YOU CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MONEY

Preacher: Revd Mrs Grace Sintim Adisa

Bible Readings:  AMOS 8:4-7    1TIM2:1-7        LK16:1-13

Date: 19TH September 2010              17th Sunday after Pentecost

To serve means to perform a duty or provide a service for some one. There is always an authority that is being served. The parties involved are a master and a servant and the normal thing is that the servant obeys the master.

The Theme for our reflection indicates that we have God and Money in this world; but we cannot serve both of them at the same time else we will be bias.

In the first Bible reading, we hear the prophet Amos warning the Merchants of his time. These merchants were enticed by money and they pretended to be worshiping God. They were not serious with the religious festivals. They always wanted the Holy days and Sabbaths to be over quickly so they could go back to work to make money. They loved market days more than Sabbath days.

They were cheating the poor to make money. They were selling inferior products for the same price as the finest – e.g. they mixed grain with wheat that was meant for animals, they inflated prices, knocked the bottoms of their measures upward, adjusted their scales among others. They sold the poor debtors into slavery for a pair of scandals.

Beloved in Christ, the Lord was not pleased with the behaviour of the Merchants. But my problem is – how different was their time from our time?

When you visit our market centres in Ghana (Asesewa, Techiman, Mankesim, Agomeya, Makola, Kasoa, etc) you will not see a different picture, there is cheating all over. Our traders love money more than anything else. Traders are giving false measurement for materials and cloths, deceiving people with Copper Jewellery as Gold. Come to think of the way they arrange their vegetables in the pans, sacks and ‘olonkas’ – they put fresh ones on top but the bottom ones are rotten. Groundnut paste and Ground pepper are mixed with flour etc. There are countless cases of rapist, armed robbers and thieves bribing their way through.

So what do we do as Christians because the Word of God says, we are the light of the world. There is so much moral decadence even at the offices. People would have to pay in cash or in kind before they could get jobs. Elderly men are abusing young girls and their house helps, their steps daughters etc.

Beloved, we have to walk with God. We should let justice roll on like a river and righteousness like a never-failing stream. God has something Good for us, so He is the only one that we should serve. The Word of God says that if I gain all the wealth of the world and I lose my life then what will I get?

Mt 16:26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?

Scripture warns as in 1 Tim 6:10 that the root of all evil is the love of money. Money per se is not the problem, but the way we acquire and use it brings problems.

1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

In our times, we see people especially the youth rushing for money through ‘sakawa’, juju, armed robbery, 419 among others. The Bible warns us in Gen. 3:19 that “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food…” so why do we want to relax and get money?

Gen. 3:19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

The Apostle Paul in our 2nd Reading (1 Tim 2:1-7) preached Christ and his crucifixion that we may believe in God only.

Beloved in the Lord, what are you also doing? God is the ultimate that we need to serve. There is nothing to be compared.

Our 3rd Reading, (Lk 16:1-13) tells us that one day we shall be called upon to give an account of our stewardship. The servant in the parable did not know Christ but he thought of the future. He helped his master’s debtors so that they would also help him in his time of need. The steward helped the people in order to get their help in the future when he loses his job.

The Lord is saying that we cannot serve two masters. Either we will hate the one and despise the other.

Lu 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 mammon."

Money has the power to take Gods place in your life. It can become your master. How can you tell if you are a slave to money? Money is a hard master and a deceptive one at that. Wealth promises power and control, but often if cannot deliver.

Great fortune can be made – and – lost overnight and no amount of money can provide health, happiness or eternal life. How much better it is to let God be your Master; His servants have Peace of Mind and Security both now and forever- Amen.

REJOICE OVER ONE REPENTANT SINNER

PREACHER: REV DR JOHN ABEDU QUASHIE

DATE: SEPTEMBER 12, 2010


PASSAGES: Exodus 32: 7-14; Psalm 51: 1-10; 1Timothy 1: 12-17; Luke 15: 1-10

Introduction

We thank the Lord Almighty for bringing us to the beginning of yet another academic year. The year may seem to be full of challenges but we can be assured of God’s unfailing love, protection, provision and sustenance. We have every cause to thank the Lord because He has been faithful to us in the past and we can trust Him to take us through the present and continue with us into the future.

We reflect on the theme, “Rejoice over one repentant sinner” by considering the following:

Lost Sinners

From the three scripture passages and the Psalter, one thing that becomes clear is the fact of lost sinners in the world. This fact of sin and sinners is sometimes found in the most unlikely places such as among the people of God, the church; the people who are supposed to be separated from the world and separated unto God.

In Exodus 32, we find the Israelites, the specially chosen people of God, having sinned terribly against God. They had made for themselves graven images and attributed the protection, provision and deliverance of God to these images. God was so angry that He wanted to destroy them. What led to the Psalter read for us today (Psalm 51) was a grievous sin committed by a man whom God had raised and used to deliver His people. David, a man after God’s own heart, committed murder and adultery. In 1Timothy 1:15 Paul describes his previous life as being the “the worst of sinners”.

In the gospel reading, we find the Pharisees and scribes complaining and criticising Jesus, that He had associated himself with sinners and even gone on to eat with them. In His response Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin (Luke 15: 1-10). In these parables, Jesus did not deny the fact that those people the Pharisees and scribes were referring to were indeed lost sinners. Jesus used pictures that would be appreciated by all the people gathered. The story of the sheep would at the time touch the hearts of the men and boys in the crowd, while the women and girls would appreciate the story of the coin.

