Worldwide Communion
Fourth Sunday in Advent
December 21, 2025 – Sunday Report
Sunday Next before Advent 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 in the Book of Common Prayer page 95-96.
The Advent Collect
This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day..
ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
The Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Advent
O LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
Epistle for the Fourth Sunday in Advent. Philippians iv. 1.
REJOICE in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday in Advent. St. John i. 19.
On Point
Happy Birthday Jesus – Merry Christmas to ALL!
Points to Ponder:
Anglican Orthodox Church
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDING BISHOP
P.O. Box 128
Statesville, N.C. 28687
Phone: 704-873-8365
Email: aocworldwide@anglicanorthodoxchurch.org
Website: www.aocinternational.org
Bishop’s Christmas Letter of 2025 - THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11 (KJV)
There is a special Spirit of Love that seems all-pervasive at the season of Christmas. Entering the dental office last week, I was greeted by five or six patients waiting to undergo the skillful torture of the dentist’s art. But instead of apprehension, I was greeted cordially by each occupant of the office. “Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire” was being played on the background speaker, and it reminded those around me of something, of the warm memories of Christmases past. Everyone was smiling and chatting with remarkable familiarity. But suddenly, at the next musical piece, the atmosphere changed to a more somber and reverent disposition - “O Come All Ye Faithful!” The same joyful and congenial emotions prevailed, but they were accented by a more profound truth heralded by that famous old Christmas Carol. That Spirit of Love that could even be evoked by a secular ditty was more profoundly evidenced in the hearing of that hymn of Christmas.
The same Spirit prevailed at the Post Office and every other public forum I have visited recently. The Spirit of the season can only be defined by something greater than the day and month of the year. Though Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is not overtly a story of the Christ Child, it does arouse that Spirit of Love that characterizes our feelings and emotions at Christmas. Why? It is because it is all about love and caring. That is the Spirit of Christ. Christ is the very essence of love, and our thoughts are more concentrated on that powerful aspect of His nature at the Christmas Season.
Christmas Day is simply a date on the calendar, but that Spirit of Love at Christmas defines who we are as a people all year round. Why limit the warmth of His Coming to a calendar date? Why not observe the same Christian love and compassion every day of the year. The world would be a more joyful and happy place if we all simply observed and practiced that peculiar Love we feel at Christmas. The Love we evidence of God the Father, expressed in the Love of God the Son, should exemplify our daily treatment of others - because the Love imparted by the Father in sending His only Begotten Son to be born in a humble stable yard of Ramah should dictate a mutual love for each other: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” 1 John 4:20-21
The Spirit of Christmas is the Spirit of Love, for God is Love, and His only Begotten Son is Love Personified.
Let us extend the Spirit of Christmas beyond its calendar limits to every day of our lives. If so, we will better represent the Savior whom we claim to follow and adore.
May this Christmas be the beginning of the revival of that Spirit - which is essentially the Spirit of Christ -in the hearts of all people and hence, make us better disciples of our Lord - O Come all Ye Faithful!
Merry Christmas This Season, and Every Day and Season Of Our Remaining Life.
In Christ Alone during Advent,
Presiding Bishop
The Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide Communion
Chancellor, Faith Theological Seminary
Jerry Ogles, Presiding Bishop – Metropolitan AOC Worldwide
We are fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s you tube links, devotions on the Prayer of the Collect and sermon notes.
Bishop Jerry creates videos on various subjects, they last just under ten minutes and this week’s videos are listed below:
Bishop Ogles
Blog:
https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com
Bishop Ogles
You Tube Channel
that is free to subscribe: all of his videos at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW3bgXBJFomPB5mZ4Oigxg
Sermon Notes for the Fourth Sunday in Advent
Make straight the way of the Lord
The Prayer of Collect for 4th Sunday in Advent
O LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
Just as our Advent Season Collect calls us to cast of the powers of darkness and to walk in that effulgent life of Christ, so our 4th Advent Collect counsels us to walk in that power that has come among us in the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. That source of that power is not in ourselves but in God. He is the source of all power through His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Our own frailty in the face of sin and temptation demands us to seek that greater power made available in Him. Our plea for power is realized in that granted by God’s grace. We are thereby made partakers in the Kingdom of God through His Son.
