240922 AOC Sunday Report
Worldwide Communion
Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
Sunday Report
The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity – September 22, 2024
Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity Propers:
The propers are special prayers and readings from the Bible. There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of England in the 1540’s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding.
The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday. The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. The Gospel is a reading from one of the Holy Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Collect is said by the minister as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel, which during the service in our church is read by an ordained minister.
The propers are the same each year, except if a Red-Letter Feast, that is one with propers in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off. Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks the titles are in red, are special days. Most of the Red-Letter Feasts are dedicated to early saint’s instrumental in the development of the church, others to special events. Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or Lent. The Propers for today are found on Page 213-214, with the Collect first:
The Collect for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
LORD, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity. The Epistle. Ephesians iv. 1.
I THEREFORE, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, for-bearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
The Gospel for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity. The Gospel. St. Luke vii. 11.
IT came to pass, as Jesus went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things. And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest seat; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
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, others from Rev. Geordie and many from Rev Bryan Dabney and a few from other places. Rev. Geordie – England (right)
Points to Ponder:
Sing unto
God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah.
Psalm
68:32
The LORD
will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the
substance of the wicked.
Proverbs
10:3
Come near,
ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that
is therein: the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation
of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon their armies: he hath
delivered them to the slaughter.
Isaiah
34:1-2
He that
receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent
me.
St.
Matthew 10:40
Holiness is the only thing that distinguishes us from
the reprobate part of the world. God’s people have his seal upon them. ‘The
foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that
are his. And let all that name the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ (2
Tim 2:19) The people of God are sealed with a double seal. Election, ‘The
Lord knows who are his:’ and Sanctification, ‘Let every one depart from
iniquity.’ As a nobleman is distinguished from another by his silver star;
as a virtuous woman is distinguished from a harlot by her chastity; so holiness
distinguishes between the two seeds. All that are of God have Christ for their
captain, and holiness is the white colour they wear. (Heb 2:10)
- Thomas Watson taken from: A Body of Divinity, Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1997, pp. 86.
The same
God who directs the earth in its orbit, who feeds the burning furnace of the
sun, and trims the lamps of heaven, has promised to supply thee with daily
strengths.
The Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon– Morning and Evening, p.
714.
The Devil
goes out into the wilderness and finds us in a fainting, discouraged condition,
with our faith weak, the sky cloudy, and our vision obscured. Then he shows us
the world from the loftiest peak of observation, clothed in its most enchanting
wonders. He never gets tired of trying to ruin us until the coffin lid is
sealed and our happy spirits are bathing in the land where the wicked cease
from troubling; and ... the weary be at rest (Job 3:17). Satan has the wisdom
of an archangel and the experience of half an eternity as captain of all the hosts
of hell. He is an expert in the acts and arts of deception and trickery. He has
almost inexhaustible resources at his command to serve his purposes. Other than
God himself, a wiser and more powerful spirit than Satan does not live. A more malicious
power than he could not exist. There is no greater worker than he. His endless
energy and tireless perseverance are the only things in him worthy of imitation.
These are the things that make him so powerful and so dreadful.
The Rev. E. M. Bounds–Guide To Spiritual Warfare, pp.
97-98
I REFUSE TO BE DISCOURAGED:
I refuse to be discouraged, to be sad, or to cry;
I refuse to be downhearted, and here's the reason why
....
I have a God who's mighty, who's sovereign and
supreme;
I have a God who loves me, and I am on His team.
He is all wise and powerful, Jesus is His name;
Though everything is changeable, my God remains the
same.
My God knows all that's happening; beginning to the
end,
is presence is my comfort, He is my dearest friend.
When sickness comes to weaken me, to bring my head
down low,
call upon my mighty God; into His arms I go.
When circumstances threaten to rob me from my peace;
He draws me close unto His breast, where all my
strivings cease.
And when my heart melts within me, and weakness takes
control;
He gathers me into His arms, He soothes my heart and
soul.
The great "I AM" is with me, my life is in
His hand,
The "Son of the Lord" is my hope, it's in
His strength I stand.
I refuse to be defeated, my eyes are on my God;
He has promised to be with me, as through this life I
trod.
I'm looking past all my circumstances,to Heaven's
throne above;
My prayers have reached the heart of God, I'm resting
in His love.
I give God thanks in everything, my eyes are on His
face;
The battle's His, the victory is mine; He'll help me
win the race.
- Author Unknown
Some people treat love as if it were an exhaustible
commodity, but it is not. The more we love, the greater is the treasure of
wealth and love in our Fountain. Humility is the same. By lifting others up and
putting ourselves down, God mysteriously lifts us above all. We have no need for
anxiety or apprehensiveness. He is able to lift our unbecoming yoke, and
demonstrate His love for us in ways the world cannot comprehend. Have you felt
that love friend?
