Doxology Notes

I Will Build My Church: Pt 1

Ephesians 2:17–22 ESV

And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

What we are

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions Article XII: The Church

1 We do not agree with them that they are the Church. They are not the Church. Nor will we listen to those things that, under the name of Church, they command or forbid. 2 Thank God, ‹today› a seven-year-old child knows what the Church is, namely, the holy believers and lambs who hear the voice of their Shepherd [John 10:11–16]. 3 For the children pray, “I believe in one holy Christian Church.” This holiness does not come from albs, tonsures, long gowns, and other ceremonies they made up without Holy Scripture, but from God’s Word and true faith.

We are the people who have heard the voice of Jesus, who has united us, both Jew and Gentile, into one Kingdom, one Temple, one Family, one Body.

We are a Christ-centered, Trinitarian, Household and Dwelling Place.

We exist as a liturgical place - a place of service where God serves His People.

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions Article VII: The Church

1 Our churches teach that one holy Church is to remain forever. The Church is the congregation of saints [Psalm 149:1] in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments are correctly administered. 2 For the true unity of the Church it is enough to agree about the doctrine of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments. 3 It is not necessary that human traditions, that is, rites or ceremonies instituted by men, should be the same everywhere. 4 As Paul says, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Ephesians 4:5–6).

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions Article VIII: What the Church Is

1 Strictly speaking, the Church is the congregation of saints and true believers. However, because many hypocrites and evil persons are mingled within them in this life [Matthew 13:24–30], it is lawful to use Sacraments administered by evil men, according to the saying of Christ, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat” (Matthew 23:2). 2 Both the Sacraments and Word are effective because of Christ’s institution and command, even if they are administered by evil men.

3 Our churches condemn the Donatists, and others like them, who deny that it is lawful to use the ministry of evil men in the Church, and who think that the ministry of evil men is not useful and is ineffective.

We grow by Christ’s authority ; ), at Christ’s initiative (), through the hearing of God’s Word (, by the power of the Holy Spirit (). Christ’s authority in Heaven and on earth as it pertains to the Church is rooted in His authority to forgive sins. The faith, as expressed by Peter in , comes through the hearing of Christ’s Word which, by the power of the Holy Spirit, both births and nurtures faith in Christ.

Christ has given the Office of the Public Ministry to the Church ().

Stewardship -

Rev. Dr. Nathan Meador

Luke 19:1–10 ESV

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus was a short, traitorous sinner when Jesus came to Jericho. right up to the moment that Jesus called him down from the tree that he had climbed in order to see Jesus, that’s who Zacchaeus was! When Jesus went to have dinner with Zacchaeus, being in the presence of Jesus changed Zacchaeus. It wasn’t a plan, it wasn’t a program, it was the presence of Jesus.

Stewardship is a matter of identity, not activity. (I still disagree with this connection of tithe to money, but that seems to be a battle that isn’t worth fighting right now). Preach Jesus, not money. Start in the right place - Identity.

Genesis 1:26–28 ESV

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

We were created as the reflection of the Creator, called to operate out of that identity.

Genesis 2:15 ESV

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

Lexham Theological Wordbook עָבַד

(ʿābad). vb. to till, toil, work. To serve or work.

This word has a variety of meanings. In some instances, the verb carries the idea of “to serve” (e.g., Gen 29:15; Exod 1:13; Psa 22:30). In other instances, the term carries the idea of “to worship or honor” (e.g., Gen 2:15; Exod 3:12; 2 Kgs 17:41). But the verb also carries the basic sense of toil or working the ground (e.g., Gen 2:5; Deut 21:4; Zech 13:5).

The fall does not eliminate the responsibility of stewardship. It just makes it harder. is not about a failure to obey a command, but a failure to steward what God had given them. The failure of stewardship was a failure of thinking that they had ownership over that which they had stewardship.

We need to find out what binds the congregation, and find the route to freedom.

It starts with repentance regarding this false notion of ownership. Corporate stewardship and individual stewardship are correlated.

Equate Baptismal Identity with their setting apart (ordination) as stewards. Encourage the teaching of the faith in the home with the family. If you don’t do it at home, you won’t do it anywhere else. What is our congregation doing that does not benefit itself? What can it do that will not benefit the congregation, but will benefit the recipient?

