Verse of the Day

Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.


The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

L
ORD, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Dru Arnold read the Epistle for today, which came from the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians beginning at the First Verse of the Fourth Chapter.  Once again, Paul calls us to a new life, different from our old life.  A life in which we act in a manner worthy of the better life to which we have been called by Christ and for which He gave His life.  Paul, of all people, knows the importance of setting aside your old life, as Saul did, so that as Paul he asks us to put God first in our lives, to put ourselves last.  He reminds us, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”  The key to a successful life is to put the important things at the top of your To Do List. And, notice it is a To Do List, not a To Think About or To Wait a While List.   What is more important than God?

I
 therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, for-bearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all[1].

Hap Arnold read today’s Holy Gospel which came from the Fourteenth Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, beginning at the First Verse.  The Gospel starts out reminding us the Law was designed to be flexible.  The goal is to do God’s will, not to “follow the letter of the law” as the Pharisees were so keen on.  They brought before Him a man in need of healing as they sat to eat on the Sabbath Day.  They watched to see what He would do.  Putting the monkey on their back, He asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath Day?”  Wishing to  be in a position to criticize rather than answer, “they held their peace.”  He healed the man, then asked them, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath Day?”  They would not respond; for the answer was obvious.

Then “He put forth a parable to those” who had been invited to dine with him, after He had seen them joust for the seats of honor.  “When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest seat; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”  Do we put God first and let others raise us up, or do we put ourselves first and let others put us down?

I
t came came to pass, as Jesus went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things. And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest seat; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Sermon – Time and Action
Deacon Striker Jack Arnold preached today’s sermon which tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above.

Consider the words of the Collect, “… thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works …”

The first thing to consider when you look at today’s Collect is a word: prevent.  Prevent is a word that has many uses, and at least one has fallen out of general usage as time has gone on.  This is one of the.  In this case the word prevent means to go before.  Before you object to archaic words, consider this is a current word, it just has a use you may not have been aware of and now you are!  What a bonus for this week!

So, we ask God that His Grace, His Love, His Power, His Help may go before and after us to protect us and guide us that we might desire to do what He wants us to do.  Pretty much a re-wording of a lot of the Collects.  Why would that be?  Pretty simple, our biggest failing is we are wont to do what we want! We are creatures that have free will and are not wont to exercise it for God or good. That is a very dangerous combination, as my father says often.  That is not the same as doing what will provide us with the best result. If we follow our natural inclination, we will not like the end result,that is eternal separation from God. We know, often very clearly, what we want. For example, this morning I started to lead the Order of Morning Prayer. My first inclination was to do it without looking at the rubrics. But after thinking a moment, I realized that this was a mistake, as the rubrics are there to guide the minister in leading the service. Like the rubrics, God knows, always very clearly, what we need.  He is there, like the rubrics to guide us along our paths in our daily life.  So, we need to ask God every day, every time, for help to do our duty.

So, what does Paul tell us in his letter to us? Once again, he calls us to a new life, different from our old life.  We shed our old clothes, as it were, and put on the brand new armor of light, new helmet, new boots and new everything. A life in which we act in a manner worthy of the better life to which we have been called by Christ and for which He gave His life.  Paul, of all people, knows the importance of setting aside your old life, as Saul did, so that as Paul he asks us to put God first in our lives, to put ourselves last.  He even changed his name to reflect his state as a new man under Our Lord’s leadership. He reminds us, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”  The key to a successful life is to put the important things at the top of your To Do List. And, notice it is a To Do List, not a To Think About or To Wait a While List.  It is not a I’ll Get a Round To It List, or What I Don’t Want to Do List.  What is more important than God?

When Luke relates the parable of the feast, it is more than just a sitting diagram. I liken it to the tale of the publican and the Pharisee. When Christ talks about the man who exalts himself and sits too high at the wedding and thus must be abased. That would be the Pharisee. When Christ then talks about the man who sits low, and is raised to the higher station, I think of the publican, who smote his breast and would not even look up his eyes to heaven. We have to be the publican in our dealings with God, rather than our natural tendency of being the Pharisee.  If we put God’s will before ours, the welfare of those we encounter before ours, if we hold open the door as gentlepersons are wont to do for others, we will find we are doing what God would have us do and enjoying it.

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God.

Bishop Ogles’ Sermon
Bishop Jerry is on travel today for the AOC meeting in Statesville.  No sermon, sorry!

Bishop Dennis Campbell’s Sunday Sermon
As is oft the case, we are honored to present Bishop Dennis’ Sunday sermon presented to his parish.  Dennis has a great sermon for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity:

God Our Only Hope
Psalm 25,  Ephesians 4:1-6,  Luke 14:1-11
Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

"In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." These words of Christ in John. 16:33 do not surprise those of us who have had some experience with the ways of the world.  We know we live in a fallen world, a world where people often do bad things, a world in which we often suffer as the result of other peoples' sins.  We know this, not as theory, but as fact verified by our own hard experience in life. We know this as fact verified by the teachings of Scripture.  Ephesians 4 reminds us of the tribulations of St. Paul.  Luke 14 records the opposition Jesus faced from the scribes and Pharisees who exalted themselves above God.  We remember the words of Christ in Matthew 10:24 and 25:

"The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?"

But we are fallen creatures, too, and we know that much of our tribulation is self-inflicted as we reap what we have sown. 

