalmist is talking about? Is it the products of the vineyard and farm field? Well, I believe that the harvest the Psalmist is talking about is the success of the gospel message throughout the world. One can’t help thinking about the first Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost had been an Old Testament harvest festival. Jews throughout the world would gather in Jerusalem to praise God for the blessing of the harvest of crops from the land. On that first Pentecost after our Savior’s ascension, another kind of harvest was celebrated. 3,000 souls were harvested.  These souls were brought to saving faith in Christ, through the preaching of God’s Word and the sacrament of Holy Baptism. When those believers returned to their homelands after that first Pentecost, the good news of salvation was taken to the ends of the earth. This is the answer to the opening prayer of this psalm and the result of God’s saving name being spread throughout the world.

7.                             On this day we give thanks to God for all of the bountiful blessings He has given to us the Psalmist teaches us that when God is gracious to us and blesses us, we want to share his Word with all people. Our praise of God will lead others to praise him. God’s blessings to us will be a source of blessing to others. If we joyfully praise God and tell the nations of His righteousness, the earth will yield a rich harvest of souls won for Christ and for eternal life.  Psalms 67 teach us that we will be enriched by sharing with others how God has blessed us physically and spiritually through our Lord and Savior Jesus. God is just as generous with his grace in Jesus as He is with the harvest He provides in His creation. He wants us to share His grace with others. May God bless us and our work so that the earth yields a rich spiritual harvest.  We as God’s people can have confidence that the spread of the gospel of our Lord Jesus will bring about a harvest of souls throughout the world. Such confidence comes from God’s own assurance in Isaiah 55:10, 11: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

8.                              Scripture teaches us plainly, “… in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18). It’s not hard to thank God for getting what we want, but how wonderful to learn to thank Him for what we’d rather not experience. Sometimes we get angry because painful circumstances invade our lives, but 1 Thessalonians 5:18 teaches us that thankfulness is accomplished through our connection with Christ. Jesus is the Source of our ability to thank God when we get what we don’t want. Only our union with Him makes thankfulness possible. When we’re connected with Jesus in a vital way, the dynamic life of Jesus in us gives us the power to give thanks.  The Psalmist in Psalm 67 wants all the nations of the earth to fear God and know that He’s blessed them, so too the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thess. 5:18 to give thanks in everything. “Give thanks” is one word in Greek and it is built from the word meaning “grace.” Grace in the New Testament means unmerited favor or kindness extended to those who don’t deserve it. The idea behind giving thanks in the New Testament is gratitude that God has given us incredible blessings that we don’t deserve. If we grasp that we deserve hell and hell alone, because of our sinfulness against God’s holy will, then we’ll be filled with gratitude for everything we get that we don’t deserve.  From our salvation and home in heaven to the sun and rain, our food, our house, our car, our health, our appliances, our comforts, the people in our lives. It’s all God’s grace to us. We deserve none of it. Anything less than overwhelming gratitude should be unthinkable. God owes us nothing. We owe Him everything. Christ took the hell He didn’t deserve to give us the multitude of good things we don’t deserve!  Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God has blessed us, let’s praise Him this Thanksgiving Day and every day for all He has given to us and let others know about the grace He has given to us.  Amen.

“Jesus Lives & We Will Too!”

“Jesus lives!  The vict’ry’s won!  Death no longer can appall me; Jesus lives!  Death’s reign is done!  From the grave will Christ recall me.  Brighter scenes will then commence; This shall be my confidence.”  So the hymnist preaches to us.  This goes well with what the Prophet says in Daniel 12:2-3 as we learn in the last weeks of the church year about the Bible’s teaching on the End Times.  Take a moment to read what Daniel says there.

Genesis 2 teaches us that “God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” Genesis 3 teaches us that when God’s first children rebelled against Him, one of the consequences was they would return to the ground from which they came.   The rule of death will be broken when God brings the world to a conclusion.  Death is “the last enemy to be destroyed” (1 Corinthians 15:26). It will be destroyed by Jesus who, at his resurrection, broke the power of death. On the Last Day, God’s people will rise to eternal life.

But, those who spent their lives avoiding God will experience a different fate in the resurrection of the Last Day. They will hear God say, “Very well, you wanted to be without me; now be without me—forever!” And they will be sentenced to eternal divorce from God—an eternal existence of “shame and everlasting contempt.”  In contrast to the damned are the believers, for whom Judgment Day will be a triumph. From God’s Word Christians have learned to recognize their own sinfulness and need for repentance, as well as their only Savior from sin in Jesus.

Daniel says that Christians will live in glory forever, as they shine like the brightness of the heavens. In the  New Testament, God gives us a fuller revelation of what Daniel prophesied. We know that on Judgment Day we will not only stand before God, but we also have the promise that through Jesus we’ll actually survive that examination.  Through Jesus we can look to a brighter tomorrow, because He’s not only our Judge, but our Savior.  The one who will render His verdict on our lives has already declared us blameless in the blood of His cross.  Thanks be to God that Jesus lives and through faith in His cross and empty tomb we will too!!!

“Sacrifice—Effective but Deadly” Hebrews 9.24-28, 11.11.12 Sermon ’12 Series B

1.      Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  The message from God’s Word this morning is taken from Hebrews 9:24-28, it’s entitled, “Sacrifice—Effective but Deadly,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.      On Wednesday, January 13, 1982, an Air Florida Boeing 737 jet left National Airport in Washington, D.C., during very cold weather. Moments later it hit the 14th Street Bridge and crashed into the icy waters of the Potomac River. The tragic accident took 78 lives.  After the crash 6 passengers held to a piece of the plane, trying to stay afloat. Helicopters from the Coast Guard and Police came to rescue these survivors. They lowered a lifesaving ring. One of the men caught the ring and handed it 5 times to his companions. All 5 made it to the helicopters.  As the helicopter returned for a final trip to rescue this man, he disappeared beneath the water. The survivors didn’t even know his name. He gave his life that they might live. His was an effective but deadly sacrifice.  Our rescuer has the name Jesus. He gave his life for our sins. His offering was effective because he has done away with sin by the sacrifice of himself (Heb. 9:26). His offering of himself needed no repetition. His offering was deadly because in doing God’s will he surrendered his own life. Jesus now holds out a lifesaving ring to us through His Word and Sacraments. By believing in Jesus as our effective sacrifice for our sin we receive eternal life.

