AOC Sunday Report - Septuagesima Sunday

  

Happy Septuagesima Sunday!

The AOC Sunday Report can be downloaded RIGHT HERE!

There are truly excellent sermons today from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan.  It is interesting that Jerry and Jack address the scripture from the propers and Roy and Bryan address the scripture from the morning prayer lectionary, with some overlap.  I am confident that you will enjoy each of them.   They are quite different, perhaps because I heard it in person, I got the most out of Jack's.  But, each of them is really excellent.  Please read them all.

There are always a lot of people craving your prayer.  Think how you would feel in their place. Please take a little time and pray in particular for Shamu, Armando, Howard, as well as Rev Jack Andrews, his family and the people of Fiji, then work out from there.  Please pray also with Covid harming people and the governments destroying the economy that they be guided into appropriate reaction and scientists find cures and vaccines and that the virus pass each of us by.

There is an EPIC week ahead, please accept God's Guidance in the form of the Holy Ghost that you might find and enjoy it.

Godspeed,

Hap

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

United States of America 

Septuagesima Sunday

 

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion, Descanso, California

Today’s sermon ties together the propers, that is to say the prayer and readings for this week. Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness …

 

In the Collect, we ask God who knows we should be “…justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour …”  To get into heaven we need to be accounted as perfect.  Yet, we cannot be “cured” of sin nor “improved” to perfection. So how do we solve this irregularity? We know we ourselves cannot solve our dilemma.  Who can?  There is a solution for us!  Consider the words of John Newton[1] near the end of his life, “Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior!” The answer lies in the latter part of Newton’s quote. Jesus is the answer to this great dilemma. Our sins would be justly punished by eternal damnation, yet there is hope in our Lord. He brought us this hope by His Death upon the Cross and delivered it in the Resurrection. Without His Sacrifice one time for all mankind, there would be no hope for our eternal future. But Jesus is our hope for that eternal future. We just have to do our best to follow His commandments and to stay the course He has set for our lives.

 

What Paul speaks of in his Epistle is the great reward we receive for holding steady to that course which God has set for us. For eternal salvation is the delivery promised to each of us by Jesus. This is the great hope we can cling to whenever things on Earth look gloomy and this is the great reward for the race we run daily here on Earth. When things get hard here, we must always remember the Hope we have in Jesus and the reward we gain when we compete the race that is set before us. God does not promise us an easy life here on Earth, there will be many trials and tribulations set before us. But the reward in the end will make undergoing all the trials and tribulations worth it.

 

Make no mistake, like a marathon, this run requires frequent training in the Scriptures and acting upon the concepts in Scriptures. And like marathon runners, we receive a wonderful prize.  However, it is a prize that has value beyond anything on Earth. The prize is for the promise of an eternal, unending life, to be spent with our Lord and Savior Jesus. It is for the promise of a world unaffected by the tarnish of sin, unblackened by the sinful deeds of imperfect beings. It is an unshadowed world.  It shall be true happiness at last, to meet with our beloved family, our Christian heavenly family, friends and beloved pets. 

 

Eternal salvation is a far more priceless treasure than anything we could acquire on Earth, truly priceless except for the death of our Saviour and resurrection. That is the only price involved with our eternal freedom.  As the saying goes, there is no free lunch. Eternal life does not come to us without cost. The cost was Jesus’ one time sacrifice for all time for all mankind. Keep the eyes on the prize, as it were!  And realize that prize does not come free. We have to run the race set before us and follow Jesus in order to receive our prize of eternal life. We have to be constantly focusing on this fact. 

 

When times get really hard, and it is tempting to give up sometimes; that is when we must redouble our efforts and focus our end goal, remaining on the path towards Heaven.  In order to stay focused on the path, we must always remember the end, the arrival in Heaven will outweigh all of the sacrifices, blood, sweat and tears we shed in this life. If we but stay the course, our time after this will be unfathomably wonderful.

