Worldwide Communion
Third Sunday after Trinity
June 21, 2026
Sunday Report
Sunday
Third Sunday after Trinty
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 188-190.
The Collect for the Third Sunday after Trinity.
O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Epistle for Third Sunday after Trinity. I St. Peter v. 5.
ALL of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen
The Gospel for Second Sunday after Trinity. St. Luke xv. 1.
THEN drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
On Point:
"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee." Num. 6:24.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning," writes St. James. (Jas. 1, 17.) God the Father, then, is the Fountain of all life and blessing. From Him come all temporal and spiritual gifts that bless the life of man. While Israel was traveling to the Promised Land through the dreary wilderness, the priest pronounced this blessing upon them after each morning and evening sacrifice. But so many of the Israelites did not believe it and accept it and hence did not prosper. The Lord's promises never fail. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not the true and everlasting Word of our God. So when He says that He will bless us when His name is pronounced upon us, He will do so. Alas! so many no longer believe it, and hence never succeed in life. They have not, because they do not seek and accept, God's enriching blessing. Again, the blessing reads : "The Lord keep thee." He, the Keeper of Israel, never slumbers nor sleeps. He still has His holy angels to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. He still can and does send them forth to protect His believing children all their days and in all their ways, that they do not dash their feet against a stone. Oh, what soul-reviving comfort it is to know that God still sends His guardian angel hosts to protect us on our weary journey through the wilderness of this world of sin and danger! Let us daily take our refuge under this protecting blessing of our heavenly Father, and no evil will come nigh us.
The Lord, my God, be praised,
My Light, my Life from heaven,
My Maker, who to me
Hath soul and body given.
My Father, who protects
My life from infancy,
And mighty gifts of love
Hath e'er bestowed on me.
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
Weekend Video Devotion: Ready to Forgive
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/06/youtube-video-player_0938529422.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g1K5-NmOno&t=3s
PASTORAL PRAYER: (found scribbled in one of my father's old books - J. Ogles)
Almighty God, our desire is that we may put our trust in thee, then shall our life be safe, and our hope shall be as a light that cannot be blown out.
Hear us when we cry for thy presence throughout our whole life. Increase in us the aversion which holiness feels for sin, increase in us all sacred thirst and hunger, that our desire may be after God in great vehemence and expectation, and satisfy us early with thy lovingkindness and plentifully bless us with thy Holy Spirit.
We commend one another to thy gentle care. Leave none without a blessing. Let the old man renew his youth, and on this opening summer day recall the spring of his gladdest life. Speak to the busy man, lest he should forget eternity in consequence of his devotion to dying time — on the young let the dew of thy blessing and the light of thy sanctification rest all the days of their lives. Heal the broken-hearted, cleanse those who are tormented with devils, curb the unholy passion, and finally destroy it.
Hear the prayers that cannot be spoken, that are too sacred for words, that go up to Heaven in pleading, yearning sighs, and answer such according to the tenderness of thine own grace.
Re-ordain every minister of the gospel, consecrate him afresh to his holy work, bind him with sevenfold cords to the one altar that is alone worth serving. Upon all the churches of the redeemed, by whatsoever names known among men, let grace, mercy and peace constantly abide.
Bring in the day when we shall see that all truth ripens into love, and that in so far as we fall short of love we fall short of truth.
The Lord give us the blessing we most need; the light appropriate to the day, the music that will bring all our circumstances into happy consonance with his own purposes. Send messages from the sanctuary to the sick chambers, to the lonely room, to the dark prison, to the troubled sea, to our wanderers in foreign lands, to those further wanderers, who follow the devil’s lure. And all in the name and for he sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior we ask. Amen.
FATHER
~ June 21 ~
“Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Galatians 4:1-7)
Flesh and blood fathers are important. In fact, next to a mother, they are the most important of all human kind. But we do have a Father that combines both qualities of father and mother into one personage – God the Father. He gave birth to us through his creative genius beginning at Eden and continuing into the present time. He is the author of all mortal life. But he is also author of all who are born of the Spirit. This excludes the greater number of all human beings born upon the face of the earth. It is only in a limited sense that he is Father to all mankind, for his fatherhood is conditional. He is Father to all in the sense of being their maker, but he is Father to the elect only in the eternal sense of being the Father with whom we may spend that eternity. We strongly consider the doctrine of the Universalist to be grave error that all that is born of woman is saved.
