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igher Thing
A Special Topical Issue:
Evangelism
• Feel Free to Pass on the Good News! • The Liturgy: Tried and True Evangelism • It’s All About the Seed, Not the Sower • We Don’t “Do” Evangelism
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Lutheran theology can be complicated.
But it doesn’t have to be.
When words like dichotomy, canonicity, and adiaphora cloud our understanding of theology, it can be hard to answer the question, “What do Lutherans really believe?” H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 2
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Hallmarks of Lutheran Identity explains important doctrines and practices in an easy-to-understand way that doesn’t water down Lutheran theology or its rich historical traditions. 124497 $14.99 336 pages Paperback cph.org/hallmarks 800.325.3040 order@cph.org
• Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, and Solus Christus • The Dichotomy of Law and Gospel • Christ’s Presence in the Lord’s Supper • Luther’s Unique Insight on the Theology of the Cross
Contents T A B L E O F
Volume 17/Number 1 • Spring 2017
HigherThings
®
Volume 17/Number 1/Spring 2017 Bible Studies for these articles can be found at: higherthings.org/ magazine/biblestudies.html Editor
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hether it’s defending your faith (apologetics) or sharing your faith (evangelism), it’s really the same message: JESUS for you. No matter which you do, the true Worker is really the same: the Holy Spirit through you. Jesus wanted all creation to hear His Gospel (Mark 16:15), that He really died and really rose for all people. The Holy Spirit uses that Word: when it’s preached, read, tied to water or bread and wine. He creates faith in Jesus. He sustains faith Jesus. The great joy of sharing the faith is that all the pressure is off you, and it’s all on God. No one believes by their own reason or strength, and you can’t make them believe either. That’s real evangelism right there: the Triune God redeeming, calling, and saving sinners, and that’s exactly what you’ll read more about in the pages of our spring topical issue!
Katie Hill Art Director
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In Christ, Rev. Aaron T. Fenker Higher Things Media Executive
___________ Board of Directors President
Rev. George Borghardt Vice-President
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Special Features 4 Feel Free to Pass on the Good News!
By Rev. George F. Borghardt Did you know that Lutherans were the first “evangelicals”? There’s a reason for that and Rev. Borghardt, in his gospelly way, launches our topical issue helping us to understand what that means for us today.
6 We Don’t “Do” Evangelism
By Rev. Donavon Riley The most creative evangelism efforts won’t amount to anything, asserts Rev. Riley, if we fail to look toward and point to the very ways the person and work of Christ are communicated to us: through water, Word and Supper. Essentially, evangelism is “done to us” through the Holy Spirit and that will naturally lead to our evangelism of others.
8 It’s All About the Seed, Not the Sower
By Rev. Eric Brown When we read the Parable of the Sower we tend to spend a lot of the time puzzled over why the sower seems to be so careless. Rev. Brown demystifies this parable by showing us that all we need to focus on is what Jesus is telling us: The seed is the Word of God.
10 Planting and Watering
By Rev. Joel Fritsche Rev. Fritsche, an LCMS missionary in the Dominican Republic, encourages you to plant and water in light of the reality that God’s way of reaching out to us and others is through His means of grace, no matter where the mission field is.
12 Seven Apologists Every Christian Should Know,
Conclusion
Declare First, Defend Second: Why Apologetics Takes a Backseat to Evangelism
By Rev. Mark A. Pierson How much of a role does apologetics play in evangelism? Find out in Rev. Pierson’s masterful conclusion to his “7 Apologists Every Christian Should Know” series.
Treasurer
18 Third Article Evangelism
By Rev. Chris Rosebrough It’s common to hear in Christian circles that to become a Christian one must “decide” and “ask Jesus into one’s heart” in order to have some kind of conversion experience. Rev. Rosebrough reminds us via the Third Article of the Apostles Creed that this is not, in fact, how people come to Christ.
20 The Liturgy: Tried and True Evangelism
By Katie Hill Whether you’ve grown up Lutheran or are new to the scene, Katie shows you there’s a not-so-secret agenda behind our church liturgy: the clear proclamation of the Gospel.
22 Evangelism on the College Campus: Fish Don’t Want to Be Caught
By Rev. Philip Young As a former college ministry advisory pastor, Rev. Young has keen insight into how evangelism happens on a college campus and what results should really look like. (We think his 2012 HT Magazine article provides a such significant understanding of our topic that we are revisiting it).
Regular Features 28 Catechism: The Small Catechism for Evangelism
By Rev. William M. Cwirla Rev. Cwirla makes the case for keeping your catechism handy in your evangelism toolbox. Its simplicity and back-to-basics format will equip you to have answers for your friends who might be inquiring about what you believe.
30 Bible Study: It’s All About the Seed, Not the Sower
Be sure to check out this sample of one of our student Bible studies which links up with Rev. Eric Brown’s article on P. 8.
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Rev. Joel Fritsche Deaconess Ellie Corrow Rev. D. Carl Fickenscher Mr. Bob Myers Rev. Chris Rosebrough ___________
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Higher Things® Magazine ISSN 1539-8455 is published quarterly by Higher Things, Inc., PO Box 156, Sheridan, WY 82801. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the executive editor of Higher Things Magazine. Copyright 2017. Higher Things® is registered trademarks of Higher Things Inc.; All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri. For subscription information and questions, call 1-888-4826630, then press 4, or e-mail subscriptions@higherthings.org. (This phone number is only used for subscription queries.) For letters to the editor, write letters@higher things.org. Writers may submit manuscripts to: submissions@ higherthings.org. Please check higherthings.org/magazine/ writers.html for writers’ guidelines and theme lists.
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Feel Free to Pass on “And going out, they fled from the tomb for trembling and astonishment had seized them and they said nothing to anyone for they were afraid.” (Mark 16:8)
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he women thought Jesus was dead. They had come to prepare His dead body for burial because in their universe dead people generally stayed dead. But Jesus wasn’t at the tomb when they got there. Instead, a young man dressed in a white robe told them, “He has risen from the dead. He isn’t here. See the place where they laid Him! Go and tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. You’ll see Him there just as He told you!” Laid Him. Past tense. Not there anymore—not dead.
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If you believed that Jesus was still dead after that then, trembling and afraid like them, you would say nothing about your faith to anyone. There would be only fear, death, and pain in this world for you. Sick people would die and then they would stay dead. Hurting people would have no hope. There would be nothing to look forward to in the future. No good news from God either— not even anything worth peeking at your phone to read. But, if the One who was crucified for your sins has really been raised from the dead, then everything in your universe has changed. God cares for His creation, and cares for you. He, Himself, has personally answered for your sins. Salvation has come to all the world in Christ. Life isn’t short like the world says! It goes on to eternity. Jesus has been raised from the dead! There is no end of good news that you have to tell the world around you! This Gospel is the evangelion (εὐαγγέλιον), the Good news, that saves! Lutherans have always been about the preaching of this Good News! In the Reformation, we were even called “evangelicals!” For when the Gospel came clear to Luther, when it broke through the darkness again, the Lutheran churches couldn’t help but spread that good news all around Germany! This is why you made promises at your confirmation to be faithful to the “evangelical” Lutheran church. Lutherans were the first evangelicals! We are the church of the Good News of Jesus!
the Good News!
