For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life… Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
— John 3: 16 & 18
We subscribe to the Holy Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, as explained in the Three Ecumenical Creeds and the Book of Concord. The Bible is God’s revealed Word of Truth and Life. The Bible is “God-breathed” meaning that its very words communicate to us what God wants and what God gives for us. It does not evolve with the whims of human preference. It is for this reason that we want to be clear and consistent about the Word of God. We confess the Creeds and Book of Concord, never to add to the Bible, but BECAUSE they rightly explain what Scripture teaches.
Who is God?
God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We use the word Triune to describe Him: Three Persons in One. From the very beginning, God was never alone. In Genesis when creating the heavens and earth, God says of Himself, “Let us make man in Our Image.” Here we see the three persons. Yet, Jesus also says, “I and the Father are One.” We do NOT believe in three gods, but One God. It is a mystery, yet God could not be God if our human reasoning could make up and comprehend every detail of Himself.
A modern misconception claims that there is an angry “Old Testament god” and a loving “New Testament god.” This is not true. The God who called Abraham is the very same God who says “I am the Alpha and the Omega” in the book of Revelation.
“God is love” says the Apostle John. This describes Him from all eternity. He loved us so much that He sent the Son, Jesus, to be born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus is fully God and Man. He truly died, was buried, and rose to save us from death and damnation. Learn more about God’s nature by reading The Creeds.
Find it in the Bible: Genesis 1, John 10, Revelation 1, 1 John 4
What God Wants - The Law
The Bible has two big commands that God gives us. First, to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and second, to love our neighbors as ourselves. What God wants from us doesn’t change. The best summary of what God wants is the Ten Commandments. Because we are sinners, we can never fulfill God’s Law. In fact, we fail daily, even hourly.
Knowing God’s Laws serves three distinct purposes; 1: It sets a boundary to protect others, 2: It shows us our own sin by comparing our behavior against what God wants, 3. It shows us a better way to live and guides us in our Christian lives.
Find it in the Bible: Exodus 20, Matthew 5 & 22, Mark 12, Romans 5
Sin and Death
All the evil we see in the world is a result of the sin. Sin is every wish, want, desire, word, thought, or action against God’s Law. Death came into the world when our parents Adam and Eve committed the first sin by disobeying God’s command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Every human has inherited the sin of Adam and Eve (original sin), and then goes on to actively rebel against God (actual sin). “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Death is the ultimate consequence of sin. Jesus suffered the ultimate punishment for our sin by dying on a cross to win us salvation.
Find it in the Bible: Genesis 3, Psalms 19 & 51, Romans 4, Matthew 15
Salvation is for You
Salvation comes not from our own ability or virtue but from Christ’s atoning work. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." He died on the cross to save every person who has ever lived.
Without God, we are lost and condemned to eternal fire (hell). The gospel of salvation is the wonderful news that Christ has died on our behalf. We are no longer enemies of God, but have His favor and deliverance through faith in Christ. Because of Christ, we will spend eternity with God in joy and peace with all those who believe in Him. Salvation is complete grace – a free gift.
Find it in the Bible: Romans 3 & 5, Galatians 2,3, & 5, Acts 13
Why Pastors?
God calls men to the Office of the Holy Ministry, who read God’s Word, preach, and celebrate Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. These are our pastors, and they have been trained to do such tasks.
God gave two "keys" to His church, which are used by the ministers in God’s Name. One key is the binding key, when the pastor proclaims to an unrepentant sinner that he is not forgiven as long as he does not repent. The other key is the loosing key, when the pastor proclaims to a repentant sinner that he is forgiven all his sin for the sake of Christ’s death and resurrection.
Both keys are necessary to God’s church. They are also serious, as the minister must know clearly what is sin and what is not sin. This is why we take the Office of the Holy Ministry very seriously and require our pastors to be well-schooled in Scripture.
Find it in the Bible: John 20, 2 Corinthians 4, 1 Timothy, Titus 1
The Sacrament of Baptism
The Baptism of Christians is a washing with water combined with God’s Word "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Baptisms made in any name other than the Triune God's are NOT Christian baptisms. There is only “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” in the Bible, so we also do not deny Christ’s work in Baptism by changing God’s name or baptizing more than once.