3.      On this day that we recognize our Great High Priest Jesus as a sacrifice and offering for our sin it would be good for us to also remember our veterans who have served our country during times of war and peace.  Think about our veterans who have served in our military for a moment.  They are a lot like this man who offered himself to save the lives of his companions after the plane crash on the Potomac.  Our nation’s veterans today deal with so many things.  Many of them have lost their limbs, they’ve been physically and emotionally scarred by the horrors of war.  They fought along their countrymen all so that you and I can enjoy the benefits of living in a free society.  Let’s take a moment to honor our veterans in our worship service this morning for the sacrifice that they have made for our country.  Veterans won’t you please stand so that we can thank you with applause. 

4.      Just as our veterans have sacrificed themselves for us so too an even better sacrifice was made for us the author of Hebrews says in Hebrews 9:24-26, “²⁴For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. ²⁵Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, ²⁶for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” The forgiveness of our sins wouldn’t be possible without the shedding of the blood of our Savior Jesus.  His sacrifice was effective, but deadly.  In the Old Testament the sacrifices of bulls and goats all pointed the Israelites and us today toward the sacrifice of our Great High Priest.  For without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sins.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

5.      Before we can enter God’s presence in worship, there is at the beginning of the Divine Service, Confession & Absolution.  After confession our sins we are forgiven.  We then come to our Heavenly Father’s throne of grace in worship through prayer, praise and song.  But, because we sin so much against God and our neighbor in thought, word, and deed we can’t live without a daily purging of our conscience.  No matter how painful it may be, we must confess our sins before God.  Its importance is in direct proportion to us being aware of what Jesus did on Calvary’s cross for us.

6.      Many times we lose the sense of our sin.  We often stumble into sin and pick ourselves up with a weak excuse and laugh it off.  We think God won’t make a fuss over little things like a little white lie or the selfishness that takes place in our homes.  God won’t care if I take His name in vain every now and then and swear with those four letter words once in a while.  God doesn’t mind if I forget to worship and pray to Him on a regular basis or if I continue to hold that grudge and hate toward my neighbor.  In fact, we may even refuse to deal with our sins.  Or, we may turn into moralists and try to live a good life without God’s help and the painful discipline of confessing our sins before God.  But, Jesus didn’t come to just convict you of your sin, He came to cleanse you from your sins.  Jesus accomplished this by offering Himself as the Sacrificial Lamb on the cross.  This was the only payment that was acceptable to God for your sins.

7.       Notice how the author of Hebrews says that Jesus didn’t go into an earthly Holy of Holies. He went into the presence of God, the real Holy of Holies. And He did it for us. How beautiful to realize that when He went in, He took us with Him! Jesus has ushered us into the presence of God. Nor did Christ have to offer Himself often, as did the earthly high priests, who had to make the offering of atonement every year. Jesus’ sacrifice was better because He takes His people into the heavenly Holy of Holies with Him and because He had to make an offering only once.

8.      Hebrews 9:27–28 says, “²⁷And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, ²⁸so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”  All men have to die, and our death is by divine appointment. It’s one appointment everyone will keep. After death comes judgment, which is also appointed by God. And since men aren’t able to atone for their own sins, God’s judgment demands that they pay or have a substitute pay for them.  Like all men, Jesus was  appointed to die once. But unlike all other men, He will never face judgment. Because He took our sins upon Himself, He took our judgment upon Himself. But the judgment was for our sins, not for His. For God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). He died the one death that judgment demanded.  His sacrifice was effective, but deadly.

9.                  As I mentioned before, the Israelites of the Old Testament always waited on the Day of Atonement for the high priest to come out from the Holy of Holies. If he did anything wrong, if he failed to follow God’s instructions, he would die. So there was always a sigh of relief, for their own sakes as well as for his, when he reappeared.  But, if the people were so eager to see the former high priests reappear from the earthly Holy of Holies, how much more should Christians look eagerly for our great High Priest Jesus to reappear from the heavenly Holy of Holies on Judgment Day?

10.              When the high priest walked out of the old sanctuary, the people knew that his sacrifice had been accepted. He had done everything right. Jesus Christ’s reappearing on Judgment Day will be one more confirmation that He did everything right, that His Father is satisfied with Him. And because the Father is satisfied with Him, He is satisfied with you, for you are in Him. When He comes back, your salvation will be full. When He appears a second time to those who expect Him, it will not be to deal with sin. Sin only needs to be dealt with once, and this He did on the cross. When He comes again, it will be without reference to sin. 

11.              At the end of that eventful Passover week when Jesus was finishing His ministry, the Romans had prepared 3 crosses for 3 criminals. On two of the crosses, thieves were to hang. The third cross was for an rebel named Barabbas, who had been found guilty of treason against the Roman empire. But Barabbas never made it to the cross. He was guilty, but he wasn’t executed—because someone took his place. On the middle cross that day hung not a violent, rebel, but the sinless Son of God. Barabbas went free not because he was innocent, but because Jesus took his place. Jesus was crucified not because He was guilty, but so that He could take Barabbas’s place—and the place of every other sinner.  His sacrifice was effective, but deadly.  All for you to forgive you your sins and give you eternal life.  Amen.

“We Are God’s Children”—1John 3.1-3, All Saints’ Series B, Nov. ‘12

1.                   Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  The message from God’s Word this day that we observe the Festival of All Saints’ Day is taken specifically from 1 John 3:1-3 and verses 4-10.  It’s entitled, “We Are God’s Children,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                   In 1 John 3:1-2 the Apostle John says, “¹See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”  Here John says that we’re children of God! Amazing! But it wasn't always this way. When we first entered this world, it was as God’s enemies. God also had other words to describe our first status—foolish, disobedient, and enslaved. But, now because of God’s grace given to us in Jesus, our Heavenly Father calls believers by new names.  We’re his servants, a nation, his royal subjects, priests, saints. But the dearest term of all is that he calls us his children.  God the Father has adopted us into his family through Holy Baptism. St. Paul writes in Galatians 3:26 that we’re all God’s children through faith in Jesus, for all who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.

