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.