Today we celebrated the Sixth
Sunday after Trinity Sunday.
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. Some from Bishop Jerry, many from Rev
Bryan Dabney, a few from other places, some from Rev Geordie Menzies-Grierson,
but overall mostly from Bryan. He
always has some great ones to share.
On to the On Point quotes –
The strongest Oak of the forest isn't the one
protected from sunlight,indeed its the one that is exposed to struggle for its
existence against the scorching sun,strong wind and even excessive and heavy
downpour. Don't give up when partaking your portion of the wilderness
experience.
Mareen
Awuor
Kenya 2014
True
Shade Shelter
A Chinese convert once illustrated the folly
of self-righteousness as follows: "How can a man trust in his own
righteousness? It is like seeking shelter under one’s own shadow: We may stoop
to the very ground, and the lower we bend, we still find that our shadow is
beneath us. But if a man flee to the shadow of a great rock or a wide-spreading
tree, he will find shelter from the noonday sun. So human merits are
unavailing, and Christ alone is able to save to the uttermost."
Rev Geordie Menzies-Grierson
Newcastle, England
625 New Bible Stories and Illustrations
He
likes to be asked…
“I am hungry,” said Digory.
“Well, tuck in,” said Fledge, taking a big
mouthful of grass.
Then he raised his head, still chewing and
with bits of grass sticking out on each side of his mouth like whiskers, and
said, “Come on, you two. Don’t be shy. There’s plenty for us all.”
“But we can’t eat grass,” said Digory.
“H’m, h’m,” said Fledge, speaking with his
mouth full. “Well—h’m— don’t know quite what you’ll do then. Very good grass
too.”
Polly and Digory stared at one another in
dismay.
“Well, I do think someone might have arranged
about our meals,” said Digory.
“I’m sure Aslan would have, if you’d asked
him,” said Fledge.
“Wouldn’t he know without being asked?” said
Polly.
“I’ve no doubt he would,” said the Horse
(still with his mouth full). “But I’ve a sort of idea he likes to be asked.”
Jack
Lewis
The Magician's Nephew
Forgiveness
When it comes to a question of our forgiving
other people, it is partly the same and partly different. It is the same
because, here also, forgiving does not mean excusing. Many people seem to think
it does. They think that if you ask them to forgive someone who has cheated or
bullied them you are trying to make out that there was really no cheating or no
bullying. But if that were so, there would be nothing to forgive. They keep on
replying, “But I tell you the man broke a most solemn promise.” Exactly: that
is precisely what you have to forgive. (This doesn’t mean that you must
necessarily believe his next promise. It does mean that you must make every
effort to kill every taste of resentment in your own heart—every wish to
humiliate or hurt him or to pay him out.) The difference between this situation
and the one in which you are asking God’s forgiveness is this. In our own
case we accept excuses too easily; in other people’s we do not accept them
easily enough.
Jack
Lewis
The Weight of Glory
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that
fear him.
Psalm 103:13
And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a
physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance.
St. Luke 5:31-32
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast
believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
St. John 20:29
Neither the devil nor any other person or thing is to be blamed so as
to excuse ourselves, for the true origin of evil and temptation is in our own
hearts. The combustible matter is in us through the flame may be blown up by
some outward causes.
Matthew Henry
17th and 18th century English pastor and author
That thing which we would not do if we thought Jesus was coming
tonight, that thing we ought not to do at all. That place to which we would not
go if we thought Jesus was coming this day, that place we ought to avoid. That
company in which we would not like Jesus to find us, in that company we ought
never to sit down. Oh that men would live as in the sight of Christ!
JC Ryle
19th century Anglican bishop and author
Are You Ready For The End Of Time, p. 59
To believe in world peace, [the appeasers]... must believe that regimes
which ceaselessly talk of war, build weapons of war and torture and murder
their own people on a whim somehow share their hopes for peace... [Neville
Chamberlain believed that there was a universal aversion to war]. But there is
no such universal aversion. If there were, war would be the exception, not the
rule.