Everyone who has had any close relationship with a father will admit that they have been much influenced by his teaching and character in the way they express themselves, the things they believe by faith, and the daily mannerisms they exhibit. I remember the daily conversations I enjoyed with my father during which he taught me the importance of reading books, his exploits during the Second World War, and, most importantly, how to read and understand the Holy Bible. I believe my father shaped my faith and beliefs more than any other single influence in my life. My father could explain biblical doctrine better than any clergyman I have known. He only experienced some difficulty in reconciling controversial church practices with biblical warrant for the same. He owned the strong quality of believing what he believed without being shaken by any non-biblical sources such as the educated’ opinions of men. He was a rock of his faith, and he had made his mind up early not to hear any voices that contradicted his faith in biblical truth. For the longest time, I believed that my father was the most intelligent man alive. He was well-read, and held firmly to his beliefs. Even so, he still comes close to that image today though he passed from this world more than ten years ago.
But we all can have a Father whose wit, wisdom, and knowledge surpass all others – in fact; He is the epitome of wisdom. All truth and knowledge emanate from that great mind which is the mind of God. The stars in their orbits, the galactic universes, the sun, moon, and earth were all flung into their places by his knowing finger. He spoke, and it was done!
We who have heard the call of Christ and responded are privileged to have a special relationship with the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is Savior, Redeemer, King, Counselor, and even Father to us; but Christ is also our closest kin – a brother who sticks closer than any earthly brother. Having the privilege to call the same Father of our Lord our own Father is the most miraculous grace we can enjoy. The privilege was not granted to the people of God until Christ came and made those who have come by grace and faith to the throne of mercy his brothers and sisters. That sacrificial blood relationship we enjoy in Christ far surpasses any mortal blood relationship we have with close family and kin.
Bishop Jerry Ogles, Daily Devotion p. 172
Happy Father's Day God
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Roy Morales-Kuhn, Bishop and Pastor
Saint Paul's Anglican Church - Diocese of the Midwest Anglican Orthodox Church -Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
Morning Prayer – Third SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Psalms 25; FIRST LESSON: Proverbs. 16:18-24,32; SECOND LESSON: Philippians 1:27-2:4
O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
hymns #402, 549, 156
I’d like you to notice the over-arching theme of the three scripture readings for today. There is a sense of humility, peacefulness, and a warning or two to keep us focused on why we are believers. In the Psalm, David it asking for both protection from his enemies and knowledge of God’s way, a sense of wisdom. In this David seeks peace.
13His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. +15Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. 16Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. 17The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
He is troubled on all sides by those who seek to hurt him, they want him dead or at least harmed, he reaches out to his God and asks for safety and salvation in a painful and scary time.
18Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. 19Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. 20O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. 21Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. 22Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
In each of the passages from the psalm we read of deliverance, preservation, all pulling the author out of his troubles. These meditations that David is inscribing are as a balm to his soul. He has a seemingly ever present danger as depicted by those evil forces surrounding him, and yet he seeks calm and peace, knowing that God will redeem him.
In the passage from Proverbs, we get a famous warning against be prideful, conceited or even vain.
18Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 19Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. 20He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he. 21The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.
But then we are given the positive alternatives to the danger of the first verse, the pride leading to a fall. It is better to be lowly, (read humble), it is better to quietly reflect on the Word of God, seek the wisdom and knowledge that it imparts to your soul. The rest of the passage, from verse 19 to 24 give us many positive ways to approach the world and its pains.
22Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly. 23The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. 24Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones…..32He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
The final selection for this Third Sunday after Trinity is pretty much self-teaching, what I like to call autodidactic. In this we learn both lessons of humility and lessons of service to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
27Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. 29For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; 30Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
And then Paul writes of the great humility of Christ Jesus in the final part of this passage of his letter to the Philippians:
1If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
On this Sunday, let us meditate on the Word of God that we have read. Let us prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to guide us this day and for the rest of this new week, give us peace and wisdom to face all doubts and fears that may come our way. Sometimes we try to make our walk with the Lord so complex. It really is a simple approach to daily being in tune with His Word. We need to read the Word, reflect on the Word, and inwardly digest the Word in our very beings.