While we were, at first, prepared in our walk with the Word gleaned by Prophet and Law, we now have a new inward and spiritual power realized in the presence of our Lord among us and His Holy Spirit to Guide and bring all thins in His Word to Light.
The believer can now walk in the full preparation of the Gospel for “except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh not in vain.” Our City of God is our home in glory, and it is toward that City to which our focus is fixed in the wilderness of sin and worldly attraction. We are pilgrims and walk as pilgrims. “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:16) We are pilgrims in a far country seeking a better city - not made with hands. A pilgrim does not carry any burdens that would retard his progress in reaching that City. He travels light and without all the allurement of the world in his backpack. He may not wear silken attire, but the uniform of a pilgrim for Christ of which he is not ashamed.
As our epistle points out, we walk in a joy of which the world knows nothing. How can our daily life be filled with joy? It is because we are in Christ, and we are made joyful in doing His works. Even the condemnation we experience in the world for our faith is an added source of joy. “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” (John 15:19) I rejoice in the world’s hatred of me if it is because of my love and faith in Christ. In spite of all hate and malice cast upon us by the world, we have that promised peace of God, “which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Have we let our moderation be known to all our friends, neighbors, daily associates? Are we constant in our worship and study of Holy Scripture. Is our faith visible in plain sight to the world? We wear not our faith on our shoulder, but in our hearts.
It is no secret that much of our Advent text have been about preparing the way of the Lord, and that through His ambassador, John the Baptist who, like Isaac, also came by miracle of birth to the aged Elizabeth. The preaching of John was powerful and convicting in its effect. It was made more convincing for the lack of physical and social embellishments that too often identify our modern pulpits. He wore such plain garments as those made of camel hair. He attended not great banquets or conventions - instead, he wandered the wilderness regions of the Jordan preaching and proclaiming the coming of Christ.
John witnessed in a day when travel was not as simple as hopping in a car and taking a thirty minute drive. His parish was far removed from Jerusalem and required hours of travel on rough and dusty roads to attend. But mulitudes streamed from Jerusalem and all parts of Israel to hear John. Why? Because he taught with authority that was purely seen in his demeanor. He was serious in his message, and he meant what he said. No one had ever heard priest or Levite utter such words of strength and truth. But even greater than all else was the hope he preached of the coming Light. “He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.” Truly as the Word proclaims, these people had sat in darkness until now, but the bursting forth of Light gave new hope to souls who had become forlorn of hope.
The establishment clergy of the Old Testament Church desired to hold on to their stringent adherence to the letter of the Law, but the message of John was of One who would come to redeem from the penalty of that Law. They sought to find error in his message just as they would even more fervently seek to do in the ministry of our Lord. Remember, Satan always begins with a question - questions to challenge our faith. “Who art thou?” “What then?” “Art thou Elias?” “Art thou that prophet?” Did they really want to know if he was “that prophet?” No, generally the questions of the opposition is never designed to establish truth but rather to call it into contempt. “Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?” Why were these buggers so meddlesome about the baptisms of John? It was because it challenged their status and opulence as rulers and respected men of the Temple. John would face the same opposition from most clergymen of our own day - believe it!
John’s mission was to Make straight the Way of the Lord. His was to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming Light. He could, in no wise, be compared to the greater Person of Christ, but was merely His messenger. He performed hi mission in humility and faith. Should you and I do less?
The water baptism of John was unto the truth of His Promised coming; but the baptism of Christ was one of the Spirit. The baptism of Christ is not merely an outward show, but an outward sign of an inward and invisible grace. It is done by fire of His word and Spirit in faith. Baptism is not regenerative in itself, but is witness and evidence of regeneration. May we all have had that baptism.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen
† Jerry Ogles
Sermon - Bishop Jack Arnold
Anglican Orthodox Church of the United States
Diocese of the West
Church of the Faithful Centurion - Descanso, California
Good morning! I hope you are all doing well. In today’s sermon we will be looking at the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine how they share a common message as we complete the period of preparation for the coming of our Lord and Savior. Let us start by reading today’s collect:
The Fourth Sunday in Advent
The Collect.