By Rev. George F. Borghardt
Today, the word “evangelical” means something different than it meant the time of the Reformation. Most of the time when people refer to “evangelicals” now, they are thinking of American Evangelicalism. American Evangelicalism is a movement that is comprised of a mixture of Methodism, Revivalism, Baptistic piety, and some Charismatic understandings of Holy Spirit. As a whole it is anti-rational, anti-doctrinal, and anti-sacramental. None of that is Lutheran! Nor can it all be addressed in this little article! When Lutherans talk about being “evangelical,” we are talking about the proclamation of the Gospel to sinners. The Good News is the great news that the tomb is empty. Jesus is not there. He is risen! We are saved by Christ alone—that is— by grace alone, received by faith alone. You believe the words of the “young” man dressed in a white robe that the Lord has put in your congregation. Receiving gifts of the Gospel from God—that’s faith. Faith is born from the gifts, flows from them, and clings to them. Faith holds fast to the Word of God in the water and you are saved. It latches on to the Word preached, read, and spoken to you about what Jesus did for you. It trusts that Jesus gives to you His Body to eat and His Blood to drink for the forgiveness of
This isn’t force-feeding religion down someone’s throat. It’s not Bible-thumping. It’s simply being a friend to the people around you. When they have been hurt, you comfort. When they have pain, you suffer that pain alongside them. When they need answers, you tell them the only answer you know: Christ died for your sins and was raised for your forgiveness. You aren’t trained to be a pastor. But you are the specific person God has put into their lives to speak the good news to them at this particular time. You are their friend, their neighbor, their classmate, their relative, their co-worker, their girlfriend or boyfriend. The Holy Spirit actually does the work. You are on the receiving end of it. Your neighbors are, too, through you. You are forgiven, so forgive your family. You are comforted in Christ, so comfort your friends when they have tough days. You are at peace with God, so be at peace with others who aren’t at peace. Repeat to them what you have been given in church. Model what you learned in Confirmation. Tell those around you what you read in your devotion in the morning. And when you get in over your head, get your pastor involved. The young man in white told the ladies at the empty tomb what to say. The Lord will give you words to say, too.
your sins. The gifts give you the Holy Spirit and “the Spirit works faith where in when He pleases in those who hear the Gospel,” (Augustana V). Faith is always passive in its receiving of gifts from God, but active in works of love for those around you! The women weren’t at the tomb accidentally. God put them there. The people around you aren’t there accidentally, either. You aren’t there by chance for them. God has brought you together for you to love them with the love you have received in Christ. In your vocations, in the places where God has put you, there are people for you to love. The best way to love those around you, the greatest way to be good to them, the only way to truly care for them is to pass on the Good News and gifts that have been given to you in Jesus. You love them as Christ has loved you. You live for them in a universe where Jesus has died and risen again for you. You reflect the light of Christ into the darkness of their world.
It all rests on Jesus. It’s passing on the love, and mercy, and forgiveness which has been given to you in Him. It starts where the Lord has put you for others, and always ends where the gifts that enliven you are regularly given out—at church. It’s on Him—not you. The Gospel is evangelical so Lutherans are, too. Everything we believe, teach, and confess is centered around the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Faith flows from the gifts. God has been evangelical to you in Christ Jesus. You are free to be evangelical to others, too. Rev. George F. Borghardt is the senior pastor at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in McHenry, Illinois. He also serves as the president of Higher Things.
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We Don’t‘‘Do’’
Evangelism By Rev. Donavon Riley
We can knock
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on door after door, but it won’t change anyone’s mind about Jesus. We can argue with family and friends about the Virgin birth, Good Friday, and Easter morning. None of our explanations, apologetics, or appeals to the Bible can wash away disbelief. In the end, no matter how much effort we pump into evangelism, none of our efforts will work. Evangelism—delivering the message of good news about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for us—doesn’t run in the way of monologue, dialogue, or revival meeting. The good news about Jesus Christ runs only in the way of the Holy Spirit and His gifts.
In an elegant and simple way, Martin Luther lays it out for us in the Catechism: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.” (Martin Luther, Small Catechism, Third Article of The Creed) Evangelism is wholly the work of God’s Spirit. Conversion is always and only through the Holy Spirit who works through simple earthly words, water, bread and wine. Daily faith that clings to the forgiveness, life, and salvation won for us by Jesus clings only because the Spirit keeps His promises and won’t let us go. That just means all of the “evangel,” the Gospel for us, is overshadowed by the One who was there at the beginning of everything, and the beginning of us in our mother’s womb, and the beginning of us as new men at the font. It is all the Holy Spirit’s work for us, delivering us to Jesus so that He can be delivered to us through Gospel, Baptism, and Lord’s Supper. The look and feel evangelism is wordy, watery, suppery stuff. Therefore, when evangelism is tuned up in our churches, not just a pastor but everyone in the congregation is pointing at font, pulpit, and table when asked, “How does your congregation do evangelism?” We don’t do evangelism. Evangelism is done to us by the Holy Spirit and then, when He’s brought us to faith in Christ Jesus, the Spirit drives us into the world to deliver that good news to our neighbors. Evangelism in the way of the Holy Spirit is organic, like when a sower goes out and recklessly sows seeds without any concern for where they land. And we can try to bring God’s Spirit to heel, plot and plan out the next evangelism project, but just as we can’t choose where or when seeds will grow, we don’t have any control over whom the Spirit shows mercy. So then, what’s left for us? If there’s nothing of our doing needed for evangelism, if we’re just the instruments through which the Holy Spirit works to bring sinners to salvation, what’s the point of all our efforts to be more effective in our evangelism, to reach more people, to bring more people to saving faith in Jesus? The simple answer is, since there’s nothing left for us to do (and there never was) then there is no point. If it’s about our doing then it’s not evangelism done in the way of the Spirit.
When evangelism is in the way of Spirit then we’ll be found where God is located. We will point family and friends to the font, to the pulpit, and to the table. We will tell them about our hope that “Baptism now saves you”, that, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you,” that, “Whatever sins are forgiven us on earth in Christ’s Name are forgiven in heaven, too.” This is why the whole look and feel of the Church is bent toward evangelism, because the whole Church is Christ’s Body. Sunday school, Confirmation, youth group, adult Bible study, liturgy, hymnody, sermon, and so on are intended to evangelize. There is never anyone who doesn’t need God’s Spirit to speak them into Christian faith. As Christians we still struggle every day with sin, and need the Spirit to double down (or triple down) on His promises to us. We need Him to strengthen us in faith and stir us up to love each other. We need the assurance that Baptism gives us, or the Body and Blood feed us, or the Gospel declares to us. Evangelism is an “every time the saints congregate” kind of thing. It’s also an “every time the saints are sent into their neighborhood” kind of thing. We tell others about our hope, because how can we not when the Holy Spirit is at work in and through us? Sometimes this happens subtly, and sometimes like a jack hammer battering an old patch of sidewalk. However He chooses to work, the Holy Spirit is always at work, whether we see what He’s up to or not. He’s at work in the liturgy of the Church. He’s at work between bites of potatoes at the family dinner table. He’s at work in the breakroom in between shifts. He’s at work at the bus stop while we gossip about the boy who sits behind us in science class. Wherever the blessed baptized are planted by God’s Spirit, they will produce fruits that yield salvation for someone. This is our constant comfort as Christians. We don’t do evangelism. We don’t bring people to belief. We’re not responsible for anybody’s faith. We can give up on worrying about who’s in or out, who’s a true believer and who’s putting on a false face, who really cares about evangelism and who doesn’t. Coming to faith in Jesus, and belief and keeping on in church is all the work of the Holy Spirit. He calls us, Gospels us, sanctifies and enlightens us, and keeps us with Christ Jesus in the true faith. All from the Spirit for us, is then poured out into the world from font, pulpit, and table in Jesus’ Name so that others “might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14). Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota. He is also the online content manager for Higher Things. You can contact him at elleon713@gmail.com
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It’s All About the The Parable of the Sower
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in Luke 8 seems like a strange text. The idea of a sower going around and throwing seed all over the place seems utterly ridiculous. No farmer with two licks of farming sense would intentionally sow the highway. No farmer just wastes seed on untilled land or tosses it into the weed patch. Farmers prepare the soil. That’s just how it works. In fact, when this text came up at my church in Bible study, it was suggested that maybe the sower in the parable isn’t really casting the seed in all these places—maybe this is just accidental, like when the seed sometimes spills unintentionally. This parable shocks us. The sower seems so utterly foolish and wasteful. We even try to find ways around it, but in the text it doesn’t work. The sower sows, and seed falls in four different places. It’s the same words, the same action—the seed just lands in those places. And try as we might to explain it away, there the sower is, just tossing out the seed and letting it fall all over the place. And we want the sower to be a better sower— to be more precise, to make sure that everything goes just to the right place, so that nothing gets “wasted”. The disciples didn’t understand the parable either. They didn’t know what in the world this sower was up to, so they asked Jesus to explain the parable. “Now the parable is this: the seed is the Word of God.” Did you note what Jesus does here? He pulls our eyes off the sower. In fact, in the entire explanation of the parable, Jesus doesn’t mention the sower once. It’s not about the sower (this probably shouldn’t be called the Parable of the Sower but rather the Parable of the Seed) and the seed is the Word of God. So often when the topic of evangelism comes up, we focus on our actions. We focus on how and what we do, and on what program we can develop. We’ll try to target specific focus groups—those “soils” that we ought to be getting. We don’t want to be wasteful, now, do we? The focus of evangelism must not be on the one who is “sowing” nor on trying to figure out the “good soil”. The focus of evangelism has to be the “evangelion”—from the Greek for the “good news.” That Good News is Christ and Him Crucified. And Christ Jesus was crucified for everyone. I never have to look at someone and think, “Hmmm, did Jesus die and rise for this person? Does Jesus want this person to receive forgiveness and life?” The answer is a simple yes. And so, let the Word of God, let the Gospel, let Christ be proclaimed to them. The seed falls all over the place... and then what happens happens.
