Anglican Orthodox Churchsm
Worldwide Communion
Trinity Sunday
June 15, 2025 - Sunday Report
Trinity Sunday 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 181-182
The Collect for Trinity Sunday
The Epistle for Trinity Sunday. Revelations iv. 1.
AFTER this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. And the first was like a lion, and the second like a calf, and the third had a face as a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.
The Gospel for Trinity Sunday. St. John iii. 1.
THERE was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
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:
When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held
me up.
Psalm 94:18
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at
what they stumble.
Proverbs 4:19
Sing unto the LORD; fro he hath done excellent things:
this is known in all the earth.
Isaiah 12:5
Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
St. Matthew 9:2
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute
sin.
Romans 4:8
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us
an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Ephesians 5:1-2
Woe is me because of my hurt! My wound is grievous:
But I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.
Jeremiah 10:19
The truest help we
can render an afflicted man is not to take his burden from him, but to call out
his best energy, that he may be able to bear the burden.
Phillips Brooks
Those who
begin with the work of God must resolve to go on with it, or they will make
nothing of it. Looking back inclines to drawing back and drawing back leads to
perdition.
The Rev. Matthew Henry
If the spirit of forgiveness is always maintained and
constantly exercised, it is a supreme defense against the attacks of Satan. An
unforgiving spirit is not only Satan’s widest door into our hearts, but also
his strongest invitation and warmest welcome.
The Rev. E. M. Bounds
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. The
best public worship is that which produces the best private Christianity. The
best church services for the congregation are those which make its individual
members most holy at home and alone. If we want to know whether our own public
worship is doing us good, let us try it by these tests. Does it quicken our
conscience? Does it send us to Christ? Does it add to our knowledge? Does it
sanctify our life? If it does, we may depend on it, it is worship of which we
have no cause to be ashamed.
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle
The world will always find cause to condemn the people
of God and to kill the prophets. Either they are too pious, or they lack piety;
either they are too hot, or they are too cold; either they are too bold, or not
bold enough; either they are too spiritual, or not spiritual enough. If we are
the Children of Wisdom, we shall have ears that hear and know. We dare not
stand on the sidelines jeering, but become active responders to the pipe.
"The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should
know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by
morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. 5The Lord GOD
hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back."
(Isaiah 50:4-5) Are we rebellious children jeering those who labor, or are we
those who, taking to the plow, never cast an eye right, left, or back, but plow
a straight row for Christ? (Luke 9:62).
The Most
Rev. Jerry L. Ogles
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
From the Providence and Grace of our Lord Series: The Lost Lamb
Click link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRZ7eGTonIk&t=2s
From the Names and Titles of Jesus Christ Series: The Carpenter
Click link: https://youtu.be/ZvOaid21pSY
Morning Prayer Sermon Summary for Trinity Sunday
First lesson Isaiah 6:1-8; Second Lesson: Peter 1: 1-12:
“Whom shall I send, and who will go or us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity; We beseech thee that thou wouldest keep us stedfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities, who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalms 19:14
Some, like David Livingston, are called to be missionary doctors; others, such as Alvin York, are called to bear their testimony in battle; some to endure the flames of persecution; and many to preach and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all who will bear it. This latter group is not limited to the ordained ministry, but to every Christian of able mind and spirit. All of faith are servants of the Most High God to do His bidding in growing into the fulness of the adoption as sons and daughters through the Redemption of the Cross.
Our Prayer of Collect alludes to the joining of the first half of the Christian Year, as to the sound teaching of the doctrines of Christ, by joining the last half (Trinity Season) to the duties and obligations of the Church and her response to those teachings.
Foremost in our duty is to recognize our calling in Christ as servants as well as the ordained ministry. The ‘confession of the true faith’ will insure unity of purpose and will. If we are One in the doctrines of the Gospel, there will be little space for contention and unrest in the Church. It is the petty grievances and jealousies of the few that lead to disunion and division over matters of little importance. If we are One in the Mind and Purpose of the Gospel, and steadfast in the faith, then certainly our defenses against all adversities will be granted by the Father. It is the great doctrinal statements of the Church such as the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion and the Westminster Confession of Faith that keep our people faithful to the biblical unity expected of believers in Christ and His Gospel.
Our Old Testament reading from Isaiah opens with a somber reminder of the death of King Uzziah and the certainty of God’s judgment against sin – either personal or national. Uzziah disobeyed God and was struck with leprosy. So will the nation of Israel be so judged in her sins if she persists therein.
The young prophet, Isaiah, is establishing, both to himself and to the nation of Israel, his calling as a prophet of God. In the first place, Isaiah reminds us of the glory and grandeur of the Almighty God and His Triune nature – Holy, Holy, Holy – God’s perfection of holiness in the Triune Godhead. Secondly, Isaiah addresses the doubts that arise among those who believe the claim of the title of prophet is engendered by pride and arrogance. Isaiah is a humble lad who readily admits his unworthiness to be a servant or prophet of God. In fact, none of us are! That is the first mark of a true minister of God – to realize that he is completely without merit to serve God; however, whom God calls to the ministry, He will make worthy of the call. “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (v 5) Thirdly, it is not the righteousness of the servant of God that speaks, but that of God Himself as the prophet or servant is imbued with the power of God to speak. “6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” (Isaiah 6-7)
Finally, we come to the distinct result of the call of God. God calls us to His ministry, and we must, in turn, heed the call as does Isaiah here: “I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) We are not only called to the formal ministry, but as lay witnesses, too, of the glory of the Lord.
Naturally, a man called of God to the ministry must observe the call with serious prayer and a counting of the costs. But often, lengthy closet time in praying to know God’s will the call of a man results from dread of service and loss of opportunity. Like Isaiah, if God calls a man to the ministry, he will at first admit his unworthiness; but God will remove those doubts by opening his eyes to the true meaning of ministry – to serve God and to preach His Word without compromise. Though our lips are not worthy, God will purify them to become so. Paul was certainly no monument to compassion ere the Lord struck him down on the Road to Damascus. But observe the change in character and intent following that remarkable call. Hopefully, God will not find it necessary to strike any hearer of this sermon to the ground before he awakens to the trumpet’s call.
