241215 AOC Sunday Report
Worldwide Communion
Third Sunday in Advent
Sunday Report
The Third Sunday in Advent – December 15, 2024
Third Sunday in Advent 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 93-94, with the Collect first:
The Collect for Every Day in Advent
This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.
ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
The Collect for the Third Sunday in Advent
The Epistle for the Third Sunday in Advent. The Epistle. I Corinthians xi. 1.
LET a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall everyman have praise of God.
The Gospel for the Third Sunday in Advent. The Gospel. St. Matthew xi. 2.
NOW when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
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:
In my
distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.
Psalm
120:1
The desire
of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
Proverbs
11:23
No weapon
that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise
against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants
of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
Isaiah
54:17
Who is
wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them?
for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the
transgressors shall fall therein.
Hosea 14:9
For ye are
all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have
been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all
one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s , then are ye Abraham’s see, and
heirs according to the promise.
Galatians
3:26-29
Therefore
brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which he have been taught,
whether by word, or our epistle.
II Thessalonians 2:15
We know that God
causes all things to work together for good--to those who love God, to
those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
In every trial and
tribulation, let us find comfort in the knowledge that God, in His infinite
wisdom, orchestrates all for the good of His chosen people. God's hand is
behind every event, crafting our lives for His glory.
John Owen
The heart that
loves God finds peace in knowing that even the most confusing paths are ordered
by Him for our benefit.
Richard Sibbes
God's providence
is a divine compass, guiding our lives through every storm, always pointing us
toward our true good and His eternal glory.
Matthew Henry
Trust in the Lord,
for He has a wise design in every affliction, transforming our pain into a
pathway of grace. Trust the divine Designer; He weaves even our pain
into His purpose.
Samuel Rutherford
To love God is to
rest in His sovereign will, trusting that even the most perplexing
circumstances are shaped for our ultimate good. In every situation, whether in
joy or sorrow, we are called to trust that God is orchestrating
the events of our lives for His glory.
Jonathan Edwards
Devotion on the Collect for the Third Sunday in Advent
O LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
A glance at this prayer shows that the author (probably it was Cosin, Bishop of Durham; at all events his name stood at the head of the Commission appointed to revise the Book of Common Prayer 1662) followed as his model rather the Collects framed at the Reformation in 1549 than those of the early Office books. This Collect, like those of the Reformation, is longer and fuller than the earlier ones; unity of idea is not so much studied in it; but this particular Collect cites the words of Holy Scripture, instead of making covert allusions to it. It reminds us of the biblical theme of this Advent at the preaching of John and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, appeal is made to fulfillment of prophecy being enacted at the very occasion. The Triune God is invoked as a seal to the Prayer of Collect.
The Prayer opens with reference to John the Baptist – the first to greet the Lord while both He, and the Lord, were in the mother’s womb. John is the long prophesied Preparer of the Way of the Lord. His mission and purpose make him equal to, or greater than, all other prophets. The purpose of the minister is to reveal the mysteries of the Holy Bile insofar as the hearers are able to bear them. He not only defends the Word, but propagates it as well. In that sense, our mission as ministers is quite similar to that of John the Baptist. The Word must be presented in its fundamental simplicity in order to make the Word palatable whose hearts are conditioned to belief by the Holy Spirit.
There is only one way we may “found acceptable” to the Lord at His Coming – through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ for we have none of our own.
Bishop Jerry Ogles
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: all of his videos at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW3bgXBJFomPB5mZ4Oigxg
The Names of Jesus Series: The Passover
Click link to view and listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMmL3ikZwT0
The 39 Articles of Religion Series: Article 25:
click link to listen: https://youtu.be/xzDFuBq5WCI?si=rUG0dcLLZEEjnLwh
The 39 Articles of Prayer Series: Article 26
Click to link listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi5py3QILb8
Sermon for
the Third Sunday in Advent – Bishop Jerry Ogles
Based on the Gospel Lesson for the Day – (Matthew 11:2-19)
Sermon Notes for Third Sunday in Advent 15 December 2024 Anno Domini
“2Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 7And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 11Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.” (Matthew 11:2-19; all scripture quoted is from the King James Bible)
John the Baptist has been imprisoned for a terrible crime – that of proclaiming the truth. He had told King Herod that to live in concupiscence and adultery by marrying his brother, Philip’s wife – Herodias. Can you imagine? Today, John would be accused of that disarming act of being “too judgmental” yet John simply proclaimed God’s judgment from His Word! We walk daily among many Herods and Herodiases who would, if they could, cast us into prison for revealing their sinful lives to them. “17For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. 18For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. 19Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: 20For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.” (Mark 6:17-20) If you cannot abide the message, then by all means kill the messenger. The messenger is killed today by accusations of being too judgmental; thus the church has become sterile and impotent in dealing with sin. Instead of being salt and light to the world, the church has heard the world and agreed not to judge against the sins of the world.
What is the first characteristic of John the Baptist that comes to mind when his name is mentioned? For me, I think of a Voice Crying in the Wilderness – “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Matthew 3:3) What is this Wilderness?
Wilderness - a wild or uncultivated state. (Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary) The greatest and most desponding of wildernesses is not geographic, but spiritual. Bread and water are in short supply in a geographic wilderness, but so, too, in a spiritual one – there is lacking the Bread of Heaven and the Water of Life on the neon-lit streets of most American cities. As one walks those streets, he sees a wanton decadence and lust in the vacant faces of those he meets. There is no one with which he can fellowship concerning the riches of Christ for all are spiritually penniless. On those streets, the only mention of Christ is as a ‘Voice Crying in the Wilderness.’
