Sermons
Believe Your Theology!
Acts 18:9-11
The church has had a mission challenge from its very beginning. Such mission can lead us to some daunting places. So it was already in the first century.
After being beaten at Philippi, run out of Thessalonica and Berea, and laughed at in Athens, St. Paul arrived at Corinth, a busy seaport and the capital of Achaia. Temples to idols abounded there. Corinth was noted for its decadence. People all over the Mediterranean world knew what it meant to “sin like a Corinthian.” How on earth was Paul supposed to reach people for Christ in this environment?
We also know how big our outreach challenges look, and how inadequate we flawed and selfish sinners are to meet them. At one point fear seized Paul in Corinth, but the Lord comforted him with a vision in which He said, among other things, “I have many people in this city.” For their sake, Paul was to go on speaking about Christ and not fall silent.
About this same time, Paul by inspiration was writing these words to the Thessalonians: “We ought always to give thanks to God concerning you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you for salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” This is, God had had people among the Thessalonians too. They were chosen from the beginning.
But included in this choosing was the work of the Holy Spirit, Who comes to the chosen with the Gospel through which He creates faith in their hearts. They needed to hear God’s Word of rescue, as Paul also wrote: “For this purpose also He called you by the Gospel which we preach.” Earlier, Paul had written to the Thessalonians: “Fellow Christians, loved by God, we know that He has chosen you, because the Gospel we preached did not come to you with mere words, but with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with conviction.”
In the Acts 18 vision Jesus was in effect telling Paul, “Believe your own theology.” For this is really God’s theology. Believe that He has chosen people from eternity, that He chose them in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. He determined to bless them with faith by bringing them the Gospel of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. For Christ has bought and paid for our forgiveness and that of all people. Paul later wrote the Corinthians that he wanted to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified, so their faith clearly would rest not upon human wisdom but on divine power.
We need to believe our theology. The odds may seem stacked against the church as we try to reach out with the Gospel in inner cities, to ethnic populations, proud intellectuals, or whatever your own latest personal challenge may be. But never sell short God and His grace. He is and remains the cause of salvation. He gives us poor sinners the privilege of taking the Gospel message to people all around us. In it we are able to tell of a God Who gave His own Son as the sacrifice for all sin, ours and theirs included.
God’s grace in Christ, delivered in Word and Sacrament, is seriously offered to everyone. It takes care of the guilt of anyone. So we go on believing our theology and telling the Good News about Jesus.
Acts 18:9-11
The church has had a mission challenge from its very beginning. Such mission can lead us to some daunting places. So it was already in the first century.
After being beaten at Philippi, run out of Thessalonica and Berea, and laughed at in Athens, St. Paul arrived at Corinth, a busy seaport and the capital of Achaia. Temples to idols abounded there. Corinth was noted for its decadence. People all over the Mediterranean world knew what it meant to “sin like a Corinthian.” How on earth was Paul supposed to reach people for Christ in this environment?
We also know how big our outreach challenges look, and how inadequate we flawed and selfish sinners are to meet them. At one point fear seized Paul in Corinth, but the Lord comforted him with a vision in which He said, among other things, “I have many people in this city.” For their sake, Paul was to go on speaking about Christ and not fall silent.
About this same time, Paul by inspiration was writing these words to the Thessalonians: “We ought always to give thanks to God concerning you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you for salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” This is, God had had people among the Thessalonians too. They were chosen from the beginning.
But included in this choosing was the work of the Holy Spirit, Who comes to the chosen with the Gospel through which He creates faith in their hearts. They needed to hear God’s Word of rescue, as Paul also wrote: “For this purpose also He called you by the Gospel which we preach.” Earlier, Paul had written to the Thessalonians: “Fellow Christians, loved by God, we know that He has chosen you, because the Gospel we preached did not come to you with mere words, but with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with conviction.”
In the Acts 18 vision Jesus was in effect telling Paul, “Believe your own theology.” For this is really God’s theology. Believe that He has chosen people from eternity, that He chose them in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. He determined to bless them with faith by bringing them the Gospel of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. For Christ has bought and paid for our forgiveness and that of all people. Paul later wrote the Corinthians that he wanted to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified, so their faith clearly would rest not upon human wisdom but on divine power.
We need to believe our theology. The odds may seem stacked against the church as we try to reach out with the Gospel in inner cities, to ethnic populations, proud intellectuals, or whatever your own latest personal challenge may be. But never sell short God and His grace. He is and remains the cause of salvation. He gives us poor sinners the privilege of taking the Gospel message to people all around us. In it we are able to tell of a God Who gave His own Son as the sacrifice for all sin, ours and theirs included.
