THE LUTHERAN July 2018 by Lutheran Church of Australia

N A TIO N A L M A G A ZIN E O F THE L U THE RA N C HU RC H O F A U STRA LIA

JULY 2018

H OW TO YOUR FAITH ‘ G o a n d m a ke d i s c i p l es ’

VOL 52 NO6

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MATTHEW

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LUTHERAN

CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

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JULY

Special features EDITOR'S

Letter

If we really believe in the lifesaving power of the gospel, then it is simply too good a message to keep to ourselves. We will want to share it with those who don’t yet believe, in our schools, workplaces, social spots, shops and neighbourhoods, and, especially, within our friendship circles and families. But it’s not always easy just to ‘go and make disciples’, is it? In fact, I reckon sharing faith is like writing an editorial for The Lutheran. Sometimes the words flow quickly and effortlessly. On other occasions, there is stiltedness each time an attempt is made to string sentences together. There is anxiety over choosing just the right expression. There is worry over whether the message delivered is accessible and engaging, that the tone is not high-handed or too dumbed-down and, of course, that the theology is sound.

What if they don’t like what I say? What if I push people further away from God? What if I offend someone? It’s too important to mess it up. What if I do? These fears are natural. And, like me, you’ve probably experienced them. Thankfully, we’re not meant to do this alone. In fact, we can’t. It’s why I pray before (and during) each time I write, ‘God, please give me the words and let your love shine through them’. We can all pray a similar prayer when we spend time with not-yet believers – because while it’s true that the eternal lives of those with whom we share do depend on them hearing the good news, it’s not up to us to save them. That’s been done in Christ’s death and resurrection. And it’s not up to us to convert them. The Holy Spirit does that.

Go, share your faith!

Passing on faith across generations

He's being your mum

Regulars Heartland

Dwelling in God’s word

Going GREYT!

Reel Life

Go and Grow

The inside story

#youngSAVEDfree

Notices

Directory

Your voice

Coffeebreak

We don’t need to be the best wordsmiths with the best ‘sales pitch’ – God’s Spirit can work through us, however feeble our attempts. But we can prepare ourselves by reading God’s word, praying and listening to the wisdom of others. In this issue Dean Eaton, the LCA’s Church Planting Mentor and Mission Facilitator, offers suggestions for being equipped and ready to share our faith. Another department from the LCA’s Local Mission office – Grow Ministries – addresses passing on faith in our families. And you’ll have the chance to read more examples of spreading the gospel, both far afield – including the translation of the LCA publication Growing as God’s People for Chinese new believers – and more locally.

As we can see from Jesus’ own examples, relationships are crucial to sharing the good news. So the call he gives us is not only to share the gospel with our friends, relatives, workmates and neighbours – but our lives as well (1 Thessalonians 2:8). It’s a privilege I pray that we, with God’s help and strength, will cherish.

Lisa

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from iStock.com

JES U S I S G OD'S LOVE. HE G IVES U S NE W HE ARTS TO L AY AS IDE O UR OL D WAYS, TO B EL IE VE AND FOL LOW HIM, TO L IVE WI T H HIM E VERY DAY.

heartland

REV JOHN HENDERSON

Bishop Lutheran Church of Australia

FAITH PU TS FO CUS ON CHRIST 'Faith is a living power from heaven that grasps the promise God has given, a trust that can't be overthrown, fixed heartily on Christ alone.' 'Der Glaub ist ein lebendge Kraft' Petrus Herbert c1530-71, Lutheran Hymnal 321

above all, it focuses solely on Christ. Promise, trust and Christ alone – these are major themes of the Bible. As a gift, faith teaches us to look to the Giver of the gift. In other words, faith helps us look beyond ourselves. In this age when people search inside themselves for the meaning of life, in the end they come up empty.

