Anglican Orthodox Churchsm
Worldwide Communion
First Sunday in Advent
Sunday Report
The First Sunday in Advent – December 1st, 2024
First 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 90-91, with the Collect first:
The Collect for the First Sunday 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 Epistle for the First Sunday in Advent: Romans xiii. 8.
OWE no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
The Gospel for the First Sunday in Advent. The Gospel. St. Matthew xxi. 1.
WHEN they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
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ANGLICAN ORTHODOX COMMUNION WORLDWIDE
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDING BISHOP
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Email: usa@anglicanorthodoxchurch.org
Website: www.aocinternational.org
November 28th in the Year of our Lord the 2024th (Anno Domini)
SUBJECT: Thanksgiving Letter
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19Quench not the Spirit. 20Despise not prophesyings. 21Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:18-24 (KJV)
As we celebrate this Thanksgiving, I pray that it is not only a single day during which we render thanks unto God for His abundant mercies and grace, but every dawning of every day. Of course, we take particular notice of our National Thanksgiving as a nation whose founding principles were clearly based upon Holy Writ and guided by the Hand of God. No nation has before enjoyed such individual freedom and liberty as our own America the Blessed.
We have so very much for which to be thankful both as believers and as citizens of this Constitutional Republic. Even though we have faced enormous evils and a growing spirit of wickedness over the past few years, God has given us yet another opportunity to right our ship of state and set it upon that course which distinguishes a people whose faith and trust is in God.
Being thankful is not merely an utterance of the lips, but a heartfelt gratitude that is evoked by a love of God, our fellow man, evidence in our Godly behavior, and a resolve to make that faith a living testimony both nationally and individually.
In the leading counsel of Paul in our cited text above, we are to give thanks in everything; but then we are to make our thankfulness visible in our living. Study the Scriptures. Share the Gospel. Avoid even the appearance of evil. Abstaining from evil is not merely a negative abstinence, but a courageous and positive opposition to the influences of evil that has pervaded our land in recent years. Our faith, evidenced by our love and action, will evoke the favor of the God of Peace in all our national endeavors and to promote peace among our fellow nations of the earth. America needs a national sanctification as well as a personal one.
Looking back on the past few months, I believe there has been a national resurgence of faith in the fruits of righteousness in our land. We have indulged the wicked among us far too long, and have awakened to the great danger that the spirit of godlessness has aroused in our daily lives and for the future of our posterity.
May we take a renewed hope in the fruits and benefits of Liberty, but also remain constantly aware that Liberty entails a high degree of responsibility on the part of our citizenry.
Thanks be to God that we have expressed that sense of righteous indignation in our recent election and may we now experience a growing sense of duty to God and country as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
I wish you all, of America and of our friends abroad, a most joyful Thanksgiving filled with a resolve to continue to perform our duties to God in prayer and faith to the renewing of the minds of our people. Happy Thanksgiving.
In Christ Alone
Jerry L. Ogles
+Jerry L. Ogles, D.D.
Presiding Bishop,
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
& Chancellor, Faith Theological
Seminary
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:
1Make a
joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence
with singing. 3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it
is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we
are his
people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be
thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Psalm 100
The
greatest blessing we can receive from God is salvation from sin and Hell. And therefore,
the greatest reason we should give thanks to God is for His great salvation.
Thomas Brooks
He who is
truly saved will spend his days singing praises to the God who redeemed his
soul from damnation.
John Bunyan
What can a saved sinner do, but lift his voice in
perpetual thanks for God's unmerited mercy?
Stephen Charnock
Eternal praise and thanksgiving befits those who have been saved from eternal damnation. John Flavel
Thanksgiving is
the language of the redeemed. It is the voice of the soul, expressing gratitude
to God for His redemption.
William Gouge
Our greatest joy is to rejoice in our
salvation; and our most fervent thanksgiving is to God for His grace in saving
sinners.
John Owen
Thanksgiving to
God for our salvation is not only a duty, but the most natural expression of a
heart transformed by grace.
Jonathan Edwards
Thanksgiving is
the sweetest music that can be sung to God. It is the most pleasing
sacrifice that can be offered to Him.
Richard Sibbes
First Proclamation After Plymouth
Governor Bradford of Massachusetts made this first Thanksgiving Proclamation three years after the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth:
Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.
Now I, your magistrate, do
proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at
ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on
Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and
twenty three and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock,
there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all
His blessings.
See: Psalms 100:4-5; 145:10-11; Revelation 7:12
6,000 Plus Illustrations for Communicating Biblical
Truths.
VENITE, EXULTEMUS DOMINO.
O COME, let
us sing unto the LORD; * let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our
salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; * and
show ourselves glad in him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God; * and a great King above all
gods.
In his hand are all the corners of the earth; * and the
strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it; * and his hands prepared the
dry land.
O come, let us worship and fall down, * and kneel before the
LORD our Maker.
For he is the Lord our God; * and we are the people of his
pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; * let the
whole earth stand in awe of him.
For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; * and with
righteousness to judge the world, and the people with his truth.
In our Anglican Orthodox Church, after the English Reformed tradition, we repeat the Venite, Exultemus Domino (the great Thanksgiving) at every Morning Prayer Service each day of the week. But do we, in the churches across America, truly mean each word of this great Thanksgiving? Does the America of today observe the yearly Thanksgiving, and the gratitude for our daily bread, with the same reverence and sincerity as the America of decades long past? It may be that we have become as the ten lepers of the Gospel of St. Luke 17:12-19. All ten appealed to our Lord for healing, and all ten were, indeed, healed; but only one returned to the Lord to give thanksgiving for this wonderful act of mercy and grace. The other nine are like many in our pews today – they will gladly accept the miracle, but forget to thank the Providence that gave it.
