On
Point
Someone asked, where do the quotes come
from? The answer is from the
people who uttered them. But, how
did you find them? Oh, that. Most are from Rev Bryan Dabney, a few
from other places, but overall mostly from Bryan. He always has a few great ones to share. On to the On Point quotes –
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in
sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
St. Matthew 7:15
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith.
II St. Timothy 4:7
All the good we do is done by the power of his
grace, and all the good we have is the gift of his mercy and therefore he must
have all the praise ... Do you ask where he is? He is at the beginning and end
of everything and not far from any of us.
Rev. Matthew Henry
17th
and 18th century English pastor and author
Take away free will and there will be nothing
to save; take away grace and there will be nothing to save with.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
12th
century French theologian and scholar
There are myriads of
professing Christians ... [who] Sunday after Sunday ... allow the devil to
catch away the good seed that is sown on the face of their hearts. Week after
week they live on without faith, fear, knowledge or grace, feeling nothing,
caring nothing, taking no more interest in religion than if Christ had never
died on the cross at all. And in this state they often die and are buried and
are lost for ever in hell. This is a mournful picture but only too true.
JC Ryle
19th
century Anglican bishop and author
The problem with wealth is
not in having it. It is when it has you. It is how we get it, how we guard it
and how we give it. It can be used for good or for bad.
Greg Laurie
20th
and 21st century American evangelist
I am concerned for the
security of our great nation; not so much because of any threat from without,
but because of the insidious forces working from within.
Douglas MacArthur
20th
century American general officer and war hero
The government turns every contingency into an
excuse for enhancing itself.
John Adams
Founding
Father and 2nd President of the United States
Washington proclaimed that a
“threat” was discovered that al Qaeda ... was going to blow up US embassies ...
Washington did not explain why al Qaeda, a recipient of Washington’s largess,
was going to turn off the money spigot by attacking US embassies ... Once you
give a moment’s thought to Washington’s claim, you see that Washington is
proving its impotence by hyping such non- existent threats. Officially, the US
has been at war with al Qaeda since 7 October 2001. The “superpower” has been
battling a few thousand lightly armed al Qaeda for almost 12 years, and what is
the result? Despite Washington’s claims to have killed al Qaeda’s top leaders
... Washington is losing the war. Al Qaeda has grown so powerful that it not
only fights in Syria, with Washington’s help ... but also has prevented the US
military from occupying Afghanistan. Moreover, in addition to [its] success
against the “superpower” and the chaos that [it] continues to produce in Iraq,
al Qaeda now is so powerful that it can shut down US embassies all across the
Middle East and North Africa. The “threat” which was supposed to boost the
NSA’s position actually proves Washington’s powerlessness. We can only pray
that soon al Qaeda shuts down Washington itself. Imagine the sense of American
liberation if Washington simply was shut down, or even better if [it] could be
put under Punjab’s magic blanket and disappeared. For the 99 percent, and the
rest of the world, Washington is nothing but an oppressor.
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts
20th
and 21st century American statesman, political commentator and
author (Washington Thinks You Are Stupid, 8-7-13)
Propers
The Propers for today are found
on Page 204-205, with the Collect first:
The
Eleventh Sunday after Trinity.
The
Collect.
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O
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GOD, who declarest thy
almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity; Mercifully grant unto us such
a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may
obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Dru Arnold read the Epistle, which came
from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, the Fifteenth Chapter beginning at
the First Verse. Paul tells us he
is delivering the message he received, the Good News of the Saving Grace of God
through Jesus. He points out that
if he, who had been Saul the Persecutor of Christ’s Church here on earth could
be saved by the Grace of God, then salvation was open to all who would act on
their wishes. Thus all who believe
on the Name of the Lord Jesus will be saved, if they do not depart from that
course.
He
recounts the death and resurrection of Jesus; noting the various witnesses to
the resurrection, including himself.
He goes on to say, if he, who he categorizes as the least of the
apostles, not even meet to be called an apostle due to his persecution of the
Church of God, can be forgiven and work the Work of God, who cannot?
