250427 AOC Sunday Report
Worldwide Communion
First Sunday after Easter
Sunday Report
April 27, 2025
First Sunday after Easter 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 170-171
The Collect for First Sunday after Easter
ALMIGHTY Father, who hast given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification; Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle for First Sunday after Easter. 1st St. John v. 4.
WHATSOEVER is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
The Gospel for the First Sunday after Easter. St. John xx. 19.
THE same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.
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:
But let
none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a
busybody in other men’s matters.
I St. Peter 4:15
Those who
have a high conceit for their own wisdom and set up that in contradiction to
divine revelation, might be sealed up in ignorance and infidelity. The
preaching of the cross was foolishness to those who by wisdom knew not God.
The Rev.
Matthew Henry
“Jesus
is the delight of all believers”
“The saints' delight is in Christ.
He is their joy, their crown, their rejoicing, their life, their food, their health, their strength, their desire, their righteousness, their salvation, their blessedness.
Without Him they have nothing; in Him they shall find all things.
God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,(Gal. 6:14) KJV
He hath, from the foundation of the world, been the hope, expectation, desire, and delight of all believers.”
--John Owen, “Communion with God,”
Regeneration
means that there is a] change of heart which is the distinguishing mark of a
true Christian man... Some hold that regeneration only means admission into a
state of ecclesiastical privileges, by being made a member of the Church, but
does not mean a change of heart... To all this I have one simple reply, and
that is I can find no such regeneration spoken of anywhere in the Bible.
The Most
Rev. J. C. Ryle
Every man
and woman has a calling in Christ. It may not be as an active missionary on the
foreign field, but it shall always be a missionary in the place where you are
placed whether as a doctor, a lawyer, a butcher, a teacher, or a carpenter.
Whatever our calling, we must reflect the nature of a virtuous and loving
heart.
The Most Rev. Jerry L. Ogles
MY
GOD, HOW WONDERFUL THOU ART (#284 – 1940 Hymnal)
a Hymn Devotion for 1st Sunday
after Easter,
“For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.” (Psalms 86:10)
A lovely old hymn of praise written, at the time, by an Anglican minister named Frederick William Faber in 1848. He left the faith for Roman Catholicism with John Henry Newman but still advocated the Reformation hymns as well as those of men such as John Newton and Charles Wesley. The tune referenced in the hymnal is Windsor composed by Christopher Tye and beloved by Robert Burns. Mr. Faber is also the author of that old classic hymn, Faith of our Fathers.
Click link to listen and watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrpQab9C_F4
MY GOD, HOW WONDERFUL THOU ART
1 My God,
how wonderful Thou art,
Thy majesty how bright,
How beautiful Thy mercy seat,
in depths of burning light!
2 How
dread are Thine eternal years,
O everlasting LORD;
by prostrate spirits, day and night,
incessantly adored.
3 How
wonderful, how beautiful,
the sight of Thee must be,
Thine endless wisdom, boundless pow'r,
and awful purity.
4 O how I
fear Thee, Living God,
with deepest, tend'rest fears,
and worship Thee with trembling hope,
and penitential tears.
5 Yet I may love Thee too, O LORD,
Almighty as Thou art;
for Thou hast stooped to ask of me
the love of my poor heart.
1 My God, how wonderful Thou art, Thy majesty how bright, How beautiful Thy mercy seat, in depths of burning light! When we consider God and His amazing works, we must stand in awe of His wondrous works; and not only those works, but the Mighty Personage who created those natural wonders. Beyond all others of His wonders is the great grace with which He has loved us and called us to His Throne of Mercy. John the Baptist was a burning light, but the Lord Jesus Christ is the Light by which all darkness is dispersed.
2 How dread are Thine eternal years, O everlasting LORD; by prostrate spirits, day and night, incessantly adored. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31) The eternal years of the Lord are only fearful to the unredeemed and the un-elect of the Lord. It is a matter of immeasurable hope and joy to consider the eternity future spent on high with bliss and unrestrained joy. The only acceptable manner in which to approach and worship the Lord is in complete prostration for we are lowly creatures and the clay of His artful Hand.
3 How wonderful, how beautiful, the sight of Thee must be, Thine endless wisdom, boundless pow'r, and awful purity. We certainly have a glimpse of His beauty in the majestic mountain views and crystal streams of His rivers. He does all things well and is the Artist of all wonder and glory. His is not merely endless – it is infinite for He is the epitome of wisdom and the generator of Life and Light. Because He is the very essence of purity, He will not brood any sinful nature among His people. It is for that purpose that He has sent His Son to redeem us and to stand as our righteousness before the Judge of the World.
