Independence Day
Wednesday
we celebrated Independence Day, 4 July 2012, which marked 236 years since the
establishment of this country on the solid foundation of Divine
Providence. That would be God.
There
is a marked tendency to think of the Fourth of July as just another holiday,
perhaps special because of the fireworks.
It is not. This day marks
the establishment of the only successful Republic the world has ever seen. It is a special country with special
relationship with God. It is not
that God is on our side, but rather we are on God’s side. If we lose that relationship, we lose
the special nature of our country.
We trust you and your families had the very best Independence
Day. While you were enjoying the
day, we hope you took the time remember the terrible cost of our freedom and
those who paid it for us.
I
commend to you the Independence Day message from our Presiding Bishop Jerry L. Ogles:
"If
the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:36) and "And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)
Today
(July 4th) is the day in America on which we celebrate Independence Day! But what
did that Independence, gained from Great Britain, entail for the people of
America? It provided a free and open society in which her citizens could enjoy
those inalienable rights granted by God of life (even to a child in its
mother's womb), liberty (the freedom to worship as we please, say what we
please, and do what we please as long as we do not harm others), and the
pursuit of happiness (to plan for and provide for our families, or our own
careers, in whatever way we deem suitable for us). These are not rights granted
by the American government, or any other government – these are rights granted
by God Almighty. Any government that attempts to curtail these rights, or adjudicate
them into privileges, is acting without legitimate authority.
We
should never forget this country was founded upon Christian and Biblical
principles (notwithstanding the recent words of a President who wishes to deny
that America is still a Christian nation). An old friend of mine who is also a
staunch patriot and lover of the American Way, has spent much time and treasure
in sharing artifacts and documents of our founding as a nation. He is the Rev.
James Flanagan of Philadelphia! He sent to my church for posting a beautiful
copy of George Washington's Prayer at Valley Forge which we have been honored
to display at St Andrews:
"Almighty
God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy
holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate
a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a
brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of
the United states at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be
pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves
with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the
characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a
humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a
happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech thee, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen" ~ George Washington
A
report released in May 2011 by Harvard University entitled, "Shaping the
Nation: Estimating the Impact of Fourth of July Using a Natural
Experiment," finds Republicans benefit more from Fourth of July parades
and activities than do Democrats. The study reveals young people below the age
of eighteen who attended at least one patriotic celebration on the 4th of July
are more likely to vote and support the Republican Party. I will leave the
reader to draw the proper conclusion to this report whose aim is likely to
discourage patriotic celebrations as threatening to the socialist agenda.
Perhaps the display of Nativity Scenes and Easter Crosses might have a similar
detrimental impact on the atheist faith as well.
No
President should denigrate our Christian heritage or the values which made our
nation great. Unless America is a Christian nation in the hearts of her people,
and not the lips of a President, we may not be so. But as long as we hold dear
those truths in our hearts to be self-evident that underpinned our founding as
a nation, we shall ever remain strong and free.
It
appears we have ventured far from those principles for which our forefathers
fought and died to establish us as a Nation. The answer to our apostasy is not
in whom we send to Washington to represent us – it lies in the hearts of the
American people themselves to reaffirm. If America returns to God who gave us
liberty, we shall find those to represent us in Washington whose values are
likewise based on biblical and Constitutional principles. My prayer is that God
will once again shed His Light on Thee, America!
The Anglican Church, being founded on the principal
of one nation, one church, holds patriotism and true love of country in great
regard. It is quite interesting
that the majority of the Founding Fathers were members of the Church of England
and transferred their national church identity to what became the Protestant
Episcopal Church of the United States.
Like Henry VIII and Thomas Cranmer, they saw the need for a national
church. Not a captive arm of the
government, but a link to God for the people of the nation.
We hold our Independence Day dear to our hearts and
it is one of our religious feasts or holidays. A proper Red Letter Day!
The Independence Day Propers are found on Page
263-264.
Independence
Day.
[July 4.]
The Collect.
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ETERNAL God, through
whose mighty power our fathers won their liberties of old; Grant, we beseech
thee, that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain these
liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Dru Arnold read the Epistle, which came from the Tenth Chapter of
the Book of Deuteronomy beginning at the Seventeenth Verse:
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HE LORD your
God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible,
which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: he doth execute the judgment of
the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and
raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of
Egypt. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt
thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that
hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen..
