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| You give little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. |
| Kahlil Gibran |
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SERMON LIBRARY |
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· Deacon Debbie Wesseloo (2)
· Deacon Phillip Laurings (3)
· Dean William Mosert (1)
· Reverend Angus Paterson (0)
· Reverend Graham Alexander (1)
· Reverend Joe Thompson (2)
· Reverend Lindy Rookyard (4)
· Visiting Clergy (0)
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| Date | 2010-03-21 | | Preacher | Deacon Phillip Laurings | | Title | Justice - Lent 5 | | Sermon Details | First reading: Genesis 18:16-23
Psalm: 58
Second Reading: Matthew 5:38-44
Gospel: John 8:1-11
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight; O Lord our strength and our redeemer
Amen.
Picture this, three men on the Cross, one a man from Galilee, and two thieves, one on his left and one on his right.
Harsh as it may seem Justice has been served all three men will die for the justified or unjustified crimes they are accused of.
One of the thieves’ turns to Jesus, accepting him as the Messiah, asks Jesus to forgive him. Jesus tells him; your sins are forgiven, today this very day you will be in Paradise with me. He doesn’t say to the thief your sins are forgiven; now get off the cross and go home.
No the thief is still going to die for his crimes, Justice has been served he will pay for what he has done wrong.
Jesus downcast and saddened by his own situation, being weighed down with all our injustices he cries out to his Father in his pain and agony, My God, My God why have you forsaken me. His Father looks down at his suffering Son with tears in his eye and says to himself Justice has been served.
I feel this is where my message should end; the picture I have just given to you says it all. Jesus is saying to all of us your sins have been forgiven; now get off your cross and go home, justice has been served, I have paid the price of your inequities, I have paid the maximum price anyone can pay for your sin, an you are free.
This theme of justice is fitting for this time in lent where we all need to look at where we have sinned in thought word and deed and what we have left undone; we need to look at our own judgement and our redemption. How we are to be judged and justice should be served upon us?
Christmas with all its presents is a time for-giving, of yourself, of your finances, to help those in need.
If the season of Christmas is a time for-giving, then the season of Easter is a time of forgiving, of others who have harmed us, forgiveness of the harm we have caused others and altermitaly the injustices we have caused against Jesus our redeemer.
Let’s look at the themes we have followed this lent. Love, Peace, Forgiveness and Reconciliation then we have Justice. This seems to be the odd one out. The first four are from the heart. With Love, Peace, Forgiveness and Reconciliation we have accepted that within our hearts we are reconciled to God. Where dose Justice come in to play.
Justice is the most important of all the themes that we have had so far, then rightly last but not least comes total Healing of body, mind and soul.
I was thinking if I was living before the birth of Christ I would be judged harshly for my sins and my judgement would be harsh, without Jesus as my defence I would have definitely gone to hell.
(Deuteronomy 19:21) We are told a life for a life, an eye for an eye, that way justice would be served. In the second reading today in Matthew 5:38-44), Jesus is telling us to turn the other cheek, love your enemies, and pray for those that persecute you, because I have paid the price of your sin, the price was death. Justice has been served upon me, you are free, we will not be punished or judged for our iniquities we are forgiven.
I thank God that I have a chance to live a life free of such harsh punishment, because Jesus has been judged, and upon him Justice has been served for me, I am free.
Through the scriptures Jesus is saying to us I haven’t judged you why do you persecute me so, by judging others. Jesus is telling us do not judge anyone or condemn them if you haven’t walked in their shoes. By judging others you are serving judgment upon me. What you do to the least of my people you do to me. Jesus is saying to us through the scriptures, I don’t care who it is or what their lifestyle is like. Upon me justice has been served, I have walked in all your shoes you have no right to unjustly judge anyone.
In the Gospel reading from John 8:1-8 Jesus is saying to everyone. Has only this lady sinned, are you all innocent. Which one of you has brought her to sin? If she has sinned against God, then who of you has taught her how? Which one has showed her how to sin?
If you are not the teachers of sin, then cast the first stone of judgement and let justice be served. “You” have taught her to sin, and which one of you has sinned with her, then, you must also be judged and stoned in order for justice to be served.
When all the men had left Jesus asked her has no one condemned you? She answers no sir. “Then neither do I condemn you” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.
I found this wonderful reading from the Gospel of Matthew, has taken this passage from my favourite book Isaiah; (Matthew 12:18-21), God says, spoken through the prophet Isaiah;
18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.