Bishop Jerry Ogles –Excerpt of Thanksgiving Letter 2017
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
From the Names of Jesus Series: The Alpha and the Omega
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTL_1mi9-ZE
Sermon for First
Sunday in Advent – Bishop Jerry Ogles
“It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
Gospel of St. Matthew 21:13
Our Lord harshly reprimands those who enrich themselves on those things that are Holy. “Den of thieves” is not a palatable term for the modern church, but the charge carries even greater weight for the church of our day than even for those Temple caretakers of the time of our Lord’s earthly ministry. Paul refers to those who make merchandise in the church as being “greedy of filthy lucre.” (1 Timothy 3:3)
The admonition of our Lord Jesus Christ during this last week of His earthly ministry is not His only such example of contempt for those who teach a name-it-and-claim it gospel. “10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.” (Titus 1:10-11)
At the very beginning of His ministry, our Lord issued the same rebuke, though less condemning, to those who bought and sold in the Temple. “13 And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.” (John 2:13-16)
So, Christ castigates those deceitful men who make money on the backs of their parishioners as His first act of contempt in the Temple as well as the His last act of defiance just hours before His crucifixion. Such exposure of wickedness evokes a strong response from its adherents. In fact, this last cleaning of the Temple provoked the Jewish leaders to seek His crucifixion. No charge is more offensive to the greedy imposter of ministry than that which challenges their money-making schemes.
We see in today’s Gospel text our Lord’s preparation of His disciples for His coming passion. He sent two disciples to obtain the beast of burden upon which He would make His entry into Jerusalem. They did not understand the symbolism of their actions, but they obeyed nonetheless. God often directs us to perform works of the ministry that may not be fully comprehended by His ministers, but they obey nonetheless.
In the second instant, the Gospel points out the preparation of the people for the coming final events of our Lord’s ministry. This is not separate from His first chastisement of the Temple rulers. Misguided, and even false, expectations will always result in separation from our Lord. The objective of the Temple rulers was to enrich their own pockets; and the expectation of those multitudes who hailed Jesus on His entry into Jerusalem were of a worldly savior in whom they believed they would cast off the yoke of Roman rule. It is ironic that many of the same multitudes who hailed our Lord’s entry in Jerusalem with Palm branches and Hosanna’s would be among the same crowd who called for His crucifixion just five days later on the paddock outside the Hall of Pontius Pilate. How capricious are the hearts of man without the Gospel of Christ! We no sooner make a resolution to improve than we break it with a sense of impunity. Only the heart that is made the Home of Christ can know and understand the will of God in his life.
The final preparation of the Temple demanded an even stronger reprimand than the first cleansing. After three years of preaching the Kingdom of Heaven, the Temple was discovered to have returned to its depraved conditions as a “dog returns to its vomit” and a swine to its wallowing in the mud. “But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2:22; see also Proverbs 26:11) The Temple of God is the heart of the Elect believer. If the heart is not truly cleansed at conversion, it is not converted but returns to the same old sinful ways, or worse, than before it came to know Christ.
How is it possible for us to know our Lord and keep His Commandments? That means is proclaimed in the Epistle for the day, Romans 13:8-10 “Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” How often have I written on this simple and certain means of the Christian to keep the Commandments inviolate! The simple answer is not always the one chosen by men who seek to debate of precisely at what point does an added grain of sand on a molehill become a mountain.
We have a duty to prepare for the coming of the Lord even if we know not the day or hour of His coming. That one resource of sanitization is found in love. Though we know not the precise time, to know the time is to know the shortness thereof. We can see the signs from the budding of the fig tree to the” wars and rumors of war” in our current global scene. Seldom in history has war become so general. So each day of our lives may be the last for the coming of the Lord – at least, for us personally.
We must be about making every hour and day count in our service to the Lord. This life is the long night before the eternal day to come. Again, Paul counsels in today’s Epistle “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” (Romans 13:11-12)
By putting on Christ – taking His Mind upon us – He will know us from the splendor of our raiment on His return.
By a devoted study of God Word, we may prove all things true and defend our hearts against the wiles of the devil.
Have you, my friend, taken upon you His armor and defense?
In Christ Alone during Season of ADVENT,
† Jerry
Ogles
Presiding Bishop.
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide & Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary
Sermon – Bishop Jack Arnold -
Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
First Sunday in Advent
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
First Sunday in Advent
The
Collect.
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.
¶ This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.
Today’s Collect, like almost all of them, starts out asking God’s Grace, His Help, His intervention to allow us to turn our backs on evil and our own desires that we might make His Desire our desire. This theme is constant in most of the collects for the simple reason that it is truth. And it is the truth that without God’s intervention in our lives through the help of the Holy Ghost we are doomed to fail. It is clear that in order for us to succeed we require God’s intervention. This is pretty important for us to understand, so that is why Archbishop Cranmer wrote these themes into a lot of the collects. If we understand this simple message, we are well on our way to following the narrow uphill path towards heaven. Also if you understand how short we fall in our “natural” desire, you will understand to in order to cast off the works of darkness and don the armour of light, we must turn to Christ, who came to visit us, born in a simple and humble inn in Bethlehem. As His manner of birth, we must be humble as well, not boastful and proud like the rich[1], but meek and lowly, to embrace light and cast off the works of darkness. I note that Christ used humble, meek and lowly individuals as the heroes in His Parables and not arrogant and boastful people, which tells us how God would like us to conduct ourselves in our day to day lives. We have to let go of our pride in order to be humble and be able to cast off the works of darkness. Though He came in a rather humble manner, He shall return in a glorious and majestic manner, a rather stark contrast to His original incarnation, leaving no doubt who has come to lead us.
The whole point of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel is that we must embrace light and reject the darkness. We do this by allowing the Holy Ghost into our hearts, which will act like a bright flashlight, to shine in our hearts and expel our innermost darkness. It is like the light Galadriel gave Frodo in Lord of the Rings, a light to shine in the darkest of times and places and will cleanse our hearts of the inner darkness and will send the darkness scattering like insects. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit can we cleanse ourselves of that inner darkness and allow pure light to come in and drive it out. We cannot do it ourselves, but we need His Help and Guidance in order to do so. We cannot do it ourselves as we do not have the resources to cleans ourselves of our inner evil, but with the Help of the Holy Ghost, we will have the resources needed to brighten our hearts. This will be a continuous process that will be going on for the remainder of our lives here on earth.
This brings us straight to the Epistle. Paul tells us we need to live the life we aspire to. He wastes little time on the don’ts which the Jews were famous for getting around, but goes right to the dos; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. By going through the dos, Paul is saying we need to let in the light and allow the Holy Spirit to expel the darkness. We cannot hope to accomplish any of the dos if we do not have the Holy Spirit in our hearts. As mentioned before, God requires us to reject the dark and cling to the light.