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B
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rethern, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye
stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto
you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all
that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the
twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom
the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After
that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was
seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the
apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the
church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was
bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all:
yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I
or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.”
Hap Arnold read today’s Holy
Gospel which started in the Eighteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke, beginning
at the Ninth Verse. Jesus tells a
parable to an audience which apparently consisted of some self-righteous people,
which likely fits each of us. The
parable is that of a Pharisee[1]
and a publican[2]
both of whom pray in the temple.
While the Pharisee might well have been a “better” man than the
publican, he clearly was not the man he thought he was, for he “prayed thus
with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I
possess.” Quite the holy fellow. The publican, quite aware of how much
he fell shot of God’s perfection stood “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.” Jesus told his
audience, “this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for
every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted.” None of us is
truly good, we can only strive to be better and look to our Lord to help us. Only through Christ will we be
accounted as just before God.
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J
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esus spake this parable unto
certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised
others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the 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, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even
as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I
possess. 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 every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Sermon –
Reverend Deacon Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Today’s sermon tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel
together and is mainly contained in the forewords above.
Consider the words from the Collect, wherein we ask
God … who declarest thy almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity;
Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way
of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of
thy heavenly treasure; …
Once again, this Collect is kind of a follow-on to
the last few weeks’ Collects.
First, we acknowledge God’s power which is manifested not in terror but
in mercy and pity on our failures.
This is important to note; with all the power in and of the universe,
God chooses to manifest His Power in showing infinite mercy and kindness to us,
not in causing us more tears.
Rather, He is there to comfort and help us. He does not act as a human would in His position, but rather
being a merciful and mindful God to us. He realizes our struggles and gives us
resources to us to help with those struggles. Thus, the Collect goes on to ask
His Help in following His Commandments that we might gain the good that comes
from that following. And we would
hope that we recognize the good that comes from that following and choose to
repeat doing the following as opposed to going astray such as our tendency is.
As imperfect creatures of free will, the norm is to
choose what we want, not what we need and come to calamity. We are each grievous sinners, some
worse than others, none better.
Yet, we come before God all equal.
In equally big trouble, some more, none less. It is only through faith we are saved.
This is the point Saint Paul is making when he says
that first he gave unto us[3]
that understanding he got directly from God as to the role of Jesus
Christ. He recounts some of the
factual information about Jesus’ time here on earth after the crucifixion, the
descent into hell and the resurrection.
He notes the various witnesses, still alive or recently passed away. He makes the point that we must spread
the gospel so that others might believe.
He tells us we are saved by faith alone.
Our faith?
Partly, but not chiefly and not first.
We are saved by the perfect faith of Christ, our only
mediator and advocate before the Father.
The perfect faith of Christ allowed a single sacrifice to be made at one
time, to right the account the sins of all mankind for all time. This is the faith that saves us and our
faith in Him allows Him to operate in us.
One of Paul’s points in today’s Epistle was that if he, the previous
Chief Persecutor of the church could be saved by Jesus’ that option was
available to each of us. All we
need to do is repent and follow.
Thus, we need to Lead, Follow or Get out of the Way towards Christ and
God’s grace.
The other point is that Jesus is real, He is Who He says He IS. He is not a fictional character, he is not a great teacher. He is THE SON OF GOD and He came to save us, body, heart, mind and soul. Just as we are real sinners, He is a real Savior.
If that is not enough to turn your heart, consider
the parable of the publican and the Pharisee related by Saint Luke. The man who was proud of his
performance was not the example Jesus chose for the one justified, rather the
one who acknowledged his failures and asked God for forgiveness and help.
Let us ask God for the help we need to follow His
Will. For we must have His Help to
act as we must here on earth!
Action counts.
For by their actions ye shall know them.
Heaven is at the end of an
uphill trail. The easy downhill
trail does not lead to the summit.
The time is now, not tomorrow. The time has come, indeed. How will you ACT?
It is by our actions we are known.
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
Eleventh
Sunday after Trinity
Saint Andrew’s
Anglican
Orthodox Church
11 August 2013,
Anno Domini
The
Eleventh Sunday after Trinity.
