250727 AOC Sunday Report
Anglican Orthodox Churchsm
Worldwide Communion
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
July 27, 2025 - Sunday Report
Sixth Sunday after Trinity Propers:
The propers are special prayers and readings from the Bible. There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of England in the 1540’s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding.
The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday. The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. The Gospel is a reading from one of the Holy Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Collect is said by the minister as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel, which during the service in our church is read by an ordained minister.
The propers are the same each year, except if a Red-Letter Feast, that is one with propers in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off. Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks the titles are in red, are special days. Most of the Red-Letter Feasts are dedicated to early saint’s instrumental in the development of the church, others to special events. Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or Lent. The Propers for today are found on page 197-198.
The Collect for Sixth Sunday after Trinity
O GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle for Sixth Sunday after Trinity. Romans vi. 3.
KNOW ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Gospel for Sixth Sunday after Trinity. St. Matthew v. 20.
JESUS said unto his disciples, Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
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:
Sanctify
the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
Isaiah 8:13
I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep
my judgments, and do them, and hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign
between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.
Ezekiel 20:19-20
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no
man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save
the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
St. Matthew 11:27
Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that
walketh in his ways.
Psalm 128:1
He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but
he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.
Proverbs 11:27
Forgiveness
When it comes to a question of our forgiving other
people, it is partly the same and partly different. It is the same because,
here also, forgiving does not mean excusing. Many people seem to think it does.
They think that if you ask them to forgive someone who has cheated or bullied
them you are trying to make out that there was really no cheating or no
bullying. But if that were so, there would be nothing to forgive. They keep on
replying, “But I tell you the man broke a most solemn promise.” Exactly: that
is precisely what you have to forgive. (This doesn’t mean that you must
necessarily believe his next promise. It does mean that you must make every
effort to kill every taste of resentment in your own heart—every wish to
humiliate or hurt him or to pay him out.) The difference between this situation
and the one in which you are asking God’s forgiveness is this. In our own case
we accept excuses too easily; in other people’s we do not accept them easily
enough.
Jack Lewis - The Weight of Glory
Let the comfortable thought of our Lord’s return
sustain us in public troubles and cheer us in private trials. When the
governments of the world are reeling and tottering; when the air is filled with
rumours of wars and revolutions; when the nations of the earth are heaving up
and down and ill at ease; when faith is faint and love is waxing cold, and the
best of churches seem running to seed and decay; when men’s hearts are failing
for fear and looking after the things coming on the earth— in times like these
let us fix our eyes steadily on the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle
The preservation of impenitent sinners is only a
reserving of them to the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of
God... God makes a very great difference in his dealings with the godly and the
wicked. The unjust has no share in the salvation God works out for the
righteous.
The Rev. Matthew Henry
From the early moment of my consecration, I have been
confronted with the tempting voices of fellow Christians to simply compromise
just a little here or there in the doctrines and worship of the church. These
suggestions are usually made from hearts that desire to see the church grow and
are not malicious. But as a bishop, it falls to my lot to defend the faith— not
just the major points of the faith,but every single principle of it as related in Holy
Scripture. Surely, our church could grow to enormous proportions if we would
only compromise... until we are no different from the many other fallen churches
who have preceded us in that apostacy. To compromise a single principle of
truth is to betray our Lord who died for us.
The Most Rev. Jerry L. Ogles -Reason for Hope, pg. 98
.png)
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 Blog:
https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com
Bishop Ogles You Tube Channel
that is free to subscribe: all of his videos at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW3bgXBJFomPB5mZ4Oigxg
7-21-25 Daily Meditations: The Good Steward
Click link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhTzJmsfnIQ&t=1s
7-22-25 Tuesday Morning Meditation:
You Tube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aizOkAVPY1E
7-23-25 Wednesday Morning Meditations
7-24-25 Thursday Morning Meditations
Click link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Jd-avX478
7-25-26 Friday Morning Meditations
Click link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pJsktYZ-qQ
7-26-25 - Morning Meditation for Saturday
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiLqFsXS_9g
Sermon Summary for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity – MP
Hebrews 9:18-28
The Collect.
O GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man's understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
The Collect for the Day is all about the Love of God. The Love of God has a fundamental dependence upon FAITH. If we do not know or believe that someone, or something, exists, love for that person or thing cannot exist. Of course, we could further narrow the field to a ‘person’ since we cannot truly love a ‘thing’ though we may be very fond of it. Our degree of love for God is directly proportional to our degree of faith. The greater the faith, the more intense the love!”