The text today falls into two sections. The first: reveals a faltering faith of the great witness (John) and Christ’s gentle response to this man of faith. (verses 2-6) The second: Christ provides a witness to John of the truth of His ministry. We are not to consider John weak in faith for that is clearly not the case. John has been imprisoned and treated with dishonor. His life is in peril daily, yet he continues to believe under harsh conditions that exceed our ability to comprehend. But any of us have moments when we need a reassuring word, and this is the moment when John sends for confirmation.
“Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” This is not for the benefit for John’s disciples, but for his own comfort of reassurance. He is giving his very life on preparing the way for Christ’s ministry, so a reassuring word under these circumstances is reasonable. John is in prison in the gloomy fortress of Machaerus that Herod had built to serve as a sinful pleasure house and an impregnable fortress in the savage hills of Moab. The halls of pleasure and impregnable walls have collapsed, but the dungeon area is still discernible with the holes in the masonry to serve as witness of the chains of its victims (John included).
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Christ gently gives counsel to John’s disciples to go and give testimony of all that has been prophesied and fulfilled in the ministry of Christ. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.” (Isaiah 35:5-6) “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” (Isaiah 61:1) These are prophecies written seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, so we are emboldened in our faith to see their complete fulfillment – so was John. I love that phrase from Isaiah regarding the proclamation of Liberty to the captives. As a nation, God has favored our founding and our place as a nation among the nations of the world; but He has also made available to every man and woman of every land this Liberty from the captivity of sin if they will but come to Him. Jesus tells these things to John’s disciples so that John will have his faith confirmed, but to us, too!
“And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.” These are all questions whose import is every whit as directed to us today as to the disciples around Jesus. When we go to prayer service, do we go to see some amazing performance of a man preacher? These services are seldom called prayer services today, but more often ‘Celebrations” or “Festivals.” Such terms describe experiences intended to uplift man, prayers and worship uplift Christ! Do we expect our clergy to wear the latest fashion in clothing? My father told me that nay man given to frequent changes of fashion in attire is also likely to be blown about by every wind of doctrine. We have evangelists today clothed in $2,000 suits, wearing great diamond rings, and sporting gold, Rolex watches appealing for “seed money” from widows and elderly who barely can supply their pantries with bread. I can almost smell the scorched fires of their punishment to come. John is no mere prophet, but the chosen messenger of God to herald the coming of His only Begotten Son!
“For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (see also Malachi 3:1) Christ extols the virtues of Jon after his disciples depart. He desires that no honor be lost of John’s character in sending his questions to Christ. The character of Christ is quite different from that of men: Christ gives acclaim to the Baptist after his disciples have departed. Man gives flamboyant acclaim to men to their faces, but often critical stabs to their backs. Though John stands high above the mark in the company of men, he is well short in the Kingdom of Heaven to which he aspires – as are all of us.
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” The battle is hot and the mournful cries of the battlefield are full of the painful suffering of the saints. The path to the Kingdom is not a self-willed, demonstration of manly power (as is today in the modern church), but a gentle following of that Great Shepherd of the Flock. The wolves stalk the flock seeking every remunerative opportunity to shed blood and get advantage. This describes the Kingdom of Matthew 13:31-32. Those ‘birds’ lodging in its branches are demons, and they most often win the higher positions of honor in the tree.
“And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Christ is generous in sharing great mysteries to those whose ears are open in humble faith to hear. Amazingly, the worldly wise can never grasp the simplicity of truth uttered by Christ. But if we have ears (open ears, believing ears, trusting ears, hearing ears) to hear (not just the Words but the Spirit speaking) understand these mysteries. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6) Please note the last word of the Old Testament: CURSE. The law is a curse to those who do not believe. Note the last word of the New Testament: AMEN (hearty approval). “Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Rev 22:20-21) There is a glorious difference in our prospects from the Old to the New Testament. Jesus Christ makes ALL the difference!
“But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.” Donald Frasier wrote (Metaphors of the Gospel) that Jesus “pictured a group of little children playing at make-believe marriages and funerals. First, they acted a marriage procession; some of them piping on instruments of music, while the rest were expected to leap and dance. In a perverse mood, however, these refused to respond, but stood still and looked discontented. So the little pipers changed their game, and proposed a funeral. They began to imitate the loud wailing of Eastern mourners. But again they were thwarted, for their companions refused to chime in with the mournful cry and to beat their breasts.” These non-participating children are non players. They never like the tune or the narrative, but stand jeering on the sidelines. Have our churches become such dead events of observation?
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.” The world will always find cause to condemn the people of God and to kill the prophets. Either they are too pious, or they lack piety; either they are too hot, or they are too cold; either they are too bold, or not bold enough; either they are too spiritual, or not spiritual enough. If we are the Children of Wisdom, we shall have ears that hear and know. We dare not stand on the sidelines jeering, but become active responders to the pipe. “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. 5The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.” (Isaiah 50:4-5) Are we rebellious children jeering those who labor, or are we those who, taking to the plow, never cast an eye right, left, or back, but plow a straight row for Christ? (See Luke 9:62)
In Christ Alone during ADVENT Season,
† Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop.