3.                   To be called God’s children isn’t a condescending term.  The point isn’t to make us feel like babies. The point is to make us feel loved and important. God the Father has indebted himself to do for us what all good fathers do for their children—provide for our needs, give us protection, and guidance. He provides us with a sense of being worth something. He’s there for us in emergencies just as good fathers bail their children out of trouble. When we need help, when we pray, we don’t have to feel as though we’re talking to a stranger. We’re talking to our Heavenly Father! We can call on a relationship that was his doing, his adoption, not ours.

4.                   Because we’re now wearing Christ’s holiness through our baptism, we have everlasting life in us already as God’s children, His saints. We don’t know as yet exactly how our heavenly bodies will differ from our earthly bodies. But, we can get a pretty good idea that it’ll be wonderful, because we will be like Jesus. Imagine that.  Jesus loves us so much that he kept his body even after the resurrection and ascension, just so that he could remain our human brother forever! Paul says in Philippians 3:21 that by the power that enables Jesus to bring everything under his control, he will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Wow! If these are the promises waiting for us, why would we go off looking for something better?

5.                   For now, that father-child relationship isn’t visible to the rest of the world. Frankly, to the naked eye, we don’t look like heavenly royalty. But even if we don’t get any respect from the rest of the world, that’s no cause to doubt the Father’s love—most of the world couldn’t figure out that Jesus was God’s Son either.

6.                   1 John 3:3–10 says, “³And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. ⁴Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. ⁵You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. ⁶No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. ⁷Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. ⁸Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. ¹⁰By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”

7.                   By now you’ve seen a pattern: John hates the concept of “cheap grace.”  The idea that we can just call on God for forgiveness and then live any way we please. God’s grace is free, but it’s expensive. It claimed Christ’s life to give it, and it demands ours as we receive it. Immediately after comforting us with the message that we’re God’s children, John challenges us to act like God’s children. There’s a connection between our justification, God’s “not guilty” verdict, and our sanctification, the way in which we live our lives for God. With regard to justification, we say, “We can’t.” With regard to sanctification, we say, “Yes, we can.”

8.                   God the Father has transformed our identity from death row criminals into beloved children. He anointed us with the Holy Spirit in order to give us saving faith in Jesus and also to change our lives. This doesn’t mean that we’ll achieve total purity on this earth. John scolds such thinking in 1 John 1:8: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves.” What John means is that Jesus came to destroy sin. He came to declare war on sin, which in every case is lawlessness against the will of God. Sin is evil. So people redeemed by Christ, who are now God’s children, hate sin too. So we declare war on it too as God’s children.

9.                   Still less will we let sin characterize our lives. As we grow in our faith as God’s children, we grow also in our determination to let go of behaviors that make God angry. A consequence of the words “I love God” is “I hate sin.” Proverbs 8:13 says, “To fear the Lord is to hate evil.” John is straightforward: People who have stopped their struggle against sin are spiritually dead. True believers may fall into sin, but they never surrender. True believers may fall into sin, but they repent, welcome Christ’s forgiveness, and affirm their desire to change.

10.               “Let no one deceive you,” says John. False teachers working for the devil are tricking Christians into abandoning their struggle against sin. You must admit that there’s a certain diabolical logic to that view.  If we have forgiveness in Jesus, if our bodies are going to die anyway, and our true destiny is to live in heaven, what does it matter if we live in sin right now? Why struggle so hard for chastity, sobriety, and gentleness when adultery, heavy drinking, and violence are so much fun?  They only seem like fun. Actually, they’re part of Satan’s rebellion against God. Satan isn’t the jolly king of hell. He’s the twisted and evil mind behind sin. Whoever is driven by Satan’s evil will share his fate of being cast into the pit of hell. Who would want that? As Paul wrote, “We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” We’ve been born of God, says John, we’re God’s children. God became our Father through our Savior Jesus.

11.               These issues are urgent today. “Christian” young people move in with each other outside of marriage and write off family and church concerns as dead traditionalism. Churches with weak programs of spiritual care allow unmarried couples to continue to live together without being disciplined and told that they’re sinning and committing adultery. People bristle at any attempt to steer away from sinful behavior by misquoting some famous Bible passages: “Let him that is without sin cast the first stone” and “Judge not, lest you be judged.”  In order to live out what John is telling us to be God’s children, it will be necessary for Christians to learn how to take correction from others. A prideful spirit listens to nobody. When we’re caught in a sin, God wants to use other Christians to bring us back, but that can’t happen if we’re too full of ourselves to listen and repent. Proverbs 15:32 says, “He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.”  Proverbs 17:10 adds, “A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool.”  If someone you know is caught up in sin, will you speak to that person? And will you let other people give you that word of correction when you are sinning?

12.               On this All Saints’ Day the words of the Apostle John cause us to stand in awe of His great love for us.  It’s too wonderful for us to comprehend.  We praise and thank God our Heavenly Father for making each of us His children.  We pray that the Lord would strengthen us in the confidence and comfort of knowing that we are His children.  We ask that He would help us act like the children He has made us through our Lord Jesus and that He would bless our lives as a witness to the power of His love and grace.  Amen.

Nov. '12 Newsletter

St. John Ev. Lutheran Church, LCMS Newsletter                       P.O. Box 162, Baldwin, Illinois 62217-0162 (618) 785-2344              

        Pastor John M. Taggatz,          Jenna Otten, Secretary

November, 2012                                  Lela Rehmer, Custodian          Kevin Kahle, Groundskeeper      

                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                        Church E-mail:  stjohnch@egyptian.net; jtaggatz@yahoo.com

                                                                                                        Church Web Site:  www.stjohnbaldwin.ctsmemberconnect.net

CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE…

(618) 785-2344    (or)

(618) 785-2602

-When a member of your family is admitted to the hospital, so a visit can be made by Pastor Taggatz.