 

Our eyes should be focused on the finish line, not our “competition.”  The only thing which counts is we each cross the finish line.  It does not matter who our competition is, as we are not competing with anyone for our destination. We have only to concern ourselves with God’s will and focusing on getting ourselves towards the right destination.  For only you have an input in which area you will go. Not the final input, but an input nonetheless. 

 

So how do we run the race?  

 

With our eyes focused tightly on the finish line, not on those around us, wondering are they doing ‘better’ than we are?  That is not a useful question.  Christianity is not about competition, about being other people to the finish line. In fact, it is about helping others around us to the finish line to the best of our abilities, if they are willing to let us help them.  

 

The useful question is, “Am I doing the best I can?”  We have to answer that question; if we are not doing our best, then we need to change it.  Think of how we can do our best and then set our course to do that. And, we must remember this is a Team Effort. We have to want to win, and in order to win the race set before us; we have to perform actions. Action must first start with our neighbors and work our way outward. We cannot affect the whole world, but if we each work together on our part of the world and work for their, we can change the world. However, it must be a team effort, we cannot all do it alone.  Each person in God’s Army has a specific talent and task for them to complete their assigned mission here on Earth. We need support along the way, especially when things get tough, we need our Christian buddies to give us moral support and encouragement from the Word.   We want the Christian Team to win.  We need to give each team member all the help we can. And we need to be welcoming to each outsider who join the team, and treat them like the lifelong members of the Team. So, with that in mind, we must DO our best and not just say it, and we do that by acting upon the Word, not just reading it, but acting.

 

We are all so far from perfect that Holier than Thou is pretty damning praise.  Don’t even go there.  The best you can really do is not to be as evil as another, even that is pretty doubtful.  But, we can do our best for our Lord; that is what really matters.

 

The Gospel for today, the very important parable of the vineyard, also gives us very good advice on the conduct of our daily lives and contains a crucial key to happiness.  There is the lesson that the deathbed conversion gains the same prize of eternal life as the lifelong follower, but there is a lot more in it for everyday life.  A person who comes to Christ late in life receives the same eternal benefits as a person who followed Christ from the age of reason.

 

It is a fine lesson in “buyer’s remorse” or coveting of jobs or similar concepts.  If you got a good deal, it does not change because someone else got a “better” deal.  Take what you got, go forth and be happy.  Don’t complain because somebody else got the same deal as you did sooner. One meaning of this parable is that “cradle” Christians are no more likely to go to heaven than this morning’s convert.  They just get to enjoy the Christian experience longer. However, you should not wait until the last minute to join the gang, your time here might end before you get around to it.   So, don’t wait until tomorrow to act, do it today while you still have time!

 

Sometimes people act like being a Christian is an unpleasant experience that they will do when they get a round TUIT.  It is not.  Christians aren’t perfect, they just have more fun being imperfect and imperfectly trying to improve!

 

Christ gave us eternal life.  But, we have to accept it.  Once you accept it, start living as if you will live forever.  You will; and you will have to live with your actions forever!  So, Act early and Act often! 

 

There is but one way to heaven.

 

That easy to find, easy to follow, easy to hike downhill path does not lead to the summit where eternal life in the real world awaits.  Open your heart to the Holy Ghost, use His Power to follow our Lord to God who awaits in heaven.

 

Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail.  The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.

 

The time is now, not tomorrow.  The time has come, indeed.  How will you ACT?

 

It is by our actions we are known.

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

---

[1] John Newton; 4 August 1725 – 21 December 1807) was an English Anglican cleric, a captain of slave ships who later became an abolitionist, and an investor of trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy for a period after forced recruitment.

 

Newton went to sea at a young age and worked on slave ships in the slave trade for several years. In 1745, he himself became a slave of Princess Peye, a woman of the Sherbro people. He was rescued, returned to sea and the trade, becoming Captain of several slave ships. After retiring from active sea-faring, he continued to invest in the slave trade. Some years after experiencing a conversion to Christianity, Newton later renounced his trade and became a prominent supporter of abolitionism. Now an evangelical, he was ordained as a Church of England cleric and served as parish priest at Olney, Buckinghamshire, for two decades. He also wrote hymns, the most well known beng "Amazing Grace"

Sermon Notes - Septuagesima - 31 January 2021, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord) - St. Andrews Anglican Church

 

The Sunday called Septuagesima, or the

third Sunday before Lent.