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LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end. Amen. The Collect for the First Sunday in Advent is on Page 90:
The First Sunday in Advent
The Collect.
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LMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
¶ This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.
As is oft the case, today’s propers all tie together to reinforce a point and build our understanding of what God wants and expects from each of us. The Collect asks for God’s help for us to accept His Help and do it His Way. We are asking this because as the collect points out that through our natural condition of being sinful and wicked, we are very much hindered in running the race that is set before us, that is to climb the narrow and uphill path towards heaven.
This is a thought that is constantly resonating throughout the Collects and not only them but all of Scriptures. That is because it is a constant truth that without the help of the Lord, we are doomed to fail to follow Him. We need His Help if we are to succeed in the race of life! This truth is constant through history. Whenever a group of people have strayed from doing what God asks, they have never prospered in the end. And groups of people will always stray from doing what God asks as that is in our nature. Then they naturally blame God rather than ourselves, which is where the real blame should fall. We need to continue to let the Holy Ghost into our hearts and allow Him to direct and guide our steps, then we can avoid the possibility of backsliding and being like the aforementioned groups of people.
It is oft supposed Christians are dour souls, with no sense of happiness or humor. Perhaps this thought comes from those who have heard from others what the Bible says, but have never actually taken the time to read it and understand it. This is unfortunately a very common misconception these days. For if they understood it then they would not be thinking that we are dour at all! People tend to misinterpret Scripture as they only look for verses that tend to support their point of view and do not take Scripture as a whole, as it is meant to be taken.
After all, the one said to be the dourest of all, Paul, tells us to be happy. In his Epistle he mentioned rejoicing in the Lord always. Not just happy, but to REJOICE. REJOICE in the Lord ALWAYS and AGAIN I say REJOICE! How much more fun can you have? However, at the same time though Paul cautions us to be moderate in everything we do, no excesses, an even keel. He is calling for moderation as that is the true way to enjoy life. If you have excesses in everything you do, you are going to find that you are going to have a lot of problems. Being moderate in everything you do, you will be less likely to have issues. This is why Paul is big on us being moderate in all things.
In the Gospel John recounts John the Baptist’s role in preparing the way for Jesus. The Pharisees were troubled with the simplicity of his message. They were looking for something more complex, less straightforward, something more like themselves. This is much like many people in the world today who dismiss Christianity as being too simplistic and that would prefer something more complex, something they can get around. It is the human nature at work here, humans in general will always try and find loopholes around what we are supposed to do.
The Pharisees were much like modern day lawyers and liberals, always searching for a loophole in the law so they can do what they want to do without following the law. They failed to realize that there is no loophole behind loving God and loving your neighbor as thyself. They could not comprehend of this. They feared what they couldn’t understand and that is why they wanted Jesus to be put to death. They didn’t understand God’s plan for Jesus and His Ministry. There are too many people today like them who seek to avoid doing what is right so they can do what they want to do. We need God’s help so we do not become like those people!
If the world would do what God asked, our lives would be so much better, we would all be living together in happiness. Doing what God asks would solve all of the problems facing us today on earth. Peace on earth will not be possible until the world accepts Him into their hearts. This is the perfect season for those who haven’t yet, to accept Him, to acknowledge Him at His first true appearance amongst us, at His Birth. Up until the end of our time here on earth, there is always time to accept Him, but do not wait until it is too late to do so!
When Saint John is recording the actions of John the Baptist, he tells us when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? They got an answer they neither expected nor really understood, he said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias … I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. They had no clue what he was talking about. All they could see was what they expected, a king of this world. Yet, John the Baptist knew the kingdom was not of this world, for the King was not of this World, but the Eternal King of Eternity. John the Baptist later says He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30) This is true of us, also. We must let Jesus permeate us and become the dominant force in us. But, it does not happen in the twinkling of the eye. Jack Lewis tells us, We are doing well enough if the slow process of being more in Christ and less in ourselves has made a decent beginning in a long life (it will be completed only in the next world). Jack Lewis suggests you try his plan; I pray ‘Lord, show me just so much (neither more nor less) about myself as I need for doing thy will now.’
