Trinity 7 Sermon Aug 4 2019 Fr. Michael Cawthon
Sermon Trinity 7 2019
Trinity 7 2019 Fr. Michael Cawthon
Truth is what we seek
but can we handle the Truth?
We ask God this morning in the Collect:
to increase in us “True Religion”….
In the Epistle we read that we have all – in the past
“Yielded our “members” servants to uncleanness”
But now, as Christians,
we are to become servants unto God
And we are to yield our fruits now unto Holiness
Thus gaining an “everlasting life.”
As I said last week,
Life is the fruit of our Faith in Jesus Christ.
This morning in the Gospel of Mark
we hear our Lord’s love for each one of us….
As Hetells us
“I will have compassion on the multitudes”
for they have traveled from afar,
Just as you and I have travelled from afar –
from the days of our uncleanness,
we all come to be cleansed.
We have as Christians, left the dark places,
and now we seek the light of Christ.
And it is Jesus who loves us so much,
even unto today,
that He still gives, that we might live.
He feeds us with His Body
and Cleanses us with His Blood
just as He fed the multitudes in the readings,
just as He fed the whole world on the day of His Crucifixion
as He gave His Body and Blood
that the world may truly have
“life.”
In the Gospel that happens – and what does He do next?
He “sends them away”
Just as He will send us away today,
after feeing us,
He sends us out into a corrupt world,
but we now take with us
the antidote for this disease that we call sin.
Yes, it is you and I, who are to carry medicine (called Christ) out into the world
as it is He – who can the cure for the world,
its addictions and all.
Each one of us are to follow Him
that we may serve Him
and serve our fellow man.
He strengthens us that we may strengthen others
by living a life unto Holiness as servants of God.
The pay may not be that great, but the reward is greater than we can imagine– life of eternity with our God.
He has already saved the world –
He has done the heavy lifting,
Just look upon Him hanging on the Cross?
And now He instructs,
He shows and tells,
and even nourishes us,
as we carry Him out into the world.
Each of you are called to do so.
Each of you were created Good
and it is this thing called sin that has make us all sick.
God could have created us in a “Total Depravity” of all goodness,
and then transform us into goodness…
but He choose instead
to make us in His Own Image
thus making us in goodness
and now He has made a way for us to remain “good” for eternity.
That is why the Epistle says
“ye have yielded your members servant of uncleanness.”
We have gone from being made good unto uncleanness –
we have left our goodness in search usually
of some cheap high, some easy way,
of joy & self-gratification
regardless of consequences,
we all have gone our own way.
Now, this day and every day, we are to yield ourselves
back to our original righteousness.
We are to restore what the secular world has corrupted.
This is the gate to eternal life,
To gain knowledge of God
and then using our Free Will to serve Him,
that is what “Perfect Freedom” is all about.
Being created Good sets forth a battle that rages within so many of us; but still:
“Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks, even longeth my soul after thee, O God (Psalm 42),
as we seek
and are renewed
to that Goodness
that is within each of us.
As we walk our path of faith,
with fellow believers,
and we stumble
we are to return to the path of “righteousness”,
through prayer and repentance.
And today, we have Psalm 1 to reflect upon…
And within the first verse of the first psalm as we are told how sin will attack us…
First you will walk, usually on an easier and more convenient path,
with others who have strayed away from the True faith,
you know like just walking along with the crowd….no big deal right?
But then the next day you stop, and stand, with those who have strayed,
you know just to listen in on
Deceptions, falsehoods, and gossip of this world,
and all is still OK and still and actually sort of fun.
Finally the next day (or next step) comes and you sit with those
with whom you have walked, and stood with.
Now sitting within the filthiness, the uncleaness, of this world;
you become part of it.
Step by step,
we are steered by the world to leave our goodness behind
and seek after money, power, fame, and “the coolness” that surrounds those whom the world elevates.
Sin will deceive you and
that is why we are to maintain,
and live a life,
with the true religion
handed down to us by our Lord
and His Church.
Beware of people who promote
new found knowledge
and even preach it
as they attack the religion
they profess to follow….
But instead of following, they attempt to create
and change the teachings of the Church.
These people and institutions,
through their teachings of false knowledge,
often lead the sheep away from their true Shepherd –
The True Light – just remember –
It is Jesus Christ, and He alone
who must be the standard bearer of your faith…
Jesus Christ came to Save you, Not to Entertain you.
It is He alone, not the secular world,
who’s servants – you are to be –
Follow Jesus and He alone within His own Church
And you will find him, because the Spirit will guide you to him
and at the end you will find “True Life.”
A life beyond any of our deserving.
THE HOUR COMETH AND NOW IS WHEN TRUE WORSHIPPER SHALL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH FOR THE FATHER SEEKETH SUCH TO WORHIP HIM….