Sheep get lost because of their foolishness. They have the tendency to go astray. While the Pharisees and the scribes had no problem seeing the publicans and others as ‘lost sheep’ or sinners they could not see themselves in the light of Isaiah’s prophecy that all we like sheep have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6). It is very easy for us, like the Pharisees and scribes, to consider others as lost and ourselves as okay. The story of the Pharisee and the publican who went to pray is a good illustration of this kind of situation. But is it not true that we have been foolish at times, going astray like the Israelites, and like David, and disobeying the word of God. Is it not just because of grace that we can claim to have a right standing with God? It is not strange that John Newton will pen down the hymn, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me”. The fact is that we are all sinners saved by grace.

The other issue is that unlike sheep that get lost because of their foolishness, the coin was lost because of the carelessness of another. When a Jewish girl married, she began to wear a headband of ten silver coins to signify that she was now a wife. It was a calamity to lose one of those silver coins. Sometimes our carelessness at home and at work results in a soul being lost. It is important to ask ourselves whether our words and lives are not causing people to be lost.

Two things can be said about being lost. First is that one is “out of place”. Sheep belong with the flock and coins belong on the chain. All humans belong in fellowship with God and anytime that fellowship was broken, it means they are lost. The Israelites had broken their fellowship with God so they were lost. In David’s prayer of forgiveness, he dreaded this idea of being out of place and asked God not to cast him away from His presence but to restore to him the fellowship that was lost.

To be lost also means to be “out of service”. A lost sheep is of no service to the shepherd and a lost coin is of no service to the owner. As ministers in training and even lay people, we must remember that we cannot break our union with God and think that we are still in His service. We sometimes find people living in serious sin and still claiming to be working for the Lord. Well, they may be working for another lord but not

the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus categorically said that without Him we can do nothing. Are we lost? Are we out of place and out of service with the father through Christ? Do we know people who we can rightly claim are lost?

Lost Sinners are Valued

What the Pharisees failed to appreciate was that the lost are also valued. The fact that the shepherd would go after one sheep is proof that each animal was dear to him. In the same way that fact that the maiden would light a lamp and search for the missing coin was indication that the coin was of value to her. The point being made here is that the people we may think of as being lost are valuable to God. Each person in the world is so valuable that God does not desire that any should be lost forever. So Jesus described His ministry as “seeking and saving the lost” (Luke 19:10).

The lost sinner is so valuable to God that he offers the priceless blood of Christ to purchase him/her. That is why we never have to look down on anyone like the Pharisees did; that is why we never have to give up on anyone who is lost; that is why we never have to relent in our efforts in seeking the lost. Moses set us an example. When the Lord told him that He was going to destroy all the Israelites because they had broken the fellowship with Him and gone to serve other gods, but He was going to bless Moses, Moses began to remind God about the value of the people He was going to destroy. They were a people God had brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand (Ex. 32:11). They were a people God had made an everlasting covenant with through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that He would make their descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and give them the land as an inheritance forever (Ex. 32:12). The lost are also valuable to God.

The two parables teach us about the value of the lost sinner. If you lose something that is not valuable, you don’t mind. For the shepherd to search for the one sheep, it indicated that the one sheep was valuable and for the maiden to search for the one coin, it indicated the value of the coin. It is because of the value of the lost sinner that when one repents, there is rejoicing.

Sinners Have the Capacity to Repent and be Found

The two parables also suggest that it was the shepherd who goes after the lost sheep, and the maiden who goes after the lost coin. This may not immediately bring out the fact that there is the capacity in the ‘lost’ to be found. There are situations in which announcements are made about lost but found items which the owners had to come for. Could it be that the lost sheep was looking for a way back but was helpless? The third parable which follows the two read today brings this fact out clearly. In the parable of the lost son, we find the son repenting and returning to the father.

People have the capacity to repent and go back when they realise their foolishness. David, in Psalm 51, expressed the desire to be restored to God. The Lost son was desirous to be restored back to the father. Paul was happy to have been restored back and was thankful to God. His statement in 1Timothy 1: 15 that Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners is an indication of the fact that sinners can be saved. In fact, his statement that he is the worst of sinners seems to give an indication that all sinners can be saved. If the worst has been saved, then it is easy to save the “not so bad”.

Every lost person has the capacity to be restored back to their place and to their service with God. That is the reason we should never give up on them. There are people who have prayed for the salvation of their loved ones for years and after so many years, it eventually happened. In his song “Welcome Home”, Ron Kenoly talks of his son who left home at 16 and after some years came back in repentance.

Unfortunately, the Pharisees failed to recognise this capacity in the “sinners” with whom Jesus ate. Do we recognise the capacity in sinners to be saved or we totally condemn them as if nothing good can come out of them?

Attitudes towards Sinners

In the passages, there are two kinds of attitudes displayed regarding sinners. First we have the attitude of the Pharisees. For them, sinners were lost and could not be found. Nothing good could come from them. To them there was no possibility of repentance.