Psalm 25. Ad te, Domine, levavi.
U
NTO thee, O Lord, will I lift up my soul; my God, I have put my trust in thee: * O let me not be con- founded, neither let mine enemies triumph over me.
2 For all they that hope in thee shall not be ashamed; * but such as transgress without a cause shall be put to confusion.
3 Show me thy ways, O Lord,*and teach me thy paths.
4 Lead me forth in thy truth, and learn me: * for thou art the God of my salvation; in thee hath been my hope all the day long.
5 Call to remembrance, O Lord, thy tender mercies, * and thy loving-kindnesses, which have been ever of old.
6 O remember not the sins and offences of my youth; * but according to thy mercy think thou upon me, O LORD, for thy goodness.
7 Gracious and righteous is the LORD; * therefore, will he teach sinners in the way.
8 Them that are meek shall he guide in judgment; * and such as are gentle, them shall he learn his way.
9 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, * unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
10 For thy Name’s sake, O Lord, * be merciful unto my sin; for it is great.
11 What man is he that feareth the Lord? * him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
12 His soul shall dwell at ease, * and his seed shall inherit the land.
13 The secret of the Lord is among them that fear him; * and he will show them his covenant.
14 Mine eyes are ever looking unto the Lord; * for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
15 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; * for I am desolate, and in misery.
16 The sorrows of my heart are enlarged: * O bring thou me out of my troubles.
17 Look upon my adversity and misery, * and forgive me all my sin.
18 Consider mine enemies, how many they are; * and they bear a tyrannous hate against me.
19 O keep my soul, and deliver me: * let me not be confounded, for I have put my trust in thee.
20 Let perfectness and righteous dealing wait upon me;* for my hope hath been in thee.
21 Deliver Israel, O God, * out of all his troubles.

Psalm 25 is the prayer of a person experiencing deep tribulation partly because of the actions of others, and partly because he is reaping the natural consequences of what he has sown through his own actions and decisions.  But the Psalm is not a complaint about the writer's tribulation, it is a prayer of faith.  It is an expression of trust in God. David, in the midst of all his troubles writes,  "Unto thee, O Lord, will I lift up my soul; my God, I have put my trust in thee."

David trusts God to teach him the ways of God.  "Show me thy ways," he prays. "Teach me thy paths. Lead me forth in thy truth."  How can we possibly know God?  How can we ever hope to know what He wants from us, or wants to give to us?  He must show us.  And He has shown us.  He is revealed in nature, for "The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament showeth his handy work" (Ps. 19:1).  And there is something inside of us that knows about God, an instinctive knowledge that we ought to live and be better than we are, and that we will give an account of our sins one day.  Thus Romans 2:15 tells us the law of God is written in our hearts.  So, through nature and through His law written on our hearts we are able to discern the invisible attributes of God, "even his eternal power and Godhead," says Romans 1:20.  But this revelation is incomplete.  It does not tell us how to worship God, or how the Church is to be ordered, or how to live for God at work and at home, or how to build a Godly family or a Godly nation. But most of all, it does not really tell us of God's mercy.  It does not really tell us of God's everlasting love.  It does not tell us how to find forgiveness of sin, or how to find peace with God.

This was accomplished by God sending prophets and teachers to give and instruct us in the moral law of the Old Testament.  God also gave the ceremonial law through them, which points us to the Great Salvation He would accomplish for us in Christ, of whom the Temple and sacrifices were symbols and shadows.  It is Christ who ultimately reveals God, for "he hath declared him" (Jn. 1:18).  Christ taught the revelation of God to the disciples, and commissioned them to proclaim it to all people (Mt. 28:19-20).  He also commissioned them to teach and ordain others who would, in turn, teach others (2 Tim.2:2). The Apostles recorded the ministry and teachings of Christ for us in the Bible, and it is the standard by which all other teachers and doctrines are measured.

David trusts God to forgive his sins. He trusts God to "Remember not" his "sins and offenses"  "Be merciful unto my sin" he cries in verse 10, "for it is great."  It is Christ who accomplishes the forgiveness of our sin.  The rituals and ceremonies of the Old Testament ceremonial law were symbols and shadows of Christ, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.  We "have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:14).  He died for our sins, and "whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (Jn. 3:16).

David trusts in God for many other things.  In verse 5 it is for continuing mercy.  In verse 14 it is for defense from enemies.  I would like us to focus on verses 12, 16, and 21 as we come to the close of the sermon.  Verse 12 says of the man who fears God, that means reverent love combined with respectful fear, "His soul shall dwell at ease."  God will give that person peace in his soul, and nothing in this world or the next can take that peace away.  It is the peace that passes all understanding.  It is the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ which the world cannot give or even understand.  It is the peace that comes from the knowledge that "all things work together for good to them that love God" and that nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of  God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:28, 35-39).

This does not mean we will never see troubles.  It does mean God is with us, even when we face trials, and His grace is sufficient for us at all times.  David, in the beloved Twenty-third Psalm, said he would fear no evil even in the valley of the shadow of death.  He said God prepares a table for him "in the presence of [his] enemies."  The enemies were still there.  The wolves were still lurking and prowling, often in open view of the sheep.  Yet God had brought him into green pastures and beside still waters, and God continually "restoreth" David's soul.  God had something for him even in the presence of enemies and troubles.  Now, today, God is with us.  God has peace and grace and blessings for us, today, in this life, in this world of troubles and wolves and wolves in sheep's clothing.  He is leading us into us His will and guiding us into His ways, and He will not allow the trials of this world to ultimately defeat us.  We can be of "good cheer" because He has "overcome the world."