God’s grace in Christ, delivered in Word and Sacrament, is seriously offered to everyone. It takes care of the guilt of anyone. So we go on believing our theology and telling the Good News about Jesus.
Come Join Us!
Directions to Zion Lutheran Church from Columbia, MO
Go North on Highway 63 approximately 30 miles to Moberly
Take the first Moberly exit Highway M
Go West on Highway M 2/3 of a mile
Church will be on your right
News!
Lent, 2011
This year, Lent comes relatively late because Easter will not be until the last Sunday in April, Apr. 24. Since this is almost as late as Easter can possibly come, Lent will be correspondingly delayed in 2011. We will have a long Epiphany season.
Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday, March 9. On that evening, God willing, Zion will begin a series of six midweek Lenten services. These will be like the Lenten services to which we have grown accustomed. That is, they will be somewhat unlike the midweek catechetical services.
For one thing, these services will be longer. The service on Ash Wednesday will be a communion service. Then the next five will follow the Order of Vespers, and will include readings from the Passion History.
Second, the services will involve a rotation of preachers. In addition to Pastor Schurb, Pastor Larry Carlson of Salem, Forest Green and Pastor Glen Drewitz of St. John, Brunswick will be with us to preach and conduct these midweek services during Lent.
Third, the services will have a common theme, “People of the Passion.” The people are:
Mar. 9 (Ash Wed.): Nicodemus, the Silent Believer (John 3:1-2;
7:50-51; 19:39)
Mar. 16: Caiaphas, the Schemer (John 11:47-53)
Mar. 23: Judas, the Opportunist (Luke 22:1-6; John 12:4-6)
Mar. 30: Peter, the Denier (Luke 22:31-32, 61-62; John 21:17)
Apr. 6: Pontius Pilate, the Thinker (John 19:12)
Apr. 13: One of the Mob, the Follower (Matthew 27:20-23)
These were but a few of the many people who were part of Jesus’ passion, His suffering and death. What do you know about them? What if you could have been there with them? Through these Lenten series sermons, you can gain valuable insights from these people. Still more, regardless of the preacher, God’s Word of law and gospel will speak to your heart in judgment and grace. By faith you, too, will be a person of the passion!
Beginning on Sunday, March 13, Zion’s Sunday morning adult Bible class will take up a new study.
It will utilize a resource entitled Lutheranism 101.
This attractively laid-out book provides a basic guide through an overview of the Christian faith. Although
written with the uninitiated person in mind, Lutheranism 101 truly has something for everyone. It also contains sections on church history, worship, and the Christian life. This is quite appropriate, since Lutheranism is not only a way of believing, but also of belonging and becoming. The new book will serve as an outline for the class to delve into all of these aspects. As teacher, Pastor Schurb will supplement with Bible passages,
discussion, and stories.
Zion has sufficient copies of Lutheranism 101 for class members to use. Some participants may wish to
purchase their book to use as an at-home reference and guide.
If you have not been to Sunday Bible class for a while, here is a great opportunity to return. Why do you
suppose a Swedish Lutheran bishop once said, “There is no Gospel but the Lutheran Gospel”? Consider this your opportunity to find out!
Throughout February, and also on March 6, the Sunday adult Bible class will complete its study of
The Christian’s Mission. Companion audio for these sessions can be found each week on the internet at www.issuesetc.org. Before each Sunday, you can prepare by listening to the interview with Pastor Schurb from the previous Wednesday.
___________________________________________________
This year, Lent comes relatively late because Easter will not be until the last Sunday in April, Apr. 24. Since this is almost as late as Easter can possibly come, Lent will be correspondingly delayed in 2011. We will have a long Epiphany season.
Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday, March 9. On that evening, God willing, Zion will begin a series of six midweek Lenten services. These will be like the Lenten services to which we have grown accustomed. That is, they will be somewhat unlike the midweek catechetical services.
For one thing, these services will be longer. The service on Ash Wednesday will be a communion service. Then the next five will follow the Order of Vespers, and will include readings from the Passion History.
Second, the services will involve a rotation of preachers. In addition to Pastor Schurb, Pastor Larry Carlson of Salem, Forest Green and Pastor Glen Drewitz of St. John, Brunswick will be with us to preach and conduct these midweek services during Lent.