Unlike the Pharisees however, we find Moses, Jesus and Paul having a different attitude to sinners. Moses’ example was a striking one. God had decided to destroy all the Israelites and to leave him alone blessed. If you found yourself in that situation, what would be your reaction? There are people who see their success in other people’s failure. If those people were in Moses’ situation they would have become excited about the idea and asked God to quickly do what He was talking about. Do you see yourself also wanting to be better than the other person? Do you see yourself rejoicing over the downfall of a fellow believer because you think it raises your prospects? Or do you see yourself hurt about the brother or sister who has fallen and praying earnestly about his restoration? What is your attitude to sinners?

Jesus’ attitude was one of hate for sin and love for the sinner recognising the potential of the sinner to be the best. Due to the recognition of this potential in the sinner, Jesus is always patient with the sinner. Paul declared in 1 Timothy 1:16 that in him, Christ Jesus displayed His unlimited patience and that was intended to be an example to those who would believe in Him. What is your own attitude to the sinner? Are you eager that the sinner should be punished or like Moses, you always plead on their behalf that God will have mercy upon them? Do you hate sin and love the sinner or you hate both sin and the sinner?

Rejoicing: The Right Reaction towards Repentant Sinners

Our attitude also informs our reaction to the sinner who has repented and received mercy. Because the Pharisees had a negative attitude, they could not rejoice over the fact that the sinner has repented and received mercy. On the other hand Jesus explained that just as a shepherd would rejoice over a lost but found sheep and a maiden would rejoice over a lost but found coin, so do the angels rejoice over one sinner who repents. There are three things that we may consider as the right reaction towards the repentant sinner. First is rejoicing over the sinner’s repentance. If heaven rejoices over a repentant sinner, our reaction to the repentant sinner should be one of joy and celebration. A lost brother/sister has been found and there is every cause for celebration.

Second those who are genuinely in tune with God reach out to the lost to restore fellowship with them in a very intimate way to the extent of eating with them. The shepherd reaches out to the lost sheep and the maiden reaches out for the lost coin. True believers welcome the repentant sinner and seek to help them stand firm on their feet as they find their place among the people of God and become of service to God.

Third, those who have a right attitude towards sinners are not ashamed associating with the repentant sinner. Jesus was not ashamed of associating with sinners, something that the Pharisees could not just take in. Barnabas was not ashamed associating with Paul and that helped Paul a lot to find his place in the fellowship of the Lord and of the believers. Some believers behave like the Pharisees and shun those who have fallen from grace even when the people have genuinely repented and received mercy from God. The attitude of Christ is to receive the repentant sinner and encourage them to stay strong in the Lord. Could we follow the example of Jesus and help those who fall to rise on their feet instead of “shooting the wounded”.

Conclusion

The fact is that there is sin and sinners in the world, sometimes found in the most unlikely place like the church. Sinners are out place in the fellowship with God and also out of service. However in the sight of God, there a great value in every sinner and every sinner has the potential to repent. Our attitude to sinners must not be one of looking down on them but rather one of hate for sin and love for the sinner. This attitude leads us to rejoice when they repent, share fellowship with them and not become ashamed associating with them. May we have the grace to follow the example of Jesus and that of Moses towards sinners who have repented! Amen.

1. there is sin and sinners in the world,

2. Sinners are out place in the fellowship with God

3. Sinners are out of service out God

4. However in the sight of God, there is a great value in every sinner and every sinner has the potential to repent.

5. We must not look down on sinners, rather we must hate sin and love the sinner...

6. ...that attitude leads us to rejoice when they repent, share fellowship with them and not become ashamed associating with them.

7. May God grant us the grace to follow the example of Jesus and that of Moses towards sinners who have repented!

Amen.

Revd Dr Abedu Quashie is Dean of Students, Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon.

BE A TRUE DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST

PREACHER: Revd Seth Kissi

BIBLE READINGS: Deut 30:15-20 / Philemon 4-6 / Lk 14:25-33

DATE: 5th September, 2010             

15th Sunday after Pentecost



God wants us to be disciples of His son Jesus Christ; but He doesn’t compel us to obey Him. He wants us to be willing disciples and always expects us to trust in His counsel. No matter how we feel about or see God’s ways, they are always meant for our good.


A disciple learns from his master and is influenced by him.

Paul was different in his approach to his ministry to the Gentiles compared to the other Apostles. He was a teacher and a friend to them. In explaining the Gospel to them he used his own life experiences and encouraged them to ‘follow him as he followed Christ’.

What are we supposed to do as followers of Christ or to be followers of Christ?

1. Decide to be willing disciples

2. Estimate the cost of following Christ

3. Be prepared to bear the cost and

4. Do not let the cost deter us


1. God doesn’t force us to obey Him, and so we must decide to be willing, obedient disciples

2. Jesus asked in Luke 14 which house builder does not estimate the cost of the building before he sets out to build the house. Likewise we must estimate the cost of following Christ.

The cost involves

• Death or loss of our own lives

• the loss of family and other relationships

• Acceptance, love and forgiveness of difficult people and things as was the case of Philemon who had to take back Onesimus, a runaway slave.

• Injury to our ego

3. A lot of sacrifices need to be given in our desire to be disciples of Christ and we must be prepared to bear that cost

4. The good news is that when we become disciples of Jesus Christ, that relationship takes care of our every need and gives us the Grace to love and forgive, accept other people, do things that ordinarily would have been difficult for us to do. That relationship with Christ promises us above all things, Eternal life; and so the cost does not and must not deter us.