Writing five centuries ago in another age, with all Faith does the opposite: it looks beyond us with the the differences in language and culture that means, certainty that God keeps his promises. So faith looks Petrus Herbert nails it when he describes Christian to forgiveness, healing and wholeness. It anticipates faith. Insights such as his, so often expressed the restoration of everything God in the old hymns, are a good reason means us to be and to do. It fills our we shouldn’t be too quick to discard our hymnals. The main ‘thing’ lives with meaning because we are not alone and because we know that we While musical tastes have changed, the I know through are loved. words of the old hymns are often spot FAITH is a At the same time faith is not irrational on because they are steeped in the or blind. It is utterly realistic about the accumulated wisdom of the centuries. person: God’s world in which we live and our part in We commonly use the word ‘faith’ Son, Jesus Christ, it, both good and bad. interchangeably with ‘belief’. Belief, MY SAVIOUR. Faith enables us to face all our however, is one thing, faith is another. problems, deal with the issues and I can believe something without survive – and better than just survive, having faith. For instance, my belief that democracy it teaches us to flourish. That’s because of God’s is the best form of government is based on my love. Every day, faith breaks out as an entirely background, education and experiences. But that’s new, hopeful way of living that connects us to an not the same as faith. inexhaustible source of life. Faith, as Herbert writes, is a ‘trust that cannot be This issue of The Lutheran talks about sharing our overthrown’. It comes from beyond, as a ‘living faith. We can easily do that, because it comes from power from heaven’. Faith is a relationship of trust God and there is more than enough to share. that is initiated by God. I can’t have it any other way, however much I expand my store of knowledge I encourage you, every day and every week, to go and experience. back to the source of your faith. God speaks to you in his word and strengthens you through his The main ‘thing’ I know through faith is a person: sacrament. All across the church, may God fix our God’s Son, Jesus Christ, my Saviour. hearts on Christ alone, so that we will 'grasp the Herbert outlines three qualities of faith: it hangs on promise God has given' and draw down freely on this to God’s promise, it is an unshakeable trust and, 'living power from heaven'.

The Lutheran JULY 2018

a re h s Go, your fai th! We know from Matthew 28:19 that we are to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’. But while some people find that sharing their faith comes naturally, for others of us it may even be something we dread. We asked Dean Eaton, from the LCA’s Local Mission office, for some tips, strategies and words of encouragement. by DEA N EATON How do I share my faith with others in a way that feels natural and meaningfully contributes to them coming to know God through Jesus Christ? Here are a few ways to gain the confidence and skills required.

fa it h r u o y e r a h s O G

We often think about sharing our faith as sharing a testimony. Many resources get you to learn how to ‘tell your story’, your testimony of Christ. For some this is helpful. For many Christians however, it is precisely where we get stuck. Why? Because we don’t have one clear, linear story to tell. I know how this feels. I am a church kid. I grew up in the church. You may have been ‘saved’ as a child when you were baptised, but when it comes to your personal testimony or ‘conversion story’, like me, you may feel you don’t really have one.

I can remember at the age of five having a clear realisation that all of my sins were forgiven because Christ died for me. So what’s the backstory to that? I struggled with potty training and realised I was a sinner in need of salvation? Since the age of five, my story of ‘conversion’ is more like a broken jigsaw puzzle of experiences with God. Many times of realisation (or revelation) about who God is and who I am. Some very emotional experiences but an equal number of joy-filled ones and remorseful ones. What liberated me to witness? What was it that changed me from being stuck without a ‘testimony’, to someone who could be used by God to reap the harvest, seeing many hundreds of people become Christians over my lifetime? It was the realisation that we are not asked essentially to testify about our faith but rather about Christ’s faith. I don’t have faith as a possession, as if faith were merely an abstract set of doctrines about God or a bunch of fragmented spiritual experiences one can share. My faith-sharing is all about Jesus, the author

and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12). It is in Christ alone! The faithful one who lived and loved, resisting every temptation as a man, fulfilling God’s will in his life, filling out our vision of what humanity is supposed to be. In practical terms, I am suggesting that we confess our faith journey to people as one of many failed attempts to be the faithful person God wants us to be. This goes alongside the moments in which we’ve experienced a great capacity to love others with a love that seemed to come from the gracious hand of God himself. That we experience God as present but often discreet, sometimes even hidden in the shadows of our lives. Therefore, we are exhorted to go and share honestly about our experience of being on a faith journey, but our testimony is not about us but about Jesus Christ.

G O f in d y o u r th ird s pa c e s

If Jesus is the content of what I share, what is the context? In one word, relationships. Jesus spent a lot of time at street level sharing his invitation to come to him for forgiveness and new life with God. John 1:14 says, ‘The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood’ (The Message).

