Church News

Bulletin for May 14th 2017

FEAST OF ST. PHILIP AND ST JAMES – APOSTLES

St. George’s Anglican Church, Ivanhoe East

10 am Wednesday, 3^rd May, 2017

Isaiah 30:18-21 Psalm 19:1-6 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 John 14:6-14

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

Today we celebrate and give thanks to God for the lives of St. Philip and St. James, both apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ and martyrs for their faith in Him.

When I reflect on the deaths of these two apostles, I am shocked and, at the same time, so in awe of Philip and James and the other apostles who died for their faith in our Lord. I have questioned myself as to whether I would stand the test of being faithful to our Lord even in the face of persecution and the threat death. Have you ever asked yourself this question?

ST. PHILIP AND ST. JAMES

Philip was an apostle of Jesus. After he responded to Jesus call to follow Him, he went and invited Nathaniel to join the band of disciples. So he was an evangelist from his beginnings. In the Gospel passage today, Philip asks Jesus to: “Show us the Father and we well be satisfied.” Jesus says plainly: “He that has seen me has seen the Father. I and the Father are one.” (John 14)

It is said “Foxes Book of Martyrs”, p.9.) that Philip labored to spread the Gospel amongst barbarous people and suffered in Hierapolis, a city of Phyrgia. He was crucified and stoned to death and buried there with his daughters.”

St. James was a disciple of Jesus and one of three disciples in Jesus’ inner circle, the others being Peter and John. James was present on the Mount of transfiguration when Jesus was transfigured and revealed His glory. Herod Agrippa ordered James’ death by a sword. (Acts 12:2)

PERSECUTION

I have the opinion that Christians are not popular in our society today. The church has much to apologize for from past events.

Jesus said to: “Count it all joy when we are persecuted and reviled and hated” and dealt with maliciously on account of Him, because this is what was done to the prophets in the Old Testament.

In our humanity, being the recipient of this kind of persecution, it is not easy to call this “joy”.

I’ve recently read some novels which related how people were persecuted, burnt at the stake, hung drawn and quartered for their Christian beliefs in England in the 1500’s and beyond. It is shocking what some people had to endure for what they believed.

TODAY

We sometimes think that persecution of Christians doesn’t happen now to a great a number of people as it did back in the early days of Christianity or in the Middle Ages. I imagine we can all recall that our Television news has, at least over the last 12 months, given news of a number of incidents where Christians died for their faith in our Lord. I think of those Coptic Christians killed in Cairo on Palm Sunday and the Christians who were beheaded in Mosel and other places in Iraq.

An international Christian organization, “Open Doors”, has an article on the Internet, which says:

“A new report by a leading watchdog group has identified 2016 as the “worst year yet” for Christian persecution, ever since the organization began monitoring persecution 25 years ago.

(The report, which is produced annually by Open Doors USA, found that persecution of Christians rose globally for the third year in a row, reaching “unprecedented levels” in countries located in South and Southeast Asia, among other locations.)

“Christians throughout the world continue to risk imprisonment, loss of home and assets, torture, beheadings, rape and even death as a result of their faith,” the report stated. The World Watch List (WWL) ranks the 50 countries across the globe where persecution of Christians is most severe.

Islamic extremism remains the dominant driver of Christian persecution in the world, responsible for initiating oppression and conflict in 35 out of the 50 countries on the 2017 list. Moreover, nine out of the top ten countries where Christians suffer “extreme persecution” have populations that are at least 50% Muslim.

For the 14th straight year, North Korea tops the list as the most dangerous place to be a Christian, followed by Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Eritrea and Yemen.

While killings of Christians in Nigeria saw a dramatic increase of more than 62 percent in 2016, the most violent nation is now Pakistan, which climbed to No. 4 on the list for a level of anti-Christian violence “exceeding even northern Nigeria.”

CONCLUSION

Many years ago, as I thought about my faith in our Lord and then compared myself with the “greats of the Christian faith, people like Philip and James, Paul, Mother Teresa, and so many other “greats”, I knew that the depth of my faith was “shallow” in comparison. This was one of the reasons which led me on a long search to find God and to know that He is real.

You’ve probably heard the story that if you were held hostage at gun point somewhere, and were given the option of denying our Lord and being set free or confessing Him as Lord and Saviour and being killed, what would you do? This is a challenge to each of us. Our brother and sister Christians in 50 other countries in the world face worse persecution than any of us will ever know personally.