TEACHING AND ADMONISHING EACH OTHER WITH PSALMS, HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS

PREACHER: Mrs E. Owusu Bennoah


BIBLE READINGS: Jer 2:4-13
                                 Heb 13:1-8
                                 Lk 14:7-14

TEXT: Col 3.16 – Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly

Date: 29 August, 2010            

14th Sunday after Pentecost


The theme for today coincides with the Choir's Anniversary and we thank God for their lives.

I would like us to dwell on 3 important things in the passage:
1. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly
2. Using the Word of God to teach  and admonish each other
3.Singing Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual songs in our hearts to show gratitude to God.

As Believers in Christ Jesus our main weapon is the Word of God; and we are being encouraged here to study the Word and let it dwell richly in us.
When we keep the Word in our hearts and allow it to direct us in whatever we do, then we will be able to teach others and direct them when they go wrong.
The Apostle Paul encouraged the Church in Colossae to continue to study the Word and build one another up with the Word through love. Paul insisted on the importance of the study of the Word since no spiritual growth is possible without the Word of God. His prayer was that all believers will relate the knowledge of God to all aspects of their lives.As Christians, it is our duty to teach and correct one another with the Word of God and also sing Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to show gratitude to God. When we have the Word of God we have peace; and worry and fear will not arise.
Isa 43:1 ¶ 1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.


2 When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.These are the assurances God has given us.

Music plays a very important role in our liturgy. The early Christians composed many hymns; and many times, these were determined by their mood. The kind of music we sing or listen to is sometimes determined by our mood. The Israelites, in Ps 137, did not sing the Lord's songs in a strange land. They were sacred.

When we are in despair, we sing a hymn and that hymn becomes our prayer and God listens to our prayer in singing. This is my experience when a close relative was sick at the hospital. He could not speak and we did not know what to do. As I was with him, I heard a voice that asked me to sing. I started singing PHB205, by the 3rd stanza, he said ''Abena sing well'' ( I don't have a good voice). That statement from a man who was very sick encouraged me. I sang more and more. He got well eventually.
 
The words in our hymns are words we must pay attention to anytime we sing those hymns. There is power and healing in the words of the hymns we sing.
 
But in performing this duty of TEACHING AND ADMONISHING EACH OTHER WITH PSALMS, HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, should we have any difficulty, we must remember that there is always help from Christ when we approach Him in prayer. MHB 538 – What a Friend we have in Jesus – sums up everything.

RESPOND TO THE CALL OF GOD

Preacher: Mrs Rita Abrahams

Bible Readings: Jer 1:4-10 / Heb. 12:18-29 / Lk 13:10-17

Date: 22 August, 2010

13th Sunday after Pentecost

I have many times avoided being asked to preach in this church; trying to avoid the call of God. But I asked God to forgive me and also to reveal to me if He really wants me to preach and He did it.

God knew Jeremiah before he was formed. Jeremiah was sanctified while in his mother’s womb to preach. He was made holy in the womb.

Like Jeremiah, God is calling all of us today to his Ministry. He has sanctified us all even while we were in our mothers’ wombs.

We are to go and spread His praises, to go and evangelise, to spread the truth.

In 1Pet 2:9 , the Bible says: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. He has made us kings and priests. He has ordained us to go and preach the Good news. We cannot say ‘no’ to Him. Some of us say we are old, we are shy; our work schedule does not allow us to evangelise etc. We do not have any excuse and God will not accept any excuse from us if He did not accept Jeremiah’s excuse of incompetence. He has given us authority over the problems we shall encounter in the ministry; and his Spirit will strengthen us to spread the message of Jesus Christ. He has given us authority to go and break down and destroy the barriers in peoples’ lives and in their stead plant the word of God and build lives for His Kingdom.

God is calling us to a life of holiness and sanctity. We must therefore be holy and portray God’s likeness.

REF: Rev 5 9,10 -9 and they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth."

1Pe 1:15 but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 1Pe 1:16 since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

In Hebrews 12 , Paul presents a dramatic contrast between Judaism and Christianity; where God is calling us out of death to life; into a new covenant into the glorious company of Christ Jesus. We cannot be our old selves.

In Hebrews 12: 28-29 is a final warning to those of us who are contemplating whether to respond to the call or not. There is a more severe punishment for them that do not respond to the call of God, more than those who rejected Mount Sinai. God is a consuming fire!

Heb 12:28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe;


Heb 1229 for our God is a consuming fire.


2Co 3:6 ¶ who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Let us therefore respond to the call and join this glorious company.

It is our duty to respond to the call of God. We can run but cannot hide.

Mt 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.


19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,


20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

Jesus’ encounter with the woman who was bent for over 18 years and could not stand straight is instructive here. She responded to Jesus’ call. She did not make excuses with her condition. Anyone who encounters and responds to the call of Jesus never remains the same.

Jesus is calling us to respond to his call to holiness, to a lifestyle of his likeness, to the new covenant. We cannot respond to the call and be the same.

This morning the question is not who is called? or have you been called?; but rather will you respond to the call of God like Isaiah did or will you be like Jonah?

Let us respond to the call of God.

YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM GOD

PREACHER: Rev'd Fiifi Foh Arkhurst

DATE: 15th August 2010

12th Sunday after Pentecost



The theme presupposes that God is all-seeing; for his eyes move to and fro and nothing can be hidden from Him. This is because He neither sleeps nor slumbers.
Jeremiah 23:24 poses a very important question ‘can any hide himself in secret places that God shall not see him?