AnglicanOrthodox Communion Worldwide & Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary
Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity
Sermon – Bishop Jack Arnold -
Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
Good morning! I hope you are all doing well. In today’s sermon we will be looking at the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine how they share a common message as we enter into a period of preparation for the coming of our Lord and Savior. Let us start by reading today’s collect:
The Collect for the Third Sunday in Advent
O LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
Today’s collect reflects the importance of each of us as managers and stewards for Christ, that we might prepare the world for His second coming, and by the way, for the end of our time here on earth. That is a lot of responsibility for us! But God and the Holy Spirit will help us to handle that responsibility if we will be let them into our hearts. In the Epistle Paul points out man’s judgment of us is nothing compared to that of God. We need to remember this next time a fellow man is trying our patience. God knows our heart, soul and mind much better than we do. In the Gospel, Jesus tells Paul tells John’s disciples that He is the One. Just as is almost always the case, the propers point of the need for action, not just diction.
In the Collect for the Third Sunday in Advent, we are referred to as the ministers and stewards (caretakers) of the mysteries of God: the Scriptures and His Word. We ask for help in getting the hearts of the disobedient, which is us, by the wisdom of the just, which is God and the Holy Spirit, to turn and look to the Kingdom of God for answers and not this world. We are in a way like John the Baptist who prepared the way for Christ’s coming by preaching and preparing the path for Christ to begin his ministry. By preaching the Word, we are likewise preparing the World for His Return, by getting their hearts ready by being guided by the Holy Spirit and spreading the Good News across the globe. This is a very important mission and one that we cannot hope to accomplish without the assistance of the Holy Ghost. We need His help to get on the right path so we can guide others along the same path.
After all, if we don’t get ourselves in order first and following God, how can we expect to lead others towards God? We must take the mote out of our own eye before we can help pull the mote out of our brother’s eye. The collect says that if we have done our job, at the second coming we may be found an acceptable people in His Sight. This may seem like a tall order, but it seems even taller if we don’t give it our best effort. We need to have the Holy Ghost in our hearts if we are to become ministers and caretakers of the mysteries of God. We are to be like John in preparing the world for Jesus’s second coming. We need to be shining the light towards Him and letting people know about Him, so that there will not be a stone unturned on this Earth that has not heard the Good News.
In the Epistle, Paul tells us not fear what others think of us, but rather be concerned about what God thinks of what we are doing and what direction in which He wants us to go. People and their opinions are very fickle and can vary like the wind and their presence in our lives ebbs and flows like the tide. However there is one person who we can reliably judge our performance by and that is God and His Word of Scripture. He is the constant unerring truth that we can reliably use to measure our performance here on Earth and He is also the one whose opinions we should truly value rather than that of man’s. Thus we need to be more concerned with what God thinks rather than what man thinks. Rather than spend the mental energy on being concerned with what others think, let us use that same mental energy to do our best for God, our family and our country. We can get a lot more done for God this way; it will be better for our hearts, souls and minds if we think this way. Worry does not solve any problems; but it can create problems if we let it. So, let us not worry about man’s opinions, but of God instead. We will profit spiritually this way. And our spiritual, physical and mental health will be much improved if we do this.
Not worrying is a very hard concept for many people to act on, including myself. There are so many things in this world that can cause tremendous concern and worry. However, we should note none of these things are greater than God. If we think about this thought, it should ease our burdened minds tremendously. God will bear our worries and concerns, but only if we allow Him into our hearts, souls and minds to do so. And besides we don’t have to consider what man thinks of us, only what God thinks of us. We need to lift the worries off our minds and give them to God to carry, so that we can do our jobs properly for Him.
We will never get anywhere if we follow the ways of this world. As in John 1:11-13 He came unto His own and His Own received him not. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.
If we are born of God, then it is Him to whom we must return and not man. As the verse from John points out, even Jesus came to us and we refused him; how can we expect any better treatment from man, than that given God Himself, who came down for us? We should not be surprised when our fellow men treat us like dirt. We know ourselves how depraved we can be without the guiding light of the Holy Spirit in us.
But the next part of the verse tells us what we will get if we join with him. He gave us the power to become the Sons of God, as we are His adopted children. He is giving us our eternal inheritance, if we will but follow Him. We are going to get an absolutely wonderful reward, if we do our very best to follow Him. There is a distinct difference between saying you are doing your best and actually doing your best.
The treatment we receive in this world will pale in comparison to the treatment God will give us in the next world if we but do our very best to follow Him. He has given us the power to become the Sons of God; we are God’s adopted children. This is a power greater than any in this world not of God’s Hands. This is a power that cannot be taken from us, as we are tightly in God’s Hand. The enemy cannot pluck us out of God’s grasp, once we have willingly joined ourselves to God through the help of the Holy Ghost. We need the unifying spirit of the Holy Ghost to help us understand the concepts of Scripture; not only to understand them, but to follow them. With the help of the Holy Ghost, we can understand what we are to do; more than that, we will be able to apply the concepts we learn from Scripture to our everyday lives.
In the Gospel, Christ asks the crowd of what they expected to see? Some great big flashy sign He was going to overthrow the Romans and unite the Jews to conquer the world? That was what they expected, but not what He came for! He says more than a prophet and that is true. Jesus is more than a prophet, He is the Son of God who came to die for our sins that we might not perish but have everlasting life. He did not come to rule the world, for it would be only a temporal state. He came for far more than that; to prepare our hearts for eternity and begin to change us from unjust to just creatures, worthy of God’s creation and His Hands. As John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Christ’s preaching, Christ came to prepare our way to join our Father in Heaven. Without this preparation, we would not have the wonderful gift of eternal life.
