GOLTER'S MUSINGS May 2018

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)

  • ADVICE FOR PREACHERS

    mAY 3, 2018

    Oops, Golter, you better watch out what you write! It may come home to roost.

    That’s OK, of course, if the shoe fits well…


    Jesus preaches a spectacular sermon in chapters 5-7 of Matthew. Famous are His words in 5:13. “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”


    A first take: Jesus accurately diagnoses the world; it needs salting. The world is rotten and corrupt, the world and every one. No exceptions. The world needs salting.


    Luther comments on what the salting process is: The real salt is the true exposition of Scripture, which denounces the whole world and lets nothing stand, but the simple faith in Christ (Luther’s Works, 21:59).


    He then applies this to the preacher: If you want to preach the Gospel and help people, you must be sharp and rub salt into their wounds… (21:56).


    This rubbing of salt exposes wrong teaching or living; this is the preaching of the Law which accuses. He goes on to write about a problem in his day, the sixteenth century: Preachers no longer rebuke the people or show them their misery and incapacity or press for repentance…Thus they let their self-made sanctity and self-chosen worship take root so deeply that the true doctrine of faith is destroyed, Christ is lost, and everything is ruined, utterly and hopelessly (21:56-57).


    Here’s a real temptation for preachers: There are many temptations…the temptation of keeping quiet either to escape harm and persecution or to gain popularity, property, or pleasure. Besides, we are weak, lazy, and listless…we get tired when we see things do not progress as we would like…


    What is the preacher’s confidence? More Luther: We must all be well armed…and look at nothing but the commandment of Christ. He entrusts this ministry to us and wants us to open our mouths vigorously, to denounce what must be denounced, heedless of our own danger, inconvenience, advantage, or pleasure, and of other people’s malice or contempt. Our consolation is in the fact that He makes us His salt and will sustain us in our salting. He commands us to do that salting with good cheer, regardless of whether the world refuses to tolerate it and persecute us…Let Him determine what and how much He wants to accomplish through us (21:58).


    Your pastors need your prayers and expectations of this kind of salting. Pray this for them: boldness, courage, and steadfastness in salting. Demand this from your preachers.


    Demand it. Jesus does.


    Otherwise you might remain in your rottenness and be deceived. 


    Pastor Golter is the Senior Pastor at Trinity Lutheran


  • JESUS' BEST WORK WITH YOU

    MAY 10, 2018

    You don’t want to hear this, really you don’t.

    You have to admit it, reluctantly.


    Jesus’ best work within you were those times when you were helpless, hopeless, going nowhere to nowhere.

    He first brings you low, so He will raise you up. He doesn’t need your help.

    Consider Moses.


    God had a plan for Moses. How else can you explain the “daughter of Pharaoh,” and her discovery of Moses in the basket, in the reeds? Must have been karma! So goes the commentators of today for some “chance” event.


    Yes, it’s a denial of the One who is meticulous, even in the care of sparrows (Matt. 10:29). We don’t realize the absolute, gracious reign of God in life, all life.


    So Moses. He was trained in the Oxford’s of his day, speaking both Egyptian and Hebrew. He saw how his Hebrew brothers were enslaved. He saw one day an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, “one of his people,” (Exodus 2:11). He believed he was the deliverer of his brothers, so he took things into his own hands. He murdered the Egyptian, and then buried him beneath the sand.


    Deliverance of His people was on God’s mind, too. He would do it through Moses, but not with a knife. And not with this man who went by his power and intellect. Moses needed seasoning, that is, he needed to be broken. What about you?


    God takes him to the desert for grooming, that is, for a complete dying of all self-confidence, self-strategy, self-reliance….self.


    Forty years. Among the sheep. In the desert. Forgotten and powerless.


    Now, he is ready to visit Pharaoh. Who would have planned redemption of Israel this way? Only God. That’s the point.


    Moses needed to be older. He was now 80, not 40. He needed the strength of a weakened body to realize the power of Christ, in life and in death. God equipped him with the necessary tools: Staff and His Word. Nothing more.