Finally, David trusts God to "Deliver Israel, O God, out of all his troubles" (vs. 21).  This is one of the verses upon which our "Prayer for all Conditions of Men" bases the request to give us a "happy issue out of all [our] afflictions."  We have no delusions that the world is going to love us and welcome Christ into its heart today.  But we do believe a better world is coming, and in that world all the cares and troubles of this world will be over because God will finally, completely, and forever deliver Israel, that's us, out of all his troubles.

O
 most loving Father, who willest us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of thee, and to cast all our care on thee, who carest for us; Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which thou hast manifested in us in thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to have Brian’s Sunday Sermon.  If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, expouse the truth and live the truth.    This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.

The Sermon - Avoid Being Carried Away Captive.

In our Old Testament lesson (Jeremiah 13:15-27), we heard the prophet Jeremiah admonishing the rulers and people of Jerusalem and Judah to abandon their prideful natures and give glory to the LORD else they be carried away captive. Throughout both Testaments, we are admonished to be humble. We are also called upon to possess a heart for God and respect for his wishes. We must not permit our religion to drift from a pure, unselfish and steadfast faith into a stony and proud disposition that is devoid of caring and concern for others. When St. Paul warned the Christians in Rome (12:3-5), not to think of [themselves] more highly than [they] ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another, he was calling upon them to reflect on their particular calling and not to lord over those of the same body who did not have the same calling. Thus the same pridefulness which was the downfall of God’s people prior to the Babylonian Captivity, has the same potential to lead to our own undoing at the hands of our ever-present and ever-aggressive adversary.

Consider the warning of our Lord in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican which has been ignored by very many of today’s churches (St. Luke 18:10-14). Two men went up into the temple to pray; one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God I thank thee that I am not as other men are... or even as this publican... and the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner... I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. As St. Paul admonished the Christians in Rome (12:16), Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

The devil has invested much time and energy in his ongoing campaign against the faith and the fellowship of Christians. The Rev. E. M. Bounds once observed, “Satan... is always trying to make the good bad and the bad worse. He filled the mind of Judas, and he inflamed and hurried him on to his infamous purpose. He filled Peter with an arrogant pride that tried to inject human views into the purpose of Christ...” You see, even the disciples of our Lord were not immune to Satan’s attacks.

In our gospel lesson (St. Mark 10:35-45) St. James and St. John asked our Lord to grant them a tremendous request which angered the rest. For those making the request, there was an element of pridefulness, as they sought positions of authority over the others; while the latter group possessed a certain spirit of jealousy which was stirred up by that request. Our Lord set them all straight concerning the matter. God has appointed those to sit at Christ’s immediate right and left hand and even they must be servants of all. We often here the term “public servant” with regard to those who are on the public payroll. No doubt a chuckle or two can be heard from the citizenry in many locales when that term is used because many so-called “public servants” are merely serving themselves and their egos rather than the public. Compare their behavior with the standard which our Lord set for all who will serve in his kingdom, ...but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister, and whosoever of you will be chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Very few of those in public service today would pass such a test.

The prophet Jeremiah was deeply concerned that his messages to the people were being ignored and rejected. He knew that God was about to bring upon them the terrible judgment of diaspora: the casting away or scattering of the people from the land of promise. He appealed to them to turn back to the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but sadly, they did not. As a result, they were carted off into captivity much to the pleasure of our adversary, the Devil. And surely he is laughing still at the utter arrogance of those who profess to be Christians while refusing to heed God’s word written. Just as he worked to destroy the fidelity of God’s people Israel, so too has he worked indefatigably to turn the church against its very Lord and Saviour. He has developed converts in nearly every period of church history and these have eagerly sowed doubt and confusion within the body of Christ. Now these pawns are hardly aware of his presence, and are oblivious to his power of insinuation through which he has introduced and managed the particulars of his plan to alienate the church from the Godhead.

Let us now examine how Satan’s servants have labored to degrade and turn the whole of Christendom away from the Godhead.

First of all, Satan’s minions have ordained individuals contrary to God’s word and commandment, much as King Jeroboam had done when he made priests of those persons who were outside the line of Levi (I Kings 12:31). God has restricted the offices of church leadership (bishops, priests, and deacons) solely to righteous men, and he has expressly forbidden women to serve over men within the body of Christ (I St. Timothy 2:11-15; 3:1-16). The devil has blurred the biblical distinction between men and women by filtering Scripture through the lens of Egalitarianism. As a result, now any person regardless of sex, or sexual orientation, can serve in the offices of ministry because it would be unfair and exclusive to do otherwise. What arrogance. What pridefulness is found within those churches who resist the stated will of God.

