Sermon Summary for 5th Sunday in Trinity, 20 July 2025, the Anglican Orthodox Communion (Bishop Ogles)
5th Sunday Trinity Sermon Notes, 20 July 2025 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
“Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.” Luke 5:4
The Collect.
GRANT, O Lord, we beseech thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. AMEN”
Our Prayer of Collect today reminds that there does exist the possibility of a peaceable kingdom, but that Kingdom must find its governance in a Holy God and not a false one. The peace of God is a peace that cannot be comprehended through the designs and opinions of man: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7) Such a peace cannot be possessed by a people who are nominal Christians, but only by those who have taken on the Mind of Christ. His Mind does not vindictively pursue those who are ignorant of Him, but seeks them out in love to open their eyes to the Light that scatters the darkness and ennobles the soul.
This Prayer asks for a grant from the proper source – the Lord! GRANT, O Lord. You may beg alms from a pauper all you please, but your need will never be granted because the pauper has no means by which your prayer may be granted. If we have great need, with no means of satisfying within our own means, we must go to the One who has the resources to grant our request. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. ……. call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psalms 50:10, 11, 15)
Our petition is not an ultimatum for we have no grounds to demand anything of the Most High King. GRANT, O Lord, we beseech thee. Standing in the need of favors which we are powerless to acquire of our own volition, we approach the Throne of Grace as children begging for the mercy and favor of a loving Father. There is a different approach to that Throne being deceitfully preached from the sensational pulpits of America today that claims we can DEMAND anything of God and He is bound to grant the demand. What an evil and foolish lie. The very definition of a King is that He is Sovereign on His Throne. He may grant grace, or withhold mercy, to whom He pleases and for reasons that are His alone.
In our Epistle from 1st Peter, we are reminded of the great force for good, or for bad, is the tongue of man. Men have died at the gallows owing to a lying tongue. But the tongue is only the instrument whereby the deep treasures of the heart are expressed openly. Quite often, those expressions of the tongue arise from a heart of malice and cruelty rather than treasures of goodness and love. Harness the tongue and you will gain control of the vessel of your heart.
Our Gospel text for today has much to enlighten the hearts of both ministers and laity. Our Lord uses the illustration of the net often to describe the manner by which men are drawn by the Gospel.
First of all, like the righteous tongue (as compared to that wicked tongue), there are two major categories of nets – the evil net whereby men are drawn away from God, and the Gospel net by which men are taken up in the deep waters of the world.
Ecclesiastes 9:12 informs us of the evil net by which many are caught unexpectedly. “For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so [are] the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.” This net is fabricated by the Serpent of the Garden in his scheme to destroy the man which the Lord has made.
There is a secondary kind of this net whereby men attempt to do the work of the Lord under his own power without biblical support or the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
This secondary kind of net-fishing is exemplified by the efforts of Peter and the other disciples having fished all night (without the Light of Christ) and failing to catch a single fish. Many churches of our day have rejected the fulness of the Gospel and become more like the world in worship, preaching, and hymn-singing.Of course, the disciples were not yet aware of the fulness of the Gospel to fill their nets.
In the second place, the net which is cast by the believers under the command and leading of our Lord will certainly draw the desired catch.Thus, when the Lord commands it, the results are quite different – the nets will be filled with all manner of fish – large and small. It is the power of the Gospel of Christ that draws men to Himself and not the personal power of the messengers.
Notice that the Lord commands Peter to cast out into the deep. It may be of greater comfort to remain ashore and enjoy the fruits of man’s labor, but not for the devout believer – and especially those whom He has called as ministers. Cast off from the comfort and presumed security of the home and hearth of the mundane and dare to get into the depth of God’s Word and the preaching of it. The reception in the deep may not always be friendly or favorable; yet, all things that grow must undergo the pains thereof. A tiny seed must germinate in the darkness of the soil until tit sprouts begins to reach earnestly for the light above. If that light is block by stone or concrete, the tiny seedling will persevere to penetrate even those obstructions until it burst forth into the brightness of the sun by which it is nourished with a daily ration of light.
Cast off into the deep – away from the sometimes ‘madding crowd.’ This separation from the world is required of both the believer as well as those that are called to the ministry. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” 2 Corinthians 6:17 Though we must be IN the world, we must not be partakers of its sin and wickedness.
We learn, too, that it is of great importance for the fisherman to be trained in the use of a net. There are different kinds of net designed to catch either small or very large fish. The fisherman’s skill in knowing how to cast the net, and where, is vitally important. So, it is with the minister of God in the preaching of the Gospel. We must go where the need is great, and we must preach the Word of God in kindness but frankness.
Well, now that we have a full net “of all kinds,” we must realize that every fish we catch may not be fit for the serving. It is true in church as well. Our Lord tells us: “47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:47-50
Though many are highly regarded in church for their character, and admired for their status in life, the Church cannot judge by the outward appearance. Many will tread the Broad Way in glittering garments whose hearts are filled with shame. That does not mean that the Church does not judge open sin, for we are commanded so to do. “Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?” 1 Corinthians 6:3 But we cannot judge the heart of any whose sin is not visibly evident. That remains the domain of God. So how do we judge? “24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24 What is righteous judgment? It is the Word of God by which sin is defined – not personal opinion. But, if God calls anything a sin, we MUST agree with God and do likewise – not in malice, but in love.
Now, if we have learned some deeper truth from our casting off into the deep, and following the will of the Lord in our fishing, surely the reward for our catch will far outweigh the safety of the shore dwellers.
. AMEN.
