RESPOND TO THE CALL OF JESUS

                                                                             

Today is 3rd Sunday after Easter

THEME: RESPOND TO THE CALL OF JESUS

1st Reading:Acts 9:1-6; 2nd Reading: Rev 5:11-14; Gospel Reading: John 21: 1-19

Preacher(2nd Service):Bro Alex Oppong-Poku.

Saul had collected a mandate from the Jewish Authorities in Jerusalem to arrest Believers from Damascus. On his way, as we read from Acts9: 1-6, Christ appeared to him.
Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.* So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! 8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. 9 He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.
 
Saul recognised Jesus's voice in spite of his (Saul's) persecuting Him and as he responded to the call of Christ, his life was transfromed.
 
Today Jesus still calls us. His call is universal...calling men and women of all race and colour to serve him.
 
His call means we must have full Fellowship with God. He who calls us will equip us and strengthen us to be able to do the work He has entrusted to us.
 
As Jesus said to Peter in the 2nd Reading, His call to us is to take care of His sheep. His sheep are of the household and also those outside who need to come into the fold. These are people who need the Word, our love and support. His call therefore unites us as a family, because we have one objective. Everyone therefore is important in this call and no one must exclude himself/herself.
 
Jesus's call demands obedience. Saul obeyed and his life was transformed, and he later became Paul.
Likewise the disciples obeyed, they cast their net and had a bumper harvest.
We must also obey the call to take care of His sheep.
Taking care of the sheep demands commitment, faithfulness and willingness.
We must be prepared to spend and be spent...as in MHB...Go Labour on, spend and be spent.

Bro Alex Oppong-Poku is an official of the VAT Service and a member of Trinity United Church.

APRIL 11, 2010 TEXT- ACTS 5: 27- 32, REV 1:4-8 & JOHN 20:19-23. THEME:”AS THE FATHER SENT ME SO I AM SENDING YOU” PREACHER: REV. ISAAC ETUAH-JACKSON Brethren in the Lord, today is the 2nd Sunday of Easter and it implies to discuss this theme and to appreciate the fact that the resurrected Jesus Christ is giving us work to do. The slowness of faith of the disciples in the reception of the news of the resurrected Christ had its value for the future church and all of us if they had been expecting the resurrection and anxiously looking forward to it, people could say that they imagined it and that they persuaded themselves it had happened. The gospel reading emphasises that the disciples had shut themselves behind doors for the fear of the Jews that their turn would come next to die. So they were meeting in fear, listening for the knock on the door. Suddenly appears in their midst – he was not bothered by the locked doors. Jesus first words to the stunned disciples was peace be with you. Shalom in Hebrew means peace, may you be saved from trouble- is a normal everyday Hebrew greeting and a blessing in the 1st century. It was appropriate given the disciples circumstances. They were still recovering from what they had thought was the loss of their teacher. What Jesus meant here is “may God give you every good thing”. He replaces fear with peace. Thus is what the resurrected Christ does for us. The resurrection of Jesus trumpets the assurance that no matter we see or what life brings – God is sovereign- he is in control and his purposes will not be thwarted. The fact of the resurrection means no matter what situation we are in, or what the visible and invisible strength arrayed against us we can face it with confidence rather than with fear. This is what Jesus is sending us to go and to the world in general and in Africa and Ghana in particular. Much of the self inflicted lack of peace in Africa and Ghana has been born with animosity based on differences- whether ideological, ethnic or religious - Tutsis and Hutus in Rwanda, Abudus and Andanis in dagbon, Techiman and Tuobodom in Brong Ahafo, Asante Gyaasetse and Nii Ga of the Ga state. The disciples rejoiced when Jesus showed them his hands and side. This is indeed the Lord. Happiness is the world’s virtue but Joy is distinctively Christian. Then Jesus gave disciples the commission which the church must never forget. As the father had sent me, so i send you. This is what westcolt called “The Charter of the church” this means three thing for us today: i. Jesus is dependent on his church to spread the goodness: The church is the body of Christ (Eph 1:23) must continue with the message Jesus brought to all men from God- the message of agape love of God. The church is to be mouth and speak the fact to run the errands and hand to the work of Jesus. Jesus is sending us to send the salvific message to the broken world. ii. The church is dependent on Jesus: This is to stay that the church needs Jesus. A person who is to be sent out needs a message to take; he needs power and authority to back his message. Without the response of Jesus the church has no message. Our message is that Jesus has resurrected and offered us life. iii. The church must be obedient to Jesus: because Jesus obeyed God and condescended into our world showed Jesus obedience to God. It follows that the church is fit to be the messenger and the instrument of Christ only when she perfectly loves and obeys him. The church must never go out to propagate her own message, never follow man-made policies but must follow the will of Christ who gives and guidance for his work. Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on the disciples to emphasise them for mission and guide them into all truth. (John 16:13). This is what happened in the 1st reading in Acts 5: 27-32 with the power of the Holy Spirit the disciples preached with favour peter and the other disciples bravely and fearlessly proclaimed the divinity of Christ- to even the Sanhedrin and declaring we must obey God rather than men (verse 29). Hark the voice of Jesus crying.