The world is extremely complex; it is full of problems, temptations and difficulties. It is full of obstacles for us, yet all Christianity offers is a few simple solutions. We often hear there are no simple answers to complex questions. Actually, that is not true. There are simple answers to complex problems, they are the only ones which can and will work. The problem is they are not the answers people want. Most people do not want to know what they are supposed to do, lest they have to do it. They want to be told what they want to do is at least okay, even though it is clearly not okay. But we need to know what we are doing is actually “Okay”, not what Joe on the corner claims is Okay. To do that, we have to read the Scriptures and listen to what God says is Okay, because He really does know the best in this matter for us.
Once again, when you think about being a Christian, think a bit about these quotes from GK Chesterton:
· Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.
· The word good has many meanings. For example, if a man were to shoot his grandmother at a range of five hundred yards, I should call him a good shot, but not necessarily a good man.
· The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.
· Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.
· A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.
G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)
We are called to a new and different life, we ask the Lord to both lead us and follow us, to keep us always. Our goal is to do the Lord’s will, not to avoid 613 laws. To do what is right and be humble.
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
+Bishop Jack Arnold
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Rev Bryan Dabney of Saint John’s AOC Vicksburg, Mississippi
We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.
Fourth Sunday in Advent
In his epistle to the Philippians (4:4-7), the apostle Paul encouraged his readers to rejoice in the Lord always with thanksgiving. But in today’s world, many do not rejoice in the Lord at all and that includes many who call themselves Christians. There any number of reasons for this for often times their focus is on the ills and difficulties of their lives instead of giving God the glory for what they have already received. There is an old expression that was made into a hymn entitled Count your many blessings, see what God has done and it should stir us all to action in giving God the glory for all that he has done for us.
The Scriptures are our guide to a life of fellowship with the LORD. In Leviticus 23:40 we read, ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God... In Deuteronomy 26:11 we learn that we should, ...rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee... In Psalm 5:11 we learn of God’s expectation for us: But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
In St. Luke 6:23, our Lord spoke the following words of comfort to all who would suffer on account of their faith: Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy: for, behold your reward is great in heaven... He also spoke of rejoicing because our names are written in heaven (St. Luke 10:20). And we are to rejoice because as Christians, we have an invitation to the greatest feast ever as noted in Revelation 19:7, Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come...
The true worshipers of God will willingly rejoice in the free gift of salvation which comes by means of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Those who are his will not question his grace. They will not stand skeptically, at a distance, examining with clinical coldness the gift that has been given. Only those who have not received the gift in their hearts will question its validity because as St. Paul noted in I Corinthians 2:14, 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.
And while it is natural for us to rejoice when our enemies run into trouble. We are warned not to do so. Examine Proverbs 24:17: Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth. God knows who are his now as well as those who will come to him in the future. But we have not been given to know such things. In that light, we should not cheer at the downfall of an enemy today because tomorrow, if God wills, he or she might become a brother or a sister in Christ. It is better to let God judge. For if, in his judgment, they fall and we are preserved it should be enough for us. His will and pleasure has no rival as he is sovereign. For if those who meant us harm are eventually regenerated, then it would be sinful on our part to either wish them ill or rejoice over their errors and misfortunes.
Truly God desires that we rejoice when one has turned from evil and become a brother or a sister in Christ. God is merciful and not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (II St. Peter 3:9). As our Lord said, I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than the ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance (St. Luke 15:7).
St. Luke recorded in his gospel account that following our Lord’s ascension into heaven the disciples worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: and were in the temple, praising and blessing God (24:52-53). Later, in the Book of Acts, he wrote about the day of Pentecost where the flaming tongues descended upon the disciples and they began preaching the gospel to all who were in Jerusalem (2:1-11).
Hear now the words of St. Peter as he was moved to speak by the Holy Ghost: For David speaketh concerning [Jesus Christ], I foresaw the Lord always before my face...26therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. (Acts 2:14-36).