Se
Oh, that’s the rub, isn’t it? We aren’t in control. We don’t get to find the magic program or technique that will make our efforts at evangelism take off like a rocket. And that scares us. It’s not that we don’t want to waste the Word of God, it’s that we don’t want our efforts to be for nothing. Yet, that’s part of the point of the parable. Some people just won’t end up caring about Christ. Some will end up falling away. It happens. And we aren’t in control of that. So, what is our response to those times when speaking the Word doesn’t seem to do much? In those times we can be tempted to start being scanty with the Word. We might as well not tell “that sort of person” of God’s Love—thoughts like that. But that misses the point. In the parable, the Word just keeps going out and out. Everywhere. To every type of soil. Over and over again. The simple fact is, we don’t know how God will use His Word upon a person. We don’t get to spiritually till and fertilize our neighbor first to figure out if he’s “good soil” or not. And that’s okay, because that’s not our job. The sower sows the seed all over; Christ and Him crucified is proclaimed to all—again and again and again. We know that faith comes not by our own reason or strength, but only through the Holy Spirit calling by the Gospel. He works when and where He wills. And we leave that all up to Him. In the same way, the Spirit does His work in us. We aren’t “good soil” because of us—we are made good in Christ! And so we give thanks that God’s Word of life is spoken to us again and again, even when our sin would make us seem a bit thorny or rocky or even flat-out stubborn and hard. And that Word takes root and it bears fruit... it bears seed that spreads out from us onto our neighbor. That’s just what happens: You’re going to bear fruit when you are in Christ. This is what He accomplishes and brings about in you. What happens then? It’s out of our hands, but it’s in God’s hands, which is a fine place to be. Don’t try to control the Word; don’t try to micro-manage the seed. You have received the Gospel of Christ Jesus, and God will use you to proclaim it. That’s just how it works. And if you don’t see the “results” you’d like, don’t worry. It’s not about you or the results. The parable still is this: The Seed is the Word of God, and that Word of God is Christ Jesus, who is God for you and who is your Savior. As we have ears, let us hear!
eed
Not the Sower , By Rev. Eric Brown
Rev. Eric Brown is the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Herscher, Illinois.
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Planting and I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7 ESV) “
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or la Iglesia, los pastores, los vicarios, los misioneros y las diaconisas.” If only you could hear this the way I do every Sunday when Julio, one of the men from my congregation in Santo Domingo, raises his hand to share his prayer requests before the Prayer of the Church! I will forever hear it in my mind in Dominican Spanish. It’s nearly the same every Sunday. Julio asks to pray for the Church and her pastors, vicars, missionaries and deaconesses. Time after time at our Thursday night Bible study and on other occasions, Julio and others recount the story of our congregation from the first missionary pastor sent from Brazil more than ten years ago, to the vicars who have served the past few years, the ordination of our Dominican national pastor, and most recently, the arrival of more missionaries to support our Dominican pastor. In the mere two years that I have served this mission congregation, I have seen Julio and others mature in Christ, grow in faith, and confess with boldness our Lord Jesus and His salvation, which is ours by grace through faith. Thanks be to God! I am called to serve on behalf of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod as a church planter in the Dominican Republic. I serve an established congregation alongside a Dominican Lutheran pastor and a couple of other missionaries, building on work that other missionaries did before us—“watering,” as the apostle Paul puts it. In addition, we are also “planting” a church on the eastern side of the capital city of Santo Domingo. So, there is planting and watering, but like the Apostle says, God gives the growth. I love this terminology that St. Paul uses in 1 Corinthians! He, alongside other missionaries, journeyed from place to place “planting.” He did some baptizing at Corinth, even though he couldn’t recall all of those whom he had baptized (1 Corinthians 1:16). He preached “Christ and Him crucified”
(1 Corinthians 1:23). The work of the Gospel, the mission, is never about the person or the missionary. It’s all Jesus! It’s Christ, the power of God and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). This wasn’t unique to Corinth, of course. The apostle Paul and others planted. Still others watered. All the while, God gave the growth. Just before our Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave His disciples the mandate to make disciples of all nations through baptizing and teaching (St. Matthew 28:18-20). That’s the essence of planting and watering. While Paul may not have done much baptizing at Corinth, there were certainly baptisms. We read elsewhere in Acts about new believers hearing the Word preached and taught. Then they, and often their whole households, were baptized. On his second missionary journey, Paul took with him Silas, then Timothy. The Holy Spirit led them not to where they planned to go, but to Macedonia. At Philippi, they met Lydia, the seller of purple goods. She heard the preaching of Christ and she and her household were baptized (Acts 16:14-15). The Philippian jailer witnessed a miracle for sure when the jail cells opened during the earthquake, but all the prisoners stayed rather than escape. But that wasn’t the big deal. He heard the Lord’s Word and was baptized—he and all his family (Acts 16:32-33). As I go about planting and watering as a missionary pastor in the Dominican
Watering Republic, in some respects, it’s not so very different from my service at congregations in the United States. Pastors and other missionaries plant and water. God gives the growth. I baptize. I preach Christ and Him crucified. I teach the Lord’s Word. I distribute Christ’s Body and Blood. I bring Jesus into people’s homes when I’m out doing visits. I bring Him into the park across from one of our missions when I have a conversation with someone while my children are playing. It may all look incredibly different at times though, given the different language and culture. The goal, of course, is to move beyond one simple conversation about Christ. Although sometimes (more often than not)
By Rev. Joel Fritsche
one conversation may be all there is. The goal is to water the seeds that are planted. The goal is that a person receives Christ by faith through the preaching of the Lord’s Word and through Baptism. The goal is that they desire Christ and His gifts more and more, that they long to be at His table, receiving His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament, in the context of the regular Divine Service. That’s why we plant churches, that the watering may continue, and that God may grow His church through His means of grace. This year we’re opening the doors of a seminary in the Dominican Republic. Why? More planting and watering! Word and Sacrament! Jesus and His forgiveness being delivered! We pray that the watering and planting continues beyond our time here, by people born and raised here, who know their context and their own people better than missionaries from other countries, but above all, who know their Lord and Savior through the blood-bought forgiveness He obtained through His death and resurrection. I’m encouraged by Julio’s prayer and certainly by his solid confession of Christ. Don’t think for a minute that the watering and planting takes place without such dear saints living out their daily vocations, being the baptized children of God that He has called them to be, where He has called them to be. On that note, the missionaries with whom I serve, many of whom are not pastors, are essential to the mission. Ultimately, it’s not about them. It’s not about Julio. It’s not about me. It’s all about Jesus. It’s all Jesus. That’s evangelism. That’s mission. And so with Julio we pray for the Church, for pastors, vicars, deaconesses and missionaries, rejoicing that God continues to give the growth. Rev. Joel Fritsche and his family are LCMS missionaries to the people of the Dominican Republic. He is also the secretary for Higher Things.
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Declare First, Defend Second:
Why Apologetics Takes
7
Apologists Every Christian Should Know Conclusion
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“How many dinosaurs did Noah put on the ark?”“If God made the world, then who made God?”“Don’t all religions basically teach the same thing, just in different ways?” Some years ago, these and other questions were asked of me—or, targeted at me—by three skeptics over dinner. It wasn’t a planned, coordinated attack on their part; it just sort of happened. One by one, they tried to show me that I believe in a fairy tale, that my faith is unreasonable, and that I’m narrow-minded and intolerant. So I dove right into the deep end of apologetics and began defending the truth the best I could. Logic, science, history—I used them all to show that Christianity rests on facts and I’m not a fool for believing it. I even did a fairly decent (though not perfect) job of keeping my composure in the face of their snarky slurs, sloppy thinking, and constant interruptions. But when all was said and done, they remained unconvinced and I was left utterly frustrated. What had gone wrong? At first I figured it was all their fault. None of them were particularly interested in having a conversation; each merely wanted to take potshots at what I believe. And I still think that’s probably true. I’ve talked to enough unbelievers to know when they’ve stopped listening and just want to lob one-liners or bring up “difficult” questions to make themselves look intellectually (or morally) superior. Solid answers often won’t get them to reconsider their unbelief because they are playing a game of one-upmanship, quickly moving from one predictable objection to the next in hopes of landing a knockout punch. Indeed, it was a bit like trying to have a fruitful exchange in the YouTube comments section—a nearly impossible task! Quite a bit later, however, I realized that my whole approach had been wrong. I was putting the cart before the horse and expecting apologetics to do something it was never intended to do.
