Anglican Orthodox Churchsm
Worldwide Communion
Ninth Sunday after Trinity
Sunday Report
 |
The Ninth Sunday after Trinity – July 28, 2024
Ninth 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 Ninth Sunday after Trinity
GRANT to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity. The Epistle. 1 Corinthians x. 1.
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
The Gospel for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity. The Gospel. St . Luke xv. 11.
JESUS said, A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
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 – England (left)
Points to Ponder:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. Psalm 138:7
Fear and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. Isaiah 24:17
But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. Ezekiel 33:19
No veil can hide us from God’s eye; the curtains of the evening will stand me in no more stead than the wings of the morning; even the night shall be light about me.
The Rev. Matthew Henry– 17th and 18th century English pastor and author
The more vile we are in our own eyes, the more precious Christ will be to us! John Newton
I am persuaded that love and humility are the highest attainments in the school of Christ, and the brightest evidences that He is indeed our Master. John Newton
Abominations, like nests of vipers, lie quietly in us–until the rod of affliction arouses them. Then they hiss and show their venom! This discovery is indeed very distressing; yet, until it is made, we are prone to think ourselves much less vile than we really are, and cannot so heartily abhor ourselves, and repent in dust and ashes. John Newton
Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet. – Thomas Watson
We are powerless when we are prayerless. – Thom Rainer
Pray and read, read and pray; for a little from God is better than a great deal from men.
– John Bunyan
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Ecclesiastes 9:10) This verse may seem an unlikely choice to begin a discussion on ENCOURAGEMENT, but bear with me. The etymology of the word derives from the French which means to instill courage. There are many ways to instill courage in others to keep going when hope may seem forlorn. I believe the most effective means of encouragement comes by way of personal example to others.
Bishop Hap Arnold, Anglican Bishop and aviator; from Encouragement Devotion – 9/20/2022
On Thursday mornings, and often other days, I usually stop by a quaint little coffee shop about a block from my office around 6 A.M. This coffee shop is frequented by mostly military flight students, their wives, and one old bishop. They serve excellent coffee of such exotic titles that I can only order ‘regular American coffee.’ They also serve pastries and a really fine breakfast burrito! They also play the best music of any place I have been in the past fifty years – Glen Miller, Bing Crosby, and Dean Martin selections to name a few. The name of the shop is ‘Boldly Going.’ I presumed this to be taken from that Star Trek series mentioned earlier; however, this morning, as I slowly drank my coffee and caught up with my emails, I looked around the Army Aviation memorabilia exhibited randomly on the walls. My gaze paused on a sign over the door which read, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb 4:16. I was amazed that I had not noticed that earlier. I wondered how many other profound observations I fail to make routinely. I was even more so enamored with that establishment after reading that sign than ever before.
Bishop Jerry L. Ogles, Devotion “Boldly Going” 12/1220/19
Still, we Christians ought to follow the words of the beloved apostle who once observed that, In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another… But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth (I St. John 3:10-11, 17-18).
Rev. Bryan Dabney, Vicksburg, MS
St. John’s Newsletter, Sermon, 6/11/2023
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:
Sermon 9th Sunday after Trinity
Article IX: Brief Study of Article 9 of the
39 Articles of Religon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk-vIUS83_U
Parable Series by Bishop Jerry L. Olges: The Unjust Steward
The Fishers of Men: JC Ryle; narrated by Bishop Jerry L. Ogles
PRAYER OF COLLECT for Ninth Sunday after TRINITY
GRANT to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
This Collect for the 9th Sunday after Trinity is that which expresses the “whole doctrine of grace.” The strength of the Collect was slightly reduced by the 1662 revisers in the phrase, “we cannot do any thing that is good without thee” from the original of Cranmer’s “which CANNOT BE without thee!” While it is true that we cannot do anything good without God, it is more importantly true that we cannot do anything at all without Him for, without Him, we could not exist. The Collect petitions for a grant of benefit. As is customary of all Godly prayers, nothing of personal and material benefit is sought, but only that which is pleasing to God.
It is important to bear in mind that only those things which are pleasing to God are of any benefit to us as well, in the last resort, for He loves us and pines for only the good things of His Love to be manifested through our lives and testimonies. We can only live a life pleasing to God through the efficacy of His Will and Word both for us and acting through our members. Of course, His grace is not restricted to believers only, but is also manifested in a general application to the whole world. The world is full of lost and dying souls, but God is present even in the darkest corners of our world, and His saving Light only revealed to those whose souls and spirits respond to that bright beam of the Searchlight which tops the turbulent waves of the sea and draws us nearer by faith. Faith is our spiritual eyes without which we are blind beggars, and even that faith is also a gift of God.