Today’s Gospel started in the Fifth Chapter of the
Gospel according to Saint Matthew beginning at the Forty-Third Verse:
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ESUS said, Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them
which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of
your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and
on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love
them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even
the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in
heaven is perfect.
Fifth Sunday after Trinity
Today we celebrated the Fifth
Sunday after Trinity Sunday. Summer
is here, sunrise temperature on Mount Olympus was 58°F, by the time church ended
the mercury had climbed to 86°F, all under bright blue and clear skies. We ended up with 2 people present for
the service as Jack Arnold is still visiting the Thomas Family in Guam until
next week. Jack’s Travel Log is
here: http://poshkandaroog.blogspot.com/
Propers
The Propers for today are found
on Page 195-196, with the Collect first:
The
Fifth Sunday after Trinity.
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The
Collect.
RANT, O Lord, we beseech thee, that
the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that
thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Dru Arnold read the Epistle, which came from
the Third Chapter of the First Epistle of Saint Peter beginning at the Eighth
Verse. Peter tells to be of one mind, have compassion and pity for each other,
to be courteous, to give good to all our brethren, to return good for evil, to
seek peace, to do good, not just talk good. Peter tells us to not only talk the talk, but walk the
walk. To put ourselves in others’
places, understand when they fall short and make good things happen.
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E ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as
brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for
railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that
ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days,
let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the
eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their
prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he
that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye
suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their
terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.
Today’s Holy Gospel started in
the Fifth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Luke beginning at the First
Verse. This is one of the classic stories of Jesus in the Bible. Jesus had gone down to Lake Gennesaret to pray and then
speak to the people. As they pressed
in on him, he asked Simon Peter to use his boat as a speaking platform. Speaking from a small boat near the
beach is almost like speaking in an amphitheatre. When he finished talking to the people, he told Simon Peter
to go out and set his nets. Simon
pointed out they had fished all night with no result, but at His word, he would
set his net. The net gathered an
incredible catch that Simon Peter and his friends could not board. At that point, it was clear to Simon
Peter he was in the presence of one far greater than himself. He fell to his knees, saying, “Depart
from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
Then Jesus said, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” From then on Simon Peter followed
Jesus.
Do not misunderstand, every day
Jesus speaks to you telling you what to do. It is your choice, you can listen like Simon Peter, or you
can ignore Jesus. He has the pony
for the lottery. He wants to give
it to you, all you have to do is accept.
While He is a bit more subtle than a Drill Instructor, the question is
the same, “Can you hear me?”
There are none so deaf as those
who will not hear.
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T came to pass, that, as the
people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of
Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone
out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships,
which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the
land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had
left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your
nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled
all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down
the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of
fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were
in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and
filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he
fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O
Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the
fishes which they had taken: and so was also James, and John, the sons of
Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not;
from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to
land, they forsook all, and followed him.
Sermon
– Time and Action
Today’s sermon discussed the Collect, Epistle and
Gospel. It is partially contained
in the forewords above.
Consider these words from the
Collect:
… the course of
this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may
joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness …
In the Collect, we ask that this world might follow
God’s will. Why? Because in those places where it does,
we find happiness and joy. It is
that simple, it means more, reflect on that. After all, Amazing, is it not? Since the Garden, it has always been one of the two same
choices:
1. We
follow God’s Will for us, we do what is good for us, individually and as a
people or a country. It is hard
work, but easier than we imagined; we prosper when all goes well. It was all our doing, we are happy because
we were so smart.
2. We
ignore God’s instructions, doing what we want to do, not what we are supposed
to do. It turns out to be way
harder than we thought possible, in the end everything turns to weasel spit. It was not our fault, it was God’s
fault, He is punishing us.
3.
As long as we are human, imperfect creatures with
free will, it will never change for humanity. But, we can. We
can learn from the past and live for the future in Him who gave His Life that
we might be free eternally.
So, how do we make our little
part of this world follow God’s will? Peter tells to be of one mind, have
compassion and pity for each other, to be courteous, to give good to all our
brethren, to return good for evil, to seek peace, to do good, not just talk
good. Peter tells us to not only
talk the talk, but walk the walk.
To put ourselves in others’ places, understand when they fall short and
make good things happen.