 

The Collect.

 

O

 LORD, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

 

F

OR the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. ² And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. ⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? ⁷ They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. ⁸ So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. ⁹ And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. ¹⁰ But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. ¹¹ And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, ¹²  Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. ¹³ But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? ¹⁴ Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. ¹⁵  Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? ¹⁶ So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.  (Matthew 20)

 

            There are three points brought out in this text:

 

1.     God is Just (in paying that which is agreed).

 

2.     God is generous (in giving more than the labors required – that which is right).

 

3.     God is sovereign (Man cannot bargain against the will of God)

 

Christ, being both the beginning and the end, has sole right to decide the reward of those who follow Him.

 

This parable has direct relevance to the preceding event in Matthew 19 - ¹⁶ And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? ¹⁷ And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. ¹⁸ He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, ¹⁹ Honour thy father and thymother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ²⁰ The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? ²¹ Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.²² But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 

 

            The Apostles did not understand this treatment of the rich young man. Jesus carefully explained that they would inherit eternal life, but He also closed the previous chapter with the words: 19:30  But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

 

            There are a number of parallels to be drawn from other contextual references of the Bible to this principle of first/last, last/first.

 

Luke 15 – Parable of the prodigal son. 

 

And he said, A certain man had two sons: ¹² 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. 

 

The younger son (representing the gentiles) took his belongings and left the father and older brother and went into a far country where, after a time of carousing and living in finery, he lost all and was feeding the pigs. 

 

After a time, he came to his senses and resolved to return to his father as a hired servant, but the father only lavished the boy with gifts and love and called him his son.

 

            The older (representing the Jews) was of a sad and fallen countenance. 

 

²⁵ Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. ²⁶ And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. ²⁷ 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. ²⁸ And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. ²⁹ 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: ³⁰ But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. ³¹ And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. ³² 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.

 

            These, and many others we will not relate at this moment, serve to remind us that the Kingdom of Heaven is not organized along the lines of labor unions, or Corporate Human Relations policies.

 

            It tells us, first of all, that the gift of eternal life is not dependent on years of service or some principle of seniority.

 

            Once accepted by Christ, we are accepted wholly and in full.

 

            My wife used to remind me that some churches and Christians are like the chickens in the chicken coop – the moment a baby chicken finds an insect and tries to eat it, one of the older chickens rushes over and pecks the young chicken on the head so that he is unable to eat.

 

            Someone new comes into the church with some excellent talent the Lord has given them, and oftentimes, the older members do all in their power to prevent that new person from sharing that talent the Lord has given.

 

            That is a part of the meaning of the parable we study today of the Husbandman and the laborers.

 

            The Husbandman is Christ – the laborers are those called to follow Christ.

 

            Listen to the explanation given by Bishop RC Trench, in his Notes on the Parables and Dean of Westminster Cathedral:

 

But for all this the question, "What shall we have?" was not a right one; it put their relation to their Lord on a wrong footing. There was a tendency in it to bring their obedience to a calculation of—so much work, so much reward. There lurked, too, a certain self-complacency in it. In this parable the Apostles are taught that, however long-continued their work, abundant their labours, yet without charity to their brethren, and humility before God, they are nothing; that pride and a self-complacent estimate of their work, like the fly in the precious ointment, would spoil the work, however great it might be, since that work stands only in humility, and from first they would fall to last. The lesson taught to Peter, and through him to us all, is that the first may be altogether last; that those who stand foremost as chief in labour, yet if they forget that the reward is of grace and not of works, and begin to boast and exalt themselves above their fellow-labourers, may altogether lose the things which they have wrought; while those who seem last may yet, by keeping their humility, be acknowledged first and foremost in the day of God.

 

Another point of this parable is related to the first we have made above.  