Pervasive of all Scripture is the fact that this mortal life is fleeting – in fact, no more than a vapor according to St. James: “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (James 4:14) The prophet Isaiah compares the days of our lives on earth to grass that dries up and withers away: “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. 8The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (Isaiah 40:7-8) A man who is lacking the burning Spirit of God in his heart might be dismayed by these verses, but not the Child of God who is well aware of his future disposition in God’s Heaven. O GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man's understanding It is true that we may be unknowing of the magnitude of joy that we shall have with our Lord, but we can be sure that it surpasses any joy we have ever before experienced – even the joy of a mother at the birth of a beautiful and healthy child.
What is it that qualifies us for this joy which the Lord has prepared for us? Is it faith only? No, it is not faith alone, for devils, too, “believe and tremble.” (James 2:19) Then what is it, and what kind of faith? It is the kind of faith that binds us to God in love. Love is the cement and faith is the essence. Our earthly life is a temporary state (as all can attest who have lost so many of their loved ones to the last sleep). Though life is a temporary state, LOVE is FOREVER. LOVE is one perpetual resource that we can possess both in Heaven and on earth! Love is not subject to expiration or death. The cement of LOVE is the very fabric of Heaven. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39) This is the strongest witness we can bring to the subject – the Word of God. But note, that the required response of faith is LOVE of God. He loves those who have reciprocated His own love towards us! Does He love us because we came to love Him before His love was manifested to us? NO! We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
Love is such a powerful force even when saddled with this frail flesh we presently occupy. Mothers have been known to exhibit super human strength in saving their babies from some threatened danger. If human love is that powerful, what do you suppose can be the measure of Godly LOVE? Well, then, what is the source of all Love? Isn’t it the Fountainhead of love in God? Has He not imbued our hearts and souls with a love that we could never own without Him? Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire. The strength of the Collects of the Prayer Book is their absolute reliance on Holy Scripture for the truth they profess - much like the classical hymns of the Church.
Our love for God is not even our own – it is granted us and supplied to our hearts by the gracious God of our Salvation. Our hearts, being filled with the spirits of Love, become like an overflowing fountain of love but, in a more real sense, very much like a “cup that runneth over” with love. (see Psalms 23:5b). The Fountain Source is God, the Cup is our own hearts being replenished moment by moment. With the eye of the heart focused in unwavering concentration on the object of our Love, we will see the work of God in the weakness of a hungry child, the hopeless and struggling widow, the righteous one in prison. It is true because God’s love flows through all of these conditions of life. If we will enjoy the benefits that God has prepared for us, we must be destined to the dwelling place and Source of all Love – God our Father in Jesus Christ. Loving God above all other things, we will love that which He loves and adores. Did we not change the things we love most when we fell in love with the darling of our hearts? Did we not turn our love toward those things that were the object of that darling’s affections - the Princess of our hearts, or our Knight in Shining Armor? How much more must we love those things which are filled with the Fountain of God’s Love?
Our Gospel (taken from Hebrews 9:18-28) reveals the cost which both the Father and the Son paid for that love and in full expression of it. Throughout the Holy Scriptures – both Old and New – the cost of redemption from sin was paid by blood. But that blood of the Old Testament was figurative in nature only for it heralded the coming sacrifice to which that blood of animals fore shadowed. The New Testament is like the Last Will and Testament of God. And no Last Will and Testament is in effect until the death of the Testator which is Christ.
All that we do in worship is a measure of that once-and-for-all sacrifice that our Lord made for us on the brow of Calvary’s Mountain for, “without shedding of blood is no remission” of sin. It is not only the Holy Communion in which this issue is forefront, but all of our worship concerns that understanding of why, and for what, we have the privilege of grace. Even our churches are spiritually sprinkled with that blood of the covenant which was spilled at Calvary. “This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.”
The two Sacraments of the Church not only memorialize that Sacrifice once made, but are imbued with the spiritual realities that are all based upon that one Sacrifice. The sprinkling, or submersion, of baptism, is an effectual spiritual representation of that blood sprinkling of all things made Holy before the Lord. “ . . . whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.” (Exodus 29:37) We have a living Altar, and that Altar is Christ.
In
the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen
† Jerry Ogles
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:
Almighty God, in His infinite goodness and wisdom, provided His creation with two genders from the beginning. Adam and Eve were fashioned in a kind of ontological "tension." They were the same but also different, and that difference has helped define human history, both before and after the Fall. It is not coincidental that Satan - the counterfeiter - has used that tension between the sexes to serve his purposes, and much of the evil that besets mankind is a direct result.
