The Christian Mission To know Christ and to make Christ known! St. John’s Lutheran Church is first and foremost a part of Christ’s Church. We are, above all else, Christian. Therefore, our mission will be the same mission that is common to all Christians, namely to know Christ ourselves and to make Him known to the rest of the world. However, we are also Lutheran. So what we believe, teach, and confess will at some points be different from other Christian denominations. While it is important to recognize those things we share in common with other churches, it is equally important to emphasize those things that are distinctly Lutheran, as well. Beliefs common to all Christians: 1.) All Christians worship one God in three persons, which we call the doctrine of the Trinity. There is only one God, but the one essence or substance of God exists in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 2.) God the Father created heaven and earth. Everything that exists was made by His hand. 3.) God the Son is both God and man. He became incarnate as a man named Jesus Christ, so that He could die on the cross and rise again from the dead. In so doing, He redeemed the world from sin and death. After the resurrection, He went back to heaven to be with the Father, and all Christians are waiting for the time when He will come again in all His glory to judge all people, both the living and the dead. 4.) God the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. He has been sent to remain with all those who believe in Jesus Christ. 5.) All Christians should be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 6.) All people are born sinful and, therefore, need God’s love and mercy which are found in Jesus Christ. 7.) The Bible is primary source of truth for Christian teaching. Beliefs distinctive of Lutheran Christians: 1) The beliefs that make the Lutheran Church distinctive can be summed up in three ideas: Sola Gracia, Sola Fide, and Sola Scriptura. These are Latin terms, which date back to the beginning of Lutheranism in Europe. Sola Gracia -  literally means ‘grace alone.’ We believe and teach that Christians are saved by God’s grace alone. This means that because God loves us, He has mercy on us, and through the death and resurrection of Jesus, He forgives us our sins. This grace is a gift freely given by God out of love. We do not in any way earn it. Other Christians teach that you earn salvation by living a good life, by following all the rules. Contrary to this, we believe that Christians are saved because God freely forgives because Christ died, taking our punishment for us. We did not deserve such love, but God freely gave it. This grace is truly amazing. Sola Fide – literally means ‘faith alone.’ We believe and teach that we receive the benefits of God’s grace, namely forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation, by believing and trusting the promises God has made to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. While God’s grace is freely given, it is by faith, by believing and trusting, that we personally receive the benefits of His love. Faith does not earn the benefits, but accepts them humbly and thankfully. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Sola Scriptura – literally means ‘Scripture alone.’ All Christians believe that the Bible is a primary source of authority. We believe and teach that the Bible is the only source of authority. Everything we believe and teach is founded in the Bible, that is, in Scripture. We believe that the Bible is inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. It was written by men, but since they were directed by the Holy Spirit, the Bible is free from human error and biases. Lutherans also adhere to the Book of Concord. This book contains several documents which list and explain all the beliefs we are required to hold. Rather than being a source of authority distinct from the Bible, these confessions derive their authority from the Bible. We believe and teach that they are an explanation of those things written in the Bible that we, as Christians, must believe. 2) Lutheran worship is also distinctive. We believe and teach that worship is not primarily what we do for God (thanking and praising), but what God does for us. Our worship, therefore, consists of some main parts that are always present, even when the rest of the worship service changes: A. Confession and Absolution – during the worship service, we set aside time to confess our sins and receive absolution, that is, words of forgiveness spoken by the pastor which are received as though God himself speaks them. We confess and God forgives. B. Focus on the Word – because the Bible, Scripture, is so important to us, we read from the Bible in every worship service and sermons are preached that are based on these readings, which are the Word of God. C. Sacraments – we believe and teach that God gave to the Church, His people, means through which we can receive God’s grace, that is, His loving and merciful forgiveness. These means to His grace are called Sacraments. Scripture, the Bible, tells us that there are only two Sacraments: Baptism (Matthew 28:19) and the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19-20). In Baptism, we are washed with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This cleanses us from our sins and sinfulness. Baptism is no mere sign or symbol, but a direct means by which God has promised to extend His grace to His people. Though we are only baptized once, we return spiritually to our baptisms every time we confess our sins and receive forgiveness. For faith turns our hearts to baptism in which God has promised to wash us clean of all of our sins: past, present, and future. It is through confession and forgiveness that our faith is turned in the right direction. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, was also commanded and instituted by God. The promise of forgiveness attached to Baptism is also attached to the Lord’s Supper. In the Lord’s Supper, we eat bread and drink wine, but Scripture tells us that this is no ordinary bread and wine, because in, with, and under the bread and wine we are also eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ. In this eating and drinking, we are receiving forgiveness, but more than that we are spiritually united as the body of Christ. This Holy meal is a foretaste of the time when we will feast with God in heaven. Because it is such a special event, we are warned not to partake of it in an unworthy manner. This means we should prepare ourselves individually through confession and repentance and also through a proper and correct understanding and belief of what the Lord’s Supper really is, namely the body and blood of Christ. It also means that we should be prepared as a whole congregation, meaning we should not come to the table when there are divisions among us. Divisions may be caused by specific sins and disagreements between members, or they might exist when the congregation is not united in its belief. For this reason, we believe and teach that we should welcome to the Lord’s Supper only those with whom we are united, namely other Christians who belong to churches that share our beliefs. D. Creeds – we also consistently use creeds that have been used by the Church for over 1,600 years. These creed are concise statements of the beliefs that unite all Christians. They were not written by Lutherans, but by the early Christian Church. E. The Lord’s Prayer – this prayer was given to Christians by Christ himself. So in every worship service we pray with words that He taught us. (Matthew 6:9-13) F. The Prayers of the People – we also believe and teach that God will sustain us and take care of us in times of need. In each worship service, therefore, the pastor offers up specific prayer requests and prayers of thanksgiving that reflect specific needs of the congregation and its individual members. We pray also for larger concerns because God is God of all creation.