 

            The Hebrew people of Israel had been blessed with the favor of God in being an example and forerunner of the people of God.  They had come to believe that God dealt only with them in goodness and blessing and no one else. 

 

            They considered that if God were to welcome the Gentiles into His plan of Salvation, that they must be less blessed than the Jews. 

 

¹ For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. ² And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

  

           Therefore, the Jews are represented by the workers who were hired at the early hour of the morning.

  

           The husbandman had offered them one penny (or denarius) a day for their labor. This was the customary daily wage for a laborer at the time of Christ.

 

            Other laborers were hired at the noonday hour, and finally others during the last hour of the harvest.

 

 

³ And he went out about the third hour (9:00 AM), and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. ⁵ Again he went out about the sixth(12 noon) and ninth hour(3:00 PM), and did likewise. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour(5 PM) he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? ⁷ They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

 

The Jews believed they should receive preference above others who were called latter into the Kingdom, but that is not the way the Lord Jesus works.

 

            When He healed the diseased, restored sight to the blind, healed leprosy, restored life to the dead …..He always healed COMPLETELY. Those who were healed were healed completely! He also treated the most serious disease first – SIN!

 

            Example: Matthew 9: ² And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. ³ And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. ⁴ And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? ⁵ For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? ⁶ But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. ⁷ And he arose, and departed to his house.

 

            Christ is generous to the gentile and Jew alike. No one can claim preference in the eyes of God due to the time of their salvation.

 

            Our reward shall be the Words uttered on that day when we come face-to-face with Christ our Lord: Matt 25:34 ³³ And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:   AMEN

Septuagesima - Propers with explanation - Rev Jack's Sermon

  

The Propers for today are found on Page 118-120, with the Collect first:

The Sunday called Septuagesima, or the

third Sunday before Lent.

 

The Collect.

 

O

 LORD, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

 

The Epistle for today came from the Ninth Chapter of the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians beginning at the Twenty-Fourth Verse.  Paul tells us that we must strive for mastery over ourselves so that we can gain the crown of eternal life offered us at great cost by our Lord Jesus Christ.  We must each do our own personal best to control our own actions and behavior so we can follow God’s Plan for each of us.  We must be bold and certain in our actions.

 

K

NOW ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?  So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

 

The Holy Gospel for today came from the Twentieth Chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew beginning at the First Verse.  Often quoted, this is the very important parable of the vineyard.  While it appears to be principally directed towards Christians wanting to be “first” in importance and the like, it has a more direct meaning.  It is a fine lesson in “buyer’s remorse” or coveting of jobs or similar concepts.  If you got a good deal, it does not change because someone else got a “better” deal.  Take what you got, go forth and be happy.  Other meanings abound.  For a very direct application, what this means is “cradle” Christians are no more likely to go to heaven than this morning’s convert.  They just get to enjoy the Christian experience longer.  One note, if you wait until the last minute to join the gang, your time here might end before you get around to it. 

 

Sometimes people act like being a Christian is an unpleasant experience that they will do when they get a round tuit.  It is not.  Christians aren’t perfect, they just have more fun being imperfect and imperfectly trying to improve!  Anyway, here is the Gospel according to Saint Matthew:

 

T

HE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion, Descanso, California

Today’s sermon ties together the propers, that is to say the prayer and readings for this week. Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness …

 

In the Collect, we ask God who knows we should be “…justly punished for our offences, may 

be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour …”  To get into heaven we need to be accounted as perfect.  Yet, we cannot be “cured” of sin nor “improved” to perfection. So how do we solve this irregularity? We know we ourselves cannot solve our dilemma.  Who can?  There is a solution for us!  Consider the words of John Newton near the end of his life, “Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior!” The answer lies in the latter part of Newton’s quote. Jesus is the answer to this great dilemma. Our sins are justly punished by eternal damnation, yet there is hope in our Lord. He brought us this hope by His Death upon the Cross and delivered it in the Resurrection. Without His Sacrifice one time for all mankind, there would be no hope for our eternal future. But Jesus is our hope for that eternal future. We just have to do our best to follow His commandments and to stay the course that He has set for us in our lives.