In our second lesson, Peter broadens the concept of the Church Universal. We were all strangers to God before we came to receive His Son in mercy and grace. The elect of God are those whom He has chosen from before the foundation of the world to be His people.
This Epistle is an encouraging reminder of the great benefits and blessings we enjoy as members of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have been born anew through the atoning sacrifice of our Lord into, not only a newness of life, but an unending life of everlasting duration with Him. “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” (1 Peter 1:2)
Like the natural child, we are born with weaknesses and lack of understanding. But as we mature in Christ, we are sanctified moment by moment and the old fleshly desires are conquered. Sanctification is not an instantaneous process but continues from the new birth until we are called home to our Maker.
Though we have not seen God with our natural eye, we may see Him with our spiritual hearts as did Fanny Crosby, the great hymnist who was blind from infancy. The great faith of Abraham enabled him to see the day of His Redeemer with powerful conviction. How much less faith is required to know of our Redeemer, whose coming is an historical fact, than that of Abraham and those who believed in the Seed in which Abraham dearly believed?
It is no printer’s accident that the last word of the Old Testament is the word ‘CURSE.’ The Law was a curse to the people of God because they were incapable of keeping it. But all changed with the coming of Christ. It was the grace and mercy of God that saved us and not works of the Law. We who were dead in trespasses and sin – unable to lift a finger to save ourselves – were made alive by the quickening Spirit of God. Therefore, the New Testament ends with Grace and not Curse. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelations 22:21) We are saved by grace UNTO good works – not BY good works.
It is not likely than any could acquire a meaningful understanding of the Gospel of Christ without a familiarity with the promises illustrated in the Old Testament. The prophets, endowed with the Spirit of Christ, preached of Him alone as our means of salvation since “…all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) The Law and the Prophets were depicted in the presence of Moses and Elijah with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, but those two were forms only of the great glory to come in Christ, and were replaced by the presence of Christ alone. “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you.” (1 Peter 1:10) The Law and the Prophets were fulfilled in Christ!
The calling to the Christian ministry is not unlike that call of the sinner to Christ in the first instant. First of all, it is by the sovereignty of God alone by which we are called, and we then must follow our acceptance of the glorious gift offered without doubt or hesitation.
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
† Jerry Ogles
Charles Morley
Bishop of Alabama
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
We are always happy to get the instruction and devotions that Bp Morley is giving to us. We hope you enjoy the following:
I make it a point in Bible Study, no matter what the Scripture might be that we are studying, to remember that we should never bring our pre-concieved notions to the text. So often when we encounter a familiar passage we may presume that we know the meaning and can pass over it without a second thought. But I remind everyone that the words which we are reading were first written for those who had never heard them before. They were hearing deep truths and mysteries, hard to understand but true beyond question. The words of the New Testament often challenged the religious views of the hearers, both Jew and Gentile alike.
Secondly, it is good to compare the words and phrases of the Bible with modern usage, to see if our current vocabulary matches what the Scriptures actually say. What is the context of phrases like "born again" or words such as "saved," "baptize," or "propitiation?" We do not use this vocabulary in everyday speech, so how do we use them in their theological context? The Lord Jesus Christ never uttered the word "grace" but it is certainly in common use by Christians today. How do we define grace, apart from its initial biblical context in the Epistles of St. Paul? Do we really understand what grace is?
It is also important to be aware of how much the language of the Bible has entered our modern vocabulary apart from its textual context and may have taken on meanings not intended by the biblical authors. The language of the Revelation of St. John has greatly influenced modern parlance, with words such as "Armageddon" "mark of the Beast " "millennium" "Anti-Christ" and even "Apocalypse." These words are often used today with no reference to Scripture whatsoever, as they have taken on a meaning all their own. Many Christians will even mistakenly refer to St. John's Book as "Revelations" as though it were a mystery futuristic puzzle to be deciphered and unravelled.
One phrase most commonly used by both believers and unbelievers sounds biblical but is actually the antithesis of biblical truth. How often have you heard the expression, "Well, you know, we're all God's children." It is often said, with good intentions, to imply that no matter who we are or what we have done, God has made us and by our very existence as human beings, we are "his children." The implication associated with the expression is that God would never judge or condemn His own children, and therefore nothing we have done has eternal consequences. Many will claim that the expression may be found in the Bible but that is not so. We are certainly all God's creation but are we all God's children?
Alfred Lord Tennyson understood biblical Truth when he penned his great work on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. In it, the dying King refers to those who are not noble, not worthy, not fit for Heaven as "children of a lesser God." The phrase was copied by film makers who in 1986 made a screenplay with that title, on a completely unrelated subject but with the implication that not all men are born children of God solely by virtue of their human birth. St. John makes this evident in his First Epistle, by stating clearly there are two classes of people - those who are God's children, made so by adoption and grace - and those who are not. There are consequences for those who are not - they are, as the wise poet suggested, the children of a "lesser god."
Similarly, people will often use biblical phrases taken out of context which rob the meaning of the verse of its spiritual meaning. Intending to excuse some gross indiscretion or intentional wrongdoing, the speaker will often forfend any criticism of the act or the offender by quoting Matthew 7:1, "Judge not (that ye be not judged)." The implication is that we cannot make any condemnation either of the sin or the sinner, without also condemning ourselves. This was not Jesus' intention, as the Scripture makes clear with eighteen other commandments, that we are to make right judgements about all things. While the statement condemns hypocrisy, it does not rob us of the obligation to make a right judgement in all things. That's just common sense.
The Bible is a tremendous gift from God and we should immerse ourselves in its language daily, and make it our own. But the Word of the Lord is sacred and must be handled correctly and with great respect. Too often we regard the Bible as an encyclopedia or a dictionary, to be consulted when we wish to find a backup for our theological argument or support for our pet interpretation. We must be careful in our reading, and diligent in our study, neither adding to or subtracting, recognizing the power of the Holy Spirit to change hearts and minds by the hearing of it. The Words of the Book are Life for the children of God. Let us always, as St. Paul commands, "rightly divide" it.