So, just how do we make good
things happen? Fairly simple, do
what God asks! Don’t figure out
ways to seem to do what He asks, while doing what you want. Consider when Jesus told Simon Peter to
go out and set his nets. Simon was
tired, he was hungry, he had fished all night with no result. After making excuses, he decided to do
what he was told! The net gathered
an incredible catch that Simon Peter and his friends could not board.
That is what happened to Simon
Peter; that is what will happen to you, if you will but listen.
Do not misunderstand, every day
Jesus speaks to you telling you what to do. It is your choice, you can listen like Simon Peter or you
can ignore Jesus. He has the pony
for the lottery. He wants to give
it to you, all you have to do is accept.
While He is a bit more subtle than a Drill Instructor, the question is
the same, “Can you hear me?”
There are none so deaf as those
who will not hear.
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. It will give you a lot to consider in your heart.
Sermon Notes
Fifth Sunday after Trinity
8 July 2012, Anno Domini
The
Fifth Sunday after Trinity.
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The
Collect.
RANT, O Lord, we beseech thee, that
the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that
thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
1 And it came to pass, that, as the
people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of
Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the
fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And
he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he
would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people
out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto
Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your
nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him,
Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at
thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done,
they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And
they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they
should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that
they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at
Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For
he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes
which they had taken: 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons
of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And
when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. (Luke
5:1-11)
Jesus is once again by the shores of Galilee
(Gennesaret). As usual, people of all stripes are pressing around Him, either
for the sake of healing and hearing, or for a glimpse at a popular figure. Many
today are no different from this latter crowd. They enjoy the `popularity' of
Christ and being `called' Christian. Have you ever asked yourself what it
is about Christ that most appeals to your own heart? Is it itching ears you
have to hear a new word, or is it the Word of Truth that you truly seek?
We observe in today's Gospel text the third
call of Peter, James, Andrew and John – this time to Apostleship. There were
two previous calls of increasing import – John 1:35-42 & Matt 4:18-22. This
third is the chief call. It is much like our level of ministry in Holy
Orders.
2 And saw two ships
standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing
their nets. The ships of fishermen usually dock in the morning after a
long and weary night of fishing. Night is the best time to fish for fish, and
it is the best time to fish for men. Those who walk in darkness have great
need of Light, and this Light we present to them so that "The people
who sat in darkness have seen a great Light" and that Light is
Christ! Fish are easily caught at night due to the dangers of limited
vision. Those who walk in darkness as well fall prey to the snares of the
devil.
The two ships are notable. The one into
which Jesus steps are much like the Jewish nation to which He came first. The
second is like unto the Gentile nations. In the end, both who follow Him are
filled to capacity with great blessing.
3 And he entered into one of the
ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from
the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
The multitudes are great and press closely on
Christ. He can hardly move an elbow for the press. He enters Simon's ship and
asked him to cast out some short distance from the shore. This vantage point
will separate Him from the crowd and its worldly concerns of His popular
appeal. They represent the world, and He sits apart from the world and preaches
to those who stand in it. It is often necessary for a minister to separate
himself from the petty politics of the parish and get a deep-seated stand on
the Word of God that he may preach with power and conviction, unmoved by public
opinion.
Jesus, unlike many modern "Jumping Jacks
of the Pulpit", often sat down to preach and teach. He spoke in even and
calm accents. He sat as one having authority and not needing to scream to
awaken heaven and hell to His Person.
Jesus now gives a command that would seem
ridiculous to a seasoned fisherman of little or no faith: 4 Now when
he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch
out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. It
might seem at first strange that so common a teacher as Jesus could command the
immediate obedience of rough men of the sea, but Jesus was no common teacher,
and His disciples would be, no more, rough men of the sea. Christ, through the
disciples' knowledge of Him gleaned from past observation, commanded respect,
obedience, and action. He has full authority over the lives of those who
consider themselves His disciples – that includes you and me.
The bright morning sun would preclude a
reasonable possibility of catching fish; yet, these fishermen knew that
whatever Christ commanded was reasonable even if a miracle were required to
bring about the result.
Of course, obedience to Christ will always
result in munificent reward.
Do not simply "launch out", but
also "let down you nets," and not simply "let down your
nets", but let them down for a draught of fish! Even if God's commands may
seem unreasonable to us, we obey to the letter and wait for the miracle.
We might prefer to fish for bait fish along
the near shore, but Christ commands us to launch out far into the deep – that
is where the large catches are made – Africa, India, Asia, America, the darkly
lit streets of New York!
So what response do we expect from a faithful
disciple?