4 O how I fear Thee, Living God, with deepest, tend'rest fears, and worship Thee with trembling hope, and penitential tears. The believer only fears God in the same sense that a child fears his loving father. He knows that his father will not destroy him even if he does chastise. His fear of the Lord is more based upon the dread and pain of bringing shame upon the Lord’s name in his actions. It is the mortal fear of the unredeemed that is the beginning of wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10) But fear is not the end of wisdom. The end is the security of being accounted a redeemed child of our Father in Heaven.
5 Yet I may love Thee too, O LORD, Almighty as Thou art; for Thou hast stooped to ask of me the love of my poor heart. Yes, we may love the Lord, but only because He first loved us – else we would suffer the pains of eternal death. (see 1 John 4:19) What a humbling experience to be granted the blessing of being elected as a son or daughter of the Lord. He has deigned to love lowly man – not out of any innate worthiness of mankind, but out of His love and providence for those whom He has called forth to the Throne of Grace.
Jerry Ogles, Presiding Bishop – Metropolitan AOC 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
Providence and Grace Series:
The Woman with the Issue of Blood
Lovest Thou Me?
Click link below: https://youtu.be/4_wBeo3t0jw
Names and Titles of our Lord Series:
Ancient of Days
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr8H8wwr68A
First SUNDAY AFTER EASTER - BCP • MP
SCRIPTURE: First Lesson: Isaiah
43:1-12 • Second Lesson: ROMANS 1:1-12
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY Father, who hast given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification; Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Collect for the day is the composition of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in 1549 and opens with a creedal introduction that echoes that Creed of Faith called the Apostles Creed. The leaven of bread represents the bloating pride of sin in our lives and has no place in the lives of those who profess Christ as Lord. Though our good works can never save us, we are saved by grace unto good works – and those good works bear testimony of the faith that lives in our hearts. We must never forget that it is the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ by which we are justified and no works of our own.
In Paul’s introductory Epistle to the Romans, he professes his apostleship having been called out by the Lord on his ill-motivated Road to Damascus. Notice that Paul claims to have been separated unto the Gospel of God. That is Paul’s personal testimony, and it should be the personal testimony of all who claim Christ as Lord and Savior. It is the fulness of the Gospel in the Triune God of whom Christ is the fulfillment of our Passover Lamb. All was foretold in Holy Writ in ages past by the prophets and reflected in the Law and Commandments of God.
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ was not necessary to serve as proof of His part in the Godhead, but it was necessary to seal the redemption by His blood from the sins of those whom God would call forth in the fulness of time. “4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 5By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name. 6Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:4-6) We may decipher from that last phrase that we all of faith may speak with authority in declaring the truth of the Gospel to others. The reading of the Holy Gospel bears the same authority – its own authority – when read by a child as well as by a priest of the Temple.
Persistence and earnestness in prayer should characterize all of true faith.
How is it possible for us to pray Always? We do so by our very living out the truths of the Gospel in our lives. In that way, our very living becomes a prayer. Our words of faith may, at times, fall on deaf ears; yet, that thought should not prevent our proclaiming the Gospel since the Word of God is a “two-edged sword” that cuts both ways – either to convict of sin or else to condemn the one who rejects that Word.
In our Gospel lesson, please do not discount the great fear that reigned in the hearts of the disciples of our Lord. Their very lives were endangered by their love of Christ. It is so today in many parts of the world. But once they were made aware of the FULNESS of the Gospel – that is the fulfillment of all the Law and Prophets of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection - they never again fainted of fear, but were courageous in proclaiming the Gospel to the known world.
The women, made courageous by their love of the Savior, risked their own safety in coming to the Tomb early while it was yet dark. It was love that gave them such extraordinary courage. Please remember that it was these same women who not only stood at the foot of the cross upon which our Lord was crucified, but also even followed to observe His proper burial at the Garden Tomb.
Perhaps fearing the ungodly designs of the Jewish rulers more than the women, the other disciples were hidden away behind locked doors when Cleopas and the other disciples related to them the events on the Road to Emmaus which they had experienced and how His person was revealed to them in the breaking of bread. Still, these doubted, and rightly so. Christ had, indeed, foretold the events of His crucifixion before its occurring; however, the words of every disciple and every preacher must be confirmed by God’s Word – and Christ is God’s Word personified. His personal appearance to them confirmed the fact of His resurrection. But you may ask, “How can we know with certainty the truth of His resurrection?” The answer to that question is most simple: When Christ ascended to be with His Father (and OUR Father), He sent the Holy Ghost to bear witness and confirm the truth of all that is written concerning Christ.
