Anglican Orthodox Churchsm
Worldwide Communion
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
Sunday Report
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The Sixth Sunday after Trinity – July 7, 2024
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 195-196, with the Collect first:
The Collect for the 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 the Sixth Sunday after Trinity. The Epistle. 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 the Sixth Sunday after Trinity. The Gospel. 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.
Points to Ponder:
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psalm 103:1
God Bless America and Its People
A Soviet immigrant named David Edelman wrote a letter to a major U.S. magazine in which he said, “If Americans knew what it is like to search for a piece of meat and never find it; how it is not to be able to buy a refrigerator unless you stay on a waiting list for 10 years; what it is like to live in constant fear and to struggle for survival every day; if they knew all this they would whisper as I do: ‘God bless this land and its people.'” Edelman is right. Appreciation flows from awareness. That’s true in both the political and spiritual realms.
See: Deuteronomy 5:29; 30:15-18
As the Government approaches nearer and nearer to the one absolute and single power, the will of the greater number, its action will become more and more disturbed and irregular; faction, corruption and anarchy, will more and more abound; patriotism will daily decay, and affection and reverence for the
Government grow weaker and weaker until the final shock occurs, when the system will rush to ruin; and the sword take the place of law and Constitution.
John C. Calhoun– 19th century American statesman and senator.
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
Jeremiah 6:16
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” (Amos 8:11-12)
Have you known grinding hunger, or ravishing thirst? Perhaps you have not known that hunger for bread or water that threatens death. But there are grave signals today of impending famine of hearing the Word of the Lord. Those signals are subtle to the ear of those who are not keen to God and His Word, but they
are growing with great rapidity and the famine is at our very doorstep today.
The Most Rev. Jerry L. Ogles– 20th and 21st century Anglican Orthodox
Presiding Bishop (excerpt from Contemplations on the Ways of the Lord. Pg 137).
Jerry Ogles
Presiding Bishop
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
We are fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s you tube links, devotions on the Prayer of the Collect and sermon notes.
Bishop Jerry creates videos on various subjects, they last just under ten minutes and this week’s videos are listed below:
One True Church
Narrated by Bishop Ogles from J.C. Ryle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=714IELHxdi4
The Last of Bishop Ogles Lost things Series:
The Prodigal Son (link below)
PRAYER OF COLLECT for Sixth Sunday after TRINITY
The Love of God
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 Prayer of Collect for this day stresses a very distinct and singular element of our faith – LOVE and Duty! 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 material 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 devil’s, 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?
Jesus Christ He will come to awaken His Church in Love before the ruin is too advanced. So we need not lose hope, but persevere on the line of battle. At the moment of decision, the love of God shall be made manifest by a parting of the heavens, and the clarion call of the Trumpet of God. Our flagging armies shall experience a renewed vigor by the Armies that descend from Heaven led by the Captain of our souls. Victory shall be certain. Then shall all things be made sure for the people of God.
Sermon Notes for Sixth Sunday after Trinity
“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: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” (Gospel of St Matthew 5:21-22)
Though not consisting of many special feast days, Trinity Season covers many of the most important aspects of the Gospel and Epistles. The first five Sunday’s of the Trinity Season lay out the nature of love that we must bear for God and for our fellows. If the foundation of the Church does not consist of the highest order of love, then all else of the structure will not be stable. Now, we come to the second five Sunday’s beginning today that reveal our duties and obligations under that “Banner of Love.” “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” (Song of Solomon 2:4)
Under the terms of the Gospel, the Law of God is not made more slack, but, indeed, far more demanding as we see in the introductory verses of these sermon notes. It is no longer the Law written on stone tables to which we are bound, but to a greater depth of those laws written in the soft sinews of our hearts. Under the terms of this new perspective of Law, we are not only bound by God’s Law in our outward actions, but also in our inward thoughts. Though salvation comes by Grace alone, and not of works, yet, our good works – and thoughts – should reveal evidence to others of our salvation. This is the expression of our Christian DUTY.