His sacrifice was the physical and spiritual action which paved the road for our ascent to heaven. He came to mold and to shape us from being roughly made to something very valuable. He came to transform us from death to being truly alive.
Life is a continual process of learning in every aspect of our lives, not least of these aspects is our spiritual growth and development. The Japanese have a word for this, introduced into their industry by the American engineer W. Edwards Deming, Kaizen (改善), that is to say continuous improvement. Never perfect, but always endeavoring to improve. Day by day. Just like in flying, every flight we need to learn something. It is the same in life, every day we need to learn something to keep growing as a Christian. Our goal is to make the next day better than the last. This is how we must continually develop as Christians.
To care for the mysteries of God properly, we must continue to learn in our spiritual lives; if we do this, we will keep growing more and more every day. We are to be practicing this continuous improvement the rest of our earthly lives. We will slip up occasionally but as long as we return to God and His Word to reset and return back to the path, then all will be well with our souls.
As Jesus came to change us for the better, Paul and the Collect remind us to do the same for others. We have to keep trying to do our best to help our friends and family to be better, all the while doing our best to be the best Christians and humans we can be. All the while shining the light of Christ into the darkness of this world as His ambassadors. We know not what seeds we plant when we perform such actions and in a future time they may bear fruit. We must not try and rush the work of the Holy Spirit, who works on God’s time and not that of our own time. All good things will happen in due course. If we do our part by planting the seed, the Holy Ghost will nurture and develop this seed to bear fruit. We must put our hearts and minds together and think about what God wants us to do in the end, rather than what we want to do. Put God first and all will be well, is what can be taken from today’s collects and lessons, ultimately. We must be willing do to this; then we can be properly caring for the mysteries of God.
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 Third Sunday in Advent
1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 11:2-10.
JOHN THE BAPTIST, the Precursor.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Committed students know it and put it into practice: any serious work requires methodical preparation, according to Professor Derek Rowntree from London University’s best-seller masterwork: “Learn How to Study”. They make a plan, answering the five basic questions: What am I being asked to do? What do I know? What is my starting point? What will my end point be? What will be my approach to achieve this?... In other words, we start from the known to go towards the unknown. God Himself does not act otherwise.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not begin with the crucifixion on Golgotha. It begins with a reference to Genesis in John 1:1-3: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Christ confirms this in Matthew 19:4, answering the Pharisees who came putting Him questions “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female” And Jesus goes on to approve of all the prophets whom the Jews had slaughtered (Luke 11:49-51): “Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.” Note that the wisdom of God, His Holy Spirit, foresaw that His prophets would be rejected, for since the time of Noah, man has not changed: the same man delights in selfishness and violence; he is fundamentally wicked, sinful, starting from Adam until now. But those who have been regenerated by baptism strive to fight with the power that God gives them against the temptations of every kind with which the demons are busy troubling them, in order to ensure their presence in hell. But God is stronger than Satan, and He delivers us if we ask Him (Matthew 6:13a): “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” So much for the past, that is to say, what is known.
So, God has a plan, and He applies it from the beginning of Creation and will keep doing so until the end of the world. As any well-constructed discourse begins with an introduction, Jesus is introduced by the last and greatest prophet of the Old Testament: John the Baptist, miraculous son of Zechariah the high priest and his wife Elizabeth, who “… had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.” (Luke 1:7). Now, what is the message of John the Baptist? First, he receives his message from God Himself: (Luke 3:2) “Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”; and what does this Word of God say? It says as follows (Luke 3:3-9): “And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” Yes, the axe was already put at the root of many a tree in Judea by the Roman soldiers occupying the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, to make crosses; and it was by their ministry that Christ was crucified as a thief, on one of their productions.
Note that the Baptist does not just call for a decision of faith in God. Like the apostle James, he requires a consistent behavior with the faith once professed, producing good fruit for the Lord. (James 2:17-18): “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” Good fruits are the outward manifestation of the faith we have inside our hearts. Otherwise, they are mere sins of generous boasting. However, James does not encourage us to worldly activism since he warns us (James 1:16-17) “Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Our Father in Heaven has given us faith and also the good fruits that flow from it. This is not from our efforts, but from God who has prepared these good works for us to walk in. It is the same sun that melts the wax and hardens the clay. It will be the same with men on the great Day of Judgment. God converts the predestined elects to salvation and hardens the hearts of others. And this is only the beginning, since the Apostle John prophesied that “And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it…” (Revelation 21:24a). Let us walk, let us walk, but in the way that God shows us, where Christ has walked ahead of us, as John the Baptist announced (Luke 3:10-14:18): “And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages” ... “And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.” To evangelize is therefore to call for repentance. This is nothing like preaching the false Gospel of prosperity or indifferent and careless tolerance of sin.
And as long as we walk in God's way, it is better not to be lame! Now Christ, speaking of the same John the Baptist, declares him to be the Forerunner: (Matthew 11:13-14) “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.” (Matthew 11:2-11) “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” As the Christian is recognizable by His good fruits, Christ is recognizable by His good works of compassion; He heals and restores to good physical and spiritual health those whose hearts the Father has not hardened. We have no excuse, and there is ample evidence of the divinity of Jesus Christ our Lord, of His mercy and compassion for sinners whom the Father gives Him to save and resurrect at the last day (John 6:37-39): “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” This is the message of Jesus Christ announced by John the Baptist, and this is our Christian hope in Jesus Christ.