The grace expressed always in God’s Word is very like a great Magnet which draws the metal whose properties are of the same nature with His own by having the Law of God written in scarlet letters upon the tender tissues of the heart. The great comfort we may have in all of this promise of grace is that God knows WHERE we are and where we are GOING! He sees our small bark on the restless waves of the sea and He knows, as well as we, that we cannot brave the storms of the seas in our bark without a great Power of Help. His outstretched Arm sustains us on these seas of life, and we are without in Him danger though the sea billows roar. This is our Friend, our Father, our God, our Redeemer, and our Lord. Have you seen the Light?
One of my favorite men of God, Charles Spurgeon, describes in ingenious language the means whereby men are drawn to Christ. Remember, Christ will lose none that the Father has placed in His care. Here is Spurgeon’s quote which is antithetical to Arminianism:
“When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me. I do not think the young convert is at first aware of this. I can recall the very day and hour when first I received those truths in my own soul – when they were as John Bunyan says, burnt into my heart as with a hot iron; and I can recollect how I felt that I had grown all of a sudden from a babe into a man – that I had made progress in scriptural knowledge, through having found, once for all, the clue to the truth of God … I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make this my constant confession, I ascribe my change wholly to God.” (Autobiography: 1, The Early Years, Banner of Truth, p. 164-165)
Self-will of man is evil continually, but the will can only be made free through redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ. “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)
Sermon Notes for Ninth Sunday after Trinity based on the Epistle Lesson
ALL DID EAT THE SAME SPIRITUAL MEAT
Due to the unchanging Providence of God, His great plan of redemption, promulgated from before the foundation of the worlds, has remained consistent from Eden to our present day and beyond. All believers should be baptized into the Church as a seal of the covenant relationship they have in Christ’s Church and as a sign of their regeneration to life in Christ. Normally, we would consider baptism as a personal, individual experience in the life of a believer; however, have you considered the wholesale baptism of an entire nation?
It is precisely that baptism which occurred to the Children of Israel as they passed under the waters of the Red Sea. The entire nation was anointed and sanctified as the people of God. Were they perfect in faith? Not in the least – they failed many times but endured those forty years of wandering in the wilderness until arriving at the Banks of Jordan Waters. “And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” Notice the baptism was a national baptism under Moses, their courageous captain. The leadership of a nation is of principal importance in the eyes of God. But even Moses was not perfect. His strength was in his trust of God under every circumstance. We tend to share the leadership we deserve as a people.
I have heard it preached that there is no such thing as a Christian nation. Was Israel a Godly nation under the grace and providence of God? If there is no Christian nation, what did the Singer of Israel mean by the phrase: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12 I believe that every nation exists under the sovereignty of God, but I also believe that the United States was a nation very highly favored by God in its founding and miraculous rise as a leading nation among the powers of the earth. Its citizens were fundamentally good and faithful Christians. We have enjoyed the favor of the Lord in both peace and in war – our forces in bastle being especially blessed with success from the Revolutionary War to the World Wars. But since those days of glorious providential care, our people have turned against the God of their early founding and embraced every sinister and decadent practice imaginable under the sun. Most Americans have pacifically objected to these trends of degradation, but not strongly enough.
As our Epistle points out, “1Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.” Israel all ate of the same spiritual meat. Today, that meat has been denied our children in public schools, and a number of godless religions are emulated. We no longer drink the same spiritual drink since we have allowed the ancient enemy of our souls to dominate in many areas of our government and society. God is not pleased with many of us today, and we may fail, as did many in the Wilderness, to enjoy the freedom of ruling in our own affairs. After all, those who are incapable of ruling themselves will find rulers aplenty who are eager rule in tyranny over them.
God is not well-pleased with a people who, having known the truth of God, have turned away to the lusts of the flesh and every wicked way. We have turned to the riotous and slanderous orgies of the golden calf of Aaron. “But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2:22)
America has become a habitat for serpents – the very ones we have opened our doors and welcomed to come among us – people of diverse manners and ungodly customs, but more importantly, of religious conviction that contrast sharply with those of the biblical faith once practiced in the homes and churches of our land. When Israel sinned in murmuring against God, He sent fiery serpents among them that resulted in the death of many. Perhaps our serpents today are drugs, alcohol and sex. We stumble as drunken men who have forgotten their home in God. Certainly, we have many who are greatly concerned and struggle to restore our country to its firm foundation in God, but that re-conversion cannot occur through politics – it must come by way of the conversion of one heart at a time. When a nation is primarily righteous, it will be led by men worthy of the role. But when the balance, known only to God, has reached a critical mass of unrighteousness, even the Godly among us will suffer.