The Holy ghost does not add or take away from the Word of God, but He brings to our REMEMBRANCE all things written in the Laws, the Prophets, the Gospel and Epistles of Christ. In fact, every Word from Genesis 1:1 to Revelations 22:21 is about Christ in some manner. Why? Because, “1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (Gospel of St. John 1:1-4)
In human terms, it is beyond reason that a great King would send His only Begotten Son to die for those who were yet His enemies – who would humiliate Him with lies, with false accusations, brutally beat, spit upon, and scourge Him, for us. In the end, they would even crucify Him on the cross after His being declared innocent of all charges by the Roman Governor.
We, too, are witnesses of these things, and witnesses must bear witness either to the conviction or justification of the hearer.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
In Christ Alone at Eastertide,
† Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop, Anglican Orthodox Communion. Worldwide, & Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary
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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
after Easter Sunday Sermon
First of all, God has proclaimed the mystery of his will to us as found within the pages of the Scripture (Ephesians 1:9-10). The Bible is the only authoritative work that we can rely on to communicate to us the true nature of its author. In its very first book we learned that God is the Creator of all things both visible and invisible. We also learned from Scripture that he is the only righteous and holy God whose word is law and whose works are perfect. And we further learned that he has certified his creation with these words in Genesis 1:31, And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good. So it follows that when the Devil poisoned the world with sin and degraded it, God was prepared to act.
Throughout the pages of Scripture we find God’s hand at work as he guided the righteous and preserved them for himself. Still, God’s will for humanity is a mystery which he has unfolded within the pages of the Bible. The fall of mankind in the Garden left humanity without that closer walk and fellowship with the Godhead. So our good and gracious heavenly Father through his callings and assistance sought to teach a select few about himself for their eternal good and for his glory. How men and women will praise and worship him on account of his blessings and gifts when they finally realize the truth of who God is and their ultimate destiny! They will lift their hearts and voices in praise to our heavenly Father for the Bible which schools us, for his Son who saves us, and for his Spirit who fills and guides us. As St. Paul noted in his epistle to the Romans (8:14-17), For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
And so then as “overcomers” we will trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour— the Alpha and the Omega— who came to save all who would truly believe on him as the Messiah, the Prince of Israel, the King of kings and Lord of lords. And if we are truly of the faith we will have confessed our sins to the Father in Christ, and will continue to do so until he comes again.
Now it should be apparent that all who trust in God’s word understand that it contains everything necessary for us to grow in godly knowledge and wisdom. As St. Paul wrote 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). And further, that if we follow the Bible’s prescriptions for life we will be, …13sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14). Thus we have the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ who came into the world to save sinners (see I St. Timothy 1:15). And the means of that salvation are found in the following passage: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). The Bible tells us that we are saved and sealed so that no devilish power can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And that seal prevents us from passing out of the Master’s hand once we are in it. And why? Because …ye are bought with a price (I Corinthians 6:20) and that price was paid in his blood shed on our behalf. For if we belong to him then we ought to live for him and not for ourselves.
But a word of warning is due at this point for too often there are those who say they have accepted Christ yet have not really done so. They are only kidding themselves. They may say such to please family members concerned over their need for salvation. They may even make a public profession of faith in church. Nevertheless, if they were truly living for Christ, they would not have time for the wicked and deceitful lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. They would seek to keep God’s word and commandments. That said, such is not meant to infer that in keeping the commandments they are working to be saved. On the contrary, “overcomers” will do the works of God precisely because they are saved. Remember, he first loved us and gave himself for us (see I St. John 4:10). And we therefore honor the LORD by keeping to the precepts of his word written.
Still, there are those of the unregenerate who believe that being an “overcomer” means we must deny ourselves anything that is “pleasurable.” That is simply not true. We are not forbidden the pleasures of this sphere unless they seek to displace God in our hearts. We have Christian liberty, but not license. With liberty one is free to act but with care so as not to violate God’s laws and proscriptions. With license, one exercises his or her own will in this life without regard to the will of God. And we ought to keep before us the words of the apostle John from in his first epistle wherein he warned us to Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1 John 2:15). And the apostle Peter warned, Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul (I St. Peter 2:11). We must exercise our pilgrim character. We must keep ourselves unspotted by the world (see St. James 1:27) for sinful behavior will necessarily bring with it God’s judgment. The apostle Paul reminds us of this fact when he wrote, 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 11Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…(II Corinthians 5:10-11).