COMMUNITY REDEFINED

The Lutheran JULY 2018

In your life you spend time in three main spaces. The first space is where you live, your home. The second space is your work (volunteer or paid), or place of study. Third spaces are usually local to you and are the places in which you participate in recreation and commerce, such as your shopping mall, dog-walking park, sporting or hobby club, cafe, playgroup, library, and so on. According to McCrindle Research, if you ask Australians today where they go to find community, they answer what is depicted in the graphic below. Why do we spend so much time, energy and effort as Christians setting up third spaces – meaning community outreach programs or events, usually in our church facilities – rather than doing what Jesus did? In other words, we can choose to go to places where people already choose to go and where they feel most comfortable. Why not consider dropping the ‘outreach program’ at your church facility and instead spend your time, energy and resources on relationships with people where they already are? Perhaps then more of us would have the energy margin to have real conversations with people at our work, or friends from school, our clubs, our family or our neighbourhood. Perhaps then we may even start to have some real friendships with not-yet-Christian people who need to know Jesus.

G O w it h a c le a r inv it a t io n

How do you find the right words to be able invite people to experience salvation? Study the Bible.

G O w ith at ti tu de

If Jesus is the content and third spaces in the community are the best context, what are some of the attitudes and skills I will need to be able to share my faith in a way that pleases God? •

•

Be a humble co-learner. Jesus did witnessing with not to people. This is witnessing as a mutually transformative, co-learning endeavour. Be a codiscoverer of God’s grace rather than a religious expert. Jesus didn’t come across as the sage on the stage but rather as a guide on the side. He took people into the biblical narrative while relating to them as a genuine friend who worked, laughed and cried with them. He enjoyed food and wine at weddings and dinner parties, even producing his own vintage of wine on one occasion! He never had the same conversation twice. He had real conversations, in which he humbly listened as well as spoke. Have a listening ear. Jesus had two-way dialogue with people and the Holy Spirit to discern where a person was on their journey. Are they apathetic or antagonistic (stage 1), merely interested (stage 2), curious (stage 3), investigating (stage 4) or converting (stage 5)? Which stepping stone – resource, biblical information, help – do they need to progress their understanding and experience of God’s grace? Ask good questions. Memorise at least these basic questions to ask people when you are in conversations. »» Were you raised in a particular religion? »» What do you believe in? »» Why do you believe that? »» Did you know that Jesus once told a story about ...?

There is a helpful section on asking good questions in the book SENT Seeking the Orphans of God (p 93,94).

A good gospel sharer needs to study the word of God in both an accurate translation as well as a good paraphrase such as The Message. This is because Romans 12:1–3 in The Message’s paraphrase describes in everyday common language the outcomes of ‘turning around’ – repentance. However, to describe the experience of salvation, one must go to Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11–32. Here we see the invitation is about coming home, being forgiven, being celebrated, being embraced by our Father. We not only didn’t deserve this grace, we had acted in ways that completely disqualified us from it. Therefore retelling the parables of Jesus is a rich way of sharing with people about Jesus’ faithful relationship with God, his vision for life, his ethics, and his way of discovering the full meaning of our lives (John 17:3). In summary, the Bible tells us: •

That in Jesus God has said yes to us long before we even gave him a thought!

•

Jesus died that we may experience life with the God who is always there, always forgiving, always present, always faithful, and nothing can separate us from God’s love – not our sin, not even pain or death.

•

Our response doesn’t add to our salvation, it confesses it! Faith is a gift. Even the desire to confess that ‘these things are true’, that Jesus is Lord, comes by the power of the Holy Spirit. Not by inheritance, not by human wilful declaration, but by God’s Spirit in our hearts, which causes us to cry out ‘Abba Father’ (John 1:12–13).

•

Therefore to experience God’s transforming love, we don’t invite God into our lives, rather God invites us into his shared life.

So, go share the faith!

Dean Eaton is the LCA’s Church Planting Mentor and Mission Facilitator. His most recent publications are SENT Seeking the Orphans of God and Lighthouses Christian Coaching in a Post-Christian World, which are available at www.lca.org.au/sent LCA Local Mission New & Renewing Churches, newandrenewing@lca.org.au Executive Officer – Local Mission, Dr Tania Nelson, tania.nelson@lca.org.au Church Planting Mentor and Mission Facilitator, Dean Eaton, dean.eaton@lca.org.au Pastor for New and Renewing Churches, Rev Dr Noel Due, noel.due@lca.org.au

Passing on

FAITH

across generations Some people don’t feel well-equipped to pass on their faith to their children or grandchildren. If faith conversations aren’t natural in your house, you may be unsure where to start. Thankfully, the team from the LCA’s Grow Ministries has advice and resources to help. Starting faith conversations with young people can be uncomfortable, especially with high school-aged children. This can even be the case with members of your own family. Firstly, always know that you can rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you. He will help you. BE BOLD Be confident in what you believe. Know whose you are and that God will always be with you. Ask God what it is he wants you to say. WHAT YOU KNOW IS ENOUGH One of the biggest fears when sharing our faith is that we don’t know enough. You don’t have to be a theologian to share your faith. After all, Peter and John had no formal education or training in Scripture (Acts 4:13). However, it is important for parents and grandparents to nurture their own relationship with God, by spending time reading the Bible and in prayer. You will be pleasantly surprised how God uses what you have been reading to interact with your children or grandchildren. SHARE YOUR STORY Share how God has worked in your life. You never know how your words may encourage and influence them.