“8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” God has given us due warning. How shall we respond to that warning?
My words may be heard with discomfort and sorrow. If so, they have achieved their purpose. We need a stark awakening to the great point of national and spiritual jeopardy in which we find ourselves today. Be strong in the Lord and touch not the unclean thing. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13)
Ninth Sunday after Trinity
Sermon – Bishop Jack Arnold – Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
Consider the words from the Collect, wherein we ask God to give us … the spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will … This is kind of a follow-on to last week’s Collect. We are asking God to give us direction that we might know right from wrong and follow the right way. If we listen to our hearts and minds, like the aviator, mariner or adventurer without a compass, we will soon be hopelessly lost. With the compass God gives us, we can find the One True Way, much like the compass always points North.
The Collect acknowledges without God’s intervention through the Holy Spirit in our lives
we cannot do anything good or right. This has been true since the Garden of Eden; there the Fall shows our own very natures prevent us from doing what is right. Our nature is inclined towards being away from God. This is a very common theme in a lot of the collects because it is the truth! However, we can reset our nature to be towards God. We just need to rely on the Holy Ghost to set us straight and put us back on the course towards righteousness. We just need to ask for the Holy Ghost to enter into our
hearts and then listen to what the Holy Ghost says and act upon those words!
Paul reminds us we have a common spiritual past, regardless of our actual lineage. Spiritually, we are descended from the Jews of the Exodus. Their God is our God; God directed their actions. He was a Trinity then as He is today. We struggle with the exact same sins and temptations as they did. As the saying goes if you do not learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it. The same is true with our spiritual history. If we do not learn from our spiritual forebears then we will find ourselves repeating their same mistakes. The Holy Ghost can help us learn from their mistakes but only if we let him
into our hearts. In light of this thought, we need to recognize that those who have gone before provide
numerous examples, both good and bad. We should aspire to follow the good examples of those who have gone before and not follow the bad examples that they have left behind. People too often point out the bad examples of our ancestors and not the good examples. In order to become better human beings we need to learn from both examples, good and bad. We will never grow spiritually if we only learn from one set of examples and not the other. We need to learn from both in order to become better
human beings and followers of Christ.
In this letter Paul addresses the bad and suggests we should see what their ill behavior gained them before we set our course and not after. This matches with our earlier discussion about recognizing both good and bad examples and learning from both kinds. He points out their examples both good and bad are for our learning and we can benefit from them if we take the time to study them. We will always be learning for the rest of our lives, no matter what profession we belong to, there will always be some form of continuing education.
Paul is telling us we are in a way to embrace the Japanese concept of kai-zen or continuous development. Just as pilots need to keep learning to become better and more proficient pilots, good Christians need to always be learning to become better and kinder human beings. We should not strive to emulate the murmurings of the people, though we may feel that way sometimes, as we can learn from their bad examples. We must see their bad examples and do not emulate those; on the other side, we must see the good examples, and strive to emulate them.
Speaking of lessons, when Saint Luke recounts the story of the prodigal son we oft think
ourselves as that prodigal one returning to God so late in life. Yet there is far more to be learned than the titular son.
The older son has resentment to the younger son for coming back after having wasted his money and is not willing to forgive him. However the Father is more than willing to forgive. This parable illustrates that we should not hold grudges against those in the world that repent and join Christ’s flock, but rather that we should welcome them into the church with open arms, as God does when we return to him. We find ourselves very tempted to hold a grduge against those in the world that repent and join Christ’s flock, but holding a grudge serves no good purpose other than to harm our spiritual health and
hurt those who are returning to Christ’s flock. We need to let go of the grudge and rejoice in the fact that those who were once lost have been found and returned to the flock.
This story, like that of the workers in the vineyard has a number of meanings. Like the father in the story, God wants us to be His faithful child, but rejoices when we return to Him. He is a loving and patient Father, but will not accept our sinful behavior. Yet, if we repent of that behavior, He will always welcome us back with open arms. We should always do our best to recognize when we have erred and strayed from our ways like lost sheep. Like the prodigal son, we should be grateful to live long enough to return to Him.
The moral of the younger son’s story is that God is always waiting for us, and if we are not too late, we can always return to Him. If you find yourself needing to return, it is preferable to make that decision today rather than tomorrow as tomorrow may not come. He will always accept us with open arms, but we must make sure it is not too late. Don’t wait until you die! If you feel you have erred and strayed, repent now! Do not put off until tomorrow your repentance. If you are led by the Holy Spirit to repent, please do it today, you may not live to see tomorrow. Do not let the sun go down on your sins and wrath, you may not live to see another day!