Daniel Greenfield
21st century American commentator
War and Dishonor, 1-22-14
Propers
The Propers for today are found
on Page 197-198, with the Collect first:
The
Sixth Sunday after Trinity.
The
Collect.
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O
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GOD, who hast prepared
for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into
our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may
obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
As is oft the case, the Collect
asks for help from the Holy Ghost to enter into our hearts that we might love
God and, thus obtain His most excellent Gifts. As imperfect creatures with free will, if we ask God for
something, it tends to be what we want, not what we need. He knows. Thus, we need His Help in the form of the Holy Ghost.
The Epistle came from the Paul’s
letter to the Romans, beginning at the First Verse of the Sixth Chapter. Paul
tells us that as we were baptized unto Jesus in life, so we are baptized unto his
death. We share His death on the
Cross for our sins and by His death, our sin is dead; then as He was raised up,
so are we. It is intended the
death we die unto sin is to be permanent and that we go forth and sin no
more. Yet, as long as we live here
on earth, we sin. Yet, as long as
we live in Christ, we live. Thus,
we reckon ourselves “to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through
Jesus Christ our Lord.”
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K
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NOW ye not, that so many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are
buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from
the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of
life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we
shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old
man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that
henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now
if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing
that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more
dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he
liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Today’s Holy Gospel started in the Fifth Chapter of
the Gospel according to St. Matthew, beginning at the Twentieth Verse. Jesus
tells his disciples, “Except your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and
Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Very worrisome indeed! Scribes and Pharisees spent their
entire lives acting the epitome of righteousness. There is no way mere mortals could exceed their
righteousness, or so it would seem.
Jesus goes on to tell us that not only would we not go to heaven if we
commit murder, but we are in danger of the same judgment of we are angry
without just cause. If that were
not worrisome enough, we are in danger of hell-fire if we call one another a
fool! Let not the night fall on
discord with your family and friends, your neighbors in the Christian sense of
The Word. The text following asks
us to do our best to follow Jesus and in return, his sacrifice will serve to
set aside the just judgment and we shall be accounted as righteous before God.
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J
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ESUS said unto his disciples, Except your
righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye
shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was
said by them of old time, Thou shalt do no murder; and whosoever murdereth
shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, that whosoever is angry
with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and
whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council:
but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire. Therefore
if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother
hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way;
first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree
with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any
time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the
officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no
means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
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.
The Law –Then and Now
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
Saint Andrew’s
Anglican Orthodox Church
27 July 2014, Anno Domini
The
Sixth Sunday after Trinity.
The
Collect.
|
O
|
GOD, who hast prepared
for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into
our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may
obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the
prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth
pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be
fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall
break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called
the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the
same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness
shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no
case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not
kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That
whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the
judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of
the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell
fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy
gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against
thee; 24 Leave
there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree with thine adversary
quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary
deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou
be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou
shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. (Matt 5:17-26)
How does the Law of God apply to us as Christians today? Has it been ruled null
and void and a thing of the past - perhaps uttered by a changeable God who acts
dispensationally from one generation to the next? Is the Law binding today as
before? I refer not to the ordinances of administration of Moses, but to those
Laws laid down by God – are they no longer of any weight and moment?
It may surprise some, after years on end of false indoctrination, that God has
not suspended nor nullified His Moral Law. It is just as binding today as it
ever was. Before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, there was no way for man
to satisfy the Law of God in the perfect obedience which that Law requires. “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
Yes, Jesus fulfilled, or satisfied, the demands of the Law, but that does not
mean that He suspended or cancelled them. They still remain inviolate. The
modern proponents of “easy-believism” would have us believe that we are free to
live in any way we please if we only give lip service to a faith in Jesus
Christ. Lip service will not satisfy the Law of obedience – only the received
Blood of Christ can substitute for the blood sacrifice required of each of us
for our sins.