One of the best examples I can think of loving thy neighbor as thyself was when Lt. Thomas Hudner crash landed his F4U Corsair next to Ensign Jesse Brown’s downed Corsair in an attempt to save his fellow pilots life. In his valiant actions to attempt to save his wingman and his friend, Lt. Hudner truly showed what it means to love thy neighbor as thyself. Even though it was risky and cold, Hudner did all he could to save his friend. If all of humanity would follow the example Thomas Hudner set, this world would be a far better place.
Paul cautions us to not borrow for what we do not need that we might owe others nothing but our love. To know the difference between want and need. They are two different words with two different meanings, however people seem to get confused with them. Paul’s sound advice is sorely needed in this country these days, as we find too many people buying or obtaining what they want rather than what we need. If we do know the difference between these two words, we are ensuring that we will not have a worldly obligation to any who might hold that over us to influence our path away from that Christ set out for us. We ideally owe no man anything but that of our love. Paul asks us to love our neighbors, by love he means to take care for them as we would for ourselves or our own close relations. Not necessarily to “give” them money, but to help them to attain self-sufficiency that they might prosper both in soul and body.
This takes us right into the key theme of the Gospel. We must not be for God in speech only, but in deed. The Collect and Epistle and Gospel’s key theme is action. Acting to remain in the light rather than the darkness is the overall message. When Jesus came into this world, He came knowing the true purpose of His coming, He came knowing how He would leave, He came knowing the cost at which our souls would be accounted as perfect. He knew what He had to do to save our souls for eternity. He came knowing all of this, because He loves His Creation that much. His whole ministry, including his death and resurrection, can be best summed up in one word; action. He constantly backed up his words with action, something as believers we should strive to emulate. He came to provide light in a world full of darkness. We are called to follow that light and show others in this dark world to that light.
Contrast this to those who are like the Pharisees, who have not kept the Word of God in their hearts, though they may shallowly profess it with their lips. Sadly there are many in the churches world wide today that are this way, both in the laypeople and in the clergy. They know how to speak the right words, but they do not match their words to their actions. It is action, not diction, that counts! It is easy to profess it with your lips, it is harder to put your words into practice. That will show the world where your heart truly lies.
We must not be like them. We must put on the great Armour of Light and so reject our former lives of sin and vanity. We must switch from our old selfish lives to a new unselfish, Christ filled life. We must live the message of the Gospel to the very best our abilities, as much as lies within us. It is something we always struggle with. We can be comforted by the assurance He will never give up on us. We just have to never give up on Him and do our very best to follow what He says. As long as we repent from our sin and turn back to God in our private prayers and devotions, he will wipe our slate clean. I know I have a hard time keeping on the straight and narrow path, so I am glad He left the Scriptures to guide us.
Through following His Word and Instructions, we shall be given a greater reward than anything existent on the Earth; past, present or future, that gift of immortal life, life for all eternity, that will outlast this physical world. Anytime we are down or discouraged, we must remember this and suddenly our current troubles and trials do not seem that bad. We have to utilize our full complement of weaponry with the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit as our main weapons to which we fight this battle for souls. We must never never ever give up but keep going. Even when it seems hard, we must press on for all will be worth it in the end. We can be encouraged by the fact when it is all said and done we will be spending eternity with God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost and our fellow believers.
Make no mistake, we are engaged in a World War with the Prince of Air, the Prince of This World, for the souls of men, starting with our own, a World War which has been going on since the beginning of time. But we know the ending is in our favor for certain, for the Book of Revelation tells us so.
As individuals we may not experience victory here on earth. We may struggle with problems in this world and our own, our whole lifespan on this planet. We may not see and savor that victory here on earth; but we know in the end He will be victorious as we know the Savior. We will win, for we are on His Side.
Cast off the dull worn robes of darkness, which lack luster, give no warmth, protect not from heat or cold and put on the shining glorious armour of light. So kitted up, we walk in light, not in darkness where we may stumble and fall. Unlike moths, for us light is life, not the destruction of darkness.
Come, put on the Armor of Light and go forth to destroy that last enemy, death!
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 First Sunday in Advent
Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 21:1-13
CELEBRATING JESUS CHRIST
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
On this first Sunday of Advent, a question comes to my mind: Is Jesus welcome? The Gospel of Palm Sunday tells us of His glorification by the inhabitants of Jerusalem, when He made His triumphal entry into that city, before being condemned and crucified thanks to the same inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Indeed, there was a great misunderstanding about the facts, and a huge one about the person of Jesus Christ: He was not welcomed as God the Savior, which He was, but as a healing prophet, the heir to the throne of David, but not to the throne of His heavenly Father. And what is worse: as soon as Jesus declined His true identity, He was accused of blasphemy. We must face the facts: the Israelites of the first century of the Christian era did not have faith. True, they believed and feared God, but that same God had hardened and blinded them to the point that they were unable to recognize in Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of the Father (Romans 11:8): “(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.” And it is this blindness that has made possible the necessary sacrifice of Christ on the cross by which we are forgiven: The humiliation and death of our Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary is the only sacrifice that washes us away from all our sins and thereby opens the gates of Paradise in Heaven. Through the disobedience of the Jews, we now enjoy eternal salvation in Christ (Romans 11:11): “I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.”
(Matthew 21:1): “And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples” The whole program of events that will follow is revealed in the two proper names of this first verse: “Bethphage " signifies the house where one eats, or the house of that which is eaten. In fact, it was in a house in Jerusalem that Jesus Christ ate the Passover meal with His disciples and instituted Holy Communion by which we eat His eternal Passover, “once for all”, remembering His sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews 7:24-8:2): “But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore … Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man” My friends, do you think for a second that the Israelites who welcomed Jesus in Jerusalem had these words in mind? Certainly not!
As for the second so revealing proper name, it is the Mount of Olives. In Hebrew, this term also means “destruction.” And indeed, if Jesus died outside the gates of the holy city, the destruction occurred on Jerusalem in the year 70 of the Christian era, which no historian disputes. This is one more proof of the historicity of Jesus Christ and the truthfulness of His work of redemption: He gave His life on the cross that we may have eternal Life through faith in Christ.