21 In him the nations will put their hope”.
Being personally involved in different aspects of this Lenten program, I have learnt within myself to Love people for who they are. This program gives me that inner peace, I found it so hard to find within myself, and I have learnt the joy of forgiveness of myself and for those whom have hurt me.
I find myself reconciled to Jesus as I kneel before his Alter. As I partake of the ultimate sacrifice of the Body and Blood, of our broken Lord. I know when I come before his table, through Jesus Christ my sins have been forgiven, because Jesus has lead justice to victory. “Justice has been served for me”.
Jesus is asking me has no one condemned you. I hope to answer, no sir. “Then neither do I condemn you” Jesus declared. “Go now you are free and leave your life of sin.
Amen |
| Date | 2010-02-28 | | Preacher | Deacon Phillip Laurings | | Title | Peace - Lent 2 | | Sermon Details | Gospel reading: Matthew 5: 3-12
First reading: Isaiah 60: 17-22
Second reading: Romans 14: 19-25
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight; O Lord my strength and my redeemer.
I am going to start with the Old Testament lesson / reading. Isaiah Is talking about that inner peace that only comes from knowing God.
This was a very difficult theme to set my sermon on; I am normally inspired within the first hour of writing my sermon through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit but this time no matter how hard I tried the inspiration just wouldn’t hit home, I was approaching this subject from the wrong angle, and not on a personal aspect.
What is this “Peace” we are looking for or even looking at?
World peace, yes that’s what we want, but the world has been at war since the beginning of time, nothing much is going to change that.
Peace throughout Africa that sounds good, we even have our own prayer “God bless Africa” yes that is what we should strive for. How? We have always been known as the deepest darkest Africa where no one dares to enter, in fear of their lives, and a continent where peace will never reign. Let’s not get any deeper into that subject that is another topic all together.
Maybe we need to find peace within our own Country in South Africa is that what we are looking for? Yes that would be fantastic, but alas that isn’t it we are all striving for peace within our own borders anyway. One day with everyone’s input, help and hard work we will reach that great goal.
Yes all that peace would be really, really fantastic. But what good is peace throughout the world if we don’t have that inner peace, the peace of knowing God within your own heart and soul.
As I already said it was very difficult for me too write this because, I couldn’t settle down and find that inner peace within me.
Then the passage from Isaiah 60:19-20, sparked that special spark within me. “The sun will no more; be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end”.
Wow that actually hit home for me, the Lord will be my everlasting light, and my days of sorrow will end. That is exactly what I needed to hear, especially through these terrible economic times, we as a country are facing.
The readings today are telling me to stop spending all your time on trying to find a solution to world peace. God is telling me once you find that light of God within that inner peace within yourself; all the rest will be a breeze, a walk in the park, even world peace.
The beatitudes from the gospel Matthew 5: 3-12 are a set of rules that we as Christians must set our lives on, our modern day Commandments. Verse 9 Jesus is telling us that. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Jesus is the true Son of God, Jesus came to bestow love and peace within our own hearts, he didn’t come to ignore us and only concentrate on the peace of the world. No Jesus tells us through inner peace we will become the Sons of God, and when we have God within us we can achieve what ever we set our minds to, even if it is world peace, Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us not to bring us world peace, but to bring us all self peace, that special Inner peace, which will ultimately, one day through the glory of God and all fellow Christians we will achieve that world peace.
If we are at peace with ourselves then we are at peace with the world. Peace is an extract of what our theme was about last week, “love”.
In Romans 14: 19-25 this passage in the New Testament is telling us that God has put that inner peace within us. Don’t let, what ever sin we take into ourselves destroy all that God has installed within us. We must try to keep whatever gossip, doubts and problems we have between us and God, no one else. Through our weakness we must make every effort to improve our morals (edification) don’t let these inner immoral problems influence the people around us, because we could end up with that domino effect. The next thing we know is that everything is blown out of proportion and you end up disturbing the peace around us, in our homes, our families in our community, we need live by our Christian morals and standards so who knows from there maybe world peace.
(09:00am service)
Baptism is another way of knowing that inner love, that inner peace we find through our baptism, when we put on Christ, at our baptism, when we are welcomed into the body of Christ into the Church family, as we become one with Christ, when we accept that inner peace within the Christian family. So today we welcome Chanté, into our family, with all our support and love as she takes on that special sacrament of baptism this morning. It has been a long hard journey for both Chanté and Roger as they come to finally finding that inner peace within themselves. As they come to peace with all that has happened in there lives, that deep inner peace within them that is Jesus. Chanté, Roger and family we say to all of you Shalom. Roger and Chanté are already part of our family and have been for a very long time, so through Chanté’s baptism all we are doing is putting on that Jesus sign of approval.