Remember the words of the Psalmist, “be still and know that I am God.” He is telling us to always be aware of the LORD, know that He is there with us, in good and bad times. Together as believers we follow the LORD where He leads us.
We ask this in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit., Amen
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who rulest in the kingdoms of men; Let thy strong hand control the nations, and order their doings unto the fulfilment of thy purposes upon the earth. Uphold with thy power those who are striving after true brotherhood and working for righteousness and peace. Guide the hearts and minds of rulers and statesmen, that they may before all things seek the furtherance of thy kingdom, and the establishment of justice and freedom for all peoples; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O LORD, look down from heaven, behold, visit, and relieve thy servant, for whom our prayers are desired. Look upon him with the eyes of thy mercy; restore him, if it be thy good pleasure, to his former health; sanctify this thy fatherly correction to him; give him comfort and sure confidence in thee; defend him from the assaults and fear of the enemy, and keep him in perpetual peace and safety; 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.
IN Christ alone during Trinity
+Roy
Jack Arnold
Bishop of the Diocese of the West – AOC USA
Education and Training Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Third Sunday after Trinity
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above.
Consider these words from the Collect:
… hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities …
The Collect starts as they often do by asking God to hear us. It seems to me this is rather odd a thing to ask as He hears us all the time. His hearing is always perfect. It is our hearing that is imperfect. That being said, when we do accept the Holy Ghost’s Help to pray, we can expect to receive spiritual, mental and physical comfort from God. The key being that we have to accept the Holy Ghost’s help in order to get those above mentioned benefits. Nobody can make the decision for the Holy Ghost to enter into our individual hearts, but us. Of our own free will have to accept the Holy Ghost into our hearts, souls and minds, and only then can he begin to act within us and start the transformation process.
It would be foolish not to accept the Great Physician’s help to transform our spirits. It would be like having cancer, and there being a cure for cancer and rejecting that cure because we don’t like it. It doesn’t matter if we like it or not, what matters is that God has a solution ready for us, we just have to accept it and let Him enter our hearts, souls and minds to begin that transformation process. Without His Help, there truly is no help for our eternal futures. It may seem hard now, but it will be much harder going through life if we do not accept His Help. So let us keep that in mind everytime we find ourselves complaining about how hard things are for us in the present moment. We need to remind our selves, that no matter how hard things are for us now, it will be all worth it once we leave this planet which is only a temporary waypoint, to our eternal home with God our Father in heaven. Keep our eyes on the true prize to speak, and do what we can to follow that straight and narrow uphill path towards heaven.
How do we get the Holy Ghost to enter into our heart? In order to have the Holy Ghost’s help into our heart, we must let go of self-centered and prideful ways. Prideful beings cannot be followers of Christ. Peter makes this point when he says that God resists the proud and gives His Grace to the humble. The humble are those who are more likely to accept His Grace and the Holy Ghost’s help to renew their spirit. The proud believe they are self-made people and scoff at the very idea of God sending his only begotten Son that we should not perish but have life everlasting (John 3:16). These proud people are very resistant to God and the Holy Spirit. This is why prideful beings cannot be followers of Christ. They cannot let go of their skepticism and pride to see that they cannot make it through life and have eternal life without the help of God and the Holy Ghost.
These skeptics are the people that scoff at us and do not understand the benefits of the power of God and the Holy Spirit. They will be stuck in their extremely strong delusion until they are shaken from it. They will not understand that they are better off letting go of their pride and arrogancy and other evil ways, until as previously mentioned they are shaken from it.
However, the humble are a completely different story. The humble know they cannot make it into heaven on their own; thus they know they need that divine help and are willing to accept it. They know that without God’s help they are nothing and thus they are more willing than the proud to rely on God. This is illustrated very well in the publican and the Pharisee, where the Pharisee is loudly praying to God and boasting of his great deeds and showing off his pride. “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” (Luke 18:11-12) You can see in this passage from Luke that the Pharisee was very arrogant and prideful, not very conducive to being a follower of Christ.
