Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity – Sermon 311

• Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity
• 10.00 a. m. Holy Communion, CW
• 6th October 2019

Prayer to Start

May the words of my lips and the thoughts of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and Honour of our Lord Jesus Christ

                                                AMEN

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for being near at this time of suffering Lord – for without you it would be more than I could bear

Your comforting presence calms and strengthens – you provide short periods of relief – and help me regain my bearings and my thoughts –

I don’t see any purpose to my pain Lord – I want you to remove it – yet it still remains – the tears I shed are beyond measure –

Even though I grieve – I feel your love

An extract from a devotional – by Anita Donihue

Point 1- Lamentations – Grief & Hope

Grief comes – when someone disappoints us – when we lose something or someone we care about –when we lose our health – or if someone we love is sick –

We associate grief with emptiness – loneliness – shock – depression –

Our OT reading – is an extract from one of five Laments or poems – written – possibly – by Jeremiah – after – he had just seen – the siege and destruction of Jerusalem –

The Babylonian army had burned and destroyed all the principal buildings – and carried off most of the surviving inhabitants to exile –

A whole city had been – destroyed – brothers – sisters – friends – all gone – and the bodies that were left – barely recognizable –

his pain darkens every line –

and yet although – astonished and grief stricken – he never doubts God’s justice – and if we read further on – in the book of Lamentations in chapter 3 – he expresses a quiet hope –

‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases – his mercies never come to an end’– they are new every morning – great is your faithfulness’

‘The Lord is good to those who wait for him – to the soul that seeks him’

Jeremiah understood – that – Jerusalem’s present sufferings will pass away – that – they do not represent God’s final purpose – that His people will be freed from their – present bondage – they just need to trust in God’s mercy – to help see them through

And its the same for us –

God’s faithfulness is at the very core of His nature – His steadfast love never ceases – His mercy is limitless – and His compassion knows no bounds –

Valleys are inevitable in life – and some will be deeper than others – no one is immune from them –  

but trusting faithfully in God will enable us to – emerge – with a faithful friend by our side –

Point 2        Jesus – Faith and our response  

‘Living by Faith in God’ is the theme of our Gospel reading – when in response to Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness – the disciples ask Jesus – to give them more faith –

‘The apostles said to the Lord – “Increase our faith”

But – Jesus’ answer – was that it was not greater faith – that they need – but faith in a greater God –

Jesus uses the example of the mustard seed – to show that the size of their faith is not the issue –

Faith either exists or it doesn’t

Faith is like a window – through which you can see God – the size of the window doesn’t matter –

the important thing is that you can see – and believe – and through seeing – and believing – God becomes more and more important to us – each day – changing and renewing our lives – showing us how to live and to grow in His love –

And the more important God becomes to us – the greater He grows in influence within us – and our perception of Him becomes greater –

The smallest peep-hole of a window – will be enough to give us access to more power – than we have ever dreamed of –

Power that answers prayer in remarkable ways –

Power that will enable us to approach something that ‘can’t be done’ – and ‘do it anyway’ –

That tiny seed of faith – once sown in our hearts – can grow into something far greater – far more wonderful – than anything we ever imagined at the time it was sown –

Jesus’ second example about the servant and his master – is told to demonstrate how faith can become weak or misplaced – if we forget – that ultimately – we are servants of a King –

That if we think God is here to serve us – then within us – He is a pretty small God –

Jesus reminds us that when we serve God – and His Church – we are doing – no more – than what we should be doing – anyway –

When we have done our best – we have only done our duty – Nothing we do for God – will ever put Him in our debt –

All we do for God – should be out of gratitude – we should expect nothing in return – yet it is in God’s nature – and grace – that He will reward us for it – anyway –

Point 3         Paul – Faith and Faithfulness

Paul in his second letter to Timothy – shows us how we must live –

“Rely on the power of God

Who saved us and called us with a Holy calling –

Not according to our works –

but according to His own purpose and grace

given to us in Christ Jesus” –

Hold fast – to the standard of sound teaching – from Jesus and from our Bibles – be bold – fulfill the dream – don’t be worried by others –

Begin with our own lives – rekindle the gift of God within us – and encourage it to burst into flame –

It’s time for our lamp to come from under the table and shine out onto others – to show them the way to Jesus –

Remain rooted in the faith – our deepest roots need to lie with God – His will and His promises –

In 1988 in Armenia – a Father – named Samuel – took his son to school as usual  – and hugged him at the school gate – squatting beside him – wished him a good day – and reminded him – that no matter what – He would always be there for him –

That day a large earthquake rocked the area –

And the school was buried under a pile of debris

Parents stood around crying – but Samuel started digging –

“What are you doing” –asked one of the parents? – “digging for my son” – said Samuel

“But you’ll make things worst – the building is unstable wait for the rescue services” –

As time wore on – one by one the parents left – then a firefighter tried to pull Samuel away – ‘won’t you help me’- he said? – but the firefighter left – and Samuel kept digging –

All through the night – and into the next day – he kept digging – He picked up a beam – and pushed it away – and then heard a faint cry – ‘Papa’

He began to dig furiously – and finally could see his son – Reaching forward – he helped the boy out – and with him fourteen more children emerged from that tomb – ‘I told them you would come for me’ – the boy said.

Faith and Faithfulness – saved those children’s lives – God promises that our faith and faithfulness – through Jesus – will save ours

Ending

We are all called to serve the King –

To release the power and love that He brings

To speak up for the weak and vulnerable

To help to bring order and harmony to the world

And give a lead to Jesus that others can follow-

We can have many questions – many concerns about the world and the people around us – about our own lives and the situations that we face and experience – and we need to bring all these to God in prayer –

But in the end – we know that Good has already conquered evil – and God’s love has triumphed over all – and His love will see us through anything and everything that is before us –

God will encourage us forward in remarkable ways – if we trust Him and depend on His presence – allow Him to Grow within us – through the life- death and resurrection of His Son – for its only through – the love and power of Jesus – that our true hope and comfort can be realized.   AMEN.