And as every student assignment must come to a conclusion, the conclusion of the entire Bible defines the purpose of our Christian hope; it is found in Revelation 22:16-17,20-21: “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” ... “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 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.
Third Sunday in Advent
Now hear the words of the prophet Isaiah on this subject from the 44th chapter of his book: They that make a graven image are all of them vanity... Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?... (vv.9-10) He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak... he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baked bread; yea, he maketh a god and worshippeth it; he maketh a graven image, and falleth down thereto... and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou are my god (vv.14-17).
In chapter 10 of his first epistle to the Corinthians (vv.19-21), St. Paul equated idolatry with worthlessness, and paganism with demonism when he wrote, What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and the table of devils... It should be noted that in the apostle’s day, the prohibition against idolatry included the worship of the emperor as a living god. Thus the behavior for which the apostle applauded the Thessalonians— on account of their patent rejection of all idolatry in favor of the worship of the one, true and living God— can be juxtaposed to those of the Corinthian church who needed a reminder that they too must turn from worshipping idols.
Though initially rejected by early Christians in the first and second centuries, history tells us that by the fifth century idolatry was alive and well within the Church. Dr. Jesse Hurlbut once noted that, “while the triumph of Christianity resulted in much that was good, inevitably the alliance of the [Roman] state and the church also brought [within] its train many evils... As a result... we do not see Christianity transforming the world to its own ideal, but the world dominating the church (Story of the Christian Church pp. 62-63)” and this included the addition of images and idols which were venerated and adored.
And so the paganism of the Ancient World— which was thought displaced by the Christian Church— soon reappeared as a corporate member of it. The Rev. E.M. Bounds once observed concerning this sort of behavior, “When the church itself, the bride of Christ, is seduced from her purity [by Satan], she degenerates into worldly ritualism... The Devil is a hydra-headed monster who is multifaceted in his plans and wisdom as well as in atrocities. His supreme effort is to gain control of the church, not to destroy its organization, but to pervert its divine purpose (Guide to Spiritual Warfare p.41-42).”
Now consider our adversary’s handiwork within the fold Christ. In 431 A.D., the Council of Ephesus officially gave the title of “Mother of God” to the Virgin Mary. This very title had once belonged to the goddess Cybele whom the Greeks called “Meter Theon” or “mother of the gods”. It should be noted that Ephesus was once the seat of worship for Diana, or Artemis, who was also a mother goddess. The Temple of Diana of Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World. Now while it is true that the council did not mean to convey a pagan understanding of Mary— only that she was the bearer of God in the flesh— still the irony of that event is inescapable. For in the very city where the apostle Paul, hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands (Acts 19:26), a church council had unwittingly supplied future church leaders with the proverbial “green light” to advocate that very aspect of paganism which the apostle had so forthrightly condemned some four centuries before.
But there is more. Consider that one of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation (2:18-29) was the church at Thyatira which, as the Rev. Matthew Henry explained, “...allowed [a spirit of wicked teaching named Jezebel] to seduce the people of that city. [This spirit and its charges] attempted to draw the servants of God into fornication and to offer sacrifices to idols.” The warning by our Lord of this coming acceptance of idolatry should have been “a fire bell in the night” as it ought to have stirred the faithful leadership of the church into action against this sort of behavior. Sadly, by the fifth century, there was not much interest in keeping pagan practices out of the church as very many within the body of Christ were merely unconverted pagans masking themselves as Christians to gain favor with the emperors.
Today, idolatry has become more sophisticated. The widespread cults of personality in religion have taken center-stage in the hearts of the naive. It is not uncommon in our day to find errant Christians who have put aside the notion of God’s coming judgment for sin and the need for repentance in favor of a false universalism. They teach only about God’s love and omit his desire for justice. Others lure the unsuspecting into their dairy stalls — which they call churches — to be milked of their hard earned wages. And a growing number of these wolves in sheep’s clothing are big promoters of the false gospel of prosperity: where God will make every true believer materially rich, and physically well in this life. And such carries with it the equally false notion that if you do not receive a blessing from God, then you do not possess the proper level of faith to deserve a blessing. Or, you likely did not provide these charlatans with sufficient funds which would entitle you to receive a blessing from God. What a kick in the teeth to an otherwise faithful believer who is struggling with financial or health problems. Imagine telling a person in those circumstances that they are not measuring up to God because they are ill, or in debt, or facing any number of difficulties so that they might just as well take the advice of Job’s wife to, curse God and die (Job 2:9).
Then there are those outside of the church who hold up a variety of secular figures as their gods and goddesses. They hang on their every word, and they buy their sponsored products as if they were talismans. The pagans of the Ancient World idolized the strong, the powerful, the outwardly beautiful and the rich, and nothing in man’s character over the millennia has changed one iota. Some will even mark their bodies up with their signs and symbols which indicate not their mere support of those things, but of their ownership by them. Yes, that’s right. They are owned by their made-up deities. In the future the Antichrist will require all who might buy or sell to possess his mark in their foreheads or in their right hand (Revelation 13:16-17). It seems the unregenerated are being prepped today for that future event. Indeed, all these things are ample evidence for their condemnation before a holy and righteous God should they not repent. Now it should be understood that while idolatry is a sin and must be repented of before God, there is, however, one sin regarding idolatry that is unforgivable. If one takes the mark of the Beast, there will be no repentance (Revelation 14:9-11).