Our Epistle to the Romans of St, Paul, Romans 6:3-4, points out our duty to God and the Church to be baptized. Baptism itself is not a sign of a person being lost, for many battlefield conversions have been made when baptism was not possible. But baptism is the duty of every Christian. It signals the beginning of the new life in Christ having been buried with Him as well as being raised with Him. “3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore 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.” Baptism is a covenantal sign of our salvation and hope in Christ – the beginning of our duties to God and Church. Our Articles of Religion clearly point out that baptism is an outward SIGN of regeneration- not regenerative in and of itself. If baptism is received unworthily, it is of none effect.
Baptism is a duty that represents not only our baptism INTO Christ, but also our union with Him in His death and in His life as revealed in His Holy Word.
Every army demands certain duties of its soldiers. These are set forth in standards which are demanded of them. So does the Church have a set standard of duty outlined in the Holy Gospel. That standard is not merely of behavior, but of the thoughts and expressions of our hearts. In that sense, Christ added standards of obedience that were not mentioned, though perhaps unwritten only, in the Ten Commandments. The standard imposed by Christ is far stricter than that of the old Law of outward obedience. It must be supported by that love of which we have studied in the first five Sundays of Trinity else it is null and void. Observe again our leading verses of this sermon: “21 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: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” Real hatred desires the destruction of the object of that hate. Hate not only can destroy tits object, but the one who harbors it in their hearts. If we take our petitions to God in prayer, first extinguish the fire of hate harbored in your heart.
It goes without saying that one must be a beacon light for Christ if he has received the Light of Christ in his heart. (see Matthew 5:14) A hidden light is worthless to all. Our duty is to spread that Light abroad.
The Law of the Stone Tables reads: “Thou shalt not commit adultery!” (Exodus 20:14) But the Law of love is more compelling: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 2 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27)
It is our duty to place righteousness above self – we die to self daily. The things the old heart desires must be stifled at every turn. As Lydia Sigourney concludes in her famous poem of The Camel’s Nose:
“To evil habit’s earliest wile
Lend neither ear, nor glance, nor smile —
Choke the dark fountain ere it flows,
Nor even admit the camel’s nose!”
We are to conduct ourselves with 1) humility; 2) Devotion to God and love for others; and 3) self -judgment for if we judge ourselves in righteousness, God will not judge us.
Please read again our Prayer of Collect for today:
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 love of God will always reward the expressions of love by His people to an overwhelming degree. Our minds cannot conceive of the beauty and excellence of the reward God has awaiting the saints.
It is not the reward for which we strive, but rather the love of God for His own sake, duty for the sake of duty, truth for the sake of truth – these are reward enough in themselves. But God the rewards our Father offers in this life and the life to come are beyond measure of our understanding.
Duty to God cannot be performed without a burning love of God.
I believe it was Chesterton (I may be wrong) who wrote: “We have misapplied the process of proper learning – if we had learned through the mind to the heart, we would have profited far more if we learned through the heart to the mind.”
Do we read our Bibles with a profound love of its author? If so, our duties to Him and to others will be easy to discern.
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
Sermon – Bishop Jack Arnold – Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
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. It points out that God can give us things that exceeds as much as we can desire, if we will do our very best to follow Him. But, the key is that first you have to love Him. How do we accomplish this? We do it by asking the Holy Ghost to enter in to our hearts so we might truly love Him. If we do, more good will come to us than we can even imagine or hope for
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, then we realize we truly need the help of the Holy Ghost if we are to succeed in the marathon of life. The Holy Ghost can help us train for this marathon, by guiding us as we read Scripture and work to implement its concepts in our day to day lives. I also equate living our lives like flying an airplane.
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 is telling us about that same accounting irregularity we mentioned earlier and Christ is that accounting irregularity. As we of our own volition cannot resolve the accounting issue, and thus cannot be worthy on our own to get into heaven.