There is another lesson to be learned, this time from the the oldest son. Let us not repeat his mistake and be joyful when our brothers and sisters come home to our family. Let us put aside the anger and jealousy and replace those hurtful emotions with the emotions of pure love and joy! This can be a particular hard lesson to learn but it is one that must be learned all the same. Let us join in the celebration and not begrudge the fatted calf. We should not be jealous or angry when our long lost brethren return to the flock of Christ! We should be merry and joyful they have returned to us! Do not let your pride become anger and cloud your emotions like it does so many of us. But, rather see a sinner coming back into His flock and rejoice in he is no longer headed towards The Pit!
Action counts. For by their actions ye shall know them. Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail. The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit. The time is now, not tomorrow. The time has come, indeed. How will you ACT? It is by our actions we are known.
Be of God – Live of God – Act of God
Yves M. Méra
Presiding Bishop – AOC France Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
We are fortunate to have a sermon from the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Orthodox Church of France and the Administrative Coordinator of Europe and Africa. As you will read, he is an excellent writer. The sermon is easy to read and provides much insight.
SERMON for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity –
1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 15:11-32
THE PRODIGAL SON AND TEMPTATION
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
The parable of the Prodigal Son presents three main characters: the Father, the eldest son, and the youngest. The parallel between the Father in the parable and our heavenly Father is obvious: everything belongs to Him, He does what He wants with His possessions, and above all He is good – divinely good. He forgives profusely, and seems to think more of his youngest son than of the eldest son.
Disinheriting the elder in favor of the second is an attitude that is not new on the part of the God of the Bible (Genesis 27:30-40): “And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: 28Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee. And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.” All this, after Esau sold his birthright to his little brother for a dish of lentils (Genesis 25:31-34): “And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.” It was voluntarily that Esau gave up his birthright to his little brother Jacob-Israel. So there is no injustice on the part of their father Isaac, nor on the part of our Heavenly Father.
David was also the youngest of a large family, since it was made up of 8 sons of Jesse, not including daughters (1 Samuel 16:10-13): “Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.” This time, the choice of the youngest comes directly from God, and this choice is accompanied by remarkable blessings that distinguish David from all others.
Let us not neglect the blessings that the Lord bestows upon us with our election, for we are the Father’s lastborn people, whereas the Jewish people are the firstborn. And the chosen people having turned away from God to worship monstrous idols – true abominations according to God’s Word – God stripped them of their birthright and blessed the youngest: the Christian people, His Church, whom He cherishes as His bride.
But the fact that we are the youngest, the favorite and blessed of God does not make us supermen in the manner of Nietzsche. We are not exempt from various temptations. And we sometimes fall into sin, not to say often. Thus, the prodigal son asked for his share of the inheritance in order to leave his father and no longer have to obey him. He wanted to do as he pleased. It was a bad thing for him, since he yielded to the temptation of ease and laziness, of luxury and idleness. He found himself alone, poor, abandoned by everyone and even by God who had taken him at his word, to test him, and then to subdue him by the means of repentance. Finally, the little playboy, the partygoer, becomes disillusioned and returns to his father, contrite and eventually submissive (Luke 15:18-19): “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.”
And then it is the father’s turn to celebrate for his son who had once gone away from him and returned (Luke 15:23-24): “And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”
Need we specify that the sacrifice of the fattened calf prefigures that of Christ on the cross? Is it necessary to repeat again that it is by this sacrifice that we are saved, if we believe and repent of every sin by asking God’s forgiveness? We are all prodigal sons and daughters, and we must constantly return to our Heavenly Father in repentance and contrition. What people may say doesn’t matter! Like the prodigal Son, we were spiritually dead, and we were born again by the faith that the Holy Spirit put in our hearts. The judgment of others does not affect us; What will it weigh in the Last Judgment, and compared to how our Heavenly Father sees us? The world can be angry with us, but it cannot snatch us from the hand of the Father (Luke 15:28a): “The eldest son was angry and would not go in.” In fact, like Esau, the eldest son renounces his birthright, in favor of the newly repented and definitively converted prodigal son (Luke 15:7): “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
Just imagine what the joy of the Eternal Father will be when in the end the Jews are converted to Christ… For now, they are mostly unbelieving and rejecting Christ and His work of redemption (Romans 10:19-21): “But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” But God will convert them in the last place, as He brought the prodigal son back to his father (Romans 11:23-27): “And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”
Imagine the scene! The youngest – the prodigal son – in charge of welcoming his elder brother into the heavenly paradise! For the time being, the Jews refuse to enter it, but they will eventually come, because God’s Covenant with Abraham is a perpetual covenant (Genesis 17:7): “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.” Our Lord Jesus Christ says the same thing in His parable: (Luke 15:31): “And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.” If the father rejoices and holds the feast for the prodigal son because he has returned to his father, he does not reject his eldest son entirely, for the chosen people in Abraham will eventually come to Christ, at the very end of this world’s history. His presence on earth, even if rebellious, gives us at least this advantage: no one can claim that the Old Testament is a forgery written by Christians to justify and confirm the gospel of Christ, as long as Israelites are there to attest to the ancient origin and authenticity of the prophecies announcing Christ and his work of redeeming the lost. Without the Old Testament, there would be no Messiah.
