Pastor's Notebook
Dear Friends in Christ,
The church year begins in Advent, but the secular year on January 1. We will
have a New Year's Day worship service on January 1 at 6:30 p.m. (our regular
Thursday evening time), and will also have that same worship service on Sunday
January 4th. The church theme for January 1st is different than the secular emphasis. In
the church, this is the day we remember the circumcision and naming of Jesus. Note
that there are no holidays in the secular world for this!
Something special for these Services is that I'll be using a sermon that was
originally written in 1868 by the second president of the Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod, the Rev. Friedrich Wyneken. It combines the themes of Jesus' circumcision, His
name, and what this means for us as we go into the new year.
Because we'll be emphasizing this theme, however, we will miss out on the
themes of “the Second Sunday after Christmas.” The Gospel for this Sunday is the
familiar account of Jesus going to the Temple with His parents when He was twelve
years old. (Cf. Luke 2:40-52. Please read it.) But also, we will miss hearing one of my
favorite sections of St. Paul's epistles—Ephesians 1:3-14. Sometimes this is titled in
Bibles as “Spiritual Blessings in Christ.” Please read it now.
This passage is a key for the teaching of “predestination,” or “election,” and why we
Christians should derive so much comfort from this Biblical teaching. It is not one to be
ignored, nor thought too complicated. It is throughout the Holy Scriptures, because
God wants us to know and believe how secure our salvation is in Jesus Christ!
I found this quote from Martin Luther that addresses aspects about
“predestination.” Luther is particularly addressing the questions of those who want to
know the mind of God and what He thinks about them. If we go looking for God and
His will about us (is He “for me” or “against me?”) in the wrong places, we will end
up in a bad spot! So, God is always directing our hearts and minds, and faith, to where
our assurance (our predestination for salvation) is found: J E S U S. What a Name! It is
above all other names! (cf. Philippians 2:9).
(Luther): “And it is true that God wanted to counteract this curiosity [seeking
God where He is not to be found—namely, outside of His revelation, in His
“hiddenness.”] at the very beginning: for this is how he set forth His will and counsel:
“I will reveal My foreknowledge and predestination to you in an extraordinary manner, but not by this way of reason and carnal wisdom, as you imagine. This is how I will do so: From an unrevealed God I will become a revealed God. Nevertheless, I will remain the same God. I will be made flesh or send My Son. He shall die for your sins and rise again from the dead. And in this way, I will fulfill your desire, in order that you may be able to know whether you are predestined or not. Behold, this is My Son: listen to Him (cf. Matt. 17:5).
“Look at Him as He lies in the manger and on the lap of His mother, as He hangs on the cross. Observe what He does and what He says. There you will surely take hold of Me.” For “He who sees Me,” says Christ, “also sees the Father Himself” (cf. John 14:9).
“If you listen to Him, are baptized in His name, and love His Word, then you are surely predestined and are certain of your salvation. But if you revile or despise the Word, then you are damned; for he who does not believe is condemned (cf. Mark 16:16).
“You must kill the other thoughts and the ways of reason or of the flesh, for God detests them. The only thing you have to do is receive the Son, so that Christ is welcome in your heart in His birth, miracles, and cross. For here is the book of life in which you have been written. And this is the only and most efficacious remedy for that horrible disease because of which human beings in their investigation of God want to proceed in a speculative manner and eventually rush into despair or contempt.
“If you want to escape despair, hatred, and blasphemy of God, give up your speculation about the hidden God, and cease to strive in vain to see the face of God. Otherwise you will have to remain perpetually in unbelief and damnation, and you will have to perish; for he who doubts does not believe, and he who does not believe is condemned (Mark 16:16).
“Therefore, we should detest and shun these vicious words which the Epicureans bandy about: “If this is how it must happen, let it happen.” For God did not come down from heaven to make you uncertain about predestination, to teach you to despise the sacraments, absolution, and the rest of the divine ordinances. Indeed, He instituted them to make you completely certain and to remove the disease of doubt from your heart, in order that you might not only believe with the heart but also see with your physical eyes and touch with your hands. Why, then, do you reject these and complain that you do not know whether you have been predestined? You have the Gospel; you have been baptized; you have absolution: you are a Christian.” (Luther's Works, Vol. 5: 44-46.)
We are blessed in Jesus! In His Name it will be a good year!
Pastor Engler
WORSHIP TIMES
Thursdays - 6:30pm
Sundays - 9:00am
Bible Class - 10:30am -
View and discusssion of the vidoe series "The Chosen"
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