    Has God changed His operational pattern? No. The prime example—and it is most glorious and disgusting—is the Father’s bringing low of His Son. Crucifixion. Capital punishment. Nakedness. Crowned with shame. Burdened with your sin.


    Brought low by His Father and raised gloriously the Third Day for your redemption. Deliverance through crucifixion. Thus, the pattern for His own, you. You’re baptized into Him. You’re His, wherever He leads. In your vocation. He uses you.


    You won’t like His way. No power, prestige or strength. Life in Him is though most glorious. “O Lord, you lead and I will follow.”


    Must be karma directing my life! No.


    It’s the Lord Christ doing His normal, daily activity. 


    Pastor Golter is the Senior Pastor at Trinity Lutheran

  • Church Growth

    May 17, 2018

    Post Easter sermons have focused on The Book of Acts. I remain in awe over the Holy Spirit’s witness.


    At first glance, this is a conundrum: Should this book be called the Book of the Apostles or of the Holy Spirit or of Jesus Christ?


    Experts argue. I side with the title as we know it: The Book of Acts.

    This Book is a beautiful description of the ACTS of God and His Church; it is the one act revealed in many actions. God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, behind the scenes is working His way, converting, sustaining and adding believers to the family of God. Do you really think God would leave the care of His Church to us? He knows His sheep.


    Foundational is the Divine Service (Acts 2:42), and then the Lord’s work of growing His church. “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” The verb “being saved” is in the present tense and passive voice. This means that God is the active One currently and in an ongoing fashion saving sinners; sinners are being done to, worked on, and saved by God through the Word. The Apostles and believers were proclaiming, but God is tenacious, as a mother hen (Matt. 23:37) in His ongoing work.


    We rejoice in God adding and confirming His people this Sunday at Trinity Lutheran ChurchSchool:


    8 a.m. New Members received.


    9:30 a.m.: Reception for all New Members since January. Please come, meet and greet in the Fellowship Hall. (The Hebrews' study won’t meet).


    10:30 a.m.: Junior Confirmation. The Holy Spirit’s work will be evidenced in the confession of these marvelous children.


    Please keep in your prayers our ongoing search for two more teachers for our “mission” school. Yes, these little ones God uses to go home and tell of Jesus!


    Simply loving and rejoicing over God’s work here with you.


    Pastor Golter is the Senior Pastor at Trinity Lutheran

  • How to think at trinity: Let's Go!

    May 24, 2018

    Here’s one proposal on how we should think? Oh, my, what shall we do? The Lord has blessed us, but look at all of our overwhelming needs:

    • Parking lot needs resurfaced
    • Youth ministry leader, we need one badly, now!
    • Roof repair, likely over $200,000
    • Assistant principal, via the experts, this is needed after an enrollment of 200; we have over 400!
    • Exterior painting of the Lord’s House
    • Two called teachers for the school….like now!
    • Youth space…now!
    • Lots of children—big and little— who need and want to know Jesus now!

    What shall we do? Soon we’re paralyzed as a churchschool, and the devil rejoices.


    Remember Jesus’ testing question of Philip in John 6:5, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” Before Philip and Jesus were far more than what we call the Feeding of the 5000 miracle; experts estimate the crowd as over 20,000!


    Philip responds of course from what resources they had. “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” (John 6:9).


    Philip forgot the greatest resource, Jesus. So do we. We have Jesus, as He speaks in the Divine Service and feeds us as the Bread from Heaven in the Holy Communion. We have Jesus as a Co-worker.

    One little note in the text (John 6:6). John writes that Jesus “knew what He would do” before He asked Philip the question. Jesus asked in order to provide Philip the opportunity to trust Him.


    This is our opportunity to trust. Let’s not forget about our greatest Resource.


    “Pastor Golter, we have so much need; it’s overwhelming!”

    “We do, but we have Jesus. We’re His co-workers at Trinity Lutheran ChurchSchool. He’s got plans. This kingdom work is worth our very lives. Others need this Jesus.”


    Let’s go.


    Pastor Golter is the Senior Pastor at Trinity Lutheran