Today, we honour saints Philip and James, giving thanks to God for their lives of faithfulness and witness which cost them their lives. We thank God for the inspiration they have been to countless Christians down through the ages.

As we contemplate the lives of St. Philip and St. James, may we be strengthened and emboldened to live our lives in faithfulness to our Lord.

The Lord be with you!

“THE GOOD SHEPHERD!”

St. George’s Anglican Church, Ivanhoe East

8 am and 10 am Fourth Sunday of Easter

7^th May, 2017

Readings:  Acts 2:42-47 Psalm 23 1 Peter 2:1-10 John 10: 1-10

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

INTRODUCTION

There have been many political tyrants in our world, (to describe some of them mildly), over the last century or so, I’m sure you’ll agree. People like: Sadam Hussein, Hitler, the leaders in El Salvador and China, Edi Amin, Kim Jong Un, Russian leaders including their current leader, Vladimir Putin – just to name a few. Can you imagine for a moment how you would have felt having a National leader of their ilk? The evidence is clear that, as political leaders, they have exploited their people, in many cases ruled with an iron fist and grown very wealthy instead of being leaders who inspire their people by the good example of a selfless life.

The history of the Israelites informs us that there were leaders, shepherds of the people, who were tyrants to their sheep.

By contrast, our own Anglican, Canon Andrew White, The Vicar of Baghdad, who has Multiple Sclerosis, remained with his flock in Baghdad keeping his promise not to desert them, facing bombs and danger daily, while caring for the destitute, homeless and injured who came to St. George’s Anglican Church, Baghdad. He has been an inspiring shepherd of his flock in war torn Iraq and a successful negotiator of peace talks in the Middle East for decades. Many, many miracles have occurred there. The chief shepherd of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Justin Welby, demonstrated our Lord’s shepherding care when he ordered Canon Andrew to return to the UK because the situation in Iraq had become so acutely dangerous.

CONTEXT

In chapter ten of the Gospel according to John (today’s appointed Gospel reading), Jesus is at pains to teach the Pharisees that they have exploited the people, the sheep God has entrusted to them and have cared selfishly for themselves. That which led Jesus to launch into this teaching to the Pharisees was the incident recorded in the previous chapter of the Gospel according to John, chapter nine, when the Pharisees excommunicated from the Temple, the blind beggar whom Jesus had healed.

Jesus uses the imagery of “shepherd” because to the minds of the Israelites, shepherds were leaders, both in a political and a religious sense. God’s chosen people were referred to as: “the flock of the Lord” (Psalm 100:3). There are numerous passages in the Hebrew Scriptures which refer to the leaders of God’s people as the “shepherds” and God castigates them for attending to their own greed rather than caring for the people whom God had called them to serve, e.g., in Ezekiel, chapter 34:1f, we read: “The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, prophecy against the shepherds of Israel: prophecy; and say to them – to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Ah! You shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?”

“So it was that Israel awaited God’s re-assumption of the role of Shepherd. When Jesus announced that He was the True Shepherd He identified Himself with this expectation in Israel. He it is, who leads and guides and protects His people; it is He who will lay down His life for the flock.” “Commentaries on the readings of the Lectionary” P.78)

Jesus uses two “images”, firstly the “gate” and secondly the good “shepherd” image, in order to teach plainly His point, that the Pharisees before Him were “rogue” shepherds of God’s people, Israel, and that He, Jesus, is the true shepherd, demonstrated by the manner by which He cares for His sheep and will give His life for them on the Cross for their sins.

SHEPHERDS AND SHEEP!

In Australia, when we think of sheep, we think of vast herds or mobs of sheep possibly in their thousands, with a drover, mostly on a motor bike these days, and his sheep dog rounding up the sheep from behind and moving them forward from place to place for food and water.