In sum, an “overcomer” is one who has committed himself or herself to Christ. He believes on his name and has received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. He has rejected the world and all the vices and vanities it holds out to charm and seduce the pilgrim and stranger in Christ Jesus. An “overcomer” has indeed, overcome all of those things and more; but he is able to do so only through faith in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost. Make that your aim and goal to be a true saint of God; a stranger to this world; a pilgrim on the road to a better country and a far better city wherein righteousness dwells.
Let us pray,
O gracious and loving God, whose power no one in heaven or in earth nor under the earth can stay; grant us grace to be overcomers in this life so that we might reach the realms of thine eternal kingdom and be received as your sons and daughters in the faith; for these things we ask in that name which is above every name even Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. 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 First Sunday after Easter
Psalms 103 First lesson. Isaiah 43:1-12 Second lesson. Luke 24:36-49
ALMIGHTY Father, who hast given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification; Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“The Early Days”
The next couple of weeks in the church calendar will be some of the most contested events that the early modern church will have to defend. The 40 days Christ was on earth AFTER his resurrection. The ‘record’ is so sparse, a few references here and there, but no huge events that take up copy such as the crucifixion or his miracles, the feeding of huge groups of followers, etc.
And yet, there is enough of a record of Christ presence on earth after resurrection and before his ascension, that we can defend the truth of his bodily rising from the grave; not a swoon, not a body switch, not a stealing the corpse and putting in someone who ‘looks’ like Jesus, or any of the other conspiracies that were put forth by all the authorities at the time. The Jewish political and religious interests had much to lose if Christ was indeed the Messiah.
The centuries of control and corruption that pervaded the learned leaders and wise-men would all be swept away. The struggle that is still being debated to this day, was/is Christ who he said he was/is? If he could somehow be debunked or dismissed as a fraud or charlatan, then all could be kept in status quo. Here is the biblical record.
Some 500 people will witness the risen Lord during this forty-day period. These 500 people had seen Jesus before the crucifixion, many had witnessed his miracles, some had been healed of their illnesses by this very Jesus. So, when it is written that at least 500 people bore witness to his living being AFTER the horrible death on the cross, it had meaning in the annals of the early church.
The next forty days are critical to the narrative of the early church. It is during this time that Jesus instructs his followers as to the Way. He gives them ‘marching’ orders, that must wait to be opened, he comforts them, he communes with them during this time.
The “orders” would be opened once the Holy Spirit was poured out on the early followers of Christ Jesus. This happens at the Feast of Pentecost. 49And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:49) The miracle of unschooled fishermen and blue collar people who now are speaking foreign languages they did not study; languages that foreign visitors to Jerusalem understood, all miraculous to say the least. This speaking in tongues was not babble, it wasn’t unholy language, it was languages of the peoples of the Roman Empire who understood that there was a Gospel message being spoken. This was all certified by the Diaspora Jews and converts to Judaism who were in Jerusalem for the Passover and Day of Pentecost, each visiting group understood their languages being uttered by the disciples who had just been baptized by the Holy Spirit. This event was foretold by Jesus before he ascended into heaven on that day outside of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives.
Eventually as the time of the apostles waned, the Holy Spirit would come into the life of a recent convert at the time of conversion. This quickening of the dead spirit within a lost person would be the certification of salvation. There would be a 180 degree change in the life of a new convert, they would flee evil and seek the Lord. This journey is ongoing for the life of a believer on earth until their home-going. As depicted in the Christian novel ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’, one’s spiritual journey is fraught with pitfalls and even backsliding, and yet the journey must continue as a believer grows in faith.
I would say this was the ‘seminary’ training for the disciples, this was their time to know the full measure of what Christ expected of them for the rest of their time here on earth.
I referred to the ‘marching orders’, that were not yet issued, this was what Christ meant when he told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Comforter. Christ was of course referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit. Yes, there is quite a bit of activity in Jerusalem and nearby as Jesus wraps up his earthly ministry. Ok, now the sceptic says ‘how do you know this Jesus is the One? The Word of God tells us so, some 400+ years before Christ came to earth.
Let us look again at our Old Testament reading from Isaiah. Verses 9-12 reads as follows:
9Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. 10Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.11I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no savior. 12I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.”
