The Rev’d. Gail Bryce – sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter

8am and 10 am – 23rd April, 2017

“STOP DOUBTING AND BELIEVE” John. 20:19-31

Let us pray: “Heavenly Father, we bow in Your Presence, may Your Word be our rule, Your Spirit our teacher, and Your greater glory our supreme concern, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!” (John Stott)

INTRODUCTION

We’ve probably all said those words at sometime in our lives. We may have learnt them from our parents or teachers, our relatives or siblings, or from just about anyone. They may perhaps be a cliché, which we have fashioned out of our cynicism or our doubts, even, perhaps sometimes by our bravado. Sometimes we use these words as part of our stubborn exterior. The phrase may have evolved out of the bitter experience of the pains and the hurts of life. Almost without doubt, somewhere, somehow, for some reason and to someone……………….we have uttered the words:

”I’ll believe it when I see it!”

Using these words as, perhaps, a familiar part of our repertoire of personal sayings, perhaps our thoughts, reactions and attitudes, and some of life’s experiences, have not been so very different from Thomas, the disciple, who features in the Gospel reading appointed for today.

WHO WAS THOMAS?

What do we know about the man named Thomas, a disciple called by our Lord Jesus Christ, to follow Jesus and to live his life in the footsteps of Jesus? The only mention of the disciple, Thomas in the Synoptic Gospels, i.e., Matthew, Mark, and Luke, is in the lists of the twelve disciples called by our Lord to follow Him. Thomas and Matthew’s names appear together in each of these accounts. Since the names Thomas and Didymus both mean “twin”, you can imagine there has been speculation as to who is Thomas’ twin!

In the Gospel according to St. John, there are several instances where Thomas’ words are recorded; they give us some insight into the sort of person Thomas was.

In the Gospel of John chapter eleven, Jesus makes an interesting comment to the disciples, when He says: “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (John 11:14-15) Jesus states that through the raising of Lazarus from the dead, the disciples will believe! (i.e., in Him, i.e., that Jesus is the Son of God!)

When Jesus was last in that region, the Jews had tried to stone Him, so the disciples are concerned for His safety. Thomas’ response is: “Let us all go with Him, (i.e., Jesus) that we may die with Him.” (Jn.11:16)

Thomas’ faith at this point, is so great, that he is willing to die with Jesus! So here, Thomas displays, great emotion, great loyalty, great willingness to sacrifice his life, and great faith in Jesus.

This disciple was not always a doubting Thomas!

THOMAS DOESN’T UNDERSTAND

We are given a further insight into Thomas the disciple, in chapter fourteen of John’s Gospel. Jesus had just told the disciples that He is going to leave and prepare a place for them. (Jn.14:2)

Thomas must have been hanging on Jesus’ every word, his reply was, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn.14:1-6)

How do we find this “way”, to which Jesus is referring? Jesus gives us the answer to our question, when He says, “I am the way.” He says, there is no other way to the Father – to God. Jesus calls us to follow Him and live our lives according to how He has taught us from the example of His life and in the Scriptures. As we repent and come to faith in Jesus, our lives will be transformed and we will grow to be more and more like Jesus. We will become new creations in Christ.

HOW DO WE COME TO FAITH?

“I’ll believe it when I see it!”….. we sometimes say! But Jesus stands before us, as He did Thomas, with all the evidence we need to convince us to come to faith, to believe, as the Holy Spirit convicts us of the truth.

How do we come to faith in Christ? Jesus assures us that it is the Holy Spirit, the Counsellor, who will teach and lead and guide us into all truth about Jesus the Son of God. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus are absolute facts, recorded, not only in Christian literature, but in secular history. The events of Jesus’ life have been prophesied by a number of prophets in the Old Testament – all of which have been fulfilled! God has revealed Himself to the world, through creation, through His Word (the Scriptures), and in the Person of His Son. In addition, we have the witness of: firstly, the twelve disciples, then the one hundred and twenty present at Pentecost, then the three thousand who came to believe that same day. The subsequent witness of millions (if not billions) of Christians throughout history, are surely sufficient evidence to convict us, that Jesus Christ was no ordinary man, but that He was, indeed, the very Son of God, who died for our salvation which we remembered just over a week ago on Good Friday. Jesus proved His power over all things when He rose from death, was resurrected to life, which the Christian world celebrated last Sunday on Easter day and we celebrate every Sunday of the year.

CONCLUSION

The writer of the Gospel, John, tells us his purpose in writing the Gospel which bears his name when he says: “But this is written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name.” (John 20:31)

Jesus said to the disciple, Thomas, “Put your finger here, see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe!” (Jn.20:27) Thomas was confronted with the reality of Jesus’ Presence right in front of his eyes, and Thomas was confronted with the reality of the suffering Jesus endured for Thomas’ salvation, and yours, and mine……………and Thomas believed!

Perhaps we have heard Jesus’ words and not really fully understood what they meant at the time,…………………….. just like Thomas!

