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The 2003 Lutheran Annual,
published by the LCMS, no longer lists Rev. Norbert Oesch, the Executive
Leader of Pastoral Leadership Institute (PLI) on the clergy roster.
Is this an error?
In 1998, Reclaim News opposed the "Call" sent to Norbert Oesch,
then Senior Pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church in Orange, California
because it was not a legitimate nor a valid call.
A group of pastors can't call anyone because they are not a church.
The Pacific Southwest District can't call anyone to serve the entire LCMS.
The Pastoral Leadership Institute has no Recognized Service Organization
status in the LCMS. In other words, PLI was founded on a deception.
If PLI can't issue a "Call" and no one can be called to PLI,
then how can Dr. Norbert Oesch be on the clergy roster? The fact is,
that he is not.
While hundreds of LCMS pastors participate in PLI and many LCMS District
Presidents promote and support PLI, PLI is not a part of the LCMS.
The Pastoral Leadership Institute's inability to handle the proper
doctrine and practice of the "Call" gives us insight into the
kind of instruction they are giving to LCMS pastors
The following are memos announcing the establishment of PLI.
January 16, 1998, to Mr. Stuenkel and Members of St. John's, Orange:
(Letter from Rev. Greg. Smith, Chair Pastoral Leadership Institute in
behalf of Dr. William Thompson, Rev. Michael Ernst, Dr. Stephen Wagner,
Rev. Stephen Hower, Rev. Vernon Gundermann, Rev. John Kieschnick)
"After much prayer, the Pastoral Leadership Institute has issued a
call to your pastor, Dr. Norbert Oesch."
To: Faculty and Staff of St. John's Lutheran Church and School:
"From Pastor Norbert Oesch Feb. 6, 1998 As you know, I have been
deliberating a call to serve as the Executive Leader of the newly forming
Pastoral Leadership Institute (PLI), a post graduate in-service training
program targeted for leading pastors of the LCMS. . . .
Too many of our congregations get stymied in growth because the pastor,
for lack of skills that can be taught, has not learned how to lead. . . .
This past Wednesday PLI received 100% endorsement, encouragement and
blessing by President Barry, the Officers and the Administrators.
The Chairman of the Council of Presidents also strongly blessed it. . . .
(After this announcement President Barry stated that did not endorse PLI
as a Service Organization of the LCMS)
We have moved toward becoming "a model congregation proclaiming Jesus
Christ to impact the world. . . ."
February 8, 1998 - Announcement made by Rev. N. C. Oesch to his call to
serve as the Executive Director of the Pastoral Leadership Institute-7:45
A. M. Service at St. John's Lutheran Church, in Orange California. "I
want to say a word about the Pastoral Leadership Institute. It is to
create an in-service training program for 300 of the top pastors, the most
promising pastors in our Synod, trying to get them equipped with
leadership skills, to be able to lead large and very large or mega-church
congregations, like ours is. . . ." "We will be utilizing about
30 different congregations as laboratories, and pastors of those
congregations as the primary instructors."
Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany
February 2, 2003
Mark 1:21-28
My theme: The Authority of the Word.
A. The world rejects Christ's authority
B. The Gospel frees us from the authority of the devil.
C. Christ expects us to obey his teaching.
They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the
synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his
teaching, because he taught them as one who has authority, not as the
teachers, of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was
possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with
us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you
are--the Holy One of God!
Be quiet! Said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" The
evil spirit shook the man violently and come out of him with a shriek.
The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What
is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives orders to
evil spirits and they obey him." News about him spread quickly
over the whole region of Galilee.
This text says Christ began His ministry on earth by teaching the word of
God to lead them to eternal life in the Synagogues (the Congregation's of
His day).
Some would say if Christ wanted to do it right he is should have put up
inviting new structures, with great acoustics, multimedia presentations
and lots choices of worship and music style choices. However, He was
more interested in showing the power of God's word.
My theme: Who is in Charge?
A. The world does not believe that Christ is in control.
Twice the text speaks about authority. I can't begin to tell you how
many people from parents to visiting salesmen to plumbing contractors have
to tell me, "It doesn't really matter which church people go to as
long as we believe in the same God." I told the plumbing
contractor so it doesn't matter which plumber we use just as long as we
call a plumber. He wasn't about to agree to that. All plumbers
are not equal.
The right plumber, electrician or brain surgeon really does matters.
The church you go to really does matter if Christ and the Bible really
matter.
My wife and I applied for a second mortgage. When the lady behind
the desk found out I was Lutheran Ministry she began to explain that all
demonations are the same, like her non-denominational church and we all
worship the same God. I replied well the Lutherans do have something
else to say about the sacraments. An unseen voice from the nest
cubical shouted out "They are all the same."