Secondly, as Satan’s minions have encouraged idolatry through the arrogance of will-worship. The old saw of ‘I’m OK, you’re OK’ is nothing more than the proverbial “way of Cain” (St. Jude 11) where everyone does what is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). The paganism of the Israelites— who offered their children to the false gods of Molech and Baal— is hardly different from the modern Molechs and Baals of self-worship and self-will at the expense of all else. The former bowed before idols of wood, stone and metal, while the moderns worship themselves or the works of their hands. Narcissism is nothing more than idolatry before a mirror. The moderns have sacrificed their children by handing them over to Satan’s messengers operating in both the church and in schools. Instead of learning about the one true and living God, these youths have been taught an array of false doctrines that contradict the word of God and make a mock of his only begotten Son. The moderns have sacrificed their own souls on altars dedicated to worldly lusts and desires. Without question, such arrogance in religion is devoid of any sanctity or salvation. Unless those deluded souls repent and turn unto Christ, they are destined to become just another batch of kindling for the fires of Hell rather than saints destined for God’s glorious kingdom (Psalm 9:17; Revelation 20:10-15).

Thirdly, as the Israelites had their share of lying prophets sent by Satan to provide an alternative to those whom the LORD had supplied; so too, the church has what our Lord described as wolves in sheep’s clothing. These charlatans use the gospel to further their own ends, and in so doing they do not speak the whole counsel of God to their congregations. They do not tell them about Hell, or about the Devil as the personage of evil, nor do they speak much about heaven; and such is sad indeed because Hell is real; the Devil is not a myth; and heaven has been exclusively reserved for those are in good standing with God. So, pray tell, what do they tell their congregations? Well, they are taught to love one another— which is good— because God does indeed want us to love others as ourselves. But they are also taught that God’s love should include acceptance of those lifestyle choices which are contrary to the scriptures. They tend to focus more on those things that encompass the here and now with little or no regard for the hereafter. The Bible teaches us to train ourselves in this life for our service in the next. We have but a few years to live in this particular dispensation of time and then we are in eternity. For those who are shepherded by false teachers and wolves in sheep’s clothing, there will be no such godly preparations made. They will pass from this life to a place of eternal separation from God where no good thing will be found and all chance of repentance has been closed off for ever.

Fourthly, our very admission into the kingdom of God is dependent on our salvation which comes solely through our relationship to God via his only begotten Son. Satan’s pawns teach that our Lord was “a way to God,” not the only way. As I heard one wag put it, “Jesus is way,” and this was after we had heard the very Scripture wherein our Lord said unequivocally that he was the way the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me (St. John 14:6b). The ministers of Satan have created a false religion which contains a pantheon of personal choices that have been designed to lead as many as will listen away from the strait gate and narrow way— from the very door to the sheep’s fold which is Christ Jesus— and into Satan’s broad way and wide gate. You cannot enter and be accepted into God’s kingdom unless you come by means of a saving faith in Jesus Christ for there is no name under heaven by which men must be saved (Acts 4:10- 12). What arrogance there is to think that one can make your own way to heaven apart from God’s expressed will.

The Devil has transformed much of modern Christianity into the image of the Laodicean church as found in the Book of Revelation. St. John recorded our Lord’s description of that church in this way: ...because thou art lukewarm... I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked (3:13-17). Is it not apparent that our Lord is ashamed of that church? And where has our Lord been relegated by the people of that church? Is he not outside knocking to come in? Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (3:20-22).

The current state of our world is not much different from that of the apostate kingdoms
of Israel and Judah or that of pagan Rome; and so Jeremiah’s message about the sinful nature of humanity is a sort of universal truth. We, who are of the true faith in Christ, have been warned to avoid the unequal yoke with the ungodly (II Corinthians 6:14) as well as to obey the moral law of Moses (St. John 15:10- 14; Acts 15:5-29). We have been warned to keep sin out of our lives, and to confess such should we slip back into our old ways (I St. John 1:9-10; 2:1-5). We are encouraged to have a daily, yea, moment by moment, fellowship with our Lord and God (Acts 2:42). We are to keep his word and commandment (see St. John 15). We are to read his word daily and prayerfully petition his throne of grace for our own needs and those of others (I St. Timothy 2:1-8). We should seek to do good to all as the occasion arises, and to advance the gospel message in this world (St. Matthew 28:18-20). We should have ever-ready an answer for those who inquire of the faith within us (I St. Peter 3:15); and we should always speak the truth in charitableness to all (Ephesians 4:15, 25, 32).

Some will say that our “fundamentalist” Christianity is harmful and hurtful to others who do not believe as we do. I would respond by asking which is better: to say nothing which will dissuade a sinner from falling into Hell— being forever separated from the love of God— or tell them the truth so that they might avoid such an unhappy end? And shouldn’t we be saddened over the apparent course of these pawns of the evil one? The prophet was saddened over the coming captivity of his people by the Chaldeans. Likewise shouldn’t it make us sad to see so many being prepared for their day of captivity because they are not living in agreement with God’s word written? St. Jude (v.23) said that we ought to be pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. We can hate the sin and seek the well-being of the sinner, but we are not to salve the sinner in his sin for to do so would, in essence, make God into a liar for his word stands as sure and true as the day he communicated the same to the prophets and apostles of old.

What it all boils down to is this: God defended his word against the arrogance of children of Israel, and he will do so against those who make a false profession of faith in his name while denying his authority. As a church, we will either be like Philadelphia, or we will be like Laodicea. If we are like the former, we will live in obedience to God’s word. If one should choose to be the latter, they will be led away captive. Choose you this day whom ye will serve (Joshua 24:15a).