Bishop Jerry
Ogles – Reason for Hope, pg. 41
Jerry
Ogles
Presiding Bishop
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
We are fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s you tube links, devotions on the Prayer of the Collect and sermon notes.
Bishop Jerry creates videos on various subjects, they last just under ten minutes and this week’s videos are listed below:
Bishop Ogles Sermon Summary 17th Sunday after Trinity
click below to listen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLGzuxgHe-s
Bishop Ogles - Brief Morning Devotions:
Devotional Reading from Middle School member of St. Andrews: Miss Soomin Kim (below)
https://youtu.be/rj4ZAFxpfAs - Monday 9/16/24
https://youtu.be/lvCaL_hnyho – Tuesday 9/17/24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T0fCsqq-EQ – Wednesday 9/18/24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teNdJaamFYc – Saturday – 9/21/24 (above)
Sermon Notes for Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
The Collect.
“For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Gospel of St. Luke 14:11
Today’s Communion texts relates to the submission in both body and spirit to the remembrance of our Lord’s Supper that our Lord has counseled that we should observe. At this occasion, we humbly come together to eat at the Lord’s Table with our fellow believers in Christ. When families in American were bound more soundly in love and common purpose, we ate together at the same table in fellowship. The same must be true of the Church family. We commune with our Lord and with each other in this Holy Communion.
Throughout both our Gospel and Epistle text runs teaching in humility – a quality too often and too little absent in the modern church. The pulpits are often filled with men prideful of their calling in Christ, of the elegance of the church structure itself, and of their works and labors as ministers. Such pride represents a larger share of the same nature of the entire church and is not pleasant in the eyes of our Lord who had not a place to lay His head in His earthly ministry.
Humility in the theme of which we are profoundly reminded in our Prayer of Collect, too, as well as the other related texts in the Gospel of St. Luke and the Epistle to the Ephesians of Paul. Humility is a gift of grace that reflects the true nature of the regenerated man. It follows immediately upon the gift of Love that is reflected in the previous two Sundays. As we are reminded in the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, “4Love (charity) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-6) Love puts the interest of others at the same par with our own interests and well-being.
In our Prayer of Collect, only the humble servant of Christ can pray that the grace of God might go before us, and that the grace of Christ was illustrated in both strength and humility. These two natures are not mutually exclusive.
That grace, evidenced in love, we seek to go before us in the guidance of the Holy Spirit to prepare our hearts in right desires, to reveal opportunities of sharing, and to fulfill our calling in Christ as good servants. We also beseech the Lord that His grace would also follow us in encouraging counsel to guard against the unseen enemy who seeks to destroy is. This is typified in that Pillar of cloud by Day and Fire by Night that both followed and preceded the Children from the Red Sea crossing and beyond.
Paul claims in the Epistle to the Ephesians 4 himself to be a ‘prisoner of the Lord’ demonstrating meekness in forbearing one another in love. Certainly, if the believer is a prisoner, they are not ones of compulsion and restraint, but prisoners whose bonds are those of love which compels compassion and mercy toward others. We are prisoners made free in Christ alone for there is no freedom apart from that Perfect Law of Liberty that He grants. If Christ has made us free, then we are free indeed.
There are two stark reasons for the humility needful of the Christian walk as evidence of that worthiness of the privilege of our calling:
1) our calling demands it and our humility is a seal of evidence to others of that calling; and
2) the unity of the Church demands it. In the Lord’s Supper we show that we are One in Christ as He is One with the Father. We partake of the same Bread representing His Body given for us, and the same Cup which is a spiritual acknowledgment of His Blood shed for us. He is spiritually present in at His Table as we partake of these elements of faith and memorial. We are not simply servants of God, but also children who acknowledge, in humility to our Lord and our fellow believers, that same nature of love and grace that His Spirit imparts.
In our Gospel Text, we are reminded that the world is watching us to either find fault or weakness of our profession. The world will lay snares for us to test our face, but we must press on in the faith of Christ and with the courage of a soldier of His glorious army. We obey without question His orders in love and humility.
The world will watch our walk of faith and humility with contempt, but we must be ready, always, to give and account of that faith whereby we are made free. We will not fear the constantly encompassing enemies of our King, but continue our march of faith in virtue, humility and love. Just as the Two Tables of the Law of Commandments are suspended upon the foundation of Love, so must our actions be so guided as to give evidence of that love in humility to others in truth sharing the Gospel openly in that love and humility.
Realizing that pride is the father of all sins, we must subdue motive in all that we do. We should never boast of our good works and labors in Christ for they are not good works if they are OURS. All our good works must glorify God as the Author of all goodness. Our righteousness is not our own lest we perish therein. It is the imputed righteousness of our Lord that fills our sails on the sea of life.