 

What Paul speaks of in his Epistle is the great reward we receive for holding steady to that course which God has set for us. For eternal salvation is the delivery promised to each of us by Jesus. This is our great hope that we can cling to whenever things on Earth look gloomy and this is the great reward for the race we run daily here on Earth. When things get hard here, we must always remember the Hope we have in Jesus and our reward we will gain when we compete the race that is set before us. God does not promise us an easy life here on Earth, there will be many trials and tribulations set before us. But the reward in the end will make undergoing all the trials and tribulations worth it.

 

Make no mistake, like a marathon, this run requires frequent training in the Scriptures and acting upon the concepts in Scriptures. And like marathon runners, we receive a wonderful prize.  However, it is a prize that has value beyond anything on Earth. The prize is for the promise of an eternal, unending life, to be spent with our Lord and Savior Jesus. It is for the promise of a world unaffected by the tarnish of sin, unblackened by the sinful deeds of imperfect beings. It is an unshadowed world.  It shall be true happiness at last, to meet with our beloved family, our Christian heavenly family, friends and beloved pets. 

 

Eternal salvation is a far more priceless treasure than anything we could acquire on Earth, truly priceless except for the death of our Saviour and resurrection. That is the only price involved with our eternal freedom.  As the saying goes, there is no free lunch. Eternal life does not come to us without cost. The cost was Jesus’ one time sacrifice for all time for all mankind. Keep the eyes on the prize, as it were!  And realize that that prize does not come free. We have to run the race set before us and follow Jesus in order to receive our prize of eternal life. We have to be constantly focusing on this fact. 

 

When times get really hard, and it is tempting to give up sometimes; that is when we must redouble our efforts and focus our end goal, remaining on the path towards Heaven.. In order to stay focused on the path, we must always remember the end, the arrival in Heaven will outweigh all of the sacrifices, blood, sweat and tears we shed in this life. If we but stay the course, our time after this will be unfathomably wonderful.

 

Our eyes should be focused on the finish line, not our “competition.”  The only thing which counts is that we each cross the finish line.  It does not matter who our competition is, as we are not competing with anyone for our destination. We have only to concern ourselves with God’s will and focusing on getting ourselves towards the right destination.  For only you have an input in which area you will go. Not the final input, but an input nonetheless. 

 

So how do we run the race?  

 

With our eyes focused tightly on the finish line, not on those around us, wondering are they doing better than we are?  That is not a useful question.  Christianity is not about competition, about being other people to the finish line. In fact, it is about helping others around us to the finish line to the best of our abilities and if they are willing to let us help them.  

 

The useful question is, “Am I doing the best I can?”  And we have to answer that question; if we are not doing our best, then we need to change it.  Think of how we can do our best and then set our course to do that. And, we must remember this is a Team Effort. We have to want to win, and in order to win the race set before us; we have to perform actions. Action must first start with our neighbors and work our way outward. We cannot affect the whole world, but if we each work together on our part of the world and work for their, we can change the world. However, it must be a team effort, we cannot all do it alone.  Each person in God’s Army has a specific talent and task assigned to them to complete their assigned mission here on Earth. We need support along the way, especially when things get tough, we need our Christian buddies to give us moral support and encouragement from the Word.   We want the Christian Team to win.  We need to give each team member all the help we can. And we need to be welcoming to each outsider who join the team, and treat them like the lifelong members of the Team. So, with that in mind, we must DO our best and not just say it, and we do that by acting upon the Word, not just reading it, but acting.

 

We are all so far from perfect that Holier than Thou is pretty damning praise.  Don’t even go there.  The best you can really do is not to be as evil as another, even that is pretty doubtful. But, we can do our best for our Lord; that is what really matters.

