MAINTAIN THE UNITY OF THE BODY MAY 16, 2010

PREACHER: REV. SETH KISSI

TEXT- ACTS 16: 16- 34, REV 22:12-17, JOHN 17: 20-26
The theme for the sermon is “Maintain the Unity of the Body.” The gospel according to John is one in which Jesus is concerned about the unity, love and peace of those who follow him. The unity we are talking about is at three levels.
1. The unity is supposed to be like the one that exists between the Father and the Son. “That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us”...Jn 17:21. This unity is mystical – unity in which we live in the Father and the Son in the same way Jesus lives in God and God in Jesus. That is how Jesus would want believers to understand their relationship with God and with one another.
2. On the basis of this mystical union, the believers are to be one; for indeed they are. But to make this real was the prayer of Jesus: “That they may be one just as we are also one” (Jn 17:22). Jesus once again expects the oneness of the believers to be the same kind of oneness that exists between the Father and Himself. The divine oneness then is the standard of the oneness of the believers.
3. “ That the love you have for me may be in them and I myself may be in them” (Jn. 17:26). The love for one another is the logical sequence to the mystical union and the oneness that proceeds from it. Given the kind of union and oneness mentioned, the believers have no option but to love one another. But this too is not any ordinary kind of love but the very love of God, the kind that the Father has for the Son. This love is unconditional, forgiving and never giving up. Jesus’ prayer made it clear that without this love the mission God wants to accomplish with us on earth would come to naught. It all depends on this extra ordinary love that we should have for one another.

In the book of Acts Paul and Silas cast a demon out of a lady and were arrested. They spent 3 nights in a cell singing and praising God. On the third day a powerful earthquake struck leading to the opening of the cell gates. What followed resulted in the conversion of the guard. The guard then took Paul and Silas, washed their wounds, sent them home and gave them food. The usual relationship of unfriendliness and suspicion that exists between prisoners and guards turned into a friendly and hospitable one. This appears to have given fulfillment to the prayer of Jesus that all who come to believe in him through the witness of the immediate followers should also become one.

The unity of the believers lies in their sharing in one life and purpose in mission. It is the same God who inspires the same life and mission in them. This emphasizes the absolute necessity for the believer to live in God. In the reading from Revelation, we hear of some characteristics of life that is opposed to the life inspired by God. Those who share in this ungodly life are described as dogs, practitioners of magic, sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters and those who love and practice all manner of falsehood. But there is a triple invitation to the water of life, the life of God. All those whose lives have disqualified them from the city of God should come to the river of life and have their stained garments washed and their thirst quenched. As you listen to/read this, take a look at yourself and at your heart. Is your garment stained with anything that you need to wash in this water of life? The list in the text from Revelation is not exhaustive; you can all to it. Whatever has stained your garment can be washed so you can have access to the City of God and to the life He gives.
If we are to maintain the unity of the Body of Christ which is the Church, then we need to understand who we are and how we stand in relation to one another in the context of this mystical union with God and one another. A prayerful consideration of the prayer Jesus prayed for us is therefore important. We must do this in order to live in the love Jesus assigns to us, a love that proceeds from our union. This love should make us understand one another, bear with one another and forgive one another. This love will not make us say things that will destroy one another. This love will not make it difficult for us to work together in spite of our differences, or meet one another with genuine smiles. If the love we need to have for one another is the very love of God, then our prayer should be, that we respond to our brothers and sisters who hate us or offend us with love because that brother/sister is connected to us in such a way that we cannot split.

We are one because we all share in the same union with God, the oneness that is of God and the love that is of God. We are one because the same God lives in us and inspires the same kind of life and mission in us.

BOOK LAUNCH - INTRO TO GREEK MORPHOLOGY BY EKEM & KISSI

The Trinity United Church Premises was the venue last Wednesday 19th May 2010, of the launch of the Text book 'Essentials of Biblical Greek Morphology - with an Introductory Syntax' co-authored by the Rev Prof J.D.K. Ekem and Rev Seth Kissi.

The well-attended launch was chaired by Rev Prof Emmanuel Adow Obeng a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast and now the Dean, School of Theology & Mission, Central University College. The Special Guest of Honour was the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, The Most Rev Prof Emmanuel Asante. In attendance were the spouses of the authors, family and Church members and a host of VIPs in Academia including Prof Ansere, Prof Florence Dolphyne and the President of the Trinity Theological Seminary, Rev Dr Cyril Fayose. Many students of the Seminary were also present.