Our Lord therefore enters Jerusalem perched on the calf of a donkey, and not on a cavalry battle-horse. He does not come as a triumphant leader, but as the humble Son of the Miller, as if to announce that He will be ground like flour, crushed by pain, wrapped in a shroud as in a sackcloth, and finally cast into a closed and sealed tomb, cast out of the world of the living (Matthew 21:4-5): “All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”
In the next verse (21:6), Matthew tells us that “the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them” Yes, a follower of Christ obeys the Lord Jesus Christ. It is even by this behavior that he is recognized and that he publicly testifies to his true faith, unlike the faith of the Jerusalemites, which was not true: they did not know who Jesus was (Matthew 21:10): “And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?” This is the great question asked of all people, and this is the heart of the Gospel, in the very middle of the Gospel of Mark (Mark 8:27-29): “And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.” But on Palm Sunday, “And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.” For the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Jesus was neither God nor the Messiah, but just a prophet as many others. Such was the result of their god-made blindness.
Jesus is nevertheless honorably received, but only as a prophet (Matthew 21:8-9): “And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” Much alike the Roman soldiers who nailed Jesus onto a cross to be crossed out of this world, the Jews do not know what they are doing, because they do not know who Jesus really is. They only obey their feelings - and there are none more deceptive than the feelings of an exalted crowd. Indeed, Jesus did not ask them for anything of the kind; He commands only His disciples, those who know Him and recognize in Him the only begotten Son of the Father, God Himself, incarnate in the womb of a young Virgin, by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:34-35): “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” Note in passing that Mary was not just a naïve maiden: she knew very well how children are conceived naturally, since she said: “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Note also that the angel affirms from the outset the exceptional holiness of the infant Jesus, “that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” One cannot be any holier than God.
There is therefore a possible parallel between the birth of Jesus, His coming into the world, and His entry into Jerusalem: In both circumstances, Christ is received as an exceptional being. And so it will be, a few weeks later, when He ascends into heaven. Let us reread this scene, accompanied by a promise for us (Acts 1:9-11): “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” And we have this hope: Christ will return; we expect it any day from now. My friends, are you ready to welcome Him? Will He be welcome and will He find faith on earth? Let us comfort one another by remembering that Jesus never said that Christians will be in the majority... We are perfectly warned.
In a dark room, there is a lot of darkness. But a single candle is enough to dispel the darkness by bringing a beneficial light to it. We are all such candles, very flickering it is true, in a world of darkness where the precursor events of the end times are currently multiplying. Let us raise our eyes up to Heaven, and there we will see our Savior come to judge the world, as announced (James 5:9b): “… behold, the judge standeth before the door.” It's about time! (Romans 13:11-12): “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”
As Paul reminds us, we must obey our Lord Jesus Christ. And what does He command us? (Romans 13:8 & 10): “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law ... Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” To love is to think of others as much as of oneself. And what will become of us without the others? Could we do without farmers to sow and harvest wheat? Could we do without bakers to knead and bake our daily bread? Could we do without doctors to treat us when we are sick? And how could we who are sinners do without a Savior Messiah on the Day of Judgment?
Paul asks us to imitate Christ, and to unite ourselves to Him to the point of becoming One with Him. This is the nature of His universal Church (Romans 13:14): “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” The true Christian is a believer who, because he is a believer, renounces everything that is contrary to good, everything that is opposed to Jesus Christ and to His heavenly Father, our Father. On the other hand, the rebels against God are unnatural men, in the true sense, because they have fallen from the primitive grace of Adam before the Fall, they have distanced themselves from the true nature of man as God had created him, in the Beginning. But the grace of faith spiritually restores us to our true nature as children of God: we are His creatures anew, having been recreated in His image. This is the work of God's Holy Spirit in us.
Realize that we will be the first to welcome Our Lord Jesus Christ when He comes back to our Earth, while sinners will go and hide in the darkness of their cellars, as in their graves. Every day that God makes, yielding to their lusts – or their temptations, rather – through their sins, sinners dig their graves. But it is in vain, for God will bring them out of their hiding places by raising them up to bring them before the Judgment. Let us be convinced of it. Instead, we do keep our prayer lamps lit, don’t we? (Romans 13:12): “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” Let us watch and pray. “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.” (verse 13). What will the Lord Jesus Christ say if, when He arrives, He finds us drunk, violent, or simply engaged in nonsense occupations? Let us be “always ready”, as the Christian boy scouts say. Always ready to serve the Lord in our Christian brothers and sisters, putting ourselves at the service of one another, not for any worldly reward, but for the love of the One who loves us more than we can imagine. Incidentally, this is the only salary that will never run out, the only benefit that will follow us to Heaven. But as all this is commanded to us by the Father, ordained by the Son, enforced by the Holy Spirit, we can derive no personal merit from it. We only obey. And obedience generates no merit, except the satisfaction of the done duty and the recognition of the Master, on the last Day. Let us fix our eyes on Him, and hope that He will say to us, at the end of this world (Matthew 25:21 and 23): “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Then we will celebrate Jesus Christ and He will glorify us in Heaven, all together.
My friends,
please understand this: the renunciation of temptation, of covetousness, of
this decadent world, far from being a loss for us, is a gain in the sense that
it assures us of a joyful future in a better world. When we get there, we will
have this thought about our past life: "I regret only one thing: not
having converted much sooner!" If God were to ask us to lead a moral life
without compensation, we would quickly be discouraged: what is the use, since
we shall die? But Christ is risen, and so He will raise us up and take us with
Him on the clouds and bring us up into His heavenly Paradise, where we will be
escorted by the angels! We will celebrate Jesus Christ, and He will also
celebrate us, as He said to the faithful servants in the parable. 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.
First Sunday in Advent
The season of Advent marks the beginning of a new church year as we celebrate the first coming [advent] of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is a joyful time, but it is also a serious one as well where we ought to examine ourselves and seek God‘s forgiveness for our sins and trespasses. Furthermore, it is fitting that in response to our self-examination we should offer up to God our prayers of thanksgiving for his gift of inestimable value — that of his only begotten Son: who came that we might have life and have it more abundantly; who came to announce the coming of God’s kingdom to a world darkened by Satan’s lies; and who came to free us from the dungeon house of death and despair through his own sacrifice on Calvary’s cross.