 

The Gospel for today, the very important parable of the vineyard, also gives us very good advice on the conduct of our daily lives and contains a crucial key to happiness.  There is the lesson that the deathbed conversion gains the same prize of eternal life as the lifelong follower, but there is a lot more in it for everyday life.  A person who comes to Christ late in life receives the same eternal benefits as a person who followed Christ from the age of reason.

 

It is a fine lesson in “buyer’s remorse” or coveting of jobs or similar concepts.  If you got a good deal, it does not change because someone else got a “better” deal.  Take what you got, go forth and be happy.  Don’t complain because somebody else got the same deal as you did sooner. One meaning of this parable is that “cradle” Christians are no more likely to go to heaven than this morning’s convert.  They just get to enjoy the Christian experience longer. However, you should not wait until the last minute to join the gang, your time here might end before you get around to it.   So, don’t wait until tomorrow to act, do it today while you still have time!

 

Sometimes people act like being a Christian is an unpleasant experience that they will do when they get a round TUIT.  It is not.  Christians aren’t perfect, they just have more fun being imperfect and imperfectly trying to improve!

 

Christ gave us eternal life.  But, we have to accept it.  Once you accept it, start living as if you will live forever.  You will and you will have to live with your actions forever!  So, Act early and Act often! 

 

There is but one way to heaven.

 

That easy to find, easy to follow, easy to hike path does not lead to the summit where eternal life in the real world awaits.  Open your heart to the Holy Ghost, use His Power to follow our Lord to God who awaits in heaven.

 

Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail.  The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.

 

The time is now, not tomorrow.  The time has come, indeed.  How will you ACT?

 

It is by our actions we are known.

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

Mercy – The Distinctive Mark of a Christian – 29 January 2021, Anno Domini

 

 

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OR  I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. 

(Hosea 6:6)



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HEREWITH shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?  7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?  8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?   (Micah 6:6-8)

            

            Kindness, mercy, and forgiveness are expressions of love. Without love, these would not be genuine. A coin, cast on the ground before a beggar, is not given out of love but out of a sense of pride and hypocrisy. But a warm meal prepared by a kind donor requires both love and effort to prepare. A wilted daisy plucked from the fields by a precious child bears far greater joy to the mother than a bouquet of choice red bud roses wrapped in fine linen from an acquaintance. It is the ingredient of love that enhances an otherwise mundane gift. We are truly unable to give anything to the Lord since all we are, all we have, and all we see were made by Him and belongs to Him already. Even the love we have for the Lord actually has its birthing in Him. God is the Fountainhead of LOVE! “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

            

            Love comes from God. It is His Nature – His Person manifested in action. In fact, “God is LOVE!” “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16)  It is most appropriate John, the Apostle of Love, writes more about the Love of God than any other in the Bible. It is because Joh dwelt securely in that Love as we all should do. Love, being the measure and compass of all graces, should be expressed in the same love and mercy that our Lord bore for us and for all others. If we are IN Christ, then we must quit ourselves as stones hewn from the great Rock of our Salvation, Jesus Christ. “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.”  (1 Corinthians 10:3-4)

            

            What does it mean to have mercy on others? Truly, this was the question of the lawyer to Christ, “And who is my neighbor?” The carnal mind is centered on SELF! In the self-centered mind, all roads lead home to self. If we are to help someone else, there must be a reward of some sort to the helper. But Christ loved unconditionally, and His mercy and grace were as wide as the oceans. In answer to the lawyer’s question, our Lord told the Parable of the Good Samaritan which so directly represents the nature of Christ that it may as well have used His name in lieu of the Good Samaritan. The love of God, showered abroad in our hearts, should ask no question of return in helping someone distraught and in need. It is not only what we DO, but the motive in our doing it. Love is the proper motive always in showing mercy and kindness. Just as a parent sheds an abundance of love on their little children, with no expectation of reward, so does the Christian reach out to those whose hurt and need come before him.