President Trump claims he does not understand why the American people are so upset about the Epstein cover-up, and suggests that it is "stupid" of the public to demand that the evil doings of Mr. Epstein's "island" finally be revealed, and that names be named, suggesting that it is somehow prurient to maintain any interest in the terrible crimes that have been committed. He wishes the whole dirty business to just go away, and that no faces be associated with those filthy crimes - many perpetrated against children. But such scandal and evildoing is not so easily swept under the rug. Even the most liberal of pundits recognize that there is something different about this case, in the scope of the evildoing and the numbers of the rich and famous involved. The depth of the depravity reaches beyond the most liberal morality, not only in terms of sexual misconduct but the extent to which that misconduct reached the very halls of Congress, the hills of Hollywood, and perhaps even the cloisters of the Church.
The Sexual Revolution was a mixed success. It gave us greater freedom of expression in recognizing the power of sexuality and sexual attraction, despite centuries of mankind's attempt to understand and control sexual desire for the benefit of society. Even the former Soviet Union, which espoused Marx' utopia of total sexual license, had moral boundaries strictly observed. But there was terrible price to pay for our new-found sexual freedoms - abortion and unwanted pregnancy, divorcee, STDs, AIDS, pornography, prostitution, child abuse, and homosexuality - all increased geometrically in our new "liberated" culture. The damage cannot be undone.
And so it would seem that we have reached a saturation point wherein the public will no longer accept the pronouncements of the new religion of limitless sexual expression - that public toilets be shared by both sexes; that children be permitted to choose their gender; that persons be permitted to mutilate themselves in an attempt to change their gender; that transvestism be accepted as a social norm, along with animal fetishism and gender dysphoria.
The mainline Churches, which in the past have provided a flimsy wall of protection against spiritual wickedness in high places, have totally failed in speaking out in this regard. They have struggled for centuries with the problem of homosexuality, and somewhat second-handedly with the problem of adultery. It used to be that candidates for ministry had to prove their heterosexual sexual purity in order to be accepted for ordination. Homosexual behaviour meant automatic exclusion and even homoerotic inclination was unacceptable. This is no longer the case, as the late Bishop of Rome revealed. Gay clergy of both genders abound and are even celebrated in some denominations. One well publicised denomination was created entirely for the promotion of homosexuality. Divorce and adultery are no longer hindrances for pastoral ministry. The boundaries given for sexual behaviour are pretty much those of society in general: illicit affairs are frowned upon, promiscuity is discouraged, and sex with minors reprehensible - but not necessarily cause for defrocking as it once was.
Nevertheless, it would seem an invisible line has been crossed in the Epstein case, wherein the American people have said, Enough! We want some accountability for the immorality which has now invaded our society like a cancer. It has infected our children, our teachers, our religious leaders (remember Jimmy Swaggert?), our military, our media, our politicians, and even our dress. Every aspect of fife in our society has been affected by some form of abhorrent sexual conduct. Do you really think it possible to visit an American beach these days and not violate the seventh Commandment? Forget about Matthew 5:28!
Satan has used that wonderful chemistry that God created for us in the Garden for own destruction. We are the only animal that can say "No!" and not be victims of that which God intended for our good. Everyone thought "the Sexual Revolution" had been fought and won. Abortion was legal, women were in combat, and condoms were placed in bathrooms (even, as we sadly discovered, boys’ bathrooms). But there is something of a counter-revolution going on and we must all join it. We must protect our children from deviancy and disease. The tide is turning and small victories are being won here and there. We must encourage masculinity and femininity in young adults, and compassionate understanding to those who have been wounded in the battle for the soul of our Republic.
This is the real State of the Nation, Mr. President. Our desire to expose the gross immorality of the Epstein Debacle goes much deeper than a headline or scandal sheet story. The moral health of the people is at stake. If it is buried, you will be seen to have condoned the perversions that Epstein (and many others) perpetrated over the course of many years, and you yourself may be judged guilty of complicity
It is not only Christians who are calling out for righteousness - it is the will of all the people who elected you. You have the authority to expose wrongdoing of the most egregious nature, and to make the moral standing of government a little better than its present morass. Almighty God can only bless you for 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
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above.
Consider these words from the Collect, … who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire …
We acknowledge God will give those who love Him more good than they can imagine, let alone ask for. The point of the collect is that we cannot fathom how much goodness will happen to us, if we follow Him. This gives us a very good reason to follow Him, in that a lot of good things that we cannot even begin to comprehend will happen to us both in this life and in life everlasting. How can we accomplish this? A key component in this life saving equation is the Holy Ghost. He will give us the guidance we need to accomplish the tasks we need to do for Him, but only if we allow Him into our hearts, souls and minds.