While it is true that OUR obedience to the Law cannot save, the perfect
obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ DID save us so that we have a perfect
righteousness in the eyes of the Father by that IMPUTED righteousness we enjoy
in Christ. The Law clearly says that all have sinned – that there
are NONE righteous – and the “wages of sin is death.” So
how have we escaped the certain penalty of death levied against us? By that
substitutionary death of Christ upon the cross to all who receive Christ as
Redeemer, Lord, and Savior. The terms of the Law were satisfied in Him. In this
way, Jesus saved us by, and through, the Law. Since we have been pardoned and
justified under the Law, does that mean that we should go out and fragrantly
disregard the Law and teach others to do so? God forbid! We should obey God’s
Moral Law to our best capacity, but when we fail, we have an advocate with the
Father who stands at the ready to intercede on our behalf – Jesus Christ! No
part of the Law of God has been declared null and void. In times past, it was
engraved on Tables of unyielding Stone, but now it is written in the soft
sinews of our hearts with an instrument of love. That which we love, we can in
no wise disregard. “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”
(Psalms 119:97)
Love fulfills the requirement of the Law in Christ: “Love worketh no ill
to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:10) If
God’s Law were no longer in force, why would Paul make such a claim?
“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these
least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the
kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be
called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
We do not teach disobedience to God’s Law though some apostate churches (I need
not name them) do so with seeming impunity. We do not teach our children that
God’s Commandments were nailed to the cross lest we provoke the ire of God
against us. It is important, however, to point out that it is not our own
obedience to God’s Law that keeps us from the fires of Hell, but the
righteousness of Christ whose righteousness is imputed to those who are the
Elect.
All religions of the world, except Christianity, are works based religions. Islam
is strictly legalistic. Buddhism requires much meditation in order to become
part of the great universal self (whatever that is), and Hinduism requires the
adherent to satisfy the whims of many, many different gods and goddesses.
The religion of Christ is not works based. It is not
what you DO that will gain heaven. It is what you have believed and accepted,
through Grace that will get you there.
Our own personal conduct will never be righteous enough to spend eternity in
the presence of a Holy God. Men and governments have proven time and again to
be incapable of a sustaining righteousness.
“For I say unto you, That except your
righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye
shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The scribes
and Pharisees attempted to keep the letter of the law. This they attributed to
righteousness, however, their hearts were dark with envy, power, and intrigue.
Their righteousness was not of a good character, but of the outward appearance.
True righteousness springs from a heart devoted to God and full of love for Him
and His Creatures. Our righteous works are nothing apart from our love in
Christ. Of our own strength, we could never attain to the righteousness of God.
The righteousness of a Christian is not his own, but is the imputed
righteousness of Christ which makes him righteous before God.
Christ is now about to a stricter interpretation of the law than previously
considered or understood: “Ye have heard that
it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill
shall be in danger of the judgment.” This penalty of the law is
still in force as are all the other Commandments of God, however, Christ adds a
new dimension: “But I say unto you, That
whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the
judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of
the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
First note the authority with which Christ speaks as the Judge and Lawgiver! He
explains the deeper application of the law:
It is the heart that is judged and not the outward appearance. Only God can see
the deep chambers of our hearts. Even we, ourselves, are often oblivious to
what evil lurks in our heart – but God sees and He knows the means by which our
hearts can be made clean and righteous. Our intent to kill is the same as the
action itself in the eyes of God. Hate in our hearts is synonymous with murder!
Christ provides three examples of progressive judgmental authority:
1.
The judgment (lowest and first level of judgment
at the time in Jewish courts).
2.
The Council which was the Sanhedrin which sat at
Jerusalem, and
3.
Hell fire relates to the valley of Hinnom, a
valley in which the Jews in time past had sacrificed their sons and daughters
to the fiery arms of Molech by placing them in his red-hot arms until they fell
into the hot fire beneath the idle. God has warned not to allow our children to
pass through the fire to Molech. In later days, some records indicate that a
continual fire was allowed to burn in this valley to consume the waste and
carrion of Jerusalem. This reference by Christ to hell fire represents
the final and full judgment of the wicked.