APRIL 4, 2010 TEXT- IS 65: 17- 25, 1 COR 15:19-26 THEME:”CHRIST IS RISEN” PREACHER: REV. SETH KISSI Message not available. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.

APRIL 2, 2010 GOOD FRIDAY TEXT- ISAIAH 52: 13-53:6, HEB 10:16-25 THEME:” THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PASSION AND DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST”

PREACHER: REV. FIIFI FOH ARKHURST
Beloved in Christ, if we compare the manner in which the service of the world’s greatest men have been rendered and that in which Christ’s work of redemption has been rendered, we are immediately impressed with an outstanding contrast, for while the service of men is rendered during their life time and while Christ too, for that matter lived a life of unparallel service, the climax of Jesus’ work came at its very close, and our salvation is ascribed to his passion and death.
Dear Christian friends, we are reflecting on the importance of the passion and death of Jesus. The first reading from Isaiah reveals a valuable component of our salvation, the passion and death of Jesus that is the agony of Christ. It is amazing how much detail given by Prophet Isaiah came true in Jesus. For through his death Jesus did suffer for humanity. Again, by his death Jesus secured for all believers
1. Healing both spiritually and physically
2. Penalty for our sin.
My dear Christian friends in the second reading from the book of Hebrews the writer made a powerful statement that God will remember our sins no more. For Christ forgives completely, so there is no need to confess our past sins repeatedly. And as believers, we can be confident that the sins we confess and renounce are forgiven and forgotten. That all these have been made possible via the passion and death of Jesus. The writer of Hebrews continues to say that via the passion and death of Jesus, we have confidence to come to God. We can relate with God as a father without any inhibitions. In the 3rd reading we read about Jesus being tossed here and there by Annas and Caiaphas.
Dear Christian friends, it is interesting that the death which they thought to inflict on Jesus as dishonour and disgrace has become the glorious monument to death defeat. The death of Jesus Christ becomes not the end, but the beginning. It is not the end of the way, but the way of the beginning. For via his death, Jesus brought the end of death and the beginning of life. In other words, Jesus died that we might live. We deserve to die but Jesus decided to die in our stead. Decided to take our place so lift up your heart. Don’t be sorrowful. Hope for the future lies in what God did long ago via the death of Jesus. Remember, via his death Jesus has conquered the world. When night comes, pray “lead kindly light”. When there is no place to stand sing “how firm a foundation, ye saint of the Lord”. In the midst of our days and years Christ comforts us as surely as he did his sorrowing disciples long ago. And as Lord of life, he cries “I died and lived for you”.
Beloved in Christ, let us remind ourselves that via his death Jesus made a big sacrifice for us and the sacrifice accomplished a lot. For when Jesus died on the cross, he was giving his life so we could have eternal life. That is to say, Jesus died for our sins.
For the death of Jesus is a damage repair, so anytime you see a crucifix, consider how much Jesus gave to you and remember to be generous to others.
My dear Christian friends, the significance of the passion and death of Jesus cannot be overemphasised in any way. We were nobodies but his death has made us somebody.
Again, his death has given us assurance of salvation let us remember that the specific purpose of Christians death was to secure forgiveness for us as taught in scripture, for Christ suffered for sins once so that the unrighteous might be brought to God. Remember Jesus paid a debt he did not owe because you owed a debt you couldn’t pay.
It is my hope and prayer that the Lord will help you to bear the burden of the weak as Christ did and to learn that exultation comes only after humble selfless service.