Then Jeremiah 49:10 provides an appropriate answer, ‘He shall not be able to hide himself’

Again Ezekiel 28: 3 reads ‘there is no secret that they can hide from God

In Jeremiah 23:23-29, we encounter both true and false prophets. The false prophets were doing their own thing. They were prophesying falsely and deceiving the people with their dreams and prophesies. However these prophets failed to realise that nothing could be hidden from God. They did not realise that their deeds, words and thought patterns were all known to God.

What happened to the prophets can easily happen to us. For most of us live as if we could hide from God. We fail to remember that God is the only one who sees whatever is done in secret.

You can hide whatever you do from Ministers, Council Members, and other church members but not from God. For God watches us from a distance. God is everywhere. He is at your workplace and so aware of the under-invoicing and over-invoicing that take place. Such practices may escape the scrutiny of auditors but not God.

The fact that you cannot hide from God should be a big lesson to you. You should thus conduct yourself in a manner that is worthy of your calling.

Psalm 131:7-8 is very instructive as far as the theme is concerned;

‘I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the depths, you are there.’

In fact those who are trying to hide from God will hear as bad news the fact that God knows where they are.

Are you trying to hide from God? It is pointless to do so.

May God give us the consciousness of a little child that everything we see, everything we hear every word we say, every place we go, everything our hands do is constantly seen by God; for it is impossible to commit any sin that is not under the searchlight of God.

THEME:” SET YOUR HEARTS ON THINGS ABOVE” 1ST AUGUST, 2010 COMMUNION SERVICE

TEXT: ECL. 2:18-23, COL 3: 1-11, LUKE 12: 13- 21                     PREACHER: REV. ISAAC ETUAH-JACKSON                          
 Last week, St. Paul reminded his converts that through baptism, they had died with Christ and had risen again with him. They were therefore new creatures. He urges us to set our heart on things above. This is to say that we strive to put heaven priorities into daily practice. Setting our minds on things means concentrating on eternal rather than temporal. We are enjoined to Put to death things of flesh because of this wrath of God is coming but rely on the power of the holy spirit as we set our hearts on things above and commit ourselves to what Christ teaches. The Christian church should have no barriers but a fellowship of all believers (Eph 2:14 & 15). Christians should build bridges than walls because Christ is all and is in all. (Col. 3:11) We need to set our priorities right.

Solomon author of ecclesiastics, who is acclaimed to be the wisest person to have lived on earth, came to the conclusion that everything is vanity. He was meticulous about getting satisfaction as though he was conducting a scientific experiment; through the process he saw that life without God is a long and fruitless search for enjoyment, pleasure, meaning and fulfilment. It’s good to work hard but it bears no lasting fruit for those who work solely to earn money and gain possessions. Not only would everything be left at death but it may be left to those who have done nothing to earn it. What would be more painful is when your wealth is squandered.

In fact Solomon’s son, Rehoboam who inherited his throne was often foolish and the kingdom of Israel got divided after him. (1 kings 12) Solomon teaches us that when we set our minds on our own abilities, wisdom and efforts, our toil will be meaningless but when we direct our hearts and minds to faith in God, there would be a lasting reward or benefit for us. (Eccl 2:22-23)                                            

 Ask this question, Do you know the real reason you are working so hard? It is with the understanding that Jesus speaks to the rich fool in the third reading. Issues of inheritance were often brought to rabbis to settle and this was one of them. Jesus knew the heart of his man. He had asked for his share of the inheritance because he coveted possessions. To covet does not only mean to desire someone else’s property. It also means to possess more than we have. Luke 12 v.15b says: a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Possessions will never give us eternal life, joy and peace instead they give us anxiety. In fact, the more we store up for ourselves if we don’t take care will derail us from trusting God and we will lose our souls as in the parable of the rich fool. (Luke 12:13-21) v. 19, 20 shows his folly.

A man/woman who does not store up eternal treasure in heaven is a full indeed. Why take the risk of losing our matrimonial inheritance just to get some earthly treasure that will last only a few years.

We need to realise that God will evaluate our lives on the Judgement day. We therefore need to learn to live wisely by learning, learning to obey his guidelines. A song for living-children says read your bible pray every day if you want to grow. It is through this that we can set our hearts on things above.              

As we set our hearts on things above he would say come to me and sit at the right hand of Christ that you won’t be like the rich fool. Amen.

ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU

25TH JULY, 2010 (9th Sunday after Pentecost)

Rev 'd Foh Arkhurst, Asst Minister, TUC

BIBLE READINGS:
GEN. 18:20-32/COL 2: 6-15/LUKE 11: 1-13

FIRST SERVICE

TEXT: LUKE 11: 9,10
9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
New Living Translation

As humans one thing is clear that at any point in time we need one thing or the other. All of us here need something we want the Lord to do for us and our hearts’ desire is to receive whatever we ask of God. But in asking, we should have our motives right. Jesus is entreating us today that whatever we need, we should ask him in prayer and he is prepared to do for us.

In the first reading, God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sins but Abraham pleaded till God gave him what he wanted - saved Lot and his Family.

Our God is a faithful God when we hold Him to his word, for He watches over his word to perform. If we ask him for our needs he would grant our desires.