The
Collect.
|
O
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GOD, who declarest thy
almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity; Mercifully grant unto us such
a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may
obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
|
B
|
rethern, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye
stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto
you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all
that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the
twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom
the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After
that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was
seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the
apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the
church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was
bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all:
yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I
or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.” (1 Corinthians xv. 1)
|
J
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esus spake this parable unto
certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised
others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the 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, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even
as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I
possess. 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 every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted. (St. Luke xviii. 9)
Once more, the Prayer of Collect calls us to a dependence upon mercy and grace
rather than a reliance on the work of our own hands. For it is by grace that we
are saved and not of our works. The Epistle of the Day complements both the
Prayer of Collect and the Gospel reading in its revelation of grace as being
the sole agent of labor in the ministry of Paul, and of all who call upon the
Name of the Lord.
I have preached and written often on the Gospel passage from Luke 18 - of the
Pharisee and the publican. But with each visit to this account of Christ, my
heart is stirred in new and mysterious ways in seeing its beauty and truth.
This parable was spoken in the closing days of our Lord’s earthly ministry. The
lesson Jesus teaches is one that is hard for man to grasp when viewed through
the eyes of the flesh. If we can grasp the point of this parable, it must be
through the eyes of the Spirit and of the humble heart. The purpose of the
account is presented in its opening line: “And he spake this parable
unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised
others.” Do any here trust that they are righteous? If so, we are
not unlike the hypocritical Pharisee about whom Christ speaks. Before we can
ever be saved, we must first recognize that we are hopelessly lost and unable
to save ourselves – it is upon the Mercy Seat of God that we must cast our
appeal for deliverance. If we believe that the Scriptures are true – and we
MUST – there is none righteous. “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 3:10-12) While it is true
that none may enter heaven under the condemnation of sin, it is also true that
God has provided a means whereby we may be accounted righteous – that is
through the redeeming and atoning blood of Jesus Christ! The PRIDEFUL will be
the most difficult to understand that they can never earn their salvation by
doing good works since even GOOD WORKS are sin to the unsaved.
All who do not know Christ are truly walking dead, or, as Boris Karloff would
claim - ZOMBIES! Have you ever been dead and required resuscitation? Have
you been dead and brought back to the land of the living? If you know Christ as
your Lord and Savior, surely, you were once dead and are now made alive. Read
these verses from Ephesians 2: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of
this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that
now worketh in the children of disobedience.” (Eph 2:1-2) and “But
God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are
saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:4-6) So now, the question I asked
earlier takes on a deeper and more significant meaning, doesn’t it? Have you,
friend, been dead and made alive? Pride makes it very hard to admit that we
were, indeed, dead in time past. A dead person can do nothing to help
themselves for they are DEAD. Only the revitalizing and life-giving Spirit of
God can make a DEAD person live! So we can do nothing to save ourselves – it is
a work of Grace through Faith!
So we come to the example of two men who have come to the Temple for the same
reason – to pray. “10 Two men went up
into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.”
These two men represent the whole of the professing church today. One of these
men is a fancy-dresser and a hypocrite. The other is a sin-laden and humble
publican. They both have come to the RIGHT place for the RIGHT purpose; but
there is a difference that separates the two through which you could drive
Napoleon’s army. To all appearance, the Pharisee is a devout and righteous
fellow, but there is a darkness about him that lies unrevealed to the observer
– it is a heart that is ‘full of itself’ and not of Christ! Each man prays, but
the prayers are vastly different. Let us read on:
“11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus
with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.” Though it is not
stated specifically, the impression is that the Pharisee stood with proud
posture. His words reveal truly his self-pride. “And
when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to
pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they
may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”
(Matt 6:5) Notice how the Pharisee prays: “prayed
thus with himself.” His prayer never got any higher than the pit
of the heart from which it sprang. He prayed just as many professed Christians
pray today – to be heard of men, not to be heard of God. And WHAT did the
Pharisee pray? “God, I thank thee.”
This is well and good. I believe if some of our prayers ended at the
salutation, they might be more Godly. But WHAT did the Pharisee thank God for?