In the Palestine of Jesus’ day, a shepherd would possibly only have up to twenty sheep in his care and would virtually spend most of his time, day and night, caring for them and protecting them against predators, enabling them to survive by leading them to food and water. At night, in order to keep the sheep safe, the sheep would be penned in an area around which walls of rock would contain them. This pen would not have a physical gate or door and the shepherd would place themselves across the opening into the pen, in order to keep the sheep safe from predators. The shepherd risked his life in order to protect the sheep. Sometimes several flocks of sheep with several shepherds, would be penned up in the same area at night, sometimes even in the courtyard of a residence. As day dawned, each shepherd would call their sheep to follow them and the sheep would only obey the voice of their own shepherd – never going with another shepherd – in fact they would run away from a shepherd not their own. This is still occurs in the Holy Land and other places today. A thief or bandit wouldn’t attempt to go through the opening where the shepherd rested and guarded his flock, but would try by another means, possibly scaling the wall, to gain access to the sheep. These are the thieves or bandits of whom Jesus speaks – but He actually means the religious leaders of Israel who have not cared for the sheep as God cares for His people, but feathered their own nests.

WHO DOES JESUS SAY HE IS IN TODAY’S GOSPEL?

In verse seven and following, Jesus says” “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep…….. I am the gate. Whoever enters by Me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” (John 10:7+9)

A gate marks the proper place of entry. There is only one way to enter into God’s Kingdom and that is through faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Jesus is the only legitimate way into God’s kingdom.

Jesus is saying that He is the gate through which a person enters into the place where God Himself, through His Son, shepherds that person, cares for them as a true shepherd should care for His flock.

In saying: “I am the gate,” Jesus is disclosing that He is God. Did God not say to Moses: “I am who I am”? (Exodus 5:14) “I am the gate”, is one of seven sayings by Jesus in the Gospel of John, which begin with the words, “I am”. “I am the gate”, “I am the living water”, “I am the light of the world”, “I am the bread of life”, “I am the true vine”, etc. In each of these statements Jesus reveals that He is God Incarnate.

In this passage, Jesus says that those who enter by the gate, “Hear His voice.” Just as the sheep hear and respond to the voice of their own shepherd, so those of God’s flock, those who believe in Jesus, will “hear His voice” and will respond only to Him.

An “example” of God’s chosen hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd and following Him was experienced by Ian and I when we visited an Anglican School for the deaf in Jordan. The Anglican priest from Holland, Father Andrew, told us that “lots of children convert from Islam to Christianity” at that school, even though it is against the Law in Jordan to convert to Christianity. The love of God was palpable in that place and many of us were reduced to tears even though nothing was said to even begin to touch our emotions. The love of God through the ministry of Fr. Andrew and other Christians in that place so touches the lives of the children and adults who attend that school, that they cannot help but hear God’s voice calling them to follow the Good Shepherd who leads them into full and abundant life.

Jesus says in John chapter 10, that He calls each of His flock by name, that He leads His sheep, that He goes ahead of His sheep and His sheep follow Him. This is the movement of a soul from darkness and unbelief into the light of the knowledge that Jesus is God’s Son and turning their lives around to follow Him.

The Twenty Third Psalm says: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside still waters.” (Psalm 23:1+2)

ABUNDANT LIFE

When we come to faith in God’s Son, Jesus, we are enabled to live life to the full knowing that He died on the Cross for our sins. We are then able to live life fully and freely, because our Lord has taken all, which weighs us down, our sin and guilt, and nailed them to the Cross so that we can go free – free to live life fully and abundantly. This is to feel fully human, fully alive! God always takes the initiative in drawing us to faith in His Son, Jesus. He calls us to follow Jesus. How caring and loving is God to do this?

CONCLUSION

In contrast to the political tyrants who have sown evil in our world, God, through the Good Shepherd, Jesus His Son, calls us by Name, guides and leads us to all we need for life and goes before us so that we will be safe.

May we trust our Saviour, God’s Son, Jesus, our Good Shepherd, with our life, as He “calls” us and “goes before us to lead us”.

Our response is to follow Him wherever He leads us.

The Lord be with you!