In contrast, look at the publican who wouldn’t even look up his eyes to heaven in his shame of being a sinner and knowing that he was indeed a sinner and said “God be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13)
Therefore, we must strive to be humble in our lives and less prideful. We need to be more like the publican and less like the Pharisee. When we let go of our pride, we can see where we are in error. This is a skill that requires life long development and a lot of patience and humility. Like any other skill, we will not be that good at it at first, but with the Holy Spirit’s help, we will improve over the years.
When we accept help from the Holy Ghost, we can begin to fix the cracks and faults in our spiritual character. He can shine a light into the darkest areas of our hearts. Jesus could do this as well and He knew very well the spiritual character of each person He encountered in His Earthly Ministry. So too does the Holy Ghost know our spiritual character and he will help us to identify and fix those cracks and faults in our character, but only if we let Him.
With a clear view of the inner most thoughts of their hearts, Jesus tells the Pharisees the story of the shepherd who loses a sheep and searches for it. When he finds the sheep he carries it back to the flock on his shoulders. He goes on to tell the story of the woman who loses a piece of silver and turns her house inside out to find it. That story ends in a very interesting word play in English, “Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece (peace) which I had lost.” Jesus ends the story with, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” No doubt the Pharisees missed the point of the parable as their hearts were too blackened by pride to hear His Word. They missed the point of all of His Parables as they were too proud to truly have the Holy Ghost in their hearts. They were much like the proud and self made men that we talked about earlier that resist God and His Offer for help. We must strive in our lives to be more like the humble men and less like the Pharisees.
The moral of the parable is Jesus is all about saving the sinners, not those who are already “righteous.” But currently on this Earth there are none who are truly righteous. I liken the church as a hospital for sinners. And all of the saints were sinners in their past too. Therefore Jesus is all about saving all of us, as none of us are truly righteous without His Influence in our lives. Having said that, there is also joy when we do not sin, but choose God’s way. And we enjoy it more also. So, it is preferable if we do not sin in the first place, but if we can’t do that, then God finds joy when we truly repent and turn back to Him and ask for His help and be willing to listen. There are no holier than thous in Christ’s flock, we are all equally non perfect folk or sinners that have let the Holy Ghost into our hearts to inspire us to change and become better humans and children of God.
Notice Jesus’ actions when He finds a lost sheep, He carries it back to the flock on His shoulders with a smile on His face. He rejoices in each lost soul saved. This is what the Church is about, bringing lost souls to Our Shepherd of Souls, Our Savior, Our Advocate, Jesus Christ, to His Kingdom of Heavenly Joys.
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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We are always grateful to get these wonderful sermons from Rev. Bryan, they keep us on our toes!
Sermon Text for The Third Sunday after Trinity:
In our gospel lesson today (St. Luke 15:1-10), our Lord presented the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin. He spoke of the ninety-nine sheep and nine coins which were deemed to be found, or by inference were safe. These no doubt were representations of the teachers of the law who had come to criticize him. While they may have regarded themselves as the safe sheep and secure coins of our lesson, the reality of their spiritual states was quite different. The prophet Isaiah (53:6) once admonished, All we like sheep have gone astray; and we have turned every one to his own way... And St. Paul advised the Roman Christians (3:10-12), As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. If the scribes and Pharisees had been godly men, after having heard the words of our Lord, they would have recognized themselves to be, in actuality, the lost sheep and lost coin that he was talking about. Nevertheless, why was it so difficult for the teachers of the law to understand these parables?
Let us first consider the following charge by our Lord, 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. Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil (St. John 8:42-44). The Bible tells us that we are involved in a great spiritual war which demands that we take a side. Unlike warfare in our earthly sphere, there is no middle ground. You will either be in God’s camp, or you will— by default— be counted within the camp of the Devil. Down through the ages, God has called on those who are his to come out from among the heathen and be separate (in particular see II Corinthians 6:14-18). And as these men had rejected our Lord as the Messiah, they were aptly described as being of your father the devil (St. John 8:44).