Third, the services will have a common theme, “People of the Passion.” The people are:
Mar. 9 (Ash Wed.): Nicodemus, the Silent Believer (John 3:1-2;
7:50-51; 19:39)
Mar. 16: Caiaphas, the Schemer (John 11:47-53)
Mar. 23: Judas, the Opportunist (Luke 22:1-6; John 12:4-6)
Mar. 30: Peter, the Denier (Luke 22:31-32, 61-62; John 21:17)
Apr. 6: Pontius Pilate, the Thinker (John 19:12)
Apr. 13: One of the Mob, the Follower (Matthew 27:20-23)
These were but a few of the many people who were part of Jesus’ passion, His suffering and death. What do you know about them? What if you could have been there with them? Through these Lenten series sermons, you can gain valuable insights from these people. Still more, regardless of the preacher, God’s Word of law and gospel will speak to your heart in judgment and grace. By faith you, too, will be a person of the passion!
Beginning on Sunday, March 13, Zion’s Sunday morning adult Bible class will take up a new study.
It will utilize a resource entitled Lutheranism 101.
This attractively laid-out book provides a basic guide through an overview of the Christian faith. Although
written with the uninitiated person in mind, Lutheranism 101 truly has something for everyone. It also contains sections on church history, worship, and the Christian life. This is quite appropriate, since Lutheranism is not only a way of believing, but also of belonging and becoming. The new book will serve as an outline for the class to delve into all of these aspects. As teacher, Pastor Schurb will supplement with Bible passages,
discussion, and stories.
Zion has sufficient copies of Lutheranism 101 for class members to use. Some participants may wish to
purchase their book to use as an at-home reference and guide.
If you have not been to Sunday Bible class for a while, here is a great opportunity to return. Why do you
suppose a Swedish Lutheran bishop once said, “There is no Gospel but the Lutheran Gospel”? Consider this your opportunity to find out!
Throughout February, and also on March 6, the Sunday adult Bible class will complete its study of
The Christian’s Mission. Companion audio for these sessions can be found each week on the internet at www.issuesetc.org. Before each Sunday, you can prepare by listening to the interview with Pastor Schurb from the previous Wednesday.
___________________________________________________
Calendar
February 2011
1
7:00 p.m. Myth or Faith?
2
5:15 p.m. Catechism Countdown
6:00 p.m. Catechetical Service with Communion
6:30 p.m. Catechism
7:00 p.m. Evening Women's Group
4
10:00 a.m. Friday Morning Bible Class
6
9:00 a.m. Sunday School
10:00 a.m. Church Service with Communion
8
7:00 p.m. Myth or Faith?
9
5:15 p.m. Catechism Countdown
6:00 p.m. Catechetical Service
6:30 p.m. Catechism
10
1:00 p.m. LWML
11
10:00 a.m. Friday Morning Bible Class
13
9:00 a.m. Sunday School
10:00 a.m. Church Service without Communion
3:00 p.m. Circuit Forum
4:00 p.m. Circuit Convocation-Salisbury
15
7:00 p.m. Myth or Faith?
16
5:15 p.m. Catechism Countdown
6:00 p.m. Catechetical Service
6:30 p.m. Catechism
7:00 p.m. Evening Women's Group
17
7:00 p.m.Elders Mtg.
18
10:00 a.m. Friday Morning Bible Class
20
9:00 a.m. Sunday School
10:00 a.m. Church Service with Communion
2:00 p.m. Moberly Rehab Service
21 (Presidents Day)
Church Office Closed
NO Preschool
22
7:00 p.m. Myth or Faith?
23
5:15 p.m. Catechism Countdown
6:00 p.m. Catechetical Service
6:30 p.m. Catechism
25
10:00 Friday Morning Bible Class
28
9:00 a.m. Sunday School
10:00 a.m. Church Service without Communion
1
7:00 p.m. Myth or Faith?
2
5:15 p.m. Catechism Countdown
6:00 p.m. Catechetical Service with Communion
6:30 p.m. Catechism
7:00 p.m. Evening Women's Group
4
10:00 a.m. Friday Morning Bible Class
6
9:00 a.m. Sunday School
10:00 a.m. Church Service with Communion
8
7:00 p.m. Myth or Faith?
9
5:15 p.m. Catechism Countdown
6:00 p.m. Catechetical Service
6:30 p.m. Catechism
10
1:00 p.m. LWML
11
10:00 a.m. Friday Morning Bible Class
13
9:00 a.m. Sunday School
10:00 a.m. Church Service without Communion
3:00 p.m. Circuit Forum
4:00 p.m. Circuit Convocation-Salisbury
15
7:00 p.m. Myth or Faith?
16
5:15 p.m. Catechism Countdown
6:00 p.m. Catechetical Service
6:30 p.m. Catechism
7:00 p.m. Evening Women's Group
17
7:00 p.m.Elders Mtg.
18
10:00 a.m. Friday Morning Bible Class
20
9:00 a.m. Sunday School
10:00 a.m. Church Service with Communion
2:00 p.m. Moberly Rehab Service
21 (Presidents Day)
Church Office Closed
NO Preschool
22
7:00 p.m. Myth or Faith?