Observe how well the early church functioned with just a few adjustments, I would say because Jesus left such good instructions. It would be later that St. Paul and St. Peter would have a rather heated discussion on the reception of new believers. Paul advocates for a whole human race gospel message of salvation, that is, one that reaches across the spectrum of humanity, not just for Jews. Whereas Peter tries to add conditions for the new believers, conditions that sound remarkable like the Pharisees, who most recently were involved in the death of Jesus. Why? That will be a discussion for another time, needless to say, Paul’s view, which I believe was Christ’s view of salvation, will take hold of the early church. Doing what Christ wants us to do. How do we do this?
Ok, now that should be easy. Ah not so fast, believer. Life gets in our way. There are so many things that “must” be done every day, there are so many “crisis” that come up every day, so much that gets in the way of the WAY. We need to have a priority. What do we do first, every day? What should we do first, every day?
We read what Jesus did while he was here on earth those three and a half years. He would take the time to be apart from the crowd. Sometimes this included being apart from his best friends, the disciples. He would retreat, ‘come apart’ to a quiet place where he would pray, commune with the Father and most likely take up the concerns of those he was working with during that earthly ministry. How do we know this?
Notice after a very active couple of days Jesus went on a private retreat. (Mt. 14:23) Luke 6:12 was another time Jesus went to find solitude and pray. We find many references to this activity by Jesus, a time of solitude, peace, and as a reminder we can think of what David wrote. “Be still and know that I am God….” (Psalm 46:10)
This taking the time to be disconnected from the rush and tumble of the everyday world is important. It is very important to our spiritual health. We need to take time to reflect on God’s Holy Word. Read and inwardly digest the Word. That spiritual diet is important to our spiritual health and growth.
“19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Mt. 28:19-20)
That my friend was the direct instruction from Christ. We are to reach any and all who will listen and come to the Lord. We are not to restrict, encumber, limit, hold back anyone who will come. All are invited and yet only some will respond. That is not our issue. We are to reach out, we are to show by example in our daily lives, we are to GO. When do we stop? When He comes again. “...unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20) can also be translated as the end of time.
That is both geographic and historic. To the end of time could be another way of reading that last verse of Matthew’s gospel. We are to keep on keeping on, until tomorrow is come.
And finally, the following verses are Christ’s certification as to who he is/was/and is to come.
If you match this following passage with the readings from the Psalm 103 and Isaiah it is a seamless match. Christ is who is says he is. He is who was prophesied by David and Isaiah, he is the One who came to be the Savior of all. He will forgive the sins of those who repent, he will be the One who stands in the halls of history for all to see; the King of kings, the Lord of lords.
And He shall reign forever and ever. Below is that witness from Christ during those forty days he strengthened and certified those believers who say him with their own eyes.
44And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48And ye are witnesses of these things. 49And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
It is because we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, that we can believe. We know that He lives, because those who were with him testified to his resurrection. We know that He is now siting at the right hand of God the Father and that one day, He will return again. Amen and amen.
Let us pray.
O LORD Jesus Christ, who didst endure unto the end, and whose courage never failed in the midst of great dangers: Grant that inspired by Thy example I may trust completely in Thy promise to be with me even unto the world's end, and that so, amidst all dangers I may have a heart inflamed by Thy courage, and a spirit inspired by Thy faith; through Thy mercy, O our God, who art blessed, and dost reign, and govern all things, world without end. AMEN.
O ALMIGHTY God, the Lord of life and death, of sickness and health Regard our supplications, we humbly beseech thee; and, thou hast thought fit to visit us for our sins with great sickness and mortality, in the midst of thy judgment, O Lord, remember mercy. Have pity upon us miserable sinners, and withdraw from us the grievous sickness with which we are afflicted. May this thy fatherly correction have its due influence upon us, by leading us to consider how frail and uncertain our life is; that we may apply our hearts unto that heavenly wisdom which in the end will bring us to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O GOD, whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive; Receive our humble petitions; and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us; for the honour of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
THE LORD bless us, and keep us. The LORD make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. The LORD lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace, both now and evermore. Amen
+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 the today from Rev. Don Fultz from St. Peter’s AOC, Statesville, NC.
Easter Sunday Message
“I have seen the Lord”
St. John 20:1-18 • April 20, 2025
Today, we celebrate another Easter Sunday. Easter is a new beginning that brings hope and joy. But why? What is the truth that brings to this day its incomparable glory? The answer is…..the miracle of the ages: Christ arose!