Bulletin for May 7th 2017

The May issue of The Melbourne Anglican (TMA) is now available. This issue includes:

• A front page photo of a depiction of Christ by an aerial artist in a dramatic portrayal of the Passion in St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne;
• News of the international Thy Kingdom Come Prayer Campaign which is to culminate in a “Beacon Event” on 3 June, the eve of Pentecost, in St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne, to mark its involvement, and that of other Melbourne parishes, in the Campaign.
• The Dean of Chelmsford Cathedral in the UK, Nicholas Henshaw, reflects on the blessings of the 24/7 Prayer Movement;
• US radical and founder of The Simple Way Community, Shane Claiborne, talks about the new monasticism movement and its 12 principles based around prayer and serving others;
• Coverage of Anglicare’s latest report on housing affordability; and a viewpoint “Tax concessions for some or a home for others?” by Grattan Institute economist and Anglican Dr Stephen Duckett;
• Bishop Philip Huggins writes about a life-changing book that led to an experience of the Risen Jesus and on the road to ordination;
• Bishop Paul White on why the Melbourne Diocese needs to aim for 50 new parishes;
• Bishop Stephen Hale, Lead Minister for the St Hilary’s Network, on our cashless culture, and the revolution underway in church giving;
• A tribute to Nobel Prize winning Australian neuroscientist Sir John Eccles, who believed in the soul;
• A lead letter, “You can accept science [and] be faithful to Scripture” by the Revd Dr Stephen Ames, the Revd Dr Chris Mulherin and Emeritus Professor of Physics, Dr John Pilbrow.
• A special supplement celebrating the work of The Melbourne Anglican Foundation.

 

 

‘THE ROAD TO EMMAUS’

8.00 am and 10.00 am – St. George’s Anglican Church, Ivanhoe East

Third Sunday of Easter, 30^th April, 2017

READING: Luke 24:13-35Ä

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

INTRODUCTION.

Can you imagine today’s Gospel story as the last scene in a dramatic movie – almost the postscript? The music spelling out for us that this is the end! The heart stopping high point has come and gone, and, in the centre of the screen, two dejected and forlorn figures walk wearily towards the setting sun – THE END is about to come onto the screen!`

THE GOSPEL.

We could have witnessed all the dramatic events which had preceded this particular scene. And as the sun sets and disappears from sight, so the hopes of these two people of a Saviour, a Messiah, a Deliverer – disappear from their hearts. The picture on the front of the Bulletin helps us visualize the scene before us.

Thoughtful, despondent, limp with grief, they appear to be in a daze. The tragic events over the climactic last scenes have jam packed their emotions to point of exhaustion.

Like the pictures we see regularly on our television screens depicting the absolute despair, outrage and horror, at the so often needless sudden death and tragedies which seem to occur almost every day in our world, the two figures on centre screen, have walked away from the numbing events of those last few days of a week they will forever remember.

They too, like some of us, have also traveled through that road of outrage, despair, shock and horror, as the man from Galilee – whose life events they had followed and been part of in some way, was brutally beaten, stripped of every human dignity, hated, despised and spat upon, and in a state of utter exhaustion – made to carry a heavy cross which had held Him in the last moments of life on the road to His death. And all this to an innocent man!

Can we try to enter into their feelings, as, reeling with shock, they traveled that Sunday afternoon away from the scene of tragedy towards a refuge, a place to gather themselves together – a place to try to put things in to some sort of perspective – a place to try to find some answers to the endless questions which continually roll through their minds like a broken record seemingly repeating the same unanswerable questions over and over again!

All these events we have been part of since Jesus’ birth was celebrated, and we have focused on Him man at centre stage, in a drama that has been recalled all over the world for more than 2,000 years.

And so the scene is still before us, two men walking along a dusty road towards the setting sun. We expect the “credits” to appear soon and we prepare ourselves to leave. Hearts as heavy as the feet of the two people plodding before us.

And then, just as if we had blinked, there are now not two, but three people in the scene before us. When and how He – the central figure came – we do not know.

For some reason, the two walking towards the sunset don’t seem to know Him. He asks them what they’ve been discussing. So downcast and full of emotion at the events of the last few days (just like when some of us have experienced tragedy and can’t believe that the world can still keep going when the bottom has dropped out of ours) so these two are amazed that this man doesn’t seem to know anything of what has happened in Jerusalem in recent days.

They describe the Person around whom their melancholy lies, as a “prophet, powerful in deed before God and all the people.” (Lk 24:19)

Their disappointment shows in their words, “we had hoped that He was the One who was going to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24)

They said that some of the women in their group had astounded them because they had gone to the tomb that very morning, and had not found His body there but had seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive, this had been checked out by some disciples who had confirmed their story.

The One in their midst, spoke to them and explained succinctly God’s plan about the Messiah from the Old Testament prophets. `

JOURNEY’S END!

