TWO SEED AND FOUR SOILS, sermon Notes for Sexagesima Sunday, 23 February 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

The Collect

Sexagesima Sunday

O LORD God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do; Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

            Today’s Prayer of Collect, in brief, prays that the Lord can acknowledge our lack of trust in the arm of flesh and our own works, but attribute all power and defense to His Holy Will in our lives. In the eyes of the Lord, our righteousness is as filthy rags because we can do no good work part from Christ working in and through us.

 

            In the Epistle, taken from 2 Corinthians 11:19-31 (not copied here), Paul outlines the many sufferings and struggles he has experienced in ministering the Word of God to diverse regions and people. It serves as a great revelation of the great war that is taking place upon the earth between the relentless slings and arrows of the Adversary and the people of God. As the disciples of Christ, we have sworn allegiance to the King of Kings, and our service contract is ‘for the duration of the conflict’ which will end at the Coming of Christ. In that conflict, we may perceive setbacks on the line, but those are only steps to the final victory.

 

4 ‘And when much people were gathered together, and were come to Him out of every city, He spake by a parable: 5. A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and the fowls at the air devoured it. 6. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8. And other fell on good ground. and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when He had said these things, He cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9. And His disciples asked Him, saying, What might this parable be? 10. And He said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11. Now the parable is this; The seed is the word of God. 12. Those by the way-side are they that hear: then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13. They on the rock are they which, when they hear, receive the word with Joy; and them have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14. And that which fall among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit, with patience.” Luke 8:4-15

 

            Jesus spoke often ion Parables the purpose of which was to impart the sublime truths of grace, redemption, and retribution.       

            There are only two general categories of seed growing in the fields (hearts) of men – those of the Adversary, or those of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is the Word and, as such, He is the Good Seed which the Sower sows in his field. He is the Master Sower, and His disciples are the servant-sowers of the Word, too. The seed of the Adversary naturally exists already in those soils and only the Master Sower can discern the difference in their growth.

            As followers of Christ, we need to be alert to those different kinds of soils (or hearts) upon which the true Seed falls and to understand the reasons for the rejection of that precious Seed by the greater numbers of men. 

            The Sower sows without distinction of soils. All soils have received the Seed, but the results vary with the kind of soils upon which those Seed fall. 

            When the farmer plants a crop, the soil must be prepared and cultivated. Rocks and weeds must be removed to whatever extent possible. The field must be hedged about to protect against varmints. In this way, the field is just like the hearts of men that must be prepared to hear the Gospel through preaching and the drawing power of the Holy Ghost. But there are fields that are simply lacking in many ways as good soil for planting. The soil may be too rocky, too acidic, too dry, too overgrown with weeds and briars, etc. But we cannot know the soils unless we at least plant the seed and observe if the Holy Spirit will germinate the seed in the darkness of the earth. 

            Let us observe the four kinds of soil here illustrated by our Lord:

 

1.     The First Soil: “ . . . some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and the fowls at the air devoured it.”The heart that is impenetrable or never impressed by the divine truth. These are men whose hearts are indifferent to the Gospel and who listen in careless abandon or even open rebellion thereto. These have no time for the foolishness of preaching. The Seed cannot even take root in such hearts. Their patron father, the Devil, snatches up the Seed immediately since it is left exposed without cover or care. These are the ones who fill bars and nightclubs while the churches remain unattended. 

 

2.     The Second Soil: “And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.” These are hearts that lack a depth of top-soil and are filled with the hard rocks of sinful sinners with whom they associate closely. They may rejoice at the hearing of the Word, but are easily deterred from the path of righteousness when temptations arise. They have a superficial interest in the truth, but, by-and-by, forget it the moment temptation arises. Their souls are dry of the oil of the Holy spirit to nourish and sustain growth. These may make a public confession of Christ without truly knowing the One in whom they claim to place their trust. Shallow and shakable are these.

 

3.     The Third Soil: “.And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.” The seeds of thorns and tares are always present, even in the good soil, but these flourish beyond control in the hearts of those whose attraction to the things of the world outweigh all other considerations. They allow themselves to be smothered out by the cares and illicit desires of the world. Their self-wills remain in the bondage of sin, and there is no such thing as a Free Will apart from that perfect law of Liberty assured by the very Author of Liberty, our Lord Jesus Christ. Only when our self-wills are surrendered to Him can we claim a will that is free.