In the third reading, which is the basis for our Theme today, we read that after Jesus had finished praying one of his disciples asked, “Teacher, teach us how to pray…” We realized here 2 things:

a) That prayer must not be interrupted and so the disciples waited for the Lord to finish praying before putting in their request.

b) Jesus was a Role Model to his disciples as far as prayer was concerned; and so they wanted to pray just as he was doing.

Jesus responded in 2 ways- in the Lord’s Prayer - (verses 2-4) and in what is usually referred to as The Friend at Midnight (verses 5-13).

Jesus prayed a model prayer from which we can learn a lot of lessons:

1) It respects the God we worship - Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come... Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...

2) It shows our dependence on God. The Lord’s Prayer takes care of our daily wants - bread (all that we need) and forgiveness of sins (repentance before God)…. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

3) It takes care of our daily dangers - temptation and evil… And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil...

The Lord’s Prayer is our daily prayer, for it covers all that we need, our present needs, our past sins and our trials and temptation.

The 2nd response of Jesus as captured in Luke 11:5-13 is about a man who had a visitor in the night and had nothing to place before his guest and so he decided to go and ask a friend.

6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.* 9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

The man was not answering due to how congested his room was but his friend kept on knocking for his request to be answered. This is the way Jesus wants us to persist in prayer, to keep on knocking and asking on our knees and not be weary.

God always answers our prayers and He does so in three ways:

1) Yes - and you would have whatever you asked for

2) Wait - for a while (God’s time is the best) and

3) No - for you do not need this now.

If our earthly fathers know how to give us gifts how much more our Father in Heaven.

The 3rd Reading has some lessons to teach us.

We must learn from Jesus’ prayer life and from His Model prayer by

• Praying unceasingly

• Hallowing God’s name, praising Him and thanking Him

• Praying directly and simply, for God knows our hearts and understands our problems

• Praying persistently for the Lord will respond with what is best for us

• Praying expectantly, for we receive more than we ask for Ref : Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

I pray that we will continue to ask; and that we go first to God with our requests. Amen.
For Second Service Sermon, please click 'Read More' and scroll down.

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE

PREACHER: REV. FIIFI FOH ARKHURST
TEXT: GEN. 18:1-10, COL 1: 15- 28 & LUKE 10: 38-42

All humans can’t do without making choices. We make choices every moment of our lives.
How do we make choices and how sure are we that the choices we make would be right? In Luke 10:42 the Scripture teaches that we need to do the most important things first. Martha thought her choice was right; she was in the kitchen preparing food to serve Jesus and was worried that her sister Mary was not helping her. Jesus’ response was this 'But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her' Mary has chosen the positive part of sitting at the feet of Jesus and it won’t be taken away from her. Which implies that listening to God enables us to set our priorities right. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to him. Listening is an act with which we need to discipline ourselves. We need to listen to God in making choices. What Jesus was telling Martha was this, she should set her priorities right. Make the right choice and we will end up doing the right thing. Sometimes we spend so much time doing things for God that we do not have enough time to spend with Him. Martha was spending all her time in the kitchen trying to do something for her guest, which was not bad in itself; but she needed to listen to Him. When Jesus comes into the picture our ways would be right. The choices we make today would determine what we would be in the future. However if you make the wrong choice, do not give up, but turn to Jesus. He is always ready to help us.

The question in the minds of many people is how do we make the right choice?
1. We need divine wisdom and counsel before making decisions; and that takes patience and diligence
2. Therefore we need to spend quality time with Him. Intimacy with God is necessary
3. He will then help us to set our priorities right because there are many unimportant things we are doing.

Our prayer should be that we make right choices and we can’t do that without Jesus.
Let’s come before him and do the right things to the glory of God.

THE REWARD OF BEING FAITHFUL TO CHRIST

PREACHER: DR. VLADIMIR ANTWI-DANSO                                      

THEME:”THE REWARD OF BEING FAITHFUL TO CHRIST”                

Defining “Who is my neighbour” today becomes a problem. In our first reading, Moses tells us a lot about what we should do to inherit the presence of God. David also when he was about die admonished his son Solomon, heir to the throne to walk in the path of God faithfully. He succeeded in completing the temple and the palace because he initially followed the commands of God. Later he took a lot of pagan wives who turned his heart away from the Lord. After his death the kingdom broke into two. Jeroboam took over part of the kingdom and Israel was taken into captive.

The bible tells us what we should do in order to live a faithful life. In Deuteronomy when the Israelites came to Eastern side of Jordan and Moses was about to die he then gave them the law and promised the blessings of God if they lived faithfully by the law. We need to know our history, where we are coming from, where we are going as a Church. It is easy because someone died on the cross to save us.

When the Teacher of the Law came to Christ and asked him “what he must do to inherit eternal life, (Lk 10: 25) Jesus referred him to what the scriptures say (v.27), which he quoted. Jesus then used the parable of the Good Samaritan to demonstrate our attitude towards people who are not of the same ethnic group or social standing with us.  Knowing what the scriptures say, is key to our walking faithfully with the Lord.  As we are inundated with preachings on healing, prosperity, deliverance by various “men of God” in the media, we must consider what the Bible says because it is the believer’s Constitution.    The salvation of  God is not in the aggregation of riches, but it leads us into His peace.

Walking in the light of the law gives us the favour of the Lord. We have to walk in the path of righteousness.