“. . . I am not as other men are,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.” Oh,
I see! “Thank God that we are so very good and pious!” It would seem that God
needs to forgive nothing in this Pharisee since he is so righteous, but wait!
There is none righteous but God! So, regardless of his personal faith,
something, in the eyes of the Pharisee, makes this publican, and all men, less
righteous than himself. What is it? It is a smug religious self-righteousness
that has prevailed in the prideful hearts of lost men from Cain until our own
day – especially, our own day! NO one is as good as pretty, innocent,
little-old ME! Just look at my clean washen hands and noble posture.
Unfortunately to his own soul, the Pharisee is not finished damning himself in
the eyes of God for he continues: “I fast
twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” Though
this may be true, it is a false righteousness. He is boasting of that false
righteousness. Jesus has clearly counseled on the ways in which we must fast: “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a
sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men
to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou
fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to
fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in
secret, shall reward thee openly.” (Matt 6:16-18) The moment we
boast of our righteous acts, they become egregious sins! This Pharisee, like
many of his fellows and Christians today, was a flaming hypocrite! But to those
standing by, it is perhaps true that he was regarded as more righteous in the
eyes of the crowd. Do you pray to the crowd or to God? Do you live unto Him, or
unto THEM? How long do you labor for the fancy words to impress the listening
crowd?
Now comes the prayer of a man who knew he was unworthy of the mercies of God –
just as none of us are worthy! He came with a very pitiful opinion of himself,
but a mighty high opinion of God! He is a man hated by the people for his
perceived collusion with Rome as a tax collector. He is considered, along with
Zacchaeus, as the scum of the earth, before Christ! He does not dare come so
near the Temple as the ‘honorable’ Pharisee – “And
the publican, standing afar off.” So he stands back at a respectful
distance – not daring to set his foot upon the Holy ground that he believes
surrounds the Temple. May I suggest that all approach God from a “far off”
place for it is not our natures to be Holy? We return as the Prodigal Son –
from a far country into the loving arms of the Father. This publican has missed
the ‘self-esteem-building classes’ of our modern public schools. He esteems
himself as nothing, and he regards God as the All-in-All! How can any sinner
approach God in any other way? Would that the Pharisee could have followed the
example of the publican!
What was the outward attitude of the publican? Was it prideful and boastful?
Would any person, raised up in the pride of their persons, come to God as does
this publican? Observe his approach and plaintive cry: “. . . . would not lift up so much as his eyes unto
heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”
He makes no DEMAND of God as is so common in the modern charismatic services.
He was in deep mourning for his sins. He was not good enough to look God in the
eye. His sins had become an intolerable burden from which he desperately sought
relief. Our Lord had this poor man, and you and me, in mind when He said: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30)
Please note the object of the publican’s prayer as opposed to the prideful
boast of the Pharisee: “God be merciful to me
a sinner .” He asks for NOTHING more than MERCY and Grace!
Because he was humble and sincere, he uttered the very words which were
entirely in the Holy Will of the Lord to grant. A sincere prayer of repentance
is ALWAYS heard by the Lord and answered. It is the only prayer an unforgiven
sinner can utter that is heard in Heaven. “If I regard iniquity in my
heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Psalms 66:18) Have you ever been so
overburdened by your sin that this prayer was evoked from a heart full of pain?
What is the effect of the two different prayers? Does God regard persons and
their social status in hearing prayer? What of the poor bum on skid row who,
slowly dying in his filth and misery suddenly sees a Light in Heaven and makes
humble and desperate appeal thereto? Will God save the wretched sinner in his
filth, and reject the dignified and proud boaster? See what Jesus says of the
two: “14 I tell you, this man went down
to his house justified rather than the other.” So much for pomp
and circumstance! The prayer of the Pharisee was heard where it was sent “with himself” but not by God. The
publican, being a desperate sinner, had his prayer heard and answered. He was
forgiven and justified! “….the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man
looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
(1 Sam 16:7) “. . . every one that
exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Once more, we see that PRIDE is the mother of all sins.
