Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 14, Number 44, DeMotte, Jasper County, 15 September 1944 — THE PASTOR’S COLUMN [ARTICLE]

THE PASTOR’S COLUMN

by REV. GEO. GOTSCH

Pastor of the St. John’s Lutheran Church of Union Township

God is a God of discipline, that is, of education, training, rule and order. Discipline is necessary for any organization, be it the State, the Church, or the Home. Without discipline there can be no prosperity for either. The foundation of church discipline is God’s Word; there is where all law and order is laid down. To conduct church discipline toward an erring brother is a very important and serious matter, and this form of church discipline begins with brotherly admonition. Where brotherly admonition falls into the discard, there the lack of discipline will soon be noticed and the door opened wide to all kinds of doctrines and practices which are anything but a credit to the Church. On the other hand, brotherly admonition, properly practiced, is a powerful aid to the ministry, to the preaching of the Word, to good church discipline in general. On the basis of Col. 3:l6ja and Gal. 6:1,a we shall speak next Sunday on Brotherly Admonition. To admonish means to warn against a fault, to reprove gently, but firmly, to show one his sin and wrongdoing with the purpose of bringing him to repentance. This should be done in a brotherly spirit in brotherly love. This often woefully neglected, yes, the reverse is often done. We help to broadcast the error, slander, and backbites the erring brother. Let us mend our ways and help him who has been overcome in a fault, show r him the error of his ways, bring him to repentance, and to seek forgiveness and to mend his sin and error. Such brotherly admonition will accrue to the glory of God and to the benefit of the brother, indeed of the Church of God. Sunday School at 10:00, service at 10:45 a. m.