All Saints Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Last summer I spent a week at our Synod convention. Now that in itself needs explanation. Our congregation is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, otherwise known as the WELS or the Wisconsin Synod. The word “synod” comes from two Greek words, meaning, “same road” or “same way”. A synod is made up of congregations who preach and teach and practice the same. In the United States there are many different Lutheran Synods. Many have back grounds from their place of origin, for example Norway, Sweden, Finland and Germany. All the Lutheran synods are not the same in teachings and practice. Our historical roots go back to Germany. That is reflected in the original name of our congregation, Salem Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche. The Wisconsin Synod is people who have gathered together around the inerrant, inspired word of God and the sacraments as instituted by Christ. Because all synods are of human origin and operated by humans there are strengths and weaknesses in them all. I do not want this sermon to be a history lesson nor a “God I thank thee that I am not like the other synods.” I do want to take you back into the early history of the Christian Church and the events that brought the early Christians together in a meeting that would have an impact all over the world. As we look at the early Christian church we find them coming together to celebrate the Lord’s work and be guided by God’s Word.

Celebrating God’s Work

Paul and Barnabas had been on a missionary journey and just returned to one of the headquarters of the early church, Antioch in present day Turkey. Our text begins: they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. What were the stories like? What were the cities and people like? What had been the result of their work? They told of the miracles God permitted them to do. They talked about the troubles, the opposition to their work. They told about how some people thought they were Roman gods Zeus and Hermes who had come down among them. The people had come to offer them sacrifices. But they also told how Gentiles had come to faith and believed in Jesus.

After that stop, they continued unto Jerusalem. There at the main headquarters of the Christian church we read, When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

When I was at the Synod convention I heard amazing stories from missionaries who had come back to the United States. We had the opportunity to learn about their work and ask them questions about both the successes and challenges of their ministries. I met one who was from the Cameroon and this past year had been very difficult because he was trying to do the work all by himself. The loneliness and struggles were very real. Sometimes we need a reminder of the blessings we have here. I also heard a special presentation about Pakistan and amazing Christian work being done there. Though we are not sending missionaries, we are providing solid Bible materials for Christians to use there.

We also heard about frustrations and set backs, for example in the last 10 years we have had to cut back from 77 missionaries to 40 in the world fields. We also had men trained and ready to go to Mozambique, but the dollars kept them from going. Joys and frustrations mixed together. Yet what we cannot do as a single congregation in the world, together with others we can go places you and I are unable or unwilling to go. This is all saints day, where the Christian church remembers the people of faith from the past. I would have you reflect that some day people will be looking back at this generation. What stories will they tell about our mission work, about our struggles and our reaching out with the Gospel?

Guided by God’s Word

In the early church not only did they hear mission stories, they also had to deal with doctrine and -teaching. When Paul and Barnabas returned they were rejoicing on how many Gentiles, non Jews had come to believe in Jesus. But this raised a doctrinal issue, did the Gentiles have to go through Jewish rites to be able to be saved. First of all they reaffirmed the great truth, "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. {8} God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. … We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." They also did one thing else, they looked back at the truths of the Old Testament, The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: "'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things' that have been known for ages. "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”

As we look at the first century Christian church many different issues would come up that the disciples would have to address. For example what were ceremonial laws and what was the holy will of God and the moral law? The Sabbath day was commanded in the Old Testament to rest from work but with Jesus coming he was the rest for the soul. Christians were not to stop worshiping and gathering together, but the exact day of the week was not specified. Yet they were to worship the Lord their God. There were ceremonial laws for the Jewish that would not apply to the New Testament Christians. Marriage was defined by Jesus when he spoke that a man should leave his father and mother and cleaves to his wife. Jesus looks back at the Old Testament and shows what God did was to be the standard for the New Testament disciples. The church approached the Bible as Jesus did, “have you not read, it is written, your word is truth.” They were not worshiping a book, but recognized the Bible as God’s word.

At our convention we did not deal with any doctrinal issue. If we had, the guideline would have been, what does God say in his word? At the same time whether it was in the sermons or devotions, we were always reminded about our own personal faith and life in relationship to Jesus. A church body is strong, only as much as the people find their faith, life and strength in Jesus Christ. Apart from him we can do nothing! So the concern was that each of would reflect about our own sins and Christ’s love we have experienced. This then would guide and direct his calling in our lives.

Strengthened in Faith and Life

Having reviewed the truths from God’s word there was a special work to be done: {22} Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. {23} With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. …(30} The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. {31} The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.

Then came the task of teaching the truths to the people. Where did they go, not to the unchurched, but to the believers to teach them and strengthen them in their faith and life. One of the biggest challenges is that Jesus not only told his disciples to go and make disciples, he also told them to administer baptism and follow that up with teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you. The apostle Paul reminded the early church that Jesus gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. The training of pastors and teachers is on going. This is another blessing of Synod that we have schools which know and teach the same glorious message.

If Salem wanted to do all this work by itself, we’d have a challenge, from where would your next pastor come from? Pastor Brohn is serving a vacancy. Some of you may have forgotten that 24 years ago Salem had a vacancy. Those who grew up at Salem and entered the ministry as Dave Ponath,Larry Koester and John Kurth have both retired and missionary Ken Seim who is in heaven. From where will the next pastors come, the next teachers? This is the joy of having the solid educational system from Preschool to a Master of Theology, training pastors, teachers and Christians.

On this All Saints Day I would have you reflect on the role that Christian parents, grandparents, teachers, and pastors played in your spiritual journey. We are only one generation away from losing the Gospel. If this generation fails, who will teach the next generation? What a blessing we have experienced with Christians united in faith walking together, working together, sharing together and struggling together until we are all before the throne in heaven. Amen.