Easten Diocese of the United States

Eastern Diocese of the United States

for the Independent Old Catholic Church

Sunday Sermon

Love and Commitment: Not Always Synonymous

Using your favorite streaming provider, take the time to listen to Love God, Love People by Danny Gokey

We have been told to Love God; Who in hear loves God? I have to ask, are you answering this way because you are in here, at church and being asked by the paster? Or are you being true to own heart, and truly love God.

What is love? How do you show your love? Do we take the time to stop, I mean really stop our busy lives to spend with God? Take a moment and think of your significant other, do you love them? Let’s give this word love a little more thought. If you are like me, I love my wife with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my being. I would be lost without her. When it comes to my family, I love them; I care, I mourn, I feel their pain. But is this love the same? Which of these loves do you have for God? Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37-38 that “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ‘This is the great and first commandment.

We have talked several times on how we should love one another, care for our neighbors. Last week we talked about material wealth and what that meant. We have spent a couple of weeks talking about Operation Christmas Child and the outpouring of faith and love into that project. Do we know these children? Then why are we doing it? I believe this group is doing it at good dutiful Christians, they are doing it, because they can. We should love our brothers and sisters, even though we may not know them. 1 John 4:20 says: If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. So, I will ask again, who loves God?

Another question, who is committed to God? Is there a difference? Of course, there is. A recent example in my life, my sister called the other day and asked me to call her back. I love my sister, but I didn’t though I wanted to. But life gets in the way. But when my wife calls, she doesn’t even need to leave a message. Just seeing the missed call, is enough for me to call. Life never gets in the way of calling my wife back – I am committed to her. A simple example, but see the difference? Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

Love for God and worship of Him are hallmarks to commitment. It starts with love of God. But to be truly a servant of God it means much more. We must live as good – not good awesome Christians. I do not mean to say that you are a Christian, do not act like a Christian, BE a Christian; with your whole heart, soul, and being. Some ways to be committed: Pray daily, hourly – never stop. Devote some quiet time with daily devotions. Take some time to read, study, and reflect on scriptures. Show love to your fellow man. When we say worship, does this mean to come to church. Sort of, it is one way to show commitment. To hear his word, to share in fellowship. What this truly means is to worship God, above all. Worship God in your own heart, in your own way. Be committed to him, put Him first and live to love Him. Luke 16:13- No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Here I am to Worship, Here I am to Bow Down, Here I am to say that You Are My God. Whom will you serve, whom will you worship?

God loves us, this we know for the Bible tells us so. An old song from my youth. But let’s look at God’s love for us. Is it love or is it commitment? God does love us; it says so in the famous verse John 3:16. But he is also committed to us. He was Born of the Virgin Mary, lived, suffered, died, buried, and rose again. We spoke of the brutality of the tortuous preparations and death by crucifixion. Did Jesus know that he was going to suffer and die? Mark 8:31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

He knew, he told others; he could have run away, but instead he entered Jerusalem, knowing what was about to happen. And still accepted that fate. Would you do this for a stranger, for family, for your significant other, for God?

The Promise from God

God recognizes our shortcomings. Even though we continue to turn his back on him. A consistent story throughout the Old Testament. We think more of ourselves, our wants, and desires. Even God’s chosen people, who were freed from Egypt and still they kept testing Him, complaining about their situation. God provided, supplying miracle after miracle. But still wasn’t enough, to the point God became angry with them, made them roam the desert for forty years. But still God made them a promise. Isaiah 9:2 “The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.”

In God’s view we are living in the darkness of sin and discontent. His promise was to send us a savior. A sacrifice to free us from our burden of sins. The promise of the savior, one that would make the ultimate sacrifice, the gift to all of humanity, his only Son. Isaiah 9:4 “For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.” The prophetic message from Isaiah not only promises this savior and continues to describe that this person would take upon his shoulders our burden of sin. And to keep with the season, this gift starts with the birth of a child. We just celebrated this special gift, the birth of Christ. Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.”

To keep with the important theme of Christ our Savior, Isaiah pulls this thread to remind all that this sacrifice is for our benefit, in which Christ put upon his shoulders. Isaiah 53:4 “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.”

The Gift of Christ

It is not enough to promise, one needs to come through and act upon the promise. The same is true with God. Though there was a good deal of time between the prophet and reality, but it is understood, God keeps his promise. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Jesus’ ministry was not that long, but rich with important messages, message of love and caring for one’s neighbor. What is important is how Jesus defines neighbor. If unsure, I would like to remind you of the parable of the Good Samaritan. An example of a person that is ignored by his “own” people, just to be cared for by his enemy. Christ still called this individual his neighbor. It is not literally your neighbor, as living next to you; but all that you meet. The neighbor being the one who is at your grocery store, gas station, school, or work. Your friend, family, co-worker, classmate, and/or the person you come across. Again, the key is love. Jesus not only preached and taught this lesson; he lived it to. Ephesians 5:2 “and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

This gift is the Gift from God, the means to regain the glory of his grace. Without this grace, we are subjected to the darkness of death and the Glory of God. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Christ knew what his mission and destiny was. He came to earth as one of us to be sacrificed for the atonement of sin. He lived amongst us and was faced with the same temptations of sins, faced the evils in the world, and faced the same painful physical wounds and humiliation. He did succumb to these temptations and remained pure. But still he took the burden on, so that we may walk with him and be in the kingdom of heaven. 1 Peter 2:24 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds, you were healed.”

God acted upon his promise by sending humanity a savior. Christ did his part by taking on the ridicule, the punishment, and the painful torment of crucifixion. But still Christ overcame death. It is not enough to die for our sins, anyone could have done this, what is important is Christ’s overcoming the pain of death, beating death, beating the evil one. I liken this to Jesus taking the sins of the world to the evil one and leaving them there as He returned to us. Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”

The Spirit at Work

Jesus did his part, died for our sins, the ultimate sacrifice. Now it is our part, though this is a gift; we still must do something about it. We have a part in our salvation, just like at Christmas in which you received many gifts, they are not yours until you unwrapped them. Similarly, the unwrapping comes in belief. We need to belief that Jesus lived, walked, ate, and died amongst us; further believe that he died and was resurrected on the third day overcoming death and evil. Mark 16:16 “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” Now that is the easy part, what is not so easy is to confess with your mouth, none of us wish to embarrass ourselves and admit we are not perfect and have faults. However, the reality is, we are not perfect, we all truly know it. We are all full of sins and imperfections; this is either by our actions, words, thoughts, or failures to act. As such, we need the living and saving grace of Christ Jesus. God recognizes this too, but still loves us and allows us the means for forgiveness. Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” Now that we confessed our sins, recognized Christ’s part in the salvation, we can recognize that as sinners, we have a personal savior, Christ Jesus. He is our savior, the gift from God, if we choose to accept it. So, in the means of the church, let us take a moment, to bow our heads, fold our hands, close our eyes, open our hearts to God. Allow him to work in us, His glory as we accept our personal savior; and be sure to thank him for this gift. Further, let us reach deep in our heart, let the Holy Spirit work within us as we examine our conscience and seek our sins; be truly sorry for these offenses and ask God for his forgiveness and thank Christ for his sacrifice. Let us pray as the Church has taught us, the penitential act as recited during the mass.
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.