The death and resurrection of Jesus are the greatest events in the history of Mankind. His resurrection is the culmination of God’s plan of Salvation and represents the cornerstone of our Faith and the key to our Salvation. Just as St. Paul tells us in Romans 10; 9-10: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God have raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation.”
The most powerful three words before Jesus’s death on the cross, that was critical to our Salvation and deliverance of mankind was Jesus last dying words “It is finished.” Another powerful three words spoken after the resurrection that brings us hope and joy is “He is Risen.” You will find accounts of Jesus resurrection in the bible in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Even though these Gospel writers had different introductions, they concluded and emphasized on his resurrection from the dead.
The first person to see, hear and have a conversation with the risen Christ was not one of the twelve disciples, nor an apostle, or prophet, but a woman whose love had held her at the cross and led her to the grave. Mary Magdalene, a person whose testimony would not have been held up in court because she was a woman, was the first witness of the resurrection. From the scriptures it is easy to infer that she was one of the influential women of the town of Magdala, who gave of her substance as well as herself to Jesus Ministry. (Luke 8:2-3) For she had profound gratitude in her heart for His healing her of the seven devils with which she had been afflicted. (Luke 8:2, Mark 16:9)
Mary Magdalene, Jesus-Mother Mary, along with other women and the apostle John had witnessed the Crucifixion of Christ. Mary Magdalene stayed and watched Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea unfasten and take Jesus’s body down from the cross. Then gently they had applied some myrrh and aloe and wrapped Him in Linen Cloth and placed Him in the tomb. Under Jewish law, the body had to be taken down before the start of the Sabbath. Finally as the stone rolled across the entrance to the tomb, she had turned away and went home.
Upon that first Easter Sunday morning early, when it was still dark, Mary had made her way to the tomb. She and other women had bought sweet spices so they could come and anoint Jesus’s dead body. (Mark 16.1) Mary, to her surprise, saw that the entrance stone had been rolled away. Immediately, she runs to two of the disciples, Simon Peter and John and says to them “…They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid Him.” (John 20:13) Peter and John immediately set out running for the tomb. John, the younger, doubtless outstrips Peter and comes first to the empty tomb. “…He stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying,…”(John 20:5) yet did not go into the tomb. Then comes Simon Peter following, and went into the tomb, and sees the linen clothes lying and the napkin that was about his head wrapped separately in a place by itself.
Then John enters the tomb, they both find the tomb empty. It is said of John that “he saw and believed.” (John 20:8) But Luke says Simon Peter saw and wondered (Luke 24:12)
Merely an empty tomb-no matter of what emptied, or how—will furnish men with no great dynamic for preaching. Christ’s resurrection was to mean infinitely more than a mere empty tomb. The disciples return to their homes puzzled, and scared.
Mary had not followed them into the tomb, nor did she follow them from it., but remained waiting. Reluctant to leave, Mary stood at the entrance of the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down and gazed within the tomb. And through the haze of her tears, she saw two Angels dressed in white sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. The disciples had not seen them. The curious eyes of even these closest followers of Jesus failed to reveal what the weeping Mary saw. “13And they said unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith into them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seeketh thou? “she supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take him away…. 17Jesus saith unto her, “Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” There seems to be a differing of opinion among Bible Scholars what Jesus meant with the words “Touch me not.”
Because when you read the Matthew account, he allowed several women when they saw Jesus to hold onto his feet (see Matt 28:9) Most likely when I read JC Ryle analysis, Jesus was probably concerned about the psychological reaction Mary would have seeing the risen Glorified Body of Jesus ….having come to anoint his dead body. He didn’t want her to linger because he was now in his heavenly body and not His earthly one. He wanted her to quickly tell his brethren what he had said and give them the good news about his resurrection. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples “that she had seen the Lord”, and that He had spoken these words unto her.” (John 20:18)
Let us see first, the meaning of this Easter Message. Mary, in the exultation of her spirit, probably could not estimate the full significance of the words she uttered. No, nor are we, after the lapse of twenty centuries, fully able to realize all that the resurrection means. But it helps us to try to.
I. It meant for one thing that at last death had been defeated! By his resurrection Jesus defeated the power of sin, death and Satan. St. Paul expounds on this in 1st Cor. 15:55-57 where he says: “55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus has been become the captain of our salvation, and at his shout we will all respond, for he himself has won for us the battle.