MARCH 28, 2010 TEXT- ISAIAH 50:4-9, PHILLIPIANS 2:5-11 &LUKE 19:29-40 THEME:”PREPARE TO FACE CHALLENGES”

PREACHER: REV. ISAAC ETUAH-JACKSON
Today is Palm Sunday, a day Jesus Christ rode triumphantly in to Jerusalem as the blessed king who comes in the name of the Lord to face the challenge of dying on the cross to save us from the power of sin and death.
Today, we also begin what we call in Christendom-the passion of Christ or the holy week, a week we recall how he loved us and how he has shown this love.
In the 1st lesson read to us, we see how the 2nd Isaiah describes in these verses how the suffering servant- the messiah- facing the challenge of life- suffering which the father has designated for him. He is to preach the message of God’s mercy to men. Many rejected him and tortured, but God was on his side and would not be moved from his resolute purpose by his insults and injuries.
Brethren in the Lord, the sufferings, various episodes or stations in the life of Jesus were all challenges to Jesus (betrayal, denial, trail by Caiaphas and Pilate and eventual crucifixion). He triumphed in the end. This is to teach us that challenges are inevitable in life but when we remain resolute with the help of God just as the suffering servant was- he remained unswayed by whatever hardship that was awaiting him as he rode to Jerusalem to be crucified (Ezekiel 3:8-9 and Luke 9:51).
No matter how he was to be mistreated, mocked and repudiated, the servant /messiah had such full confidence of God’s support that he welcomed the challenges in life schools, workplaces, in your marriage, in your family- am here today to tell to brace up and face these challenges because God’s helps is available to us in the face of these difficulties and challenges. This is why the church was red parament (liturgical colour) to teach us that the Holy Spirit is present to give us help in order to face these challenges of life. Amen
Brethren Jesus Christ at the end of a long journey eventually came to Jerusalem. This was in fulfilment of Zechariah’s prophecy in 9:9 Zion’s king should come to her righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt the foal of an ass.
When Jesus reached Bethpage and Bethany he sent for a donkey, he mounted it and his entry into Jerusalem to face his life challenge became a royal procession, with the king surrounded by his disciples and greeted by cheering crowds – like we have done today. Jesus by this action entered Jerusalem as king of peace and love and not as the conquering military hero whom the mob expected and awaited to liberate them from roman rule.
The people threw their clothes on the donkey for Jesus to sit on. The people shared what they had with Jesus Matthew 21:8 and Mark 11:8 mentions the cutting of Branches and spreading them on the road. The crowd shouted hosanna to the one who comes in the name of the Lord, quoting psalm 118:26 hailing Jesus as Messiah. Hosanna means save us now. Brethren, because Jesus was able to face the challenges in life by taking the form of man even though he was God, humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross most wretched of deaths a death a roman writer describes as she was highly exalted, given a name above every name and at the mention of his name every knee must bow and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the father.
Let us face the challenges in life with Christ this passion and holy week- tomorrow –Friday please do not be left out and am certain we will also receive grace and favour from God to be able to face our individual challenges in life. Amen