Let us pray,

F
ATHER, make of us a people who are truly ready to do thy will and rejoice in the strength of thy salvation; for this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed week, 
Bryan+


[1] “you all”, normally pronounced “ya’ll”, is clear proof Paul was from the South.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity


The Propers for today are found on Page 212-213, with the Collect first:

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

O
 LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Dru Arnold read today’s Epistle, which came from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, the Third Chapter beginning at the Thirteenth Verse.  Paul, writing to the church in Ephesus, prays that the people might “be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”   More simply put, Paul asks that we open our hearts to God and to Christ, that they might work in our hearts the miracle of love.

I
 DESIRE that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Deacon Striker Jack Arnold read today’s Holy Gospel which started in the Seventh  Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke, beginning at the Eleventh Verse.  Jesus was going into the city of Nain with his disciples and many followers.  “When he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.”  In those days, a widow with only one son had little, a widow with no son was in deep trouble.  Taking compassion on her and also the opportunity to make His power evident, He came to the bier, and touch it said, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.”  The young man arose and began to speak; whereupon Jesus brought him to his mother.  Not surprisingly, news of this event was spread “forth throughout all Judæa, and throughout all the region round about.”  Like the young man, we are dead to eternity until we hear the command “… Arise.”  If we hear and act on that command, we have eternal life, just like the young man, it starts right then!

A
ND it came to pass the day after, that Jesus went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judæa, and throughout all the region round about.

Sermon – Time and Action
Today’s sermon tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in  the forewords above.

Consider the words of the Collect, “…let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness …”

When the Collect talks about the church, just like last week, it is not talking about buildings; it is talking about us.   Each of us; all of us and together.  We need God’s help (pity) to keep the group of us together following His Will, for without His Help (Holy Ghost) we are doomed to utter failure.  With His Help, we are set for success for evermore.  He offers, do we accept?

That leads us to Saint Paul’s point:  If we will open our hearts to God, He will send the Holy Ghost to fill our hearts with Love, Courage, Inspiration, Tenacity and Confidence, to mention just a few helpful additions to our portfolio.  If we will open our hearts to Him, our ears will hear the command “… Arise.”  When we rise, we rise with the confidence of immortals and can conquer any obstacle.  But, without an open heart, our ears will never hear the command directed to our soul, “… Arise.”  We will be dead to eternity.

Open your heart to our Lord and arise.  Arise; go forth with Love, Courage, Inspiration, Tenacity and Confidence to fight the battle our Lord leads us into.

All Jesus asks is that we follow Him.  That is all follow Him.  But, words mean something.  The word follow is very important.

In the military fighter world the strongest acceptance and recognition of excellence that can be given is, "You lead; I'll follow."  For to do so is to put your life in the other's hands.  Literally, completely and without question.  It is a matter of putting the light on the star and hanging in there.   It is said by few to an even smaller number.  When you break out of the cloud after an hour of GE-28 Volt burning in your retina and see the runway or pop over the ridge after a half hour of dodging trees and triple A and the target is right there in the reticule, it is all okay.  Sometimes in between, it does not seem like it will turn out that way.  What makes you keep the light on the star is trust.  I see this as another aspect of that truth.  The numbers are different in the case of God.  We all (unlikely to happen) need to put our lives in the hands of a small number (that would be ONE).

We need recognize who has the ability, the power, the perfection in leadership and have that trust to say, "You lead; I'll follow." I believe that is what Jesus expects from us in regard to our entire life. We may get out of position or even go lost wingman on the odd occasion, but he expects us to Our very best to follow His lead and stay in position.  Hard to do if your eye is not padlocked on Him.

I might add, as ministers of our Lord, we have a similar responsibility to those who would follow us here on earth.  And we have to work even harder, for created by a perfect God, we are imperfect creatures with free will.  A problematic combination.  We must strive for a correct attitude, heading, stability and predictability in our path so that we can be followed towards that final destination that marks a successful mission.

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God.

Bishop Ogles’ Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes.  Today is one of those Sundays.  Today’s sermon starts off with the collect, and like always, it will give you a lot to consider in your heart.

Sermon Notes
Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity
23 September 2012, Anno Domini
The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

O
 LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. 17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about. 18 And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things. (Luke 7:11-17)
            How often have we been at the point of complete and total heartbreak when suddenly our prayers are answered in a far greater way than we could have thought to ask? Love being the one power that is stronger than death (for all love is of God), why are we surprised at the miracles of love that we observe in our own daily lives? Why will a mother sacrifice her last breath of her life for her child? Why do men go off to war against the enemies of their homeland without a sigh or a word of regret in risking their lives to defend it?
            Does God yet work such wonderful miracles as we have read about on that day He visited Nain? A young man is dead and within minutes of being buried. Is there hope for such a one? His mother has only this one son. She is a widow who has transferred all of her love and dependence from the deceased father upon this one special child for whom her very life is ransom. But he is now dead and she is left all alone! Though crowds gather about her, none have that familiar and loyal heart that beat in the breast of her deceased son, nor the dedicated love that heart devoted to his mother, for he is dead!
            I can only imagine the pain and anguish of that forlorn heart of the woman of Nain that day. She would perform her last duty to a son that she had held dear to her bosom from the day of his birth. As she walked along behind the bier, she was dazed with misery and blinded by hot tears of devastation and wonder." "Can it be that he is truly dead – that I shall no longer hear his voice responding to my calls to supper?" "Is it finally true that I am now left alone against the world since the darling of my heart has departed?" A million questions swirled through her troubled mind as she trudged along a path blurred by the tears of her misery.
            And what of the dead son? What are his thoughts? Well, he has no thoughts at all because the dead know nothing at all. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. (Eccl 9:4-6)
            The world is populated by dead people who parade about as the living, and by the living who have been made alive from death.  Do we not remember that we were all dead in trespasses and sin before Christ called our name and made is alive in Him? (Ephesians 2:1) We knew nothing. We had no power at all to save ourselves or to even think of our great need. We were, spiritually, just as the young man lying on a bier at Nain that day. Did that young man know of Christ? did he desire to have Christ come and make him alive? No, he did not think any of these thoughts. Remember, he was dead as dead can be, and so were we before Christ chose us as His own and made the life blood of His eternal love flow though our hearts. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you (John 15:16)
11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