+cem
Jack Arnold
Bishop of the Diocese of the West – AOC USA
Education and Training Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
Church of
the Faithful Centurion
Bp Jack brings the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together because as is always the case there is a unifying message in the Scripture for this Trinity Sunday.
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above.
Today’s sermon covers the basic concept of the Triune God, that is the Father, Son and Holy Ghost and how they were introduced to us through time and the Bible in particular; it draws the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above.
Consider these words from the Collect:
… acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity …
In the Collect, we acknowledge there is a Triune God, that is to say there are three aspects of God; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. A Triune God means literally Three in One, not three separate Gods or godlets, but a single being with three aspects. How does this work?
The honest answer is – WE DON’T KNOW. We have not been told of how this Being operates. We just have been told there are three and They are ONE. We have some knowledge and scriptural guidance on how parts of the thing work, but not all Saint Paul told the people of Corinth, 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12) As Bishop Hap has said in the past, one of the basic principles of classified information is it is only to be revealed to those who have an actual NEED TO KNOW, not just the curious. Like many secrets, we don’t really have a need to know, so we have not been told. Knowledge of the inner workings of the Trinity is not needed for us to be followers of God.
What we do know is:
· God is I AM;
· God the Father sent The Son to be our Savior, He was there at the beginning and created this world;
· The Holy Ghost breathed life into the world, and brings understanding, comfort, strength, perseverance, courage, inspiration, patience;
· They all have always been and always will be.
That is what we know; it leaves a lot we don’t know, but what we have must be enough. If one tries to work out what we do not know, they will find themselves wandering away from the path prescribed by Scriptures and getting lost in the weeds. We will in due time find out when we get to heaven I believe, but for now we must stick to what we know and put our curiosity aside for now.
We must put aside the thoughts of who and what God is, and just understand He is I AM, there is God, there is the Son, there is the Holy Ghost and they all work together in their own way to be the one God of our faith. That is all that God has deemed for us as needed to know. Any more thought than that is counter productive and digs us into rabbit holes of theological discussion that we do not need to delve into. It will cause us to waste our time thinking of the most minute detail when God wants us to see the larger picture of Scripture and act upon that, instead of discussing the inner workings of the Trinity and other items of theological interest. This rabbit hole digging does not help our faith, only hurt it. If God has told us that He is a Triune God, then we must simply accept it and not try and figure out the inner workings. Why do we feel the need for details when Jesus just asks to believe, 2And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2-3)
You don’t need to know how may angels can dance on the head of the pin, just that a sufficient number can and will at the right time.
But, what of later? If we have eternal life, we have it now and later. Eternal life doesn’t just start when we leave this Earth, it starts when we accept Him into our hearts. What comes later? Heaven. What is heaven? In the epistle John attempts to describe to us what Heaven is like. He attempts to show us the majesty and glory of heaven using words. The picture he paints is intended to be awe inspiring and seems to meet that goal handily. He is showing that heaven is worth all our toils and tribulations here in the Shadowlands (or Earth) and that we will not be disappointed when we do arrive in heaven.
As to the details of heaven, think about the angels dancing on the head of a pin. Bishop Hap once told me in regards to wondering what heaven is like, “The only detail I can give you with complete certainty is you will not be disappointed, nothing will be lacking, There will be no disappointment.”
So, how do we get to the real world from these Shadowlands? There is but one way, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the Propitiation for our sins.[1]
Do not be fooled by “there are many paths to God” which seems to be the way of the world today, there is only one way into heaven. That message does not come from God and Jesus who said “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6), but the many ways message comes from Satan who is known as the great deceiver.
Many lead to the pit, but out of the many roads, there is only one narrow uphill path which will get you to heaven. Doing good is good, so to speak; doing good without God is not good enough. Only being accounted perfect will get you up the path and in the door.
One thing is clear, in order to traverse this narrow uphill trail we need help! Lots of help as a matter of fact. The first thing we need in our hearts is a new heart, a new and contrite heart. This is what Jesus was telling Nicodemus in the Gospel. He was explaining how we need a new heart in order to continue to serve God. Our old heart cannot serve God. The Pharisees could not or would not see that their hearts were not good enough on their own to serve Him, as ours are not if they are not regenerated. That is really hard, in fact, it is so hard it cannot be done by ourselves. We need something like turning over a new leaf so to speak. There is a way as a matter of fact for us to do this.
We must be born of the spirit to get the new heart to serve God! What spirit?
The Holy Ghost. We must accept we in and of ourselves will never be perfect. No matter how hard we try, we will never be perfect, so we must understand this fact right away. We must also understand that because of our free will and imperfect nature, our hearts as they are will not lead us towards God, but away from God unless we have the help of the Holy Ghost! No one gets in to heaven unless they are accounted as perfect. We will never be perfect in and of ourselves. Should we quit trying? No! We are commanded to follow our Christ. Will we fail? Without question. What is the solution? To believe and follow the Christ. To open our hearts to the Holy Ghost that we might believe in full and accept the help from the Christ that our imperfection needs to be His followers.
To follow God, we need Christ as our leader and the Holy Ghost as our compass. In short, we need all members of the Trinity’s influence in our lives if we are to arrive in the real world, that of Heaven.
There is but one way to heaven.
That easy to find, easy to follow, easy to hike path does not lead to the summit where eternal life in the real world awaits. Open your heart to the Holy Ghost; use His Power to follow our Lord to God who awaits in heaven.
Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail. The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.
The time is now, not tomorrow. The time has come, indeed. How will you ACT?
It is by our actions we are known.
Be of God - Live of God - Act of God
Bishop Jack Arnold
Yves M.
Méra
Bishop Of 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.
Trinity Sunday Sermon
Revelation 4:1-11; John 3:1-15
BORN TO GLORIFY GOD
Our first birth was a mistake (Psalm 51:5): “Yes, since my birth I have been guilty; When my mother conceived me, I was already marked by sin” We all were born sinners, all doomed to evil and rebellion against God, our Creator. Just like the bad fairy, Satan has cast an evil spell on us, the devil has encircled us in his hooked claws, he has bound us and shut us up in his lair, which is the antechamber of eternal hell.
