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Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above.
We are in the Easter Season which consists of Easter and the following four Sundays, through Rogation Sunday. This is a time we should work on centering our lives on the central figure in our religion, Jesus Christ. Today, we recall the memories of two of the great apostles, Philip and James and supersede the normal propers with those dedicated to the two.
Consider these words from the Collect:
… Grant us perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life; that, following the steps of thy holy Apostles, Saint Philip and Saint James, we may stedfastly walk in the way that leadeth to eternal life…
We ask God to give us perfect knowledge that his Son, our Savior, Jesus the Christ of God, is the truth, and the life we seek, we need and in fact require to be truly happy or at one with Him. We ask that, so like Philip and James we might stedfastly walk in the way that leadeth to eternal life. What is The Way, The Truth, and The Life?
The Way
These terms are really intertwined. Jesus way of living, His approach to life in general, His priorities, His way of thinking, His sense of duty, His sense of honor. All these things are represented by The Way.
The Truth
Jesus, like His Father whom we call our God, is perfect, thus always truthful, thus His story never changes, His standards never change, He does not evolve. When He says something it is right and it stays right.
The Life
Jesus created the earth and all that is therein. The Holy Ghost breathed life into the world and it was. He came into this world in human form knowing how He would leave. He did this that we might have life everlasting starting the very instant we accepted Him into our souls. Think about the scripture, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) Many have participated in actions that meant almost certain death to save or rescue comrades, friends or family. But, to come into this world, to assume the form of a human being, which for the Son of God must have been like us assuming the identity of a monkey or maybe a cockroach, to live in a time of hardship amongst people who for the most part barely got along, to try to lead them to God and then die a terrible death on the Cross at the hands of the very people he came to save. To do all that knowingly, with full knowledge aforethought. That is the action of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In the Epistle James mentions that in times of trials and difficulty, our patience will be tested and we will need all the patience we can get. Therefore, he urges us to ask God for that patience, that we might withstand those trails and temptations. He says if we have any trouble with wisdom in our situations, to ask God and the Holy Ghost for that wisdom and they will provide. We just have to allow the Holy Ghost into our hearts so he might spread that wisdom into our hearts and souls. James goes on to say we must have conviction in our faith and not waver. He says the one who wavers is not sure or steady within their faith and can call to the slightest temptations.
Then I think we should ask for God to strengthen our faith, that we can resist all temptations and endure all the trials and difficulties of this world. Our eternal life with God will be worth all of the pain and suffering we have to endure here on Earth.
Speaking of eternal life with God, the Gospel mentions that Jesus is going to prepare places for us with God. He assures us that if he is going to prepare a place for us, that means he will come back for us to escort us to those places. Thomas then asks Him saying they did not know where he was going and how would we know the way?
Jesus responds to Him saying He is the One Way, and no man can come unto the father but by Him. What does that mean for people of other faiths? We do not know and cannot know for sure. All we know for sure, is that Jesus is our way and there is no other way to get to heaven but by Him. Phillip then asks Him to show them God the Father and that would suffice.
Jesus responds with if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father which goes into the Triune God concept. He mentions the words that he speaks, he speaks not from himself, but from the Father who dwelleth within Him. We do not know exactly how this works, but we must trust and believe what Jesus says.
He goes onto to point out whoever truly does believe in Him, will do actions like Jesus would act, because they would have the faith of Jesus. He mentions that this would be possible when He goes to the Father. This would seem be be a prelude of sorts to the Holy Ghost coming down at Pentecost, when He makes His First Appearance. The message of Jesus is clear, whosever believes on Him, would do actions that reflect that of Christ and His Faith. Jesus is calling us to action here, not just talk the talk, but we must walk the walk as well.
Do ye likewise:
ACT
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