Given that he came to be sin for us as the Lamb of God, let us look at St. Luke’s gospel account (2:1-20) wherein we are told of certain shepherds being startled by an angel’s appearance. They were all amazed at what they had seen and heard. But why did God send his messenger to those lowly shepherds? The answer can be found in God’s message to the prophet Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (55:8). Shepherds were not highly regarded in Jewish society. Nevertheless, God often chooses the least of persons to carry out his will. And so it was fitting for God to send his angel to these men as a token of his intention to have our Lord later serve in a somewhat similar capacity, to wit: Jesus Christ came into the world to be the shepherd of men’s souls (St. John 10:1-16; I St. Peter 2:21-25).
Still it is not surprising that unbelievers then and now have questioned the truth of our Lord’s coming, his nature and his bona fides. Unregenerated mankind will not accept him as their Saviour and Lord because they have not the heart to believe in him (Acts 8:37). They see no need to repent of their wicked natures: their fornications, their thefts, their murderous hearts, their greed, their jealousies, their covetousness, their sorceries and their idolatries (Revelation 9:20-21). The Devil has seared their consciences as one might sear a wound using a hot iron so that they can no longer feel the sting of their sins (I St. Timothy 4:2). Alas in this life, unless God gives them a spirit of repentance, they will be unable to discern the true nature of their pain until they die. Only then will they know the truth, but it will be a truth learned too late (II St. Timothy 2:25-26). For it is in this life only that a person possesses the ability to accept God’s free gift of grace in Jesus Christ. As the apostle Paul has written, Now is the day of salvation (II Corinthians 6:2) and so it follows that now is the time to repent and turn while one remains in this sphere of mortal existence.
Hear now the words of our Saviour: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (St. John 3:16-18). Jesus Christ came so that none would perish if they would but turn from their sins and trespasses and embrace him as Saviour and Lord. Unfortunately, for many, the IF in the last sentence is a hurdle that is far too high for them because they are heavily laden with their sins, and sadly are not willing to part with them. Just as the character of Jacob Marley in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol explained to Scrooge concerning the creation of his particular chain of sins— which he could not at that time perceive— the Devil has helped the unregenerate forge their own chains that will keep them tied to sinful behaviors in this life, and which will eventually sink them into hell in the next.
Jesus Christ came to break the chains of sin and death, and free us forever from Satan’s grasp. Isaiah the prophet penned the following description of the Messiah’s work on our behalf: 1The 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, 2To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound: to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD... (61:1-2).
While we cannot force others to accept the Saviour, we can witness to them. We can tell them of the goodness of our Lord and God and encourage them to join us in giving him the glory and praise he deserves for extending to us so wonderful a gift. How fitting it is that our worship — both in the spoken word and humble song — reflects our love for God and our acceptance of his gift of grace. It also reveals our willingness to figuratively go to Bethlehem and seek out the presence of our Lord and Saviour, and this we can do in several ways:
1) by cheerfully being present every time the church door opens;
2) through our prayer time each
day where we lay before God our cares and concerns for those around us as well as ourselves; and
3) through our reading of the scriptures as they tell us of God’s expectations for us.
God has given us his word written for our good if we would but read and heed it. As St. Paul noted in his second epistle to St. Timothy, 16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (3:16-17). From the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation, God has set forth in plain language who he is and what he has planned for us who have been born again of the Holy Ghost.
And notice that from the beginning, God has provided mankind with a liberty of choice. As Moses spoke to under the influence of the Holy Spirit: I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live (Deuteronomy 30:19). And God knew mankind would take that liberty and turn away, so he planned from before time to send the second person of the Trinity to take on mortal flesh and walk among us. He came to experience what we experience, to see all that we see and feel all that we feel. He came not only to witness our infirmities, but to be tempted of them as well. To paraphrase Julius Caesar, he came, he faced them, and in so doing he conquered them. He did not succumb as each of us has done in the past to the lures of the world, the flesh and the Devil. He gave himself for us and died that we might live with him forever if and only if, we accept him as our personal Saviour and Lord. And as I have said numerous times before: you cannot expect God to bless you and save you if you are not willing to be obedient to his word written.
Several years ago, I found an apt description of the Bible which is as follows:
The Bible: God’s Holy Book
This Book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, the Christian’s charter. Christ is its subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully. It is given to you in life, will be opened in judgment, and remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and condemns all who trifle with its holy precepts.
Author Unknown
So as we celebrate the first advent our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, let us give thanks to God for his wonderful gift to us who came as that little babe in Bethlehem and who will one day come again in power and great glory as King of kings and Lord of lords. Truly no happier day will come and it is one which we as regenerate Christians daily seek.
Let us pray,
Holy Father, long ago you promised through your prophets that the Messiah would come to save us from this body of sin and death; and, as we remember his humble birth, so help us also to watch for his coming again in glory as King of kings and Lord of lords; all of which we ask in that name which is above every name, even 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 First Sunday in Advent
Holy Communion
The Epistle: Romans 13:8-14 The Gospel: Matthew 21:1-13
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.
Hymns: # 1, 7, 14, or 15
Isn’t it interesting how God uses nature to teach us lessons and show us examples that are reflected in His holy word? Seasons, cycles of life, light, darkness; all are part of our yearly journey around the sun, and yet we can be so blind to the lessons that are placed before us to ponder and understand. “1The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handy-work. 2Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” (Psalm 19:1-3) These opening verses of Psalm 19 give us the ‘blueprint’ of God’s majestic work as we stand here below and observe the great panorama of creation at work. Wow. We must take the time to “be still and know that I AM [He is]; the LORD.” (Psalm 46:10)
As we approach the shortest days of the year we can visibly notice the days gathering in. Every morning it is a little darker than the day before, every evening the sun goes down a few minutes earlier. The collect for the first Sunday in Advent and the epistle for today both reference this darkness, now in a similar way. Yes, it is darker than say September, yes it is definitely darker than in June, but yet in this time of less light there is hope. The hope that comes with the days getting longer, not too many days after Christmas. We can see that it is getting lighter each morning and after a fashion, each evening.