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 Him self 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 be able to think and make rational decisions and we can’t do that if we are angry. This is another concept easier said than done. But if we allow the Holy Ghost to enter into our hearts, we will find that we have the spiritual strength to accomplish this. Instead of acting irrationally, we must instead think calmly and figure out the best way to handle whatever situation we are in without losing control of our emotions. How do we do this? The clear solution is to pray to God and ask for His Help in bridling our tongue and have it be a tool of reason rather than a tool of anger and deceit! And to also remember this every time we are in a moment of heated emotion.
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
Yves M. Méra
Bishop – AOC France Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
We are fortunate to have a sermon from the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Orthodox Church of France and the Administrative Coordinator of Europe and Africa. As you will read, he is an excellent writer. The sermon is easy to read and provides much insight.
SERMON for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity
ALL SINNERS!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
There is one thing about God that we all need to understand, and that is the difference between God and us: God alone is holy, God alone is perfect, God alone is good. It is therefore useless to beat our flanks trying to be perfect, for we never will be so, because that would be becoming God. And we will never be God. We must, however, progress in holiness. Satan’s whole ambition is to convince us of the contrary and to push us to blasphemy (Genesis 3:4-5): “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” This is the satanic trap: flattering women to the point that they believe themselves superior to men, as equal of God. Paul puts things back in good order, as the Father defines it in His Word (Ephesians 5:24): “But just as the church submits to Christ, so also do women submit to their husbands in all things. “. However, Paul imposes an obligation on husbands (Ephesians 5:33): “Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”.
A good relationship in a couple is not an easy thing, except at the beginning when everything is going well. Desire brings the bride and groom together like a powerful magnet. Then, over time, routine sets in, and then comes disappointment, with the feeling of having lacked something. And this feeling is true! We lack perseverance, because we are gradually distancing ourselves from God; we take small liberties in our relationship with God, in prayer, then greater ones, first in thought, and often in action. And if the same estrangement occurs in the couple, then the case becomes serious, the divorce happens and breaks up the family, traumatizes the children, astounds those around them. If we do not understand that the love of God is the cement of Christian marriage, marriage is in vain; it will not be able to last, or just pretend (1 John 4:8): “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” A faithful and long-lasting love is a gift of God because only God is eternal: “His Love is eternal ” repeat Psalms 118 and 136; this is why there is no true or lasting love apart from a union with God. Let this be clear in our heads and in our hearts. Our Lord Jesus Christ confirms this to us: ” Without me, you can do nothing “.
And where love is absent, for lack of faith in God-Love, hatred sets in. Don’t believe for a minute in a neutral and respectful indifference to the other. This can be seen in every divorce procedure. I need not draw a sketch for you to understand it, for we all have examples of it around us.
In his Gospel, Matthew gives us the Lord’s words about hatred (Matthew 5:21-22): “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” Everything that Jesus is targeting and condemning here, anger, insult, defamation, are all manifestations of the lack of love. These are the consequences of the absence of love. But how do you learn to love, and to love over time? Is there a tutorial on the Internet that shows us the art of loving? NO! There is nothing but pornography and all the distortions of love, inspired by the devil. Is there a school of love that shows us the secrets of true and lasting love? YES! The Bible is this school of love, and more specifically the Book of Proverbs of Solomon, the wisest king of all time (Proverbs 8:17) God says, “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” For God loves honest and sincere people: “They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.” (Proverbs 11:20); God loves “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.” (Proverbs 12:22); God loves “him that speaketh right” (Proverbs 16:13b); God loves “He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king [of Heaven] shall be his friend.” (Proverbs 22:11).
If a couple breaks up, it is because the heart of one renounces honest and sincere purity; and as falsehood and impurity of the heart are eminently contagious, the two hearts fall into the same trap and it becomes very difficult to get out of this problem. Jesus Christ commands us to be reconciled without delay, so that disagreement does not turn into drama and femicide (Matthew 5:25a): “Agree with thine adversary quickly…” And Jesus concludes by saying in verse 26 “Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.”