2. Again it proved that God accepted and placed His seal of approval on the work of redemption. Jesus resurrection confirmed that God, the father accepted His sacrifice for our sins and by putting our faith and trust in Jesus we are saved.
Let’s take a look at what St. Paul tells us in Romans 4:25 says: “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our Justification.” Simply put, justification is to make one right with God. Justification is God’s declaring those who receive Christ to be righteous, based on Christ’s righteousness being imputed to the accounts of those who receive Christ.
Just as St. Paul tells us in 2nd Cor. 5:21: “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Paul believed justification to be a very important part of our salvation. John Calvin said that justification is the main hinge on which religion rests. It is foundational and its benefits are many.
Prior to our conversion, because of our sins, we are separated from God and incapable of a relationship with Him as the Prophet Isaiah tells us in 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that He will not hear.”
After our conversion, Paul says that “Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus.” (Rom. 5:1). Not only have we been pardoned from our sins but we have been accepted by God as well. We are now in tune to speak to God. In addition, in Rom. 5:2, Paul tells us, we have access by faith to go directly to God with our petitions (our prayers).
Finally, justification affords us adoption, sweet acceptance by God. Adoption is the doctrine that makes all of justification click. According to St. Paul in Romans 8:14, we are made sons of God: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Because of this, we can call Him “Father” and have the responsibility to obey Him and the privilege to love Him.
Through the shedding of his blood, Jesus had fully satisfied all of God’s judgement that was upon us. Our justification was complete. Therefore, when Romans 4:25 says (He)…was raised for our justification, it means because Jesus’s suffering and death was sufficient, God accepted his sacrifice for our sins and raised Him from the dead as confirmation of this sacrifice. Through Jesus resurrection, our sins have been validated as forgiven when we repent and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Through our faith in Jesus we are made righteous in the eyes of God. As believers in Christ, God sees Christ’s own righteousness when He looks at us. This meets God’s demands for perfection; thus, He declares us righteous…He justifies us.
We might not know that this was after all the Son of God, without the resurrection. Other men have given their lives for the truth, others have seemed divine in the eyes of their infatuated followers, but Christ’s resurrection is the confirmation of that which we already know, that he was different.
3. Jesus in his earthly body could only be in one place at a time. However, upon his resurrection and ascension back to Heaven through the workings of the Holy Spirit He could be everywhere (Omnipresent)
4. It is through Jesus’s punishment and death on the cross and his resurrection that allows us to become holy enough in the eyes of God and be able one day to get to heaven. The last most important benefit of Christ’s resurrection is eternal life in heaven. Paul says in 1st Cor 15:18 “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”
Paul is saying if Christ did not rise from the dead, then those who have died in faith for Jesus are lost when they die.
But then Paul says in verse 20 “But now is Christ rose from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept.” What Paul is saying here is that Jesus’s own resurrection secures the future resurrection of all those who have died in him on the last day. Jesus said in John 11; 25-26. “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he was dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever lived and believeth in me shall never die.”
II. What was the form of Mary’s Gospel message? It was a statement of fact of personal
experience. “I have seen the Lord.”
There was no argument, no explanation, no citation of analogous cases,
or quotation of scriptures. Neither, nor
any elaboration of her credentials as a witness: only—and that was enough
---the plain statement, “I have seen the
Lord.” This is the ideal
form of a sermon and is what every
sermon should be, the statement of a fact.
Men are asking for no metaphysical argument on the possibility, or
defense, or explanation of the great facts of our faith. But they do demand a
statement of them.
All Christians should be preachers of the resurrection. It is one of the very cardinal points of our faith. Many things are bound up with it, and we are called upon constantly to be preachers of it. For every man and woman who takes upon himself or herself the name of Christian honesty, witnesses to a belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
According to scripture, after Jesus’ death on the cross and his subsequent burial in the tomb of Joseph Arimathea, he appeared alive to more than 500 people, on twelve separate occasions. All but one of those appearances occurred within the first forty-day period following Jesus resurrection. The lone exception was Jesus appearing before Paul on the road to Damascus that happened after Jesus ascension to heaven.
In closing, let us all be thankful this Easter day that we have a loving, and merciful God who is full of Grace and that sacrificed his only begotten Son for our sins.
Also, let us remember the words of St. Paul about renewal of our minds in Rom. 12:2 : And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Faith, Hope, and charity (Love) are good things. However, as Mary was our example, Charity (Love) is the greatest of the three. (1st Cor. 13:13) Mary was the most unlikely of all women, to gain this high honor as the first to see the risen Christ. It was not her social position which gave her this honor but her love and devotion to Jesus.