- When your group plans to hold a meeting, so it can be cleared and placed on the church calendar.

-When your home or business phone number or address is changed, so church records can be corrected.

- When you are planning to move either out of town or locally.

- When you know you are pregnant so that we will be able to assist you in any way we can with prayers, encouragement and support.

- When a new baby arrives in your family or in the family of another church member.

- When you are planning a wedding or baptism.

Church Information—

Pastor’s E-mail:  jtaggatz@yahoo.com

Pastor Taggatz on Twitter:  @jtaggatz

Pastor Taggatz’s Blog: www.thewordendures.blogspot.com 

 

 

 

“The Story of Joseph”

The story of Joseph and his coat of many colors is familiar to nearly everyone, even those who may not know its source is the Bible.  (Joseph’s story can be found in Genesis chapters, 37, 39-50). We know about Jacob, Joseph’s father, and the jealous brothers who sold him into slavery.  We’ve read about the reunion between Joseph and his brothers when they traveled to Egypt to buy grain during the famine.  This is where our focus is now.  How is it there was grain in Egypt when the entire surrounding area was suffering from famine?

As with everything, all the events were orchestrated by God.  As Joseph told his once scheming, later repentant, brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive…”  (Genesis 50:20).  All along God had been preparing Joseph.  We read that when Joseph first arrived in Egypt, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man… [and was] put in charge of all that [his master] had” (Genesis 39:2-4).  Joseph, a slave, became the manager of the household of his master, Potiphar!

God was with him.  Through the hard times, in the pit where his brothers dropped him and in prison where Potiphar’s scorned wife’s false accusations landed him and the cupbearer’s forgetfulness left him, God was shaping him and preparing him.

So too, through your hard times God is shaping you.  When you suffer defeat, you learn humility.  When you are forced to wait, you learn patience.  As you are faithful in small things, you are rewarded with ever increasing responsibility. Joseph, a slave, rose in prominence until he was almost as powerful as Pharaoh himself.  Power can corrupt us as human beings.  We must remember to whom we are accountable.  When Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph, he said, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 30:9)  You, as a follower of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, will encounter temptation also.  You must keep your servant’s heart, adopt an attitude of humility, put others’ needs before your own, and treat others with kindness and patience. 

This is possible only through the grace of God.  “He Who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).  Go in grace and serve the Lord!

Please pray with me:  Dear Lord, I want my life to go on one path, and that’s “up”!  I know, though, that without times of trouble I would forget to depend on You and thank You for all You do for me, and I would grow proud and arrogant.  Give me grace to trust in You at all times.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

See You in Church!

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Pastor Taggatz

LUTHERAN WITNESS SIGNUP

IMPORTANT UPDATE…

It’s that time of the year again that our congregation is asked by our Southern IL District Office to send in the number of people who would like to subscribe to the Lutheran Witness Magazine, our LC-MS church body’s flagship news source.  If you would like to continue to receive a copy of the Lutheran Witness as it’s paid for by our congregation please call the church office at:  785-2344 or sign your name in the back of the church to continue to receive the subscription for next year in 2013.  If we don’t hear from you by: November 1 you will NOT be able to get a subscription paid for by our church, but will have to contact Concordia Publishing House to continue to get your subscription.  There is an envelope in your church offering box that you received at the beginning of the year for the Lutheran Witness if you would like to make a donation toward your subscription to offset the cost that the church pays for these magazines for members of our congregation.  Thank you for your response in this matter. 

SPECIAL FAMILY NIGHT Nov. 30^th @ 6pm!  The next special family night at our church will be on Friday Nov. 30^th from 6-8:30pm.  These family nights will be informal with opportunities for the children to play and for families to fellowship with one another while doing a variety of activities and having a few treats as well.  There will also be a special devotion from God’s Word for everyone.  Come join us for a fun and exciting time!!!

Have you Changed your Phone Number or Address?-With the popularity of cell phones, we are finding an increasing number of people are dropping their local lines and switching to using only their cell phones. If your phone number has changed, or you have a new address, please be sure to let the church/school office know so we can change our records. Thank you.

Pastor’s Visits--Pastor makes visits to homebound and nursing home members on a regular basis. If you or someone you know would like to be added to his visitation list, let him know. Any member who would like to talk with him at the Church is welcome to call the office (785-2344) for an appointment.

The Pastor’s Study--The Pastor's Study is a symbol of the calling of the Christian minister to be the shepherd of a flock of God. Here, sermons are prepared to feed the congregation on God's Holy Word. Here the work of the church is planned so that the congregation may grow in Grace and bear fruit in Service, Fellowship, Teaching, and Witnessing. Here you will always find a friend and counselor in time of need. He will not be surprised at your sins, nor will he judge you on them, but he will always invite you to share with him the wisdom and love of God, the knowledge of forgiveness of sins, and the saving Grace of God in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

“Showing our Gratitude

Because God is a loving and giving God, He never stops giving to us.  God gives us His love, goodness, and mercy daily.  He has given us victory over sin and death through His Son.  Christ has given us the blessings of forgiveness, justification, a new life, and an eternal hope.  Because of His bountiful blessings, we should be compelled to show our gratitude.  Do we?  Could we, at times, be taking all that we receive for granted?

If Christ were to come into our homes in physical form, certainly we would express our thanks in tangible ways.  We would make Him comfortable, run errands for Him, offer our best food, and give Him our time and attention.  However, we don’t have that opportunity, so we show our gratitude in different ways.

One way that we express our gratitude is to give thanks throughout the day in our prayers and thoughts.  When we see life and its blessings as gifts, we are prepared to offer our thanks.  Our thanksgiving is expressed when we use the faith God has given us to live in obedience to His Word.  God hears and sees our gratitude through the lives we live.  When we generously share our time and money with others in Christian love, we show our thanksgiving for our gifts.  Our giving reflects Christ’s love in us.  We extend our thanks to our heavenly Father when we give Him praise and glory in weekly worship and privately throughout each day.