“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the
altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee,
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be
reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
Therefore, or in view of, the previous statement, Christ issues this serious
counsel. There is not room in the heart for both hate and love, for
righteousness and unrighteousness. Therefore, when you give your alms to God,
or His creatures, do so with a clear conscience. If any man has a grievance
against you, settle that first, and then go with your gift to the altar. It is
much more possible to be reconciled to God when we are reconciled to our
neighbors.
“Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles
thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to
the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into
prison.” Be prompt to settle disputes with others before they
escalate into more serious offences. This applies as well to the confession of
sins. Do not go to bed on your anger, and confess promptly to God your sins
lest you perish prematurely and have no resort but hell. Confession removes
walls between a man and heaven, and it is a continual process. Failure to
confess a forgotten sin will not necessarily condemn a person to hell, but it
will obscure our vision and service to God.
Many Christians may forget that, since sins are freely forgiven, there remains
a scar which our sins may cause. David suffered the death of Bathsheba’s
firstborn because of sin. Our sins hurt ones we love, and even after God has
forgiven them, the image of hurt remains.
“Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no
means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.”
Here Christ is revealing that, though there may exist a wrong between man and
man; there is always a third and higher authority than any earthly court of
law, involved. God will exact a penalty for all sin. “The wages of sin is death.” This would be
a terminal indictment against man were it not for the sentence which follows: “For
the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
So, if the wages of sin is death, and we have ALL sinned, how may we pay the
sin debt? We cannot! But Someone else did! Jesus Christ died in our stead on
the cross for us to pay the debt we owe. “1 There is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law
could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in
the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-4)
Have you fled to Christ as your Ark in the time of trouble, friend?
Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and
Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and
Gospel together and is partly contained
in the forewords above.
Consider the words from the Collect, … who hast prepared for those who love
thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into our hearts such
love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy
promises, which exceed all that we can desire …
We acknowledge that God will give those who love Him
more good than they can imagine, let alone ask for. But, first you have to love Him. So what should we ask for? The Holy Ghost to enter in to our hearts that we might truly
love Him. If we do, more good will
come to use than we can even imagine or hope for. The Holy Ghost is a key
element of love, without Him we cannot even love Him. If we cannot love others,
how can we love Him who we have not seen? He gives us far more love than we
possibly deserve.
That is the great and wonderful news about following
our Lord. He has love for the entire world, if they would turn from their
sinful ways and follow Him. This is the message that we are bringing to the
world. That He loved us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His Son on the
cross to die for us, that we and all who believe on Him might have everlasting
life. Thi
We are imperfect creatures, created with free will by
a Perfect Being. To get into
heaven’s gate, we need be accounted as perfect before the Judge. That requires a bit of an accounting
irregularity, to get imperfection accounted as perfection.
So what does the Collect counsel, ask for the Holy
Ghost to enter into our hearts that we might get more than we can desire! Jesus! Jesus is that accounting irregularity. He can give us his
guidance and grace via the Holy Ghost, to make us better men and women of the
Lord. By His Sacrifice, made one time, for all mankind, for all time, we are
accounted as perfect by His Faith and action. Thus, through His Faith and His Action, we attain life
everlasting. Starting today, you
don’t have to wait until you die to benefit from your immortality. In fact, God would prefer you to start
acting like you will live forever right now. Thus, decisions you make, actions you take will be with the
long term view of eternity! Versus
our rather usual shortsighted short term view, we must think in the terms of
the big picture, not the tiny speck in the picture.
As imperfect creatures, immortal or not, we make
mistakes. One to avoid is being
“mad” at ones fellow creatures, particularly family and friends. We pick the most illogical reasons to
be mad, the word chosen rather than angry. Looked at logically, as God does, we need to solve the issue,
kiss and make up, and do it before the sun sets on our anger. Never part in anger. One of you may not come back. Remember
that before you are “angry” at a friend, relative, acquaintance, or stranger.