Humility also garners a sense of mercy and compassion for those whose lives are tempered with oppression and poverty. The hurting stranger beside the road, robbed and left for dead by Satan, must evoke our compassion to the point of action. It is not truly our goodness that is illustrated by that compassion, but Christ’s compassion that emanates from a heart that is owned by Him.
When we boast of our good works, we are made lower in the eyes of God and relinquish any blessing that we expect to issue from our prideful natures. In acknowledging the favors and blessings of God in all our works, we are elevated, not in pride, but in justification and nearness to that Mind of Christ which we have taken upon ourselves at our early conversion to Him.
Let our works, and those of the Church, be guided by charity for the poor, the widows and orphans, the sick and the dying, and the prisoners unjustly held in chains. Instead of political motives, let our actions be guided by sincerity and love. We will thusly gain the favor of God even at the expense of disfavor of the world. Let us be guided by that same love, compassion and humility of the One who bled and died for our freedoms – the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Christ Alone during Season of TRINITY,
† Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop.
AnglicanOrthodox Communion Worldwide &
Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary
Let us carefully observe how little good they do who attempt to mix up evangelical preaching and a ritual ceremony. Little, did I say? - they do no good at all! The world is never won by trimming and compromising, by facing both ways, and trying to please all. The cross of Christ is never made more acceptable by sawing off its corners, or by polishing, varnishing, and adorning it. Processions and banners, and flowers, and crosses, and excessive quantity of music, and elaborate services, and beautiful vestments may please children and weak-minded people. But they never helped forward heart-conversion and heart-sanctification, and they never will. Bishop J. C. Ryle, First Bishop of Liverpool, U.K.
Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
Sermon – Bishop Jack Arnold -
Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
Today’s sermon tied the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and talked, as is oft the case, of the need for action, not simply diction.
Consider the words of the Collect, … thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works …
The first thing to consider when you look at today’s Collect is a word: prevent. Prevent is a word that has many meanings, and at least one has fallen out of general usage as time has gone on. This is one of them. In this case the word prevent means to go before. Before you object to archaic words, consider this is a current word, it just has a use you may not have been aware of and now you are! What a bonus for this week!
So, we ask God that His Grace, His Love, His Power, His Help may go before and after us to protect us and guide us that we might desire to do what He wants us to do. Why do we need that? It is because we are imperfect creatures with free will and have the same failings week after week.
We sometimes think we may know better than God but that is wrong. How can we deign ourselves more knowledgeable about ourselves than our creator? That is our natural inclination to foolishness talking. If we stop to think, we realize, with the help of the Holy Ghost, God truly knows what is best for us and it will be a lot better for us if we listen to him. If we follow what He wants for us, we are guaranteed to have good results in the long run. It does not mean we will not suffer in the short term; however it means if we follow God's will for us, then we will come out ahead in the end, in our eternal life. God does not guarantee us a life without struggles and adversities, but what he does guarantee us is that if we stay the course, that we will get that wonderful gift of eternal life.
That wonderful gift is what matters in the end.. Whatever suffering we go through in this life is only temporary, in the eternal life we will not suffer but have everlasting joy. The question we have to ask ourselves is in the end will it be our will that is followed or God’s will?
As a matter of course, we will make mischief and or trouble, some of us more than others. God is the ever patient father who has to gently warn us and allow us to experience the consequences of our inclination to sin, in order to learn not to do it. This is His form of correction. He seldom corrects us directly, but allows us to be corrected by our consequences of our bad decisions. Contrary to what some people think he rarely punishes us directly, but lets the consequences of our bad choices do that for Him. He expects that we will learn from the consequences of our sinful actions, and that we will know that we shouldn’t do it again. If we never got to experience the natural results of our mistakes, we would never learn. We have to experience these results of our mistakes in order to learn and do better next time. It is impossible to learn without making mistakes. Making mistakes is how we learn. We have to learn from our mistakes of course, but we cannot truly learn if we don’t make mistakes. When bad things happen as a result of our doing, it is not His fault that's it happened, but our fault for not having done what we were supposed to do because it was too difficult.
The other part of the collect talks about asking God to make us be continually given to do good works. This means to put His Will into our heart and give us a desire to continually do good works for others, by given, the collect means to put a desire into our hearts to do God’s Will here on Earth and part of doing His Will on Earth is performing good actions, otherwise known as good works. We are asking this as we are naturally not given to good works, but to evil works. So we need His help if we are to be given to doing continual good works and to avoid doing evil works.
We know, often very clearly, what we want; God knows, always very clearly, what we need. There is almost always a distinct difference between what we want and what we need. People often get those two words confused. They do not mean the same thing. God knows what we want is usually not good for us. But what we need is always good for us.