A second point of interest would be the mindset of those men with regard to their duties under the law. Our Lord spoke of their arrogance when he said, The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say and do not... all their works they do for to be seen of men... whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (St. Matthew 23:1-12). He then pronounced a series of stinging indictments upon them as well as their ancestors when he said, But woe unto you , scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in... for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith... you are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye outwardly appear righteous... but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity... Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell (St. Matthew 23:13-39)? Consider our epistle lesson for today (I St. Peter 5:5-6) wherein the apostle admonished, All of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
It would seem that their slavish devotion to their tradition along with their lack of humility before God prevented them from realizing that their Saviour—God robed in flesh— was rebuking them for their extra-biblical notions and their lack of faith (St. Matthew 15:1-3). Scripture advises us to, Study to shew thyself approved unto God... (II St. Timothy 2:15). It also tells us that a wise man rebuked and instructed in the word will increase in knowledge, for he will recognize his error and turn away from it to righteousness (Proverbs 9:8- 9). Our Lord sought to convict his critics in their hearts, but they would not turn unto him in godly wisdom. They had already been overtaken by Satan who had snatched the words of truth from their hearts at the moment it was communicated (St. Matthew 13:19).
Thirdly, we need to understand that Satan blinds men’s minds to the truth of God all the while offering a false sense of security to his charges. We have expressions here in the South such as: “he (or she) has a skeleton in the closet;” or “don’t air your dirty linen in public;” are just a few of those which have been passed down from generation to generation. They have their foundation in mankind’s propensity for sin as everyone— both regenerated and unregenerated—have done things which they have come to regret. But it is only the arrogant and the prideful who would attempt to sweep such remembrances “under the rug” without going to God seeking his forgiveness. Regenerated souls in Christ will seek God’s pardon and cleansing.
And there is another aspect regarding unconfessed sin. No doubt you may be aware that many an unrepentant soul has counted time as an ally. For with its passage, the memory of their errors seem to fade and become of no real importance to them. How often have the unregenerate sought to apply their faulty reasoning to God assuming that he does not see what they have done, or are now doing (see Ezekiel 8:12)? So when our Lord preached to the sinners and publicans, they responded to him by repenting of their evil deeds. They knew they were unclean as did the scribes and Pharisees. But the real difference between the former and latter was that former recognized their sins and sought a remedy, while the latter did not recognize that they too were sinners: as much if not more so than those whom they had labeled sinners and publicans.
The scribes and Pharisees were not looking for a personal Saviour of their souls, especially one who would embrace sinners and publicans. They were looking for a conquering Messiah and a collective redemption based upon their kinship to the Patriarchs. They did not reflect upon the law of Moses except to point out the deficiencies of others, but not themselves. Their hardheartedness and lack of humility reflected their true spiritual natures. Indeed, those who were truly lost were those who believed they had no need of a Saviour. The prophet Micah gave us God’s expectation on this matter when he said (Micah 6:8): He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Let us close with the first verse from the hymn Amazing Grace: “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.” May our good and gracious God open your eyes to see yourselves as you really are and to turn your hearts to true repentance in the name of his only begotten Son.
Let us pray,
Holy Father, assist us as we carry the gospel to those around us; that such as will hear might also turn unto thee and be saved; for this we ask in the name of him who came to seek and save the lost, even our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have a blessed week!
Bryan+
The Rev. Don Fultz
Rector of St. Peter’s AOC located in the AOC National Office
We are grateful to have this sermon today from Rev. Don Fultz fromSt. Peter’s AOC, Statesville NC
Third Sunday after Trinity
Luke 19:1-10
In this morning’s text, Luke gives us an account of the conversion of a wealthy Chief Tax Collector who becomes a disciple of Christ. Like the stories of Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, the story of Zacchaeus should be frequently studied by Christians. One thing is for sure, the Lord Jesus never changes. What he did for Zacchaeus, He is able and willing to do for anyone of us today.
What we learn from these verses is that no one is too bad to be saved; no one is beyond the power of the grace of God. A more unlikely event cannot be imagined! We see actually an event as improbable as “a camel passing through the eye of a needle” We see a rich man entering the kingdom of God. We behold a plain proof as Jesus says in Luke 18: 27, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God,” for a covetous tax-collector is transformed into a Christian.