When you have slipped down a downward slope that leads to destruction, there is no other solution to get out of it than to get back on the slope and climb it up!
And to do this, we need humility to recognize that we are on the wrong path; and we need the help of God who gives us grace if we repent and ask for forgiveness: “… Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ speaks to us on this occasion of judicial proceedings before human justice courts, which are therefore imperfect. The sentence has a random part, because human judges, unlike our heavenly Judge, do not search the hearts of men, and sometimes allow themselves to be taken in by appearances and their own prejudices. Christ warns us with these premonitory words (Matthew 5:25): “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.”
Christ Himself underwent a trial that remains the most famous in the history of human justice, before the high priest of the Temple of Jerusalem, Caiaphas, and then before the Roman governor, Pilate. These procedures are taught all over the world, even in schools for future magistrates.
Before Caiaphas, “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses…” (Matthew 26:59-60a). See how little purity of heart they have! They knew Jesus was beyond reproach, and rather than believing in Him, they sought to bring Him down by resorting to paid lies. But God did not permit them to use such a shameful stratagem. The Father did not want men to take the life of His only begotten Son, for God’s grace had to be manifested by the voluntary giving of His life by Christ Himself. Matthew then tells us this dialogue in which Jesus accuses himself of blasphemy – except that in His case it was not blasphemy but the pure truth (Matthew 26:63-66): “But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.” This is the satanic trap: believing oneself superior to man, as the equal of God. For Caiaphas, the high priest, this is the worst blasphemy, since it recalls the sin of Lucifer who had claimed to take the place of God by sitting on His holy heavenly throne. But Jesus is not Lucifer. He is truly God the Son, and what He says about Himself is the truth, although it leads Him to be killed.
Note that this first trial takes place at night, in secret, as if the Father could not see what was happening below, in the closed courtyard of the high priest’s palace. But the Father saw clearly, even into the heart of Caiaphas! You cannot deceive God; you cannot escape His Justice.
Jesus’ second trial is quicker (Matthew 27:1-2): “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” (verses 11-14): “And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.” Paradoxically, there is more love in Pilate than in Caiaphas. One is never hated better than by one’s own people. Pilate wants to set Jesus free (verse 18): “For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.” And Pilate almost defends Him in verses 23-24: ” And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it “
Pilate was responsible for public order. As a good Roman official, he practices the saying “keep quiet and don’t rock the boat” which is the mark of cowards. His career comes first on his personal list. And he yielded to the crowd manipulated by the leaders of the people “… and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” (verse 26b). Do you now understand why it is important to reconcile before going to a human court? Paul warns the Corinthians not to go before the earthly judge to settle their affairs (1 Corinthians 6:4-8): “If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.” No divorce! If we absolutely have to separate, we can always separate and remain good friends! God will judge us on our lack of love.
And the same Paul writes to the Romans (Romans 3:5-8): “But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just” Paul is reasoning here by the absurd. He takes to its last end the common opinion of people who prefer to depend on the justice of men than to rely on the justice of God, while thinking to glorify God in spite of their disobedience: The world condemns them. They therefore have nothing to gain from a bad trial, where liar replaces love only too often.
And Paul continues his harangue by quoting the Psalms and Proverbs of Solomon (Romans 3:10-18): “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” God love leads to the fear of God’s Judgment, for we know that no one escapes Him, nothing can be hidden from Him.
My friends, let us put ourselves like Paul in the school of the Bible and learn to love as God loves us: let us relativize annoyances that are temporary because this world itself is temporary. Let us not seek the justice of men, but rather fear the justice of God, instead. Let us bear with one another as God bears and sustains us. Let us recognize the fact that we are all sinners: No one is perfect except God, who loves us with an eternal love and forgives us by blotting out our sin, if we repent. So, let’s wipe away the sins of others when they repent, and wait for God’s righteousness to do His work of glory. God’s hand will not tremble, it will not fail. When God lays His hand upon men, death is involved! Noah, Lot and Christ know quite a bit deal about this. God’s alone will be the glory! Amen.
