Reuben's Theme: "Love Unlimited"
(Eve of Saint Matthias) - EVENSONG 1830hrs. at Saint George's - Cullercoats.
Sunday, 14th. May 2006 Anno Domini.
Morning Mass: Acts: 8.26-end Ps: 22. 55-end 1 John: 4.7-end John: 15.1-8
Evensong: Psalm: 147. Isaiah: 22.15-22 Philippians: 3.13b-4.1

May 14, 2006 Cycle B Easter 5 (Eve of Saint Matthias).

COLLECT

Almighty God, who - through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ - have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:
grant that, as - by your grace going before us - you put into our minds good desires, so by your continual help we may bring them to good effect;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Morning Masses

FIRST READING Acts 8.26-40

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
An angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' (This is a wilderness road.)
So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
Then the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go over to this chariot and join it.'
So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, 'Do you understand what you are reading?'
He replied, 'How can I, unless someone guides me?' And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.
Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: 'Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.'
The eunuch asked Philip, 'About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?'
Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus.
As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, 'Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?'
He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

PSALM Psalm 22.24-30

R All the ends of the earth shall turn to you, O Lord.

My praise is of him in the great assembly, I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: 'May your heart live for ever!' R
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall bow before him. For kingship belongs to the Lord; he rules over the nations. R
To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; all who go down to the dust fall before him. My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; they shall be known as the Lord's for ever. They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn the saving deeds that he has done. R

SECOND READING 1 John 4.7-21

A reading from the first letter of John.
Belovèd, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.
God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.
In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Belovèd, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world.
God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God.
So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
We love because he first loved us.
Those who say, 'I love God,' and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.
The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

GOSPEL John 15.1-8

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
[Jesus said to His disciples:]
'I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower.
He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.
You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.
Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.'

POST COMMUNION

Eternal God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life:
grant us to walk in his way,
to rejoice in his truth,
and to share his risen life;
who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Evensong:

Psalm 147

1. O praise the Lord, for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God : yea a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful.
2. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem : and gather together the outcasts of Israel.
3. He healeth those that are broken in heart : and giveth medicine to heal their sickness.
4. He telleth the number of the stars : and calleth them all by their names.
5. Great is our Lord and great is his power : yea and his wisdom is infinite.
6. The Lord setteth up the meek : and bringeth the ungodly down to the ground.
7. O sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving : sing praises upon the harp unto our God;
8. Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth : and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and herb for the use of men;
9. Who giveth fodder unto the cattle : and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him.
10. He hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse : neither delighteth he in any man's legs.
11. But the Lord's delight is in them that fear him : and put their trust in his mercy.
12. Praise the Lord O Jerusalem : praise thy God O Sion.
13. For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates : and hath blessed thy children with*in thee.
14. He maketh peace in thy borders : and filleth thee with the flour of wheat.
15. He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth : and his word runneth very swiftly.
16. He giveth snow like wool : and scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
17. He casteth forth his ice like morsels : who is able to abide his frost?
18. He sendeth out his word and melteth them : he bloweth with his wind and the waters flow.
19. He sheweth his word unto Jacob : his statutes and ordinances unto Israel.
20. He hath not dealt so with any nation : neither have the heathen knowledge of his laws.

FIRST READING Isaiah 22.15-22

The first reading is taken from the book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 22.
Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is master of the household, and say to him:
What right do you have here? Who are your relatives here, that you have cut out a tomb here for yourself, cutting a tomb on the height, and carving a habitation for yourself in the rock?
The LORD is about to hurl you away violently, my fellow. He will seize firm hold on you, whirl you round and round, and throw you like a ball into a wide land; there you shall die, and there your splendid chariots shall lie, O you disgrace to your master's house!
I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your post.
On that day I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and will clothe him with your robe and bind your sash on him. I will commit your authority to his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open.
Here endeth the first lesson.

SECOND READING Philippians 3.13b - 4.1

The second reading is taken from Paul's letter to the Philippians, chapter 3.
Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you.
Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.
Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.
For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears.
Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my belovèd.
Here endeth the second lesson.

Reuben's Theme: "Love Unlimited"

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Tonight, we have a strange set of coincidences that brings about my sermon.
Firstly, I'm not on the preaching list which runs out in August, but I'm filling in at the last minute because Donald can't be with us tonight.
Secondly we have a situation that occurs very rarely indeed. The 5th. Sunday of Easter falls on the feast of Saint Matthias the Apostle. This means that the feast of Saint Matthias is transferred to tomorrow.
Thirdly, here at Saint George's Church, we have a tradition, first started by Fr. Graham Revett, that if Sunday is the eve of an Apostle (or any major festival), we celebrate the first evensong, at evensong, rather than have an evening sung Mass at 7.45 in the evening, on the day - because attendance had become so low at weekday evening Masses.
This, by the strangest and most bizarre set of circumstances, has brought together a set of readings that rarely come together, with one of what some people would say is one strangest and most bizarre preachers.
It's good to be different - I like strange and bizarre.

So here we are, at the first evensong of Saint Matthias...
on the eve of Saint Matthias' Day...
with a strange set of incalculable coincidences that bring about:
this sermon... ...written this afternoon... ...for you
...and me preaching it... ...and you sitting here... ...some of you even paying attention... ...which can be hard in the evening... ...particularly after a Sunday dinner.

So, I want to start by asking a question.
A question I want you to store in you memory for the next ten minutes or so.
Who was Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus?