This darkness is to be cast away, we are to put on the ‘armor of light’. We are to ‘cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Why? Because the night is far spent, it is over, day is at hand. The coming of Messiah is at hand. Notice how in the passage from Romans, Paul writes that it is time to show our love to our neighbors, because love is the fulfilling of the law. Not by our efforts, but because the Son of God has come to fulfill the law, the shedding of his blood will cover all the sins of the world. His death on the cross, his burial, resurrection will ensure our salvation. Because he has conquered death, he has over come the grave.
9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Notice in verse 9 Paul gives a review of the decalogue, just in case we forgot. But then he continues the love theme, brought to earth by the Son of God, in pointing our the sum total of the law is to love thy neighbor as thyself. Verse ten makes this clear; love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Don’t we read this very theme in the service of Holy Communion? Why do you think this is reviewed every time we feed upon the elements of the holy supper? Because it is hard loving our fellow men. We can always find something wrong with others. We can always find a reason to not like someone, an annoying habit, their choice of friends, politics or something else. I think we see this theme reiterated over and over again to show us the truly divine gift that God gave us.
Humans can be so evil, so nasty, so traitorous, and YET God still reached down through the ages and offers us salvation. If salvation of mankind was left up to us, very few would be given the opportunity to seek God’s face. We would be so evil and mean spirited. We’d put so many conditions in the way. Instead, God asks us to repent, turn from our wicked ways and be saved. Call upon the NAME by which all are saved. Call upon the savior Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
Now comes the role of the believers. You always know that there is a responsibility that is placed on those of us who follow Christ. So what are we to do? The last three verses of this passage from the letter to the Romans gives us a clue.
12The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
First: We are to notice the night is coming to an end, that meaning that evil will not prevail we have hope of the light of the coming day. In this hope we are to cast off the works of darkness AND put on the armor of light.
Second: We are to walk honestly; in broad daylight, not in riotous living, drunkenness, not messing around with people who aren’t our spouses, no strife or envying.
Lastly: We are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ; avoiding the provisions of the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. By putting on Christ as a shield, we can avoid the drag of the world, we can strive to show that we are different than the world of darkness. We can reach the world by showing that we are different. People will notice. Then they will ask, then you have the opportunity to share your faith, your hope, your Lord and his salvation.
Let us go forth and do likewise.
Let us pray:
O God, who hast made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the whole earth, and didst send thy blessed Son to preach peace to them that are far off and to them that are nigh; Grant that all men everywhere may see after thee and find thee. Bring the nations into thy fold, pour out thy Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten thy kingdom; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O Almighty God, look mercifully upon the world which though hast redeemed by the blood of thy dear Son, and incline the hearts of many to dedicate themselves to the sacred Ministry of thy Church; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
O God, who makest us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of thy Son our Lord; Vouchsafe us this day such blessing through our worship of thee, that the days to come be spent in thy service; through the same Jesus Christ 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 First Sunday in Advent
Sermon: Matthew 21: 1-11Today’s Gospel verses contain a very remarkable passage in our Lord Jesus Christ’s life. They describe His public entry into Jerusalem for the last time, five days before He was to be crucified. The account of this event was so significant that it was recorded by all four of the Gospel writers. Jesus’s public entrance (10th day of the month), what we commonly refer to now as Palm Sunday, came only four days before the start of the annual Passover Festival. This annual Jewish celebration drew hundreds of thousands of people from up to twenty miles away. His public entrance came on the same day as the Jewish law appointed that the Paschal (PAS-kehl) lamb (to be sacrificed) should be taken up (Exod. 12:3) and set apart for that service. So, it was more than fitting that our Lord Jesus, who was going to be our sacrificial lamb made His last public entrance into Jerusalem on the same day.
There is something particularly striking about this incident in our Lord’s history. The narrative reads like the account of some royal conqueror’s return to his own city: We are told “A very great multitude” accompanies Him in a kind of a triumphal procession; loud cries and expressions of praise are heard around Him. The whole event as described was in stark contrast to the prior way that Jesus conducted himself and lived his life. Jesus led a life of humility and never sought the glory or praises of man. He sometimes even withdrew Himself from the multitude and many times charged those He had healed to tell no man (Matt. 8:4). So why does Jesus now make this grand public entrance into Jerusalem?
The truth was that our Lord knew that His three plus years of earthly ministry and performing miracles was drawing to a close. He knew the day and hour was approaching when He must finish the mighty work He came to do, by dying for our sins upon the cross. He knew that His last journey had been accomplished, and that there remained nothing now in His earthly ministry, but to be offered as a sacrifice on Calvary. Knowing all this, He no longer, as in times past, sought secrecy; knowing all this, He thought it good to enter the place where He was to be delivered to death, with particular solemnity and publicity.
It was not fitting that the Lamb of God should come to be slain on Calvary privately and silently. The great sacrifice for the sin of the world was being offered up. So, it was only right that every eye should be fixed on the victim. It was suitable that the crowning act of our Lord’s life should be done with as much notoriety as possible. Therefore it was for that reason, He made this public entry; therefore it was that He attracted to Himself the eyes of the wondering multitude; therefore as we are told “all Jerusalem was moved”.
There are several things that we can learn from these verses. First, we have an example of our Lord Jesus Christ’s perfect knowledge. He sends His two disciples into a village; he tells them that they will there find an ass and a colt, one of which he was to ride. He provides them with an answer to the inquiry of those to whom the ass and colt belonged. He tells them that on giving that answer the ass and colt will be sent: and all happens as He foretells. There is nothing hid from the Lord’s eyes: there are no secrets with Him. Alone or in company, by night or by day, in private or in public. He is acquainted with all our ways.
He knows our every thought, word, and action. Go where we will, and retire from the world as we may, we are never out of sight of Christ.
This is a thought that ought to exercise a restraining and sanctifying effect on our souls. We all know the influence which the presence of the rulers of this world have upon their subjects: nature itself teaches us to put a check on our tongues, and demeanor, and behavior, when we are under the eye of a King. The sense of our Lord’s Jesus Christ’s perfect knowledge of all our ways ought to have the same effect upon our hearts. Let us do nothing we would not like Christ to see, and say nothing we would not like Christ to hear. Let us seek to live our lives in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ and always have on our minds the continual recollection of Christ’s presence. Let us behave as we would have done had we walked beside Him, in the company of the disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. This is the way to be trained for heaven. Because as St. Paul tells us in 1 Thess. 4:17, in heaven, “we shall ever be with the Lord.”