But we do not often know what God wants for us, so we have to first pray to Him to find out what He wants, then the most critical step of the communications is we have to listen to what He says and once we listen, then act upon what He says. They key part here is we have to act upon what He says, not just listen and go off and do whatever we want to do. He is there, like the rubrics to guide us along our paths in our daily life. So, we need to ask God every day, every time, for help to do our duty. Every day, every time, He will answer our questions, we just need to open our hearts, souls, minds and ears to Him, and after hearing His Answer, act upon it
So, what does Paul tell us in his letter to us? He tells us that we are to be worthy of the vocation that we are called, to be lowly and meek and with long suffering and to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. He is saying that we need to have these qualities within us in order to walk closer to God.
These qualities are made possible by the Holy Ghost, who is our lifeline to God our Father. Paul, of all people, knows the importance of setting aside your old life, as Saul did; as Paul he asks us to put God first in our lives, to put ourselves last. He even changed his name to reflect his state as a new man under Our Lord’s leadership. He reminds us, There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. The key to a successful life is to put the important things at the top of your To Do List. And, notice it is a To Do List, not a To Think About or To Wait a While List. It is not a I’ll Get a Round To It List, or What I Don’t Want to Do List. What is more important than God? It is all about prioritization, putting God ahead of your wants and desires.
When Luke relates the parable of the feast, it is more than just a seating diagram. I liken it to the tale of the publican and the Pharisee. When Christ talks about the man who exalts himself and sits too high at the wedding and thus must be abased, that would be the Pharisee. When Christ then talks about the man who sits low, and is raised to the higher station, I think of the publican, who smote his breast and would not even raise up his eyes to heaven. We have to be the publican in our dealings with not only God, but all people, rather than our natural tendency of being the Pharisee. We should not be one of those selfish individuals who always causes grief for others because he is blind to his own faults and only thinks of himself. Again, as with the ceasing from sin, this is one of the harder things we have to do. But it must be done, no matter how we feel about it. So, let us turn to our Lord to help with it, because He alone can help us. He can only help us if we are truly willing with our hearts, souls and minds. We have to be willing to act and do actions, and not just say it.
It is very possible to do good deeds and have fun doing them. The time we spent in worship with the other ministers and their wives at the AOC Conventions in the past proves this. Doing good things for other people and being with other believers gives me some of the greatest happiness I have ever felt. This comes from the Holy Ghost, from being inspired by Him, around other believers. Wherever two or three or gathered, Christ is there also. It is a wonderful feeling wherever He is.
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
Yves
M. Méra
Presiding Bishop
AOC France Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
We are fortunate to have a sermon from the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Orthodox Church of France and the Administrative Coordinator of Europe and Africa. As you will read, he is an excellent writer. The sermon is easy to read and provides much insight.
SERMON for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 12:8 says: “… the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.” But what is the Sabbath about? It is above all a gift from God, a grace (Exodus 16:23a): “This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD”; and Moses further elaborates (Exodus 16:29a): “See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath” But what is the Sabbath that God has given to man? The answer is given to us by the same Moses in Exodus 31:15: “Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.” The death penalty tells us that the Sabbath is of paramount importance, even vital for all people, believers and non-believers alike. The Sabbath even appears in the Tablets of the Law that God gave to Moses, in fourth place out of ten (Exodus 20:8-11): “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
It is not said that it is forbidden to heal on the Sabbath, for it is a day consecrated to God who blesses us especially on that day, if we make it a holy day, that is, separate from the works of death. Healing is indeed a divine blessing, through the medicine doctors whom God directs by giving them knowledge of the human body and the science of plants and minerals constituting the basis and active ingredients of the remedies they prescribe. And these plants and minerals are also created by God. We find them in nature, and no man can boast of having invented nor created nature.
As a corollary, what the Sabbath forbids above all else is to work on that day for mammon, that is, to make money. Of course, in our materialistic societies, you need money to live. We no longer live in self-sufficiency on a meagre plot of land inherited from our ancestors where they survived as they could, at the cost of constant effort and care, as was promised to Adam by our Eternal Father (Genesis 3:17): “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life”
Today, in our Western societies, for the most part, we no longer pick our food directly from nature, but from the supermarket, and we have to go to the checkout before going out with our purchases. In equatorial Africa, men can still make a living by gathering; When they are hungry, they go deep into the forest and they find something to fully satisfy: plantains, pineapples, kiwis, and all kinds of fruits are within reach, and free! These are all gifts from God, who has placed man in a fertile and productive land - not in a barren desert. On the other hand, it is men who have built cities, beginning with Babel, against the advice of the Creator. Western men now live in artificial cities, far from the nourishing nature, which are so many temples dedicated to Mammon, the god of money. That's all it's about. But Mammon is not a true god, he is a deceitful idol, and many worship him sacrilegiously. So, God has set a seventh day for these gainful activities and the worries they entail to cease—this is the meaning of the word Sabbath, derived from the Hebrew verb Shuv, which means "to cease." It is a question of ceasing to think of material things, in order to devote oneself to spiritual things, beginning with the Word of God, read, listened to, preached. Not the opinion of the preacher, but that of God who inspired the sacred and consecrated authors with the anointing of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1/21b): “... holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
And how could we do without this Word that God has given us? He did not give it to the beasts of the field or to the plants in our gardens, but to us who are His last creatures. And we would despise such a gift of His grace? We would be fools! No one likes to talk in a vacuum. God is no exception to the rule. The role of the Church is to warn men that they must repent of their sin and follow Jesus; but if people do not listen to God, who will repent? It is their responsibility. Worse still, if preachers forget to preach God's Word in order to conform to worldly discourse aimed at justifying everything, even the unjustifiable, even injustice itself, then who will be saved from God's wrath against all sin? (Ezekiel 33:7-13): “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it" Human respect is not a biblical doctrine, to say the least!
Today in Israel, there are no Jewish staff in hospitals on Saturdays. It's Shabbat. The Jewish doctors and nurses are then replaced by Christians. This stems from the fact that Jewish doctors value the money they earn more than the good they do for their patients. They are not to make money on the Sabbath, so they don't heal. But Jesus Christ restores the right order of priorities; by healing on the Sabbath, He reminds us that the Sabbath is the day on which God blesses especially by drawing men to Himself by the graces He gives us. And nothing in God's Word forbids doing good on the Sabbath, as long as it's free. Where did you see that Christ would have asked for a fee for the healings He did? Christ's presence is a permanent Sabbath where the disciples listen to the Word of God. And since this Holy Word is active and powerful in deeds, there is nothing to prevent it from acting, even on the Sabbath, for it is a grace, a gift from God. Can we refuse a gift that God gives us, whatever the day and the occasion? That would be pure madness!
Jesus asks the Pharisees whether or not it is permissible to do healing on the Sabbath; the Pharisees are surprised by such a question, to the point that they do not know what to answer and keep quiet. By proceeding with this healing of a man with dropsy on the Sabbath, Christ declares to them by gestures that it is not only permissible, but even recommended, for it manifests a gift of divine grace. And who will ascend to Heaven to tell the Father to be silent and forbid Him to bless the Sabbath day? (Luke 6:5): “… the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” The Pharisees' continued silence makes it clear that they did not understand the meaning of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28): “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” This conclusion of our Lord Jesus Christ puts man back at the center of Creation: this world was created for us. It is therefore up to us to manage it as good fathers, that is to say, to use it without abusing or destroying it. Man is not an intruder in this world, as some would have us believe, with the intention of making us disappear from the face of the earth by talking about "depopulation"!
That said, Jesus Christ invites us to consider every man as superior to us. God has given man authority over all the animals of Creation, but not over our fellow creatures, for this authority belongs to God alone. This is His "reserved domain". There is therefore a blasphemous side to dictatorship and totalitarianism without God, because it is a usurpation of the role and place of God. Looking at the cross, we see Jesus Christ - God made perfect man - submitting to the will of God His Father and Our Father, to the point of allowing Himself to be humbled and sacrificed. The answer that the Pharisees were unable to give to Jesus is therefore this: "The will of the Father be done, even on the Sabbath day"! And His will is that we do good to those in need, even on the Sabbath, freely and without expecting anything from men in return, for the sole glory of God.
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, Paul tells us (Ephesians 4:1-2). This call of God - or vocation - is a great grace (Ephesians 4:7): for “unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” And since God is ONE, the call that every believer has received is also a vocation to unity, in peace and concord (Ephesians 4:3): “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Indeed, there is only “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:5-6).
Paul notes this (Ephesians 4:8b) “he gave gifts unto men.” God has filled us with graces by giving us life and the means to survive in a world that has become hostile because of Adam's sin. But above all, He has given us the grace to save us through the merits of His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8): “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” We have no merit in regard to our Salvation. It is entirely and solely the work of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, before whom we are tiny and little creatures in humbleness, because this is the reality of our vocation (James 4:6b): “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
(2 Timothy 1:9-10): He “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”; “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:8-9). Why seek eternal life elsewhere than in Jesus Christ? (John 10:10-11): “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” Do you know anyone other than our Lord Jesus Christ who has given his life for you? There is none.
The Gospel is indeed the only source of life; it is the source of eternal Life! Through the Gospel we know that we have a Savior, who was dead and is now risen, who has opened the door of eternity for us; and this eternity will be spent in Heaven, in the Kingdom of God, of which we are now subjects and officers. And our office is to live the Gospel by putting it into practice in our lives, because this is our best witness of faith and our thanksgiving in concrete actions. For it is not enough to give thanks to the manner of the hypocrites who “seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.” (Mark 12:39-40). We are now perfectly warned.
(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.” And that opportune moment will be our entry into Heaven, where Jesus Christ entered first. Death is nothing, for Christ has conquered and destroyed death! (Revelation 22:21): “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
Rt. Rev. Yves Méra, AOC Bishop of France.
Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi - 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, espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.
Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
Now you will not find much support for the above in the modern versions of the Laodicean church as they tend to accept any good work as pleasing to God even if it was carried out by one who is of the unregenerate. And for this cause, they are all about showing their tolerance for other faiths instead of presenting the gospel of truth to those lost souls. Examine, if you will, Article XIII of our Articles of Religion which states in part that, “Works done before the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ; neither do they make men meet to receive grace...” For if our works are to be of any value to God then we must first be
regenerated— born again in Christ Jesus. Only then will they be accepted of Godhead. And if we do not see ourselves as God sees us apart from godly grace— that is as being vile, filthy, bathed in sin and depravity, despicable, pernicious, an outlaw— then we will not see the pressing need to depart from iniquity. Thus it follows that the unregenerate in offering to God a momentary recognition of his presence via their occasional good deeds will be a useless gesture. For all the while their sins are piling up behind them as they have received no pardon for what they have done that might be reputed as “good”. They are very much like the student who believes that one or two good grades will make up for the many substandard grades he or she may have made during a semester. Yes, they may have scored high here and there, but their real average is something else entirely due to their lack of consistent performance.
True and faithful Christians realize that they cannot please God with the best of their works (see Isaiah 64:6-7) . God has provided only one way for mankind to achieve a state of justification in his eyes, and it has nothing to do with any work that mortals might do apart from Christ. But it has everything to do with their acceptance of the atoning sacrifice of our Lord. His blood covers our sins. His blood makes it possible for us to be accepted into the beloved. His blood makes any works we would do in his service count for us and not against us. If anyone will accept the free gift which God through Jesus Christ offers them, they will be received as children of God and coheirs with Christ in God’s kingdom.
Nevertheless, there are those who claim to know Christ, but who do not adhere to the truth of Scripture, and have perverted the means of grace via their acceptance— if not participation in— a host of sins that have been clearly set forth in his word written. These will be in for a rude awakening come Judgment Day. Jesus said, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (St. Matthew 7:21). And further, we find in St. John 3:16-21 his warning, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
And remember, that for our deeds to be wrought in God such will require us to first be regenerated in Christ. No matter how you slice it, that is the truth. You cannot pick and choose one Bible truth over another. The devil desires for mankind to live in opposition to the expressed will of God, and then to come before him in hypocrisy knowing full well that he will not accept their feeble offerings if they are not born-again in Christ Jesus. I can only shake my head in disappointment over the modern Laodicean Church’s fruitless efforts to offer God anything it likes while at the same time denying him everything he commands.
Some may ask, “Is there any hope for the unregenerate?” Of course there is as long as they are in this life and truly repent. St. Paul finished our epistle lesson with these words, And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will (vv. 24-26).
It is my prayer that as God gives you the opening to witness to the unregenerate, that they will indeed seek to be made right with God in Christ. May it please our good and gracious God today to assist you in this important work.
Let us pray,
Father assist us as we carry the message of our risen Lord to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; that by our witness they would seek to be made right with you through Christ our Lord; and this we ask in his most precious name. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
Bryan+
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop
and Pastor along with Deacon Fancisco Nieves (Pictured)
Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn
Saint Paul's Anglican
Church
Diocese of the Midwest Anglican
Orthodox Church Suffragan
Bishop of the AOC
Sermon on the Gospel Lesson for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
Holy Communion/Ordination
.Hymns # 368, 430, 465, 578
LORD, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, who by thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders of Ministers in thy Church, and didst inspire thine Apostles to choose into the Order of Deacons the first Martyr Saint Stephen, with others; Mercifully behold these thy servants now called to the like Office and Administration: so replenish them with the truth of thy Doctrine, and adorn them with innocency of life, that, both by word and good example, they may faithfully serve thee in this Office, to the glory of thy Name, and the edification of thy Church; through the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and for ever. Amen.
Francisco Nieves was ordained a deacon in the Anglican Orthodox Church this Sunday the 22nd of September year of our Lord 2024.*
He will minister in the Pflugerville area of Texas just outside Austin.
The mission will focus on the large Hispanic population in that area of Texas.
Bp Roy charged Deacon Francisco with the focus of his mission and of his role in the building of the Kingdom of God. “...For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:...”
The homily text and charge was drawn from the ordination service of deacons:
The Epistle. 1 Timothy 3:8-13
LIKEWISE must the deacons be grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to them-selves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Deacon Francisco assisted Bp Roy in the administration of Holy Communion.
* Pastor Scott Davis and Bishop Roy spent several hours in examination with Mr. Nieves Saturday afternoon. They discussed the gravity of the current spiritual climate in the United States and in the World in general. A goodly amount of time was spent discussing responsibility and accountability, not only to other clergy, but most especially to God. We felt this was time well spent and that now Deacon Nieves, God willing, should begin his journey in the army of God, always going forward, always doing God’s work for His Kingdom.
May God bless Francisco in his newly constituted endeavors.Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, giver of all good things, who of thy great goodness hast vouchsafed to accept and take these thy servants unto the Office of Deacons in thy Church; Make them, we beseech thee, O Lord, to be modest, humble, and constant in their Ministration, to have a ready will to observe all spiritual Discipline; that they, having always the testimony of a good conscience, and continuing ever stable and strong in thy Son Christ, may so well behave themselves in this inferior Office, that they may be found worthy to be called unto the higher Ministries in thy Church; through the same thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and honour, world without end. Amen.
THE Peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: And the Blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and remain with you always. Amen.
Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn
The Rev. Don Fultz
Rector of St. Peter’s AOC
located in the AOC National Office
Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity
HUMILITY - Sermon St. Luke 14, verses 7-11
In the gospel reading this morning, Jesus gives us a valuable lesson on humility. He uses a parable to illustrate how a humble person should conduct himself if he is invited to a wedding. This parable was directed at the Pharisees and Lawyers who had invited Jesus to Dinner on the Sabbath day but applies to all of us as Christians. Jesus had observed that the Pharisee leaders always wanted to seat at the head of the table in the highest room as they thought they were the most important people and wanted to look good in the eyes of others, They were full of pride and self-righteousness. So Jesus gives this parable to those that were bidden to the dinner.
Jesus tells us in verse 8 “When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him;”.
But instead He says in verse 10: “But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend go up higher; than shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.”
Then Jesus backs up his advice with one of his favorite principles in verse 11: “For whosoever exaleth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Not everyone has money to give away nor the time and opportunities for working directly for Christ. Not everyone has the same talent or gifts of speech, or knowledge to do good in the world.
However, all converted Christians should labor to adorn the doctrine they profess by humility. As converted Christians we should know in our heart the sacrifices that Christ made for us for our salvation.
Also, if we are truly converted, we should know God and his infinite majesty and holiness and the teachings of Christ. If we are truly walking in the ways of Jesus, we should strive to be humble at all times.
Therefore, we should always take the lowest place at the wedding banquet, the place of service not the place of honor because we already know our place. Our place is secure in Jesus, “our only Mediator and Advocate.” We don’t have anything to prove about ourselves. Indeed, when we “take the lowest place” we’re only doing what Jesus did: not striving for glory and honor, but depending on God to bring us to that place of esteem where we understand who we are in Christ—people made in God’s own image as responsible and capable creatures who don’t need to prove who they are to themselves or anyone else.
This principle of humbling ourselves isn’t just a general principle of this life but rather it is a principle of life in the kingdom of God. In the presence of God humility is the only proper demeanor. The bible tells us that “God resisteth the proud but gives grace to the humble.” You can find this identical passage included in both James 4:6 and 1st Peter 5:5. According to Webster’s dictionary, resist means to work against or actively oppose. If we insist on only our way, our fame, our glory, and our best interest, God will work against us in direct opposition. Therefore, our pride will put us polar opposite of how God wants us to behave.
The bible is full of stories where pride leads to one’s downfall and disfavor with God. In pride and covetousness, Lucifer (Satan) rebelled against God because He desired to be God. He was cast out of heaven sometime before Adam and Eve entered the Garden of Eden. His fall is described in Isaiah 14, verses 12-15. Pride and jealousy motivated Cain to murder his brother Abel. (Gen 4:5). Pride and Jealousy provoked Joseph’s brothers to sell him into slavery. Pride caused King Saul to resent David so deeply that he tried to murder him. (1 Sam. 18:8), in pride, some reject God’s will and word because they think they know better. All sin comes out of pride….and all virtue, holiness, and all glory to God come out of humility.
Yes, Jesus practiced what he taught….he was very humble and God glorified him as a result. He lived humbly and He lived generously. He served others, and was a friend of the outcast. Likewise, if we repent our pride and pursue humility in Jesus, by God’s grace we will be glorified with him as well.
St. Paul tells in Phil 2: 3 & 4: “3Let nothing be done through stife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
If you are struggling with trying to be more humble, always remember the perfect humility in Jesus as summarized by Philippians 2:6-8:
“6Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
“9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name; 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9-11)
Apostle Paul also writes in Romans 12:3, “I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” According to Matthew Henry, God deals out his gifts in a certain measure; this measure he calls the measure of faith. Others have their share as well. Therefore, it is ill advised to lift up ourselves, and to despise others, as if we were the only people in favor with Heaven.
In Matthew 18, verse 1, the disciples asked Jesus “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” In asking this question, the disciples must have thought that their good works were the key to obtaining heavenly statute. Up to this point in their discipleship, they had only valued what they had accomplished in their earthly life. They like many Christians today were obviously disillusioned about how they must conduct and live their lives in a Christ like manner.
They must have come down to reality, when Jesus told them in Mathew 18 verse 3: “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Then He told his disiples in Mathew 18, verse 4: “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.” The truest test and surest mark of true conversion is humility. Like children, we shall think humbly of our own earthly ambitions and be more dependent on our Heavenly Father.
Like children, we shall not seek great things in this world but are satisfied by having food and a father’s love, we shall be content. What is needed to achieve this is a conversion from pride to humility….from high thoughts of ourselves to lowly thoughts…from self-conceit to self-abasement.
In Jesus sermon on the mount in Matthew 5: 3, He says “Blessed are the poor in Spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” According to Matthew Henry commentary on this verse, people who are “poor in spirit” are those who humble themselves before God. They acknowledge God is great and holy and they are sinful.
A good example is the Parable about the Publican and Pharisee praying. The Publican went up to the temple and prayed the words “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13) Jesus said He went home exalted as He had humbled himself before God. (Luke 18:14)
Proverbs 11:2 says “When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the lowly is wisdom.” Proverbs 29:23 says “a man’s pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
So how can we cultivate more humility in our lives? Let us consider three aspects of Biblical humility.
1. Think of yourself less often. CS Lewis once said, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” So one way to foster humility in our life is to stop thinking of ourselves so much. God does not call us into His kingdom in order to set us up as kings, but servants. We are redeemed through the blood of Christ, we are set apart, and we are the children of God. The Gospel should not make us prideful but humble.
2. Think of
others more often.
The amazing
thing is that once you stop thinking of yourself all the time your mind will
begin to think more about others. It is
the humble person who does not focus on what he does not have, but considers
what others do not have.
Pride says, “I want!” and humility says, “You need!” True humility thinks about others more often than oneself.
3. Think of God most often.
The key to unlocking humility in your life is to submit your life to God. He should always be number one in your life! True humility comes from confessing your sin and rebellion to God and asking for forgiveness of your sin. True humility begins by going to the model of Humility: Jesus Christ. We should always keep our eyes on HIM and follow the ways He lived his life on earth! Remember what happen to St. Peter when he was walking on the water, when he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink and drown.
God has made it clear in the Bible that if you choose to humble yourself you will be exalted. Will I be the person who strives daily to advance my own selfish desires with my wants, needs, and feelings, or will I be the person who will “deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” as Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. AMEN
The Rev. Don Fultz
Rev Stephen Cooper Church of the Redeemer Fairbanks, Alaska
From time to time we are fortunate to receive a sermon from Rev Cooper in Fairbanks Alaska. The head of our northernmost church, Stephen is a brilliant and inspiring speaker. I wish we had video of him rather than just audio; but I am confident you will enjoy this. This sermon is for last week. Please take the time to listen to it.
Click below to listen to this wonderful sermon
For the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.
17th Sunday
after Trinity
Sermon by Rev. Stephen
Cooper, Alaska
Click below to listen and watch:
AOC Worldwide Prayer List –
I have received updates from a few and those will be the first added to the list. Please send all prayer requests and updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for future reports. If you would like to be removed from list just respond with remove in the subject line.
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu,
Tom, Craig, Jim, Dotty, Jan Jessup, Steve, Josh Morley, Jennifer, AOC USA, AOC Missions,
Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper, Bishop Zephaniah, Jim Kniffen, Linda
Prayer Needed:
The Anderson Family – comfort in the loss of their Mother Barbara Anderson
Katie Pope – Just beginning treatment for Stage 4 Puminary Carcinoma “Is anything to hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)
Bianca – has lost her father to Leukemia – please pray for comfort
Bobbie & Vicky Breland – loss of daughter
Mauri Turner – Stomach Cancer
Charles Pittman – heart issues
Anne Lee – Lung Cancer – recent diagnosis
Lucy and Chris – Strep Throat – children of Laurie below who is still suffering from Covid related extreme fatigue
Extended Issues need continued prayer;
Laurie with long Covid Symptoms - Extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations, breathing problems and unstable blood pressures are constant worries causing depression to settle in.
Malcom Allred – Cancer Treatment
Praise Report:
Jim Cavanah - Recovery from Stroke and wants to thank everyone for their prayers.
Linda – Thanks everyone for their prayers she was able to come to church this week and beginning to get out again.
Dan – ICU – Blood Sepsis – He has been sent home from hospital and on the mend
 |
Comments
Post a Comment