On Saturday October 27th, my wife and some friends of ours went on a color tour. We drove up through northeastern Iowa to the Mississippi River. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon. We went through some towns that we had never been in before. In retrospect, we maybe were a couple of weeks too late to experience the full and vibrant colors of the fall season but we had a very enjoyable day.
Fall is one of my favorite seasons of the year. Not only do we have the beautiful colors but it is also the season of football. The downside of fall is that it leads to winter. The positive side of winter is that it leads to spring and new things beginning to grow and come forth as part of God’s wonderful creation. The seasons of the year are comparable to the seasons of a persons’ life.
All people, whether they know it or not have experienced the result of the “fall.” Paul writes: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. The result of that is death. Paul also says: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23. But death is necessary. We were put to death and made alive in our Baptism. Paul says: “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” Colossians 3:3-4.
The mission of the Church deals with the clear proclamation of God’s grace and mercy through the giving of Jesus Christ into death for the sins of the whole world. People need to hear from the Church why they need the Savior, namely, that they need forgiveness for their sins. The Church brings that message of Christ Jesus through the Word and the Sacraments. Those are the only means by which Christ Jesus builds His Church. And He has promised to build it: “And upon this rock, I will build My Church” Matthew 16:18.
As each Christian congregation continues to proclaim Christ Jesus in the fields of opportunities which are white unto His harvest, Christ Jesus will add to His Kingdom. Could God use your congregation to be the mother in planting a daughter congregation? Our District Mission Committee has been discussing this and some of our Pastor’s have been approached with the idea.
The Church and her Pastor’s always find themselves in the season of having to make the good confession. Paul says: “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom; preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” May God keep our Pastor’s and