We must not let the anger and other irrational emotions such as fear get the
best of us, but rather think calmly and figure out the best way to handle
whatever situation we are in without losing control of our emotions. It can be
a rather hard thing at times, but it must be done nevertheless.
When Jesus gave His Life for us, He did it knowing we
would fail to follow in perfection, but fully aware some would follow to the
best of their ability. We must get back up after we make our mistakes and
continue on trying the best we can to follow Him. That is all He asks, do your
best. That is not the same as
saying you are doing your best.
There are none so deaf as those
who will not hear.
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 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:
Righteousness that Exceeds
the Pharisees
Matthew 5:20-26
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
July 27, 2014
“For I say unto you, That except your righteousness exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the
kingdom of heaven.”
The scribes and Pharisees were thought to be the unquestioned champions of
righteousness in the time of Christ. They had devoted their lives to
studying and keeping the Law of God. The scribes had their beginning in
Babylon around 580 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Israel and taken the
Jewish people to Babylon in captivity. Having no Temple in Babylon, the
Jews formed the synagogues. At first, the synagogues were probably headed
by priests, but as the synagogues multiplied the priests began to instruct and
ordain teachers, called, “rabbis,” to conduct the services and teach the
Scriptures. The rabbis were men of great learning. Not only did they know
the Old Testament by heart, they also knew the Talmud, a vast body of history,
tradition and commentary which contained the essence of what the Jews
considered being Jewish. In other words, the rabbis were experts in being
Jews. They helped the Jews keep their Jewish identity and heritage in
foreign lands where they could not keep the sacrifices and ceremonies of the
Temple in Jerusalem. They adapted the Temple liturgies into services that
could be done outside of the Temple, and their liturgies became the foundation
of the Christian liturgy we are using today. The fact that the Jews survive as
a people today is largely due to the work of the rabbis.
The Pharisees began as a political party. They seem to have
developed during an era when the Greeks dominated the land of Israel, and tried
to make the Jews become Greek. The Greeks desecrated the Temple in
Jerusalem. They outlawed the Temple services, Passover, and most of the
Jews’ most cherished rituals and traditions. The Pharisees arose at this
time in determination to preserve and perform these traditions, even at the
cost of their own lives. The survival of the Jewish people as Jews during
the time of Greek occupation is largely due to the Pharisees. Needless to
say, they were held in high regard in Israel.
Three hundred years later, in the time of Christ, the scribes and
Pharisees had largely deserted their founding principles. Though still
well learned in the Law and the massive volumes of Jewish traditions, the heart
had gone out of their faith. They had become so concerned about the small
details of Jewish tradition that they forgot to love the Lord thy God above all
else, and love thy neighbor as thyself. They were concerned more about
the outward performance than about the inward attitude.
Our Lord makes a frightening point in Matthew 5; the inward attitude
will send you to hell just as surely as the outward performance.
According to Jesus, anger without a cause is the same as murder, and looking
with lust is the same as adultery. Things, like insulting another person,
which make you liable in human courts, make you worthy of hell fire in God’s
court of perfect justice. But, notice that Christ is not talking to
scribes and Pharisees in this passage. These verses are part of the
Sermon on the Mount, delivered in Galilee to the everyday “man in the street.”
They were not scholars or “saints.” They were just regular people trying
to earn a living and feed their families. They could not while away their
days in study and prayer. They had work to do. How could their
righteousness ever hope to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees? But
Matthew 5:20 doesn’t just apply to the ancient Jews. It applies to us
today. How can the average person, who hasn’t been to seminary, and has
to work a job and support a family and keep up a home, ever hope to exceed the
righteousness of the professional holy men?
I think Christ’s point here is that real righteousness has two
parts. First, it is a matter of the heart. It is a matter of love for
God. The scribes and Pharisees had become so focused on the Talmud they
could not see God. They were like a person with binoculars who spent his
time admiring the binoculars instead of using them.