 

4.     The Fourth Soil: “And other fell on good ground. and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.”  I need not remind the bible scholars reading this devotion of the necessity of a seed to die to self in order to produce an abundance of fruit. The good ground is that whose natures are receptive to truth and love. The Good Seed has a tiny kernal of life enclosed in a shell casing of nutrients to give hope of survival until the seedling burst forth into a rich environment of loamy soil.. But the soil must be good in order to continue to nourish the seed plant as it struggles in the darkness of the earth to escape its earthly confines and spring into the brightness of the glorious Sun of righteousness.  How like the true believer is this soil and its response to the Good Seed. We come from the dust of the earth, yet we have a soul that struggles in the darkness of the world until the Stranger of Galilee calls our names and we are made anew in the light of His Word.

 

The honest and good heart is not subject to the vicissitudes of the three other soils. It thrives on truth and love which it could only know by means of the Word of God informed and enlightened by the Holy Ghost. It is my prayer that this fourth soil represents the heart of all who read these sermon notes. 

 

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN

 SHEPHERD OF SOULS, REFRESH AND BLESS; a hymn for Quinquagesima Sunday, 25 February 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

“For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Hebrews 2:10

 

            This is yet another hymn with both lyrics and music that combine to create an atmosphere of reverence and dignity. The author of the lyrics is James Montgomery (1771-1854) – a Scottish cleric. The tune, St. Agnes,  is the composition of John B. Dykes (10 March 1823 – 22 January 1876) and was written for the hymn, Jesus the very thought of Thee. The name Dykes chose for this tune is worthy of mention. He named it for St. Agnes, a young Roman Christian girl who, according to St. Ambrose, was martyred in 304 at the age of 13 years of age for refusing to yield to the immoral approaches of young noblemen who reported her as a Christian. She was led naked from her home to a brothel. The magistrate ordered her burned; however, the flames parted without touching her body. A Roman guard then beheaded her with his sword. Such was the courage of many Christians during those terrifying and troubling times.

 

SHEPHERD OF SOULS, REFRESH AND BLESS

1 Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless
Your chosen pilgrim flock
With manna in the wilderness,
With water from the rock.

 

2 We would not live by bread alone,
But by your word of grace,
In strength of which we travel on
To our abiding place.

 

3 Be known to us in breaking bread,
But do not then depart;
Savior, abide with us, and spread
Your table in our heart.

 

4 Lord, sup with us in love divine;
Your body and your blood,
That living bread, that heav'nly wine,
Be our immortal food.

 

1 Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless Your chosen pilgrim flock With manna in the wilderness, With water from the rock. Christ is the shepherd and Bishop of our souls. He has shepherded His sheep beside the still waters and fed them in green pastures. He has even laid down His precious life for the lambs whom the Father has placed in His hand. He has fed us abundantly in wilderness sands and watered us with the Fountain of the Waters of Life. Unlike the manna that God sent down to His people in the wilderness journey, Christ is the Bread and Manna that literally came down from Heaven to feed all who partake freely. We are in this world, but not of this world. We are as pilgrims seeking a city, and that is the City of God.

2 We would not live by bread alone, But by your word of grace, In strength of which we travel on To our abiding place. We feed upon the grasses and knolls of God on the Bread of Heaven; and that Bread is every Word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ is that Word Incarnate! His Word is all of grace, and grace is freely granted to the elect of God – His sheep. Our true home is not of this world but of the heights of the Celestial City. Our spiritual nourishment is His daily word and, in the strength, and grace of that Word we are made to run and not grow weary.

3 Be known to us in breaking bread, But do not then depart; Savior, abide with us, and spread Your table in our heart. His elect gather to feed at His Communion Table which is right and proper for all families to dine together. In the elements of Bread and Wine we recognize His spiritual presence always abiding with and among us. He abides in the hearts of His chosen and never leaves nor forsakes. His Temple is in the chambers of our hearts from which His love rules our ways.