To Nicodemus who came to question him in secret, at night (note that Christ did not sleep, but watched and prayed) Jesus gives this astonishing answer: “… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). Our carnal birth was a mistake, and Christ tells us that it has to be done again. Completely to be redone. There is nothing good in us, and our works are evil because we are evil, because our nature is evil, and because it is vitiated by Adam's sin, and by our disobedience to God. (Genesis 2:15-17): “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” And what did Adam do, I ask you? (Genesis 3:6): “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Adam disobeyed. His wife disobeyed. We all disobeyed God. We thought we were intelligent, as if we could do without God, and we cut ourselves off from His Wisdom. We have become stupid, ignorant, and spiritually ugly. We have become mortal.
We disobey God because we do not know Him. And here is the first sin: ignorance of God. Ignorance of God is not simply a gap in the field of knowledge that we could fill in with education, by reading the Bible. For if the Holy Spirit does not come into us and allow us to understand the Word of God, we will miss out on His life-giving message, and we will see in Christ only a man, a prophet, a healer, a miracle worker. And we still wouldn't believe Him, we still wouldn't be saved. Jesus is God incarnate! That is the truth!
Paul castigates the unbelievers in Romans 1:18-22: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” The whole Creation cries out that it was not made by itself. So much harmony, coherence and beauty, despite the Fall of Adam and its repercussions on all of Creation, should encourage us to believe in God the Creator. But no, we qualify what is properly divine as natural, according to evolutionary theories that try to drown the fish in the sea by diverting the question: "it has been done over millennia"... But they do not answer the question of the origin of the world. In fact, they don't know, and they don't want to know. Above all, they don't want YOU to know.
They are unable to explain why the world is the way it is, and not otherwise. The devil keeps them in ignorance of a major fact: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1); "God said, 'Let there be light!' and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). And God didn't just say, He brought about the physical world, according to His will: “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:11-12). Note that evolutionary theories are not entirely false, for they take passages from Sacred Scripture, truncating them: “The earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind.” The earth brought forth, certainly, but it did not do so of itself! It is nevertheless curious to see the lack of imagination of sinful men: they know not how to create anything, to invent anything spiritually new; they only distort the Holy Scripture. They continue the work of Satan (Genesis 3:1): “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” “Did God really say...” Well YES, God really said (2 Peter 1/21): “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”, starting with Moses (Exodus 3:4-6): “… God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.” The truth is that a sinful man, even Moses, is afraid to look God in the face and prefers to erase Him from his conscience, but does not succeed completely, resulting in a persistent existential malaise.
On the last day, we will all stand before the throne of God, and we will be judged not only by our deeds, but above all by our faith: Have we believed and obeyed God, or will we have lived and acted as if He did not exist, to do as we please? There are not two solutions, there is only one: “… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). Jesus then clarifies to Nicodemus: “… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8).
It is precisely the work of the Holy Spirit to confer faith on God's chosen people who have the wisdom to ask Him for it (John 3:34): “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.” (John 5:24): “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” “... is passed from death unto life” that is, he was born again, he was born to a life without end, to an eternal life. The new birth by the Spirit is invisible in itself. It can be noted through just and holy actions. It is noticeable in a life which is changed, transformed by the love that the Father puts in the hearts of His adopted children, by His Holy Spirit.
All this is very nice, you will say, but what is the purpose of the new birth, what is the use of eternal life? What is the use of being born again? The same John who wrote the fourth Gospel tells us in Revelation 4:9: they “… give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,” saying, “… Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8b).
This is confirmed to us in verse 7 of Revelation 4: "And the first beast was like a lion (Mark), and the second beast like a calf (Luke), and the third beast had a face as a man (Matthew), and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle (John)." The four evangelists wrote on behalf of God, addressing men, so that men and women might give glory to God the Creator, who lives forever, the author of life, the source of all wisdom and all good (Revelation 4:11): “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” This is the meaning of the new birth. So, we will follow the four evangelists in praising God in heaven, eternally.
Children will probably say to me, "What a bore! I prefer my video games!" The ladies may say to me, "Where's the suspense? I prefer my detective novels!" Gentlemen will surely say to me "What? There will be no football matches on TV, no beer to drink?" All these things are amusements and distractions that distract us from the essential: God loves us and He sent His only begotten Son on earth to die on an infamous cross in order to spare us and allow us to praise and serve Him later in Heaven, but also on earth, right now, in His Church. “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.” (John 3:16). And here is the good news: In Heaven, we will live an eternity of Love with the One who loved us more than He loved Himself and sacrificed Himself out of love for us: Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And now, it's no longer a novel or a game. It is a reality that surpasses all the entertainment and emotions we experience here on earth, in our world, disfigured by sin.
When we have left our fleshly envelope and flown to Heaven with the elect, then, and only then, will our true life begin. We will have passed from an imperfect existence to a perfect life, in God, as we left the womb when we came into the world. This is what faith in the Gospel commands us to believe. We will not regret anything we have known and experienced on earth. Our most thrilling matches, our most exciting games, and our most exciting novels will be pale sensitive emotions compared to what awaits us (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17): “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Is there any greater joy than to spend eternity, out of time, with the One who loves us most and whom we love the most, in return? (1 John 4:9-10): “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (Revelation 3:14): Christ is “… the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God” He is called “Faithful and True” (Revelation 19:11). How come we should not trust Him!
Brothers and sisters, if we were born in sin, we are born again by the Holy Spirit to glorify God in eternity. No one in Heaven will ask themselves, "What am I going to do?" We will have nothing more urgent than to sing the praise of God who has saved us, out of love for us. See how engaged couples are attracted to each other, as if they were magnetized. Yes, we will be magnetized and drawn to God, irresistibly, from the Old Testament (Song of Solomon 4:9a): “You have ravished my heart ... thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes...”, until the New Testament (Revelation 21/9-11): “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal"
Let us live and act to the glory of God, and everything else will be given to us, all for free. Amen.