Secondly, let us notice in verses 4 and 5, an example of the manner in which prophecies concerning our Lord’s first coming were fulfilled. We are told that Jesus’ public entry fulfilled the words of the prophet, Zechariah: (9:9) which says: “Thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon the colt the foal of an ass.” It appears that this prediction was literally and exactly fulfilled. The words which the prophet spake by the Holy Ghost received no figurative accomplishment” as he said, so it came to pass; as he foretold. Five hundred and fifty years had passed away since this prediction was made,--and then when the appointed time arrived, the long-promised Messiah did literally ride into Zion “on the colt of an ass”. No doubt the vast majority of the inhabitants of Jerusalem saw nothing in the circumstance; but we are not left in doubt as to the fulfillment of the prophecy. As we are told plainly, (v4) “All this was done that it might be fulfilled.”
From the fulfillment of God’s word in time past, we are surely intended to gather something as to the manner of its fulfilment in time to come. We can expect that prophecies respecting the second advent of Christ will be as literally fulfilled as those respecting his first advent. He came to this earth literally in person the first time; He will come to this earth literally in person the second time; the first time He came in humiliation to suffer and bear our sins. His second advent will be in glory literally to reign. The next time Jesus comes it won’t be on the colt of an ass. In the image of Rev.19:11, the Messiah will appear again as a conqueror flying down from Heaven on a white stallion followed by his army of saints all on white horses. (Rev. 19:14). Every prediction respecting things accompanying His first Advent was literally accomplished: it will be just the same when He returns. All that is foretold about the restoration of the Jews,--the judgments of the ungodly, the unbelief of the world, the gathering of the elect, ---shall all come to pass. Let us never forget this. Let us all prepare ourselves for this second coming.
Next, let us notice in these verses the lack of understanding by the cheering multitude as to who Jesus was and His ultimate purpose. We read in v.9, that the people following Jesus cried, saying “Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” The word Hosanna signifies, “Lord save me” and is a plea of salvation. The Hebrew root words are found in Psalm 118:25 which says “Save now, I beseech thee, O’Lord: O’Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.”
Many of the people crying these pleas thought Jesus was this prophetic Messiah who had come to free them from the rein of the Roman Government. They didn’t have any understanding of what His mission was or His plan of salvation.
They didn’t understand that their greatest need was not freedom from Caesar’s Roman legions but release from their own chains of sin. Jesus would rule in power and glory one day, but first He had to pay for theirs and our sins by dying on the cross. The key to his kingdom was not revolution but repentance, a turning from following worldly sins to following Jesus. Down through the years, this issue has not changed. If we follow Christ solely because we think He’ll shield us from life’s hardships, heal all our sicknesses and guarantee prosperity, we are all headed for disillusionment. But if we renounce our sin, take up the cross, and live for Him because He is our Lord, Creator and Redeemer, we will never be disappointed in Him.
Next, we see in verse 10 and 11, that the multitude praising Jesus didn’t really know Him. Some sang praises to Him as the “Son of David (V9) but the People of Jerusalem asked who this is? (v10) And the multitude said, “This is Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.” (v11). Although, Jesus had distinguished Himself by the many miracles He had performed among them, they were still ignorant of who he was — and thought of Him as just another Prophet. They were looking for this majestic Messiah who was going to rise up against the Roman Government and free them from their bondage. Instead, here comes this humble Scripture fulfilling King riding on a beast of burden who wanted to free them from their sins. They didn’t understand that before He could come as a King to reign, He had to come as a Savior to die.
Jesus’s triumphal entry serves as a perfect example of the upside-down values of the Kingdom. Jesus radically shifted the world’s model idea of greatness, showing greatness to be found in humble service, not arrogant rule.
Someone has written of Jesus, “He who is the Bread of Life began His ministry hungering. He who is the Water of Life ended His ministry thirsting. Christ hungered as a man, yet fed the hungry as God. He was weary, yet He is our rest. He paid tax, yet He is the King. He was accused to be in the league of the Devil, but He cast our demons. He prayed yet He hears our prayers. He wept but He dries our tears. He was sold for 30 pieces of silver, yet He redeems sinners. He was led as a lamb to slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd. He gave His life, and by dying He destroyed death.” We would expect to find such contrasts in the life of One who was the Son of God who took on the Human form of man to provide for our redemption.
Lastly, we have in these verses a striking example of the worthlessness of man’s favor. Of all the admiring crowds who gathered round our Lord as He entered Jerusalem, none stood by Him when He was delivered into the hands of wicked men. One wonders how many who cried, “Hosannah,” who a few days later cried, “Away with Him, crucify Him.” But this is unfortunately a true picture of human nature: this is a proof of the false thinking regarding the praise of man rather than the praise of God. Nothing in truth is as uncertain as popularity: it is here to-day and gone to-morrow; it is not a solid foundation, and sure to fail those who build upon it. Instead, let us seek the favor of Him who is “the same yesterday, and to-day and for-ever”’ (Heb. 13:8).
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.
Rev. Cooper, Fairbanks, AK
Thanksgiving Message
Click below: https://youtu.be/k9QTjMaegXg
Rev. Coopers Sermon for the First Sunday in Advent
Click below: https://studio.youtube.com/video/MBXHzM9E_k4/edit
Rev. David
McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian on:
The First Sunday in Advent
How Do We Begin Again?
Jeremiah 33:14-16;1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36
I saw this the other day and I have been thinking about it.... “Forgiveness is re-gifting the grace that God gave you.” Somehow we are stuck. If the truth be told, we are locked into where we are and what we are doing without hope of getting any light. We should take advantage of the new season we are in today to ask, " How do we start?"
When I use the lawnmower, I check the oil religiously, and try and see how the air filter is doing by taking it out. I may even turn the lawnmower slightly on its side to see what is going beneath it. Any grass from last time still in there? Does the blade turn? On another way of looking I have a fitbit watch and I wondered why it was not charging.--- Seems the back is magnetic. It had a paper clip stuck there, and when I plugged the charger in I could not figure out why it was not charging till the day after when I saw the blue paper clip that melded into the black and stopped the charging.
Do we get the point? Do we need to look under the hood so to speak, kick the tires, check the oil, check the wiper fluid?