As stewards, we find that our gratitude to God opens our hearts to receive more of God’s love which enables us to be more faithful with our time, talents, and treasures.  In response to God’s love and grace, we give ourselves and our resources.  When we acknowledge God as the creator and owner of all, we will serve the Lord faithfully out of gratitude for all His gifts to us.  Our gratefulness to God will enable us to give thanks even during bad times because God promises to comfort and sustain us in all things.

I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving as we during this special time express our gratitude for Who God is and what He does for us.

Advent Midweek Series Coming to St. John—“The Saints of Advent”

1. St. Andrew, Apostle (John 1:35–42)

2. St. Nicholas (Galatians 2:20)

3. St. Lucia (Revelation 7:14–17)

4.  St. Thomas, Apostle (John 11:1–16; 14:1–7)

On Wednesday nights @ 7pm during the months of November & December we will once again be having our Advent Midweek services.  We will be following the Order of Vespers from TLH and the services will be on: Nov. 28^th, Dec.  This year we will be looking at the “The Saints of Advent.” The messages will be as follows:

1.       Wed. Nov. 28^th @ 7pm— “St. Andrew, Apostle” (John 1:35–42) He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease. Your old Adam decreases, but your new man in Christ increases in Baptism.  You decrease and Christ increases as you bring people to the living Word.  Christ decreased to death on the cross that you might increase with his forgiveness. Let us decrease, even to death, and Christ increase, by our witness to him, that he may grant us to increase to the place he has prepared for us.

2.       Wed. Dec. 5^th @ 7pm— “St. Nicholas”

                       (Galatians 2:20)  The real St. Nicholas                           gave to the needy and defended the faith.                     The love of Christ was working through St.            Nicholas in his life of giving.  The same          love of Christ that was at work in St.                               Nicholas is at work also in you and in your           gifting.  Jesus, Love in the Flesh for                         You, Is the Ultimate Gift St. Nicholas                         Sought to Give.

3.       Wed. Dec. 12^th @ 7pm— “St. Lucia” (Revelation 7:14–17)            St. Lucia died a martyr’s death for faith in Christ.  St. Lucia reminds us of Christ, the bread of life, the lamb of sacrifice, the light of the world.           St. Lucia, with all the saints, bears witness to Christ, takes up her cross, and follows him. As Was St. Lucia, You Are Upheld by the One Who Was Martyred for You.

4.       Wed. Dec. 19^th  @ 7pm— “St. Thomas, Apostle (John 11:1–16; 14:1–7) What if Jesus had a twin?  Thomas the twin speaks twin statements of doubt and faith.  The name twin is a fitting description of all who would be disciples of Jesus.  To Be a Christian Is to Be Christ’s Twin.  We are reborn as Christ’s twin in Baptism.  We are marked as Christ’s twin in death and life.

Please Note:  Due to the Advent Midweek Series Confirmation & Pre-confirmation will be meeting at different times on Wednesdays.  Pre-Confirmation will be meeting at 4:30pm and Confirmation will be meeting at 5:30 pm…

LIVE 24 HOUR LUTHERAN BIBLE STUDY…You can listen to teachings on topics like: Original Sin, Justification, Good Works, Baptism, The Lord’s Supper, The Return of Christ and more. Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken and produced by Lutheran Public Radio. You can listen live beginning at 3 p.m. Central on Friday, November 2 on KFUO 850 AM in St. Louis, or on-demand at www.issuesetc.org.

We remember in our prayers—[If you would like to add to our prayer list please call the church.]

 “Pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

In your prayers this month, pray for the Church;  For our nation as we prepare for another Presidential election; For those who serve in the armed forces; For the families of our church;  For our Southern IL District Prison Ministry;  For all who travel;  For seasonable weather for our farmers as they harvest their crops; For missionaries who bring God’s Word to the nations, Rev. Tim & Lisa Beckendorf of Lutheran Bible Translators to Botwsana, Africa & Nicole Dekker who is a missionary to South Africa. For those who are ill, awaiting, or recovering from surgery: We pray especially for Carol Jean Orella, Sally Fadler, Mickey Umbdenstock, Karen Willis, Linda Nagel, Elizabeth Montroy, Lee Hogandobler, Evan Saldana, & Margaret Dixon, the grandmother of Nicki Buch, all who are battling serious illnesses.  We pray for Hayden Smith, a friend of Christa Poynor, who is currently battling cancer.  For Greg Laufer, Elvera & Russell Mahan, Susan Reinhardt, and Krista Hammel, that they would be healed in the midst of their illness. For all of those who are unemployed or underemployed, that they would be able to find suitable work to support themselves and their families.  For those who are in nursing homes or homebound.

We mourn with the families of Jeff McKenzie, a relative of the Spier family, Augusta Ohm, the sister of Emilee, Frieda, Mathilda, Louis Sommer & Ella Falkenheim, Elvera Mahan, & Allen Schleifer, the nephew of Leo Schleifer, who were called home to heavenly rest recently.  May God give to their families the remembrance and hope of the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ who says in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”  

PRAISE GOD THAT MORE NAMES HAVE BEEN WRITTEN IN GOD’S BOOK OF LIFE!!!  Congratulations to Nathan Austin Woods & Justin Christian Tyler Poynor, the children of Christa & Sylvester Poynor, who were recently baptized in our church.  Thanks be to God that these children have been baptized into God’s family through water and the Holy Word of God!!!  Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!!!

BIBLE STUDIES—

                  Sunday Mornings (8:45 a.m.)  “Martin       Luther’s Catechisms”

                  Wednesday Mornings (10 a.m.)   “The        Intersection of Church & State”

“Why Join a Bible Study?”

A big part of church life should be the offering of Bible studies.  What is your experience and history of attending Bible study?  You may fall somewhere in the range from eagerly attending to no interest.

For many, the biggest impediment to attending a Bible study is time.  We are so busy with work and activities that we are not willing to make Bible study a priority.  However, Jesus tells us, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).  Our Savior would remind us that just as we need physical nourishment, so do we need spiritual nourishment from His Word.  How easy it is to enjoy all of God’s gifts while failing to thank Him for them and neglecting to carve out some time to spend with Him.