            

            Mercy is not unlike forgiveness. Forgiveness, too, is one of those graces that are produced by love. If we forgive not those who ask our forgiveness, then the Lord will not forgive us our trespasses. “Forgive us our debts….” How do we ask the Lord to forgive us our debts? “As we forgive our debtors!” (Matthew 6:12) In the same way we forgive, we shall be forgiven. Do you remember the Parable of the Merciless Servant in Matthew 18:23-35. During the king's account reckoning, one man’s name appeared who owed him ten thousand talents – an enormous fortune.  The man was dragged before the king but had no money to pay. The king ordered him to be sold along with his wife and children in order to pay the debt. His debt represented more than the man owned. It is true of you and me as well. Our sin debt, regardless of size, is more than we could ever pay. In fact, we could not reduce that debt by a single mite no matter our good works. The man pleaded so pitifully that the king had mercy and forgave him all that debt – that which Christ did in redeeming us from sin by paying our own sin-debt. 

            

            But observe how cruel and unmerciful was the man who had received such great mercy in the Parable. “But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.” (Matt 18:28-31) After God has extended such an ocean of mercy to us, why do we not forgive the very least offense in our friends and neighbors? If a friend offends and seeks forgiveness, we must forgive. We must be merciful. Of course, as with God, forgiveness is contingent upon repentance; but mercy demands nothing in response. It is granted to the enemy as well as to the friend.

            

            In our Parable above, how did the King (our Father in Heaven) respond to the mercilessness of the man He had forgiven much? “Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” (Matthew 18:32-35)

            

            Lacking merciful hearts is evidence of lacking the love of God in our souls. Lacking love of God, and forbidding mercy, is proof of a lost and unforgiven soul.

            

            Jesus came that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly. Our lives are so much greatly enriched by an abundance of love for God and for others – of mercy and kindness to all, and of just disposition toward all men. “He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.” (Proverbs 21:21) Are you seeking that fulness of life made available through the mercy and grace of oiur Lord Jesus Christ? Then act as He acted and think as He thought. Following after righteousness and mercy is to tread that Straight and Narrow Way of the Lord. 

            

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OR what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:11-16)

            

We must surrender our self wills (which are not free wills at all) and put on the Mind that is in our Lord Jesus Christ – then we shall be free indeed. In Christ, we are born anew as new creatures of His own making. Not only will our lives not be subject to death, but our minds, too, are made new. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  (Romans 12:2) We prove that perfect and acceptable will of God by giving evidence thereof in our lives and how those lives reflect mercy, grace, love, and righteousness. 

            

Conclusion

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UT on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians 3:12-17)

Have ye not read? – 28 January 2021, Anno Domini

 

 

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T that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. 9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue.   (Matthew 12:1-8)

 

            Just how important is the Word of God to you, my friends? Is it only a Sunday morning book you dutifully read for Bible lessons; or is it more like the manual of operations and maintenance of your very soul?  I hope it is the latter for that is exactly what it is. It should evoke a far higher interest from the believer than any adolescent love letter from the prettiest girl or most handsome boy. At bottom line, it is a love letter from you Spouse and Maker. For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. (Isaiah 54:5)

 

            If we accept the fact every word our Lord spoke was Holy Scripture, the only other Scripture that He did quote was the Old Testament. Without the Law and prophets, the New Testament would be less understandable for the Old is precursor of the New. How could we appreciate the fulness of our Lord’s sacrifice at Calvary if we were oblivious to that first Passover in Egypt? That Passover lamb was fulfilled in the Lamb of God – the Lord Jesus Christ. How could we know the importance of reverential worship and dignity were it not for that ornate, goat-hair covered Tabernacle in the Wilderness. Our dark nights of the soul would be less hopeful were it not for the Psalms of David which the Lord often quoted. The Word of God is the Book upon which we must feast for it is the very Bread and Water of Life!

 

            Please recall the temptation of our Lord during the forty day fast of the Wilderness. As He neared the end of His forty days of fast, our dear Lord was famished. His body was wracked with the pangs of hunger. There was no one there to comfort Him among the sons of men. The devil is wiser than all mortal men. He is not divine, but he does have the power of extensive observation from the cradle to grave of his prospective prey. He sees our weaknesses and our desires. He knows how to promise rewards to satisfy those desires and dreams even if his promise is as dead and meaningless as a Babylonian banknote. He has watched our Lord from the first day of His fast. He has seen His body weakened by hunger and want. The devil knows Scripture very well – perhaps better than any other preacher even if he twists and contorts the Word against itself. 