Writing to the Corinthians, Paul re-establishes the link between Christ and his chosen people (1 Corinthians 10:1-4): “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” But, like the prodigal son, they have distanced themselves from it to live in spiritual (the golden calf) and material debauchery (1 Corinthians 10:7): “Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” They yielded to the temptation of the devil (verse 6): “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.” Like the prodigal son and like each one of us, they were tempted, and many of them fell and died (verses 8-10): “Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.” Paul defines sin as a provocation against Christ, even among Jews who do not believe in Him. Indeed, no one can escape God. He created everything, sees everything, knows everything, directs everything, and in the end, we will see His glory.
Moreover, (1 Corinthians 10:13): “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” We have no excuses! If we pray fervently to Jesus Christ, the devil will get out of our way and the temptation will go away with him. Jesus was tempted in the desert by the Tempter himself, but He drew strength from the Word of God to resist, and Satan renounced dominion over Him (Matthew 4:10-11): “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” We have been given the power not only to endure temptation, but also the power to put an end to it, through prayer (Matthew 6:13): “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Delivering us from evil or from the evil one – Satan – is equivalent, for it is the same Greek word which means both things.
We need to understand three things:
- God tempts no one. He delivers us to Satan if, like the prodigal son, we deviate from His way and His holy will: then God takes us at our word.
- Resisting temptation is not within our human capacities. If we do not call on Jesus Christ, we will fall, and this is inevitable; let us therefore be humble enough to entrust ourselves to our Lord Christ, in prayer.
- Resisting temptation is to resist a person: Satan, or one of his evil angels. The spiritual life is a battle against these God-rebellious creatures, which can only be won by Christ Himself. All the more reason to call on him to help us, when we are in temptation.
Thus armed, and knowing God’s strategy on the one hand, and Satan’s stratagems on the other, we will not be afraid. Rather, we will recognize our weakness and our craving for the Holy Spirit within us with His divine power to repel the Tempter, praying to our Heavenly Father to deliver us from temptation, evil, and the Evil One, in the name of Jesus Christ and to the glory of the Holy Trinity. Amen.
Rt. Rev. Yves Méra, AOC Bishop of France.
Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi – Sunday Sermon
We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.
Ninth Sunday after Trinity
When we examine Ezekiel 14:1-11, we find the familiar theme of idolatry. God despises idols and idol worship because it opens the door to the evil one. And Satan will lead all who engage in such behavior away from their worship of the Almighty and into the worship of anything else. While we will briefly touch on the topic of idolatry, our primary focus will be on those whom God has labeled as false prophets and false teachers both then and now because they are the mortal portion of the forces behind idolatry (See I Corinthians 10:19-22; and I St. John 4:1-6).
Chapter 14 of Ezekiel opened with a group of Israelite elders who had come to the prophet seeking the LORD’s advice (v.1). The prophet then said, And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them (vv.2-3)? Therefore speak unto them, and say… Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols (vv.4-5).
To begin with, God questioned the prophet on whether he should even answer those men on account of their deceitfulness. He then described their idolatry as being a stumblingblock. That word is derived from the Hebrew word mikshowl and can denote an offense, an incitement to go astray, or a cause of failing or falling. God’s message here is that the sin of idolatry makes plain the worshiper’s state of being with God. Ergo, he cannot realize the love of God, or enjoy his benefits as he has chosen to worship and serve that which is false. For in that error, the idolater has fallen away from the true faith. And yet here they came to enquire of the LORD concerning a particular matter. We call that being “twofaced” down here in the South, as it refers to someone who tells you one thing but will do another. A “two-faced” person cannot be trusted. Our Lord said, No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (St. Matthew 6:24). For the duplicitous, it is a matter of who can do them the most good at that moment. It might be termed “religious opportunism” as the person so moved is simply looking for “a better deal” or arrangement.
These men had come to the prophet Ezekiel thinking he would not know their hearts. In the ordinary scope of things, the prophet would not have possessed such knowledge. But the LORD gave him that insight as part of his message to those men wherein he stated plainly, Every man… that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to
the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols (vv.4-5).
