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	We at Our Redeemer are a congregation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. We get our name from Martin Luther, a German priest who broke from the Roman Catholic Church in the early 1500's. Luther's strong stand for Jesus Christ alone as necessary for salvation. and for the Bible as the source of real truth, helped to ignite the Protestant Reformation. Luther's study of the Bible helped him show others that our Lord is a loving and forgiving God. He helped others see that hope, forgiveness, and eternal life are free gifts offered to us in Jesus Christ. These gifts are for you, as well!
	Beliefs: We believe that God has revealed himself as "Triune", namely three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) in one God. We believe that we are born into a sinful world. participate in sin. and are helpless to change our sinful ways and please God. We believe that Jesus, the Son of God, was born, lived, suffered, died, and was raised to life again to forgive our sins that we may be children of God and live with Him forever. We believe that God gives the forgiveness that Jesus earned to all who trust in Him, and that God the Holy Spirit works this saving faith and trust in our heart through His Word, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. We believe that the Bible is God's inspired and inerrent word and the only source of knowledge about His love for us in Jesus Christ.
	The Lutheran Church - Missoui Synod teaches: The Lutheran church derives its name from Martin Luther (1483-1546), an Augustinian monk whose posting of the 95 Theses on October 31, 1517, sparked the Reformation. The documents which present what Lutherans believe, teach and confess were assembled and published in 1580 in The Book of Concord. Significantly, the very first documents included in The Book of Concord are the three ancient ecumenical creeds compiled during the early, formative years of the Christian era: the Apostles' Creed (ca. third century A.D.), the Nicene Creed (fourth century), and the Athanasian Creed (fifth and sixth centuries). In addition, the Book of Concord includes Luther's Small Catechism (1529) and the Augsburg Confession (1530), and five other 16th century statements, including Luther's Large Catechism and the Formula of Concord. Luther and the other writers of these confessions did not want to be doctrinal innovators. They, together with their contemporary descendants, maintain that we believe and teach nothing more and nothing less than what the Scriptures themselves teach and what Christians through the ages have always believed. We believe that sinners are justified (declared right) with the Creator God by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Scripture alone. These three interdependant concepts together form an outline of what Missouri Synod Lutherans believe, teach, and confess.   Grace Alone At the heart of what we believe is the conviction that salvation is the free gift of God's grace for Christ's sake alone. "Since the fall of Adam all men who are born according to the course of nature are conceived and born in sin", the Lutherans confessed before Emperor Charles V in Augsburg, Germany, in 1530. This "inborn sickness and hereditary sin" makes it utterly impossible for people to earn forgiveness. If salvation were dependent on human initiative, there would be no hope for anyone. But God forgives our sins, says Luther in his Large Catechism (1529)," altogether freely, out of pure grace". The basis for the grace of God that alone gives hope to sinners is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe that the Scriptures teach that God's grace in Christ Jesus is universal, embracing all people of all times and all places. There is no sin for which Christ has not died. Therefore, there need be no question in any sinner's mind whether Christ has died for each and every one of his or her personal sins.   Faith Alone While God's grace is universal and embraces all people, we believe that this grace can be appropriated by sinful human beings only through faith. Luther had learned from St. Augustine that only the grace of God could save him. But Luther's rediscovery of the Gospel in all its clarity took place when he came to see that he did not first have to do something to merit God's saving grace. The implications of salvation "through faith alone" permeate everything we Lutherans believe and teach. For example, we believe that the conversion of sinners is a gift of God and not the result of any human effort or decision, or in the words of Luther: "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel." This also implies that it is only through the proclamation of the Gospel in Word and Sacrament that the Holy Spirit gives the gift of faith. The proclamation of the Word in public preaching therefore occupies a central position in our theology. Missouri Lutheran churches are preaching churches. But we are also sacramental churches, for the sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, are the Gospel made visible. We believe that Baptism has God's command and promise. God's action in Baptism, apart from any human initiative, creates and bestows the gift of faith through which the Christian lays hold of God's grace. We also believe that the Scriptures teach that the bread and the wine in the Lord's Supper are the true body and blood of Christ. Although we do not presume to understand how this takes place, we confess that in, with and under the earthly elements God gives the true body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. It is only through these "means of grace" that sinners are brought to faith in Jesus Christ and preserved in it. Justification is an act, a declaration. It is not a process. Through faith in Christ, and only through faith, sinners are declared to be forgiven and to be perfectly right with God. This declaration is whole and complete, totally independent of any inherent goodness in us sinners. In short, because of God's act on the cross received through faith, we sinners are declared to be perfect saints in God's sight. But this does not mean that forgiven sinners, when judged by God's law, do not continue to be sinners. "Forgiveness is needed constantly," says Luther. "Because we are encumbered with our flesh, we are never without sin".   