 

            At the very weakest point of our Lord’s trial, that old Serpent considers that the opportune moment to approach the Lord with his tempting beguilements: And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. How did our Lord respond? He must have desired bread with a great hunger. Our Lord quoted Old Testament Scripture: It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4 & Deut 8:3) The most powerful weapon any believer can muster is the Word of God. This is the lesson we glean from Christ here. Then Satan tempts our Lord to cast Himself off the pinnacle of the Temple and even falsely quotes Scripture as he did to Eve in the Garden. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. (Matt 4:6) Satan quotes from the Psalm 91:11,12 but omits the phrase to keep thee in all in all thy ways. Jesus again responds with the Power of His Word from Deut 6:16: It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (Matt 4:7)

 

            The devil lacks many strengths, but perseverance is not one of those. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. There is an old adage that says, the Devil will take you where you do not want to go, and promise you things he has no power to give. These treasures are not the devil’s to grant. The earth is the Lord’s and all that in them is! (1 Cor 10:26)

 

            At last the Lord utters the Word that forces the devil to flee: 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. (Matt 4:10-11 and Deut 6:13)

 

            Do you recognize in the exchange above the mighty power of God’s Word? How courageously we must proclaim it; how assiduously must we guard against its adulteration; and how jealously must we insist on its exact counsel!

 

            Every devoted minister of God mounts the pulpit each service with one objective – to preach the Word of God in Truth and Power; but men are mortal and subject to error. It is the duty and obligation of every believer to confirm every word preached from the pulpit as consistent with Holy Writ. And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:10-11)

 

            How we read and understand Scripture is of vital importance, and may I add, the Word means exactly what it says if we grasp the symbolism of parts and absolute application of others. And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?   (Luke 10:25-26) The lawyer gave the correct answer, but further examination proved that he did not grasp the meaning, thus Jesus related the Parable of the Good Samaritan. There are many who can quote scripture ad infinitum, but do not grasp a single line of it.

 

            Seven times our Lord asks, Have ye not read? Well, answer the question, friends. Have you read many times over until you have gained a deeper insight to meaning? Have you read the Ten Commandments so many times that you can recite them from heart and, yet, have no clue as to how Christ makes it possible for us to obey them? He tells us in the Summary of the Law! The key is the same given by the lawyer above: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; C Those are the correct words of the Summary. The lawyer well knew that passage, but he had no concept of its practical application. He had the right answer but the wrong understanding. What keyword in the Summary enables us to keep the Commandments? It is the word LOVE! IF we LOVE the Lord our God with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind – there is no way we can bring shame to His Holy Name with intention. This binds the first four Commandments by the strongest of all bonds – LOVE. 

 

            The last of the Summary deals with the last five Commandments – our obligations to have love and compassion on others:  . . . and thy neighbour as thyself.  You may ask, What of the fifth Commandment? The fifth Commandment is, in my opinion, a transition Commandment from our duties to God to those we owe our fellow man: Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. This is a divided Commandment – it relates our duty to BOTH God and man. We do, indeed honor our father and our mother, but we also must recognize that we have as Father in Heaven as well whom we must honor. 

 

            Failure to read AND study the Word of God can, and will, lead us into error. Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. (Matthew 22:31) Have ye not read so much as this, what David did. (Luke 6:3) We cannot hide under the illusion that the Holy Spirit relieves us of the burden of reading and studying Scripture with earnest endeavor. Yes, the Holy Spirit teaches and points us to Christ, but HOW? But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

 

Pray tell, how can the Holy Spirit bring anything to your remembrance which you have failed to read first in Holy Scripture? He will lead you to a correct understanding, but you must have the initiative and love of God’s Word to at least read and study the same.