Who is the other component in this equation? Jesus! Jesus is that missing variable in our complicated equation state. He is the X. He can give us his guidance and grace via the Holy Ghost, to make us better men and women of the Lord. He is a very needed component in this spiritual equation. He will help us to utilize the Holy Ghost to love God the Father. He is who we need to gain eternal life. By His Sacrifice, made one time, for all mankind, for all time, we are accounted as perfect by His Faith and Action.
We need to not think in terms of our usual short term view but of the long term view. We need to realize that our actions don’t just count in our short sojurn here on Earth, but they count in terms of our eternal life. Once we realize that, we need to take that into account and plan our actions accordingly.
Like flying an airplane, lots of little tiny fluid adjustments are required in our lives here on Earth. Like my father, Bishop Hap said we should be learning something every flight, or in our case every day of our lives. Some will be easier than others of course. And of course like in flying we will fail from time to time as that is just our human nature. But the key is like in flying, no matter how big or small our failure (presumably it wasn’t a fatal one that is.) we have to get back up and be ready to start again and not the same mistake again that caused us to fail. In this regard we need to call on the Holy Ghost to enter into our hearts souls and minds and help us not to make the same mistakes that we did before. When acting, think of how your actions will impact you, your family and others down the road, before acting and make the necessary fixes, if any are needed. The Holy Ghost can provide the inspiration and guidance we need to think through our actions. We just need to listen to Him at the moment when we need to act and remind ourselves that our future will be better if we listen to the Holy Ghost rather than ourselves.
We have to think of ourselves as a part of God’s much bigger plan, and act to the best of our abilities and with the guidance of the Holy Ghost as a positive aspect of that larger picture. Each of us has a role to play in His Plan. And each of us has an important part to play in His Plan. We were not given the clearance necessary to understand His Plan, but we do know that we need to listen to Him in order for us to act upon our part in His Plan. We just have to focus on doing our part for Him in His Plan. And the key word here is to listen. We have to listen to what He actually says and not what we want Him to say. There is a distinct difference between the two.
In today’s Epistle, Paul says as Jesus Christ died and rose again, so too should we die to our sins and rise again in a better state. He uses this metaphor to describe both our life here on earth as previously we had been living in our corrupt natural state and through the renewal of the mind through the Holy Ghost, we are transformed into something more pure than we had been. Paul is big on the New Man concept of being transformed via the Holy Ghost and for good reason. It is a very good concept that fits in well with the Scriptures.
And as he says, as death has no dominion over Jesus Christ, so too shall it have no more dominion over us. For by His death and resurrection, He has paid the wages for our sin, which as Paul says in Romans is death. His death paid for our sins, so we might be accounted as perfect to get into heaven. Paul points out that we have been freed from sin by Christ’s one time sacrifice for all time for all mankind.
And that is why the resurrection truly is the greatest miracle Jesus performed. Because before He came and died for our sins, we could not get into heaven on our own and in fact still cannot. It is by God’s Grace, that He sent His only begotten son, that we should not perish, but have everlasting life. I find myself still amazed every time I think of it. How we poor sinful creatures who could not make it to heaven on our own, have had our wages of sin paid by our Lord’s death upon the Cross. Think of how much Jesus loved us, He willingly let Himself be arrested, tried and put to the painful death upon the Cross, and then went into Hell to battle Satan for our souls, because He loved us. It must have been hard for Him to do those things, but He did it anyway. That is a lesson for us, even if things are hard sometimes, we must do them anyway regardless of the cost or spiritual pain if God commands us to do those things. In the end, all the suffering we endure on this Earth will be worth it with all the goodness that awaits us in Heaven.
The lesson of the Gospel is that we must put aside our often foolish and angry thoughts and not act upon them, but rather have Christly thoughts and act upon those. This is another concept that is easier said than done. I too have struggled with this, but find the Holy Ghost is a great help in containing these foolish and angry thoughts. But it is something that must be done all the same. We can’t advance God’s cause here on Earth if we are angry all the time. We have to realize that our time on Earth is not unlimited and it is best to put any foolish quarrels aside so we can advance His cause here on Earth.