The Limits of Apologetics Apologetics is important to me. There was a time when I had serious doubts about the Bible, about the truth of Easter, and about the claims of Jesus. Thankfully, I met a wise and patient apologist, Dr. Rod Rosenbladt, who answered my questions with reason and evidence. He demonstrated that Christianity centers on facts, on history, on Truth incarnate, such that it can be explored and investigated by believers and unbelievers alike. This was a lifesaver for me. All I had heard from Christians were personal testimonies, appeals to emotion, and the silly notion that faith should be blind. But here was an approach that appealed to my mind and not just my heart. In short, apologetics kept me from thinking Scripture should begin with “Once upon a time...” I then tried to learn as much as possible about apologetics so that I could shoot down the most popular objections to
a Backseat to Evangelism By Rev. Mark A. Pierson
Christianity and help others do the same. After consuming numerous books, lectures, and videos, I became convinced that I could win virtually any argument. This, I thought, was the key to conversion: just defeat your opponents on scholarly grounds and they will be forced to accept your position and believe the Good News. Ah, how foolish and naïve I was. You see, in my zeal to defend the gospel as true, I ignored a crucial part of my training and committed the colossal blunder of starting with apologetics. As in the above example, I would spend hours arguing with people over
evidence without first declaring what Jesus had done for them. So eager was I to act like a lawyer and make a convincing case for Christianity that the gospel message itself seldom (if ever) saw the light of day. I had assumed everyone already knew the Good News when in fact most didn’t. What is more, I was expecting apologetics to have the effect that only the proclaimed Word has. Facts, reason, and evidence are of great value, to be sure, but that value is limited, for they do not and cannot create faith in the heart. And that, above all else, is why evangelism always comes first. Where I had gone wrong was in
thinking that defending the truth and declaring the truth were the same thing. But in fact, apologetics is merely evangelism’s handmaiden. It serves a vital purpose, but when and how apologetics comes into play always depends on the particular circumstances. For example, one skeptic will deny that Jesus existed, another will ask about contradictions in the Bible, and some won’t raise any objections at all. The proclamation that Christ is the Savior of sinners, however, is for all people without qualification. Only the astonishing truth that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto
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Himself, not counting people’s sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19), can turn a spiritually dead child of Adam into a living child of God. Simply put: only the gospel message itself, and not its defense, can perform the miracle of conversion. Learning in the Trenches What changed my mind about apologetics more than anything else was doing evangelism on college campuses with Pastor Mark Jasa, a mentor who not only had years of experience but also a gift for being able to talk about Jesus with absolutely anyone. He always began with a proclamation of Law and Gospel put into terms the average person can understand. Much of the time he never bothered to provide intellectual reasons to back up his claims. I found this odd since he, too, had received training in apologetics. So eventually I asked, “Why not just go straight to the evidence for the resurrection? We can totally win that one.” Pastor Jasa’s answer was twofold. First, apologetics can become a rabbit trail such that defending the truth distracts from hearing the truth.“My job,” he said,“is first to tell everyone the Good News. Then I respond to their objections as needed.” As I watched him evangelize from then on, I saw the importance of keeping that order straight. A Muslim woman, for example, admitted
“…apologetics is merely evangelism’s handmaiden”
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she was afraid Allah would judge her. Whereas my inclination was to argue with her about the Bible vs. the Quran, Pastor Jasa simply said,“Don’t worry about judgment. Jesus was judged in your place.” Since reasons and proofs were not what she was looking for, it may have done more harm than good to bring them up. In another instance, a girl said she was an atheist and yet she was afraid to die. When she was told that Christ has defeated death and promises to raise her up from her grave, she replied, “That would be good news . . . if it were true.” Having heard the Gospel first, she was asking for a good solid dose of facts and evidence as to why she should believe it. And that is precisely when apologetics is properly applied. Second, my evangelism mentor pointed me to the last line in Jesus’ parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead” (Luke 16:31). “Some people,” Pastor Jasa said, “simply don’t care about the evidence.” This struck me as strange
since having evidence had been so important to me, but I soon saw that he was right. One fellow who heard the Gospel wanted to argue that Christianity is a myth. After he realized he was losing, however, he said, “Okay, fine. Maybe Jesus rose from the dead. Maybe Jesus is God. But...I don’t need him.” Resurrection or no resurrection, this guy was determined to reject Jesus; apologetics was powerless to have an effect on him, just like it had no effect on my dinner guests. The Limitless Gospel Hundreds of real-life evangelism encounters such as these made it clear to me that apologetics must take a backseat to evangelism. Only the radical, no-strings-attached, “get out of hell free” proclamation of the forgiveness of sins in Christ can turn skeptics into believers. So give them the Gospel. Most people have never heard this Good News, and they must hear it before you defend it. Apologetics certainly has its place. It’s crucial that we Christians are ready for attacks and questions about the truth of Christianity— especially if you’re a believer at a secular college. This might be called “proactive” apologetics, where you do your homework ahead of time and learn the reasons why your faith is founded on fact. (A decent place to start, if I may say so, is the 7-part series I did on apologetics for this magazine.) This not only provides answers for yourself but also prepares you for “reactive” apologetics, when you are called to defend the gospel on the spot and in real-time. But don’t think it is your arguments, your presentation of the evidence, or your clever tactics that bring people to faith. That was my big mistake. Learn from it and keep the order straight: declare first, defend second. Only by the work of the Holy Spirit through the proclamation of the Gospel is anyone brought to faith. And since this relieves you from the burden of thinking it is somehow up to you to bring someone to a saving knowledge of Christ, you are refreshingly free to tell the Good News without limits and bring apologetics to the table when the situation calls for it. Thanks be to God! Rev. Mark A. Pierson serves as assistant pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Long Beach, California. He has been a part of several apologetic works, including a series of articles for Higher Things Magazine: Seven Apologists Every Christian Should Know, which this article concludes.
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cripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Vocatio
Taste of the Sem
(For high school guys and girls)
(For high school guys only)
June 21-26, 2014
Vocatio
January 18-20, 2014
Taste of the Sem
Ready to register? Visit www.csl.edu or call 800-822-9545.
une 21-26, 2014
high school guys and girls)
January 18-20, 2014 (For high school guys only)
pture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
eady to register? Visit www.csl.edu or call 800-822-9545.
en from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
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T h e s e m in a r y h a s c h a n g e d K i r k s l i f e . Check out how you can serve God in ministry!
TT hh ee ss eemm iinnaarryy hhaass cchhaannggeedd KKi irrkkss lli iffee. . Check out how you can serve God in ministry! Check out how you can serve God in ministry!
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from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear, and distinct grounds and reasoning—and my conscience is captive to the Word of God—then I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to act against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.” “Here I stand.” That’s daring to be…Lutheran! What words! What a theme! So on this 500th anniversary of Dr. Luther’s firing the Gospel shot heard around the Church, Higher Things is excited to stand with Luther and announce “Here I Stand” as the theme of our 2017 Summer Conferences.
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Now, he was ordered to either recant this Gospel or become an outlaw. He prayed that God would keep him from repenting a “single jot or tittle.” (Kittleson 161). The next morning, he stood before them all again. And again, he tried to debate but they would have none of it. This wasn’t a trial.“Will you recant or not?” asked the papal examiner coldly. Everyone had already decided that Luther was guilty. And in a way, he was! He was teaching the truth of the Gospel that had come clear to him a year earlier when he posted those 95 Theses that started it all: Jesus saves sinners by grace alone that is received by faith alone, and this is found in Scripture alone. “Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence
Mars Hill University Mars Hill, North Carolina
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There Luther was standing, at the Diet of Worms on April 17, 1518 in front of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the papal representatives, and their soldiers dressed in their parade uniforms. He wanted to debate the Gospel: that man is justified before God by faith in Christ and not by works. But they wanted no discussion. It was simple:“Are these are your books? Do you recant?” All Luther could say to the first question was “Yes, these books are mine and I have written more.” To the second question he asked for a night to pray, for the Gospel itself was at stake. Just a few months earlier, on October 31, 1517, he had posted 95 Theses on the door of Castle Church in Wittenburg. It was like a blog post. He wanted to discuss the Gospel then, too.