To fully realize the joy of God, we must order our lives around his teachings. As St. Paul instructed Timothy, If a man therefore purge himself from [iniquity], he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use and prepared for every good work. (II St. Timothy 2:21)
As we leave the season of Advent and enter the season of Christmas, count your blessings and be thankful, giving God the glory, and rejoicing always for his gift of grace to us through Jesus Christ. As the apostle said then, so now I also say: Rejoice alway. Again I say Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)
Let us pray,
O Merciful and loving God, we rejoice with thanksgiving for thy most wonderful gift of thine all-sufficient grace; we also pray that through the work of the Holy Ghost we would be empowered in our witness to others that they too might come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour; and these things we ask in his most holy name. Amen.
Have a Blessed Week,
Bryan+
Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's Anglican Church - Diocese of the Midwest Anglican
Orthodox Church
Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Fourth Sunday in Advent
Morning Prayer - Psalm 33; First lesson: Isaiah 42:1-16; Second lesson: 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13
The Advent Collect
This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.
ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
The Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Advent
O LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
The Music of the Ages
Jesus Christ is coming again. This is the ultimate theme of the Fourth Sunday in Advent. His first coming or Advent was revealed in the previous ages, the time of the prophets and prophet-kings. His first Advent was fulfilled in the dusty little town of Bethlehem so many years ago.
Thirty-three and a half years later, at the Mt of Olives, when Christ is taken into heaven, his second Advent is announced once again: “9And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)
In the verses just before this passage from the first chapter of Acts of the Apostles, {Acts} we read this gentle reminder: “6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” (Acts 1:6-7)
I marvel at the ‘tele-evangelist’, the ‘name it and claim it’ preachers, and the myriad of ‘prophetic word’ preachers who boldly predict the second coming of Christ. Why do they not diligently read the Word of God for the truth? Sadly the answer is because of an ulterior motive, usually concerning personal gain. Yes, these “wise” folk are preaching for profit, not as prophets, but because they are trying to gain temporal fame and fortune. If Christ Jesus told those who were with him for his whole earthly ministry that they would not know Christ’s second coming, then why, pray tell, would someone in the latter days know? Defies true logic.
One fact is certain. The two angelic beings who informed the disciples that warm spring day on the Mount of Olives, that He, Christ Jesus, will return, ONE DAY, to the same location, were making an important announcement, that Christ will return, in God’s timing, NOT ours!
Now how about that music? As we read in the 33rd Psalm, music is an integral part of worshiping the Lord. Harps, some type of ten stringed instrument, and of course the ultimate musical instrument, the voice. Our voices raised in songs of praise; “…1for praise is comely for the upright.” It is the right thing to do. Songs of praise, singing the same, all in all we praise the LORD. And in doing so we rejoice in the LORD.
10Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. (Isaiah 42:10) Isaiah the prophet now takes up the music theme. In this passage from the 42nd chapter of Isaiah we read about a future time and blessing that will come upon the Gentiles. How?, why?, when?. Not so fast. All in due time. God’s time.
In these sixteen verses of the 42bd chapter of Isaiah, the whole of Christ’s ministry is profiled. “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; …1I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.” Then in the next eight verses Isaiah gives a straight forward description of Christ’s ministry on earth. Jesus was firm but gentle in his essential ministry. He called the guided those called into righteousness by the Lord, he brought forth judgement in truth by his parables and signs and wonders (miracles). And most importantly, he was/is a light to the Gentiles.{most of the rest of mankind. The spiritual blind were given sight, those in spiritual prison were set free, those in spiritual prisons of darkness were led to the light; all in all we see the positive forward movement of the Kingdom of God.
8I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. LORD, that is my name, his glory is not given to any one else or does his praise go to any idol or graven image. He is the great I AM. And then just to certify his total being, the LORD makes this following statement:
9Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. We must understand this as Christ’s second coming, His Second Advent. The very one that was foretold time and again by Christ Jesus and once more stated there on Mt of Olives. We are told that He will come again “….9before they spring forth I tell you of them....” We culminate this part of the idea of the Second Advent with this final passage from our Isaiah reading: "16And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”
What a wonderful promise. He will not forsake us. With all the chaos and confusion that seems to permeate our daily lives, here we read this promise of protection and light in a spiritually dark world. Wow. You talk about the words of great joy, you speak of the light of the world, you see this light depicted by candles, strings of electric lights, bright manger scenes and glowing angels on high, yes, even in the darkest of times, the Light of the World, the Light of Eternity, the Light of Salvation shines into the darkness to make the darkness light. Praise God.