Now I pose the question that begs our deep thought: who are the dead? The dead: Those who reject Christ as Lord and Savior. Those who have no forgiveness for their sins…those for whom there has been no redemption for sins. That includes all the world which dwells in utter darkness.
The dead hear not. Who stopped their ears? Not God. Not even Satan. They themselves have chosen to be dumb to the reality of God. Their spirits lie in the same repose of that of Lazarus in the Tomb at Bethany before the penetrating voice of Christ called his name and commanded him to come forth.
This son of the widow is dead, but death cannot exist in the presence of the Fountain of Life. Jesus knows the importance of a son or daughter to a widow. The boy is all his mother has just as He, Himself, is the only Begotten of the Father.
As the procession proceeds from the gate of the city, there may have been little notice paid to the Master of Life who is approaching. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
Strange that a Perfect Stranger (and Jesus was both perfect and a stranger to the procession at Nain), should come forward with such a comment – weep not! How could she help weeping over her great loss. Christ speaks today and few listen or know Him.
Jesus never desires our sorrow, but our joy in life.  He neither wants us to `fear' or to `weep'. Fear not, I am with thee always, even unto the end of the world. Or "Hagar, why weepest thou?" The desire of Christ is always for our extreme joy in Him. And Christ knows there is no real joy, or life, apart from that which He offers. He sends no one to Hell. The lost, due to their rejection of Him, send themselves to Hell.
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. When God is at work, we had best stand still and see the marvelous works that His hands perform. Stillness is a vanishing quality in a world bent on technology and pragmatism.  As God said to Job in Job 37:14 "Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God"  Or  Psalms 46:10 – "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."
So those who bore the body remained motionless while God  worked. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
Though the ears of the Rabbi's maiden were closed in the lock of death, the young girl heard the voice of Christ. Though Lazarus lay long dead in a stone cold tomb, the voice of Christ, his Friend, penetrated the bars of death and were heard in newness of life. So with this young man.
And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. With Christ, death is always in the past tense! He was dead! No longer was he dead because he had heard and responded to the voice of Christ. He sat up and began to speak. Once you have heard the voice of Christ whisper in your ear a personal message, you cannot fail to speak out. You do not keep it a secret. When you are suddenly made alive in Christ, how is it possible to conceal one's joy?
It may be that you have yet to be made alive, unless you have heard that Voice. When were you dead, and have you been called to life? Have you listened? Did you respond by unashamedly speaking out? We were ALL dead prior to responding in faith to the grace of Christ. All lost. All dead.
Have you considered yourself righteous in your own right? Romans 23:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God  ALL? Does that include you and me? Yes, ALL
What is the condemnation to those who sin such as you and I have done? Rom 6: 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What remedy is there for all of us who are born under the condemnation  of sin? Rom10: 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Christ is the great Creator and Giver of Life. Death will not exist in His presence. So we must insure our salvation that we may be present with him. But, how? Know that the wages of sin is death. Admit that we are dreadful sinners and cannot save ourselves through any good works. Repent of our sins and turn away from the desires of the flesh. Receive Christ as you Lord and Savior – not simply Savior, but Lord of your life as well.
How many of us present today have taken a `dry' shower, or a `dry' swim, or walked in a `dry' rain?
Is it possible to get into the water, or to come into contact with a fountain of water, and remain dry?
            There is a River of Life which makes all alive who bathe therein and drink from its fountain:
John 4: 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life
When we are IN Christ, all our sins are covered by His blood. When we are IN the River of Life, we are wet with that water of life all over. We are baptized in newness of life. Your eternal destiny depends upon which choice you make at the crossroads of life – will you be fearful and unbelieving? Or will you partake of the Tree of Life and Fountain of Living Waters?
Rev 21:6 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
            Simple response – John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Have you, too, believed unto salvation? 2 Cor 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
It will not be tomorrow, or next week, month, or year. The time is NOW! How do you stand, Reader, in regard to your soul?
Bishop Dennis Campbell’s Sunday Sermon
As is oft the case, we are honored to present Bishop Dennis’ Sunday sermon presented to his parish.  Dennis has a great sermon for the Sicteenth Sunday after Trinity:

God Our Stronghold
Psalm 91, Ephesians 3:13-21, Luke 7:11-17

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity

September 23, 2012



The Scripture readings for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity show God's answer to the ancient prayer in the Collect asking God to defend the purity of His Church and to preserve it evermore by His help. The Epistle, from Ephesians 3, shows purity is preserved as the Church is filled with all the fulness of God by "the power that worketh in us." That power, the Holy Spirit, strengthens us in the inner man; indwells us with Christ, and makes us to know the fulness of the love of God. The Gospel, from Luke 7, shows both the ability and willingness of Christ to answer our prayer. "He had compassion on her," the Bible says, when He saw the widow of Nain. And this God of compassion can be trusted to have compassion on His Church, and on His people individually to preserve us from all enemies. The Church will endure because God will preserve it, and those who trust in Christ will make it to Heaven because God will preserve you.