23
5:15 p.m. Catechism Countdown
6:00 p.m. Catechetical Service
6:30 p.m. Catechism
25
10:00 Friday Morning Bible Class
28
9:00 a.m. Sunday School
10:00 a.m. Church Service without Communion
Preschool
Session I: 4 & 5 year olds
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 - 11:30
Session III: 3 & 4 year olds
Tuesday & Thursday 9:00-11:30
Greetings from Zion Lutheran Preschool!
A big THANK YOU to all of you who helped us celebrate at our Christmas parties – whether you attended, donated items or helped in any other way, we really appreciate your support! During December, we were also able to collect 75 canned and boxed goods for the Christos Center – thank you for your generosity!
February and March will again be busy months at Preschool! In February, we will study Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Heart health and Dental health.
We will celebrate Valentine’s Day with class parties on Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th. The students will exchange Valentine cards, play games and have snacks! Parties will begin at 10:30am and everyone is invited to attend!
There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 21st in observance of President’s Day and to coincide with the Moberly Public Schools schedule.
In March, we will study weather, Spring, the seasons, celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday, and St. Patrick’s Day.
We will celebrate “National Lutheran Schools Week” March 6th through March 12th. Fun activities are being planned for both classes and special guests will also be visiting the students. Zion Lutheran Preschool is co-sponsoring “Family Night at the Library” on Monday, March 7th at the Moberly Public Library. (Watch for more details in upcoming bulletins and parent newsletters.) The celebration will conclude on Saturday, March 12th beginning at 5:00 p.m. with a performance by the students followed by a “Grandpa Jim” concert. A spaghetti dinner fundraiser for all to enjoy will round out the evening beginning at 6:30 p.m.
On Monday, March 7th and Tuesday, March 8th Paula Hayslip from the Moberly Public Library will again come to read to the students in both classes. The students love to listen to stories and have really missed Ms. Paula!
There will be NO SCHOOL on Friday, March 18th and Monday, March 21st to coincide with the Moberly Public Schools Spring Break schedule.
Our National Lutheran Schools Accreditation visiting team will be here on Wednesday, March 30th and Thursday, March 31st . It is hard to believe our first Steering Committee meeting was on November 3, 2008 and now we are at the end of our journey! Please watch for ways you can help us make their visit an enjoyable one…
A very special thank you to those who have been donating needed items to the Preschool. We appreciate you helping us out!
Yours in Christian Education,
Meagan Pemberton, Director
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 - 11:30
Session III: 3 & 4 year olds
Tuesday & Thursday 9:00-11:30
Greetings from Zion Lutheran Preschool!
A big THANK YOU to all of you who helped us celebrate at our Christmas parties – whether you attended, donated items or helped in any other way, we really appreciate your support! During December, we were also able to collect 75 canned and boxed goods for the Christos Center – thank you for your generosity!
February and March will again be busy months at Preschool! In February, we will study Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Heart health and Dental health.
We will celebrate Valentine’s Day with class parties on Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th. The students will exchange Valentine cards, play games and have snacks! Parties will begin at 10:30am and everyone is invited to attend!
There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 21st in observance of President’s Day and to coincide with the Moberly Public Schools schedule.
In March, we will study weather, Spring, the seasons, celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday, and St. Patrick’s Day.
We will celebrate “National Lutheran Schools Week” March 6th through March 12th. Fun activities are being planned for both classes and special guests will also be visiting the students. Zion Lutheran Preschool is co-sponsoring “Family Night at the Library” on Monday, March 7th at the Moberly Public Library. (Watch for more details in upcoming bulletins and parent newsletters.) The celebration will conclude on Saturday, March 12th beginning at 5:00 p.m. with a performance by the students followed by a “Grandpa Jim” concert. A spaghetti dinner fundraiser for all to enjoy will round out the evening beginning at 6:30 p.m.
On Monday, March 7th and Tuesday, March 8th Paula Hayslip from the Moberly Public Library will again come to read to the students in both classes. The students love to listen to stories and have really missed Ms. Paula!
There will be NO SCHOOL on Friday, March 18th and Monday, March 21st to coincide with the Moberly Public Schools Spring Break schedule.
Our National Lutheran Schools Accreditation visiting team will be here on Wednesday, March 30th and Thursday, March 31st . It is hard to believe our first Steering Committee meeting was on November 3, 2008 and now we are at the end of our journey! Please watch for ways you can help us make their visit an enjoyable one…
A very special thank you to those who have been donating needed items to the Preschool. We appreciate you helping us out!
Yours in Christian Education,
Meagan Pemberton, Director
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