By Rev. Dr. Curtis Leins,<\/p>\n
That is what my friends said as they looked for a church in their neighborhood. \u201cIt\u2019s an epidemic! \u00a0Poor theology, false theology, no theology:\u00a0 It is everywhere!\u201d \u00a0I asked my friends to explain what they were seeing. \u00a0They said that at least three messages\u00a0 seemed to be in churches all around them:<\/p>\n
The \u201cWin Souls\u201d message<\/span>. \u00a0This is the church that only has one message. \u00a0Every week there is a salvation message for the \u201cunsaved,\u201d most of whom aren\u2019t in attendance.\u00a0 Those who do attend receive a reprimand if they have not \u201cwon\u201d any souls that day or week. The problem here: \u00a0God is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Surely, we participate as witnesses to Christ, but God alone works in the human heart to bring salvation. \u00a0We have no power to make a person believe.\u00a0 This approach gives a human being the place that belongs to God.<\/p>\n In Hebrews 12:2 we read,\u00a0\u201cLooking unto Jesus the\u00a0author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.\u201d<\/p>\n In the \u201cWin Souls\u201d church, the un-believer is pressured to convert, and the Christian is pressured to \u201cmake\u201d someone convert.\u00a0 After \u201cconversion,\u201d this church typically has little else to offer in terms of spiritual formation, biblical education, and theological explanation.<\/p>\n The \u201cClean Yourself Up\u201d message<\/span>. \u00a0This is the church that tells its members that righteousness depends upon them. \u00a0 \u201cClean yourself up, stop sinning, and get yourself right with God,\u201d they say. \u00a0The problem here: \u00a0No one can clean himself up, and no one can get himself right with God.\u00a0 That is the work of Christ alone.\u00a0 By the Spirit\u2019s leading, we war against sinful thoughts, words, and deeds.\u00a0 We confess and repent of our sins, and for Christ\u2019s sake God forgives them.\u00a0 Christians do not approve of sin. But, we will sin again and we will confess again.\u00a0 We will never be righteous by our own works or efforts to live a holy life.\u00a0 It is only through faith in Christ that we are made righteous and clean before God.<\/p>\n In 1 John 1: 8-9 we read,\u00a0\u201cIf\u00a0we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves\u00a0and the truth is not in us.\u00a0 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.\u201d<\/p>\n In the \u201cClean Yourself Up\u201d church, the leaders give the impression that they never sin, and a member is made to feel guilty for admitting that s\/he still does.\u00a0 There is often little opportunity for a member to confess sin and receive God\u2019s forgiveness.<\/p>\n The \u201cGood Life\u201d message<\/span>. \u00a0This is the church that says that Christians don\u2019t have troubles if they have real faith. \u00a0They teach that God shows His love by giving Christians all that they have faith to receive. \u00a0If you are poor or in need, it is the fault of your lack of faith. \u00a0The problem here: \u00a0The Bible teaches something else.<\/p>\n In 1 Peter 1: 6 we read,\u00a0\u201cIn this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary,\u00a0you have been grieved by various trials\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n In the \u201cGood Life\u201d church, the Christian is made to feel inferior when s\/he is distressed or anxious because of life\u2019s troubles.<\/p>\n My friends wanted to know what is wrong with churches today. \u00a0Why couldn\u2019t they find a place that taught them the true Word of God and enabled them to grow into maturity as Christians.<\/p>\n Loss of the Office<\/span><\/p>\n Though most Christians have some understanding of the importance and purpose of the Church, I believe that many have little understanding of the importance and purpose of the Office of the Ministry.<\/p>\n Is there an Office of the Ministry? \u00a0Yes.\u00a0 The Bible teaches that God established the Office of the Ministry:<\/p>\n And He (Christ) gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as\u00a0pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ\u2026\u00a0 (Ephesians 4: 11)<\/p>\n It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the\u00a0office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.\u00a0 (I Timothy 3: 1)<\/p>\n The primary task of the Office is to teach and preach the pure Word of God and rightly administer the Sacraments.\u00a0 God works faith through these means of grace.\u00a0On behalf of Christ and at the command of the Church,\u00a0 those who hold the Office of the Ministry are:\u00a0 to baptize and teach (Matthew 28: 18-20), forgive and retain sins (John 20:19), celebrate the Lord\u2019s Supper (I Cor. 11: 23-26), and preach repentance and forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:44).<\/p>\n Isn\u2019t every Christian a Pastor?