The authority of Christ's teaching and the Bible crushes the devil.
The demon asks, "Have you come to destroy us?" Of course!
Yes, the devil believes Christ is God but that is not going to get the
demon to heaven. How many people think that Jesus is God but know less
about Christ than the demon. They don't believe in Him, pray to him,
or worship him.
The entire world is cloaked in Lucifer's thick darkness. People are
so totally blind to the truth they can't see hell coming. Without
Christ there is no hope beyond the grave.
I never had to deal with a demon interrupting my sermon. Demon possession
is a regular occurrence in the Gospels. The Gospel drives out the
devil.
People are afraid of all kinds of things besides demons because they don't
believe that Christ is in control. In other words they believe life
is an accident and nobody is minding the store.
1. Many people feared there would be no water, heat, gas, food, and there
would insurrection because the programmers wouldn't get their job done by
2000. When I was young people had fall out shelters to guard against
the expected A Bombs.
2. The world was going into a new ice age. Raw materials and oil
were going
to run out.
3. There wouldn't be enough food in the future.
4. The swine flew was going to get us.
5. We are victims of global warming.
6. There won't be enough air.
7. Giant meteors are going to hit the earth.
8. We will be destroyed by germ warfare.
9. We are heading for a period of extreme weather, that has already
occurred
11 times in the last three million years. Just look at France,
Georgia,
Carolinas, and the East Coast.
10. There will be a giant earth quake in the Midwest in the next 10 years.
11. This list doesn't mention all the confusion going on in people minds,
marriages, politics, religion, and confusion in the Synod.
B. Christ's teaching frees us from the devil.
In this text the one who has
the most to loose is the devil and the one who has the most to gain is
you. The demon announces that Jesus is the Holy One of God.
The devil's intent is not to preach the Gospel but to turn the crowds away
before Christ has the opportunity to preach to them for the next three
years. Christ's purpose is prove who He is through the Old Testament
and the preaching of God's word. He doesn't say I'm God, hear I am.
That doesn't cause faith.
The first work of Christ's teaching is to free us from the devil.
The devil obeys because he has no choice when God acts in power. You
would have no choice either if God commanded you to believe in Christ but
then salvation would not be by faith but the law. According to the
law no power in hell can resist Christ. According to the Gospel all
the power in heaven is now directed at saving us.
The people were amazed because the Gospel is so foreign, so different from
the law that they were all used to hearing from the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees,
and teachers of the law.
This Gospel was new to their ears. The whole world operates on law.
What if the Referee at the Super Bowl said to the loosing side, we will
forgive that bad pass you dropped and give you the yardage anyway.
Who would stand for it. The world expects you to work for that
yardage through the goal posts of heaven. The Gospel is not fare to
the world and is a far greater offense than a referee forgiving a dropped
pass. Gospel says you go to heaven no matter what the score through
faith in Christ.
The power that forgives sins, gives faith, the Holy Ghost, and eternal
life is in these words. The purpose of preaching is to get rid of
the devil and save the congregation. Like the man in this text who
is freed from the demon, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has set you free for
eternal life.
C. Christ expects us to obey his teaching.
The devil obeys because he has
no choice and no faith. Christ wants us to obey Him because we love
Him not because we must. When people believe and obey Christ, all
the devil's temptations can't defeat us. The only thing that will
keep the devil out of your church, your home, and your family is believing
God's word and then following it.
People who believe in Christ spread the news. The people loved what
they heard and they wanted others to hear it. What ever our
congregation's flaws, if the entire inerrant, infallible, truth of God is
taught and practiced here as stated in our Catechism you should invite
others to come and worship because Christ is hear.
All plumbers are not equal.
Can Jesus take care of the us? Ignoring the problems I mentions earlier
will not make them go away. The point is we must laws rely God's
help.
There are times when I don't think my own prayers are adequate and I
struggle to get it just right. You know there is a lot of value to
memorizing Scripture, particularly the psalms to get it just right.
You don't have to make up your own words. Just repeat God's perfect
thoughts and is it exactly what God wants us to say.
KJV Psalm 6:1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thine
anger, neither chasten me in
thy hot displeasure. 2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD,
heal me; for my bones are vexed. 3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O
LORD, how long? 4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy
mercies' sake. 5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the
grave
who shall give thee thanks? 6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night
make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. 7 Mine eye is
consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies. 8
Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the
voice of my weeping. 9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will
receive my prayer. 10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let
them return and be ashamed suddenly.
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