We already have the grace of God, so we can regift it. We already have the gift. So give it back to ourselves as we drive forward, not driving by looking in the rear view mirror only. You need both of course while driving but one is more important. Which is it do you think?
The Thessalonians already had the gift of grace but they needed a nudge by the Apostle to use it. I Thess. 3:10 “…that we may see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?” To restore, to equip, to perfect, to prepare, to mend.
Perfect Meaning: (a) I fit (join) together; met: I compact together, (b) act. and mid: I prepare, perfect, for his (its) full destination or use, bring into its proper condition (whether for the first time, or after a lapse).
Word Origin: From κατά (kata, meaning "down" or "according to") and ἄρτιος (artios, meaning "complete" or "perfect")
The verb "katartizó" carries the sense of making something complete or whole. It is used in the New Testament to describe the process of restoring something to its original or intended state, equipping someone for a task, or perfecting a person or thing. This term often implies a sense of repair or preparation, whether it be mending nets, restoring relationships, or equipping believers for spiritual maturity.
Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, “katartizó” was commonly used in various contexts, such as mending fishing nets, setting broken bones, or preparing an army for battle. The term conveys a sense of bringing something into its proper condition or function. In the New Testament, this word is often used metaphorically to describe spiritual restoration and preparation, reflecting the early Christian emphasis on community, healing, and readiness for service.” (biblehub.com)
Today I want to read to you a poem that is based on a rather famous poem about Christmas called 'Twas the Beginning of Advent'. It is by - Todd Jenkins. It will tell you a little bit about this season we celebrate.
'Twas the beginning of Advent and all through the Church
Our hope was all dying we'd given up on the search.
It wasn't so much that Christ wasn't invited,
But after 2,000 plus years we were no longer excited.
Oh, we knew what was coming no doubt about that.
And that was the trouble it was all "old hat."
November brought the first of an unending series of pains
With carefully orchestrated advertising campaigns.
There were gadgets and dolls and all sorts of toys.
Enough to seduce even the most devout girls and boys.
Unfortunately, it seemed, no one was completely exempt
From this seasonal virus that did all of us tempt.
The priests and prophets and certainly the kings
Were all so consumed with the desire for
"things!"
It was rare, if at all, that you'd hear of the reason
For the origin of this whole holy-day season.
A baby, it seems, once had been born
In the mid-east somewhere on that first holy-day morn.
But what does that mean for folks like us,
Who've lost ourselves in the hoopla and fuss?
Can we re-learn the art of wondering and waiting,
Of hoping and praying, and anticipating?
Can we let go of all the things and the stuff?
Can we open our hands and our hearts long enough?
Can we open our eyes and open our ears?
Can we find him again after all of these years?
Will this year be different from all the rest?
Will we be able to offer him all of our best?
So many questions, unanswered thus far,
As wise men seeking the home of the star.
Where do we begin how do we start
To make for the child a place in our heart?
Perhaps we begin by letting go
Of our limits on hope, and of the stuff that we know.
Let go of the shopping, of the chaos and fuss,
Let go of the searching, let Christmas find us.
We open our hearts, our hands and our eyes,
To see the king coming in our own neighbours' cries.
We look without seeking what we think we've earned,
But rather we're looking for relationships spurned.
With him he brings wholeness and newness of life
For brother and sister, for husband and wife.
The Christ-child comes not by our skill,
But rather he comes by his own Father's will.
We can't make him come with parties and bright trees,
But only by getting down on our knees.
He'll come if we wait amidst our affliction,
Coming in spite of, not by our restriction.
His coming will happen of this there's no doubt.
The question is whether we'll be in or out.
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock."
Do you have the courage to peer through the lock?
A basket on your porch, a child in your reach.
A baby to love, to feed and to teach.
He'll grow in wisdom as God's only Son.
How far will we follow this radical one?
He'll lead us to challenge the way that things
are.
He'll lead us to follow a single bright star.
But that will come later if we're still around.
The question for now: Is the child to be found?
Can we block out commercials, the hype and the malls?
Can we find solitude in our holy halls?
Can we keep alert, keep hope, stay awake?
Can we receive the child for ours and God's sake?
From on high with the carolling host as he sees us,
He yearns to read on our lips the prayer, Come Lord Jesus
As Advent begins all these questions make plea.
The only true answer: We will see, we will see."
From Richard J. Fairchild, Christian Globe Illustrations, in sermons@.sermons.com
Today's Luke Gospel 21:25-36 “27And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory”
I close with this illustration, “When the Play Is Over”
C. S. Lewis said that when the author appears on the stage, you know the play is over. This is how he understands the doctrine of the Second Coming of our Lord. It means that he who has begun a good work will bring it to the best conclusion of which he is capable. After all, no one has ever claimed that this planet earth was intended to exist forever. In what is called by scientists “the second law of thermodynamics,” it is clearly predicted that the energy supply of this planet will eventually come to an end, which means that a conclusion of life as we know it here is inevitable. The concept of the Second Coming merely affirms that such a conclusion will be purposeful. The drama of history is not going to just fizzle out or end in a whimper! It is going to come to the kind of climax that he who conceived the drama wants for it. sermons@sermons.com
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
The Rev. David McMillan
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
Prayer Needed:
Tate Maag – infant with recently implanted feeding tube
Alicia – Struggling caring for parents at home
Anne Lee – Lung Cancer – recent diagnosis
Colin Beall and daughter Lowery – each has a different type of cancer
Bishop Zephaniah – Kidney
stones
Rev. Dr. Robert Weldy – various health issues
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)
THANKSGIVING
James Cavanah – recovering from Stroke and hospitalization
Anne Lee – recently told she is cancer free
Hurricane Helen Recovery
Please keep praying for all the people and towns affected by Hurricane Helene
All Those in Recovery from Hurricane MILTON
All Those in Recovery from Typhoon Pepita – Philippine Islands
Pray for all those affected by Wildfires around the United States
Pray for the People of Spain affected by the flash floods in Valencia
[1] It is not that worldly wealth is, in and of itself, bad, but rather the attitude it can bring, one of self-worth beyond that which is correct. Wealth often brings to us a “better than thou” attitude, which soon turns to “Holier than thou.” The kind of thing that was referred to when Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Mark 10.25
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