Rt. Rev. Yves Méra, AOC Bishop for France.
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Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC
Vicksburg, Mississippi – Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
In our epistle lesson from Romans, the apostle Paul advised: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into 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…(6:3-11). Ergo, the importance of baptism is self-evident. It is thus plainly stated that every Christian ought to be baptized as a matter of faith where possible. The thief on the cross is a fair example of one who could not be baptized but was nonetheless saved. Even still, as a rule, all Christians ought to be baptized. Consider the account in Acts 8:26-40 regarding the Ethiopian eunuch. Here was a man of authority in the Kingdom of Ethiopia who had come to Jerusalem to worship. An angel of the Lord called on Philip the Evangelist— who as travelling nearby— to approach his chariot and upon hearing the eunuch reading from the prophet Isaiah, he then asked the man, Understandest thou what thou readest? To which the eunuch replied, How can I, except some man guide me? Philip climbed aboard the chariot and sat next to him and then explained what he had read and preached unto him Jesus. After which, the Ethiopian said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. At that point, both men went into the water and Philip baptized the Ethiopian official.
The Rev. Matthew Henry noted concerning this event, “The confession of faith which the eunuch made [though short was] comprehensive and was sufficient.” In another place Rev. Henry reminded his readers that, “it is good to make haste and not delay, for the present time is the best time. Those who have received the thing signified by baptism should not put off receiving the sign.” And the reason? As the Apostle Paul noted in his second epistle to the Corinthians, …now is the day of salvation (6:2). If we are born again of the Holy Ghost, we will conform ourselves to the doctrines of God which includes being baptized. And further, our church regards baptism as a sacrament, or, “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” And our church recognizes only two sacraments, they being the ministration of Holy Baptism and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. Article XXV of our Articles of Religion states in part that, “Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men’s profession, but rather they be certain sure witnesses, and effectual signs of grace and God’s good will towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our Faith in him.”
It has long been a tradition in our church to baptize infants born into the households of our members. We do so because it is expedient to bring our children into the body of Christ for our Lord said Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God (St. Mark 10:14). There is also Old Testament support for this. When a male child was born into an Israelite family, the rule was (Leviticus 12:1-8) that on the eighth day following his birth, he was named by his father, circumcised and admitted into the house of Israel. It is upon this commandment of God and on the preceding words of our Lord that we baptize infants. Martin Luther once penned these words concerning baptism: “The Anabaptists pretend that children, not as yet having reason, ought not to receive baptism. I answer: That reason in no way contributes to faith. Nay, in that children are destitute of reason, they are all the more fit and proper recipients of baptism. For reason is the greatest enemy that faith has: it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but— more frequently than not— struggles against the Divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God. If God can communicate the Holy Ghost to grown persons, he can, a fortiori, communicate it to young children. Faith comes of the Word of God, when this is heard; little children hear that Word when they receive baptism, and therewith they receive also faith.”
Consider the words of the Great Commission (St. Matthew 28:19-20): Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. The age in which you are baptized is but a temporal designation: a particular moment in time when you were brought into the church. The important factor is that you came to Christ, and that you came agreeable to his word, being baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
To those who have said that baptism is not required for salvation, I would remind them that Holy Baptism is something which every Christian ought to undergo. As the apostle Paul so noted in our epistle lesson from Romans chapter 6, the water of baptism is symbolic of our death to sin. For as we are washed in its waters, the Holy Ghost will, agreeable with the divine will of God, seal us as regenerate beings. And while it is true that not every person who has undergone water baptism becomes a born-again Christian; nevertheless, those who are truly in Christ will seek to be baptized agreeable to his word and commandment.