Psalm 91. Qui habitat.

W
HOSO dwelleth under the defence of the Most High, * shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope, and my stronghold; * my God, in him will I trust.
3 For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter, * and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be safe under his feathers; * his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night, * nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, * nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day.
7 A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand; * but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Yea, with thine eyes shalt thou behold, * and see the reward of the ungodly.
9 For thou, Lord, art my hope; * thou hast set thine house of defence very high.
10 There shall no evil happen unto thee, * neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, * to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee in their hands, * that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder: * the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him; * I will set him up, because he hath known my Name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will hear him; * yea, I am with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and bring him to honour.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, * and show him my salvation.

Psalm 91 is also about God's protection of His people. In the Psalm God promises to protect those who dwell under the defense of the Most High. His protection is described through picturesque word illustrations. The Israel of God abides "under the shadow of the Almighty," like a village in the shadow of the castle of a mighty king. She is defended "under His wings," as a bird spreads her wings to protect her chicks. The terrors of the night and the arrow that flies in the day refer to dangerous animals that hunt by night, and to theives and criminals and enemies who prowl in darkness or shoot their arrows from concealed ambushes during the day. These, like pestilence, plague, and war are literal dangers from which God promised to deliver the Old Testament Israel if she loved God and followed Him in obedience to His laws. We all know She did not, therefore God allowed her to be harrassed and dominated by enemies throughout most of her existence. She could have trod upon the lion and the adder, which may be symbolic references to Babylon and Egypt. Instead, she was constantly mauled and bitten by them.



God does not promise the New Testament Israel that she will never see sorrow, sickness, oppression, or death, yet it is still true that obedience to God has its own rewards. Chastity avoids the complications of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease. Christian marriage puts you in a loving, life-long relationship with a person who is 100% committed to your well-being and happiness, and avoids the complications of being used and discarded like an old shoe. Honesty avoids the complications of jail and confusion that can accompany theft and deceit. Finding happiness and joy in Christ rather than possessions avoids covetousness, jealousy, and dissatisfaction with your possessions and life. So, we could avoid many of life's sorrows if we lived according to the Bible, which shows also that we bring many of our sorrows upon ourselves. They are the self-inflicted, natural results of sin, which can be changed by changing our habits and life-styles to obedience and faith rather than rebellion and unbelief. But the real protection God offers to His Church, in both its Old and New Testament forms, is spiritual. It is protection from Satan, your adversary who "as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8), "the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan" (Rev. 20:2). He is the one who has gone "to make war on those who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 12:17). He is the devil who deceives the world until he is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone with the beast and the false prophet (Rev. 20:10). 



The protection of God is for those who dwell "under the defence of the Most High," and "abide under the shadow of the Almighty." To dwell is to make a home; to live in a place. We dwell in a dwelling. To abide is to remain in a place. Thus, we abide in an abode. The point the Psalm is trying to make is that God's people dwell and abide in Him. He is our dwelling place in all generations, and God Himself, as we read in Ephesians, dwells in us. The closest comparison I can make to what this means is that of the child in its mother's womb. He shares the same blood, same oxygen, and food with his mother, down to the very molecules. They are as close to being one body as it is possible for human flesh to be. But the oneness of the Church and God is even closer than that. Our oneness with God is oneness of the spirit and essence, so that God flows in our souls, and our souls flow in God.



We dwell "under the defense of the Most High" through faith in Christ. We "abide under the shadow of the Almighty" as we continually trust in His one, all-sufficient sacrifice to be our peace with God. The essence of the Christian faith is that God became Man and went to the cross to bear in Himself the cost of our sins, and He forgives us of all sins as the gift of His grace. Faith receives that gift. Faith trusts God to forgive us. Faith trusts Christ's sacrifice to pay fully and completely for the sins we have committed, are committing, and will commit. And faith trusts God to care for us in this world and the next. And let us never forget that a major part of faith is faithfulness, and we abide under the shadow of the Almighty as we live for Christ in daily, loving obedience, seeking to live righteous and holy lives that please Him.



Let us pray.



O
 LORD, by Thine infinite mercy, make us to dwell by faith under the defense of the Most High, and abide under the shadow of the Almighty, through Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to have Brian’s Sunday Sermon.  If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, expouse the truth and live the truth.    This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.

The Sermon - That Christ may dwell in your hearts

In our epistle lesson for today, we read the words of St. Paul who said, ...that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with the fulness of God (Ephesians 3:17-18). The apostle then went on to pen an uplifting affirmation of our Lord's words in his epistle to the Ephesians (3:20-21): Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. The Rev. Matthew Henry once noted that, "There is an inexhaustible fullness of grace and mercy in God which the prayers of all the saints can never draw dry. Whatever we may ask or think, still God is able to do more, abundantly more. We should encourage our faith by a consideration of his all-sufficiency and almighty power."