Perhaps we have run away from what we believe about Jesus, in some measure, when, instead, we should have stood up for what we believe and been counted for our faith in Jesus…………..just like Thomas!

Perhaps we have bargained and tried to sort out what we really do believe about Jesus, and put conditions on our faith, saying: “If only this or that would happen, then I would truly believe and commit my whole life to God” – in the same way that Thomas said…. “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands,,,,,,,,,,,,and put my hand in His side, I will not believe”……………..just like Thomas!

Has our faith “see-sawed”, one moment seeming to be quite strong, the next, being unsure, and perhaps doubting……..just like Thomas?

Have we sought with all our beings to come into the Presence of Jesus, for He has assured us, He will be with us always.

With the events of the Cross so vividly in our minds, let us reach out willingly and gladly to Jesus, as in the same way Thomas reached out to touch the wounds of Jesus. Jesus said to Thomas, and He says to us today: “Stop doubting and believe!”

Additionally, Jesus greatly encourages us with the specific statement, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed!” (Jn.20:29)

The Prophet Jeremiah assures us, and this was like a piece of driftwood to hold onto for me personally in my own seeking to find God: “If you seek me with all your hearts, you will surely find me!” (Jer.29:13f)

As the risen Jesus stands before us, with outstretched hands, to forgive, to free, to enfold, to welcome us, the Holy Spirit moves our hearts, our minds, our wills and our voices, to reply fully, and freely, as did Thomas, “My Lord and My God!!”

May this be the conviction and the cry from each of our hearts today.

The Lord be with you!

The Rev’d. Gail Bryce – sermon for St George’s Day Evensong.

5.00 pm April 23rd 2017

Readings: Exodus 15:1-13  Mark 16:1-8

In the Name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen!

INTRODUCTION

It would appear to be a fact of our human frailty, that we seek out someone or something to inspire us.

From the ancient “gods” to artists, musicians, singers, statesmen and women, those who have inspired generations with their unique gifts and talents on the world stage, hero’s – who have come and gone. Sometimes, contrary to what Shakespeare’s, Mark Antony says in his great oration, the ‘good often does live after’ a hero has died! So it would seem that something of the good of the Patron after whom this church is named, has lived after him, and although there is very little concrete information about the life of St. George available to our generation, his bravery and self sacrifice lives on in the imaginations of countless humans and inspires them to emulate him and to excel in their vocations.

ST. GEORGE’S LIFE – AN INSPIRATION

As you are well aware, St. George, the Patron Saint of this church, is the Patron Saint of England. The red cross on a field of silver, which symbolizes this saint, is the National flag of England and appears as the foundation of the Union Jack and is therefore included in the Australian, as well as the flags of many other Nations.

Why is it that St. George has inspired individuals and nations and his name has even been used in the commercial world, e.g., the St. George Bank, St. George stoves, etc., and even people (including a new young Prince in England) roads, suburbs, Colleges, schools, even football teams, etc., bear the name – “St. George”?

St. George, is described as a “Knight from Cappadocia,” (“The Penguin Dictionary of Saints”, p.148) and is said to have ‘’rescued a maiden from a dragon” at Silene in Libyia. Apparently on that occasion, so many people were so utterly inspired by the good saving and gallant action of St. George, that it is recorded that: “thousands were baptised” into the Christian faith. (“The Penguin Dictionary of Saints”, p.148)

St. George was an inspiring man, indeed!

There is a Biblical parallel In the book of the Acts of the Apostles, we read of three thousand people being Baptised on the day of Pentecost in response to the inspiring and convicting sermon of St. Peter! (Acts 2:14-42)

How many tens of millions of people have been inspired, deeply touched, convicted, brought to faith in and been Baptized into the Christian faith by the life, teaching, death and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, as well as the inspiring and convicting lives of the great saints, like St. George?

You and I are living examples of this!

It was not only St. George’s action in saving the maiden in distress from the dragon, which was the kind of inspiration which led to the transformation of the lives of those “thousands” of people who were Baptised, more importantly, St. George was persecuted, tortured and beheaded for his Christian faith during Diocletian’s persecution at Nicomedia!

St. George’s martyrdom for his Christian faith sowed the seeds to inspire new resurrection faith in innumerable new Christians.

Ordinary human beings saw the life of St. George, his strength of faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, his willingness to count his own life as of nothing in order to glorify his Lord, Jesus Christ, and this has been that which has turned around many, many lives to live a new and better way, the life of the transformed believer to faith in the Son of God! This is the fruit of the sacrifice of our great forebears in the faith – especially St. George. Those who witnessed the brave and gallant action of St George in saving the maiden’s life from the dragon, obviously wanted to emulate something of the life of St. George and they, it seems, were eagerly Baptised, turning to live their lives in a different direction – living their lives in faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and “shining as lights in the world to the glory of God the Father.” (“A Prayer Book for Australia”, p.60) Perhaps their thinking was: “If he’s a Christian, living his life of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and because of this has the courage to face a dragon, then I am inspired by his life of tangible faith in God – and I want to be like him – so I’ll be Baptized!” Who knows!