Second, the kind of righteousness Jesus is talking about cannot be
achieved by our efforts. It has to come to us from God as a gift.
This is because nobody is able to keep the law perfectly. Even those,
like the scribes and Pharisees, who excel at keeping the letter of God’s
commandments, are utter failures at keeping the spirit of the law. Maybe
they have never committed murder, but they have hated people without just
cause. Maybe they have never committed adultery, but have lusted.
Maybe they have never stolen but they have coveted. So they are not
really righteous after all. They are sinners, just like everyone else.
And if your righteousness is no better that theirs, then you are as lost and
far from God as they. Is your righteousness better? Have you not
hated without a cause? According to Christ, that is the same as murder in
the eyes of God. Have you not lusted? That is the same as adultery.
Have you not coveted? That is the same as theft. And we all do it.
And there is no excuse for it. We are guilty sinners before God.
I said there is no excuse for our sins, but, thank God, there is
forgiveness. Christ died to suffer the penalty of your sins.
Imagine yourself dressed in filthy, maggot infested rags. They represent
your sins. Now picture Christ taking these rags off of you and putting
them on Himself. He dressed in your sins, and died for them on the cross.
But that is only half of what He did. He also took the perfect, seamless,
spotless, priceless robe of His righteousness, and dressed you in it. He
gave it to you to keep forever. And dressed in His righteousness, you are
far more righteous than any scribe or Pharisee, or you could ever achieve.
In Him you are completely righteous. That is the only way your
righteousness can exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.
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.
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
In the epistle for today (Romans 6:9-10) we read, Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no
more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that
he liveth, he liveth unto God. Consider also the following passage taken from
the Book of Hebrews (9:24-28), For Christ is
not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the
true: but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor
yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enterth into the
holy place every year with blood of others; for then must he often have
suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the
world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it
is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was
once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he
appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
In Old Testament times, the Israelites were under a covenant obligation
to make certain offerings and sacrifices to God for their sins and trespasses.
Original sin had brought death— both physical and spiritual— to mankind. God
gave to his chosen people a temporary means of being freed from their sins
through his prescriptions as set forth in the Law of Moses. But these offerings
and sacrifices only covered their immediate sins and did not impute to the
individual petitioner everlasting salvation. And so, from year to year, the
faithful journeyed to Jerusalem to offer up those sacrifices and offerings
which God required. St. Paul likened this to being under the tutelage of a
pedagogue or teacher (see Galatians 3:23-25). And
so it was necessary for God the Father to send his only begotten Son into the
world to set us free from the bondage of the Law (Romans 7:15-8:4).
In response to our Lord’s free gift to us, St. Paul counseled all to,
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be
not entangled again with the yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1). And the apostle
clarified the issue of the sacrifices when he wrote in Hebrews 10, For the law
having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things,
can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually
make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be
offered? because the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience
of sins (vv.1-2)... For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats
should take away sins (v.4)... But this man [Christ Jesus], after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God (v.12)... for
by one offering, he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified (v.14)...
Now where remission of [sin] is, there is no more offering for sin (v. 18).
Given the aforementioned verses, a proper understanding of the
sacrament of the Lord’s Supper would be that it is a memorial to our Lord’s
sacrifice on Calvary’s cross. In our prayer book on page 80 are the words of
institution given us by our Lord: do this in remembrance of me, and, this is my
body, and this is my blood. Admittedly, without a proper bible understanding of
this sacrament, one might come to see it as the Medieval Church did when it
changed the character of the Lord’s Supper into a ritual re-enactment of his
sacrifice. This errant practice was initially proposed by a Benedictine monk
named Radbertus in the 9th century but was not formally approved until
the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. And ever since, the Medieval Church
continues to offer up our Lord— sacrificing him again and again, as it were,
“on cue”— in opposition to the expressed word of God (Hebrews 9:24-28).