To know that inner Peace and Love; first of all you must know what Peace and Love is, you must feel what Peace and Love is, you must reach deep inside of yourself to know that Peace and Love within your inner soul and heart, you must radiate that Peace and Love around you, you must live that Peace, you must exercise that Love that comes from knowing true Peace that God has installed within us, only then we will know what Peace really is, and only then we are able to share that unconditional Love with the world and give it Peace.
My prayer for all of us today and through the week is that we may all find that true inner peace that God has installed within us all. Through his unconditional love for us through his Son Jesus Christ our lord and Saviour, and let us all know and experience that love and Peace of the Holy Spirit, that lives and reigns within everyone of us.
May we be good living examples of that love and peace as we share it within our own communities, after that the world?
(07:00am service)
(Let us start small, all you need to do for me, for yourself and ultimately for God, just look at the person on either side of you, and from that special inner peace within you just say to them Shalom).
So I Say to you all Shalom
AMEN |
| Date | 2010-01-24 | | Preacher | Deacon Phillip Laurings | | Title | We have a Gospel to proclaim | | Sermon Details | Gospel reading: Luke 4:14-21
Second reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-30
In the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.
This is a powerful message we heard from the Gospel today. We need to understand what Jesus is saying to us in this passage.
We have all got a Gospel to proclaim for ourselves as followers of Jesus, “today” at this present time. The words of Jesus in the Gospel reading are relevant to us now as it was in the synagogue at the start of Jesus’ ministry.
(Take out your blue prayer books; turn to page 129 section 88) At the end of each Eucharist service, we all stand and make a proclamation in the presents of God and this congregation. We say: “Farther almighty we offer ourselves to you as a living sacrifice in Jesus Christ our Lord. Send us out into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory”. This is a powerful promise we are making to God.
This passage in the Gospel of Luke gives us the first words Jesus preached in his ministry as an adult after his Baptism. Jesus is saying to the congregation present that the passage of which Isaiah proclaimed has now, at this present time, “TODAY” has been fulfilled in your hearing.
Luke in his own traditional style of writing has modified the passage from Isaiah’s original passage. Luke has left parts of the original passage out, his reason for doing this, was so the full focus and importance of the message would be on Jesus as God’s anointed one to preach the Good News and proclaim freedom for the prisoners and the oppressed and proclaim the year of the Lords favour. In doing this Luke has now set the bases of Jesus, ministry as the Messiah, and the bases of which we as Christians must all set our own ministry.
The original passage, from which Jesus is reading, is from (Isaiah 61). This is where the Israelites have just been delivered from exile in Babylon and they celebrate this as a year of Jubilee. (The Jubilee year was celebrated every fifty years). When all debts are cancelled, prisoners and slaves are set free and all property is returned to the original owners. But sadly for the people who had just come out of Babylonian exile this message from Isaiah was not brought to the fulfilment that they had expected, they were still a concurred and oppressed people. Isaiah at that time must have been referring to a future Masonic age, “Jesus is bodily announced”, something the people of that time couldn’t quite grasp.
As Jesus finishes reading the passage he rolls up the scroll and hands it back to the attendants and sits down. (In the synagogue when you addressed the congregation, as Jesus was you would sit down to preach).
The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. Jesus tells them, “today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”. Jesus has proclaimed “Himself”, in front of everyone present, that he is the one that Isaiah is talking about. Jesus is also saying to us here, right now in the hearing of this reading we, his chosen flock are also ordained to proclaim that Good News.
How are we going to do this? Are we equipped to take on this challenge? Yes we are we are all filled with the presence of God, the Holy Spirit within us. We have God the Father, the Creator, Jesus the Saviour the redeemer, the Holy Spirit the sustainer and worker within us. So we have this hard working spirit within us. What do we do with that living, working, thriving Spirit that is alive in every one of us, do we allow this thriving Spirit within us to go dormant. No we put it to work.
We are baptised, into the Family of God, we are instructed by Jesus to preach the Good News, and he empowers us with the Holy Spirit to do his work. What more do we need?