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Third Article Evangelism By Rev. Chris Rosebrough
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hen we think of evangelism and sharing the gospel with unbelievers there is a common misconception that the goal of evangelism is to get people to “make a decision� to accept Jesus into their hearts. But if you know your catechism and the biblical texts, which your catechism correctly summarizes, then you know that getting someone to make a decision for Jesus is not the goal of evangelism. Instead, the goal of evangelism is for God to raise someone from the dead and that doesn’t happen as a result of someone making a decision for Jesus.
Let’s review what the Third Article of the Creed says and what Luther’s Small Catechism says about this article: I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.1 Yes, you read that correctly. The Small Catechism clearly says that no one can believe in Jesus by his or her own reason and strength. This is exactly what Scripture also says. Here are just a few biblical passages. Pay attention to who is doing the “deciding” in these texts: But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of a human decision nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13) Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:3-6) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3) “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:43-44) And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. (Acts 16:13-14) There is a very simple reason why we cannot make a decision for Jesus and that is because we are, by nature, dead in trespasses and sins: 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. (Ephesians 2:1-3) Dead means dead. Just as dead people cannot make a decision to be alive, spiritually dead people cannot make a decision to be born again, which begs the question, “How does saving faith come about?” Scripture’s answer is very clear and simple: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Notice how the Bible and the Small Catechism are saying the exact same thing. That is not an accident. Therefore, in order to be a good Third Article evangelist, we must tell our friends and neighbors about their sin and explain that through using God’s law. Then we must tell them about what Jesus has done for them by bleeding and dying for their sins on the cross. Finally, we must call them to repent of their sins and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. God uses the proclamation of the Christ’s saving work (the Gospel) to give people the gift of saving faith. God does the saving and God does the raising and God does it through the proclamation of His Word. 1 Luther, Martin (2005-10-31). Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (ESV) (Kindle Locations 126-129). Concordia Publishing House. Kindle Edition.
Rev. Chris Rosebrough is the pastor of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church in Aslo, Minnesota, and on the board of directors of High Things. He is also the captain of PirateChristianRadio.com and host of the Fighting for the Faith radio program.
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he Liturgy: Tried and True Evangelism By Katie Hill
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)
To an outsider looking in, the historic liturgy of the Church might H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 20
seem like something out the Dark Ages, particularly in a culture that tries to make everything “relevant” or “relatable”. Liturgy, simply put, is a pattern of worship. Lutherans understand liturgy as God serving His people by the proclamation of the Gospel and administration of the Means of Grace, and in response we get to offer thanks and praise to Him. Good liturgy is evangelistic by design. I was raised as a very traditional Roman Catholic but I chose to leave that church when I was 18. So, for a long time, I eyed anything even vaguely liturgical with great suspicion. Repeating the same words at church over and over again? Nope! Pastors wearing vestments? May it never be! Incense? Are you kidding? What I didn’t realize then was that much of that liturgy I had experienced every Sunday growing up had been evangelizing me all along.
After two decades of various denominational and non-denominational church experience, I converted to Lutheranism 10 years ago. In short order, the liturgy became something from which I learned to draw great comfort. My previous objection of “That’s just vain repetition,” was cast aside. That repetition became near and dear to me—it nurtured my faith. And when I reflected upon my Roman Catholic upbringing I came to a stunning realization that, although there were parts of the Mass or what was preached from the pulpit that clouded or even obscured the Gospel, much of the liturgy came straight out of the Scriptures. It’s not as though Martin Luther set out to reinvent the liturgy wheel. Remember, he sought only to reform the church and promote the Gospel with as much clarity as possible. Luther took the liturgy that had been taught for centuries, translated it into the language of the people, and filtered it through the Lutheran confessions that sought to return the Christian Church to her biblical roots. And so today, we can experience a liturgy that is undergirded by centuries of practice and history, in the Divine Service, Daily Offices and other services. Simply put, the liturgy’s job is to feed our faith. Our Confession puts it this way: “The purpose of observing ceremonies is that men may learn the Scriptures and that those who have been touched by the Word may receive faith and fear and so may also pray.” (Apology XXIV:3). It accomplishes this in various settings but we can zero in on a few areas in the Divine Service for a few examples: Confession and Absolution You’ve probably heard it claimed that there is a certain prayer that one must pray to “make a decision” for Christ. This is often called the Sinner’s Prayer— something one can point to and say “That’s when I became a Christian.” And believe it or not, our liturgy has a sinner’s prayer, too…every time we confess and receive Absolution! After we are faced with the demands of God’s Holy Law we cry out, “I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities.”“Forgive us, renew us, and lead us!” After this we hear, “I therefore forgive you in the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We recognize our sin, repent and receive Absolution. This isn’t a one-time event. This is an as-much-as-we-need-it gift! Why is this important? While it’s vital we seek to reach non-Christians with the Good news, Christians need to hear the Gospel, too! Both you, and that friend from school you brought to church last Sunday to hear
about Christ, got to hear the same thing! Liturgy is an equal opportunity evangelizer! The Creeds We say, alongside our brothers and sisters, three creeds—or confessions of belief—(Apostles’, Nicene or Athanasian), all of which speak of the God whom we worship and how He has saved us through the work of His Son. This goes counter to much of mainstream Christianity which will often assert,“No creed but Jesus!” That just doesn’t make sense, because the creeds are all about Jesus. Christians throughout the centuries have declared the same words, which is why it creates a unity that is faithstrengthening every time we recite the creeds. The Lord’s Supper This is the ultimate altar call! We go to the altar, not to make a decision for Christ or to rededicate our lives to Him. Rather, because He has dedicated Himself to us, we get to receive Him. Our faith is strengthened by hearing His words “This is my body…this is my blood…for YOU” and our spirits are nourished when we drink from the cup and eat His body, broken for us. This is crystal-clear evangelism. Benediction To the very end, our liturgy is reminding us of the Gospel. Benediction means “good words” and that’s exactly what we get to hear before Divine Service ends…the Good News. “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and give you peace.” We are reminded to Whom we belong and that we have true peace through His Son, Jesus Christ. These sections of the Divine Service are just the tip of the liturgy iceberg. We can turn to any page in our service books and find the faithful proclamation of the Gospel. The liturgy is designed from start to finish to point to and give us Christ. From the Sacrament of the Altar, to your Pastor’s final words; from the baptism of a new child in Christ to that tiny little “+” in the text, you’ll see it’s true. More than that, it is a small but delightful taste of what we get to look forward to in Paradise. And when it comes to communicating the Good News, that’s as relevant and relatable as it gets. Katie Hill is the editor of Higher Things Magazine. She can be reached at katie.hill@higherthings.org. S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 _ 21
Evangelism on the College Campus:
Fish Don’t Want By Rev. Philip Young
It happens quite frequently when people
find out that I do college ministry. They comment with words similar to this:“That’s awesome! What a tremendous opportunity!” I agree wholeheartedly with that assessment. But then comes the question,“How large is your group?” I tell them:“Three so far.” (We’ve been up to five and down to two.) The response? An uncomfortable “Oh.”