Financial changes are pastoral care issues. If there is a change, there is something going on behind it. While people won’t necessarily talk about the change, whether it’s good or bad, money talks. If you can address it early, you might be able to bring healing before you have to bring a resurrection.

I Will Build My Church Pt. 2

Ephesians 2:1–9 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

God works by His power, not ours. In the words of Finke, we “join Jesus on His mission.” The true fruit of the Spirit is God’s work, through God’s means, for God’s purpose. We have nothing to contribute because, spiritually speaking, “you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked...” As King Solomon wrote,

Psalm 127:1 ESV

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

Together, we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works… . We must resist the temptation to be “sanctified lone rangers.” Such is not the will of God, for the same thing that God did/does with me, He does with the whole Christian Church, each and every member of it.

We only know of the mind of God what He has revealed. Therefore, we do not know what He has not, but must trust in what He has given us. We do not know, for example, who will respond to the Gospel, but we know that we are to preach it without ceasing, for “faith comes by hearing, and hearing from the word of Christ.”

The American Religious Experience seems to be connected to the Industrial Revolution, begun in England, but solidified and perfected in the U.S. The idea that one can develop systems in order to get consistent outcomes underlies American Revivalism as much as it underlies industrial mass production. As American culture further developed (rugged individualism, exceptionalism, consumerism…) these developments also impacted religion (see notes).

Putting the Best Construction on Everything: God’s People Working Together

Ephesians 4:25–32 ESV

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

We have a good and loving God who has redeemed us from all of our sins, but His Church still has challenges in living in our New Creation being. If we want to overcome these challenges, we cannot force change, we cannot manipulate change, we can only hope to collaborate to bring about change. This means developing relationships so that we have basis for working together for change.

Compassion - Develop Relationship - Foundation for assertive request.

Start with support and sympathy, and move to empathy (reflect upon what he is saying), then deal with the Truth. Sympathy - Empathy -Truth.

How do you habitually respond to conflict? Because it is a habit, you don’t plan it, you don’t think about it. You just do it. Nothing is likely to change it until you objectively analyze what you are trying to do/accomplish and assess your habit as either helping or hindering that accomplishment.

The Problem of Suffering

The relationship of Philosophy to Theology is not adversarial, except when you don’t understand their offices.

Suffering is part of the human condition. How does one propose that eliminating those who suffer eliminates suffering? The idea is illogical as well as immoral.

Suicide - Pastoral Response

Ask, on a scale of 1 - 10, how a person is feeling. The lower the score, the higher the risk (see November notes).

Threats: is there a manipulative or coercive element to the threat?

Agitation: another piece of evidence, although not determinative in and of itself.

Depression: Is there a family history, or is it long-standing or non-responsive to treatment?

Person’s perception of death: what is it?

Individual Confession/Absolution

John 20:19 ESV

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

The first thing that Jesus says to His Disciples is “Peace to you.” In the midst of their confusion, fear, regret and loss, Jesus gives them peace.

Definition of Terms

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions Article VIII: Confession

1 Absolution, or the Power of the Keys, is an aid against sin and a consolation for a bad conscience; it is ordained by Christ in the Gospel [Matthew 16:19]. Therefore, Confession and Absolution should by no means be abolished in the Church. This is especially for the sake of timid consciences and untrained young people, so they may be examined and instructed in Christian doctrine.

How to Implement

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions Article VIII: Confession

2 But the listing of sins should be free to everyone, as to what a person wishes to list or not to list. For as long as we are in the flesh, we will not lie when we say, “I am a poor man, full of sin”; “I see in my members another law”; and such (Romans 7:23). Since private Absolution originates in the Office of the Keys, it should not be despised, but greatly and highly esteemed, along with all other offices of the Christian Church.

Preach and teach on the subject. Be consistent. It will take time to get people to embrace it, and some never will. That’s ok; it isn’t your fault as long as you make it available to them.

Use special service events (Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, New Years Eve/Watch Night) as opportunities for Private Confession and Absolution.

Issues of Mandated Reporting