<\/span><\/p>\n The short answer is, \u201cNo.\u00a0 Every Christian is a\u00a0priest.\u201d\u00a0 The Bible teaches that every Christian belongs to the \u201croyal priesthood\u201d (I Peter 2:9).<\/p>\n All Christians are indeed priests (I Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6), because they offer spiritual sacrifices to God.\u00a0 Everyone also can and should teach the Word of God in his own house (Deut. 6:7; 1 Cor. 14: 35).\u00a0 (Examination of the Council of Trent, Part II.)<\/p>\n Though all Christians are called to be priests, not all are Called to the Office of the Ministry.\u00a0 The Church designates and ordains certain persons to perform the functions of the Ministry on behalf of the Church.<\/p>\n Their qualifications are listed in several places in the Bible: I Tim. 3, II Tim. 2, & 4,\u00a0 Titus 1, and I Peter 5.\u00a0 In addition to prerequisites of character, a very important requirement is to be\u00a0apt to teach\u00a0(I Tim. 3:2).\u00a0 The Pastor must have special aptitude and knowledge in the areas of Bible and Theology.\u00a0 He must be\u00a0able to teach sound doctrine\u00a0and be able to refute those who contradict the truth of the Word of God (Titus 1:9).\u00a0 The Pastor is held accountable before God for the care and proper nourishment of the souls entrusted to him (Hebrews 13: 17).\u00a0 The care of eternal souls is based upon the pure and clear presentation of the Word of God.\u00a0 Such presentation requires extensive education and practical preparation.\u00a0 The person in this Office must be rightly certified (examined and Ordained), recognized by the Church (Called), and invested with the authority and responsibility of Word and Sacrament Ministry.<\/p>\n The Pastor is no more holy and no less sinful than any other Christian.\u00a0 It is even possible for him to disqualify himself by unrepentant unfaithfulness.\u00a0 However, when he acts according to his Calling, he represents Christ (Apology to the Augsburg Confession, VII, 28). Through no power or character of his own, the one who is in the Office of the Ministry is used by Christ as His tool and instrument.\u00a0 It is Christ who baptizes, Christ who forgives, Christ who distributes His body and blood, Christ whose Word is living and active.\u00a0 Christ has given us these means of grace.\u00a0 The Pastor is used by Christ to perform these functions.<\/p>\n A Word of Caution<\/span><\/p>\n I believe that our current plight in the North American Christian environment is the direct result of the loss of the Office of the Ministry.\u00a0 Today, it is often thought that there are no special requirements necessary in order to be a Pastor.\u00a0 He has no need for knowledge of the original languages of Holy Scripture.\u00a0 The Pastor does not need\u00a0 training in biblical interpretation.\u00a0 He is not aided by comprehension of systematic theology or study of Church history.\u00a0 The one who occupies the Office need not have had a supervised, practical internship in the performance of the duties of Word and Sacrament Ministry.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Anyone can be a Pastor, right?\u00a0 Everyone\u2019s interpretation of Scripture is acceptable, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 No and No!<\/p>\n My friends have been looking for a church.\u00a0 They do not want superficial spirituality and weak theology.\u00a0 They do not want a minister who implies that Christ\u2019s forgiveness and love are given to those who deserve them.\u00a0 They do not want hyper-faith-ism that denies the realities of sorrow and suffering in this world.<\/p>\n My friends said, \u201cIt\u2019s an Epidemic!\u201d\u00a0 I suggested to them that not just anybody should be permitted to be their Pastor.\u00a0 God has established an Office with specific qualifications, expectations, and requirements.\u00a0 He has Called select men to fill that Office (Acts 20:28).\u00a0 If you are facing a medical epidemic, make sure that you find a physician who knows the right treatment for your temporal body.\u00a0 If you are facing a spiritual epidemic, how much more cautious must you be to find one who can rightly preach and teach the eternal Word of God!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Rev. Dr. Curtis Leins, That is what my friends said as they looked for a church in their neighborhood. \u201cIt\u2019s an epidemic! \u00a0Poor theology, false theology, no theology:\u00a0 It is everywhere!\u201d \u00a0I asked my friends to explain what they were seeing. \u00a0They said that at least three messages\u00a0 seemed to be in churches all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2176,"featured_media":440,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,24],"tags":[2709,257],"class_list":["post-496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-posts","category-curtis-leins","tag-curtis-leins","tag-worship-and-liturgy"],"yoast_head":"\n