#2A Creation: The Present Situation

“Today, 90-95% of kids from church homes attend public schools, where they are taught that evolution (biological, geological, astronomical, anthropological) is fact and not the unsupportable belief that it is. In these schools, the Bible has been ignored and ridiculed. Scripture’s God is mocked, taught as myth, or even relegated to a banned topic. These schools have essentially replaced Christianity with their religion of secularism, as students are taught that life and the universe are explained by natural processes, apart from the supernatural intervention of a Creator. Students are indoctrinated with what is called ‘scientific evidence’ that supposedly disproves the Bible’s account of origins. Sadly, most Christian parents and Church leaders haven’t taught these students how to defend the Christian faith against such secular attacks. Most churches and Christian homes have not equipped young people with answers to the skeptical questions, and statements they hear concerning the Bible. The result of this is that many of them begin privately doubting God’s Word by middle school age, eventually walking away from the Christian church” (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.35-36).

The picture:  The outside of the Creation Museum has been landscaped as if it were the Garden of Eden. The idea is to try and picture what it would have been like to experience a world not affected by sin. “But here’s a major problem. As soon as one believes in millions of years, then you have allowed death, bloodshed, and disease (as exhibited in the fossil record) to exist before Adam sinned” (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.72).  See back of bulletin.

#2- Parents, Keep Your Children Faithfully Learning the Catechism

1 This sermon has been undertaken for the instruction of children and uneducated people. Hence from ancient times it has been called in Greek, a “catechism” — that is, instruction for children. 2 Its contents represent the minimum of knowledge required of a Christian. Whoever does not possess it should not be reckoned among Christians nor admitted to a sacrament,2 just as a craftsman who does not know the rules and practices of his craft is rejected and considered incompetent. 3 For this reason young people should be thoroughly instructed in the various parts of the Catechism or children’s sermons and diligently drilled in their practice.

4 Therefore, it is the duty of every head of a household to examine his children and servants at least once a week and ascertain what they have learned of it, and if they do not know it, to keep them faithfully at it. 5 I well remember the time when there were old people who were so ignorant that they knew nothing of these things — indeed, even now we find them daily — yet they come to Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar and exercise all the rights of Christians, although those who come to the sacrament ought to know more and have a fuller understanding of all Christian doctrine than children and beginners at school. 6 As for the common people, however, we should be satisfied if they learned the three parts which have been heritage of Christendom from ancient times, though they were rarely taught and treated correctly, so that all who wish to be Christians in fact as well as in name, both young and old, may be well-trained in them and familiar with them. (Shorter Preface of Large Catechism -Tappert, p. 362).

#1A Creation: The Creation Museum (Boone County, Kentucky)

This past summer our congregation took a trip to visit the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter.  This year’s bulletin pictures will be taken from those two museums.

“At the Creation Museum, we explain the two different starting points, and by doing so, put each visitor on the right road. We start with the foundation of God’s Word, beginning in Genesis. Then we walk you through the Bible from the beginning to the end. This enable us to explain the gospel from the foundation up” (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.101).

Theology Summary Bible Class, Pt. 28: Priesthood and the Pastor

Jesus, the God-man, is our high priest! He made the one and only propitiatory sacrifice to merit the forgiveness of sins before God.  The Levitical priesthood and sacrifices have ceased. “Accordingly the New Testament, since Levitical services have been abrogated, teaches that new and pure sacrifices will be made, namely, faith, prayer, thanksgiving, confession, and the preaching of the Gospel, afflictions on account of the Gospel, and the like” (Ap, XXIV, 30, Bente, page 395). The Scriptures do speak of New Testament believers as “a holy priesthood” and “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5,9). That priesthood (with an emphasis on the group of believers) is the church. In the New Testament these priests actively participate as laymen receiving the Lord’s gifts with praise and thanksgiving. When the Scriptures do talk about individual Christians as priests, it is always speaking about either living in our vocation(Romans 12:1-2, Hebrews 13:15-16), or about dying to sin and rising to new life(Psalm 51:13-19).

Among American protestants, the priesthood of believers is usually misunderstood to teach that individual Christians are all ministers. That is not the Scriptural teaching. God calls one of the priests to be a servant/minister to the priesthood. The pastor is not an Old Testament priest offering up sacrifices for the people. The pastor publicly preaches the Gospel and administers the sacraments to the priesthood (1 Cor 4:1). The pastor is an “ambassador for Christ” (2 Cor 5:17-21) so that the priesthood might receive the Lord’s gifts. God is reconciling the world though the Ministry(Pastoral Office) of Reconciliation which preaches the Word of reconciliation so that people come to believe! The pastor’s sacrifice, according to his vocation, is to preach the Law and the Gospel. The law kills the Old Adam in his hearers and the gospel creates faith and new life.

Overhead 1: Overheads-for-Dec-2-2018.pdf
Handout 1: AP-XXIV-Handout-for-Dec-2-2018.pdf
Handout 2 (yellow sheet): The-Third-Genus-Prophet-Priest-Pages-1-8.pdf

#1- Educate Your Children

“…So, too, the Fourth Commandment must be stressed when instructing children and the common people in order that they may be encouraged to be orderly, faithful, obedient, and peaceful. Always adduce many examples from the Scriptures to show how God punished and blessed.

19 You should also take pains to urge governing authorities and parents to rule wisely and educate their children. They must be shown that they are obliged to do so, and that they are guilty of damnable sin if they do not do so, for by such neglect they undermine and lay waste both the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world and are the worst enemies of God and man. 20 Make very plain to them the shocking evils they introduce when they refuse their aid in the training of children to become pastors, preachers, notaries, etc., and tell them that God will inflict awful punishments on them for these sins. It is necessary to preach about such things. The extent to which parents and governing authorities sin in this respect is beyond telling. The devil also has a horrible purpose in mind” (Small Catechism -Tappert, p. 340).