5 And Simon
answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken
nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. The labors
of the hands of men profit nothing apart from the hand of the Lord working in,
and through, him. Working all the long night will avail no riches in heaven
unless it is in obedience to God's Word.
Even though the disciple has labored all night,
at the opportune time for fishing, and achieved nothing at all, yet, the Lord's
commands are not empty of meaning. Peter acknowledges that he has failed in his
own strength to catch any fish, but, "at Thy Word"
Peter will let down the net. We can fish for men all we like under our own
power, but we will change no hearts, nor save any souls. It is the Holy Ghost
working in the hearts to draw them to the NET that counts.
6 And when they had this done, they
inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. Even when we
begin with faith, we are overcome in amazement at the surprising power of God
to bring victory from hopelessness. It is unlikely that these men had
ever caught so many fish that their nets began to break, but at the most inopportune
time of day for fishing, this is the very thing that happened. Obedience to God
ALWAYS pays dividends.
The laborer may look at his pitiful seven
loaves of bread and wonder how can this ever provide sufficiency to feed a
family, or a household with guests, but he then remembers the One who fed on
one occasion four thousand, and on another, seven thousand, with such little
provision of bread. That increase, which God gives, though seemingly small,
will always be sufficient to meet the needs.
7 And they beckoned
unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and
help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
Instead of constantly struggling for the greatest mansion of a building, or for
pride and prestige, the churches should be working for the greater need – the
salvation of souls and propagation of the Gospel. Instead of playing petty
politics with sex and sin, they should be manning the rescue boats for the
saving of souls. And they must labor together and not at odds with each
other or the Word of God in doing so. The number of boats will never be
sufficient to land the haul of souls caught in the net of the Gospel if we are
obedient to God.
8 When Simon Peter
saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful
man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with
him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.
Are you astonished at the work of Christ in
your own life and that of others? If not, perhaps you need to be more diligent
in prayer and study. Do you believe that Simon Peter really desired
Christ to depart from him? Not at all! He could not suppress his humility and
gratitude that such a Majestic Lord would bend ear to him. Though Peter had
come to expect the unexpected, he was nevertheless surprised at the Grace and
Power of God evidenced by Jesus.
We note, first, the awakening of conscience
in Peter. When he observed the righteousness and glory of Christ in comparison
to his own poverty stricken soul, he was ashamed of his own sins. Have you
been?
Following the awareness of our sins comes the
cry of fear and contrition! How can Christ receive poor Peter in view of his
past sins? How can Christ receive you and me in view of our past sins? But He
does!
10 And so was also
James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus
said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou
shalt catch men. If Christ
abides with you, FEAR NOT! Yes, you have been heavy laden with sins, but He
will remove that unbecoming yoke from your shoulders and place His own yoke
upon you that does not bear down, but rather lifts up. Your earthly nets may
break with sin, but Christ will make you fishers of men and that NET will never
give out for abundance. In the two previous Gospel accounts of fishing, Christ
had told them that He would make them fishers of men. Now, they are told that
they SHALL catch men.
11 And when they had
brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. The
disciples had abandoned all to follow Christ on previous occasions: And
they straightway left their nets, and followed him. (Matt 4:20) And
following the Crucifixion, they did so again: Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing.
They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a
ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. (John 21:3) Following this event when Christ
again commanded them to drop their nets, Peter and the others never returned to
their secular professions. They left the life of fishers of sea creatures, and
took up the full mantle of fishers of men according to Christ's command to them
– and to us! Are you?
Guest Sermon by
Bishop George W. Connor, Anglican Episcopal Church
CHRISTIAN MANLINESS
Fifth Sunday after Trinity
Saint Bede’s Tucson, Arizona
8 July 2012
In this morning’s Baptismal
Office young Jonathan Lindsey was received“…with the sign of the cross, in
token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ
crucified, and manfully to fight under His banner, against sin, the
world, and the devil…” (p. 280, BCP). The phraseology is the same, whether
the individual being baptized is male or female.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
says this regarding the word manful: It can be used as an adjective, and
it dates from the 14th century. Its definition “having or showing courage
and resolution” The adverb that goes with this is manfully,
and the corresponding noun is manful-ness.
It appears that certain political
groups, in their efforts to promote a gender-neutral culture, object to the
attribution of the quality of manful-ness to a soldier, even though
the meaning is well understood. This is an example of the constantly recurring
linguistic bias in contemporary bibles against masculine characterizations.