In his epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul advised all Christians to... put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof (13:14). Also St. John in his first epistle wrote, Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God... (4:2) He also noted that, Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God (4:15). 



Now one might think that every person who claims to be a Christian would follow these tenets of the faith. No doubt some do; nevertheless, a goodly portion of the body of Christ does not. To put it simply, they belong to denominations that have rejected the fundamentals of the faith. They do not believe in the Jesus of the Bible. They deny his virgin birth, his resurrection, and ascension, as well his coming again in glory. They denigrate God's word written by saying it is a compilation of myths, sagas or legends. They believe that the gospel writers tell only of a man called Jesus— a good teacher who was executed by the Romans— but not the living Lord who rose again from death to life that Easter morn so long ago. They cannot teach a saving faith in the only begotten Son of God because they do not accept the living Christ as their Saviour.

Consider also a modern survey of Christians which the Barna Group conducted awhile back. It asked participants if they agreed with the following six statements:

1) believe that absolute moral truth exists;
2) believe that the Bible is completely accurate in all of the principles it teaches;
3) that Satan is a real being;
4) that a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or by doing good works;
5) that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; and
6) that God is the all-knowing, all powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today.

Barna found that less than one percent of the participants agreed with all of those statements.

That is astounding and tragic to say the least because nearly every point mentioned by Barna was once an established teaching for much of the Christian Church nearly a century ago.



The noted preacher, E. M. Bounds once observed that, "The church is distinctly, preeminently, and absolutely a spiritual institution... Her ministers and doctrines have appeal, relevance, and power only when they are channels of the Holy Spirit. It is his indwelling and inspiration that give the church its divine character and accomplish its divine purposes." And what purposes has it been called to carry forth? "Its purpose is to regenerate and sanctify the individual, to prepare him by purifying and training him for the high pursuits of eternal life. The church is like a net cast into the sea. The purpose is not to change the sea but to catch the fish... What if fishermen spent all their energies trying by some chemical process to change the essential elements of the sea, vainly hoping to improve the stock of fish? They would never catch any fish! If the church used this method, personal holiness would be impossible, and heaven would be stricken from our creed, life and hope. To attempt to save the world while ignoring the individual is not only Utopian but also destructive in every way.

"

St. John reminds us in his first epistle to, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever (2:15-17). How can Christ dwell in those who love the world in opposition to the expressed will of God the Father? He cannot. How can said folk understand the absolute need for salvation which Jesus Christ provides through his atoning work on Calvary's cross? They cannot. What can modern, Laodicean Christianity offer but a flawed Jesus, a compromised bible and a useless religion fit only to be cast out? They are powerless without the permission of the Holy Ghost who will not assist them in their efforts.

Why are so many young people leaving the faith of their forebears? Because the modern church has so denigrated its doctrines and tenets as to render it a fruitless exercise.

As the apostle Paul noted in his first epistle to the Corinthians, ...if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain (15:14)... And if Christ be not raised (15:17)... then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable (15:18-19). Why follow the dead Christ of myth and legend which the modernist church teaches its congregants?

The Barna Group's survey results give us the answer: wholesale rejection of the truths of the faith.

  If one would have the benefits of the Christian religion, one must recognize that the true Christ of faith is the same as the Christ of history. One does not cancel out the other. To have Christ dwell in one's heart, one must accept Jesus Christ as the risen Lord who is the only begotten Son of God and then seek God's pardon for his or her sins in his name. God expects us to come to him believing not in faithlessness.

If we are to have any success in winning the young back from the world, we must present to them a clear and consistent gospel message that says what it means and means what it says. But as we have learned, such will not be devoid of difficulty. The Devil and his minions have done much to prepare the ground of their hearts for the bad seed of the world as opposed to the good seed of the word. They have labored to spread tares among the wheat, bad fish among the good, apostates among the saints, and ravening wolves versus the pastors and shepherds of our Lord. They have won victory after victory within the various denominations of the Church and now are poised to sweep away the last vestiges of sound doctrine within the very near future.



But we must not lose hope. Our Lord proclaimed that the Church will not be triumphed over by evil, neither shall the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. In spite of the seeming triumph of our adversary, we have confidence that he will not ultimately succeed. God foresaw the rise of evil, has judged it, and will call an end to it in his time. Our duty is to occupy until he comes for us. The wretched figment of the modernist church is but the synagogue of Satan. It has no real power to save, and has only the power to destroy those of its membership. God's wrath will fall upon it much as he poured out his fury on Sodom and Gomorrah. Our job is to call out to the righteous who, like Lot, have had their souls vexed by the things they have witnessed within those churches.



If Christ dwells in us, then we must preach the word: be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (II St. Timothy 4:2-4). Without a doubt we are in such times as the apostle Paul has described. If we love the Lord, we will follow his word and commandment. Seek therefore then to be a beacon for the gospel. Spread the true message of Christ to those around you and live as becomes the name "Christian" proving that Jesus Christ does indeed dwell within your heart.



Let us pray,


H
OLY and gracious God, grant to us the courage and the wherewithal to spread the truth of the gospel of Christ to those who are as yet in darkness and the shadow of death; that they being so informed might turn unto thee and give thee thanks for the free gift of salvation in his name; all of which we ask in the very name of Christ Jesus thy Son and our Saviour. Amen.



Have a blessed week, 
Bryan+