Though there are many stark truths to inform us in this text, there is one that
stands out foremost – the proper means of prayer! We may pray
beautiful and sophisticated words, yet the pride that motivated them sink them
to the depths of the sea. We may pray with utter simplicity out of a sincere
heart, and these simple and unpolished jewels of prayer may rise to the ‘third
heaven.’ Attitude is everything. If the sentiment is not in the heart, it will
not find a genuine expression through the lips.
Are you resurrected in Christ today?
Bishop
Dennis Campbell’s Sermon
Bishop Dennis is a brilliant
speaker. He is able to take
biblical precepts and make them perfectly understandable, even to me. Oft he provides the text of his sermons
and I take the utmost pleasure in passing them on:
Christians Receive
Psalm 124, 125, 1 Corinthians 15:1, Luke 18:9
Eleventh Sunday after Trinity
August 11, 2013
Last
Sunday I spoke to you about what Christians want. Today I would like to speak
about what Christians get. The Title of the sermon is, Christians
Receive." We are of course talking about what Christians receive from God
as the gifts of His grace, and the very first thing we receive, which is the
foundation upon which all else stands, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As Paul
wrote in our first lesson for this morning, "I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
by which also ye are saved." According to Paul it is the Gospel which
causes us to stand before God. Stand is used here as it might be used when we
say, "stand fast." We can picture ourselves as part of a great army
facing a powerful, advancing enemy along the line of battle. But we do not run.
We do not even tremble at the size and power of the enemy. We stand fast. When
I thing of this metaphor in Scripture I often think back to the movie,
"Three Hundred Spartans." The Spartans had gathered at a gap in the
mountains called Thermopoly to try to stop the advance of the Persian army into
Greece. As the three hundred Spartans stood in the gap, they faced several
thousand of the best soldiers in the Persian army. I don't know if this
happened in real life, but in the movie, the leader of the Spartans drew a line
in the sand with his sword and said, "Spartans, from this line, we do not
retreat." They did not retreat. They stood at the line of battle and
fought to the last man. When the Bible says we are enabled to "stand"
it means we also are able to stand in the face of the enemy. God has drawn a
line in the sand, this line is the Gospel. It is the Bible. It is the faith
once delivered to the saints. We stand on the line. From this line we do not retreat.
To stand
is also the opposite of falling. We read in history, and in the Bible itself,
of people falling before an enemy. We read of the fall of Rome, the fall of
Jerusalem, and the fall of the great empires of the past. The Bible even tells
us that God raises up empires according to His own will and purpose, and casts
them down according to that same will and purpose. But to the Church He does
not say we will fall before our foes. To the Church He promises overwhelming
victory, accomplished through His power and grace. Thus, not only will we never
retreat, we will also never fall. We will stand against all odds and all
enemies. We stand in the Gospel.
Paul
said we are saved by the Gospel. The world considers that an insult. The world
does not want God to save it, it wants to save itself. And it only wants God on
its terms. The Gospel is a stumbling block to the world. The preaching of the
cross is offensive to its people. But we must take God on His terms, not expect
Him to accept us on ours. And His terms are given in the Gospel, "by which
ye are saved."
Saved
means to be forgiven of our sins and restored to fellowship with God. It means
to have our sins forgiven, and our status changed from criminals against God,
to honoured guests in His House. It also means to be delivered from the
self-destructive life-style, habits, thoughts, and actions that kill the soul
and destroy lives.
I heard
Rush Limbaugh say something very profound last Friday. I think it was the most
profound thing he has ever said. He was talking about the things people do to
gain recognition from others, and he said, in essence, that such recognition
will not make anyone happy. In fact he said such people are looking for
happiness in the wrong places. The things they turn to not only are incapable
of giving happiness, but are also absolutely destructive of happiness in every
way. I agree. The Bible agrees. And the Gospel of Jesus Christ wants to rescue
us from those destructive forces and deliver us into a new life, which can and
does bring joy to the soul. The Gospel saves us.
What is
the Gospel that saves us? It is the Gospel of Christ. As Paul wrote in 1
Corinthians 15:3 and 4,
"For
I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ
died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that
He rose again the third day according to the scriptures."