Rt. Rev. Yves Méra, AOC Bishop of France.
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Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi
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.
Trinity Sunday Sermon
Throughout the pages of Scripture we are presented with lessons on God’s power to act within our frame of reference. In the case of Noah and his family, God spared them in the ark on account of Noah’s faithfulness even as he inundated the earth via the great flood (Genesis 6:1-22; 7:1). As the apostle Peter once wrote, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished (II St. Peter 2:9). God had Noah build the ark in the presence of his ungodly neighbors whom he preached to until the day he went into the ark. But these rejected his ministry and continued on in their sinful ways, as our Lord so noted, 38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, unto the day that Noe entered the ark. 39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away... (St. Matthew 24:38-39). And St. Peter confirmed the same when he wrote, [For God]... spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly (II St. Peter 2:5).
In Genesis (18:1-16) we learned that Abraham’s wife Sarah laughed at the notion that she was going to bear a son in her advanced age. She doubted God’s ability even if it was for but a moment. And God’s correction was swift and to the point when he replied, Is any thing too hard for the Lord (Genesis 18:14)? In the preceding chapter of Genesis, Abraham was called of God to become a father of many nations (Genesis 17:5), principally to be father of the Hebrews who would descend from his son Isaac (Genesis 17:19): a miracle child born to parents well beyond their childbearing years (Genesis 18:1-15).
Isaac’s second son, Jacob, remained faithful to God while his brother Esau did not (Genesis 27:34-35; 28:10-15). It was on account of his obedience that Jacob received a multitude of blessings from the LORD inclusive of which was the restoration of his son Joseph after many years of separation believing that he was dead (Genesis 45:24-28; 46:29-30). Joseph provided protection and care for his brethren and they grew into a great nation within the bounds of the kingdom of Egypt (Genesis 50:15-21; Exodus 1:7).
Moses was called of God to deliver the children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt (Exodus 3:1-10). The whole story of Moses bears the hand of God present all the way through from his birth and adoption by the daughter of Pharaoh to the very end when God took him. Moses was the lawgiver, the scribe, the administrator and shepherd for his people through the days of God’s judgment on the Egyptians, the rebellion of the people at Kadesh-barnea, and their various difficulties in the wilderness as part of that forty year trek they were compelled to make before entering the land of promise. God’s hand preserved and guided, punishing the wicked and strengthening the faithful. Afterwards, Joshua was called to take up the mantle of Moses and lead the people to possess the land which the LORD had promised their forefathers that he would give to them (Deuteronomy 31:14, 23).
One of the judges who was called of God to oversee the children of Israel was Gideon. His miraculous victory over the Midianites using only a small number of men is a testament of what God can do if he wills (Judges 8:9-23). The last judge over Israel was Samuel who restored the priesthood of the LORD and anointed the first two kings over the people. His life, from his remarkable birth, to his return in the spirit to prophesy before King Saul prior to his ill-fated last stand at Mount Gilboa is another example of God’s power and ability.
There are other examples within the pages of Scripture that are worthy of examination such as David, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel as well as the record of our Lord’s earthly ministry, and those of the apostles. For through that record, we are presented with the power of God to act in furtherance of his will and pleasure on behalf of his creation. From the pages of the Holy Bible we are taught authoritatively that God is indeed able. He is not thwarted by the works of man or those of our adversary, the Devil. God is our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. He is Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He is Love, he is Righteous, he is Holy, and he is Just. No prayer of his own is left unheard, neither are their tears overlooked. No cry of anguish by his people will be ignored, and no injustice to his own will be given a pass. The might, power and majesty of the Godhead will be made known and his people shall be provided for.
Sometimes people in dire straits will say, “Oh that’s not something that God can do”, or “That’s too big for even God to handle.” Really? Hear now the words of Moses from the Book of Genesis: 1In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. 2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light (1:1-3). Read them again and then think on what they are communicating to us. For within these opening verses of the Bible, we have in mere words an illustration of God’s awesome power and majesty. So much Bible doctrine stems from this event as we have the sovereign nature of God revealed in very clear and unambiguous language.
In our epistle lesson for today (Revelation 4:1-11), the apostle John had been called up to the very throne room of God where he witnessed several marvelous events (v.1). First of all, he witnessed the beauty of the place (vv. 2-3). Then there were the personalities that were present around the throne and all of them praising God and bowing before him (vv.4-9). He heard the four living creatures praising God and saying, …Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come (v.8). He witnessed the twenty four elders who also lifted their voices in praise saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (vv.10-11).
God in his infinite wisdom, and for his eternal purpose, has created the earth and all that therein is. If we accept him for who he says he is, then we ought not deny his power to act in our lives as he sees fit. We must remember that God acts in the best interest of his own. That does not mean that we will not face trials and tribulations. But in God’s good time, he will see to our needs and maybe even our desires as well. Some years back, a Florida woman was injured when she fell in her home and had to undergo surgery to realign the vertebrae in her neck. The woman had previously suffered a neck injury years before which rendered her blind. Nevertheless, as she returned to consciousness following the operation on her neck, she realized to her surprise— and that of her doctor— that her eyesight had been restored. She immediately gave God the glory. The unintended consequence of her fall led to the restoration of her sight. The Bible tells us that God’s ways are mysterious and wondrous. How very, very true.
Now consider our own conduct. Do we count our blessings when they come and give God the praise for his divine work in our lives? How many times in the past did we receive the gifts of God in ways we had not anticipated? God does indeed provide and we in turn ought to praise him for that provision.. We ought to petition but not become impatient. We ought to wait upon the LORD and not act as unruly and spoiled children: who having asked, now demand that their desires be fulfilled at that moment. On the contrary, let us be patient and wait upon the LORD. Let us then seek his will for us in all our requests and believe that he can act, and that he is indeed able.