Those that worship idols and then come to God’s prophets for his counsel will be counseled, according to the multitude of his idols. Matthew Henry noted that, “the counsel… given them [was] for the preventing of this fearful doom.” God was doing them a favor by advising them to come clean and remove their idols from their heart. He called on them to, Repent, and turn yourselves from your
idols; and turn away… from all your abominations (v.6). And this applied to not only the house of Israel, but to the stranger that sojourneth among them (v.7). As with every warning, there was a consequence— a judgment that God would carry out if his will was not obeyed— which the prophet proclaimed: And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD (v.8). God will be against any person who will not be obedient to his word and commandment, and will also make him an example in word as well as remove him from among those who are his own. God’s omniscience permits him to know the secret things of men’s hearts. Even as those men thought that they might deceive the prophet, they could not deceive him who is above deception.
But what if they had gone to a false prophet? God had an answer for that as well: And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him (vv.9-10). Notice that it did not matter whether the prophet was of God or a false prophet; if they possessed a heart for idolatry and persisted in seeking a “word” from the LORD even by means of the fraudulent, the punishment would be the same.
In our world today, there are a sizable number of false prophets and false teachers. Some travel about like the snake oil salesmen of old, while others broadcast their nefarious doctrines on various networks both over the airwaves or on cable. Most have written volumes on their questionable doctrines which they sell at their pay-for-view gatherings, as well as on the internet.
Every born-again soul knows that God’s word written contains all that is necessary for salvation and for living the Christian life. My question is, “Why reinvent the wheel when you don’t have to?” Our heavenly Father offers every person the opportunity to know of him, and what he desires from each of us. The Bible tells us about those things that God regards as good and acceptable as well
as those things which he regards as sinful and abominable. All that is required of us is that we read and heed his prescriptions for life. Reading the works of men or women who are commenting on Scripture is secondary at best and at their worst, useless.
The false prophets of Ezekiel’s day were notorious for telling the people what they wanted to hear. Their modern-day counterparts are no different. The apostle Peter tells us in his second epistle that there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. Through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you… (2:1-3). He also noted that false teachers would bring in damnable heresies, even denying the
Lord that bought them. Think for a moment about the various false teachers in today’s world. What about all those “faith healers” who actually heal no one; or the “name-it-and-claim-it” pastors who say if God does not give you what you asked for, then you really do not have enough faith in him? And what about their demands for your hard-earned money as if you could buy a blessing?
Absolutely not! You cannot purchase any blessing or gift from our Lord. And on that account, there is no membership fee to join the Body of Christ. If these so-called healers and evangelists were true to the faith, they would not sell their gifts. Did St. Paul charge for his ministry? Did St. Peter or the other apostles do so as well? They gave what they had freely. It is one thing to ask for offerings or donations; but to scoop up bucket-loads of money from those who are the least able to contribute, and then lie to them about their condition is twisted and evil. St. Peter reminded the faithful concerning such persons that The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: but chiefly them that walk after the flesh… Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities (II St. Peter 2:9-10).
God will one day deal with all who have twisted his word for their gain at the expense of his sheep. We would do well to remember his words to Ezekiel and admonish those around us to avoid the smooth and soothing words of those who would make merchandise of you for their gain in this life but who will forfeit eternal life in God’s coming kingdom.
Let us pray,
Father, as you have communicated to the prophets of old, and to the apostles after them, so fill us with thy most holy Spirit; that in all things we will seek to properly discern the truths of Scripture and avoid the snares of the world, the flesh and the Devil; for these things we ask in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a blessed week,
Bryan+
The Rev. Don Fultz
Rector of St. Peter’s AOC
located in the AOC National Office
We are grateful to have this sermon of Parable of the Prodigal Son, today from Rev. Don Fultz from St. Peter’s AOC, Statesville, NC.
Ninth Sunday after Trinity
This morning’s gospel is another parable spoken by Jesus and recorded by St. Luke. It is commonly referred to as the parable of the Prodigal son. It is considered the crown Jewell of all of Jesus’s parables.
There are 14 parables found in the gospel of Luke. The first seven are parables of divine mercy. In chapter 15, Jesus tells the last three parables of that set in response to the criticisms of the Pharisees and Scribes for Jesus association with “Publicans and sinners”. These Jewish leaders only believed that Jews had the privilege of repenting their sins and being pardoned, although the prophets preached repentance to all nations. They looked down on all sinners especially lost heathen and didn’t understand why Jesus was associating with them or calling them to repentance.
