Nelsonville Assembly

We live in a broken world, filled with tragedy, sorrow and suffering. In response to tragedy, the people of God are called to weep, mourn, and grieve with those who are experiencing such things. But we are not alone in our sorrows, for our God is a God who understands, who cares, and who is compassionate and near to the brokenhearted. We bring all of our anxieties and cares to Him, for He cares for us.

How we are justified before God is a question of extreme importance. In fact, it is at the heart of the Gospel message itself. Turning from Luther and his conflict with Rome, Pastor Isaiah briefly explains the Reformation belief that we are saved Sola Fide, by Faith Alone, and goes to one of the clear arguments made by Paul in the Scripture to demonstrate this: Romans chapters 3-5.

In Acts 7, Stephen is on trial for preaching about Jesus Christ. His response to those who are against him is to recount the story of the Israelite people. Their story, from Abraham to Joseph to Moses, and throughout their generations, is one of rebellion, rejection, and misunderstanding God's plan... A History of Sin & Salvation.

Pastor Isaiah demonstrates in this high level overview of these 53 verses how the story connects with us & how it speaks to our needs and calls us to come to Christ.

Pastor Isaiah challenges us to consider Stephen, one of the 7 chosen to serve and lead the church, as an example for our own lives. What made Stephen so effective and so highly praised is simply the work of God in his life... the same work that God does in His people today. Stephen is a model for us, one to strive after and learn from as we too seek to be prepared witnesses for Jesus Christ.

In Week 5, we look at the teaching of Luther in Heidelberg before shifting over to look more deeply at the Doctrine of Justification and what we mean by saying that our salvation comes Sola Fide (by Faith Alone). The differences between two key theological phrases: Imputation (as taught by the Reformers) and Infusion (as taught by Rome) have major implications for us even today.

Jesus Christ is a the great Servant King of His people. That He came as the Servant to suffer and die for His people is the basis of all hope of salvation for the Christian. In light of who Jesus is, He also makes clear that His people should be servants as well.

This is especially true of leaders in His church. In this sermon, Pastor Isaiah explains the two offices of church leadership that are established in the New Testament and the basic qualifications and responsibilities of both of them.

As Luther returned from his trip to Rome, he comes back with questions and concerns. His mentor puts him on a path toward academics which lead to Martin becoming a Doctor of Sacred Scripture and eventually a professor at the University in Wittenberg.

All of this leads to a major conflict in a few years when Luther confronts abuses regarding Penance and Indulgences. Pastor Isaiah gives us a brief glimpse into the doctrines and the response of Luther in his famous "95 Thesis."

In Acts 6, the church is led by God to consider carefully and to implement new organization to continue the works of ministry that are growing.

Pastor Isaiah focuses in on the declaration of the apostles that the ministry or service of both the Word and the tables are important. God intends to use His people to reach the world, and in doing so He gives the church standards to look for as evidence of the Spirit at work in His people.

As we resume our look at the life of Martin Luther and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, in this week we focus in on the sacramental nature of Roman Catholic theology and practice, specifically in the Mass and the celebration of the Eucharist in that service. The differences between the Protestant understanding of the Bible at this point, and the practices of Rome are quite sharp as Pastor Isaiah demonstrates.

As the church is committed to the mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, there is always opposition to be faced. For the early church at the beginning of the Book of Acts it was the religious leaders of the Jewish people who were most opposed to the message of Christ.