Another word that we encounter is
“manliness”. "Christian manliness" became a common catch
phrase that represented a strategy for commending Christian virtue by linking
it with secular notions of moral and physical prowess. "Manliness" in
this context generously embraced all that was virtuous and vigorous
and it is this blend of recurrent religious principle with contemporary heroism
that became central to our understanding of the period and determined the
construction of the modern masculine ideal.
For most of the nineteenth
century and certainly until the 1930's, the prevailing definition of
"manliness" as a code of conduct for men was a matter of keen
interest to educators and social critics. Experts who ranged from Thomas Arnold
through Thomas Carlyle, Charles Kingsley and Thomas Hughes to Robert
Baden-Powell variously placed emphasis on moral courage, sexual purity,
athleticism and stoicism.
A similar word is “boldness”.
Let’s consider a phrase from this morning’s second lesson: “And when they beheld the boldness of Peter and John, they took knowledge
of them, that they were unlearned and ignorant men, that they had been with
Jesus.”(Acts 4: 13)
The boldness of Peter and John. The Jewish religious
leaders were about to encounter men who had a courageous quality about
them. Peter and John would no longer be intimidated. They knew in Whom
they believed and were persuaded that He was able to keep them in the center
of His will. Lives that had been marked by cowardice were now marked
by confidence.
The Jewish religious leaders noticed this confidence of
Peter and John, but they still thought
they could intimidate them: We read at v. 18: Then they
called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the
name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Whether it be right in the
sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20For
we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 21So
when they had further threatened them, they let them go. (Acts 4:18-21a)
The religious leaders’ tactic was simple, and it is still
the tactic the world uses today: If you can’t ignore the Christians, intimidate
them. The goal, of course, is to get Christians to cool it when it comes
to living out biblical Christianity.
The religious leaders were willing to let them believe
anything they chose. What they were not willing to let them do was to
act on what they believed. That is precisely what the world tells us today.
"We respect your right to your religious belief, just don’t impose that
belief on anyone else." The fact of the matter is that we can’t
impose anything on anyone. But that’s not what they mean. What they mean is
that they don’t want us acting on what we believe. They don’t want us talking
about what we believe. They certainly don’t want us trying to influence
other people to believe what we believe. And when we live out what
we believe and stand up for what we believe, they are threatened, so
they seek to threaten us. They just want us to calm down, to lay low, and to
blend in.
Peter and John would have nothing to do with it.
They said that they couldn’t stop speaking what they had seen and heard. In
essence, they told the religious leaders that they had to obey God
rather than men. They didn’t say that they would not stop speaking, they said they could not. You see, it wasn’t
their choice. They saw it as obedience to God’s command. It wasn’t
God’s suggestion that they be witnesses, it was God’s command.
They had no choice but to obey. "For
we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" was their reply.
We see here evidence of the confidence and courage
which now possessed these disciples. But we mustn’t miss the truth that this
was a tense situation. They were speaking to the highest religious
authorities of the day. It was a fearful thing to be dragged before the great
Sanhedrin court. These were the same leaders who decided to put Jesus to death
and set in motion the events for His crucifixion. Who was to say the same
wouldn’t happen to these disciples? This was a fearful situation which they
faced. But face it they did, and in the power of God.
We face situations like this in our lives as we seek to
live out biblical Christianity in a secular society. We have to face our
friends, our neighbors, our co-workers, and our employers. We have to face the
people with whom we do business — our clients, our customers, the mechanic who
works on our car, the shopkeepers who sell us our clothes and our food, and the
list goes on. We must relate to people in the society in which we live, and
sometimes they intimidate us because we are afraid of how they may respond.
The problem is, when we do so, we come away from the
situation feeling like we have somehow failed the Lord. We don’t feel good
about ourselves, and we vow to do better the next time. But the good news is we
don’t have to feel that way. We can face our fears and overcome them.
We can live in the boldness of the power of God. We can make a
difference in the lives of others. We can turn our community upside down for
Jesus Christ. We can have the same confidence and boldness that Peter and John
had in the face of fears which could have immobilized them. We have the same
resource available to us which was available to them. And I believe we have the
same desire to be bold witnesses which was theirs.
Let’s consider some scriptural references to the word
“bold”.