Do you ever ponder whether our Christian lives challenge and inspire others to come to know the reason why we live our lives of faith in God’s Son?

Of course, St. George and all Christians are “the saints” – the Bible refers to us in this way. (Ephesians 4:2) We are all called to follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. One imagines, that if the life of St. George was so outstanding that his legend, his deeds of greatness, his courage, his absolute self sacrifice to the point of death for his faith in our Lord, have lived on for centuries and have, indeed, inspired generations, then it was his Christian life of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, which was the reason why St. George had the fearless courage to live the life he lived.

As Mother Teresa said so simply: “We do it for Jesus”!

It was St. George’s own life of faith in the Son of God which enabled him to, as words of the Collect for the Second Sunday after Easter encourages us:

“Almighty God,

whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life

of all who put their trust in him:

raise us, we pray, from the death of sin

to the life of righteousness;

that we may ever seek the things which are above,” (A Prayer Book for Australia”, p.505)

OUR LORD’S RESURRECTION POWER

It was God’s mighty resurrection power which raised our Saviour, Jesus Christ from the dead.

It was God’s mighty resurrection power which enabled St. George to live his life of faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ, and which enabled him to have the strength and courage to be brave, not only when faced with a dragon about to harm a young lady but also through persecution and torture unto death.

Because we believe in God and in His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, it is God’s mighty resurrection power which is at work within each of us, enabling us to triumph over evil (we renounced evil at our baptism and reiterated this promise at our Confirmation and every Easter day and whenever we have renewed our Baptismal vows)!

St. Paul echo’s the deep unremitting desire of the person who is in earnest to follow our Lord Jesus Christ when he expresses so very deeply, his heart and will’s desire, saying: “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.” (Philippians 3:10)

This same resurrection power, which God used to raise our Lord from death at Easter, is available to all who believe in Him. St. Paul describes the difference that coming to faith in God’s Son, Jesus, brings about in a person’s life, when he says: “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

CONCLUSION

The life of St. George has been an inspiration to countless people.

St. Paul encourages all Christians, and this is especially an encouragement for us at St. George’s to put on the “whole armour of God” in his letter to the Ephesians, chapter six, saying: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the Gospel of peace. With these take the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:10-17 – N.R.S.V.)

God Who has called us all to faith in Him and in His Son, Jesus Christ, is our enabler to be His light shining in this world – as did St. George.

“Now unto Him who is able to keep us from falling, and to make us stand without blemish in the presence of His glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now an forever. Amen!” (Jude 1:24)

The Lord be with you!

Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia’s Easter Message

Easter Sunday: the day everything changed

At the time of Jesus’ death we read in the Bible that a great cloud of darkness covered the earth. Our own times seem to have many dark clouds of threat. Even as many of us live in a world where our material needs are abundantly filled we know that many others, too many others, struggle just to meet their daily needs. As Jesus gave up his spirit on the cross his final dying words were: “It is finished.”

 

Yes, it was true: Jesus’ earthly life had ended. The indifferent Roman soldiers divided his possessions, his enemies rejoiced, his disciples despaired and Judas, overcome by guilt and remorse, killed himself.

 

Then everything changed. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead on Easter day was the definitive proof of his victory over sin and death. For Christians, hope can never again be utterly extinguished.

 

Easter speaks throughout the ages to the condition of human despair. Christian faith shows us the way in which we can share in Jesus’ victory over all that pushes us to despair. Human failure remains with us, both inside and outside the church – failure of compassion, failure of virtue, failure to live up to the light that each of us has through our conscience. All of us need to aspire to the best that we know our human nature can be. Human failure, or sin – as it is referred to in theological terms – arises from people’s alienation from God. Jesus told his disciples that his mission was about reconciling humanity with God and with each other.

 

His mission was intensely personal as much as it was universal. That is why Christians speak about having a personal relationship with Jesus and being alive with his Spirit. It is not just a manner of speaking, an odd religious terminology, it is a real and lived experience, as Christians have testified over the centuries. The Saviour cares so much for his people that he enters and transforms their lives, and numbers every hair on their heads.

 

Easter is also a journey over three days from Good Friday to Easter Day. Christian worship on Good Friday confronts the dark reality of Jesus’ suffering and death. Holy Saturday reflects the time Jesus’ body lay in the tomb. Both contrast with the joyous celebration of Easter Day, usually a celebration rich with music and colour.

 

Even if you have never or seldom been to a church, please feel able to join us in these celebrations. Any of our Anglican churches will be delighted to welcome you. All you need is the awareness that Jesus in his life and his death meets the condition of our human suffering and despair and opens for us the way of his peace.

 

Have a blessed and holy Easter.