The Scriptures inform us that proper Christian worship is supposed to be directed toward God, and not ourselves and certainly not towards images and statutes as representations of the ethereal and eternal. We are supposed to come before our heavenly Father with reverence and holiness. We are supposed to come before him confessing our sins and seeking his pardon. We are supposed to come into his presence with thanksgiving and praise; not in clamor or in irreverence, but in all holiness. As the apostle Paul observed, 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23meekness, temperance [selfcontrol] against such there is no law. 24And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another (Galatians 5:22-26).
We Christians have a duty to witness and to warn our fellows. God has given us his word written for our edification that we might be recipients of his grace rather than subjects of his wrath. The Bible tells us that we are to give worship to none but the Godhead. We have been warned throughout the pages ofScripture that those who persist in vain worship will have their hearts darkened and their reservation confirmed in that eternal lake of fire where all who are estranged from God will have their final and everlasting abode.
Christians be warned! Flee from all idolatry. Flee from those churches who preach an acceptance of those things which will bring you into condemnation. Avoid the traditions of men both old and new that are in opposition to the expressed will of our gracious heavenly Father. Stick to the word of God and keep away from any thing, or any person that would be exalted above the Godhead, or would displace him in your heart and life. As the apostle John closed his first epistle: be warned my brethren, keep yourselves from idols (5:21).
Let us pray,
Father, instill in each of us a desire to read the scriptures, and to inwardly digest them; that in so doing, we will become better witnesses on your behalf; and this we ask in the name of thy Son our Saviour, 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 for the Third Sunday in Advent
Psalms 22:23-31 First lesson: Isaiah 35 Second lesson: Luke 1:57-80
O LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
Hymns # 6, 16, 20
As we reflect on these scripture selections for the third Sunday in Advent let us notice all the themes of majesty, glory, laud and honor attributed to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Also let us take into account the prophecies that are foretold and fulfilled in the Old and New Testament lessons. What a rich heritage.
This passage from the Psalms, Psalm 22:23-31, is a prophetic word referencing the coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. If you take the whole 22nd Psalm and read in together, the first half is a reference to the words on the cross by a crucified Jesus. “...my God my God why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) So when we read the later half of the psalm we see all the ascriptions of praise and worship befit a king.
23 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
In verses 24 and 25, David describes the grace of God, he does not turn away from us when we are in trouble or afflicted, he listens to us when we cry out to Him. And we should in kind give praise back to God, notice that is in a great congregation. The very next verse gives instructions, ...those who seek him shall praise the Lord ! And then a blessing, may your hearts live forever !
24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. 25My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 26The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. 27All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 28For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations.
Now let us look at what the prophet Isaiah wrote about the coming Messiah. He gives us a foreshadowing of the miracles of Christ, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will walk, those who can’t speak will sing.(see verses 5-6) And also notice the reference to the Lord’s return and his ransoming of his own. (v.4) At his coming sorrow and sighing shall flee away, and gladness and joy shall be bestowed or obtained by those ransomed by the Lord. (v.10)
3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. 5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert…. 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Now let us look at a couple of miracles surrounding the coming of the Lord. We have the faithful Elisabeth who is finally blessed with a son after being barren for most of her adult life. She and her husband served the Lord faithfully for years. Zacharias was a priest of the Levites who served at the temple in Jerusalem. He was doing his duty in the temple when he saw an angel. The angel told him of the great miracle and answer to he and his wife’s prayers. They were to have a son and name him John.
Because Zachariah questioned the angel, he was struck dumb, he could not communicate by voice. He had to write out anything he wanted to say. So when Elisabeth gave birth to the promised son, they waited the prescribed days before he was circumcised, that was the usual time of naming the child. Everyone expected him to be named after his father. Zachariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote out the name John. He was immediately healed of his lack of speech and he spoke and began to praise God.
“…What manner of child shall this be!” And the hand of the Lord was with him. (Isaiah 1:66)
67And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 71That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 74That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 75In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 76And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Notice in the prophesy of Zacharias all the passages from the Psalms, Isaiah, Malachi, among others. All that was happening was to fulfill the prophesies concerning the coming King of kings and Lord of lords. As we reflect on the scripture this day let us remember that all of the prophecies concerning Jesus first coming were fulfilled. All of them. Those prophesies concerning Christ Jesus second coming are yet to be fulfilled. But we can rely on the truth of the Word of God. If all the prophesies concerning the first Advent came true...then we can with great assurance know that the second coming too will be fulfilled. In this world of uncertainties and strife, we can always look to the Word of God for comfort and assurance.
He is King of kings and Lord of lords...and he shall reign forever.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, by whose providence they servant John Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of they Son our Savior by preaching repentance; Make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth’s sake; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
O Gracious Father, we humbly beseech thee for thy holy Catholic Church; that thou wouldest be pleased to fill it with all truth, in all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, establish it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of him who died and rose again, and ever liveth to make intercession for us, Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord. Amen
Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn
The Rev. Don Fultz
Rector of St. Peter’s AOC
located in the AOC National Office
We are grateful to have this sermon of for the Nienteenth Sunday after Trinity today from Rev. Don Fultz from St. Peter’s AOC, Statesville, NC.