The door of hope which the Gospel reveals to sinners is very wide open. Let us leave it open as we find it; let us never attempt, in narrow-minded ignorance, to shut it. We should never be afraid to maintain that Christ is “able to save to the uttermost,” and that the wildest sinners may be freely forgiven if they will only come to Him. We should offer the Gospel boldly to the worst and wickedest, and say, there is hope. One only has to repent and believe. As the Prophet Isaiah tells us in Chapter 1, verse 18: “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Such doctrine may seem to worldly people foolishness. However, such doctrine is the Gospel of Him who saved Zacchaeus at Jericho.
The second lesson we learn from these verses is how little and insignificant are the things on which a soul’s salvation may turn. We are told in verse 3 that Zacchaeus “sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press (crowd), because he was little of stature.” (physically a very small man). Curiosity, and nothing but curiosity appears to have been his motive. That curiosity once roused, Zacchaeus was determined to gratify it.
In verse 4 we are told, rather than not see Jesus, he ran on before the busy crowd along the road, and “climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him: for He was to pass that way.” Upon that little action, so far as man’s eyes can see, hinged the salvation of his soul. In Verse 5, “And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.” In verse 6 we are told: “And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully. I like the comments from Matthew Poole on these verses when he said “Curiosity carried Zacchaeus up, but love to Christ bringeth him down; he therefore makes haste to come down, and he receiveth Christ Joyfully. When Christ cometh to any soul, he never brings any sorrow to it, nor anything but glad tidings. “
Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was interested in meeting him and that Zacchaeus had gone so far so He was quick to meet him halfway. All that was needed to bring Zacchaeus to the point of repentance and the beginning of a new life was the graciousness of Jesus in coming to his home and giving him His friendship. Despite Zacchaeus being a corrupt tax collector whom society viewed as a traitor and sinner, Jesus did not condemn him. Instead, Jesus showed him compassion, visiting his home and treating him with dignity.
Jesus was just passing through Jericho on His way to Jerusalem. He would never pass that way again so it was now or never. That night Zacchaeus became a Born Again Christian.
As the Prophet Zechariah tells us in Chapter 4, verse 10, We must never “despise the day of small things.” We must never reckon anything little that concerns the soul. The ways by which the Holy Ghost leads men and women to Christ are wonderful and mysterious. When an onlooker observes nothing at all remarkable, Christ may even then be beginning in a heart a work that will stand to eternity. To every work there must be a beginning, and in the case of spiritual work the beginning is often very small. Do we see a careless brother beginning to use means of grace which he has previously neglected? Do we see him coming to Church and listening to the Gospel after a long course of Sabbath-breaking? When we see such things, let us remember Zacchaeus and be hopeful.
Let us not look coldly on our brother because his motives are at present very poor and questionable. Let us believe that it is far better to hear the Gospel out of mere curiosity than not to hear it at all. Our lost brother is with Zacchaeus in the tree. For anything we know he may go further. Who can tell but that he may one day receive Christ fully and joyfully?
It is impossible, with such a passage as this before us, to exalt too highly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot maintain too strongly that there is in Him an infinite readiness to receive sinners, and an infinite ability to save them. In John 6:37 Jesus says: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
Above all, we cannot hold too firmly that salvation is not of works, but of grace. St. Paul in his letters to the Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 8 and 9 tells us: “For by grace are ye saved through faith and not of yourselves: it is a gift of God not of works.” If ever a soul was sought and saved without having done anything to deserve it, that soul was the soul of Zacchaeus. Grace, free grace, is the only thought which gives men rest in a dying hour. Let us proclaim these doctrines confidently to all whom we speak about spiritual things.
Let us bid them come to Jesus Christ just as they are, not wait in the vain hope that they can make themselves fit and worthy to come. Not least, let us tell them that Jesus Christ waits for them, and is ready to come and dwell in their poor sinful hearts if they will only receive Him. As recorded by St. Johns in Revelation chapter 3, verse 20, Jesus tells us: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him and he with Me.”