The two had now reached their journey’s end – in more ways than one!

We see the third “central” Person indicate that He is travelling further and we observe the two enthusiastically encouraging Him to stay with them. The sun has almost set, the time for travelling in those days, virtually over.

The next scene sees them sitting at a table preparing to eat a meal. The third Person, the central figure, takes the bread, gives thanks and breaks the bread and gives it to them.

A new day dawns in their lives! As with the great Apostle Paul and millions of Christians down through the centuries, suddenly they could see clearly who this Man really is?

As the words describe this dawning moment in the hymn, ‘ Amazing Grace” with the words – ‘I once was blind but now I see!’ so the two who had trudged dejectedly to Emmaus were suddenly brought from the darkness of unknowing to the brilliant light of understanding who this man before them really is, i.e., He is the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

A divine moment of truth with the Son not setting – but rising to heart stopping heights in their hearts. They had never, ever heard such “good news“!!!

Despondency and despair give way to sublime joy! In our mind’s eye we had seen them enter their refuge – broken with grief – they are now energized into new resurrection hope-filled life!

When, only moments ago they had to retire for the day, they are now exuberant with new life – seeing clearly, now that the fog has gone, that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God!

But now, when we look again, we find that there are not now three but two people, in the scene before us…once again, only two!

These two cannot keep this heart stopping news to themselves. Whereas they had entered the house with heavy hearts and feet, they now prepare to about turn, and journey back the 7 miles to Jerusalem – not now with heavy hearts and feet but with hearts which are bursting with joy, and their entire beings soaring high as on eagles wings!

It’s always the way with good news, isn’t it? It simply has to be shared.

No doubt if this happened today they could have sent an SMS text message on their mobile phone, or telephoned ahead, or sent a fax or an e mail, and then driven across to Jerusalem.

But, back to Jerusalem they walked, the light of the knowledge that Jesus Christ is the resurrected Son of God illuminating their path.

They rejoin the other disciples but cannot first give voice to their good news before they hear from the others: “The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon!” Another first hand resurrection appearance seen personally by one of the disciples!

And then, only then, are they able to explode with their excited message, to verify again, yet another resurrection appearance of our Lord, one of eleven recorded resurrection appearances in the Scriptures. To hear about events is one thing, but to experience them is another.

This is the moment of conviction. This is the wow! moment! This is the monumental life changing experience, which transforms them from dejected, despondent despairing people – to zealous, joyful, exuberant people of faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God, who become the founding members of the church.

Their lives, as with the lives of the other disciples, revealed that this was no figment of their imagination, no interlude into a world of fantasy.

Their fearful existence has been transformed into a faithful existence.

CONCLUSION.

And so perhaps we can fast forward the movie on the screen to the present day, with ourselves on centre stage – not alone, but with “Another” – God’s Son, Jesus, walking beside us on our life’s journey for He has promised: ”I will never leave you or forsake you, I will be with you always to the end of time.” .

He opens our eyes to see Him as God’s Son, the resurrected, risen, Lord. He transforms our lives as we respond in faith to Him. He is with us every moment of life whatever we may encounter, including during our times of dejectedness, our pain, our grief. He comes to us in ways that reveal His presence. He is with us at all times in life and especially when our need is greatest,

He comes in unexpected ways and at unexpected moments. He will most certainly come to us in but a very few moments, in the breaking of bread and in the blessed cup.

We, too, sometimes have hearts burn within us at His Presence and His touch and our lives are filled anew with hope, hope in Him, God’s Son.

He reveals His presence to us, and that moment is frozen in time as a transforming, life changing moment – and we are new people henceforth, because the Son of God has walked into the sunset and beyond with us, along our pathway of life!

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, we thank you that when we reflect on Your Presence with the two travellers on the road to Emmaus, that this is a message to each of us personally of Your Presence with each of us on our particular journey of life. Help us to trust You as we traverse the many terrains of life. S Strengthen us for our Christian walk as we take You into ourselves through Holy Communion and take You with us into the world You love. Open our eyes to always see Your Presence with us and to know that we are never alone for You come with us wherever we may be.

We ask this prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!

Amen!

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Bulletin for April 30th 2017

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Bulletin for April 23rd 2017

8am and 10 am – 23^rd 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!

5.00 pm April 23^rd 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!