God
entered human history and human life and human death. He experienced it all
Himself, with no special treatment or exemptions. He lived by faith. He
suffered. He died. He went to the grave. And He did it all for you. He did it
to save you.
This
brings me back to the point of my sermon, "Christians Receive."
Christians receive all that Christ died to give us. Our sins are forgiven, all
of them forever. No matter how bad you have been, or how good you think you
are, those who believe in Christ are forgiven and our sins are removed as far
away from us the east is from the west. Paul persecuted Christians before he
was converted. Yet his sins, including the deaths of many Christians, were
fully and completely forgiven. That is the promise of God to all believers. And
that new way of life that I was talking about, the life lived in fellowship
with God, restored to His ways and will, which is the only real life of
happiness and joy, is ours also. It is given to us as a free gift. We have only
a foretaste of it now, but we are only eating the appetizer. Or, in more
Biblical language, we might say we are enjoying the earnest, the down payment,
of the joys and bliss and heavenly treasures we can only fully know in Heaven.
But we are enjoying what we have now.
And this
leads me to the conclusion for today, Christians receive because God gives. He
gives freely and generously and at His own expense. He gives that we may obtain
what He promises, and that we may be made partakers of His heavenly treasure
through Jesus Christ. I think John 3:16 sys this very well. "God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life."
--
+Dennis
Campbell
Bishop,
Anglican Orthodox Church Diocese of Virginia
Rector,
Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
Powhatan,
Virginia
Rev Rick Reid of
Saint Peter’s Sunday Sermon
We are happy to have a
sermon from Reverend Rick Reid, minister of Saint Peter’s, whose congregation
is right at the Worldwide Headquarters of the Anglican Orthodox Church. Rev Rick has all the resources and
challenges right at hand.
Concerning Spiritual Gifts
The apostle Paul spoke of gifts from the Spirit often, in his letters.
He gave detailed lists of what kinds of gifts there were, much like he did in
today’s Epistle to the Corinthians.He also spoke of gifts differing in his
letter to the Romans.
The word he used for these gifts was charismata, which is a Greek term,
(in the plural), related to our word for grace. Like grace, charismata are
given freely by the Holy Spirit. But there is one thing expected of those who are given
charismata: the gift is to be used for building up God’s people.
God gives us the charismata, so we can express the love of one another
which is at the core of the Christian way of life.
A gift of the Spirit is something that God gives for the purpose of
building up others, in a life of faith. It has been the experience of
Christians the world over, that the Holy Spirit usually harnesses one's talents
in the service of the purpose, for which the gifts were given.
Yet sometimes, the spiritual gifts seem to, not work along with a
person's natural gifts. God used a person who stuttered, (Moses), to lead his
people out of Egypt. He made a shepherd boy named David into a renowned warrior
and king, and turned simple, uneducated, fishermen into leaders who left their
mark on the course of history.
There are examples everywhere of people who don't have special training,
who aren't highly skilled, and have no particular talent, but when the time
comes for them to benefit others, the gift of the Holy Spirit is there.
Sometimes there's a spiritual gift that goes along with our natural
abilities and the skills we have developed.
There is the gift of healing, and there are the natural healing
processes, and the medical skills learned to assist those processes.
There is prophecy, and there is the ability to discover the truth, and
the skill to figure out, how and when, to share it.
If you find that you have a talent, use it and develop it as best you
can. But it takes the Holy Spirit working within the believer to put the
natural, and the supernatural together with power to serve.
"The Holy Spirit not only unites us, but also ensures our infinite
diversity in the Church: at Pentecost the tongues of fire were 'cloven' or
divided, descending separately upon each one of those present.
The gift of the Spirit is a gift to the Church, but it is at the same
time a personal gift, appropriated by each in his or her own way."
There are so many spiritual gifts, and so many ways to put them to use
for the church and its mission, that no one gift, no one calling defines the
Christian life. The Giver does. If you look at any one gift that way, you're
putting a limit on the sovereign Holy Spirit in a way Scripture never does.
Through the gifts, the fruit are borne.
As spiritual gifts are given to all who believe in Christ, something
strange happens. Priests, pastors, theologians, and church leaders are no
longer the sole rivers for the flow of God's grace. The Spirit gives just plain
folks the power to give the love and grace of God to each other.