When Jesus gave His Life for us, He did it knowing we would fail to follow in perfection, but fully aware some would follow to the best of their ability. We must get back up after we make our mistakes and continue on trying the best we can to follow Him. That is all He asks, do your best. Even Saint Paul had trouble following our Lord, but he kept trying and doing his real best not to make the same mistake again. Doing your best is not the same as saying you are doing your best.
There are none so deaf as those who will not hear.
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
.jpg)
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.
Sixth Sunday after Trinity Sermon
In Old Testament times, the Israelites were under a covenant obligation to make certain offerings and sacrifices to God for their sins and trespasses. Original sin had brought death— both physical and spiritual— to mankind. God gave to his chosen people a temporary means of being freed from their sins through his prescriptions as set forth in the Law of Moses. But those offerings and sacrifices only covered their immediate sins and did not impute to the individual petitioner everlasting salvation. And so, from year to year, the faithful were required to journey to Jerusalem that they might offer up those sacrifices and offerings which the LORD required. St. Paul likened this to being under the tutelage of a pedagogue or teacher (see Galatians 3:23-25)
But God’s remedy for original sin involved sending his only begotten Son into the world to free all who would believe on him from the bondage of the Law (Romans 7:15-8:4). In response to our Lord’s free gift to us, St. Paul counseled believers to, Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1).
And the apostle clarified the issue of the sacrifices when he wrote in Hebrews 10, 1For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins (vv.1-2)... 4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins (v.4)... 12But this man [Christ Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God (v.12)... 14for by one offering, he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified (v.14)... 18Now where remission of [sin] is, there is no more offering for sin (v. 18).
Given these verses, a proper understanding of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper would be that it is a memorial of his sacrifice on Calvary’s cross and not a means of salvation. We partake of the communion elements not because they save us but because Christ via his sacrifice has saved us. In our prayer book on page 80 are the words of institution given us by our Lord: do this in remembrance of me, and, this is my body, and this is my blood.
Admittedly, without a proper bible understanding of this sacrament, one might come to see it as something other than our Lord intended. And in like manner given what we know from Scripture, it is quite clear indeed why our Lord rebuked the scribes and Pharisees when he said, …3Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition... 8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (St. Matthew 15:3-8).
Today, many Christians are following man-made traditions such as salvation through works. They believe that by taking communion, being baptized, almsgiving, and the payment of money for forgiveness of sins, they are maintaining their hold on God’s salvation. And because these beliefs and practices originated in a time well apart from our own, they carry an apparent weight of authority just like those of the scribes and Pharisees who had placed their traditions along side Scripture and interpreted it as law.
And we must not overlook the fact that said traditions are supported by the testimonies of men who possessed great learning and were reputed experts in the field of theology and bible languages which begs the question: Who then can rightly question them today? What credibility will the critics of these traditions have against such a cadre of respected and learned scholars? Well, folks, you cannot make right what God in his word has said is wrong no matter how many letters you have following your last name, or what prefix you have before your first name. The words and numbers that matter are the chapter number and verse of one of the sixty-six canonical books of Scripture. That should be the measure of truth and of our faith and nothing else.
It is important for us as born-again believers to follow the precepts of the written word of God. And in that light, faithful churches have from the beginning attempted to carry that message forward. And so it is vitally important for all true and faithful Christians, regardless of their denominational brands, to be obedient to the expressed will of God. If we are engaging in false worship based upon false doctrines which have been crafted by the will of man, then we are no different than Cain, or Korah or Nadab and Abihu. Will worship is not godly worship. After all, it is God who is sovereign. God has supplied us with his word and commandments that he means for us to follow. And as he has so supplied us, let us then submit to said prescriptions which are found within the Holy Bible, and not offer up to him those things which will impair our fellowship and endanger the salvation of others who might see our errors and embrace them as truth.
Let us pray,
Father, keep us from all false worship and idolatry, and guide us into the paths of righteous; for this we ask in the name of him who made one offering of himself for sin, and will come again in glory to rule as our King, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
Bryan+
Roy
Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's Anglican
Church
Diocese of the Midwest Anglican
Orthodox Church
Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Fifth Sunday after Trinity Sermon
Evening Prayer
Psalm 57; First lesson: Exodus 24:1-11,16 – 18; Second lesson: Hebrews. 9:18 - 28
O GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
hymns # 368,450, 520, 544
1. The central theme of the meal we call Holy Communion is the once and for all sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
The shedding of Christ’s blood is what made this sacrifice complete: “…24this is my body, which was broken for you,” (1 Corinthians 11:24) 20this is the blood of the New Testament.” (Hebrews 9:24)
The Old Testament repeatedly points to the coming of Christ in so many ways, especially pertaining to the ultimate sacrifice. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
This foreshadowing was repeated numerous times through out the Old Testament. When God was teaching Moses what ceremonies and rituals to use to illustrate the vision of the coming Christ, he comes back to the central theme: It is blood and the shedding of blood to cover sin. Why blood? It is the life-giving substance that sustains a living creature. When there is a significant loss of blood, there will be mortal danger, if not a fatal event.