As well as feeling unqualified, we may think we are too busy to put time into sharing our faith with young people in our lives. Here are some tips:

Car time – If you are often driving your children or

grandchildren around, this can be a great place to have a conversation. Take a moment to pray for the event you are heading to, or coming from.

Mealtime – Take a moment to thank God before eating. Maybe you could also use this time to have a regular family devotion.

Holidays – Dedicate time to reading a devotion, praying,

listening to and singing worship music. Take turns sharing things you are grateful for on the holiday, and something you are looking forward to when you get home.

One-on-one time – Make a regular commitment to one-

on-one time with each of your children. This will deepen your relationship and provide an opportunity to share your faith. As a grandparent, you may wish to invite your grandchildren for individual 'sleepovers' if you live nearby. If you live too far away, you may wish to read a book series with them over Skype or FaceTime (ask them if you don’t know what that is!).

Talk Time cards Grow Ministries has developed a set of cards that can be a great tool to encourage meaningful faith conversations with your children. There are two sets appropriate for a range of age groups. Divided into different categories, they can be an excellent way to inspire conversations. You can order Talk Time cards from the Grow store at www.growministries.org.au

For more information about Grow Ministries or for more resources for nurturing faith in the home, please call 08 8267 7300 or visit the website at www.growministries.org.au

Dwelling in God’s word: A STUDY ON

G YOUR FAI N I R A TH SH My heart palpitated as the massive man with the big beard stared me down. ‘What is it with that cross on your neck? Are you a bible-basher or something?’ Those words left me conflicted. On the one hand, I felt my life was at stake – he could have crushed my puny 14-year-old frame. On the other, Jesus’ words echoed through my brain: ‘Whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven’ (Matthew 10:33). Sweat poured from my brow. I took a big breath ... and before I had the chance to answer, the man, smiling through broken teeth, said, ‘Just messing with you, man’. It is encouraging to know that that stalwart of the Christian faith, Peter, the man who defended Jesus with a sword, and declared that Jesus was the Messiah, also denied him. Three times. And Jesus restored him by grace. Grace is always our only comfort. Do you have a similar story? Have you felt under pressure when sharing your faith? How can you make sense of God’s grace in that story?

Read 2 Corinthians 12:7–10. Why did Paul celebrate his weakness? What might that have to say about how we make sense of our past struggles? Knowing your own weakness is essential to sharing your faith. The Bible is filled with stories of broken people restored by God. Chad Bird writes in Night Driving: Notes from a Prodigal Soul, ‘God specializes in broken people … No matter how badly we have wrecked our lives, our Father is in the thick of that disaster to begin the work of making us whole again’.

by PASTOR DAV I D SCH M I DT

Read Luke 7:36–50. What was the woman’s motivation? How do you make sense of verse 37? It is through our brokenness that God’s grace abounds. Essentially, God loves people into his kingdom! Grace breaks into our lives whenever we recognise our need for God. Luther suggests that we should recognise this need on a daily basis. That includes being aware that often we trust ourselves more than we trust in what Jesus has done. Read Matthew 11:28–30. How might this relate to your story?

Read 1 Peter 3:15. Reflect on the hope you have. Share what you notice. As you talk about things for which you have hope, speak about how that might influence your attitude towards others. Now place that reflection into the following phrase: There was a time when I thought … but then God helped me to understand that … ’ Your phrase might read something like, ‘There was a time when I thought my value depended on my success, which led me to depression. But then God helped me to understand that he loves me just as I am. That new perspective has enabled me to live fuller than I ever thought possible’. This is not intended as a formula, it is simply a way by which we can articulate the difference God has made in our life. Practise sharing these stories.

Pray: Thank God that he is more interested in you than in your piety. Pray for opportunities to share God’s love with someone else this week – through actions and words.

The Lutheran JULY 2018