What a mistake we make in doing so!  God gives us His Word and Sacraments for the forgiveness of sin and the nurturing of our faith.  Do we want to deprive ourselves of daily and weekly Bible study and worship?  By spending time in personal Bible reading and in group Bible studies, our relationship with Jesus deepens, and we are armed to handle the challenges we face.

The writer of Hebrews tells us, “The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword...” (Hebrews 4:12).   God’s Word cuts through any spiritual barrier that stands between us and Him.  God’s Word gives life.  Jesus declares, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God” (Luke 4:4).

We will never regret making God our first priority.  The blessings He offers us in His presence during prayer time and study of His Word are lasting, unlike the temporal perks we get through our careers or leisure activities.  Nothing compares with spending time in God’s Word alone and together with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

God invites us to read and study His Word.  God doesn’t require us to understand everything, nor does He promise that the Scriptures will solve all our problems.  God invites us into a relationship through the words of the Bible with His Son, Jesus, Whom we call the Living Word.

In addition to growing in our relationship with our Savior, Bible studies give us the opportunity to have fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  A bonding often takes place as people share their faith, joys, and challenges.

I hope and pray that these few thoughts will provide a little encouragement for you to find a Bible study to attend and to make regular attendance a priority in your life.  You won’t be sorry!  If I can be of any help in finding a study or answer any questions, don’t hesitate to call Pastor Taggatz at the church office 618-785-2344.  Pastor is always willing to find other times during the week or on the weekend for us to study God’s Word!

Remember:  Every 3^rd Sunday of the month we are praying for people who are in the military.  If you have a relative or friend who is an armed serviceman and woman in our Nation’s military please let the Church know so that we may be able to pray for them on the third Sunday of the month.  Also, please let us know if your family member is no longer serving in our US Military so that we can keep our records up to date.

Are you or a family member…coping with grief and loss… stressed out by financial issues… dealing with family or marital problems? Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois’ professional licensed counselors can help. They provide individual, couple, marital and family counseling to help address these types of situations. Insurance is accepted. Call:  800-363-LCFS (5237) to schedule a FREE confidential initial consultation.  LUTHERAN CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES IN SPARTA HAS MOVED With the closing of the Nice Twice Thrift Shop, Lutheran Child and Family Services moved its office to 1107 N. Market in Sparta. 

CHRIST OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN HS

810 Soldiers Way, Evansville, IL   62242

Phone 618-853-7300       Fax 618-853-7361

www.coslhs.org               admin@coslhs.org

John Christman, Principal

Congratulations, Elizabeth Koester, on being selected for the District Six Honors Choir for IMEA!

Congratulations, Lady Soldiers, on growing as a team and completing the volleyball season. Thank you, Sarah Koester, for serving as the volleyball coach.

Fall Open House and Social: This year’s fall open house and social will be held on November 4 starting at 2 pm. Reserve the date to attend this fun event with your family to visit our campus, chat with faculty and then gather for food and fellowship around a bonfire. Please invite families to join you and learn more about the COS difference.

Zuehla Rowold                        Laverna Luthy

Red Bud Nursing Home        Three Springs N. Home  

350 W. South 1^st                             161 Three Springs Rd.    Red Bud, IL 62278                Chester, IL 62233               

Opal & Leland Luthy            

Red Bud Nursing Home       

350 W. South 1^st                              

Red Bud, IL 62278                

Dorothy Junge                      Russell Mahan

7555 State Rte. 15              800 Baldwin Rd

Baldwin, IL 62217               New Athens, IL 62264

      

Church Council Meeting Oct. 9th, 2012 7:30 pm

Vision: Making Known the Love of Christ

Mission: St. John Lutheran Church is dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ within its church and into the community

Regular Council Meeting --Oct. 9^th, 2012

Present:  Pastor Taggatz, Gerald Poeniski, Marla Huebner, Susan Piel, Dennis Wegener, Tony Junge, Linda Schoenbeck, and Fleta Junge.

The meeting was called to order by Vice-President Gerald Poeniski.

Opening devotions were given by Pastor Taggatz.

Minutes from the previous meeting: Were read and approved.

Financial Secretary’s Report:  Total receipts for Sep 2012, $15,108.29.

Treasurer’s report:  Ending balance for the general fund for Sep 2012, $7,915.57. Motion was made and second to approve. Motion carried.

Spiritual Ministries/Elder: Request for membership transfer for Paul Greatting from St. Peter Lutheran, Evansville to St. John Lutheran, Baldwin.  Motion was made and second to accept transfer. Motion carried.

- Release from membership for David, Angie, Kendra & Lacy Crain, Lindy Grohman(Bunte), Alex Bunte, Lauren Bunte, Angel Ellner, Chris Moll, Ronald Sommer and Dave Stahre was requested. Motion was made and second to approve release on each individual. Motion carried

               

Church Properties:  An individual has been located in the review of church Insurance policies.

Social Ministries: Church member, Christa Poyner, has requested monetary help from our church. Motion was made to give a $100.00 payment to the electric company; only if a bill is presented to the council then payment will be made to their account if needed. Motion second. Motion carried.

 COSLHS:

Christian Education:

Evangelism: 

Sunday School: 

 

Stewardship:  Did not receive Food Grant money from Thrivent.

Lutheran Youth Fellowship:  LYF thanks all who supported their Chicken & Dumpling Dinner.

- LYF will be going to Gilbert Kahle for a picnic/bonfire/fishing on October 20^th.

- LYF chili Dinner will be on November 4^th.

- LYF will be decorating the church for Christmas on November 25^th.

- LYF will be making t-shirts for the 2013 LCMS National LYF Gathering.