Remember in the Garden, after Adam and Eve sinned (trespassed God’s commandment), God took the life of an innocent animal, most likely a lamb, to provide skins to cover their nakedness.
When sin entered into the perfect Garden, blood had to be shed to cover that sin. This of course was a foreshadowing of the coming of the Messiah, who would lay down his life to cover the sins of those called unto God.
I think that this is probably one of the most intensely hated aspects of our faith, especially by those who have abandoned the faith, more than almost any other theme other-than the personhood of Christ himself.
Look at verses 15 & 16 in this passage from Hebrews 9. 15And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 16For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
The author of Hebrews is explaining the very basic legal aspect of a will. In order for it to be in effect, the one who made the will must be dead.
Much to the chagrin of our post modern theology, someone had to die in order to save us. Of course that someone is none other than Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, the perfect once and for all sacrifice for sin.
All throughout the Old Testament time up to and including Christ three and a half year ministry on Earth; this foreshadowing of his perfect work was displayed again and again at the Temple in Jerusalem and in the Tabernacle before the temple was built. 26For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. It is this very appearance of Christ, the Hebrew word Immanuel, that states “God with us”, is the very fulfillment of this promise of putting away sin by his blood being shed.
2. Here is another mistake made by the feel good religious crowd.
It is called Universalism. All people, no matter what they do or how they live, will be saved.
The scripture does not say that.
Let’s see what the rest of this passage says. “28So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Why would they be waiting for him? Because they had already accepted him as their savior. His shed blood covers their sin, his once and for all sacrifice covers the sins of those who accept his sacrifice.
The author of the letter to the Hebrews was well aware of the legal aspects of Jewish life. He will time and again make reference to wills, covenants, promises, sanctification, and other terms that deal with eternal matters and mankind.
One definite point made throughout the letter is the aspect that your eternal destination must be secured before you check out for the final time. This aspect is clearly pointed out in chapter nine. The sacrifice, a once offered and once given, must be accepted as a substitute for all the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament or Old Covenant. And as we read in the last three verses of Chapter nine, the finality of our time is expressed by the coming judgeme8nt upon us after we die. No second chances, no stopping off to cleanse our souls before we go on to heaven or hell, but a final judgement. In other words, no purgatory. 27And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (takes away the reincarnation option of several major world religions)
Now is the time of your salvation. Now is the time you must be right with your Creator, now is the time to accept the perfect gift and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We are not guaranteed tomorrow or for that matter even tonight. Now is the time of your salvation. (See Corinthians 6:2) Ask the Holy Spirit to illumine your soul to your need for Christ. 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)
12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
Let us pray
O LORD Jesus Christ, who wentest about doing good and healing all manner of sickness; Give power, wisdom, and gentleness to all thy ministering servants, our physicians, surgeons, and nurses; that, always bearing thy presence with them, they may not only heal but bless, and shine as lamps of hope in the darkest hours of distress and fear; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, the comfort of the sad, the strength of sufferers; let the prayers of those that cry out of any tribulation come unto thee; that all may rejoice to find that thy mercy is present with them in their afflictions; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen.
Beloved, go in peace, in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 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.
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
Sermon: Matt. 5: 21-26
Today’s Gospel reading is a continuation of Jesus’s sermon on the Mount recorded by St. Matthew. This and the following passages are probably one of the most important in the New Testament. A right understanding of the doctrines which they contain lies at the very root of Christianity. The Lord Jesus here explains more fully the meaning of his words in Matt. 5: 17 which he says “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy , but to fulfil.” He taught that His Gospel magnifies the Law and exalts its authority.
In this portion of his sermon, Jesus expounds on the 6th commandment “Thou shalt not kill”. In verse 21, Jesus begins his message with the words "21Ye have heard ... 22but I say to into you, In this text Jesus is not rejecting the Old Testament law and replacing it with His own teaching, but He is contrasting the Pharisees' traditional interpretation of the Old Testament law with the true intent of the law. He came, “…not to destroy the law but to fulfill the law.”
Jesus tells us in verses:21-22:
21Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire.