CHRIST OUR PEACE THEME:”CHRIST OUR PEACE”

PREACHER: REV. SETH KISSI
TEXT: ISAIAH 66:10-14, GAL. 6:1-6 & LUKE10:1-11.



Peace is a condition where a man’s heart is at rest, when we are without worry and when we can relax. But what would bring about peace to the one who has no hope of what to eat, the sick, the one gripped with fear about his relationship with God?

Peace comes to us in different ways. In Isaiah, the people did not have peace; and that made them anxious and worried. They were concerned about the condition of Jerusalem but God through Isaiah presented a message of hope to them. God promised to give peace that is like a river, her breast would be full of milk that would provide for people; this provision would be a source of comfort.

In Gal 14 Paul reminds us to rejoice when we see that God’s Word has been fulfilled. There is peace in rejoicing when good things come our way and that also makes us see the challenges ahead in life. God is disappointed when we fail to rejoice in his accomplishments. He acts in our life to give us peace and joy.

When Jesus sent his disciples he told them to go into any house they were welcomed. The receiver of peace is he who welcomes the Messiah. The mission was to go and give peace indiscriminately to the extent that they did not have to greet anybody on the way.

How do we receive his peace? In Gal 2 Paul makes a ‘contradictory’ statement by saying that

i. We should first carry each other's burden. Put yourself in that situation, feel it and adopt that attitude to make sure a brother has peace to go on. Then he said:

ii. Each person should carry his load. For each of us has a load to carry; and it is the peace of God that would enable us to carry our personal loads.

If someone thinks he is better off he should be careful. If you are good enough assess yourself and find confidence in your abilities not someone else’s.

We must celebrate God when he does little and good things in our lives

When we panic we disappoint God. Panic and anxiety closes our eyes to the other doors God opens in our lives.

We should not be anxious for anything – the food we shall eat or the clothes we shall wear – for when Christ sent out the 72, he asked them not to take sandals nor purse.

We should not give up hope in our state of despair.

We must have hope and faith in Jesus Christ. There is nothing that is too hard for him to do for us

Salvation and deliverance bring peace and Christ is there to help us see the solution in him.

Let us also go in the same mission the disciples went.

May God help us to walk in peace.

May God come our way with his provision that takes away the hunger that makes us weak.

There is a peace that comes when we have problems and a peace when our problems are solved.

May the peace of God be with us. Amen

THEME: ”WALK FAITHFULLY IN THE SPIRIT”

TEXT- 2 KINGS 2:1-6, GAL. 5:1,13-25, LUKE 9:51-62.

PREACHER: REV. J.F.K. MENSAH

The attitude to the theme is one of two extremes. In one, people believe that the Spirit behaves so erratically while in the other some Christians want the Spirit to tell them everything before thinking and would die before they think they are being led in the Spirit.

First of all a faithful person is a reliable and trustworthy person.

There are three important things we need to know in connection with the theme.

1. What do we mean by walking in the Spirit?

2. Why is it important to walk in the Spirit?

3. How do we walk in the Spirit?

What do we mean by walking in the Spirit?

Looking at Galatians 5:16, we would not satisfy or gratify the desires of life. If you are not born in the Spirit you cannot walk in it. (John 3:16, Romans 8:9, Ephesians 5:18) In order to be born in the Spirit, you must feel it. The Spirit gives guidance, control and leadership.

The church of the New Testament had a rich experience with the Holy Spirit unlike churches of today; we see instances of how Paul was directed by the Spirit. In Acts 8:26-29 the Spirit made Phillip join the chariot of the Ethiopian Eunuch. We learn from Acts 20:28 of how every office of the church was planted by the Holy Spirit and how he chaired the council.

Why is it important to walk in the Spirit?

The Old Testament had little to reveal about the Spirit in Deuteronomy 34:9, Joel 2:32 etc. If Jesus is even led by the Spirit, how about us. John 14:16,17 assures us of another Comforter and he would guide us in all truth. Jesus is sending the Spirit to represent him in all these scriptures.

Faithfulness in our ways consists of

1. Giving ourselves to Christ.

2. Being filled with the Spirit.(Ephesians 8:17,Acts 19:1-7) this is a separate experience from just giving ourselves to Christ.

3. Being controlled in the Spirit.

Walking in the Spirit means

i. Walking according to the fruits of love, patience etc.

ii. It includes working with the gifts of the Spirit.

The Lord does not forgive sins against the Spirit and such sins are

a) Lying (Acts 5:3-4)

b) tempting the Spirit

c) insulting the Spirit(Hebrews 10:29)

d) Grieving the Spirit (Ephesians 4:13)

e) quenching the Spirit (Thessalonians 19:21)

f) resisting the Spirit (Acts 7:51) and

g) Blaspheming the Spirit (Mathew 12:31-32).

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:13)

JUNE 20, 2010 TEXT- ISAIAH 65: 1-9, GAL. 3:23-29, LUKE 8:26-39. THEME:”CHRIST SHALL SET YOU FREE”

PREACHER: REV. PAUL ADU

There are christians who are members of  Lodges and Secret societies. We even find churches that do not allow members to put on footwear, eat certain foods on certain days etc but in doing these we allow all sorts of demons to possess us.