Let us read what St. Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonika:
7Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: 8For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. 9For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; 10Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 11Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. 12And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 13To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. A great part of our worship of God is in music. Let us not forget that important facet of our weekly and even daily praise of God, music is most important. Make a great noise! (1Thessalonians 3:7-13)
It is interesting that this particular Fourth Sunday in Advent falls on the first day of winter. In the northern hemisphere tonight is the longest night and the shortest day. The really promising aspect of this is in less than a week you will begin to see more light in the morning and a longer sunset in the evening. Yes, the days are getting brighter, by a few minutes each day, until we reach that longest day, the Summer Solstice in June. So in a real sense we have physical evidence of light increasing. We can also tie that into the first 14 verses of the first chapter of the Gospel of John, as he writes about the Light of the World, Jesus Christ, he who spoke light into existence, he who created all that was created. The Light of Light, Jesus, the only begotten Son of God..
Let us pray:
O GOD, who in thy providence hast appointed to every man his work; Remove, we humbly beseech thee, from those who are now at variance, all spirit of strife and all occasion of bitterness, that, seeking only what is just and equal, they may live and work together in brotherly union and concord, to their own well-being, and the prosperity of their country; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ALMIGHTY Father, who didst send thine only Son that through him all men might be saved; Enable those who teach so to consecrate their lives that, being themselves led of thee, they may lead thy children in the paths of everlasting life; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
O HEAVENLY Father in whom we live and move and have our being; We humbly pray thee so to guide and govern us by thy Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our daily life we may never forget thee, but remember that we are ever walking in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
+ Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn
The Rev. Don Fultz
Rector of St. Peter’s AOC located in the AOC National Office
We are grateful to have the Christmas Story sermon from the Rev. Don Fultz of St. Peter’s AOC., Statesville, NC
Second Sunday in Advent – Holy Communion
Sermon Luke 2:1-20, The Christmas Story
The story of the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior is the greatest story ever told. You will find two accounts of His birth, the Gospel text this morning Luke 2;1-20 and St. Matthew 1:18-02:23. It was dark times in Israel as the whole country was occupied by Rome at the time of Jesus birth. But His birth brought a bright light and hope to the Jewish people and to the world. Today’s Gospel text is about the night when God’s promise to send his Redeemer into the world was fulfilled. As we look in on the events of that special night 2,000 years ago, we can learn something about how God provided His only begotten son to die for our sins.
The first seven verses of the gospel this are very matter-of-fact. Luke simply records the circumstances that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, and how the baby Jesus ended up in a manger.
Caesar Augustus, emperor of Rome issues a decree that all his subjects should be taxed. And in order to administer this tax, they needed a census. They had to count all the people in the Roman Empire. And to do this people went to register in their hometowns. And since Joseph was a descendent of King David, he went to Bethlehem—the city of David—to be registered. And he took his pregnant, virgin wife Mary with him. These ordinary circumstances with God’s providence brought about the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem some 700 years before. (Micah 5:2)
And while they were there, she gave birth to the child. As there was no room in the Inn. The best place they found to lay him in was in a manger, a feeding trough used to feed animals. Most likely in some type of stable or open cave. I do not believe that it was accidental that Jesus who called himself the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35) was born in a stable and laid in a feeding trough! He came to satisfy the hungry souls of dying men. Therefore, it was appropriate that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which means “The house of bread” and that He was laid in a manger!
The creator of the universe appeared in human flesh, but there were no remarkable signs in Bethlehem. “Only the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes. “The eternal God took his first human breath, and then he cried just like every other human baby. His face doesn’t give off any miraculous and divine light. He just looks like an ordinary human baby born in very lowly humble conditions.
But out in the field, we are told it’s a different story. An angel of the Lord came upon the shepherds. This is where God’s glory shone visibly that night. And it wasn’t comforting—not at first. The angel appeared. The glory of God shone around the shepherds. And the result was fear. This is already the third time in The Gospel According to Luke when an angel appears to a human (1:11; 1:28; 2:9). And all three times the angel has to say, “Fear not” (1:13; 1:30; 2;10). Now, why do angels always have to tell people to not be afraid? From what we learn in Scripture, some angels can be terrifying beings. There are different kinds of angels, and the Bible describes the appearance of some of them, and they don’t all look like humans with wings.