The commandment “Thou shall not kill” (Exo. 20:13) wasn’t against taking a life under every circumstance, but was directed primarily toward murder, the willful taking of another’s life. For elsewhere the Bible condones capital punishment as well as wars designed to defend a Country’s right’s against its oppressors. After the flood, God gave definite instruction to Noah regarding the sancity of human life. In Genesis 9:6, He said “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” These words are the basis for modern capital punishment, which is not the taking of a life by another person but the forfeiting of the right to life in a society by violating the laws of the land. Exodus 21 mentions a number of offenses for which a person forfeited his right to life: and remember that it was God who gave those commandments and injunctions.
In addition, the sixth commandment does not seem to mean the inadvertent taking of a life in the defense of one’s country or in the aid of another one. Jesus said there would be wars with us until He finally returns and establishes His own kingdom (Matt. 24:6-8). In Genesis 14, God directed Abraham to do battle with the king to rescue his nephew, Lot. It is also important to notice that the battle was in self-defense, not to simply take loot or territory belonging to another. Genesis 14:20 says that God actually delivered the enemy into his hands.
The scribes and the Pharisees were attempting to restrict the breadth of the commandment by limiting it to just taking a human life. Jesus insisted that in God’s eyes, the application was much broader; it included anger and words of insult.
When Abraham Lincoln had to write a letter to someone who had irritated him, he would often write two letters. The first letter was deliberately insulting. Then, having gotten those feelings out of his system, he would tear it up and write a second letter, this one more tactful and discreet. (John Luther in Bits and Pieces, Oct, 1990).
The anger Jesus refers to in this passage is anger without a cause. Anger can be manifested in many different ways---lashing out at someone or verbally or physically attacking someone. It is true that there could be some constructive elements in certain types of anger. For example, if we are angry at ourselves for being undisciplined, it motivates us to develop more rigorous habits of the mind. Anger has been a useful motivation in times of war so that the nation response to an attack by mounting a massive counter attack which can lead to triumph. St. Paul tells us in Eph. 4:26, to be angry and yet not sin, by which means that we are to be angry against sin and injustice so that it motivates us to action. Even Jesus was angry with the moneychangers in the temple so that he drove them out, demanding they treat God’s house with respect as a house of prayer for all the people.
The type of anger Jesus is talking about in this passage is directed toward the needs or ideas of an individual. The anger arises when someone doesn’t get their own way or maybe doesn’t agree with the other persons ideas. Some of the anger could be due to jealousy or self-pride or just not respecting the needs of others. It could lead to name calling such as “empty head”, which is the Aramaic translation for Raca or “you fool”.
It then could lead to more destructive type of anger — lingering animosity, bitterness, rancorous spirit, inward boiling and seething, and even hatred that one might display against another person.
This type anger could lead to physically harming someone or even in taking someone’s life. A good example is the Old Testament accounts of Cain slaying his brother Abel due to his anger caused by jealousy. Also, the jealous anger that King Saul displayed against David in plotting to kill him.
Jesus is not saying that anger and murder are exactly the same thing; rather He is stating that anger can be murderous in principle. Anger can be the root of murder and therefore tantamount to it in God’s sight. In the same way St. John said, in 1st John 3:15 “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him”
Mosaic legislation required that anyone who committed murder had to appear before a court to be judged. Judgment was certain. In the same way, God’s judgment in relation to anger is also certain and Jesus is clear that the penalty for it is hell. Therefore, we must reconcile and repent our sinful anger and do all that is in our power to get rid of it as quickly as possible (Eph. 4:26-27; Matt 18:30-34).
Jesus now gives two illustrations related to anger in verses 23-26. The first illustration deals with our attitude toward others during worship, the second is in a judicial setting. The first concerns a brother, the second an adversary. Remarkably neither deal with “our” anger but rather with our course of action if we make someone else angry.
In other words, both deal with our response toward people we have angered due to either our actions or words.
Jesus tells us in verses:23-26; 23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother has ought against thee; 24leave there thy gift before the altar; and go thy way; first be reconciled to they brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence till though hast paid the uttermost farthing.
The picture described in verses 23-24 is drawn from Jewish life as an individual is about to offer a sacrifice in the Temple. It is at this moment, when he is about to cast himself upon divine mercy and seek God’s forgiveness that he recalls that a brother has a complaint against him. What is he to do? Is he to say, “As soon as I have offered this gift I will go straight to my brother, and make things right?” No. He is to leave his offering before the altar and first go reconcile with his brother.