4 Lord, sup with us in love divine; Your body and your blood, That living bread, that heav'nly wine, Be our immortal food. This stanza reminds us of the two on the Road to Emmaus who walked unknowingly with Christ who revealed all the Law and Prophets concerning Himself; yet His identity was still hidden from them until, at their insistence, He abode at their home and broke bread. When our Lord handed the Bread to the two men, immediately, their eyes were opened, and they knew Him. He may come to us in the same way. In our hours of great sorrow and despondency, He walks right beside us even if we may not recognize His presence. At the end of our sorrows, He makes His face to shine upon us and makes us glad.

 

 

JOYFUL,JOYFUL, WE ADORE THEE; Hymn Devotion for next Sexagesima Sunday, 18 February 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are ^shonest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.   Philippians 4:8

 

            If there ever was a hymn of praise, this would lead the field. It combines wonderful biblical truths with the immortal composition of Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony – last movement – of the same title. The lyrics were composed by Henry van Dyke for President Garfield (U.S. President) in 1907. “”Henry Van Dyke’s brilliant hymn of praise has many layers that add to the beauty of his text. As hymnologist Albert Bailey writes, within Van Dyke’s text, “creation itself cannot conceal its joy, and that joy is appreciated by God the center of it all; likewise all nature fills us with joy, caused fundamentally by our recognition of God as the giver””  Hymnary.org

JOYFUL,JOYFUL, WE ADORE THEE

 

1 Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow'rs before Thee,
Op'ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

 

2 All Your works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heav'n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Praising Thee eternally!

 

3 Always giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Loving Father, Christ our Brother,
Let Thy light upon us shine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

 

4 Mortals, join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
God's own love is reigning o’er us,
Joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.

 

1 Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love; Hearts unfold like flow'rs before Thee,
Op'ning to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day!  These lines represent pure praise to God without any appeal to the physical desires of man. The rose blooms on the sunny side, and the Sunflower turns its head to the sun as it transits the sun. God is our Light and our Sun. The morning clouds dissipate before the warm rays of the rising Sun, just as hate and malice melt away in the converted heart. Just as the traveler doubts his next footstep in the darkness of the mountain valley, so, the pilgrim in the valley of the shadow of death. But to the Christian pilgrim, God is the lamp unto his feet and the light unto his path. He travels securely and certainly through the valley and up the mountain slope.

2 All Your works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav'n reflect Thy rays, Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise; Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain Praising Thee eternally! I find the manner in which the words and music of this hymn so completely unite in an offering of praise to God remarkable. Beethoven, blind and absent any music composition for ten years composed this music in the latter years of his life – blind and despondent. But God save the best wine in Beethoven’s life for the last part – and even this movement is the last in his 9^th symphony. Henry van Dyke obviously had his spiritual ear trumpet to heaven at the writing of these beautifully descriptive lyrics. All of nature gives evidence of its Creator and evinces a sense of beauty and comfort in all of its manifestations. The singing of birds, the roaring of the restless sea – all give voice to the singing of the angels. God has placed a flowing fountain of living waters in every vale.

3 Always giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest, Well-spring of the joy of living, Ocean-depth of happy rest! Loving Father, Christ our Brother, Let Thy light upon us shine; Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine. The grace and mercies of God are without limits to those who trust in Him. Just as the sun draws the vapors of water into Heaven to dissipate into life-giving rain, so does He lift the hearts of believers on high to be a blessing and a testimony to the mundane world. That beautiful old hymn on the ‘Love of God” wonderfully describes its measure as follows:

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
and were the skies of parchment made;
were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill,
and ev’ryone a scribe by trade;
to write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry;
nor could the scroll contain the whole,
though stretched from sky to sky.

4 Mortals, join the mighty chorus, Which the morning stars began; God's own love is reigning o’er us,
Joining people hand in hand. Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife; Joyful music leads us sunward In the triumph song of life. What a privilege for mortals to have voices that can be lifted to the ears and chorus of angels. Those angelic voices still sing since Creation morning as of old, “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:7 Our prayers are heard at the highest seat in Heaven, too. We are being prepared for that great feast and banquet of the end of the space/time continuum. Our shield and banner is love. “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” Song of Solomon 2:4 But not deceived, we have complete and unconditional victory in Christ, the Captain and Bishop of our souls. Not only is He our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, and King, but He is also our closely-held Brother. 