Let us pray,
Father, grant us patience to accept what you will do in your own time, and, that whatever it is, to know that you have our best interests at heart; for these things we ask in Christ’s holy name. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
Bryan+
Saint Paul's Anglican Church
Diocese of the Midwest Anglican Orthodox Church
Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Trinity Sermon
Evening Prayer:
Psalms 148, 150; First lesson: Job 38:1-11, 16-18, 42:1-6; Second lesson: St. John 1:29-34;
Almighty and everlasting God, who
has given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to
acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine
Majesty to worship the Unity; we beseech thee that thou wouldest keep us
steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities, who
livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen
hymns # 321, 218, 544
Do you know that the word “trinity” is not found anywhere in the Bible? The word will be fashioned by the early Church fathers, the scholars who help to codify and put together church doctrine that we have today. Part of this process of understanding what we can perceive as the nature of God is expressed by the three creeds. We usually reserve the Athanasius Creed for special Sundays such as Christmas, Easter, Trinity Sunday, and other appropriate times during the year. This creed is far more detailed as compared to the Apostles or Nicene creeds. And as a point of interest should be confessed in first person... “I believe...”. This makes it an individual belief system affirming one’s faith and understanding of a Triune God. The doctrine or concept of trinity comes from the Word of God. We find that throughout scripture there are references to God where the word is in plural. We find in the second passage of scripture today, three parts of One God are identified. The eternal Son of God, begotten, not made: 29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 30This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 31And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 32And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. (St. John 1:29-34)
We set aside this Sunday in the Church year to point to this aspect of God, the understanding of a Triune God. As humans we can get very confused and are not able to wrap our mind around this concept; one in three; three in one. Our words we are so limited, our experiences and our senses are so limited that we are sometime driven to distraction trying to figure out Trinity. We have dozens of religious groups who having failed to satisfactorily explained Trinity, come up with new expressions or explanations of the same. Outright denial, tricky explanations, and direct heresy are the usual results. There are many so called religions that outright deny the Triune God. With many fancy and fanciful explanations they try to make this concept an outright denial or worse yet, a hybrid of some type of strange pagan concept of God. A prime example is the Hindu god of creation, life, and destruction all wrapped up in a pretty scary form that really gives no hope of salvation.
Now we come to another expectation that has been mapped out for our Spiritual journey at the beginning of this Trinity Season. We are to continually praise God. When we read the penultimate Psalms set aside for Trinity Sunday, Evening Prayer, we discover a treasure trove of praise expressions that we should emulate. In both of these Psalms, the 148th and 150 we find an abundance of praise to the LORD. We see that all creation praises the LORD:
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. 2Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. 3Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. 4Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. 5Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created. 6He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. 7Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: 8Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: 9Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: 10Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: 11Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: 12Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: 13Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. 14He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD. (Psalm 148)
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. 2Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. 3Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. 6Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. (Psalm 150)
This is not a pantheistic feast of praise, it is the very subjects of creation giving voice to the praises to the Creator. Notice that the praise emanates from the created towards the Creator. This is critically important. This gives us the template of how and when to sing praises to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In a way this praise is a reiteration of the Creeds that we confess throughout the year. As we begin our journey during the longest season of the Church calendar, let us reflect on the Word of God. Let us feed upon the Word. Let us inwardly digest the Word of God, all the while studying the Word to make us worthy servant of our God. We should do this all to praise and worship the Triune God of the Bible.
Beloved, go in Peace as we close in prayer:
TO our prayers, O Lord, we beseech thee to continue thy gracious protection to us this night. Defend us from all dangers and mischiefs, and from the fear of them; that we may enjoy such refreshing sleep as may fit us for the duties of the coming day. And grant us grace always to live in such a state that we may never be afraid to die; so that, living and dying, we may be thine, through the merits and satisfaction of thy Son Christ Jesus, in whose Name we offer up these our imperfect prayers. Amen.
THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all 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.
John 3: 1-15
Trinity Sunday Sermon
The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in this morning’s Gospel text is one of the most important passages in the whole bible. Nowhere else do we find stronger statements about those two mighty subjects, the new birth, and salvation by faith in the Son of God. As Christians we should make ourselves thoroughly acquainted with this chapter.
We are told of a certain Pharisee, name Nicodemus, “came to Jesus by night”. This visit occurred in Jerusalem during a Passover festival. Nicodemus was a Jewish religion leader; he sat on the Sanhedrin council of 70 which had religious jurisdiction over every Jew in the world. So he was quite known, powerful and very wealthy. The majority of the 70 that sat on this council of Pharisees did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. Based on his miracles, Nicodemus was starting to believe He was the Messiah but still had some lingering questions. However, He was afraid of what some of his colleagues would think or say or do, if his visit to Jesus was known. So he came to Jesus at night in a veil of secrecy as he did not have the faith and courage to come by day. And yet there was a time afterwards when this very Nicodemus spoke openly to a group of unbelieving Pharisees against unlawfully seizing Jesus in the opening day in the council of the Jews, “Doth our law judge any man,“ He said, “before it hear him and know what he doeth,” (John 7:51)---nor was this all. Also. there came a time when this very same Nicodemus was one of the only two men who did honor to our Lord’s dead body. He helped Joseph of Arimathea to take Jesus’s body off the cross, embalm and wrap Him in linen clothes and bury Him in the tomb. This was done at the time, when even the apostles (except John) had forsaken their Master and fled. In fact, we are told in John 19: 39 that Nicodemus had purchased a very expensive “mixture of myrh and aloe about a hundred pound weight” to embalm Jesus’ body. Although his beginning faith was weak and suspect, in the end it became stronger.