We learn lastly from these verses that truly converted sinners always give evidence of their conversion. We are told that Zacchaeus in verse 8 “stood and said unto the Lord; “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give unto the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him four-fold.” Under the law of Moses the restitution was to return what was defrauded plus 20% (cf. Leviticus 5:16). Zacchaeus has experienced such a transformation that he will give 400 %. He does not want anything to interfere with his opportunity to be with Jesus. This is the heart of repentance that Jesus is looking for to grant salvation.
Repentance desires to right previous wrongs whenever possible. Some people may think they have offered repentance because they say that they were sorry. Expecting someone to just “get over it” is not repentance. Saying sorry is not repentance. We see an excellent example of repentance in Zacchaeus, He wants to right the way in a generous way. The man who was rich from swindling and extorting others has had a dramatic life change.
Now he will give one half of his possessions to the poor and he will restore anyone that he has defrauded. It was unmistakable proof that Zacchaeus was a new man. When a wealthy Christian begins to distribute his riches; when an extortioner begins to make restitution, we may well believe that” old things have passed away and all things become new.” (2nd Cor 5:17) There was decision in that speech. “I give,” said Zacchaeus, “I restore.” He did not speak of future intentions. He did not say, I will,” but “I do.” Freely pardoned, and raised from death to life, Zacchaeus felt that he could not begin too soon to show who he now was and whom he served. Here we see the exact opposite of the young rich ruler who had come to Christ to see what He had to do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus told him to sell all of his possessions and give all to the poor, and follow Him, he walked away very sadly. He loved his possessions more than he loved God. (Luke 18: 18-23)
So how did Jesus react to Zacchaeus’s repentance, in verse 9 we are told “And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.” This vile hated chief tax collector is receiving salvation today. This is an important declaration concerning Zacchaeus because Luke is taking us back to the beginning of his gospel.
In Luke 3:8, we read about John the Baptizer who is preaching to the people to repent. Listen to his words: “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. “A person is a child of Abraham when they bear fruit in keeping with repentance. The heart of repentance defines who are God’s chosen and promised people and who are not. When our heart is changed by the Lord it shows. According to Matthew Henry comments, “Zacchaeus was by birth a son of Abraham, but being a publican, he was deemed a heathen. Christ shows that, being a true penitent, Zacchaeus is as good a son of Abraham as if he had never been a publican. “
He that desires to give proof that he is a believer should walk in the steps of Zacchaeus. Like Zacchaeus, let him thoroughly renounce the sins that have most easily beset him. Like Zacchaeus, let him adopt the Christian graces that he has habitually neglected. Every believer should live their life so that all may know that he is a believer. Faith that does not purify the heart and life is not faith at all. Grace that cannot be seen, like light, and tasted, like salt, is not grace but hypocrisy. The heart that has really tasted the grace of Christ will instinctively hate sin.
In Closing, let us turn from the whole passage with the last verse of today’s Gospel reading. Verse 10 tells us “The Son of man came to seek and save that which is lost.” It is as a Saviour, more than as a Judge, that Christ desires to be known. Let us see that we know Him as such. Let us make sure that our souls are truly saved. Once saved and converted, we shall ask, “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits?” In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
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:
Charlie Carlisle – recovering at home now following various elements
Donny Clark – hospitalized for stroke – Anne – overseeing his care
Alice Raymer – now home recovering from TIA
Beverly Tatum – Fall, injured shoulder, Howard Tatum – cancer Treatment, caretaking
Yves Mera – coronagraphy scheduled to assess need for surgery, heart- coronary artery
Ryan – ex-muslim to be baptized – keep safe from Evil forces
Camella – Breast Cancer – surgery schedule July 7th
Chelsea – expecting Baby in July (Baby heart issues, will need 3 surgeries right after birth, finance problems, pray for Zach – Chelea’s husband and the baby
Donny – hospitalized due to multiple strokes and inability to speak, pray for David and Anne, family who are helping him in recovery
Dan Fordice – pray for his family who are mourning Dan killed in a plane crash
Mike Gettinger – traveling to the Vietnam wall and family at home awaiting his return
Kristen – foot surgery went well, continue praying for long Recovery
Yves Mera: A Vascular Leukopathy was detected, stage 1 and possible clot in the carotid – TBA
Betty Davis: stroke, hospitalization and praying for complete recovery
Deborah Johns – heart issues – pray for heart strength & strong blood oxygen levels for surgery
Ben Hancock – treatment for colon cancer
Rev. Geordie: needs prayer for medical issues
Debbie Grimes: colon cancer – surgery
Man, who is a friend of many – Brain Cancer
Bobby Effinger – recovery from heart surgery and ongoing heart issues
Steven – recovering from surgery on scar tissue compressing his Spinal Accessory Nerve
Brannon – hospitalized due to chronic unknow source of muscle spasms – 3 year old
Rency – 2 year old suffering from RETTS Syndrome
Joseph Broddie – recurring throat cancer
David Williams – serious cardiac issues – pray for David and wife Sherie for coping with changes
Jack Williams – had to enter long term care due to vascular dementia – pray for wife Karen
Colby Landry – cancer. Please pray for his wife, Leah and their family at this time of trial.