In another place in his epistle to the Romans, we are informed as to the spiritual condition of those who are without Christ. The apostle observed: There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God (3:10-11). The unregenerate are in a state of spiritual darkness in this life. They are dead to God and merely have life in their bodies for whatever duration that might last. When the light of the gospel comes to them, they must choose to either turn unto Christ and reject the darkness; or reject Christ and remain in their unregenerated state only to be consigned to the mist of darkness which will be their future abode for all eternity (II St. Peter 2:17). The regenerate, on the other hand, have willingly received the free gift of grace by faith. As the apostle Paul reminds us in his epistle to the Ephesians, For by grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: not of works, lest any many should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (2:8-10). The regenerate are born-again of the Spirit of God. Through their acceptance of God’s free gift of grace, they came to see themselves as abhorrent and vile creatures in need of something which they cannot produce of themselves. They realize that they are in need of a Saviour. That is where Christ comes in as we who are born again are his workmanship. As he is the author and finisher of our faith we ought to accept his work of redemption and in gratitude seek to serve him as he has commanded.
We have a holy walk and purpose as regenerate people in Christ Jesus. We bear his name and carry his seal upon our foreheads. And on that account, we should seek to know our vocation and calling in our Lord’s service. As we have received the Holy Ghost let us also remember the function of our baptism and keep ourselves inwardly and outwardly cleansed of all unrighteousness in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let us pray,
Heavenly Father, empower our witness to those around us; that they too might come to know thee as the one true and living God and afterward, that they will seek to be baptized of thee by means of the Holy Ghost; for this we ask in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
Bryan+
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul’s Anglican Church
Diocese of the Midwest Anglican Orthodox Church Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
Psalms 85 First lesson. 2 Samuel 19:16-23
Second lesson. Matthew. 5:38-48
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.
Forgiveness; it is from God.
In all three passages that we have heard this morning, there is an on-going theme, that of forgiveness. We must understand that God’s forgiveness is something that surpasses anything we can do or accomplish. Why? Because our human nature does not have a divine capacity to ignore hurt, wrong doing, or other actions that we may experience from other humans. We want to get even or get revenge, not forgive. The father of lies, Satan, infects our lives and causes us to not be loving or forgiving. So we must look to the Word to see the holy way of forgiveness.
In the psalm there is the forgiveness that is followed by a outpouring of blessings upon the land. A richness that will cover the land as God forgives. We must be careful not to think that this is a complete promise to us, it is more of an example of what happens when we follow the statues and Word of God, the Bible. Psalm 85 is more as an example of right living and the spiritual blessing that follow, rather than a literal blessing. The closest idea that we can grasp is a physical blessing of the land, but in this case the land represents our spiritual lives. We follow God’s precepts, he will bless us spiritually. We avoid sinful behavior, seek his Word, apply it to our lives…he will bless us spiritually.
2Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah….7Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation….11Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.12Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
The next example of forgiveness comes from a very sad episode in the life of David, the king in 2 Samuel 19:18-22. He has allowed sin to enter his household and it has now born fruit. His favorite son has rebelled against him, drove him from his throne, under the threat of death. Now after order has been restored, David’s son is dead, he realizes that he must begin the healing process. He forgives those who did not follow him into exile, he forgives those who were not able to do the right thing at the moment, but David realizes that he himself made bad choices. Let’s read the record:
18And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan; 19And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.
20For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.
King David, even after having been chased off his throne by some of these very men, or at least they stood by and let it happen, would extend his forgiveness to them, knowing that he himself had allowed sin into his household. God had forgiven David, so David forgives others. Interesting point. Don’t hold a grudge. We must understand, that God could hold our sin against us, but he does not, because Jesus died in our place to allow us to obtain forgiveness. We only have to ask it of him. He will forgive us and save us.
22And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?. 23Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.
Our last example comes from the teachings of Jesus himself in Matthew 5:38-43. He is teaching that as a believer you must never carry a grudge. You must forgive. He is expounding in verse 43 the added information that years of tradition had put on the original part of the Ten Commandments.