In the name
of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. AMEN
The Rev. Don Fultz
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
The First Sunday after EASTER
Acts 5:12a, 17-22, 25-29 or Job 42:1-6 Ps 111 Rev 1:(1-8) 9-19; John 20: (10-18 -I have added this)19-31
"Trusting and Believing is Seeing"
"It was Saturday, the day before Easter, and Joanne Hinch of Woodland Hills, California was sitting at the kitchen table coloring eggs with her three-year-old son Dan and her two-year-old daughter Debbie. She told her kids about the meaning of Easter and taught them the traditional Easter morning greeting and response, "He is risen...He is risen indeed!" The children planned to surprise their Dad, a Presbyterian minister, with that greeting as soon as he awoke the next morning. Easter arrived, little Danheard his father stirring about in his bedroom, so the boy got up quickly, dashed down the hall and shouted the good news: "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, God's back!" sermons@sermons.com
1. Mary Magdalene - The Lord had cast out of her seven demons. Luke 8:1-3" the twelve were with him,
2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance."
She is mentioned more than most of the Apostles, over 12 times.
What was her healing from? Psychological, mental, or perhaps just as it says, demons were cast out from her. There is no reference to her having moral problems.
She was at the tomb, the Cross when all of the disciples left Him. John came back however. She left to get spices to anoint His body.
Her devotion to Him was evident. She saw Him thinking Him to be the gardener. John 20:18- “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.”
"....in looking at Mary of Magdala we are looking at a great soul, but we are seeing that her Lord was greater. He is still able to cast out every evil thing that holds and masters and blasts and ruins human life, and to introduce such as are thus set free from evil into the power of His own risen and glorified life by the Holy Spirit." (The Great Physician; G Campbell Morgan)
We may summarize much of the above by quoting John Stott, "The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be."
2. Next, we see Thomas. He was not with the them when Jesus came. 19Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19-20)
Thomas was big on seeing. Most of us fall into that camp. When difficulties come, we ask, "Is this for real?" or "Why, God?"
Jesus commends those who believe without seeing. "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20:29)
3. Thomas gets it. "Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God." (John 20:27)
That is why John wrote his Gospel. We too need to hear what John wrote, "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book: 31but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20:30-31)
For the first Sunday after Easter, we are reminded of the presence and purposes of God. We too need His grace to believe for without it we will not. I called this message, "Trusting and Believing is Seeing" for that is true. Our lives are in His hands no matter how we age, or how we feel.
Seeing comes, after we experience His mercy and love in our own lives in this Eastertide.
Do we get it? Do we see?
"O Almighty God, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus; We acknowledge that we are unworthy of Thy redeeming grace. We have not believed Thy promises; Nor trusted in our living Lord. Through worldliness of spirit; Our eyes have been holden that we have not discerned His presence with us. Through disappointment of mind and dejection of spirit; Our hearts have not burned within us as we have heard His Word. We have not trusted in His redeeming power. And have been overcome of evil. We have forgotten the glad tidings of His victory over death. And have not known the things that belong to our peace. But now in penitence we have come to Thee; Beseeching Thy Forgiveness. Mercifully grant us absolution from all our sins. And restore unto us the joy of Thy salvation. For Jesus Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen." The Book of Common Worship. 1946
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.
Prayer Needed:
Marilee –
Mastectomy April 30th – prayer for family and Marilee and treatment following
James Cavanah – health issues, new medication tolerance
Sophie – Sever bipolar issues, drug use and difficulty with parents, pray for her parents, Gary & Betsy
Church of the Redeemer – lay-readers assisting the service and congregation
Colin and daughter, Lori Beall – cancer
Toni- Breast Cancer- Surgery went well, keep praying for successful recovery treatment-praise god
Donna – Breast Cancer- Surgery Successful onto Radiation treatment and Chemotherapy
Malou – Cancer
Gloria – loss of spouse
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 –treatment for Stage 4 Pulmonary Carcinoma “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)
Mauri Turner – Stomach cancer
For the government and people of South Korea that God will protect
them
from the
forces of Communism.
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu, Mike, Jim, Dotty, Jan Jessup, Steve, Josh Morley (seizures), Jennifer, AOC USA,
AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper, Jim Sevier, Linda, Colin, Lowery,
Robert, Donna, Eddie, Aleyda, Leslie, Daniel, Jim, Alicia
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