We are told the parables were spoken to a mix crowd, publicans, sinners, Pharisees and Scribes In v. 15, 1-2 and that the “Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying. This man receiveth sinners and eatheth with them.” Luke begins the 1st part of chapter 15 with the parable of the lost sheep, followed by the parable of the lost coin. Then he finishes the chapter with the Parable of the Prodigal Son. All three are similar in that they show God’s great mercy and love towards lost sinners. It also shows God’s unconditional love, forgiveness and pardon when a lost soul repents.
In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the story focuses on three persons, the Father, a younger son and an older son. The parable could be rightly called the parable of the loving Father. As it reveals more about the love of the father than the sinfulness of the younger son. Also the word father is mentioned 12 times in the parable.
We are told in the parable that the younger son no longer wanted to be under the authority of his father so he went to him and demanded his share of Inheritance. This was quite an insult to the father as Jewish tradition like today is that inheritance would only be given out only upon death.
Under the laws of Moses, according to Deut. 21:17 the older son would receive a double portion. Since there were two sons, the younger son would receive 1/3 and the older son 2/3 of the father’s estate. The father grants the younger son’s request and we are told that he took all (must have sold sheep, cattle, etc.) and converted it into cash, (silver, gold, etc.) and went to a far distant country. Once, there, we are told he lived a lavish and extravagant life and wasted all of his inheritance with riotous living. Then there came upon the area a great famine, and he began to want. We are told that in desperation, the young son joined himself to a citizen in that country and took a job feeding swine. This was the lowest degrading level for a person especially any Jew, for swine were considered unclean. (Lev. 11:7-8). Any one feeding them or touching them was considered to be under a curse.
The younger son was so hungry, he even considered eating the husks that the swine were fed. Finally, we are told that “he came to himself “ in v. 17 and thought about the hired servants of his father and all of the bread they had to eat with spare bread left and here he was perishing with hunger. This is the first step in repentance to recognize a need. So we are told the younger son said that he would arise and go to his father and tell him “I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me one of thy hired servants. “ This is the second step of repentance which is confession. We too must confess our sins to God. 1 John 1:9 tells us “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
So we are told the younger son arose and went back to his father. But before when he was still a great way off, his father ran towards him , had compassion on him and met him with open arms and kissed him on the neck. The son repented by saying “father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son”
The father responded by telling his servants to bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. The robe was a symbol that his position as son had been restored. It was an immediate demonstration of complete approval, love and mercy as well as protection. The Father was saying to his son and to all those around him that his son was totally forgiven in his sight and his sins would not be held against him.
There is a way of forgiving when forgiveness is conferred as a favor; and worse, when someone is forgiven, but always by hint and by word and by threat his sin is held over him. Once President Abraham Lincoln was asked how he was going to treat the rebellious southerners when they had finally been defeated and had returned to the Union of the United States. The questioner expected that Lincoln would take a dire vengeance, but instead he answered, “I will treat them as if they had never been away.” It is by the grace and love of God toward us that God treats us the same way. When we confess and repent our sins before God, they are totally forgiven….the slate is wiped clean…it is like they never happened and we had never been away from his grace.
When we confess and repent our sins and become a child of God, He also clothes us with a robe. When we come into the arms of the heavenly Father, He clothes us with a robe of righteousness. Job 29:14 tells us “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My Judgement was like a robe and a diadem.”
The prophet Isaiah tells us in chapter 61, verse 10: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”
The ring was a mark of honor, confidence and distinction. It was also a symbol of being placed in authority; among the rich it was a sign of wealth and dignity. Pharaoh removed his signet ring and put it on Joseph’s hand when installing him into office in Egypt (Gen 41:42).
In the book of Esther, the king took his ring off, the royal signet and gave it to Mordecai (Esth. 8:2). Thus transferring to them all power and authority to sign any legal documents, one as Governor and the other as Prime Minister.
The shoes are a sign of liberty and freedom and restoring the son back into his family. Slaves and servants did not wear shoes. In ancient times, the first thing taken from prisoners captured on the battlefield was their shoes to prevent their escape.
Also the father told his servants to “bring the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry; for my son was dead, and is alive again.” “And they began to be merry”. The father further exemplies the heart of God when he shows rejoicing over his repentive son. Jesus tells us in Luke 15:7 “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
The older son was in the field, and as he approached the house and heard all of the music and dancing, he called his servant and asked what all this meant. The servant told the elder son, that his younger brother had come home and his father had killed the fatted calf as he had received him safe and sound. The elder brother was angry and didn’t go in. Therefore, his father came out, and in-treated him.
And the elder son answering said to his father, “Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment; and yet thou never gravest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends; but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.” And the father said into him, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.”