But their physical characteristics isn’t really the most frightening thing about them. Angels can be terrifying beings because they reflect the glory of God. In heaven these angels behold the face of God.
And when they come to earth, a fraction of that glory is reflected around them. A few miles away in the city of Bethlehem, God himself is laying in a manger. But his glory is not visibly seen, because the Godhead is veiled in human flesh. He looks humble. But out in the field, it’s a different story. There is no veil over the angel. This angel who beheld the face of God in heaven now radiates a fraction of that glory on earth. And it is overwhelming. So the shepherds are afraid.
At first only one angel appears. But that is enough. The glory of the Lord shone round about the shepherds. And their reaction was fear. You would fear too if you saw a glimpse of the glory of God. Suddenly, all our sins would be revealed by the penetrating light of God’s glory. We would have no excuse. And we would have no place to hide.
But the angel does not come to frighten or destroy. The angel comes to give a message and it is a good one at that. After all, that’s what angels are created to do. The word angel simply means, “Messenger.” They are messengers from God. And here, an angel of the Lord comes from God to make the most joyous announcement.
So it begins, “Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” (2:10). “Good tidings. Great joy. All people”.
This is how we know this good news is for us. The first audience for this wonderful message was the shepherds. And it was definitely a message of good news for them. But the angel knew these words would be remembered forever. They would be repeated by the shepherds (2:17), written down by Luke, heard all over the world every time someone goes to a Christmas Eve service, These words would be heard all over the world for thousands of years.
So the angel specifically states that this is good news for all people. The angel is making an announcement for the entire world. And we know that this message is for all of us and each of us, because the angel says so. When he says, “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (2:11).
Notice there are three terms the angel gives for this child: Savior, Christ, and Lord. And each of these terms carries a special meaning:
First, the meaning of savior, “He will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). This is what the angel had spoken to Joseph in The Gospel According to Matthew. This child is a Savior—a Deliverer—a Rescuer. He has come to rescue us from the things we are unable to save ourselves from. He is born to deliver us from our sins, from death, and from the power of satan. These are our three greatest enemies, and we are powerless against them. Without someone to come and deliver us, we would be lost for all eternity. Our sins separate us from God. But Jesus is the bridge between us and God! He is also “ the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) Under Mosaic law, the Jews offered ongoing sacrifices for their sins. Yet Christ provided the only sufficient payment once for all, to cover the sins of the world.
The second term the angel gives for Jesus is Christ. This is the same as the Hebrew term Messiah. It means, “Anointed One.” He is anointed by God and sent into the world. He is the one the prophets spoke of, and he is the one the entire Old Testament looks forward to and waits for. Jesus is the Christ.
And the third term the angel gives for Jesus is the most surprising: Lord. This refers to the Hebrew name Yahweh. Yahweh is the name God uses to identify himself in the Old Testament. And that is what the angel calls Jesus.
Jesus is not merely someone sent from God to be the Savior. Jesus is God. God the Son is sent by God the Father. God himself has come down to save us, and he has veiled himself in the flesh of humanity—born as a baby through the Virgin Mary by the mystery of incarnation. As we know from earlier in the book of Luke that Mary was a virgin, the Holy Spirit came down upon her and that which was conceived in her was the work of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:28-35)
Jesus was God Incarnate. He was both God and Human 100% simultaneously. John 1:14 says, “And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among u , ( and we beheld his glory as the only begotten of the Father,) full of Grace and truth.” 1 Timothy 3:16 , Paul said, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory”. Hebrew 4:15 says “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” If Jesus had just been Human his sacrifice would have no power and He would have been just another martyr just like thousands of others. If He was just God, His sacrifice would have been most likely unconvincing! But He was Human and He was God. Therefore, He was someone we all could relate to. He lived and suffered the ups and downs of this world , and was tempted like us but lived a sinless life to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
And just as the Angel announces: The good news is this, God himself has come down from heaven to be our Savior. “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
This was the message from Heaven that earth had been waiting to hear for thousands of years. He tells them that a Savior has been born. He tells them that the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, for Whom the world has waited since God made his promise (Gen. 3:15), has arrived. He tells them that the Lord has been born in Bethlehem! He also tells them where to find the child and how to recognize Him when they arrived where He was. What an announcement! The wait is over! Salvation will be accomplished, just as God had promised it would! And the announcement was made not to priests or rulers but to those lowly shepherds going about the ordinary business of life!