Scripture Alone Luther's insight that salvation comes by grace alone through faith alone cannot be divorced from "on the basis of Scripture alone." For it was directly as a result of his commitment to Scripture that Luther came to rediscover justification by grace alone through faith alone. Together with his contemporaries, Luther held that the Bible is the Word of God and that it does not mislead or deceive us. But unlike his opponents, Luther rejected the notion that an infallible magisterium of the church is necessary for the right interpretation of the Bible. Scripture alone, said Luther, is infallible. The institutional church and its councils can and do err. But Scripture, says Luther, "will not lie to you". Missouri Synod Lutherans believe that Scripture alone (not Scripture and tradition, Scripture and the church, Scripture and human reason, or Scripture and experience) stands as the final standard of what the Gospel is. But we also believe that confidence in the reliability of the Bible is not possible apart from faith in Jesus Christ. Christians believe what the Scriptures teach because they first believe in Jesus Christ. Christ is the object of faith, not the Bible. The key to understanding Scripture properly, we believe, is the careful distinction between the Law and the Gospel. The Law tells what God demands of sinners if they are to be saved. The Gospel reveals what God has already done for our salvation. The chief purpose of the Law is to show us our sin and our need for a Savior. The Gospel offers the free gift of God's salvation in Christ. The whole Bible can be divided into these two chief teachings. It is in the proper distinction between Law and Gospel that the purity of the Gospel is preserved.   The foregoing is abstracted from a comprehensive document containing historical notations, extensive discussion, and references located on the LCMS Home Site. Please visit that site for furthur information.
	Ask The Pastor: Certainly there are questions we all have about our faith. Pastor Steve answers these questions in this section. Please let him know any questions that you would like to see addressed in future columns.
	Issues Facing The Church: As Christ's church on earth travels forward into the new Millennium there are vital issues arising to confront the church every day. The Devil is rampant among us today, as he always has been, and uses every device and nefarious scheme within his power to confound and impede the church in its efforts to fulfill God's Will on earth. While God's Word, The Bible, is unchanging, innerrant, and always will be, thus our doctrinal reliance on that Word can never change, the church must recognize and confront those issues that concern and divide our people today in order to reach out and enfold those among us who so badly need the saving grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Some of those issues include:
	Forms of Worship: Traditional and Contemporary Worship is the expression of a love relationship between God and His people. This relationship was created by God through His grace given to us! We share that love with others through special gifts of grace! We all then together give thanks to God for that love! Thanksgiving (for what God has done) leads to praise (honoring God for who He is) and to worship (experiencing God Himself). To worship then is to experience God! God's Guidelines for Worship: "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23 "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6 "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20 The four basic guidelines for worship are: 1. Spirit 2. Truth 3. Faith 4. Consciousness of God's presence There is no "correct style" of worship. Debates over Traditional versus Contemporary styles will go on forever. But as long as we are true to God's Guidelines for Worship we are being Biblical and correct. God works through both Traditional and Contemporary worship! There should be no competion between the two styles. The style of worship you feel most comfortable with says more about your cultural background than it does about your theology! Pray that God will use both Traditional and Contemporary worship to reach His people. Remember, not everyone worships the same, but as Christians we worship the same Jesus! That is why we need to love and respect one another as Christians on this issue.   Confession and Absolution:   Confession and Absolution is a way in which we: 1. Confess our sins to God. 2. Receive absolution (forgiveness of sins) from God.  Confession and Absolution takes place on the corporate (public) level, the private level, and the neighbor to neighbor level. Let's take a look at all three:  Corporate Confession and Absolution This is what takes place every Sunday publicly in the worship service. In confessing we acknowledge before God: 1. The wrong we have done 2. That we are sorry we have offended God and hurt other people 3. We admit to God all our sins, even those which are not known to us. But we need to be assured of the Forgiveness we have through Christ! That's where the absolution (forgiveness) comes in. When we confess our sins, God answers us. Through the Gospel, God tells us that we are forgiven people because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross! Our sins are washed away because of the blood of Jesus Christ shed for us on Calvary's cross. God now looks upon us as being perfect and righteous!   Private Confession and Absolution (Voluntary!) Private confession has two parts. First of all,we can go to the pastor and confess our sin or sins. The pastor is there to listen to our problems or any guilt we may be feeling because of our sin(s). Second of all, the pastor pronounces to us absolution (forgiveness) because of Jesus Christ's work for us on the cross. We should never doubt that we have been forgiven! Some important things to note in regards to private Confession and Absolution: 1. No one is forced or required to do this! God has given us private confession and absolution as a privilege. 