You are probably thinking that is easy for him to say, I hold down a job, I have a family to look after. Where do I have time to go out preaching to other people, rather we leave that task to us the experts, who have that special gift, not me.
As we heard from the reading in (1Corintians 12:12-30) we are all part of the body of Christ. As different parts of a body we all have a specific job to perform in order to make your body function correctly. God has given us different gifts. These gifts were given to us to use to the glory of God, and in the support of the community and the Body of Christ, the Church.
Having a special gift given by God, and not using it to build the Church we are doing an injustice to Christ, our Family, and ourselves.
When everyone’s different and special gifts are combined, for example in the body of the church we can achieve anything, so that makes us all experts. We even have a baptism, and confirmation certificates to prove it, and you have the instruction manual, the Word of God, so I say again you are ready to proclaim the Gospel.
Let’s start at grass roots, with ourselves; we need to examine ourselves first. Answer these questions for yourself.
• Do you own an instruction manual?
• If you answered yes, where is it?
• How often do you use it?
• How often do you attend Church?
• How strong is your prayer life?
• Are you part of the workings and prayers of the Church?
• Are you a living example of a good Christian within your community, and your parish?
• Are you using your God given gifts to help the Body of Jesus function to its full capacity?
Have you answered these questions honestly, are you satisfied with your answers, good then come forward and be counted, we need you, or are you not happy with your answers, then you need to ask yourself, am I in a spiritual decline, am I letting the work of the Spirit within me to go dormant. How do I revitalise the working Spirit within me?
If we are inconsistent in our worship, we start to lose focus; we start to slide away from living the Good News.
There is a lots of different reasons why we shouldn’t or don’t have to attend church regularly, we can sit here all day debating them.
I am sorry there is no debate!
I know what it is like when you work all day and look after your family, you get worn out and tired, you need to get some form of fuel, sustenance. You normally find this sustenance in your family relationships, in the love of your family, and in the sharing of meals you have prepared, that is only a start of what will help you and keep you going through the week. What then keeps the working Spirit within you nourished?
I mentioned earlier the Holy Spirit within us is our sustainer and worker, we need to give sustenance, fuel to feed that hard working Spirit within us. How do we do that?
• We need to attend regular worship.
• We need to be loved, encouraged and embraced by our church family.
• Once you become a member of a family, you will always be a member of that family and their encouraging love, which means we are in a relationship with that family.
• We need to be enlightened, inspired by the worship, by the message and by the presence of God within our worship, and we also need be forgiven for our past transgressions.
• As part of any family the most precious gift you can give is your gifts and time, because once given it can never be taken back.
• As families we share in a meal, we kneel before the table of Jesus and share in his meal which he has prepared for us. Through the meal we are born again into Christ, and we are sustained and refreshed by that meal which will keep us refreshed through the week.
Jesus’ purpose for his Church is:
• Worship: Which helps us focus on God and to know him better.
• Fellowship: Which helps us to face life’s problems, with our giving and receiving, comfort and encouragement.
• Discipleship: Which helps us and fortifies our faith and you get scriptural affirmation of our duties.
• Evangelism: Which helps us to share the Good News with others, and fulfil our mission in Jesus.
There is a well known chorus “I the Lord of Sea and Sky”, the words in this chorus fit in just right with today’s Gospel reading.
I the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry;
All who dwell in dark and sin?
My hand will save.
I who made the stars at night,
I will make their darkness bright,
I will speak My word to them,
Whom shall I send?
Here I am Lord,
Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go Lord,
If you lead me;
I will hold your people in my heart.
At the end of the service, when we stand together as a family and proclaim to God and each other;
“Father Almighty, we offer ourselves to you as a living sacrifice in Jesus Christ our Lord. Send us out into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory”.
We must take this proclamation to heart and put into practise what we are saying.
In Christ we will make all things new; transform the poverty of Gods nation by the riches of his grace and reveal Gods glory in the renewal of our lives, we must preach, the Good News to all who are poor in spirit, open the eyes of the blind so they can live that Good News, proclaim freedom to the oppressed and set the captives free from sin, and we proclaim the year of our Lord to all that hear us.
We are not an island, we need each others gifts and support in order proclaim that Gospel.
Through the words of that chorus; we say to Jesus.
Here I am Lord.
Is It I Lord your son your daughter, whom you have chosen.
I have heard you calling me Lord.
I will go Lord,
If you sustain me and lead me;
I “WILL” hold your people in my heart.
AMEN |
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