When we walk with all kinds of people, we are affected by their ways in one way or the other like the bible says “iron sharpeneth iron”, behind all these things are demons.                                        In the bible the demon recognised Jesus and called him son of God elevating his divinity. In the storm the disciples asked the people what kind of man he was. Greater is he that is in us the world.

A girl was sick and her mother decided to take her to a priestess. When the preacher was invited by the woman to pray for her daughters supposed illness the girl told the team that her mother had taken her to a shrine and was found out to have possessed a demon in the process. The prayer team prayed for her and it took two weeks for the spirit toleave her paralysed. This sister had a walk with christ in life so despite this fact that she was possessed by a spirit,  the spirit could not operate in her life.

Whenever we have problems we should realise that jesus is the only one who can set us free. The power Jesus used to heal is in us. (John 14:16)  Psalm 92:10 tells us that we need fresh annointing for everyday and prayer increases the annointing. When the demons come and see us annointed they run away. John 8:36  says if the son shall set you free you would be free indeed, we would have to depend on him daily.

JUNE 13, 2010 TEXT- 2 SAMUEL 12: 13-15, GAL. 2:15-21, LUKE 7:36-50. THEME:”THE LORD FORGIVES”

PREACHER: REV. SETH KISSI

One of the marks of nature comes to us in the theme. To heir is human but to forgive is divine. We realise the divine nature of forgiveness when we can feel anger for acts against us. Forgiveness does not appeal to us especially when we want to pay back and do have fellow Christians urging us on. This is why it is said not to be human but divine.

Jesus demonstrated forgiveness at the table when a woman came straight to him holding his leg and weeping. After which she uses her hair to clean the feet of Christ and kissing his feet. The Pharisees asked how Jesus could feel for such a sinful person. It was an act that would destroy the image of a teacher. Or could it be that he had a past relationship with her under the ministry of John the Baptist but was still not evident.

Christ demonstrated an attitude that no one of that calibre or religious teacher did. Simon the prophet described him as a man of God. The teacher never tolerated woman in those times how much more a woman perceived sinful. In the face of this perception he forgave her in the face of all of us. This attitude towards the woman made her break down. She never saw such a person. He treated her as one that was worthy; this act obviously broke her defences.

It is very difficult to apply what Jesus did. He shows us the forgiveness that described the sinner as useless to someone who begins to enjoy the peace and well being that Jesus has. He turns us from enemies of God to people who have enjoyed the best of situations. The early church used this to advice people in the church like Simon. In these last days people equalled nothing before God.

It was used to defend the openness of the church to sinners. Jesus owns openness was the reason that could also be changed. This passage attests to the grace of God to the sinners. This is what Jesus did as he said go in peace. In the book of Samuel, God through the prophet Nathan forgave David for adultery. David went on to become one of the best kings and the rod for our measure. The messiah was called his son because of God’s forgiveness in spite of his previous sins.

The second reading we find the people describe the act as lawlessness and Christ an agent of sin. Paul then jumped to his defence and argues in Galatians 5 that all this does not lead to one becoming lawless/ Godless. What we are to make of this is that it is the nature iof God to forgive and there is no sin too big for him. Gods forgiveness makes the unrighteous become righteous and a notorious sinner, a saint in his eyes.

Our responses:

1.      We need to come before God in repentance. No matter how big your label as a sinner he invites us to come. God is ready to forgive us, no sin is too great for him.

2.      We must forgive. It is divine nature. Instead of vengeance at represent from hatred. The hand that forgives is what we need. When we forgive we break the cycle of anger, vengeance. When we forgive we are able to make society rest and heal our people from bitterness.

Very difficult people are not changed by punishment. Anything that would break their hearts and make them better people. God with us.

JUNE 6, 2010 TEXT- 1 KINGS 17:17-24, GAL. 1:11-24, LUKE 7:11-17. THEME:”GOD HAS COME TO HELP HIS PEOPLE”

PREACHER: REV. ISAAC ETUAH-JACKSON

Today is the second Sunday after Pentecost and the Sunday after trinity it is a season of growth, till advent in November. It has assured as that our God has manifested us in three ways. He is with us to help us as we travel. We believe that our God worships and would always be with us. Elijah was sent to the northern kingdom of Israel in the first half of 17B.C to give the knowledge of God to the kings who had turned to Pagan gods. 1 kings 17 taught us about his ministry. He warned that there was not going to be rain for a number of days.

Elijah went to the widow of Zarapheth who lost her son. In those days it was common that the presence of a prophet means God is around. “Have you come to remind me of my sins and to kill my son”, Elijah laid his hands over the boy and prayed for him the boy regained consciousness. God was not doing any such thing he only wanted to strengthen her faith and resolution. The woman knew now that he was a man of God. When God comes to speak to your faith. She was convinced that Elijah was a true man of God. There are false Prophets in the church today using people for their own personal gains.

Jesus raised the son of widow from Nain in Luke 7. He was in compassion and spoke to the young man who was son of the woman. The boy rose instantly, Fear tripped those who were there that a prophet had risen among them. Jesus became a man in other to feel our pain, sin and undergo trials. He stood amidst this and conquered the world hence he is without fault and is able to intercede for us. The storms and trials of this earthly world.

It teaches us that trials are a very important part of our lives. No proper Christian can say his life is without trials. God has come to help us through challenges.

We need Christ and cannot do without him. God would open our eyes for us to see the things he’s doing in our lives. In all our trials and temptations that you are free and has us in our lives.