This parable lends itself to different interpretations and viewpoints. Like all of Jesus’s parables, it has a symbolic meaning. Who is the Father and who are the two sons?
According to JC Ryle, in his expository thoughts on Luke 15, 11-24, He says the following: “It is common to regard the “father” in this parable as the type of God the Father; and the sons, as types of Gentiles and Jews. He says he agrees with the view of the Father as a representation of God in the parable. However, he disagrees about the representation of the sons. He says the younger son was meant to be a type of all unconverted sinners not just Gentiles, and that his return to his father’s house was an emblem of true repentance. He also believes that the father’s kind reception of his son was meant to represent the Lord Jesus Christ’s kindness and love toward lost sinners who come to him and the free and full pardon which he bestows on them. He believes the elder son was meant to be a type of all narrow minded self-righteous people in every age of the Church, and especially of the Scribes and Pharisees who “murmured” at our Lord for receiving sinners. “
This parable is in fact a warning to the Jews. We can see this vividly portrayed in the image of the parable. There we see the Father showing love and forgiveness towards the repentant son, who lies at His feet, begging forgiveness.
The elder son, however, is angry, full of bitterness and jealousy towards his younger sibling. Who does this sound like…yes the self-righteous Pharisees and Scribes.
Perhaps we relate better and feel some sympathy with the older son. After all, he never wasted his substance, he did remain loyal to the Father. The problem is that the elder son’s service was a form of slavery, he did not stay with the Father out of love, but out of self-interest, in expectation of a reward. This was not love freely given, but an obligation fulfilled in the hope of the payment of the hireling. `
We can compare this with the attitude of the Father. He instantly forgives all that the younger son has done and says: ‘Let us make merry’. The attitude of the Father is not gloom, but joy. The elder son, on the other hand, is full of gloom and cannot bring himself to be joyful or express love, because he has no love for his brother. He even refuses to claim the younger son as his brother instead calling him , “your son”. The Father says: “All that I have is thine”, and shares everything. The elder son wishes to share nothing, for he is locked up in pride and self-love. Indeed , the elder son does not want to share in all that the Father has. Yes, he wants to share in His wealth and His property, but he does not want to share in what the Father has above all else – in His merciful compassion and love.
Thus we are reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul that though we may have all good qualities, but if we do not have love, then we are nothing. In this way, this parable has a meaning for all of us. In Ephesians 5:1-2, Paul says “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour”.
We may have great wealth, but if we have no love, then all our wealth is worthless and our lives, like the lives of so many very wealthy people, are futile and purposeless.
Where there is no love, there is only the emptiness of futile vanity and the gloom of selfish pride.
Therefore, let us too make merry, for Christ the King of Love makes joy even out of the most difficult problems and all we prodigals are able to return at any moment to the Father and be embraced by His love.
Rejoice, God is with us!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
Rev Stephen Cooper Church of the Redeemer Fairbanks, Alaska
Ninth Sunday after Trinity
We are very grateful when we can get the sermons recorded by Rev. Stephen Cooper during his church service. They are sent to Bishop Ogles to format the audio for publication. Thank you, Bishop Ogles. The sermon today is most important and well worth the investment of time!
“And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” (Luke 15: 23-24)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juE9Qk-OZjQ
AOC Worldwide Prayer List –
I have received updates from a few and those will be the first added to the list. Please send all prayer requests and updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for future reports. If you would like to be removed from list just respond with remove in the subject line.
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu, Tom, Craig, Jack & Dru Arnold, Jacobs USA Travel, Roberto & Bianca, Phylis, Dotty, Sue, Sandra, Madison & Hilda, Steve
Josh Morley, Jennifer, AOC USA, AOC Missions, Zach, Jess, Luke, Jacquie, Harper, Genie
Prayer Needed:
Linda – 20 Years with Multiple Myeloma, in remission for sometime,
Her numbers are increasing and they have to increase the new chemo that causes hard side effects- pray the increase decreases the numbers and she can stay in remission again.
Genie needs prayer for ankle open wound for 2 years. She has an appointment with Duke University vein clinic July 29th 4th doctor appt.
James – Recovery from surgery for bleeding ulcer
Camella and Noel – for comfort in loss and safe travels
The Berman Family for loss of their daughter/sister Danni.
Steve Ciccarelli – Recovery from Cervical Fusion Surgery
Extended Issues need continued prayer;
Laurie with long Covid Symptoms – Extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations, breathing problems and unstable blood pressures are constant worries causing depression to settle in.
Brenda – long term Laryngitis – help speaking again
Praise Reports for Answered Prayer:
