St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church Welcomes You!
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A Message From The Pastor
Greetings In The Name Of Our Lord Jesus Christ!
Many
people join a church. As time goes on, a large percentage of those who have
joined stop attending. When asked why they no longer attend worship, bible
class or Holy Communion, people frequently say, “I simply lost my desire to
attend”.
The devil cleverly works to manipulate
Christians in order to eliminate their desire
or hunger for worship or Holy Communion. Listen to Luther as he explains how
the devil works in your life, seeking to take away your desire to go to worship
or communion. Luther writes: when the
day arrived, my devotion disappeared or some hindrance came up, or I regarded
myself unfit, saying ”very well, I will go in a week,’ but the next week
again found myself unfit and encumbered as on the former occasion: ‘very well I
will go next week.” Obviously, Luther was becoming spiritually ill.
If you are spiritual starving, you
must eat to regain your appetite. Of course, there are some people who feel no
desire or need to go to church and to receive the Holy Sacraments because
they see no serious sin in their life. But Luther warns us: “If you do not feel
any sin, you are assuredly completely dead to sin, yes dead, and sin is
reigning over you with might. I do not even have to mention, external sins such
as desire for unchasity, adultery, hatred, anger, envy, revenge pride and
covertness’. . . the fact that you have
neither the need nor the desire to partake of the sacraments is in itself
already a most serious and great sin. From this we perceive that you also have no faith, that you have no
regard for God’s word, have forgotten about Christ’s suffering, and are full of
unthankfulness and all kinds of all kinds of spiritual abominations.” Finally,
know this: when you feel no desire or need to go to church to receive Gods
living word in your soul or Holy Communion (even you know God is graciously
inviting and urging you to attend and partake), consider this a lack of desire
in your heart and soul as a bright red flashing light, a very serious warning
matter that is a matter of life and death! (Luther works, vol 38,p129)
Thus, when you hunger and thirst, go
to him who is the bread of life. Run to him who is the living water of life.
When you feel no desire for Gods life-word, know for sure the devil is
manipulating your feelings in order to draw you away from God, forever. Break
through this evil trick of the devil. Worship God and receive his bread of
life, even though you don’t desire it. For when you do, God will use his living
word to give you new hunger, preventing you from starving spiritually as
Luther. God will restore your hunger and desire for him. Hope to see you
Sunday.
Pastor Tim Casaday