Next, we notice what a mighty change a person must go through to find salvation. Jesus speaks of a new birth. He says to Nicodemus in v.3 “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Then in v.5, in order to make it more plain to his hearer’s mind: he says “Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” By this expression, He meant Nicodemus to understand that “no one could become His disciple, unless his inward man was as thoroughly cleansed and renewed by the Spirit, as the outward man is cleansed by water.” To possess the privileges of Judaism a man only needed to be born of the seed of Abraham. To possess the privileges of Christ’s kingdom, a man must be born again of the Holy Ghost. The change which Jesus here declares necessary for salvation is evidently no slight or superficial one. It is not merely reformation, or amendment, or moral change, or outward alteration of life. It is a through change of heart, will, and character. It is a change which is frequently spoken of in the Bible. In Ezekiel it is called “Taking away the stony heart and giving a heart of flesh, In Acts it is called “repentance and conversion” (Acts 3:19). In Romans it is called “being alive from the dead” (Rom 6:13). Also in Romans it is called being “saved”. (Rom. 10:13) In Colossians it is called “putting off the old man and putting on the new’ (Coloss. 3:9, 10). In Titus it is called the “washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:5). All of these sayings refer to the changes Jesus was referring necessary for salvation. They all mean that mighty inward change of heart toward sin and God which Jesus here calls a “new birth”, and which John the Baptist foretold would specially characterize the Messiah’s kingdom. He was to baptize not with water, but with the Holy Ghost.
This change is not always given to believers at the same time in their lives. A very few are born again when they are infants, and like Jeremiah and John the Baptist, filled with the Holy Spirit even from their mother’s womb. Some others are born again in old age. The great majority of true Christians are probably born again after they grow up. (reach maturity). This change of heart does not always begin in the same way in those who go through it after they have grown up. With some, like the Apostle Paul, it is a sudden and violent change, attended with much distress of mind. For others, the change is more gentle and gradual. For some, the change is brought about by the Spirit working through afflictions. For others, and probably the greater number of true Christians, the word of God preached or written, is the means of effecting it.
This change of heart is rendered absolutely necessary to salvation by the corrupt condition in which we are all, without exception, are born. Jesus says in v. 6: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh”. Our nature is thoroughly fallen. St Paul tells us in Rom. 8:7 “The carnal mind is enmity against God.” We come into the world without faith, or love, or fear toward God. We have no natural inclination to serve Him or obey Him, and no natural pleasure in doing His will.
This mighty change, it must never be forgotten, we cannot give to ourselves. A power from above must be put in exercise, even that same power which created the world. St. Paul tells us in 2nd Cor. 4:6; “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” Man can do many things; but he cannot give life either to himself or to others. To give life is the particular prerogative of God.
Jesus saw Nicodemus confused and astonished by the things he had just heard. So He graciously helped his wondering mind by an illustration drawn from “the wind’ to help explain this “new birth”. There is much about the wind that is mysterious and inexplicable, but Jesus says in v. 8 “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but can not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the spirit.“ But we do not on that account deny its presence,---it is the same with the operations of the Holy Spirit, in the new birth of man. This change may be mysterious and incomprehensible to us in many ways. When our ears hear the wind whistling in the windows, and our eyes see the trees swaying before it, we do not hesitate to say, “There is wind,”---It is just the same with the operations of the Holy Spirit in the new birth of man. The new birth is a thing that ‘cannot be hid.” There will always be visible ‘fruits of the Spirit” in every one that is born of the Spirit.
St. John gives us six great Marks or traits of a Born Again Christian. They are as follows:
1.Believing that Jesus is the Christ: 1John 5:1 tells us “ Who so ever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” A man who is born again believes that Jesus is the only savior that can pardon his soul and that He is the divine Person appointed by God the Father for this very purpose. He has full confidence in Christ, and trusting Him, he believes that his sins have been forgiven and he has been made righteous before God through Christ’s death on the Cross.
2. Doth not commit sin: 1 John 3:9 says “Who so ever is born of God doth not commit sin” What St John is saying here is a person who has been born again does not habitually commit sin. The true Christian hates sin, flees from it, and fights against it. Sin no longer pleases him. However, he cannot eliminate its presence within him. So he still may occasionally sin. If he said he had no sin, he would be lying (1John 1:8)
But he can say he hates sin and that the great desire of his soul is not to commit sin at all. 1st John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.“
3. Practices Righteousness : “Every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him” (1John 2:29). The man who is born again endeavors to live according to God’s will and to do the things that please God. He continually looks to Christ as his example as well as his Lord and savior. Though he may sometimes feel so low that he questions whether or not he is a Christian at all, he will be able to say with John Newton, “I am not what I ought be; I am not what I want to be; I am not what I hope to be in another world—but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”
4. Loving other Christians: 1st John 3:14 says “ We know that we have passed from death Unto life, because we Love the brethren” (1 John 3:14). A man who is born again has a special love for all true disciples of Christ. Like the Father in Heaven, he loves all men with a great general love, but has a special love for those who share his faith in Christ. He recognizes them as sisters and brothers in Christ and fellow soldiers against the same enemy.
5. Overcoming the World “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world” (1John 5:4) A man who is born again does not use the world’s opinion as his Standard of right or wrong. He does not mind going against the World’s ways, ideas, and customs if they are contrary to God’s Word. He doesn’t care what others think or say about him. He Loves God’s praise rather than man’s praise, his first aim is to always please God.
6. Keeping oneself Pure “He that is begotten of God keepeth himself” (1John 5:18) A man that is born again is careful of his own soul. He tries not only to avoid sin but also to avoid everything which may lead to it. He is careful about the company he keeps. He knows that Evil communication corrupt the heart, and that evil is more catching than good. He desires to live like a soldier in an enemy country---to wear his armor continually and to be prepared for temptation. He is diligent to be a watchful, humble, prayerful man.
Where these fruits are to be seen, there is the new birth of which our Lord Jesus is speaking. There is a vast difference in the depth and distinctness of these marks in different people. In some they are faint and hardly noticeable. In others they are bold, plain, and unmistakable, so anyone may read them.
Finally, these verses show us, the particular plan by which the love of God has provided salvation for sinners. That plan is the atoning death of Christ on the Cross. Our Lord says to Nicodemus, in v. 14 and 15 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” By being “lifted up,” our Lord meant nothing less than His own death upon the cross. That death, He would have us know, was appointed by God to be “the life of the world” (John 6:51). He was ordained from all eternity to be the great propitiation and satisfaction for man’s sin. When Christ died upon the cross, our many sins were laid upon Him. He was made “sin” for us. He was made “a curse” for us (2 Cor. 5:21; Gal 3:13). By His death He purchased pardon and complete redemption for sinners. The brazen serpent, lifted up in the camp of Israel, brought health and cure within the reach of all who were bitten by serpents. Christ crucified, in like manner, brought eternal life within reach of lost mankind.