“Love your neighbor as yourself”.
What was added over the centuries by scribes and religious leader, was to hate your enemy. That would be man’s tradition. So Jesus began to correct the centuries of misinformation. Why do you love your enemies and why do you pray for them? Because God wants us to, he after all makes the sun shine on everyone and he sends the rains on the just and the unjust.
43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Now to drive the point home, Jesus makes the idea of doing what is normal as having no reward. He makes the point that even tax collectors do that. Jesus was asking the Jews and those who would later follow him, the Christians, to do the unexpected. To love your enemy, to do good to them. To not do what was expected, but to go beyond the expected. A modern example of this comes to us from the mission field in Central Africa where Muslim and Christians are living near each other.Muslim charities only serve Muslims. So if a well is dug by a Muslim charitable organization, it’s use is only for those who follow Islam. When Christian groups go in and dig a well, anyone with a container is welcomed to use it. This makes a difference, because the Muslim sees that Christian treat all with equal respect and dignity. This is what Christ was teaching about. Do what is not expected, love your enemies and pray for them.
46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Let us go and do likewise. We have a great opportunity to reach the world with the message that God forgives and will bring you to salvation. It is because of his Son, Jesus Christ, that we have this forgiveness. He stands as our advocate at the throne of God the Father, he being crucified, dead, buried, and rose again from the dead, has paid it all…in full. As he said on the cross “it is finished” We now must tell others of this great news. We are forgiven.
Let us pray.
O FATHER of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need; Look down from heaven, we humbly beseech thee, behold, visit, and relieve these thy sick servants, for whom our prayers are desired. Look upon them with the eyes of thy mercy; comfort them with a sense of thy goodness; preserve them from the temptations of the enemy; give them patience under their affliction; and, in thy good time, restore them to health, and enable them to lead the residue of their life in thy fear, and to thy glory. Or else give them grace so to take thy visitation, that, after this painful life ended, they may dwell with thee in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Grant us, O Lord, in all our duties thy help, in all our perplexities thy counsel, in all our dangers thy protection, and in all our sorrows thy peace, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
O most merciful Father, we humbly thank thee for all thy gifts so freely bestowed upon us. For life and health and safety, for power to work and leisure to rest, for all that is beautiful in creation and in the lives of men, we praise and magnify thy holy name. But above all, we thank thee for our spiritual mercies in Christ Jesus our Lord, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. Fill our hearts with all joy and peace n believing, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Rev Stephen Cooper Church of the Redeemer Fairbanks, Alaska
We are fortunate to receive a sermon from Rev Cooper in Fairbanks Alaska. The head of our northernmost church, Stephen is a brilliant and inspiring speaker. I wish we had video of him rather than just audio; but I am confident you will enjoy this. This sermon is for last week. Please take the time to listen to it.
Sixth Sunday after Trinity:
Please click on link below to listen to:
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
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu, Tom, Craig, Jack & Dru Arnold, Jacobs USA Travel, Roberto & Bianca, Phylis, Rachel, Joshua & family, Dotty, Sue, Sandra, Madison & Hilda, Steve
Josh Morley, Jennifer, Candy, Tricia, AOC USA, AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Angie, Doug, Clark, Linda, Kathy
Prayer Needed:
Bishop Ernest and Eileen Jacobs on travel from Pakistan to Miami and then Statesville and US – June 25-July 25, 2024
Steve Ciccarelli – July 2st- Cervical fusion surgery C5-C7
James – Recovery from surgery for bleeding ulcer
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.
Brenda – long term Laryngitis – help speaking again
Danny – cancer that has spread to her brain stem with no cure and her family (The Bermans)
Praise Reports for Answered Prayer:
Steve received the go ahead for his cervical spinal fusion and thanks all for their prayers.
Bishop Ernest Jacob and wife Eileen, arrived safely in American and safely to Statesville, NC
Genie Dees – successful shoulder replacement surgery and is recovering at home, continued prayers
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