Reviewing this all-important Text book, the Rector of the Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission & Culture, the Rev Dr B.Y. Quarshie, made the following significant observations:

• the first book that has to do with a particular language - the teaching of Greek
• the first time Prof Ekem has co-authored with a colleague which is an important step in the path of mentoring
• the book acknowledges other authors on whose shoulders these 2 authors stand
• for a fuller understanding of the New Testament, one needs to study the culture and language in which the NT was written, and that is the Greek language. Greek is therefore important for every student of the NT and therefore Biblical Studies
• The book gives the rules of studying Greek and that enables the student to learn the language at a faster rate
• The book is highly recommended for every student of the New Testatment and of the Greek Language.

The Chairman in his closing remarks said all aspects of Theology - systematic, practical, traditional etc - the basis of Biblical Studies - were embodied in the book . Biblical scholarship, he said, was an 'endangered specie' because the languages are difficult - Hebrew and Greek - but he was happy about the book because it will make the sudy of the Greek language easy for students. He also was happy about the collaborative efforts of the 2 authors and stressed that for such collaborations to happen very often, junior colleagues must humble themselves and be ready to learn.Rev Prof Adow Obeng therefore recommended the book to all students of Theological Institutes in Ghana.
Launch Copies sold for GHC100 or more. At bookshops in Ghana, it sells for GHC15.
Please call + 233 244764263  or the Publishers, SonLife on +233 21 500631  or info@sonlifepress.com for copies.

pls: Cover style and launch photos & Foreword will appear soon here.

MAY 9, 2010 TEXT- ACTS 16: 9- 15, REV 21:22-27, JOHN 14: 23-29 THEME:”PREPARE FOR THE HEAVENLY CITY”

PREACHER: REV. FIIFI FOH ARKHURST
There are three schools of thought about our going to heaven. The first claims there is no heaven and is a figment of our imagination, while the second claims that Gods requirements for us to go to heaven are high and we cannot make it with our sinful nature. They third believe that there is not enough space for all of us in heaven, but Jesus Christ himself says, “in my father’s house there are many mansions” meaning that there is enough space for us all. Rev: 21 tells us that the presence of God is in his people in heaven. They continue to worship him with their light God, which shines on them. This establishes that there is heaven.
What goes into that preparation? We cannot prepare omelettes if we don’t know the ingredients used in its preparation, in the same way if we don’t know the preparation for heaven, we would miss the mark. You must accept Jesus to take away our sins, because without Him we cannot make it. This is the first step for our preparation.
There are so many people who could not make it to heaven and as we prepare, we must maintain our grounds. We might have fallen, but God is prepared to forgive us and give us a second chance.
Heaven is a reality and only those who have prepared would make it hence we need to be obedient. As a Christian woman looking for a job, you must not yield to sexual advances. Preparing for heaven as a civil servant means you should refuse bribes and not compromise with the world like others are doing. We must not sell our birth rights for mobile phone credits e.tc
Not everyone would get to heaven. Only those whose names are written in the lamb’s book of life would go to heaven. Eternal life is available to us because Jesus paid its price for all. As we prepare for heaven we should focus on Christ because taking our eyes of him would not make us get there.
The way we prepare for ceremonies such us child naming is the same we should for heaven. It is not too late because we do not know when Jesus is coming and it should be our prayer that the good Lord would help us as we prepare for the heavenly city.

MAY 2, 2010 TEXT- ACTS 11: 1- 18, REV 21:1-1 THEME:”RENEWING OUR LOVE” SERVICE OF HYMNS

SINGING OF HYMNS AND EXHORTATION: BRO. ALEX OFORI KARIKARI
We began our exhortation by singing “As the deer panteth”.
My faith looks up to thee was the 2nd hymn we sang.
MHB 431 was one of the 6500 hymns Charles Wesley wrote. This was backed by 1 John 4:9 which showed how he showed his love that we might live through him.
MHB 448 written by a Scottish visually impaired Minister George Matheson, after his college friend decided not to marry him due to his impairment.
MHB 602 this is a hymn that speaks to the elderly, in psalm 92 the righteous would flourish like palm trees, which raises greater awareness for Gods fellowship. He still loves us and our lives are in his hands.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 speaks about love. There are 3 kinds of love; aero which takes, phyla which speaks about giving and taking while the third, agape which loves in spite of who you are. This is the kind that of love Jesus demonstrates to us and his disciples and we should go out to do the same to others.