Sermon for the Third Sunday in Advent
Sermon: St. Matthew 11: 2-10
In this morning’s Gospel passage we read about the imprisonment of John the Baptist and his sending of his followers to see first-hand the miracles and ministry of Jesus. Today I would like to answer the following questions about this passage:
1. Who was John the Baptist and what was his role in Jesus’s ministry?
2. Why was he in prison?
3. Why did he send his followers to see the works of Jesus?
The story of the birth of John the Baptist can be found in St. Luke 1:5-17. John’s father was a Jewish priest by the name of Zacharias and His mother’s name was Elisabeth. Both Zacharias and Elisabeth were very godly people. “They were both righteous before God, walking in the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” (Luke 1:6). They were both very elderly and wanted to have children but were unable to do so.
As St. Luke tells us one day an angel visited Zacharias in the temple and told him that he was going to be the father of a son by a miracle of God and this son is to be the forerunner of the long-promised Messiah. The angel further told Zacharias that his son “Shall be great in the eyes of the Lord.” And that his son “shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.” And by the way, his name is going to be called John.
God had performed a miracle and brought John into the world for a special purpose. We know little if nothing about John’s life until He started preaching at age thirty. Instead of serving at the temple as a Priest, he dressed in camel’s skin garment and a leather belt and did his preaching in the wilderness area along the Jordon River, south of Judea. John’s dress and fiery spirit was a lot like the Prophet Elijah. Matthew Henry comments on this in Matthew: 11:14 “He came in spirit of Elias (Elijah) prophesied in Malachi 4: 5-6- “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord”. Not in his own person as the carnal Jews expected but in Spirit and power.
John was a frugal and humble servant of the Lord. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3; 4). He drank no wine or strong drink (Luke 1:15). The desert wilderness was his home and he lived off the land.
Was John the Baptist a prophet? Yes! But Jesus tells us in verse nine and ten that he was more than just a prophet and in verse eleven, Jesus says “Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.” What a great compliment this is when you consider some of the great prophets of Old Testament such as Moses, Eliza, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Samuel.
John’s mission and objective were very clear. It was told and prophesied by the prophet Isaiah in chapter forty, verse three: “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
John was called by God for one purpose to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ. His duty was to prepare the nation of Israel to receive the Messiah. He did this by preaching, by conversion, and by example of a godly life. Before John started preaching, Israel had not seen a Prophet for three hundred years. (MH commentary-Matt 11:13) He was to preach about repentance and to baptize people in water. He was also to preach about the Kingdom of God and prepare the people for the Messiah’s coming.
When John spoke of the Messiah’s coming, it was in either one of two senses: either as the judge, who would put down the wicked and establish His kingdom, or as the “suffering Servant” who would die for Israel’s sins. That is exactly what John did.
John’s message was a call to repentance. Some people think that repentance is mostly about feelings, especially feeling sorry for your sin. Repent isn’t a feelings word, It is an action word. John told his listeners to make a change of the mind, not merely feel sorry for what they had done. Repentance speaks of a change in direction, not a sorrow in the heart. He told the multitude which came to be baptized, “Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.” He bade each man who made a profession of repentance, to begin by breaking off from those sins which especially beset him. The selfish multitude must show common charity to each other. “He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; he that hath meat, let him do likewise.” (Luke 3:11) The publicans must exact not more than their due. The soldiers must “do violence to no man, and be content with their wages.” One can’t come to the kingdom of heaven unless they leave their sin and their selfish life.
John spoke very boldly and was not afraid to offend anyone. He often referred to the multitudes that came to be baptized as a “generation of vipers.” He saw the rottenness and hypocrisy of the profession that the crowds around him were making. His head was not turned by popularity. He spoke of Hell and the wrath to come if they did not repent their sins. When the religious leaders of his time came to see him, John showed courage. He rebuked them for ignoring God’s message of repentance. They believed that they didn’t need to repent since they were directly descended from Abraham. But he told them, “Begin not to say, We have Abraham as our Father; for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” (Matthew 3:9)
John pointed the people to Christ regularly (John 1:6-8, 19-27, 29-37). When the time came for Christ to start His ministry, John pointed his disciples to Christ and encouraged them to follow Him (John 1:35-37).
John even baptized His Lord and savior. When Jesus was ready to start His public ministry, He came to John to provide an example for all mankind by being baptized. Keep in mind that their paths had not crossed until this time. When John saw Jesus coming towards him, he said “O lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29) After John had baptized Jesus, he was privileged to see the Holy Spirit descend on Him. This confirmed to John that this was indeed the Son of God (John 1;32-34).
So why was John the Baptist in prison? Unfortunately John didn’t pull any punches….he called a sin a sin. He even criticized King Herod for marrying his brother’s wife and was thrown in Jail (Matthew 14:3. Mark 6:17) and later was beheaded at the request of his brother’s ex-wife Herodias’s daughter.
The opening text tells us when John had heard in prison the work of Christ, he sent two of his disciples. One of these was Andrew, brother of Simon Peter whom he introduced Jesus as the Messiah (John 1:40,41) and the other is not mentioned in Bible but most likely was John, the Apostle, brother of James. So why was he sending his disciples to see Jesus? John knew his time of Ministry was ending. He wanted to make sure his disciples followed Jesus as there had been some previous jealousy among the disciples of Jesus and John. One was a question about fasting. Matthew 9:14 tells us “Then came to Him disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?” John knew that Jesus was the Messiah and he wanted to ensure his disciples followed Jesus after his death. So, he wanted his disciples to hear first-hand all of the miraculous work that Jesus had done that proved He was the Messiah. John’s ministry lasted approximately two years.