Jesus Christ makes us who were “dead in their trespasses and sins” alive by giving us His own death and resurrection in baptism. As Scripture says, "Baptism now saves you." It provides confidence in our salvation because it is not a symbolic act, but Christ’s work in us.
What about infants? Just as we would not deprive a baby of his mother’s milk, so too, we would never deprive a baby of the blessing of Baptism. Scripture intentionally says, “everyone” and “all nations” ought to be baptized without any exceptions. Babies have received the original sin of Adam and Eve. They can die because they are also sinners. Infants are also capable of faith created by God through His Word. We bring them to Baptism in the confidence that the Holy Spirit can and does create such faith, even in Baptism itself, so that they receive its real benefits.
Find it in the Bible: Matthew 28, Romans 6, 1 Peter 3
Confessing Our Sins
An essential part of the Christian life is confession and absolution. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
How should we confess our sins? First, every day at home, work, and school, we ought to pray that God would forgive us our sins committed that day. Second, in worship, we confess our sins publicly (confession). We are truly forgiven by God as proclaimed in the words of forgiveness spoken by the pastor (absolution). This confession and absolution also prepares our hearts to receive the Lord’s Supper. Third, our church encourages Christians who are burdened by specific sins to seek individual confession and absolution from their pastor. This is not mandated by God, but a source of wonderful joy and peace. What is confessed privately will never be shared but remains between the Christian and God.
Find it in the Bible: 1 John 1, Matthew 18, Psalm 51
The Sacrament of the Altar
Luther's Small Catechism says, the Sacrament of the Altar "is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and drink." The Sacrament of the Altar is also called the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, and the Eucharist.
Christ's body and blood are truly physically present on the altar and received by Christians. As Jesus said, “Take eat, this is my body. Take drink this is my blood. Given for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.” We eat and drink as He has commanded in order to be nourished in the faith, receive the forgiveness of sins, and be strengthened in the Holy Spirit. Receiving Christ’s Body and Blood is a wonderful blessing and not to be taken flippantly or reproachfully.
We follow the biblical practice of closed communion, sometimes called “close communion.” This is not because we claim to be better Christians, but rather because to be in true communion with one another, we ought to share the same confession. If you are visiting from a church body other than the LCMS or it has been a long time since worshipping at Redeemer, Pastor would be happy to speak with you about learning more and the possibility of communing in the future.
Find it in the Bible: Matthew 26, 1 Corinthians 10 & 11, Mark 14
Marriage
Marriage is not a human invention but was instituted by God. In the garden of Eden, God brought together one man, Adam, and one woman, Eve so that they should be “fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.” The purpose of marriage is threefold; for the procreation of children, faithful union with one’s spouse, and the symbolizing of Christ and his Bride, the Church. This union is exclusively between one man and one woman.
Marriage cannot be between two people of the same sex or multiple people at the same time because that is not how God structured creation. What He established is what we acknowledge and honor, not what our hearts might want. We support marriage in order to abide by God’s will and protect the children He gives to couples.
Find it in the Bible: Genesis 2, Mark 10, Ephesians 5
Orders of Creation
God created the world with order and structure. Life is not random. Although after Adam’s fall the world is corrupted, God’s craftsmanship endures. Birds cannot become pine trees. Boys do not turn into girls. Women do not become men.
These realities are called the orders of creation. The world often denies and fights against God's order. Yet, the order remains regardless of our opinions.
Wisdom recognizes and praises God for this order. Pinecones grow to be pine trees; boys grow to be men. Every husband and wife are designed to complement each other, just as Eve was designed to complement Adam. Men and women are not interchangeable; they have different biblical roles. We rejoice to witness the order of creation today.
Find it in the Bible: Genesis 3 & 4, Psalms 8, 104, & 105, Matthew 6
If you have no church here in Lisbon, join us! If you have not been baptized, be baptized here! If you have not received Holy Communion in a long time or perhaps ever, learn the faith here so that you can receive the Lord’s Body and Blood here! Here, at God’s altar, Christ promises to come dwell with us. So, be present where Christ is!
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and the holy city, which are described in this book.
He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
— Revelation 22: 18-21