            No one can deny the power and beauty of both the musical score of Beethoven and the uplifting lyrics of Henry van Dyke. Who can deny that this combination of music and words were not informed of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 

 WINNERS & LOSERS, Sermon Notes for 16 February 2025 Anno Domini (Septuagesima), the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

The Epistle. 1 Corinthians ix. 24.

KNOW 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.

 

            Today’s texts in both the Epistle and the Gospel are about the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and how strangely different, and alike, to the life of the Church and her adherents. In the Epistle, Paul draws an analogy between the Christian walk and a competitive race. He makes several salient comparisons such as the fact that ALL must run in the race of life – either of the Church, or the world; otherwise, a race is not a race. There are certain characteristics that distinguish those who run:

1.     In the life of the Church, all must participate just as all must run who are in the race of life. We run not for an earthly crown, but an incorruptible one. There is a required starting point. For the Christian, that begins at salvation and baptism.

2.     In the Church, we have a particular goal to which we run – that of the sanctified life. But in the race of the Christian life, all who run to the finish line, win. 

3.     Preparation: If a man or woman are going to compete meaningfully in an athletic competition, strenuous preparation must be made over time – there are no novice champions in the marathon of life. So, in the Church must our race be based on a love of God and a knowledge of His Word. 

4.     Temperance: A good soldier, athlete, physician, or sea-captain, must exercise a temperate disposition under all circumstances. The athletic runner is not concerned about the endurance of his competitors, but of his own performance. He is focused on the objective and not the fellow runners. 

5.     Seriousness: The life of a Christian, and an athletic competitor, must take his effort seriously. He has no time for doubt – he has prepared for the race and will now apply his skills to the effort. 

6.     Self-control: The body wearies to near exhaustion in a marathon race, but victory is only possible if the runner pushed his physical abilities to the limit. The Christian, too, must keep his body under the more important matters of the soul and spirit.

 

The Gospel. St. Matthew xx. 1.

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. 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 market-place, 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, beause I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

 

            Our Lord Jesus Christ undertakes to teach His disciple a different lesson in the Gospel text – one that is completely adverse to the ways of the world. We are so accustomed to measuring people, events, and character by worldly achievement and financial accomplishment. We want EXACTLY what we believe we deserve. We often have a much higher opinion of ourselves than is the true value – especially in the eyes of God. We believe that justice should be bent in our favor, and we view the sins of our fellows with the 

eyes of an eagle, and our own sins with the sense of a mole. 

            In the preceding chapter 19 of the Gospel of St Matthew (I will abbreviate its full meaning), Jesus was approached by a rich young ruler who came running and knelt before Jesus (Mark 10:17). He asked Jesus, Master (teacher), what shall I do to inherent eternal life? The young man came running (in the right way), he knelt as was proper before divinity, but his address to our Lord and it question was amiss. Jesus tested him to see if the boy recognized Him as the son of God. He should have referred to Jesus as Lord if he knew who He truly was. Jesus exposed his ignorance by responding: “you know the Commandments” – and he cited those of our duties to our fellows. But He left out those that relate to our duties to God. Herein is a deep lesson. If we do not love our fellow man, we cannot love God. 

1 John 4:20

            “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?” The young ruler was blinded to his duties to God by his wealth. Anything that eclipses God from our hearts is an idol.

            In the end, the ruler refused to sell all that he owned and to follow Christ. Many in the modern church who profess Christ are doing the same thing. It is not the money or wealth that is evil, but the love of it above all other considerations. 

            Jesus then remarked on the difficulty of the rich to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.  In amazement, the disciples asked, How can any be saved?” to which our Lord responded, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Now, here follows the point of our Lord’s parable about the vineyard of Matthew 20: The disciples had observed this matter of the rich young ruler with amazement and deep thought. Now their concerns turned upon what advantage they may have in forsaking all and following Christ. 

