Luther refused to shake hands with Zwingli at the end of the Marburg Colloquy, because Zwingli denied the Real Presence and therefore the efficacy of the Word.
At Mequon, in the senior year, one student answered in class that it was Luther's fault, not Zwingli's. The church history professor was shocked and alarmed. I answered - instead of looking bored and irritated, the proper Sausage Factory attitude.
Missouri, WELS, and the Little Sect on the Prairie will continue to decline, because they cannot face their foundational problem - rejecting the exclusive work of the Holy Spirit through the Word. God does not work through fads, gimmicks, clever Satan-centered billboards, programs, rock music, chancel drama, liturgical dancing, or clown ministry.
The so-called conservatives in the Syn Conference want to nibble politely around the edges of apostasy, careful lest someone be offended. The problem is that the dedicated apostates, drama queens all, know how to play the offended card and network their rage into a classic manufactured meltdown. The Intrepids experienced that when they dared to suggest that a canned Love Shack sermon offered grace without the Means of Grace. Days of rage followed. White flags of surrender began flapping on the blog.
The Word of God must be used to rebuke.
Against the Law-mongering Shrinkers:
KJV Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. 10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. 12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
Pastoral Charges
KJV Titus 2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
KJV 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Jesus rebuked with the Word, too:
KJV Mark 8:32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
The Enthusiasm of the Syn Conference is the foundational error supporting all the various heresies that dominate each sect. Not teaching the efficacy of the Word alone opens the door to Pentecostalism, Romanism, Church Shrinkers, the Maggot Church (aka Emergent Church), and every other disgusting blasphemy, including UOJ.
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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Another Response to Wisconsin Sect's Refusal To De...":
Copying the practices of the erroneous sects around us
for instance - from the CA/AZ district (how many things are just like the other: MINISTRIES Music and Drama - that's one, MEDIA View Our Latest Sermon Video - that's two...:
First Baptist Fulton
http://www.fbcfulton.org/events/
Crown of Life Lutheran Church - (W)ELS
http://www.crownoflifechurch.net/about/