2. Private Confession and Absolution is a way in which God tells us personally through the pastor, that our sins are forgiven. Sometimes we as human beings need that added assurance that our sins are forgiven! Sometimes it makes us feel better to share with another human being and to hear that forgiveness in a one on one situation. 3. What we confess to the pastor stays confidential!   Neighbor To Neighbor Confession and Absolution (Neighbors are everyone around us, not just next door to us in our sub-division!) John 5:16 says that we are to "Confess your sins to one another." Dr. Martin Luther says in the Large Catechism that, "we are to confess our guilt before one another before we come into God's presence to beg for forgiveness." The fifth petition to The Lord's Prayer says, "and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." So, if we can not confess our sins that we have committed against our neighbor and ask for forgiveness, and if we cannot give our forgiveness to a neighbor who has asked for it, we are not living out our Christianity as we should! Jesus Christ has forgiven all of our sins, so we are to love and forgive one another! Some key scripture passages to look up concerning Confession and Absolution: Psalm 32: 3,5 1 John 1: 8-9 Psalm 103: 12 John 20: 22-23 Psalm 51: 1-4 Matthew 5: 23-24 Matthew 9: 2 Acts 3:19 Proverbs 28: 13 2 Samuel 12: 13 Matthew 18: 18   Holy Communion: Sometimes known as The Lord's Supper, The Sacrament of the Altar, The Lord's Table, and The Eucharist (Thanksgiving)   Holy Communion is the true Body and Blood our Lord Jesus Christ given with bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us to eat and drink. The Holy Scriptures talk of this. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the apostle Paul say: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, and said, "Take and eat; this is my Body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way he took the cup, after the Supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them and said, "Drink of it, all of you; this is my blood of the new Covenant which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." Jesus Christ Himself is the Host who invites us to Holy Communion! The invitation to the Lord's Supper is for: Sinners : people who know that they are sinners and need God's Grace. Believers : people who repent of their sins, and believe that Jesus gave His Body and shed His Blood for the forgiveness of sins. The Family of God: God's people who are joined in fellowship with Christ and with one another. This feast is a "Communion", a coming together as one!   Jesus invites us to come to His Supper as often as it is offered! Why should we want to take Holy Communion so often? When we take Holy Communion, it is the most intimate way in which we are connected with Christ until He comes again! Some key facts to know about Holy Communion which make it so important: When we receive the bread and wine we are also receiving the true Body and Blood of Jesus! Jesus gives us the same Body and Blood which He sacrificed on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. This is called the Real Presence. We cannot fully understand the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament, or explain how it happens. But we can be sure of this because of the word of Jesus our Lord! He says, "This is my Body... This is my Blood." When we receive the Lord's Supper we remember four main things: 1. Jesus giving Himself for us as the perfect sacrifice on the cross of Calvary! 2. Our Jesus' victory over sin, death, and the Devil! 3. Our Faith in Jesus as Lord! 4. Our promised share in the great great victory feast in Heaven! We receive three main benefits from the Lord's Supper: 1. Forgiveness of sins. Jesus assures us personally that our sins are forgiven! 2. Life. We have life as God's child now and forever! 3. Salvation. We are safe from sin, death, the Devil, and Hell! The Lord's Supper helps our Faith to grow stronger!   How do you know if you are ready to take the Lord's Supper? The Bible tells us to examine ourselves. (1Cor. 11:28) Ask yourself the following three questions: 1. Am I really sorry for my sins? 2. Do I truly believe that Jesus died for me, and that He gives me His Body and Blood in the Sacrament for the foergiveness of my sins? 3. Do I honestly intend, with God's help, to fight against sin and to live as God's child? If you can sincerely answer Yes to these questions, you are ready to go to the Lord's Supper!   Who should not go to the Lord's Supper? 1. Those who do not repent of their sins and do not believe in Jesus as God. 2. Those who do not know or believe that Jesus' Body and Blood are truly present in the Lord's Supper. 3. Those who do not intend, with God's help, to live according to God's will (for example, those who refuse to forgive other people). 4. Those who are unable to examine themselves. *The Bible warns against eating and drinking "in an unworthy manner". This means receiving the Sacrament without repenting and believing Jesus' words. "Unworthy communicants still receive Christ's Body and Blood, but instead of getting God's forgiveness they bring God's judgement on themselves. Here are some key Scripture passages concerning the Lord's Supper: Matthew 26: 17-30 Mark 14:12-26 Luke 22:7-23 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 1 Peter 1:18-19 1 John: 1:7     Promise Keepers Our Redeemer supports and believes in the effectiveness of the ministry of Promise Keepers. So many men have come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior through this organization! In addition, so many marriages have been changed for the better! Pray for the Promise Keepers movement. Pray that lives will be changed with the love and forgiveness of our Savior, Jesus! What do the Promise Keepers believe? Well, check it out! Visit the Promise Keepers web site.
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