Pastor’s Report: 

PASTORAL ACTS FROM SEPT. 12^TH-OCT 8^TH, 2012—

                -Regular Saturday & Sunday worship             responsibilities

                -6 Bible Study class sessions (Sunday mornings           & Wed. mornings)

                -1 Prospective member visit

                -15 Homebound visits

                -1 Hospital Visit

                -Attended the SID Pastor’s Conference at Pere             Marquette Lodge in Grafton, IL on Oct. 1-2 on            “Youth Ministry in the Church” w/ Dr. John           Oberdeck of Concordia University Wisconsin.                              (I was voted as Vice Chairman of the                             Pastor’s Conference Committee)

                -6 Spiritual Care Meetings

                -Attended and took part in the worship service             of the SID LWML Convention @ Metro East               Lutheran High School Sept. 28^th-29^th (my wife      Roxanne went as a Young Women’s              Representative for the Ladies Aid of our        Church, and I was on the ballot for Pastoral         Counselor for the SID LWML)

                -1 Circuit Forum on Sept. 30^th at St. John Red               Bud

                -1 Funeral for Elvera Mahan on Thur. Sept. 27^th

                -R. County Nursing Home Chapel, Sept. 26^th

                -Red Bud Nursing Home Chapel, Sept. 30^th

                -2 COSLHS Meetings—Sept. 13^th and Oct. 2^nd

                -1 COSLHS Chapel, Oct. 9^th

                -1 Trinity Lutheran Chapel, Oct. 3^rd

                -1 Family Night @ St. John Baldwin on Fri.   Sept. 21^st (we had 6 adults and 5 kids in         attendance)…

- Christa Poyner plans on having her son, Nathan baptized later this month.

- Transfer of Paul Greatting from St. Peter Lutheran, Evansville.

- Flower Committee Chairman, Lela Rehmer is stepping down from this position. A new chairman will be need as of January 1, 2013.

- The next DOXOLGY session will be November 16^th – 18^th.  Harry Wetzel has volunteered to go with Pastor Taggatz in November. Housing & food is taken care of for this lay leader. If any additional lay leaders who might go to this training, the cost would be $250.00 per person. Harry Wetzel has volunteered to go with Pastor Taggatz.

- Guest Preacher on Sunday, November 18^th will be Pastor Mark Willig while Pastor will be attending the Doxology Training event in Donaldson, IN that weekend.  There will be no Saturday night church service on Saturday, November 17^th.

- Special Family Night will be on the fourth Friday of the month October 26^st from 6:00 to 8:30 pm.

- Giving through Thrivent Choice Program for October 2012 has amounted to $30.00. Total amount our church has received from this program since January is $2,671.00.

- Sunday School Children will begin to practice for the Christmas program and they will be singing at our Reformation Service on Sunday, October 28^th.

- Randolph County Thrivent Chapter will host a Board member election and Rib-eye Dinner at St. John Veteran Memorial hall, 1324 High Street, Chester, IL

- Annual Meeting will be Sunday, November 25^th.

- Election for Pastoral Delegate/Alternate Delegate & Lay Delegate/Alternate to go the 2013 LC-MS National Convention in St. Louis, MO in July 2013 to represent our Circuit:

Pastoral Delegate--Rev Ralph Laufer, Alternate--Rev Steven MacDougall

Lay Delegate—Loren Harms (St. John-Red Bud) Alternate Lay Delegate—Larry Erdmann (St. John-Baldwin)

Old Business:  Susan Piel is checking into the banners that were purchased in the past by members and the cost of purchasing new banners

New Business: 

- October 14^th, there will be a Spaghetti Dinner to help raise money for tuition for students.  Currently there are five students at St. John Lutheran at Red Bud and four students at Trinity Lutheran at Prairie.

Adjournment:  Motion was made and second to adjourn. Motion carried.

The meeting was closed prayer and with the Lord’s Prayer.

Vice-President, Gerald Poeniski

Secretary, Marla Huebner

We Believe, Teach and Confess.

Formula of Concord:  Epitome

Article 3-- THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH BEFORE GOD

                                                                                       

Introductory Note:  This article repeats the very heart of the Gospel. We are justified by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, which receives the righteousness of Christ. This article addresses precisely how this happens. The entire Christ, God and man, is our righteousness. Our righteousness before God consists in forgiveness in Christ, without our works, and God’s application of Christ’s righteousness to us. Faith is the means, or instrument, by which we receive Christ’s righteousness, not the cause of our righteousness in Christ. The Holy Spirit, working through the means of grace, bestows the gift of faith. We are saved by God’s grace in Christ through faith alone, but that does not mean that faith is ever alone. Good works are the fruit of justifying faith. Those who willfully, knowingly, and continually choose to commit sins show they no longer possess saving faith. For such people the Law must drive them to despair over their dire circumstances and the sure prospect of hell, and the Gospel must cleanse, pardon, and renew them through faith in Christ. King David’s repentance of adultery and murder, and the prophet Nathan’s comforting absolution, is used to illustrate this truth. (See also AC IV; Ap IV; SA II I; SA III XIII; FC SD III.)

AC-Augsburg Confession; SA-Smalcald Articles; FC Ep-Formula of Concord, Epitome; SD-Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration 

                                                                                               

STATUS OF THE CONTROVERSY

THE CHIEF QUESTION IN THIS CONTROVERSY

¹ It is unanimously confessed in our churches, in accordance with God’s Word and the meaning of the Augsburg Confession, that we poor sinners are justified before God and saved alone through faith in Christ. Christ alone is our Righteousness, who is true God and man, because in Him the divine and human natures are personally united with each other (Jeremiah 23:6; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The question has arisen: “According to which nature is Christ our Righteousness?” From this, two opposing errors have arisen in some churches.

² One side has held that Christ, according to His divinity alone, is our Righteousness, if He dwells in us through faith. Contrasted with this divinity, dwelling in us through faith, the sins of all people must be regarded as a drop of water compared to a great ocean. Others, on the contrary, have held that Christ is our Righteousness before God according to His human nature alone.

AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENTS

The Pure Teaching of the Christian Churches against Both Errors Just Mentioned

³ 1. Against both the errors just mentioned, we unanimously believe, teach, and confess that Christ is our Righteousness [1 Corinthians 1:30] neither according to His divine nature alone nor according to His human nature alone. But it is the entire Christ who is our Righteousness according to both natures. In His obedience alone, which as God and man He offered to the Father even to His death [Philippians 2:8], He merited for us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. For it is written, “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).

