Why Plant a Church?
Why should any of us be so concerned about planting a church? Aren’t there plenty of Christian churches already around us? Aren’t there churches with much better facilities? And much more effective programs? Wouldn’t they be better at helping people understand the Gospel and find a church? Why do we need to be so concerned about what we are doing? Read Matthew 28:19-20. The words are “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have observe all that I have commanded you.” Christ clearly commands us to go to baptize all nations and to teach all that He has commanded us. The tense of this Greek word “Go!” basically says “having already gone,” baptize and teach. This is not a job we ever walk away from. It is protocol for the entire Christian Church on earth. Also, we are assured here that until the close of the age, Jesus says there will be a holy Christian people with whom He will dwell. He says “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The question is, “how can these holy people be found or recognized?” Martin Luther writes that these holy Christian people can be recognized by these seven things:
- Possession of God’s Holy Word in its entirety (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- Holy Baptism rightly administered (Acts 2:38-41).
- The Sacrament of the Altar rightly administered (Acts 2:42).
- The Office of the Keys exercised publicly (John 20:23).
- The Office of the Ministry called pastors who administer the above four things (Acts 20:38).
- Prayer, public praise, and thanksgiving to God (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
- Possession of the sacred cross in proclamation and participation (Galatians 6:14).
Luther’s Works, Volume 41, Pages 148-165.
Ask yourself. Where can you find all these things in one place?
Although there are churches around us, these precious things are not all around us. And yet these things are the reason for our courage. Although we are sinners whose only consolation is the mercy of the cross of our Savior, time and time again we are steadied by our convictions in the Word of God and the necessity for the people around us to hear the eternal Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ clearly (Romans 1:16). We are moved by our conviction of God’s mighty power in Holy Baptism (Romans 6:3-5), the necessity of the forgiveness of sins (John 20:23), and the great benefits of the Lord’s Supper (John 6:54). People need the Good News of Christ in these days! They need His concrete means of grace! The Holy Spirit has given us the desire for others to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4). The result of these 7 marks of the Church is Christian love empowered by the Holy Spirit.
So . . . Trinity Lutheran Church is going into Norcross. They will bring these blessings to the lost and also disciple the saved. Keep them in your prayers as things begin on April 14, 2019! Glory to God and salvation to man!
Trinity Lutheran starts in Norcross!
On April 14, 2019, Trinity Lutheran Church begins Word and Sacrament ministry in Norcross, Georgia!
Trinity’s new location will be at Norcross Elementary School (150 Hunt St. Norcross 30071). Both worship and Bible study will be in the cafeteria.
Get the word out so that people looking for a good church in Norcross can start to gather! Worship and Bible Study begins at Norcross Elementary School on April 14. Plan on attending and supporting the ministry as it reaches out to all people in the area with God’s eternal Word and gracious Gifts!
More information on Trinity Lutheran can be found at http://www.TrinityLutheran.net.
Installation of Vicar Jay Dass
With great joy, we announce the installation of Vicar Jay Dass at Living Faith Lutheran Church in Cumming, Georgia (1171 Atlanta Hwy). Vicar Dass, along with his wife Julie, are missionaries to all people, but mostly to adherents of the religion of Islam. They both grew up as Christians in Pakistan, but now serve as dedicated servants of Christ in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Along with Vicar Isaac Baroi, Vicar Dass is studying to be a Lutheran pastor through the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Pray for each of them, along with their marvelous wives and families, as each will eventually be called to serve Christ’s Flock as undershepherds of our Lord Jesus.
The installation will be this Sunday, July 1, at 10:15 AM at Living Faith. The Rev. Bruce Lieske will be preaching. In Preparation for this day, consider this writing of the Rev. Burnell Eckardt Jr. for Tuesday of Trinity IV:
Acts 28:5 “He (the Apostle Paul), however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered him no harm.”
“Here on the island of Malta the barbarous people are kinder to Paul than his own people the Jews. Receiving him they receive Christ’s ambassador, and so they kindled a fire because of the cold and rainy conditions on the island, token of the heavenly fire of Pentecost kindled now in their midst against the cold of unbelief. So Paul lays wood on the fire, a token of the wooden cross which he preaches; and from the fire comes forth a serpent to attack him, a token of the devil who ceaselessly attacks this preacher. The witnesses were expecting him to succumb to the venom of this serpent, even as those who behold the suffering of the church and her preachers expect that they shall succumb to the evil one; but Paul shook off the beast into the fire, and suffered no harm. See, the viper, here called a beast, another name of the Foe, is shaken off into the fire, even as the Foe himself shall be consumed in the Judgment. For the faithful this means release from sin and the condemnation of death and hell…”
Every Day I will Bless Thee: Meditations for the Daily Office by Rev. Burnell Eckardt Jr.
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