Marks, of the House of the Lord
We are his house, if we hold on firmly to our confidence and the hope about which we boast until the end. Hebrews 3:6
What are the marks of a House of the Lord? Certainly, there are things which provide outward evidence that a building is set aside in service to the Lord. Choirs provide anthems which bring dignity to the service. Organists lead the congregation in hymns and responses. The church may have a school or early childhood ministry to assist parents in providing education in God’s word to children. Social groups and service groups may abound helping to draw members closer to one another.
All of these can be evidence that a House of the Lord exists, but they are not the marks of the House of the Lord. The marks of the House of the Lord are the word and the sacraments, or maybe more correctly the gospel in word and sacrament. Where the gospel does not exist, the House of the Lord cannot exist. Without the gospel, the house is built on human reason and human trivialities. A house built on human hopes brings no confidence for those who dwell in it.
But where the gospel is preached and the sacraments are administered, we have a truth to cling to and upon which to build our faith. It is not a human half truth of Do the best you can and be better than others, and you will be alright with God. It is a confidence built upon the promises of God. God reconciled the whole world to Himself in Christ no longer holding their sins against them. (2 Corinthians 5:19) Christ is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2) All have been justified by God’s grace through the redemption that came through Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:24) These gospel truths, and so many others, are the bedrock, cornerstone and foundation of the House of the Lord.
As we move forward in the planning for Immanuel Lutheran ministries in the near future and beyond, we must always remember that we do bear the marks of the House of the Lord. The preaching of God’s Word is and always will be the cornerstone of our work. The sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, continue to be administered. And God will continue to build hope and confidence in our hearts which will overflow in praise to Him as we share His gospel truths with others.
The structure of our ministries may take a dramatic turn in the near future. Age old ministries may need to be reformed or even eliminated. Newer ministries may need to be evaluated and changed. But through it all, our desire should be that our core purpose remains the same. We exist as a congregation to bring the gospel to our members, our community, and our world. This can only be accomplished through preaching and teaching the gospel.
Blessings as we work together to accomplish the building of the House of the Lord.
Frank Van Brocklin
Principal Teacher
Coming up in the near future at Immanuel Lutheran School:
❖ Our celebration of the 100th day of school will take place on Thursday, January 25, at 1:00 PM… assuming we have no snow days this week.
❖ The winter principal’s conference will be this Saturday, January 27.
❖ In accordance with the Medford Public School schedule, there will be an early release on February 5 with bus service provided.
❖ The next steering committee meeting for accreditation will be on February 6
. ❖ Looking forward a few weeks, there will be an early release following worship on February 14. Teachers will then travel to Oconomowoc for the District Teachers’ Conference on February 15 and 16.