            We often feel that our conduct has been above and beyond th=e call of duty for a Christian believer. But Christ sets the record straight. “Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, ^pjudging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. ³⁰ But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” 

            The parable of Matthew 20, reflects the same principle concerning undue expectations. The Kingdom of God is not based upon seniority of time and service, but the state of the heart in coming to Christ – even as the thief on the cross. He lived a life of sin and rebellion. Now he is nailed to the cross and cannot lift a finger in doing any good works; but the Lord received him into paradise even before his disciples had the privilege.

            The owner of the vineyard had made a contract with the first workers for a penny (a day’s salary at the time). Those who came later in the day had no such contract. At conclusion of work, the last were paid a penny. Those who had worked all day believed that they should receive more than that agreed upon earlier. They were acting our of envy and greed. The vineyard owner had not responsibility to pay them more than the agreed sum even if ghe gave those who worked more briefly the same. This principle may lend meaning to the justice of labor unions. 

            If I join the Church at age twelve, and work diligently for many years, there may come a new member who has recently experienced a conversion to Christ. He is old and can only serve in the Church briefly. Though he has come at the last, he may be rewarded first in the Kingdom of Heaven. Our works will not save even our little finger. We are “saved by grace and not of works lest any man should boast.”

            In the race of life, we strive to do our utmost in running the good race and finishing our course. We must forever keep the goal in mind of finishing with a good heart and satisfied soul that we have done our very best. No more than our best can be expected of any man. But we are also taught in the parable of the vineyard that it is not the measure of our labors that are measured in the sales, but the condition of the hearts of the laborers. More importantly, it is the generosity of the Owner of the Vineyard that adjudicates our just reward. We may be last at the pay window, but first to enter into our reward.

 

O COME, LET US SING UNTO THE LORD; an Epiphany hYmn, 11 February 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

¹ O come, let us sing unto the Lord: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. ² Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. ³ For the Lord is a great God, And a great King above all gods. ⁴ In his hand are the deep places of the earth: The strength of the hills is his also. ⁵ The sea is his, and he made it: And his hands formed the dry land. ⁶ O come, let us worship and bow down: Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. ⁷ For he is our God; And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, ⁸ Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, And as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: ⁹ When your fathers ^qtempted me, Proved me, and saw my work. ¹⁰ Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, And said, It is a people that do err in their heart, And they have not known my ways: ¹¹ Unto whom I sware in my wrath That they should not enter into my rest.   Psalms 95:1-11

 

            This is hymn # 131 in the Korean Protestant Hymnal and is a paraphrase of the 95^th Psalm using an Irish tune. It is also repeated responsively in the daily Morning Prayer of the Book of Common Prayer (the Venite, exultemus Domino). The Psalm, and this paraphrase, emphasizes the importance of reverence and dignity before the Lord in both Song and Worship, and is included in the Scottish Psalter of 1650.

                               

O COME, LET US SING UNTO THE LORD

1. O come, let us sing to the Lord,
To Him our voices raise;
With joyful noise let us the Rock
Of our salvation praise.

2. Let us before His presence come
With praise, and thankful voice;
Let us sing psalms to Him with grace,
And make a joyful noise.

3. For God's a great God, and great King;
Above all gods He is.
The depths of earth are in His hand;
Our heights of hills are His.

4. O, come, and let us worship Him;
Let us bow down, withal,
And on our knees before the Lord,
Our Master, let us fall.
Amen.

 

1. O come, let us sing to the Lord, To Him our voices raise; With joyful noise let us the Rock Of our salvation praise.This is the great epitome of worship and praise of His creatures. It is our greatest form of worship directed to the greatest Being, Almighty God. True worship is joyful – not because of who is performing it, but the One to whom our worship is directed. It is not man-centered entertainment, but god centered worship in word and Song. He is that great Immovable Rock of our Salvation. The Christian bears a strong relation to God – he is a chip (or stone) off that Great Rock bearing a likeness and similar nature in the composition of that Rock. Being sons and daughters, the Christian must be mindful of that Sovereign Father to whom he has vowed his love and allegiance.