And then the angel gives the shepherds a sign. “This shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (2:10-12).
As soon as this angel finishes delivering Heaven’s message to the shepherds, he is joined by a great multitude of angels who sing praises to God and declare the truth that the message is indeed for all men!
After the Shepherds hear the news of the Savior’s birth, they immediately leave their sheep on the hillsides and run into the town of Bethlehem to find the Lord Jesus. When they arrive, they find everything to be just as the angel had said. What a picture of grace! Regardless of a person’s past or position in life there is still hope in Jesus for them. The Lord turns none away, but invites all who will come to meet Him and be saved by the grace of God! Jesus tells us in John 6:37 “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
As soon as the shepherds realize the magnitude of the things they have experienced, they begin to share the news with all they meet. They tell everyone about the Baby in the manger who is Christ the Lord. We are told those that heard the news from the Shepherds, wondered at the things that were told them.
One of the blessings of the Gospel is that it is too good to keep quiet about. As soon as you experience its power, you want others to experience it also. In fact, those who know the good news of salvation through Jesus are under divine obligation to share that good news with everyone they meet as they pass through life, (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8.) just as Jesus instructed his disciples to do before his departure from this earth!
The Savior, Christ the Lord, has come in humility. There is no place in all the city of Bethlehem for him, but a feeding trough for animals. He is rejected at his birth, and he will be rejected at his death. And at his death, there will be no place for him but a criminal’s cross outside the city gates of Jerusalem. He was born in humility, and he died in humility.
Therefore, the manger is the sign of his humility. He did not come to be ministered unto. It is certainly good for us to worship and praise him. And one day, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” (Phil 2:10) But that is not why He came as a humble infant. He came “not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28) The sole purpose for which he came was to die. He did this to pay for our sins. And he rose from the dead to open eternal life forever for all of us! He took the sting out of death as St. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 15:55, “O death where is thy sting. “Christ’s resurrection conquered sin and death!
As we celebrate the birth of the Christ child this Christmas, let us remember his humility. Also, let us remember what he came to do. He was born for us. He was crucified for us and He rose from the dead for us so we “might have life and might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) All we have to do is confess and repent our sins and accept HIM by faith!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
The Rev. Don Fultz+
AOC Worldwide Prayer List –
I have received updates from a few and those will be the first added to the list. Please send all prayer requests and updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for future reports. If you would like to be removed from list just respond with remove in the subject line.
Prayer Needed:
Sandy – broken Femur
Ophelia – crippling arthritis pain
Dennis Potrikus - fall with bad knees – recovering his rehab
Paul Meier – throat cancer- radiation treatment successful
Richard Bailey – Brain Cancer
Joyce Barnes – Skin Cancer – all went well, pray for continued recovery
Marilee – Mastectomy Update – raditional Treatment
Donna – ongoing radiation and Chemotherapy. Pray for successful remission
Roy – Bulging disc – upcoming surgery
Michelle – metasticized lung cancer – treatment ongoing
Extended Issues need continued prayer;
Laurie with long Covid Symptoms - Extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations, breathing problems and unstable blood pressures are constant worries causing depression to settle in.
Malcom Allred – Cancer Treatment
Betsey Lane – Betsy passed into the arms of her Lord this past week, please pray for Marianne, her daughter and family & friends.
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu-health issues, Jan Jessup-neuro dementia, AOC USA, AOC Missions, Harper-IBS ,
Jim Sevier- God’s
Peace, Linda –
multiple myeloma, pneumonia, Marianne, Betsey - Dementia
Donna-chemotherapy, Alicia-caregiver, Sophie, Colin and Lori Beall –
cancer, Toni – cancer,
Donna - cancer, Malou –
cancer, Archie, Eloise, Janice, Dakota, Katie, Finley, Mike & Gayle, Bobby, Effie, Kamil