This was always true, but the Church of the past had mostly forgotten
it. Faithful people do this every day in tough circumstances, when they reach
out to help their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Jesus said his followers would be known by their fruits. The fruits he
spoke of were acts of love and marks of a Godly character.
The apostle Paul also
discusses the subject of spiritual gifts in his letter to the Romans.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members
have not the same office…:5 So we, being many, are one body in
Christ, and every one members one of another….6 Having then
gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy,
let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith…;7 Or
ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;8 ….Or
he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with
simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with
cheerfulness. 9Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is
evil; cleave to that which is good….10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with
brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;….11 Not
slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;…12 Rejoicing
in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;…13 Distributing
to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality….14 Bless them
which persecute you: bless, and curse not…. 15 Rejoice
with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep………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. Romans 12:4-21
Paul is talking about
the attitude of the believer in Christ, someone who is given to God. He then
starts to speak against an attitude of not feeling better than anyone else.
Each member has value in the Body of Christ.
Paul is not writing,
just about the Spirit's gifts, but about the
attitude taken when using them. Though the talk is spiritual gifts, the
intent is more like that for the spiritual fruits .Paul is writing about the
character that marks a Christian; the gifts are there for putting that
character into action.Paul holds the gifts of the Spirit to be so important
that when he teaches about other matters, he teaches about the gifts. The role
the spiritual gifts play is so central to a healthy relationship to Christ that
they affect everything else as well.
So let's face every new day ready to use the gifts
God has given us, and be ready to serve in ways that we are not gifted,
if that's what He asks.
Just know, that by being the person He has made us to be, we are bringing Him joy, and doing the work He has called us to do.
To the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen
Rev Bryan Dabney
of Saint John’s Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to
have Bryan’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.
Eleventh Sunday after Trinity
In today’s Holy Gospel
lesson, our Lord had to contend with those who trusted in themselves that they
were righteous, and despised others (St. Luke 18:9). His parable of the
Pharisee and the publican illustrates God’s disdain for those whose lack of
humility has led them into arrogance before his throne.
The particulars of this
parable are these: two men entered the temple for the purpose of prayer. The
former was a Pharisee and the latter was a publican or tax collector. The
former individual stood before God and recited his litany of supposed good
things he had done for the LORD; while the latter stood afar off, having judged
himself a sinner, smote his chest as he sought God’s pardon. Our Lord then
closed with his appraisal of the two men and identified the publican as having
left the temple justified because he had humbled himself before God while the
Pharisee had not.
Article XII of our
Articles of Religion states in part: “. . .that good works, which are the
fruits of faith and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, and
endure the severity of God’s judgment. . . “ And Article XIV states: “Voluntary
works besides over and above, God’s commandments ... cannot be taught without
arrogancy ... for by them men do declare, that they do more for [God’s] sake
than of bounden duty is required: whereas Christ saith plainly ‘when ye have
done all that are commanded to you, say, We are unprofitable servants.’ “
Our Lord was often
chided by the scribes and Pharisees for his teachings because they conflicted
with their understanding of God’s word written. These gatekeepers of the truth
had insulated themselves from the very thing they were supposed to protect and
espouse before men, and they did so via the traditions of their fathers (see
St. Matthew 23:1-39). Proverbs 16:5 states, Every one that is proud in heart is
an abomination to the LORD. Also Proverbs 20:6 says, Most men will proclaim
every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? And again in
Proverbs 22:4 we learn that, By humility and fear of the LORD are riches, and
honour, and life. And our Lord said (St. Matthew 18:4), Whosoever therefore
will humble himself ... the same is the greatest in the in the kingdom of
heaven.
Where was their
humility? Clearly, they had none. It is one thing to correct an error, and to
rebuke unrighteousness. Nevertheless, when we look at the comments made by the
scribes and Pharisees against our Lord, they lacked the caring quality of a
true teacher of God’s word which he had so often used in his discussions with
them (see II St. Timothy 2:24-26). They saw no need to do those things which
Moses and the prophets had called on them to do in order to preserve their own
souls as they were only interested in defending their traditional understanding
of things (St. Matthew 15:7-9).