Jesus is not de-emphasizing our relationship to God in worship in this example, but is showing the relationship that we have with others reflects the Godward dimension of our lives. Jesus had already told us “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” in (Matt. 5:9). St. Paul tells us in Rom. 12:18: “If it be possible as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”
The converse of this truth is expressed in Mark 11:25, 26: “25And when you stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Likewise Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer to ask God to “forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors” (Matt. 6:12). By way of application, it is more important to be clear of your offense before your brother than to show up at church to worship. We should get our relationships in order so that we can worship God from a pure heart.
The second example is from the law in verses 25-26. In Jesus' day an offender was thrown into prison until his offense was paid. Because he was in prison, he had no means to repay his debt and be released unless friends or family paid it for him. Thus, people were wise to settle matters on the road to court rather than at the judgment. Again, Jesus message is reconciliation to avoid paying the “uttermost farthing”.
Many think that they can enter the Kingdom simply because they are good people. "At least I haven't murdered anyone", they say. Yet here Jesus strips all illusions of self-righteousness away, for who is not guilty of anger? St. Paul tells us in Romans 3:10 “There is none righteousness, no, not one.” Without a mighty mediator, everyone one of us will be condemned on the judgement day. This is why we need to look to Jesus and his atoning blood that was shed on the cross to save us. It is through his righteousness, that we are reconciled to God. Just as St. Paul tells us in Phil. 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” All we have to do is come to him, repent our sins and ask for forgiveness. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
Rev. David McMillan
AOC Minister at Large
Alabama
We are Fortunate today to have a sermon from Rev. David McMillian
Sixth Sunday after Trinity Devotions
Reconciliation- The sin of anger
God is "…slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." (Psalm 103:8); Micah reminds us as well that "…He retaineth not His anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy." (Micah 7:18) We too are commanded to be "…slow to speak, slow to wrath." (James 1:19) We also are to "31let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger...and evil speaking be put away...32and be ye kind one to another,.. forgiving one to another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:3-32)
In today's Gospel we are reminded that we should " first be reconciled to our brother then come and offer thy gift.” (at the altar; Matthew 5:24) Dr. Tasker, an Anglican Greek teacher said it this way in his thoughts on this passage, "Conduct is more important than formal worship." The greek word in the NT reconcile is "change thoroughly."
General McArthur said, “a peace is more than a truce. A truce just says you don't shoot for awhile. Peace comes when the truth is known, the issue is settled, and the parties embrace each other." Sermon.central illustration.
Of all things we do in our families and in our churches this is probably the hardest. Jesus talks about anger and the judgment. He carries the strict code of the law to a further moral duty. It is not easy to let go of our anger. An African proverb says, "when elephants fight, grass gets trampled." Elephants weigh about 16,534 pounds and drink 30 gallons of water a day. sermon illustrations - Rev. Thomas Cash.
As we come to our Communion we are reminded that we should be what? "in love and charity with our neighbors" (Prayer Book, page 75) Reconciled is the word used by Jesus here in this passage in Matthew. It means literally: "to effect an alteration , yielding to mutual concession."
We cannot force reconciliation but we can be part of it. We can only try in the power of Christ to offer forgiveness and try and reconcile. All of us have different talents and abilities. It takes more than one person to make the ship of the parish go. The eye is necessary. The foot is necessary and the hand is necessary. We are not all the same , but together we can accomplish more. That is what the acronym TEAM can say. "Together Everyone Accomplishes More." When one member is suffering we should try and find out how we can help. Sometimes prayer is all that does because direct contact can be painful.
Our love as the apostle tells us must never give up despite how we are treated or used. That is our goal. All of us know people like that in our lives that however we treated them, they still cared and tried to help us. Even when we pushed them away in our lives, they kept an open door for us to walk right back into.
The story is told of Jefferson Davis of the Confederacy and US Grant. Both had died, but their widows lived near each other. Julia Grant and Varina Davis became closest of friends.
What a contradiction to offer gifts at the altar without reconciliation. God has forgiven us. We have much to gain and little to lose by reconciling with all.
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:
Richard Bailey – Brain Cancer
Pastor Glen Shoals – Skin Cancer
Steve
Williams – recovery Hip Replacement
Lydia Collins - rectal cancer.
Marianne and Betsey Lane – Betsey has been diagnosed with Dementia
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 – medication
tolerance, 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, Alicia-caregiver, Lydia, Sophie, Colin and Lori Beall –
cancer, Toni – cancer, Donna - cancer,
Malou –
cancer, Roseanne, Bobby, Missy, Archie, Eloise,
Comments
Post a Comment