2. Let us before His presence come With praise, and thankful voice; Let us sing psalms to Him with grace, And make a joyful noise. Does the modern-day worshipper realize that attending worship in our churches is coming before the Presence of the Lord? If it is His House, it is where His Presence is most closely felt. Gratitude is evidence of true-hearted worship – gratitude in all things and circumstances. Our singing should reflect reverence and dignity, not the mellow, sensuous pabulum of man-centered songs that reflect little Holy Scripture and less spirit. Coming before His Presence will cause our unbecoming yokes to be lifted and bring joy.

3. For God's a great God, and great King; Above all gods He is. The depths of earth are in His hand; Our heights of hills are His. He is the Great God and King of the Universe and distant stretches beyond the limits of deep space. His presence is on the mountain heights and in the very depths of the sea and earth. He made all. All of the natural world and its laws obey Him. 

4. O, come, and let us worship Him; Let us bow down, withal, And on our knees before the Lord, Our Master, let us fall. Amen. The appeal is from worshipper to another – O, come, and let us worship Him. We should be mindful of our fellow Christians and of their importance to attend to their duties of worship at church. Let us bow down before the Lord, not only in physical pose, but in our heart of hearts. We fall down before Him by rejecting our own selfish desires and lust and taking His Will upon us to obey. He is our Maker, and He is our Bridegroom to whom the Church is Bride. “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

 The Two Families, Sermon Notes for 5^th Sunday after Epiphany, 9 February 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

The Collect. 

O LORD, we beseech thee to keep thy Church and household continually in thy true religion; that they who do lean only upon the hope of thy heavenly grace may evermore be defended by thy mighty power; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. Colossians iii. 12. 

PUT on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 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. 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.

The Gospel. St. Matthew xiii. 24. 

THE kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Today’s lectionary text reflects the patience of Christ in His dealing with those of the church – both the  faithful and hypocritical. But there is also a reflection on two kinds of seed. In the first Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-16, the seed is the Word of God; however, in the parable of today, the seed represent those in the church. The field is the world. The first Sower is Christ – the second sower is the devil. 

The seed of wheat represents the true and faithful Christian in the Church; but there is also present in the church a false Christian whose appearance and cunning appear to be genuine, but is as shallow as a silver plated dinner service. The false professor cannot be easily discerned from the true. The tares (Arabic, suwin) resemble the wheat so exactly at its early growth that the farmer risks destroying the wheat along with the tares if he attempts to separate them. As the tares and wheat grow to fruition, the difference becomes more apparent, but too late to remove. The heads of wheat bow their heads filled with grain while the tares shoot proudly straight up without any fruit whatsoever. 

Of course, the Sower of wheat will gather the tares at the last and separate them from the wheat before gathering the good wheat. The tares are bundled up and put to the fire. It is true of the souls of men as well.

Our Lord often castigated the Jewish rulers, Scribes and Pharisees for their overt hypocrisy. These represented th tares in the field (or church). They had a firm of godliness but denied the power thereof. They were false professor who enjoyed a false respect of the people for their so-called righteousness. They were pretentious and false plants in the Garden of the Kingdom.

Our Lord took a serious and condemning view of these imposters:

JOHN 8:38-45
38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

This passage is significant in pointing out the two different families in the world and Kingdom of God. They did, indeed, have a father; but that father was the devil just as is true of all who know not God as Father. This clearly reveals two different families – and only two. We belong to the wheat or else the tares. Two very different families and two very different kinds of seed. At Eden, the seed of the serpent was first evinced to the ruin of the paradise of God. The serpent is the devil, and he is the father of lies.

Galatians 3:26-29

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.  We are all made one in Christ regardless our blood, race, tribe, or nationality. That is the ONLY interpretation that can be gleaqned from Paul’s Epistle.

 

Let us cease to puzzle over genealogies and races of people. IT is not the flesh but the spirit that seals us as Christians, or marks us as belonging to Lucifer.

The term "Abraham's seed" appears in the Bible in several places, including Galatians 3:29 and Romans 9:7. According to Galatians 3:16, the promise was made to Abraham and his seed, which is Christ. Therefore, if you belong to Christ, you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. Not all who are of Israel are Israel, and not all who are the seed of Abraham are children. 

Romans 9:6-8 (KJV) 6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 

Whose child art you, God the Father, or the dark Prince of the Air?

In Christ Alone during EPIPHANY,

 † Jerry Ogles

Presiding Bishop.