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For some reason, many people think that college ministry should be easy. They have in their minds our Lord’s words to Peter and Andrew, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19), and they believe that the college campus is the ideal setting to go fishing for men. It actually is, but that doesn’t mean that the fish jump into the boat any more than they do in any other setting in the world. I’ve watched fellow pastors analyze LCMS campus ministry opportunities by looking at the size of the school. For example, the thinking is that since there are over 5,000 students at a particular school, surely we should be able to get our share of converts and have at least 50 (1 percent) in a college group. It doesn’t always work that way. In fact, not even all the LCMS students come to Lutheran student groups or attend church. Regarding Christ’s words about fishing for men, a wise pastor once taught me that fish don’t want to be caught. Peter and Andrew were fishermen, and they knew this to be true. That’s why they would cast a net. The fish that they sought on a daily basis were happy to swim away, but the net would bring them in. Now what is it about colleges,
especially public and private secular institutions, that would make students want to be caught by the Holy Spirit and renounce their Old Adam? I could make the case that colleges are the hardest places to go fishing with their deep, dark depths of evolutionary theory, atheism, sexual perversion, false religions and communism. But too much of that talk could make you think that fishing for Christ is dependent on the fishermen. So often the “so-called” campus ministry experts say that you have to entice and lure students with free food and dynamic music and sports programs and exotic spring break destinations. Fish are smart! I’ve had the worm stripped clean from my hook tons of times. I’m happy to give out free pizza (as long as there is a slice of pepperoni left for me), but pizza will not be the means for bringing in the catch for Christ. The net that God gives his church is the means of grace—the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Word and Sacrament. Recall what Jesus told His disciples after the resurrection: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded
you” (Matthew 28:19-20a). Our Lutheran Confessions say, “To obtain such faith [justifying, saving faith] God instituted the office of preaching, giving the gospel and the sacraments. Through these, as through means, he gives the Holy Spirit who produces faith, where and when he wills, in those who hear the gospel. It teaches that we have a gracious God, not through our merit but through Christ’s merit, when we so believe” (Augsburg Confession V 1-3). Therefore, sound teaching of the Holy Scriptures and the Divine Service are to remain foremost in pastoral campus ministry efforts. When I was postoral advisor to Lutheran Student Fellowship at Vanderbilt University, I didn’t know what kind of catch God would bring in from one semester to the next. From the Word, though, I do know the character of fish, whether in schools or out. There is nothing that the Holy Spirit will use to gather them other than His appointed means. To all our campus ministry pastors, sponsor congregations, and students: Rejoice when even one fish is unwillingly caught in God’s net and hauled aboard! (Editor’s Note: This article has been slightly updated since its original publication in the Summer 2012 issue of Higher Things Magazine. We believe its message is extremely fitting for this topical issue and will serve to greatly encourage youth leaders and a new crop of college students alike).
to Be Caught
Rev. Philip Young is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Catechism
The Small Catechism for By Rev. William M. Cwirla
W
e’re taking a bit of a break from studying the parts of the Small Catechism to talk about a use for the catechism that many people don’t realize: evangelism tool. Now, when I say “Small Catechism,” of course, I don’t mean that blue- or burgundy-colored book with 300 or so questions and answers and lots of Bible verses. That’s the Small Catechism with Explanation. And while that’s a very good book and useful for teaching, reference, and study, it isn’t the sort of thing one just hands out to anyone. They’re kind of expensive, for one thing. What I’m talking about is the actual Small Catechism as Martin Luther wrote it for the heads of families to teach the Christian faith to their households. It’s the catechism most of us learned by heart at some point in our lives as Lutherans. Concordia Publishing House sells them in packs of a dozen for $5. That’s less than fifty cents a copy. Think about what the Small Catechism essentially is: everything that a Christian should know about his or her salvation in Jesus in a simple, compact form. Christianity 101. The Rock Bottom Basics. Look at the three chief parts of the Small Catechism: The Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Our Father. Sin, God, and Prayer. That’s an afternoon of great conversation right there. What does God desire of us? What does “fear, love, and trust in God above all things” look like? Why do we say we are “sinners”? The Ten Commandments cover everything concerning our hearts, heads, and hands—what we say, do, think, desire—you name it. We should fear and love God so that we don’t this and do that. It covers God’s Name, Word, authority, human life, sexuality, property, reputation, desire. All of human life in all its fallenness is laid out like a spiritual MRI diagnosing our sinful condition. The Apostles’ Creed. Who is God and what does He do? The Creed summarizes the great mystery of the God in His “triunity” – three Persons, one Being. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And it describes God’s three great works: creation, redemption, and sanctification. God is our Maker, Provider, and Protector. He is our Redeemer in the Son who died and rose to save us from sin, death, and hell. And He is our Sanctifier who, by His Spirit, makes us holy with the gifts of Christ in His Church. Personally, I think the Small Catechism’s meaning of the Second Article is the greatest personal testimony you can give to the world:
H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 28
“I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.”
Evangelism Who can improve on that? Memorize it, make it your own, and you’ll never be tongue-tied when someone asks you what it means to be a Christian. And be sure to tell them that the same Jesus who saved you also died and rose to save them, too. The Our Father. It’s the perfect prayer, taught by God the Son Himself. And it’s the perfect platform for prayer with its seven petitions that cover everything about which we need to pray: God’s name, kingdom, and will, our daily bread, forgiveness, protection from the devil, world, and our flesh, and our final deliverance in our own blessed death and resurrection. There is a lifetime of prayer in the Our Father. It’s like the whole book of Psalms in seven little petitions. Then we come to the second section of the catechism that teaches us how salvation comes to us in Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, and the Lord’s Supper. It’s one thing to talk about God; quite another thing to talk about how and where God comes to us and saves us. It’s also a great opportunity to invite others come to church and see and hear for themselves. Here is God in Christ for you! Finally, there is the last part on Daily Prayer and the Table of Duties. This is real, everyday, ordinary life under the cross of Jesus. It covers morning, noon, and night as we go about our vocations in our homes, in society, in our congregations. This treasure comes in 22 little pages that easily fit in your pocket and cost less than fifty cents apiece. Keep a few handy by the front door for the next time the Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormon missionaries come knocking. Have a couple in your car, pocket, or purse. Learn and relearn it by heart for yourself so you that can explain to others what you believe. This year is the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. It’s been 500 years since Martin Luther first went public with his 95 Theses. But of all the things that were written and said in the Reformation, the crown jewel continues to be that little Small Catechism. What better way to celebrate the 500th anniversary than to hand one of these to anyone who asks what the fuss is all about! Rev. William M. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, and is a president emeritus of Higher Things. He can be reached at wcwirla@gmail.com.
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It’s All About the A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY • Spring 2017
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Begin by reading the text of Luke 8:1-15, the Parable of the Sower. Who was with Jesus when He told this parable? What is a parable? Why does Jesus say He teaches using parables? Read Luke 8:10 and Isaiah 6:9. Specifically looking at Luke 8:5-8, what was the fate of the seed that the sower scattered?
In his article, Rev. Brown focuses on the idea that we usually think the sower is the main character in the parable. Re-read Luke 8:11-15. How does Jesus explain that is not the case?
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What might we be tempted to do when we realize we truly don’t have control over what ultimately happens to the seed? What does Paul tell us in Romans 10:14-17 our role is in evangelism?
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Why would knowing we don’t control the seed that is sown keep us from being discouraged when we don’t see the results we had hoped for in our efforts to evangelize?
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So when we think about evangelism or sharing the Gospel—the Good News—with others, Rev. Brown exhorts us to not try to “micro-manage the seed.” What might this lead you to do? Why would this be a futile endeavor? Read John 3:6-8.
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Close by singing the first two stanzas of LSB 921 “On What Has Now Been Sown.”
To access the Leader’s Guide for this study, as well as Bible studies for articles in this issue and previous issues, as a part of an HTOnline subscription, point your browser to: higherthings.org/magazine/biblestudies.html.
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“DeclareAFirst, Defend Second” HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide 1. What is apologetics? How does 1 Peter 3:15 define it? How are we to conduct ourselves when we are defending the faith? The word “apologetics” or “apology” comes from the Greek in this verse: pros apologian—toward a defense. It means being able to defend what we believe. Peter asserts that we need to be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in us, yet do it respectfully and gently. Keep in mind that Peter is talking to Christians who are suffering for their faith, who might be even more tempted to let frustration, fear and anger dictate their defense. While a dinner conversation like the one referenced by Pastor Pierson is a far cry from persecution, the principle still applies. It is all fine and good to be passionate in explaining why we believe what we believe but it is very important that our object isn’t to “win.” We risk obscuring the Gospel if we get caught up in our arguments, no matter how sound or logical they might be. 2. Pastor Pierson talks about Christians using their own personal testimonies as a common way to evangelize. Why might this not be the most reliable way to go about sharing the Good News? How does Peter approach preaching the Gospel in Acts 2:14-41? What results from his preaching? Everyone’s story is different and might indeed be very inspiring. That being said, if the focus is on some personal transformative experience, those hearing it in an evangelistic context might think that they, too, must have the same kind of experience and if they don’t then perhaps they aren’t really Christians. Sometimes emotions can run high as well. While an emotional appeal might work in the short run, it is vital to remember that the Holy Spirit works faith in the heart of a listener. Another stumbling block to the clear proclamation of the Gospel is that a personal testimony can inadvertently become more about us and less about the person and work of Jesus Christ. In Acts 2, Peter neither launches into an apologetics argument nor makes an emotional appeal based on his own experience. He first explains how the testimony of the Scriptures point to Christ. He then speaks of all that Christ came to do and did. He then calls the crowd to repentance and assures them they can receive the forgiveness of sins through Christ. Three thousand accepted the message and were baptized. What is of note here is Peter did not need to showcase his own experience with Christ to “effectively” evangelize those who were listening. And, if anyone would have been able to give a dramatic testimony, it would have been Peter. 3. Pastor Pierson refers to apologetics as “evangelism’s handmaiden.” What does this mean? It means that apologetics is meant to serve evangelism, not the other way around. It is a helpful resource when called for. While apologetic arguments might perfectly appropriate in specific situations, the Good News applies to all people all the time.
© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2017
4. Paul was extremely well-educated. He was a student of Gamaliel (a very respected rabbi of the time). He knew the Law inside and out. In the book of Acts he holds his own in his discussions with philosophers. Yet when you read Philippians 3:4-7 and 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, what is Paul’s focus? Paul acknowledges he is a learned man but that all his knowledge and zeal is nothing compared to knowing Christ. His focus always returns to Christ and Him crucified for sinners, that we may be reconciled to the Father. In 2 Corinthians, He says that we are Christ’s ambassadors through which He delivers His message of salvation. An ambassador represents a ruler (or King) and communicates to others the primary message of that King. For us believers, that message is: “Be reconciled to God.” 5. Read the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. Near the end of the parable, what does Abraham tell the rich man? He said that the idea of sending a man from the dead to warn his relatives about the dangers of hell will not do any good because they won’t even listen to Moses and the Prophets. This parable points ahead to the fact something miraculous, like Jesus’ resurrection, will not convince a person who is unwilling to believe what is written plainly in the Scriptures. We read about people who saw Jesus perform miracles with their own eyes and still refused to believe. Thinking if we can just make a logical case for the person and work of Christ and people will just accept that is forgetting that the Holy Spirit is the One who quickens a heart to accept what it has heard. This is why apologetics is a secondary tool. If the situation calls for it, we should be prepared. 6. One of the most popular apologetic areas in which to delve is the resurrection of Christ. Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. This is because the resurrection is the crux of our faith. Even so, according to Pastor Pierson, why is defending the resurrection of Christ, first and foremost, not always the answer? Paul explains that if we don’t believe in the resurrection of the dead, then our faith is for nothing. What’s the point of Christianity if Jesus died and did not rise again to conquer sin, death and the devil? All the same, if that’s where we head right away in our attempts to evangelize, Rev. Pierson says it can backfire. It can be distracting. Declare the Gospel first, and answer objections as they come along. People must see their need before they can truly understand the implications of the resurrection.
Closing Sing together, “If Christ Had Not Been Raised from Death” (LSB 486).
© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2017
“DeclareAFirst, Defend Second” HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. What is apologetics? How does 1 Peter 3:15 define it? How are we to conduct ourselves when we are defending the faith?
2. Pastor Pierson talks about Christians using their own personal testimonies as a common way to evangelize. Why might this not be the most reliable way to go about sharing the Good News? How does Peter approach preaching the Gospel in Acts 2:14-41? What results from his preaching?
3. Pastor Pierson refers to apologetics as “evangelism’s handmaiden.” What does this mean?
4. Paul was extremely well-educated. He was a student of Gamaliel (a very respected rabbi of the time). He knew the Law inside and out. In the book of Acts he holds his own in his discussions with philosophers. Yet when you read Philippians 3:4-7 and 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, what is Paul’s focus?
5. Read the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. Near the end of the parable, what does Abraham tell the rich man?
6. One of the most popular apologetic areas in which to delve is the resurrection of Christ. Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. This is because the resurrection is the crux of our faith. Even so, according to Pastor Pierson, why is defending the resurrection of Christ, first and foremost, not always the answer?
Closing Sing together, “If Christ Had Not Been Raised from Death” (LSB 486).
© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2017
“Evangelism on the College Campus: Fish Don’tA HIGHER WantTHINGS® to BeBIBLE Caught” STUDY Leader’s Guide 1. According to the article by Pastor Young, why are some people surprised when they hear of the low numbers that have joined the campus group? What did such people expect? What is wrong with their expectations? People often expect that in a sea of students, all of whom are trying to “find themselves” or “try new things,” there will be many who will be interested by a church group on campus. They expect people to just jump into the ship of the Church. Such expectations do not take into account the fact that people are, by nature, opposed to God and curved in on themselves. The metaphor of fish who do not want to be caught is a fitting one for sinners who do not really, by nature, want to be caught by the net of the Gospel. 2. From a biblical standpoint, what is it about human nature that causes people to run away from and not to a Lutheran campus ministry? (See especially 1 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Peter 5:8; Luke 8:10-15.) The answer is plain and simple: sin. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 2:14, tells the Christians that the “natural man cannot accept the things of the Spirit of God.” In Peter’s first Epistle, the apostle reminds us of the presence of the devil, who prowls around looking for someone to devour. This is true on a college campus as much as anywhere else. And finally, Jesus’ parable in Luke 8 of the Sower illustrates some of the roadblocks to the work of God’s Word in people: worldly concerns; the devil; and a shallow faith. These all contribute to people not wanting to “be caught.” 3. In Modern Christianity, a lot of emphasis is put on size and numerical growth. For a struggling campus ministry, what comfort do the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:20 offer? These words of Jesus tell us that it is not how many that matters, but the fact that they are gathered in Christ’s name and that He is present among them. 4. What is wrong with the approach to campus ministry that puts all the emphasis on the qualities of the fisherman (i.e. pastor) and the methods with which people are drawn to the Church? What was the cause of the great catch of fish in Luke 5:1-11? In Luke 5, it was finally the word and command of Christ that brought the catch of fish, not the methods of man. This is a good thing to bear in mind when we are seeking to draw people to his Church. We may draw a large crowd by gimmicks and other things, but if it is not the Word that draws them, then they are not truly Christ’s disciples. 5. Discuss the expression: “Pizza is great, but it ain’t the Gospel.” What meaning do these words attempt to convey? It’s fun to have pizza parties, to have get-togethers, movie nights, and other fun activities. These are all good ways to get students to interact with one another, and to have fellowship together. But they are not the gospel. They do not convert hearts. They do not make disciples. They fill bellies, and they satisfy the students’ urge to interact. The Gospel is the blood of Jesus Christ given through the Word and Sacraments. This is what nourishes and sustains faith.
© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2017
6. According to the words of the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20), and the words of the Augsburg Confession, what tools does God use to convert hearts to faith in Christ, i.e., to draw them to the Church and save them? Why is this important when talking about campus ministry? Through Baptism, God bestows the new life of the Spirit, and through the Word and Supper He nourishes and sustains that new life. These are the “Means of Grace” that are the student’s life-lines to God. Anyone who is involved in campus ministry must keep this at the forefront of their minds, so that they will not be distracted by all the other “popular” methods that are constantly being shoved at us. 7. It is easy to get caught up in numbers, or to become discouraged when the numbers aren’t there. What do the words of Jesus in Luke 15:7, 10 encourage us to remember? If just one sinner repents, if just one college student is caught by the net of Christ’s Gospel, and is thus brought to faith, that is sufficient for all of heaven to break out in joyous praise. That should be the goal of every campus ministry: the repentance of one sinner.
© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2017
“Evangelism on the College Campus: Fish Don’tA HIGHER WantTHINGS® to BeBIBLE Caught” STUDY 1. According to the article by Pastor Young, why are some people surprised when they hear of the low numbers that have joined the campus group? What did such people expect? What is wrong with their expectations?
2. From a biblical standpoint, what is it about human nature that causes people to run away from and not to a Lutheran campus ministry? (See especially 1 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Peter 5:8; Luke 8:10-15.)
3. In Modern Christianity, a lot of emphasis is put on size and numerical growth. For a struggling campus ministry, what comfort do the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:20 offer?
4. What is wrong with the approach to campus ministry that puts all the emphasis on the qualities of the fisherman (i.e. pastor) and the methods with which people are drawn to the Church? What was the cause of the great catch of fish in Luke 5:1-11?
5. Discuss the expression: “Pizza is great, but it ain’t the Gospel.” What meaning do these words attempt to convey?
6. According to the words of the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20), and the words of the Augsburg Confession, what tools does God use to convert hearts to faith in Christ, i.e., to draw them to the Church and save them? Why is this important when talking about campus ministry?
7. It is easy to get caught up in numbers, or to become discouraged when the numbers aren’t there. What do the words of Jesus in Luke 15:7, 10 encourage us to remember?
© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2017
“The Liturgy: Tried Aand True Evangelism” HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide 1. The author opens up her article by quoting Colossians 3:16. Why is this a helpful reference in understanding the purpose of the liturgy? Colossians 3:16 is a simple summary of what is included in a substantive liturgy: the Word of Christ, which we hear from the pulpit, at the font and at the Lord’s table, and the singing of psalms, hymns and other songs, corporately (with other believers), thanking God for the grace He has extended to us. 2. How confident can we be that God can work through the liturgy? What does Isaiah 55:10-11 tell us about what happens to God’s Word? Isaiah 55 tells us that God’s Word is like water upon the earth that brings forth seed, which brings forth grain for bread…that His word will not return to Him void or empty but will actually do what He wishes it to do. So it is whenever the Gospel is proclaimed. When a liturgy contains swaths of Scripture passages and the means of grace, the Holy Spirit is at work. 3. What might be the problem with a church seeking to be relevant? Read 1 Corinthians 10:23-24. Relevant is sort of a mushy word. Generally, it means: appropriate to the current time, period, or circumstances; of contemporary interest. What is important to one person or culture may not be to another. While the Scriptures don’t lay out what a church service should look like in detail, there are principles that it emphasizes (e.g. Colossians 3:16). 1 Corinthians 10 tells us that just because something is allowed or lawful does not mean it is what is best for building one another up. 4. What do we say to someone who questions why we would want to use a pattern of worship—a liturgy—that is so seemingly outdated? Read 2 Timothy 1:13. Just because something has always been done a certain way does not mean that it is the only way it can be done. However, there should be a good reason to jettison a practice common throughout church history. Paul tells us that it is good to pass on and keep a pattern of sound teaching. 5. Why might opening the Divine Service with confession and Absolution be considered true evangelism? Where do law and Gospel fit in? Read Ephesians 2:1-5. When we draw near to the time of confessing our sins, we are acknowledging our desperate need for forgiveness because we are calling our breaking the law what it is: sin. Upon confessing our sin, recognizing it for what it is, we are ready to receive the forgiveness that God, for the sake of Christ, bestows upon us.
© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2017
6. Why might Christians need to hear the Gospel as much as unbelievers? Read Romans 7:14-8:1. We are 100% saint and 100% sinner. This means we still have the Old Adam to contend with. Just like Paul laments, we do what we don’t want to do and we don’t do the things we know we should. We still need to hear forgiveness. That is why Paul doesn’t leave us just hanging at the end of chapter 7. 7. Therefore, the author is critical of the idea of “No creed but Jesus!” Why is this a problematic declaration? Read Paul’s own words in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. Here is Paul, a model of what an evangelist would look like, and he lists out a creed of sorts Who Jesus is and what He has done, such as what we see in the Apostles’ Creed.
Closing Sing together, “The Gifts Christ Freely Gives” (LSB 602).
© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2017
“The Liturgy: Tried Aand True Evangelism” HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. The author opens up her article by quoting Colossians 3:16. Why is this a helpful reference in understanding the purpose of the liturgy?
2. How confident can we be that God can work through the liturgy? What does Isaiah 55:10-11 tell us about what happens to God’s Word?
3. What might be the problem with a church seeking to be relevant? Read 1 Corinthians 10:23-24.
4. What do we say to someone who questions why we would want to use a pattern of worship—a liturgy—that is so seemingly outdated? Read 2 Timothy 1:13.
5. Why might opening the Divine Service with confession and Absolution be considered true evangelism? Where do law and Gospel fit in? Read Ephesians 2:1-5.
6. Why might Christians need to hear the Gospel as much as unbelievers? Read Romans 7:14-8:1.
7. Therefore, the author is critical of the idea of “No creed but Jesus!” Why is this a problematic declaration? Read Paul’s own words in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.
Closing Sing together, “The Gifts Christ Freely Gives” (LSB 602).
© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2017
“It’s All About the ASeed, Not the Sower” HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide 1. Begin by reading the text of Luke 8:1-15, the Parable of the Sower. Who was with Jesus when He told this parable? The Twelve were with Him as well as women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household and Susanna, and many others, along with a big crowd that had gathered. 2. What is a parable? Why does Jesus say He teaches using parables? Read Luke 8:10 and Isaiah 6:9. A parable is a short story designed to teach a lesson or principle. It can often have more than one meaning. You’ll notice Jesus uses illustrations to which the hearers at the time can most relate, e.g. “seed” in an agrarian culture. (Other examples are sheep and shepherds, vineyards, etc). Parables are used to simultaneously make the lesson easier and harder to understand, depending upon who is listening. Jesus refers to Isaiah 6:9 when He is explaining His use of parables, saying that those who truly desire to learn can understand the parable, but those who are resistant will not get its meaning. 3. Specifically looking at Luke 8:5-8, what was the fate of the seed that the sower scattered? Taken directly from the passage: 1. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 2. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 3. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 4. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering, produce a crop. Remind the youth that it is truly the work of the Holy Spirit to make hearts fertile, as naturally we have hearts of stone, where no seed can thrive. 4. In his article, Pastor Brown focuses on the idea that we usually think the sower is the main character in the parable (maybe because most Bible translations include “The Parable of the Sower” as a subtitle). Re-read Luke 8:11-15. How does Jesus explain that is not the case? Jesus prefaces His explanation by saying, “The seed is the Word of God” and then proceeds to describe all the different places the seed might land and what might happen to that seed. He says nothing further about the sower. 5. What might we be tempted to do when we realize we truly don’t have control over what ultimately happens to the seed? What does Paul tell us in Romans 10:14-17 is our role in evangelism? We might be tempted to think, “Why bother?” However, this disregards the fact that God uses means to distribute His seed (a sower). Paul explains how we are very often the “means” God uses. In Romans 10, he explains that people can’t believe in something that they have not heard about, and they can’t hear unless someone has preached to them.
© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2017
6. Why would knowing we don’t have any say about the seed that is sown keep us from being discouraged when we don’t see the results we had hoped for in our efforts to evangelize? If we go into sharing the Good News from the point of view that we are simply passing on what has been given to us, because we know it is the best gift that anyone could possibly receive, we don’t have to worry what happens after that as we know it is only through the work of the Holy Spirit that the soil will be fertile. It is in God’s hands. 7. So when we think about evangelism or sharing the Gospel—the Good News—with others, Rev. Brown exhorts us to not try to “micro-manage the seed.” What might this lead you to do? Why would this be a futile endeavor? Read John 3:6-8 to see how Jesus describes the actions of the Holy Spirit. While it’s okay to use strategies or techniques that fit your particular circumstances (as long as they do not compromise the truth of the Gospel), if those specific approaches to evangelism or the results become the focus, you will either take credit for something you have no right to, or you will beat yourself up for not being a skilled enough evangelist. The reality is the Holy Spirit works where He will and we cannot dictate who will respond positively to the Good News. That’s a good thing, because left to our own devices, we would never have come to faith ourselves—how can we expect that of anyone else? In John 3, Jesus likens the Holy Spirit to the wind and we can’t possibly predict where the wind comes from or where it is going.
Closing Sing together, “Almighty God, Your Word is Cast,” (LSB 577).
© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2017
“It’s All About the ASeed, Not the Sower” HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Begin by reading the text of Luke 8:1-15, the Parable of the Sower. Who was with Jesus when He told this parable?
2. What is a parable? Why does Jesus say He teaches using parables? Read Luke 8:10 and Isaiah 6:9.
3. Specifically looking at Luke 8:5-8, what was the fate of the seed that the sower scattered?
4. In his article, Pastor Brown focuses on the idea that we usually think the sower is the main character in the parable (maybe because most Bible translations include “The Parable of the Sower” as a subtitle). Re-read Luke 8:11-15. How does Jesus explain that is not the case?
5. What might we be tempted to do when we realize we truly don’t have control over what ultimately happens to the seed? What does Paul tell us in Romans 10:14-17 is our role in evangelism?
6. Why would knowing we don’t have any say about the seed that is sown keep us from being discouraged when we don’t see the results we had hoped for in our efforts to evangelize?
7. So when we think about evangelism or sharing the Gospel—the Good News—with others, Rev. Brown exhorts us to not try to “micro-manage the seed.” What might this lead you to do? Why would this be a futile endeavor? Read John 3:6-8 to see how Jesus describes the actions of the Holy Spirit.
Closing Sing together, “Almighty God, Your Word is Cast,” (LSB 577).
© 2017 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2017