Christ has been lifted up on the cross, and man looking to Him by faith may be saved. The truth before us is the very foundation-stone of the Christian religion. This is the good news! Christ has been “lifted up” on the cross, and has thrown open the gates of heaven to all believers. Salvation has been freely offered to everyone. Anyone who is willing to repent their sins, have a change in heart about sin, willing to accept Jesus by Faith, and accept and let the Holy Spirit come into their heart (“Born Again”) will be saved. 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 hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
In closing, all we know about Nicodemus is what the Holy Ghost led St. John to write in John 3:1-21 when he visited Jesus at night. Then he reappears in John 7:50-51. The final mention of Nicodemus by St. John is in John 19:39-42, following the crucifixion of Jesus. The story of Nicodemus is important because his interaction with Jesus provides theological insights and is central to the Christian understanding of faith, rebirth, and salvation. Did Nicodemus find a new birth and become born again---based on his belief and fruits I say he did! In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
The Rev. Don Fultz+
Rev. David McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
Trinity Sunday Sermon
Grace in the Holy Trinity
(Before I talk about this subject, I want to share with you something that was written by a Christian I who knew; It touched me deeply because this is also somewhat my own experience....)
"Good article. I was raised by atheists, but was baptized (in the Presbyterian church!) when I was four. I speculate it was done because my grandmother probably wouldn't stop nagging until they said, O all right, if it will get her off our backs. But I don't know why they did it with any certainty. Anyway, they did. There was no follow up. My Father refused to go to church even for my sister's or my wedding, simply because they were in church. I never knew what a church was through my childhood. It was not until my late teens that I found my own way to church, with no guidance, let alone encouragement, from anyone. As a result, my theology of baptism has been clear: I can trust the Father who works effectively his will through water and the Word, administered by weak human vessels, and with effects that take a long time (I have learned from many things that God is much more patient than I am). Leithart is right: it isn't faith vs. sacraments, or even specifically faith in sacraments, but faith in the God who works through sacraments, because among other things, sacraments are a lot more reliable than both the people who administer them and the people who try end runs around them.
So, yes, maybe we are on the same wavelength after all as RC, Anglicans, Lutherans, Orthodox, even some Reformed. Told you so."
Blessings: +Win "I know him as Bishop Mott. The article he commented on is here: http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/leithart/2016/05/ministering-sacraments-by-faith
In our John reading we see the Presence of God (also especially the Isaiah reading), the Persons of God (certainly we could not enter God's kingdom without all three, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost), and His Purpose for us , that we may have new life, born from above, or as some know it, born again.
Today I wish to remind us about the greek word charis, or grace. What is grace? I do not want to take the slogan road today, God's Riches At Christ's Expense or it is not earned or deserved. These things may be certainly true, but they are rather shallow at the depth of the word and the concept.
The word charis or grace is used in the morning prayer reading, I Peter 1:1-12 for today. It is used 2x. Peter says to those he is writing, "Grace unto you and peace be multiplied." Who are these people or more appropriately, what are they? " Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers (elect)scattered throughout....elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ"
What does the word grace or charis mean? I like what Luther said, " Ye have now peace and grace, but still not in perfection; therefore, ye must go on increasing until the old Adam be dead" [Luther]." Grace is literally kindness or a gracious work. It is also favor, gift, a concession. It is blessing also.
I like the use of the word in Luke 2. Our Lord Christ grew in wisdom and the "grace of God was upon Him." A form of the word charis is used in Luke 1:28 " Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee." (of Mary) Here there is the idea of being endowed with grace. Of course, this grace or favor is from God.
Today point one and there will be only one more today is that God's favor, or kindness is shown to us in granting us His elect love or grace. It is also in another vs in I Peter: "Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you." (1 Peter 1:10)
Point Two, is that if we have been given the grace /love/ favor of God in Christ through faith in Him."
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24), then we are to be graceful people. Colossians has this charis as well 4:6: "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."
Strongs Concordance says it this way, "From chairo; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude) -- acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(-ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy). see GREEK chairo"
Conclusion- our lives are full of God's grace, that is to say, His action of favor as Christians. We have been blessed, given life (spiritual and physical) to be His light in the world. "15…Shine as lights in the world; 16holding forth the word of life…." (Philippians 2:15-16)
As my former Bishop said, "it isn't faith vs. sacraments, or even specifically faith in sacraments, but faith in the God who works through sacraments."
The Rev. David Mc Millan+
AOC Worldwide Prayer List –
I have received updates from a few and those will be the first added to the list. Please send all prayer requests and updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for future reports. If you would like to be removed from list just respond with remove in the subject line.
Prayer Needed:
Finley Cartwright – bypass surgery – recovering at home
Stephen Folino – Hospice Care
Walter Hallberg III – Hospice Care
Ruth Fultz – fall – severely bruised sternum, shoulder and arm
Archie – Stroke - hospitalization
Eloise – Breathing issues -hospitalization
Thomas Broome – hospital – fall and infectious disease
Wayne McMaster - family who are mourning his passing
Jeff Maraman - at the fire academy in Arkansas.
Lydia Collins - rectal cancer.
Marilee – Mastectomy Update – second surgery successful – chemo begun
James Cavanah – health issues, new medication tolerance – starting to work keep praying
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-health issues, Mike, Jim, Dotty, Jan Jessup-neuro dementia, Josh Morley-seizures,
Jennifer, AOC USA, AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper-IBS , Jim Sevier- God’s
Peace, Linda –
multiple myeloma, Colin, Lowery, Robert, Donna-chemotherapy,
Eddie, Aleyda-heart and bp issues, Leslie, Daniel, Jim-TBI issues, Alicia-caregiver, Lydia,
Sophie, Colin and Lori Beall - cancer, Toni - cancer, Donna - cancer, Malou - cancer
Roseanne, Bobby,
Missy
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