⁴ 2. We believe, teach, and confess what our righteousness before God is this: God forgives our sins out of pure grace, without any work, merit, or worthiness of ours preceding, present, or following. He presents and credits to us the righteousness of Christ’s obedience [Romans 5:17–19]. Because of this righteousness, we are received into grace by God and regarded as righteous.

⁵ 3. We believe, teach, and confess that faith alone is the means and instrument through which we lay hold of Christ. So in Christ we lay hold of that righteousness that benefits us before God [Romans 1:17], for whose sake this faith is credited to us for righteousness (Romans 4:5).

⁶ 4. We believe, teach, and confess that this faith is not a bare knowledge of Christ’s history, but it is God’s gift [Ephesians 2:8]. By this gift we come to the right knowledge of Christ as our Redeemer in the Word of the Gospel. And we trust in Him that for the sake of His obedience alone we have—by grace—the forgiveness of sins and are regarded as holy and righteous before God the Father and are eternally saved.

⁷ 5. We believe, teach, and confess that according to the usage of Holy Scripture the word justify means, in this article, “to absolve, that is, to declare free from sins.” Proverbs 17:15 says, “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.” Also Romans 8:33 says, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”

⁸ At times the words regeneration and renewal of life (regeneratio and vivificatio) are used in place of justify, as in the Apology. This is done with the same meaning. But, in other places, the renewal of a person is understood by these terms and is distinguished from justification through faith.

⁹ 6. We believe, teach, and confess that many weaknesses and defects cling to the true believers and truly regenerate, even up to the day they are buried [1 John 1:8]. Still, they must not on that account doubt either their righteousness, which has been credited to them through faith, or the salvation of their souls. They must regard it as certain that for Christ’s sake, according to the promise and ‹immovable› Word of the Holy Gospel, they have a gracious God.

¹⁰ 7. We believe, teach, and confess that it is necessary to teach with special diligence the particulae exclusivae for the preservation of the pure doctrine about the righteousness of faith before God. We mean the exclusive particles, that is, the following words of the holy apostle Paul, by which Christ’s merit is entirely separated from our works and the honor is given to Christ alone. For the holy apostle Paul writes, “Of grace,” “without merit,” “without Law,” “without works,” of works.” All these words together mean that we are justified and saved through faith alone in Christ [Ephesians 2:8; Romans 1:17; 3:24; 4:3–25; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 11].

¹¹ 8. We believe, teach, and confess that the contrition that comes before justification, and the good works that follow it, do not belong to the article of justification before God. Yet one is not to imagine a kind of faith that can exist and abide with, and alongside of, a wicked intention to sin and to act against the conscience. But after man has been justified through faith, then a true living faith works by love (Galatians 5:6). Good works always follow justifying faith and are surely found with it—if it is true and living faith [James 2:26]. Faith is never alone, but always has love and hope with it [1 Corinthians 13:13].

Concordia : The Lutheran Confessions. 2005 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (479-480). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

The deadline for getting articles and reports in to be included in the Newsletter is the 18^th of every month.

Church Office Hours have changed to Monday and Tuesday from 10am -1pm starting in May. Please get the announcements no later than 10am on Tuesday. If you can’t get them in by that time, they will still be announced, but will not be in the bulletin.  Thank You!

LYF UPDATE—

                -On Sunday Nov. 4^th will be the LYF Chili      Dinner to raise funds for the 2013 LC-MS     National Youth Gathering in San Antonio, TX

                -On Sunday Nov. 25^th the LYF will be             decorating the church for   Christmas after    worship that morning.

REMINDER – The Thanksgiving Day Service with Holy Communion will be held at 9:00 a.m on Thursday Nov. 22^nd .

The Sunday School Children will be practicing for their Christmas Eve Pageant starting at 8:30am on Sunday mornings in November, except for the weekend of Thanksgiving.  During December, the children will be practicing at 8:30am in the Church.

 

Don’t forget on Sunday Nov. 4^th,   set your clocks back one hour  so you won’t be too early for church on Sunday morning.

Concordia Publishing House is having a Warehouse Sale Saturday, Nov. 3rd from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. You could save up to 75% outside in the tent and then save 20%* inside the Concordia Christian Books and Gifts Store. (*Exceptions apply. Bookstore opens 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.). It’s located at 3558 S. Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, Mo 63118.

As of January 2013, we will be needing a flower Committee Chairman. This consists of putting flowers on the altar every 2^nd & 5^th Sunday, picking up, arranging, displaying, and watering the Christmas Poinsettias, and Easter Lilies. For more information please contact the church office.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!  We would like to thank everyone who donated items, attended and supported our Spaghetti Dinner.  We made $1,835.25 & are waiting on Thrivent matching funds.  Without your support this wouldn’t have been a success!  Thank you: Lutheran Parochial School Parents.

Peace of Mind Seminar Teaches the Value of Preparation--Losing a loved one is a difficult experience for anyone to go through, but the weight of the loss can be lightened knowing we provided them with their final wishes exactly as desired.  We invite you to a special presentation during which we will discuss the importance and value of recording and arranging your final wishes so your loved ones can feel confident and at peace that your were given what you wanted.  This Peace of Mind Seminar will be sponsored and hosted by Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church, 612 North State Street, Freeburg, Illinois, on Sunday, November 4^th beginning at 1:30  p.m.    We will outline the steps in the planning process and answer questions you may have. This presentation is brought to you by George Renner & Sons Funeral Home.   Light refreshments will be served.  There is no cost.  Please call the Church Office at 539-5664 with any questions or for additional information.  We hope to see you there!

The St. John Annual Meeting will be on Sunday Nov. 25^th @ 7pm in the Church.

U. S. POSTAGE PAID Non-Profit Org. Permit No. 1 Baldwin, IL 62217

St. John Ev. Lutheran Church

P. O. Box 162

Baldwin, IL 62217-0162

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED