241013 AOC Sunday Report
Anglican Orthodox Churchsm
Worldwide Communion
Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
Sunday Report
The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity – September 29, 2024
Twentieth 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 217-218, with the Collect first:
The Collect for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
O ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which thou commandest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity. The Epistle. Ephesian v. 15.
SEE then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
The Gospel for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity. The Gospel. St. Matthew xxii. 1.
JESUS said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding-garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.
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 Menzies-Grierson – England (above)
Points to Ponder:
I will
meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself
in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
Psalm
119:15-16
For the
ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
Proverbs 5:21
Blessed
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be
filled.
St. Matthew 5:6
There is a
real spiritual presence of Christ in the heart of every true believer... As He
dwells in the whole church, which is His body... so does He continually dwell
in every member of that body, in the least as well as the greatest. This
presence is the secret of all that peace, and hope, and joy, and comfort, which
believers feel. All spring from their having a divine tenant within their
hearts.
The Most
Rev. J. C. Ryle (Knots Untied, pp. 206-207)
No guilt is so great, but
there is a remedy in Christ's blood which atones for it.
No corruption is so strong, but there is a remedy in His grace which can subdue
it.
Matthew Henry
Abominations, like nests of
vipers, lie quietly in us--until the rod of affliction arouses them. Then
they hiss and show their venom! This discovery is indeed very distressing; yet,
until it is made, we are prone to think ourselves much less vile than we really
are, and cannot so heartily abhor ourselves, and repent in dust and ashes.
John Newton
You say, “I would die for my
wife.” Great. But will you wash the dishes? Change dirty diapers? Watch the
kids?
Daniel Akin
It must not be expected that the devil will let those rest who are laboring to destroy his kingdom. Thomas Watson
Trusting God's grace means trusting God's love for us rather than our love for God. […] Therefore our prayers should consist mainly of rousing our awareness of God's love for us rather than trying to rouse God's awareness of our love for him, like the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel (see1 Kings 18:26-29). Peter Kreeft
G. K. Chesterton believed that God could be seen in the ordinary material world and in the smallest of things. In one of his earliest poems he wrote:
Speller of the stones and weeds
Skilled in Nature's crafts and creeds,
Tell me what is in the heart
Of the smallest of the seeds.
Chesterton answered his own question to this verse:
God Almighty and with Him,
Cherubim and Seraphim,
Fill all eternity
Adonai Elohim.
See: Psalms 8:3-4; Matthew 6:28-30; Romans 1:25
1000 Windows: A Speaker's Sourcebook of Illustrations.
The doctrine of Faith and Grace should work together to comfort those who before doubted of their salvation. Faith is actually a product of Grace. Before Grace was imparted, there was no ability of Faith. The two (Faith and Grace) are married as One with one another. Faith imbues the soul with the hope necessary to persevere under every threat and every hardship.
Bishop Jerry Ogles – The Five Solas of the Reformed Faith , pp. 22-23
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 has a You Tube Channel that is free to subscribe:
Article 18 of the
39 Articles of Religion
Brief Devotion by Bishop Jerry Ogles , click below
- https://youtu.be/vr4e6b_qz4s
The Names of Jesus Series: The Bright and Morning Star
click link below
brief devotion – Bishop Jerry Ogles
click below to listen
God Give Us Men
by Josiah Gilbert Holland read by Bishop Jerry Ogles
click link below to listen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UcBcH_MhFg
Sermon for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
PRAYER OF COLLECT
O ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which thou commandest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Certainly, God is full of goodness for He is all-in-all, and there is no imperfection or impurity in Him. Therefore, His goodness is bountiful! Every good and perfect gift comes down from God. (James 1:17) James does not say, ‘some, or ‘most’, but ALL good gifts! These gifts include life, joy, love, friends, family, church, and health. If it is GOOD, it is from GOD! The servant of God is both ready and cheerful in his approach to service. Those things commanded by Christ will certainly be accomplished by His elect if they are READY to proceed in joy and not dread.
THE EPISTLE
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” (Ephesians 5:15-21)
In the Epistle, we are counseled to walk with care, not in careless abandon. We have heard it said that “God takes care of fools.” This may be true in many cases, but not those who deliberately and foolishly disregard His Words of caution. Rather than walk without direction, we are to concentrate on His Holy Will and waste not a single moment of opportunity to teach and exhort both believers and unbelievers in the way of God. Those worldly passions that divert our minds from the grave calling in Christ must be abandoned to the favor of those things which are lasting and eternal. Guided by the Holy Spirit of God, those things which we will love, the world shall surely hate. The world will thereby believe that we are drunk on a Spirit (not spirits) that they know not of, and care even less of. If we keep a song and hymn in our hearts, what joy shall feel our souls the whole day long! In my moments of despair, I have often begun to sing, almost absent-mindedly, some great old hymn of the Church and have been thereby transformed from sorrow to joy. God loves those who are thankful. When we bear gifts to those who waste them and are not grateful, I believe we will cease to offer gifts to such people. God will bless more and more if our hearts are thankful. Not only do we care for the favor of God, but also of those who are loved by God and belong to Him.
Sermon based on the Holy Gospel Matthew 22:1-14
In the Prayer of Collect, the Epistle and the following Gospel, we have a clear call to reliance upon the bountiful blessings of God to grant us provision of both body and soul. Without that provision, we are naked and without sustenance. God is not the Maker of His Masterpiece of Creation – mankind – for the sake of living a life of spiritual or physical penury, but to receive all of the blessings our teeming cups can hold of His bountiful storehouse of blessings. To some, He gives not only spiritual, but great material blessings according to each our individual capacity to use to His glory and not that of self.
Jesus so often spoke in Parables so that those whose hearts are open and humble might understand; and so those whose hearts were arrogant, proud and hardened would not so understand. We understand as much truth as we are willing to digest. It was against the interests of the worldly interests of the rulers of the Jews to understand and, so, they blinded their own eyes to profound truth. The arrogance of the mind despises mystery. It must pry into every mystery and pretentiously invent its secrets. We stake out our gardens of theology and plant, respectively, our trees of Calvin, Arminius, or some other, while refusing to hear any contrary points from Scripture. We will accept only those parts of Scripture that will water our preferred trees. But Christ, in His parables, is a revealer of mystery to the open hearts of the faithful, and Concealer of Mystery to those who proudly assert THEIR own opinions to the detriment of faith.
The sermon text today is of a great man who was planning a grand wedding feast for His Son. He had gone to great expense and time-consuming preparation to insure that every detail was perfect. So, Jesus opens the Parable with the story of a marriage feast. Marriage is so important to Christ that He performed His first miracle at Cana of Galilee (which just happened to be a marriage feast.
From its inception as the first institution of God in the Garden at Eden, marriage has been sacred and Holy to God – and it must be to us as well. It is an earthly model for the Kingdom of God and the great marriage between Christ and His Bride, the Church.
Let’s examine the nature, first of all, of this invitation:
1. It is extended to everyone, wide and far.
2. It will be rejected by the heartless and indifference
3. Rejection provokes the justifiable ANGER of GOD! – Each of us exists either under His kind favor or His great anger. Under God's anger, or under God's love, we must be, whether we will or not. We cannot flee from His presence. We cannot go from His Spirit. If we are loving, and so rise up to heaven, God is there—in love. If we are cruel and wrathful, and so go down to hell, God is there also—in wrath. With the clean He will be clean; with the froward man He will be froward. On us, and us alone, it depends whether we shall live under God's anger or live under God's love.
“2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,” This certain king is God the Father. Do I need tell you who the son represents? None other than Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God.
“3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.” The great prophets were these servants who called those who were bidden to come, but Israel would not hear them and did not come. They even stoned many of these prophet messengers, and others they sawed in half.
“4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.” The Great King leaves nothing to chance. He prepares ALL we need for our comfort and nourishment and joy. The sacrifice has been made for us – all we must do is come. He desires to honor us by allowing us to honor His Beloved Son.
“5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:” Here we see the dreadful preoccupation of the world, and even the church, with our own devices – money, trade and barter, etc. The service to God seems a light thing to them. We today are sorrowfully no different. We ‘do our duty’ in attending service once on Sunday, go back to our troughs and mud, and live as if God were not watching.
“6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.” You will recall how wrongly they treated Samuel, Moses, Jeremiah and all the prophets. Even Abel was slain by his brother for living and teaching righteousness. The Apostles, most of whom died brutal deaths, were no less dishonored by those who knew no honor.
“7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” If you have been living under the delusion that God will always show mercy and kindness, you are wrong. Christ Himself shall return to claim His own, and the remainder shall be put to the sword and cast into Hell without mercy! They will have sealed their own fate through the neglect of the things of God. If you have not loved God in this life, you cannot love Him in the next. The tares (unbelievers) shall be gathered by the Holy Angels and burned.
“8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.” Most of the Israel depended upon their pedigree as sons of Abraham; however, they did not rightfully belong to the Old Testament Church of Abraham who looked to the coming of Christ. These being rejected, God turns to all who will come. All who love Christ are adopted into that great Church and are Israel indeed. None are to go without invitation! “
“10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.“ This is like the great dragnet of souls mentioned in Matthew 13:47-48. It drew every kind of fish, both good and bad, and the fisherman (angels) sat down and separated them. Or the fields of wheat and tares growing together picture this same truth.
“11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Do we desire to be properly attired at this great and distinguished feast? If so, we must take on the White Robe of Righteousness which Christ offers to cover our rags and filth. The prodigal son received that Robe from His Father on his return from feeding the pigs in a far country. See also, Isaiah 4:1 – “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.” These are the seven churches, I humbly believe, who wish to be nominal Christians only. They will eat their own bread and not the Bread of Heaven He offers, and will wear their own filthy rags of sin instead of His Robe of Righteousness. But they desire the dignity of being called, only, by His name.
“14For many are called, but few are chosen.” Friend, it is quite possible that you have been called and invited, but never accepted the invitation. A gift may be offered, but it is not fully a gift until it has been received. Have you accepted, with serious heart and intent, the Redemption made available through the blood of Christ? Are you of that FEW who are both called and chosen; or have you left the forgotten invitation among all of the worldly papers that clutter your desk?
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.
In Christ Alone during Season of TRINITY,
† Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop.
AnglicanOrthodox Communion Worldwide & Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary
Twentieth 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, “…God … keep us … from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which thou commandest …”
The Collect asks God to keep us from things that are bad for us and make our hearts ready so we can do the things He wants us to do; this ties perfectly with the Epistle and Gospel as it always does. The message of the Collect, the Epistle and the Gospel can be summarized by Stay away from things that will harm your spiritual and physical health and do things good for your health and be spiritually aware of what is going on.
One word that intrigues me from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is “circumspectly”; which when I looked it up meant “wary and unwilling to take risks.” I believe Paul meant today we should not be taking risks with our faith, but walking in that which has been tried and true for over two thousand years. He means we should not compromise our belief in the Gospel. There are some things we can compromise on safely in this life, but our faith is not one of these things. These days we find there are way too many people and churches that engage in compromises of faith and it will be to their undoing in the end. They may gain the world, but they will in the end lose their souls. We must strive not to be like these folks and hold fast to the faith that Christians have believed for 2,000 plus years.
Indeed, we must not change our position; if it is truly derived from His Holy Word, then it should never change. If a minister or bishop’s position conflicts with Scripture, then you know they are not in line with His Word and is not a fellow believer. We must all strive to be in congruence with His Word. We are all working together in His Church to further His Cause. It is important that we are all on the same page, if we are to further His Work. We have to all work together to spread the Gospel, each person contributes to the much larger picture of spreading the Gospel. One person alone may not make a ton of progress but many people working together to spread the Gospel will make a lot of progress. If we are working together there is no limit to what we can accomplish for God!
Paul in his Epistle warns us not to drink to excess, but to keep it in moderation. In moderation it can be a good thing. Over moderation, it can become very harmful for us. He does not mean never to drink wine, as some, (Puritans and certain Baptists, among others) would take, but rather have “moderation in all things”; which is a similar idea Paul expresses in 1 Corinthians 6:12, All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. We have to learn how to keep our wants in check to reasonable qualities, else we may find ourselves in a world of hurt or worse death. He is not saying not to have fun, but to be reasonable about the fun and never over do anything.
Our Lord wants us to be moderate in our celebration, not celebrating to the point of excess where bad things can happen to our bodies and our minds; but celebrating to where we are thankful to Him for all things, and for His Love.
This is the unifying theme of both the Epistle and the Gospel for today. Keep everything we do in moderation and avoid excesses in anything. Rather than turn to the excesses of this world, Paul says we must turn to God and be filled with His Grace of the Holy Spirit; making joyful noises to the Lord, be it in prayer or song while giving thanks always for all things to God.
The Gospel’s theme is everybody is invited to God’s great feast and or wedding party (heaven) but if you do not have the right clothes (the Holy Ghost’s presence in your heart) then you will not be allowed to enter. In Jesus’ time here on earth, the person who threw a wedding provided the special wedding garment to take the place of the guests’ clothes filthy from travel. So, then and now God provides the Holy Ghost for our hearts to take His place in our hearts dark and filthy from this life and make to present as acceptable before Him.
Just like if somebody shows up to a black tie event wearing a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, if we are not up to God’s Holy Dress Code, then we will not be able to make it into heaven. How do we get His Dress code? Simple, we have to let the Holy Ghost into our hearts and read and digest His Word. Scripture will tell us how to act and be allowed into the feast.
How often are we thankful to God for letting us join His Feast? More often than not we seem to forget who made us, who created the world we dwell in, who created the fantastic beasts on land and in the sea. It seems very strange we forget to thank God for all of these things, but we do. We need to constantly remind ourselves to thank God for all of the blessing and mercies that we counter in this life, be thankful to Him both in good times and in bad, and be very grateful that thanks to the Holy Spirit we are allowed to join His Feast.
The Collect, Epistle and Gospel tie together, laying out, detailing and reinforcing the same message ultimately. We have to be ready and willing to listen to God, and walk with God, and act with the Holy Spirit in us, in order to have the right “clothes” to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
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?
The time to act is NOW. Will you act? For whom will you act? Will you count the cost before you act?
Action, not diction, is what counts. It is by your actions you 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 Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
Ephesians 5:15-21; Matthew 22:1-14
THE CALLED AND THE CHOSEN
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Among the social gatherings where people tend to get drunk on wine, weddings top the list. It seems necessary to forget the tension generated by the unknown future awaiting the new home thus founded. But why so much human weakness? Why such a lack of faith in the Lord's goodness and blessing? Why such a pessimism? As if failure and divorce were fatal and inevitable outcomes?
As there are many marriages and there will soon be nearly as many divorces, Our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that there are many called and few chosen. All are called to a state of personal life - either marriage or consecrated celibacy - and to a profession that could be fruitful to society. But why are there so few chosen ones? Is God asking from us a holiness that is impossible to reach? And indeed, we cannot attain the holiness that our Heavenly Father expects from us through our own efforts, for without God's grace it is impossible to be saved. Here, it is necessary to dispel a common misunderstanding among the worldly: Would God reject the men He created? Looking only at appearances, one might think so. Now God does not reject anyone; but He takes note of the rejection of Him by men. Not only do we ignore Him and reject Him, but we don't want to hear about Him. Churches where Bible counsel is faithfully preached are almost empty. There was a time in my youth when all churches were full, each and every Sunday that God made. Of course, not all were saints! But all heard the same Word of God. It is therefore by the choice of men that there are many called but few chosen. The majority prefer to do without God's blessings and grace; it is so easy to turn one's back and renounce the Truth to get drunk with convenient, pleasant and easy to follow lies. This is the way of the devil, that leads straight down into hell.
In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus warns us, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” People generally think of holiness as living – or rather surviving – in extraordinary austerity, among deprivations of all kinds, like desert hermits. In the Middle Ages, still tinged with paganism, Europeans were attracted by this kind of spectacular holiness to frantic asceticism. They were influenced by pagan philosophies, such as the famous Demosthenes who lived almost naked, slept in a barrel and broke his bowl that had become superfluous to him when he saw a child drinking from the stream using only his hands gathered in the shape of a cup. The pagans intended to prepare themselves for death by anticipating this fatal event: they abstained from living! This is not the philosophy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who declares (John 10:10b): “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The life that Jesus wishes for us is abundant, it is even eternal! And it is through ignorance of this abundant life that men depart from the right Way that ascends to Heaven to lose themselves in the wrong paths and unhealthy and degrading pleasures. Today, the worst perversions are taught in the schools of the republic, drugs circulate widely, with the benevolence of Marxist elected officials who open "shooting rooms" in their cities and demand the decriminalization of cannabis, before extending this tolerance to hard drugs. They know that all hell is at the end of these spiritually criminal policies, but it is the basis of their stock in trade in order to increase their electoral clientele.
Is it any wonder, then, that the guests at the wedding in the parable refuse to show up in there? They think they have better things to do than rejoice with the Master of the Universe; the mere prospect of having to contain themselves and behave properly in His presence tires and exhausts them. In fact, they believe themselves incapable of doing so and feel unworthy of being among the elect. God does not reject anyone, but many reject Him, most often out of ignorance. They ignore God's goodness to those who obey Him. They prefer the company of sinners to that of the saints whom God blesses unceasingly (Psalm 133/1 and 3): “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” … “As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” And what are these heights of Zion, if not Mount Calvary, which Jesus Christ climbed with His cross to save us by suffering in our place the punishment deserved by our sin?
Sin is a slippery, soapy slope that drags down those who have the misfortune to engage in it, and leads them to hell. We begin with a small sin, a slight doubt about the Word of God (Genesis 3:1b): “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” and we end up crucifying God the Son! Every time we disobey any of the Ten Commandments entrusted to Moses, we crucify our Savior... Every time we sin against the Law of God which commands us to love all His creatures, we urge Pilate to condemn Jesus; Each of our sins screams "Death! crucify Him," so that He may be silent for good and no more heard of him. But bam! Jesus is risen, and He is the most talked about character of Antiquity today: 2000 years after his Ascension up into Heaven, the Bible remains the most translated and best-selling book in the world. We cannot silence the One who says (John 14:6) “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Atheism is a dead end at the bottom of which lies hell.
In the parable of the wedding of the Son of God, the guests recuse themselves because they know they are sinners. They feel unworthy of divine grace (Matthew 22:8): “Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.” And indeed, their unworthiness results from their lack of knowledge of God, His goodness, and the forgiveness He offers to all who sincerely repent of their sins. Their unworthiness results from their refusal to repent and to put on the wedding garment that the Father offers them for free, since everything is paid for by the Son, Jesus Christ crucified. Their unworthiness is simply the result of their lack of faith.
In Matthew 22:9-10, the Father says: “Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests” Finally, the chosen people having recused themselves, it is the other peoples who take their place at the wedding feast of the Lamb. But pay attention to this: All have put on the wedding garment (Revelation 7:14b): “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” All except one: “the son of perdition” (John 17:12) who repented too late: Yes, too late “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” (Romans 14:11), whether in heaven or in the depths of hell. All those who are in hell will repent, but too late. Death surprised them first. By losing their lives without having repented of their sins, they have lost the game; they are on the wrong side, because they have taken the wrong path (Deuteronomy 11:26-28a): “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day."
And these Commandments can be summed up in one word: Love. It is enough to love God and His creatures (not just animals!) and act accordingly (James 1:22): “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” And (Ephesians 5:15-18): “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” And the Spirit that God puts in us is a spirit of love (Galatians 5:22): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith” One must be foolish to bind in order to renounce the Spirit of God and His gifts and wallow in wickedness. It is simply committing spiritual suicide! No more, no less.
And the least we can do to God who has chosen us and promises us heavenly paradise in His glorious presence is to thank Him for His many blessings (Ephesians 5:20): “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” The worldlings who get drunk on wine are ungrateful. Not only do they reject their Creator, but they renounce His blessings because it would cost them too much having to thank Him, and because they are spiritually blind, led by blind men like themselves (Luke 6:39b): “Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” They get drunk so that they no longer see that they are blind... And Paul goes on to specify the good relations between Christians (Ephesians 5:19): “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” Where are the old times evenings, where hymns and spiritual songs were sung with family or neighbors? Only the Amish do it, because they don't have television! If the television programs were Christian, pass again! But they are deplorable: they are the window through which all the vices of the world penetrate to the heart of our homes, whether through decadent films or even through the news. It seems that only misfortunes are worthy of being included and recounted in pictures. The good deeds of good men and women are passed over in silence; Is it so that no one may boast? I doubt it. But by keeping the people in a depressing atmosphere, we cut off their arms and legs. Look no further for the cause of the general apathy in the face of evil; an apathy that borders on tolerance, acceptance and eventually complicity with evil, through immobility and the absence of a healthy reaction or protest.
Finally, Paul invites us to submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21): “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” The meaning of this submission must be clarified, because it is necessary to avoid the error according to which each Christian could command others, under the pretext that they must be subject to him (Luke 6:40): “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” In Christ, and by faith, we are all equal. We have only one leader: Jesus Christ. When Paul invites us to submit to one another, he uses the Greek verb . This verb can be translated as to store or to put underneath. In this way, Paul invites us to be humble and to consider ourselves inferior to others, in order to serve them by freely doing them good, rather than being puffed up with pride and wanting to command as dictators do, or grovel before petty leaders. The Church of Jesus Christ should not be the place of harsh leadership. The ambitious aim only for Heaven, for themselves and for their loved ones.
If we are in the Church of Christ, it is to praise Him and give thanks to Him, freely. Not for anything else. This does not exclude a certain emulation and a kind of contest in doing well. Let's take as an example those who are most successful at it. Think of William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, or Lord Baden-Powell, the inventor of Scouting, or simply Tabitha who “this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.” (Acts 9:36b); “all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.” (Acts 9:39c). My friends, you now understand that in the Church of Christ, there is no need for social security, because mutual aid is spontaneous. It is impelled by the Spirit of God and by the love that He puts in us that we commit ourselves in solidarity with one another. This is how we perfect ourselves for the kingdom of heaven (Colossians 3:14): “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”; “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.” (1 John 4:17). Let us therefore prepare ourselves for our glorification in Heaven, when Christ returns in glory. For we will be ONE with Him, we who have been called and chosen by Him and in Him from before the foundation of the world. 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.
Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
Now these passages may appear perplexing to some especially in light of what God expected from the people. They might ask: Did not God command that these things be done? And if so, why would he be weary to bear them? To find the answers, let us turn to the pages of Scripture.
It should be understood that the law of Moses was given to be, our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith as St. Paul so noted in Galatians 3:24. The law revealed to the children of Israel their sinful natures, and set forth their need for redemption. And such redemption could only be obtained through the shedding of blood which would only cover and not erase their sins in God’s eyes. Still, it did not dawn on them that God was training them through the precepts of his law to become a holy, just and righteous people in his sight. So it follows that nearly everything God tried to teach them through his word and commandment was either rejected out of hand, and in its place the sons and daughters of Jacob substituted a pathetic revision of paganism. They offered God the things he had commanded without giving him the very things he desired from them— their hearts and minds in loving obedience to his word and commandment. Ergo, they simply came to placate the LORD much as the pagans of the ancient world acted toward their own “so-called” gods. And so, in their eagerness to simply appease God, they wearied him with their heartless worship of him. And since they possessed neither a true love for God nor a respect for his law, they could not worship him in Spirit and in truth. They brought their vain oblations to his Temple because it was part of their religious tradition. They came to be seen of their fellows. They observed the required feast days, new moons and sabbaths during which they reveled and made merry. All these they did without any thought concerning the many blessings they had received at God’s hand. You might say— to paraphrase Charles Talleyrand— that they had learned nothing of any consequence regarding the true meaning of the law, and they had forgotten every good thing which the LORD had done for them.
And in response to their faux religious practices, God replied: ...when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:15-17). Thus the LORD had reached the limits of his patience with their false offerings of praise which came forth from their lying hearts. God said he would no longer see them as his own and would no longer listen to their prayers. And why? because their hands are full of blood on account of their disturbing and repulsive worship of Molech and Baal. In the case of the former, they engaged in human sacrifice. While for the latter, their worship involved lustful depravity and uncleanness with temple prostitutes. And afterwards, they would come into the presence of the LORD and lift up to him in worship their unclean hands and unclean hearts. This sort of thinking mimics that of a spouse cheating on his or her mate who upon returning home acts as if nothing is amiss in their relationship. It was through these and other acts of false piety, as well as the wholesale rejection of his word and commandment, that the people wearied the LORD their God.
And the people angered God with their arrogance as they did not think he could see what they were doing. But God does indeed see and on a level which would shock most people. Our Lord said, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment (St. Matthew 12:36). Every idle word? That means every action, every thought, every aspiration of the
heart shall be made known and judged. And so shall every false offering, as well as every false witness, all errant beliefs and aberrant thoughts will also be called into judgment before the throne of a just and righteous God. Every person living and dead over the millennia of Creation WILL have to answer for their unconfessed sins apart from a saving faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
As St. Paul reminded the Philippian church: For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things (3:18-19).
Yes, there is a judgment coming, and there will be a good deal of weeping and gnashing of teeth when it arrives. God will judge and consign all who are not his in Christ Jesus into the pit of perdition. Yet this truth stands sure and certain: None need perish if they but turn unto God and repent in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. St. Peter admonished the crowd who in ignorance mocked the disciples at Pentecost saying, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). And to Cornelius, the Roman centurion, and his household he said, that through [the name of Jesus Christ] whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins (Acts 11:43). And further, the apostle Paul called on the Philippian jailer to, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (Acts 16:31).
Consider also the following passages from Isaiah wherein the prophet spoke on behalf of the LORD saying: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land (1:18-19). Notice that the concept of repentance is plainly set
forth. When we examine the scriptures regarding the necessity for sacrifice under the law, we find that such was provided as a means for the believer to be cleansed so that he or she could commune with God. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23). Continually throughout both testaments, there is this calling out to both Jew and Gentile to repent and turn away from sin. God will
reason with us through his word, but we must be obedient to his expressed will and commandment for there can be no salvation apart from obedience to the same.
Sadly, the majority of Israelites did not turn from their wicked ways and were lost to captivity and the sword of conquest as prophesied by Isaiah who said, But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it (1:19-20). What remnant that was left was half-hearted in their faith, but God spared them to honor his promise to their fathers Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob. Still, none but the faithful will be spared everlasting separation from God because he only accepts those who are truly faithful to his word written. God does not care for lip-service, neither will he accept a thoughtless prayer of remorse. Only the truly penitent person may pass into his kingdom and into his rest. Only a person who has accepted his free gift and repented will avoid
wearying God. We cannot walk our own paths and do what we think is right as opposed to those things that have been expressed within the pages of Scripture. God’s word is truth at all times and in all places (St. John 17:17). The children of Israel acted as if God was not present with them on a personal level. Needless to say, there are many in today’s world who claim to be Christians and are just as slack in their faith and worship as the unbelieving of the Israelites. Such persons will show up on Sunday, and occasionally on Wednesday evening, to be seen of their fellows within the precincts of the church building. They may even make an appearance on special feast days and so forth, but their hearts are elsewhere. Our Lord’s description of them is frighteningly accurate: Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (St. Matthew 15:7-9).
Keep in mind our need to be made right with God, and recognize his great gift to us via the atoning work of his only begotten Son. God gave him up to serve as that sacrificial lamb— that perfect offering for our sins— who died on that rude cross so long ago. For it was there that he took on the sins of whole world. It was there that his blood was shed so that all who would turn unto God in his name would be saved. In no manner of speaking did he die so that a universalist understanding of salvation could be accomplished. God’s saving grace has always been reserved exclusively for the true and faithful Christian and not for those who only pretend to be in Christ. As Christians, we have been called to be witnesses and ambassadors for our risen Lord, so let us go forth today and every day ready to serve in his harvest.
Let us pray,
O holy and gracious God, we appeal to you to forgive us of our sins and trespasses, and help us in our lives and work to be more effective witnesses on your behalf; for this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
Bryan+
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's Anglican Church
Diocese of the Midwest Anglican Orthodox Church Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Sermon on the Gospel Lesson for the TentiethSunday after Trinity
The Epistle. Ephesians 5:15-21 The Gospel. Matthew 22:1-14
O ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which thou commandest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymns # 199, 218, 368
In today’s Epistle and Gospel reading we find some hard sayings; sayings and precepts that have many times been taken out of context. Why don’t we unpack them at this time and see what is being discussed by St Paul and Jesus as recorded by St. Matthew.
St Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus, where great commercial activity took place, a wealthy city in the eastern part of the Roman Empire, and yet a thriving Christian enclave existed, with both Jewish and non-Jewish converts. Paul was reviewing what characteristics should be seen by the unbelievers in the city.
A circumspect people, using time wisely, not given to wine, that is drunk with wine, and notice how he ties that into a spiritual sense of living. “..be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit...” He is saying don’t let the spirit of wine rule you, let the Holy Spirit of God rule you instead.
And how do you nourish that wisdom and understanding of the will of the Lord ? You speak to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, and here is the neatest part of that nourishing nature.... “....singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord...”
15. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
I remember, as a young boy growing up overseas, we had a lady who worked for us several times a week. Her main job on Monday was ironing the freshly washed laundry. Gwen would come to our house about 8 o clock in the morning, she would gather up all the ironing {before the days of perma-press} and begin to sprinkle water on the clothes in preparation to do the ironing. All the while Gwen would be humming or singing gospel songs and hymns. I remember how positive she was, didn’t matter if her bus was late, or it was raining or if it was super hot, she was singing and making melody in her heart to the Lord.
I know one day I will see Gwen again. She lived, breathed and exuded her faith every day. In her every day life she was doing what Paul was instructing the church at Ephesus to do.
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Now in the parable of the wedding feast, there is a direct indictment of the rejection of Messiah by the Jews. The king is God, the Son is Jesus, the wedding is the consummation of the ages in the body of believers are finally brought to reconciliation with their Creator. All this is in the process of being worked out in the three and a half years of Christ earthly ministry.
Time and again Jesus would present himself to the Children of Israel, time and again they would reject him. Now individuals, disciples, followers, those healed, those forgiven, they would believer Jesus and his message.
But those who thought they knew better, they had the Scripture, they had the Law, they had Tradition; they knew that this couldn’t be the One. Why ? Because the god of this world had blinded them to the prophecies, the types and shadows which predicted the coming of the Messiah. Those who rejected God and his Son would abuse, ridicule or even murder the messengers who were sent to call God’s chosen to him. In light of that, God then turned to others, he sent out the message to the rest of the world, calling all who would come, to join the feast. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Now notice that both bad and good were called, then bad would be culled out ... “....when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment.” The king (God) has him removed from the feast. Here is another hard saying. After the guest who wasn’t prepared was removed and cast into outer darkness, now comes the saying: many are called but few are chosen. This and similar sayings from the Scripture should give warning, that there is not a universal salvation. Not everyone is going to heaven. Yes I know that is a hard saying. I don’t determine who is going to heaven. If you go back to the middle of the parable you notice that many were called, THEY rejected God’s calling. From the human viewpoint, they made a choice. They told God by their actions that they did not believe or did not care that God was calling them. So the verse “...Many are called but few are chosen..” can take on an entirely different meaning. We do not determine the mind of God.
When we read of Jesus’ parables we should understand that he is teaching us both by story and by example, as to what we should do as believers. I ask you to re-read the passage from Ephesians, that is 1.what we are to do,{SEE then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, be cause the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but under-standing what the will of the Lord is.} the passage from Matthew is 2. why we are to do it. {Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.}
As believers we are to live our lives as an example to the dying world. We are to show the way, the truth and the life wherein all are to be saved. The final determination is how someone acts upon those warnings and teachings that they have heard, seen or experienced. Our job is to give light by example, word, and deed, the Holy Spirit does the rest.
Let us pray:
Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of Thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom; Defend us Thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in Thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn
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 Twentieth Sunday after Trinity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuMDbGcCUPk
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
Prayer Needed:
Donald Roesch – ICU – Heart attack - Pleas pray for his wife Ashley and children, also
Mike Gettinger– heart related difficulties
Jim Sevier – God’s Peace in his life
Mauri Turner – Stomach Cancer
Anne Lee – Lung Cancer – recent diagnosis
Colin Beall and daughter Lowery – each has a different type of cancer
Dallas Minner – man with possible breast cancer – tests this week
Linda Derewsky – fatigue and ongoing sore throat
Bishop Zephaniah – Kidney stones
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
Katie Pope – Just beginning treatment for Stage 4 Pulmonary Carcinoma “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)
Hurricane Helen Recovery
Please keep praying for all the people and towns affected by Hurricane Helene
Hurricane MILTON Recovery
Please keep praying for the people affected by Hurricane Milton
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