6th Sunday of Easter
Rev Steve Murray
Acts 17: 22-31 1 Peter 3:- 12-22 John 14: 15-21 Psalm 66: 8-20
I’ve looked at all 4 readings set down for today. That includes Psalm 66 not read today where verse 20 states;- “ Blessed be God because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me”. An anonymous writer wrote this Psalm after a great victory in battle. The theme is that God answers prayer:, individually and as a body of believers we should praise and worship God. Leslie Brandt puts it this way:- “ You who are seeking for God, these are the things he has done for me: He has accepted me despite my sins and failures. He listens when I cry out to him, and he responds with solace and support. I proclaim God’s praises because I know he will love me forever.”
If you want to experience a good sermon don’t listen to me but read Acts 17: 22-31. There Paul after complimenting the Greeks ( who worshipped many Gods) talks to them about the true identity of this “ Unknown God”. In a masterful way Paul claims that this unknown God worshipped by the Greeks in the temple is none other than the Creator God. This God that nobody knows is the Lord of Heaven and Earth, the one true God, the Creator God. Paul explains that this Supreme God rejects all the other Gods that the Greeks worship and that God will no longer overlook this ignorance. It is time for repentance. Paul explains that God will judge the world through the one man whom God appointed. That man is of course JESUS CHRIST whom GOD raised from the dead. There is only one true God.
Turning to 1 Peter 3: 13-22. These verses define God’s purpose for those who enjoy salvation. First obedience and second holiness. That can be put more simply i.e. that we do Jesus’s will so that we might be like him. Both in my youth and now I sing (don’t worry I sing to myself) these following words which I recite now:- “ Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of Earth will become strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace”. We should be eager to do good even if that causes suffering because we are followers of Christ. God will give us courage to do the right thing, We have the perfect example of someone doing the right thing, doing God’s will even though that resulted in tremendous suffering. That supreme example of course is Jesus Christ himself. He suffered because of our sins to make us righteous before God. Jesus was able to do this because he is the innocent one, the righteous one, the Messiah and our Lord. Question :- Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? No-one if God wills it, but if suffering occurs then do not fear, make your defence with gentleness and reverence keeping your conscience clear
A Presbyterian Minister wrote ;- “ What would you say in 15 seconds to tell someone about God?”. Challenge accepted! “God created me in his image but my sin took me away. Jesus is God clothed in human flesh who loved me & died for me. Christ asked God to give me the Holy Spirit to strengthen, comfort & teach me.” The 15th verse from today’s gospel recites Jesus’s words :-If you love me you will keep my commandments.” I like what a Baptist Preacher wrote and I summarize his words :- “ God has written you a love letter! If you don’t love Jesus you shouldn’t play the organ. If you don’t love Jesus you shouldn’t be in the choir. If you don’t love Jesus you shouldn’t be a Minister, and you shouldn’t preach if you don’t love Jesus.” No pressure. A narly Scottish Theologian wrote:- “ There is only one test of love and that test is obedience.” The Message perhaps puts it in a better way :- “ The person who knows the commandments of Jesus and keeps them, that’s who love Jesus. And the person who loves Jesus will be loved by God the Father, and Jesus will love him and make himself plain to him.” So Jesus promises to reveal himself to all those who love him ( truly love him)evidenced by those people obeying the commandments of Jesus. HOW??. The answer is easy.
Jesus said “ I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him” That is the promise of the Holy Spirit to you, to me, to all who love Jesus and obey his commandments. Is there a set way to receive the Holy Spirit? No.. I have seen many receive the Holy Spirit in vastly different ways e.g. a one on one conversation, responding to a call at Church, by private prayer, by public prayer, by experiencing God through his Word, by Nature and by some sort of spiritual experience sometimes alone and sometimes in the company of others. The first person I met who had received the Holy Spirit was my late Mum. She took me and my siblings to the local Presbyterian Church. God bless her.
Who is the Holy Spirit? What is he or she or it like? Why can we not see the parakletos a Greek word for Comforter or Helper or someone who is called in to comfort and help. The world rejects the Holy Spirit. However Christians know who the Holy Spirit is and they know that by loving God and keeping his commandments. The Holy Spirit is an Advocate, a Comforter, a Counsellor, a Friend, a Helper, the Spirit of Truth, a Standby and a Strengthener. The Holy Spirit completes the triangle with God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. The Spirit discloses to us the truth about Jesus’s life, death and resurrection. The Spirit teaches us about GOD , about LOVE and about SERVICE thereby strengthening all of us in our faith journey May the Spirit be with you today and forever. AMEN!