From Ephesians 6: 19-20 And for me,
that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make
known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I
may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. In this passage, Paul asks his readers to pray, not for his
liberation from prison, but for wisdom and boldness, clarity and
courage in proclaiming the
message. Like the early apostles, his prayer wasn’t for success, or for
deliverance from danger or suffering, but for boldness in proclaiming
the Gospel of God that was entrusted to him.
From 1Timothy. 3: 13 For they that have used the
office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great
boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Here Paul writes to
Timothy regarding the role of a deacon, that great boldness must be
shown in relationships with men, and possibly also in relationship to God
From
Hebrews 4: 16 Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in
time of need. The Christian’s approach to God is to be
characterized by confidence or boldness, by a freedom of expression and
deliverance from fear. It is perfectly reflected in the Lord’s prayer, where
the use of an address like “Our Father” reflects a marvelous boldness.
From 1 John 4: 17 Herein is our love made perfect,
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we
in this world.
John is writing here of the unshrinking confidence that we should have at
Christ’s coming, and the bold assurance we should enjoy as we approach God in
prayer.
One of the distressing by-products of secular humanism has been the
tendency of individuals who adhere to that philosophy to attribute qualities of
their own perversions onto historical persons. As an example, St. Paul often is
described as a woman hater, a closet homosexual, and a tyrant. For decades,
blasphemers have tried to manufacture an affair between our Lord and
Mary Magdalene. The Episcopal (that is TEC, not AEC) Bishop of New Hampshire,
in speaking to a conservative Episcopal group in Massachusetts, opined that Jesus
might have been gay.
[1]Many
are alienated from Christianity because they have never realized that the ideal
Christian life and the ideal manly life are one and the same.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of unmanly Christians. Nonetheless, when you
read your New Testament you cannot find an unmanly Christ. Christ is the
ideal in our religion. Therefore, if you want to behave in a manner
befitting a man, if you feel the need to
be brave and true, strong and tender, if, in Milton’s magnificent
phrase, you would learn “to hate the cowardice of doing wrong”, then follow
Jesus Christ. We will mention several of the facts which illustrate the
true manliness of our Lord.
(1) His
moral courage. Neither in word nor in deed did He take into account the person
of a man. One of the first acts of His public ministry was to enter into the
Temple where the bargainers and moneychangers carried on their unholy traffic,
and with a whip of small cords, single-handedly, to lash them from the House of
God.
(2) His
physical courage. Just revisit (or visit for the first time) the Mel Gibson
film THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, and imagine what suffering our Lord
endured.
(3) His
steadfastness of purpose. As Emerson writes, “The characteristic of
heroism is persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts
of generosity. But when you have chosen your part, abide by it, and do not
weakly try to reconcile yourself with the world.” Measure Christ’s life by
that test and see the result.
(4) His
union of strength coupled with feeling and sympathy. Perhaps we never truly
feel how nobly strong Christ was until we have seen in Him strength
united with the most wonderful refinement of feeling and perfection
of sympathy.
Christ Jesus is the perfect
Man; for true manliness can stoop as well as climb; it knows
how to be gentle and unresisting, and also to be bold and
self-assertive. It can forgive and hold back, as it can also be angry
and condemn. Tennyson writes of “that gentleness which, when it weds with
manhood, makes a man”. We find the most splendid examples of simple
fearlessness and heroic self-devotion among those who have consider
it their greatest joy to call Christ Jesus Lord. Let us take to heart
this word above all ---and realize that we too may gain all that Peter and John
gained by communion and fellowship with Christ.
LET US PRAY:
Soldiers of Christ, arise, and put your armor on,
Strong in the strength which God supplies through his eternal Son;
Strong in the Lord of hosts, and in his mighty power:
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts is more than conqueror.
Stand then in his great might, with all his strength endured,
And take, to arm you for the fight, the panoply of God.
From strength to strength go on, wrestle and fight and pray:
Tread all the powers of darkness down, and win the well-fought day.
That, having all things done, and all your conflicts past,
Ye may obtain, through Christ alone, a crown of joy at last.
Jesus, eternal Son, we praise thee and adore,
Who art with God the Father one, and Spirit
evermore.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Acts 4: 1-14: -1And as they spake unto the people, the priests,
and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2Being
grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the
resurrection from the dead. 3And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it
was now eventide. 4Howbeit many of them which heard the word
believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 6And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 13Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. 14And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. 17But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. 18And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 21So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