Persecuted Christians – subject to persecution and imprisonment for their faith.
Bobby Bryan – suffering with cancer and cardiac issues.
For an increase in the true faith in Jesus Christ here and across the globe.
USA – Leaders, citizens, military, first responders – President Trump & all Cabinet Members Safety
David – recovering from transplant – continue to pray
Ophelia – crippling arthritis pain
Dennis Potrikus – fall with bad knees – recovering his rehab
Donna – ongoing radiation and Chemotherapy. Pray for successful remission
Roy – Bulging disc – upcoming surgery
Michelle – metastasized lung cancer – treatment stopped due to low hemoglobin- pray increase in
Dave – COPD – breathing issues – getting used to using oxygen – shortness of breath
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
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu-health issues, Jan Jessup-neuro dementia, AOC USA, AOC Missions –
Myanmar,
Harper-IBS, Jim Sevier- God’s
Peace, Linda –
multiple myeloma, Donna-last chemo this week
Alicia-caregiver, Sophie, Colin and Lori Beall –
cancer, Malou –
cancer, Archie- CHF,
Eloise, Janice, Katie, Bobby, Myra Cox, Faye Miller, Diane
Points to Ponder:
The design of the devil is to keep
men in ignorance; and when he cannot keep the light of the gospel out of
the world, he makes it his great business to keep it out of the hearts of men.
The Rev. Matthew Henry
We have gone through many trials,
but never to our detriment, always to our advantage; and the conclusion from
our past experience is, that He who has been with us in six troubles, will not
forsake use in the seventh. What we have known of our faithful God, proves that
He will keep us to the end.
The Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon–Morning and Evening p. 582
Turn now from the Word of God to
the pages of Church history, and what will you find? You will find that from
the days of the apostles down to this hour, public worship has always been one
of God’s great instruments in doing good to our souls. Where is it that
sleeping souls are generally awakened, dark souls enlightened, dead souls
quickened, doubting souls brought to decision, mourning souls cheered,
heavy-laden souls relieved? Where, as a general rule, but in the public
assembly of Christian worshippers, and
during the preaching fo God’s Word? Take away public worship from the land... forbid
people to meet together for religious services... do this, and see what the
result would be. You would inflict the greatest spiritual injury on the country
which was so treated. You could do nothing so likely to help the devil and stop
the progress of Christ’s cause, except the taking away of the Bible.
The Most Rev. J. C. Ryle – Knots Untied p.294
Our Lord Jesus
Christ confirmed all that God had promised in long ago prophecies of a
Redeemer. He is explicitly described by the aging King of Israel, David, in the
23rd Psalm. It matters not to you or me how Good Jesus is as a
Shepherd unless He is our Shepherd; and David KNEW Christ to be his Savior and
Shepherd. The Good shepherd will see that His sheep lack nothing that is
essential for their health and wellbeing. He knows better than they the good
way, and He will urge them from the dangerous and treacherous mountain gorges
with His gentle staff and cajoling Voice. All of His sheep may proclaim with
David: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want!”
The Most
Rev. Jerry L. Ogles, excerpt from Sermon for Second Sunday After Easter.