There are many reasons the story of John the Baptist was recorded in the Bible. It still speaks to us 2,000 years later. His life story and his message that points us to Jesus Christ, shows God’s miraculous power, and teaches the importance of repentance from sin and baptism.
John’s story also shows us an amazing example of humility. Throughout his life and ministry, John always directed people to Jesus Christ. To John, everything was about the Messiah whom he had been called to prepare for. John saw his own needs and status in life as unimportant. He was not jealous about the crowds going to see Jesus. Instead, he humbly said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
The work of John the Baptist also reminds us that God has a detailed plan that He is carrying out. Though we, like John the Baptist, may not understand everything about that plan or our assigned part in it, we can know that God has a plan for us.
Herod may have killed John the Baptist physically, but John will be a King and priest reigning on the earth in the Kingdom of God (Revelation 5:10).
We, too, can have a part of that plan if we respond to God’s calling, repent and humbly obey God.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
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.
Sermon for the Third Week in Advent
By Rev. Stephen Cooper of Alaska
Click link below:
Rev. David
McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian on Third Sunday in Advent
Zephaniah 3:14-20 • Psalm 85 • Philippians 4:4-9 • Luke 3:7-20
Philippians 4
Have you been anxious about anything lately? Do you feel peaceful? Or are you being torn apart by things, people and events? What is disturbing your peace? How can you recover your Christian assurance and peace in this life and for the life to come? Is the Christmas hustle and bustle getting you in the fast lane? What I like about the church's observance of Advent is that it is a slowing down and a renewal of our vows, our faith, and our lives should be in harmony with His will and His Spirit instead of ...well you can fill in the blank!
Interesting, and I think I may have touched on this issue before, since it is the same Epistle, but the background of Rejoice, the peace of God which passes all understanding, and do not be anxious ( be careful for nothing in the KJV) is a situation in the church at Philippi. We can see it in 4:2 where Paul says, “I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.” This is the background where members in the church were not getting along. They were to be of the “same mind.” " The common mind they are to share, in reconciliation and mutual love, is one which sets the good of the church above personal interest, and finds its inspiration and example in the lowliness of the incarnate Lord and the standard He expects of His people. " Philippians, R. P. Martin Philippians 2:3-“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem each other better than themselves.” Be servants as Christ was. He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death.
Point 1. Do not be anxious. The little greek word is merizo which lit. means to draw in different directions, distract, hence signifies that which causes this care, especially an anxious care. Vine's Expository Dictionary of the New Testament.
If your rejoicing meter is lower than your anxious meter, you and I have a problem. We are not at peace. We are part of the problem. The Apostle talks about how we can have this peace which comes from God so that we will know that He is our God, in charge, and have his peace, and therefore will not be anxious.
How? How can you and I have peace that is of God? Point 2 .
First realize that this peace is not of our own making. It is of God. The verb is a genitive of origin and is not of this world. I remember another place Jesus said this, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27
In Time of Anxiety - O LORD, grant, we pray thee calmness and control of thought to those who are facing uncertainty and anxiety; let their heart stand fast , believing in thee. Be thou all things to all men, knowing each one and his petition, each house and its need; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCP .1929, Free Church BCP
Of course we should be reminded of this fact from Romans 5- “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
Because the “Lord is at hand” This means He is coming again . This is an early Christian expression to encourage the people of God. Marantha “Our Lord, come!” Revelation 22:20 “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come , Lord Jesus.”
Because He is coming and is near and at hand, we can point 3 again rejoice . This sounds like what was said last week, and it was.
“Rejoice in the Lord alway (not in ourselves): and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (forbearance, gentleness to all, fairmindedness) – “the attitude of a man who is charitable towards men's faults and merciful in his judgment of their failings because he takes their whole situation into his reckoning.” L. H. Marshall
In conclusion we can rejoice and have peace because we cast all our cares on Him (see 1 Peter 5:7), and are not anxious but by prayer (in general) and supplication (specific requests) with thanksgiving (eucharistia) present our requests before God. (See Philippians 4:6)
God alone can change the people, the situation and us and me. His Blessed Son and Holy Spirit are our advocates to the Father through the blood of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
When in a fix, Philippians 4:7. “The peace of God which passes all human understanding…” is the result when we do all of these things, rejoice, cast our care on Him, present to HIm our prayers and supplications. Our hearts and our minds are guarded by Christ Jesus then.
I want peace. You want peace. Let us have peace through applying these truths! In Christ. AMEN.
Rev. David Mc Millan
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, Mauri Turner, Mike, Jim, Dotty, Jan Jessup, Steve, Josh Morley, Jennifer,
AOC USA, AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper, Bishop Zephaniah,
Jim Sevier, Linda, Donald Roesch, Jim Kniffen, Colin, Lowery, Robert,
Prayer Needed:
Eddie Bowman – car accident – collapsed lung, broken hip, back injuries - hospitalization
Tate Maag – infant with recently
implanted feeding tube
Alicia – Struggling caring for parents at home
Bishop Zephaniah – Kidney stones
Donna – beginning her chemo for Brain
Cancer – recovered from surgery
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
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