Today, we find that the
disease of pharisaism has infected many within the modern church. They will
offer up to God their lists of “look-at-what-I-did-for- you-today” never once
realizing that all their works are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). They seem
unable to humble themselves before God on account of their particular station
in life. They may be well-to-do. They might possess the capacity to provide
their families with the best of everything. And on account of these things, how
can they humble themselves — or see their need for repentance — when the world
they know has given them the impression that they have no need to repent or to
humble themselves before God? The proper Christian, when presented with such
thoughts of self-sufficiency and self-aggrandizement, ought to fall to his or
her knees in humble reverence acknowledging the very God who made such wealth
possible. Sadly, the numbers of those who might be termed a “proper Christian”
are dwindling daily.
The publican, on the
other hand, sought and received forgiveness because he humbled himself before
the LORD. It is only when we come before God’s throne of grace — pleading with
him to take away our sins so that we might be restored in our fellowship with
him — that we experience his love for us. As with the father in the parable of
the Prodigal Son, so will our heavenly Father graciously receive and pardon all
who come to him if, and only if, they come with a heart seeking his
forgiveness. For only those who have a heart for God will be made right with
him through private confession and amendment of life.
And so we have two men
who entered the temple of God to offer him their prayers and petitions. The
Pharisee came with pride, while the publican came in humility and regret for
his actions. The Pharisee came to extol himself while the publican came
downtrodden, and abased himself before God. The Pharisee sought to justify
himself, while the publican sought God’s pardon and mercy. The Pharisee treated
God as if he had done him a favor, while the publican sought God’s favor
through his self-judgment and self-condemnation.
As we continue our
worship today, it is my prayer that each of you will seek a closer walk with
the Godhead. That you will ask the LORD to forgive you of your several sins and
trespasses. That you will come before his throne of grace seeking his pardon
with humble and contrite hearts. God sees our works both good and ill so there
in no reason to lay before him in pridefulness those things we have done in his
service — as if we could ever do even that which is expected of us. So let us
come to him with hearts desiring to first be forgiven of our sins, and then to
petition him for guidance in our Christian walk. Only afterward, are we to stand
up and rejoice for we know that he is just and faithful to cleanse us of all
unrighteousness in the name of his beloved Son. May our good and gracious God
be pleased to send his most holy Spirit to comfort and fill you so that all
your doings will be acceptable in his sight, and that Christ may be seen in
you.
Let us pray,
|
F
|
Ather, grant to us grace
sufficient to bring ourselves: our souls and bodies, into humble submission to
thy will and pleasure; that we might have a more perfect fellowship with thee
in this life, and for the life to come in thy eternal kingdom; for this we ask
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed week, Bryan+
[1]
Pharisee - One of a
sect or party among the Jews, noted for a strict and formal observance of rites
and ceremonies and of the traditions of the elders, and whose pretensions to
superior sanctity led them to separate themselves from the other Jews.
[2] Publican 1. (Rom. Antiq.) A
farmer of the taxes and public revenues; hence, a collector of toll or tribute.
The inferior officers of this class were often oppressive in their exactions,
and were regarded with great detestation.
Literally a Publican is one who farmed the taxes (e.
g., Zacchaeus, Luke 19: 2) to be levied from a town or district, and thus undertook to pay to the supreme
government a certain amount. In order to collect the taxes, the publicans
employed subordinates (5: 27; 15: 1; 18: 10), who, for their own ends, were
often guilty of extortion and peculation (defrauding the public by
appropriating to one's own use the money or goods intrusted to one's care for
management or disbursement; embezzlement). In New Testament times these taxes
were paid to the Romans, and hence were regarded by the Jews as a very heavy
burden, and hence also the collectors of taxes, who were frequently Jews, were
hated, and were usually spoken of in very opprobrious terms. Jesus was accused
of being a "friend of publicans and sinners" (Luke 7: 34).
[3]
Though Paul was
writing to the people of Corinth, the information is just as applicable to us,
perhaps more so now than ever before.
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