While this and other errant practices— such as the use of icons,
statuary, relics and monstrances— were viewed as instructional tools to educate
the illiterate and the unlearned among the laity; all of the aforementioned
items are beyond the precincts of Scripture. Consider God’s second commandment,
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing
that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the
water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve
them... (Exodus
20:4- 5a). God has spoken and it
is not subject to change by his creatures. It is one thing to have God amend
his word as noted in Acts 15:1-21 wherein we read St. James then said, Men and
brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at first did visit the
Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the
words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return , and will
build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build
again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: that the residue of men might
seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith
the Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works from the
beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is that we trouble not them,
which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: but that we write unto them
that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from
things strangled, and from blood. But it is something else entirely for men to
amend God by their tradition (St. Matthew 15:1-11).
At first blush, it does seem strange indeed that the Medieval Church
would simply ignore the expressed will of God as noted Hebrews 10 concerning
the nature of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. But if one examines church
history, one will discover that by 13th century, it had become the
doorkeeper for interpreting the Holy Bible throughout much of Europe. There was
no private interpretation of the scriptures by the laity, or even the lesser
clergy. Every interpretation had to pass muster via the church hierarchy, and
even then it was likely to be changed to conform to some new pope, or church
council’s point of view. Ergo, the sound doctrine of one day could become the
next’s new heresy. As St. John wrote concerning the church at Pergamos in the
Book of Revelation (2:14), Thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of
Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of
Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols... that hold the doctrine of the
Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. The Nicolaitanes were the precursors of the
formal priesthood that lorded over the people. It was the doctrine of the
Nicolaitanes which heralded the coming of the papacy. Therefore that which, in
the church at Ephesus was more or less an administrative evil (2:6), had now
become, in Pergamos, an accepted doctrine (2:15).
The doctrine of Balaam hearkens us back to the Book of Numbers
(25:1-18) wherein the hireling prophet induced the Israelites to engage in idol
worship and fornication, which angered God and resulted in not only the
prophet’s death, but that of several thousand Israelites who had participated
in his false worship. As one commentator put it, “The doctrine of Balaam was
his teaching Balak to corrupt the people who could not be cursed by tempting
them to marry women of Moab, defile their separation and abandon their pilgrim
character. It is that union of the world and church which is spiritual
unchastity.”
Given what we know about the history of the Medieval Church—
particularly its adoption of extra-biblical forms and practices— we can better
understand why it had become like the scribes and Pharisees whom our Lord
rebuked saying, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your
tradition... This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth
me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship
me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (St. Matthew 15:3-8). Traditions within the Medieval Church, such
as transubstantiation, originated in a time well apart from our own and that is
what makes them so hard to root out. Also, it has not been slack in its
teaching of these errors to every generation of its congregants since the time
of their acceptance. And such explains why those erroneous doctrines and
practices possess an aura of credibility. Finally, they are supported by the
testimonies of men who possessed great learning and were reputed experts in the
field of theology and bible languages. Who then can rightly question them
today? What credibility will the critics of these traditions have against such
a cadre of respected and learned scholars? Well, folks, you cannot make right
what God in his word has said is wrong no matter how many letters you have
following your last name, or what prefix you have before your first name. The
words and numbers that matter are the chapter number and verse of a named
canonical book of Scripture. That should be the measure of truth and nothing
else.
It is important for us as born-again believers to follow the precepts
of the written word of God. Both the early church and the Reformation church
attempted to carry that message forward, and it is vitally important for all
true and faithful Christians, regardless of their denominational brands, to be
obedient to the expressed will of God. If we are engaging in false worship
based upon false doctrines, then we are no different than Cain, or Korah or
Nadab and Abihu. Will worship is not God worship. It is after all God who is
sovereign. He has not left us without proper instruction. It would behoove us
all to follow those things that are found within the Holy Bible, and not offer
up to God those things which will impair our fellowship and endanger the
salvation of others who might see our errors and embrace them as truth.
Let us pray,
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ather, keep us from all false worship and
idolatry, and guide us into the paths of righteous; for this we ask in the name
of him who made one offering of himself for sin, and will come again in glory
to rule as our King, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed week, Bryan+
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