APRIL 25, 2010 TEXTS:- JOHN 10: 22-30 & ACTS 9: 36-43 THEME: JESUS GIVES ETERNAL LIFE

PREACHER: REV. DR. D.N.A. KPOBI

INTRODUCTION

There are some people who like asking questions, but do not listen to the answers. They would come and ask you the question over and over again because they did not listen to your answer. It can be very irritating because such people are not really interested in your answer; indeed in most cases their minds are made up and they have decided the kind of answers they are expecting before they ask.  Such people are found in every society and in every age.

Jesus and the Jews

The ancient Jews were like that in their relationship with Jesus. They were full of expectation of the Messiah and so they went to Jesus again and again to ask him whether he was the Messiah. But they had already decided that he was not the Messiah, so the answer he gave was not important to them. The passage from John 10 was one such occasion when they confronted Jesus at the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem. “How long will you keep us in suspense?” they asked Jesus. They had forgotten that they had asked him that question many times earlier. Many examples can be found in John’s Gospel about the Jews asking him and he giving them the same answer. See for example:

a) when he cleansed the Temple (Jn. 2)

b) when he healed the man at the pool of Bethesda (Jn. 5)

c) when they grumbled at his teaching (Jn. 6)

They had already decided that nobody can come from Nazareth in Galilee and be a Messiah so Jesus could not be the Messiah.

Jesus’ answer to them was therefore direct and to the point: “I did tell you but you do not believe”. It was an indication that he had told them before in the past and that at the time they were asking, they still did not believe. He was indicating to them that theirs was a case of deliberate unbelief. In other words, it was not a lack of knowledge that made them to ask but a lack of faith. What they were doing was actually pretending to have doubts about who Jesus was, whereas the truth was that they had decided not to believe he was the Messiah. Jesus was therefore pointing out to them that it was not he who was keeping them in suspense; it was their lack of faith.

The Jews represent all of us

All of us are like the Jews of Jesus’ time. Just like the Jews, God has given us all the answers we need already, but in most cases we have refused to accept God’s answers. We have made up our minds on many things and when we go to God we only want him to tell us what we want to hear. The history of our relationship with God makes this point very clear. It started all the way back in the Garden of Eden where our first parents decided not to accept God’s warning: if you eat this fruit you will die. Adam and Eve decided not to believe what God had said but to believe the lies of the Devil instead. We have been following in their footsteps ever since. Just consider the questions that you keep asking God and see whether he has not provided the answers in his Word or through his servants – preachers, prophets, elders and even friends.

God is reminding us today that if we are still carrying our questions on our minds, it is not because he has not provided answers but because we do not believe his answers. For example:

a)”whatever you ask in my name….”  - if we believe this statement, we would not be seeking solutions to our problems elsewhere. Solutions to our marital, financial, employment and other problems are to be found in Jesus not in human designs.

b) “if you are going to offer your gift at the altar…...”  - if we believe this, we would know why our prayers are not being heard by God because he has told us to be at peace with our fellow men before coming to him.

c) As a nation God has made it clear to us that it is only righteousness that would exalt us, but we do not believe it and we keep going to God to ask him to exalt us when our nation is full of injustice and corruption. 

The message Jesus gave to the Jews is what he is giving to you and me today.

Jesus continues to teach us

Anytime you hear a sermon or meditate on the Word of God, remember that that is God’s way of reminding you of the answers that he wants you to have. In the Gospels, Jesus never gets tired of teaching the Jews even if it meant repeating himself over and over again. Our passage this morning is one such occasion when Jesus repeats his teachings about his “Messiahship”. He reminds them that it is only when we become like sheep and choose to listen to his voice that we can hope for eternal life. The metaphor of the sheep is meant to indicate those qualities of the sheep that Christians need to emulate, namely, absolute trust, willingness to obey and adequate intelligence to know its leader. To adopt the qualities of the sheep is to be assured of eternal life and to be assured that you are absolutely safe with God and that no-one can snatch you from God’s hands. Eternal life means being eternally in the presence of the God.

Are there questions you want to ask God? Are you willing to accept his answers? Or have you already made up your mind? Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will have eternal life. AMEN.