I want, now, to look as this morning's readings:

In the Gospel reading this morning, taken from John's Gospel, we heard part of Jesus' last words to the twelve - the part where Jesus says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower."
In the Old Testament, Israel is the vine - so often failing to yield fruit.
But Jesus is the true vine, the fulfilment of God's purpose, where Israel has failed.
Those who believe in Him are the branches.
He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit.
Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.
Branches, which have not borne fruit at all, are cut right back and are only fit for burning.
If that does not inspire us to be fruitful in our personal ministry to our fellow human beings, I don't know what will!
John's Gospel was written to bring everyone to faith.
John's first letter, however - clearly written by the same person, is intended to reassure Christians about their faith, to renew confidence, shaken by false teaching.
The part of John's first letter we heard in the second reading, this morning, is all about distinguishing false from true and knowing that God is Love.
There is one basic test by which to judge any teacher...
By their recognition of Jesus Christ as man and God.
Anyone who denies this can't possibly come with a message from God.
The Holy Spirit helps Christians recognise truth when they hear it.
I've mentioned this before...
It's that little feeling inside again, isn't it?
Anyway, John's message here?... God is love!
In the death of Christ, for human sin, He has shown us what love is.
Verse 10: In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
And if we really share His life - His nature - that love must flow (through us) to everyone.
Verse 11: Belovèd, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.
Genuine love for God is bound to show itself in our action towards others.
This is John's favourite theme.
Christian love cannot be conditional.
Christians cannot love only those who love them.
Christian love cannot have any limitations.
Verse 20: Those who say, 'I love God,' and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.
Love and obedience are bound up together.
Verse 21: The commandment we have from Him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

So where did that leave us with Philip and the Ethiopian treasurer in the first reading this morning:
At the height of Philip's flourishing Samaritan campaign, God calls him away to meet the need of an individual.
It all happens on the road that goes down from Jerusalem, in a South-westerly direction, to Gaza on the coast.
The Ethiopian Philip encounters is a Jewish convert.
He is also a very important person.
He's in charge of the queen's entire treasury, not of present day Ethiopia, but of the old kingdom in northern Sudan.
He's an official of the court of the Candace, the title of the queen mother who ruled the country on behalf of her son.
The king himself, having been elevated to the lofty position of 'the child of the sun-god' was considered too holy for such secular commitments.
So, this very important person, who had converted to the Jewish faith, was returning home after worshipping in Jerusalem.
He was sitting in his chariot, reading a passage from the scriptures.
Then the Spirit says to Philip, 'Go over to this chariot and join it.'
So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah.
What a bit of luck!
Philip asked, 'Do you understand what you are reading?'
He replied, 'How can I, unless someone guides me?' And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.
It is now very obvious that the Holy Spirit is at work here.
Why?
Look at it this way:
We have a very important person who, having become a Jew, is returning home from worshipping God in Jerusalem.
He reading the book of the prophet Isaiah - the very book which not only tells of the coming of the Messiah, but what would happen when He came.
And now he invites a Christian to come and explain it to him.
A gift from heaven!
So, they discuss the passage, and starting with Isaiah, Philip proclaims the Good News about Jesus and our Ethiopian friend not only understands, but becomes a Christian and is baptized by Philip.
The Ethiopian goes on his way rejoicing and following a new life in Jesus.
Philip goes on, uplifted in his realisation that God is working with him, and preaches the Gospel in all the towns as he goes through the region near Azotus, and ends up in the sea port of Caesarea where it seems he settled and brought up a family.
The part of Isaiah that the Ethiopian eunuch was reading was:
'Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.'
Why?
Why did God become a human being - and die for us?
Well, it's all to do with Love, isn't it?
God's love for every human being.
EVERY HUMAN BEING.
The ultimate fruit of the Christian vine is 'Love'.
Love of God... Love of Jesus... Love of one another!
Those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
That is God's command to ALL Christians!
And the only way we can bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world... ...by example!
We must love everyone... ...and that is very very hard.
How much do we love everyone?
How much can we love everyone?
It's not easy being a Christian.
Jesus loves everyone so much that He died for us.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.

So, who was Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus?
After the betrayal of Jesus, by Judas Iscariot, the apostles brought their number back to twelve by choosing Matthias to replace him.
He was chosen by drawing lots from amongst two of the disciples.
Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus was the disciple who was not chosen.
The point of being chosen by drawing lots, rather than by some democratic method, indicated the election or choosing by God, rather than by mortals.
There was no way the apostles could chose between to equally good men.
Does this make Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus any less of a good disciple and Christian.
I think not.
All the faithful...
...all of us...
are of equal importance.
Loved totally and equally, by God our Father in heaven.

In our psalm tonight, God commands the universe, the seasons, the nations and the elements, with a power that puts him utterly above and beyond mankind.
Yet his heart goes out to equally to all individuals;
all who are hurt and unhappy.
God takes pleasure in those who love and respect him...
...so wonderfully written in the Book of Common Prayer in the lines that always bring a smile to the face of at least one chorister and probably many more of the rest of us:
"He hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse : neither delighteth he in any man's legs.
But the Lord's delight is in them that fear him : and put their trust in his mercy."
So God takes pleasure in those who love and respect him and gives his people his word to live by.
Praise the LORD!

The number of apostles had to be restored to twelve, so that they might 'sit on the thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel'.
Matthias was chosen.
All very symbolic, but we must remember...
Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus was...
...and is... as important to and equally loved by God.
We... ...are as important to God as any of the apostles.
We... ...are loved by God equally as much as he loves any of the apostles.
That's what it's all about... ...Love.
All you need is love.
(John Lennon... Good man... Shot in the back... Very sad.)

Jesus loves us, as much as anyone He has ever loved!
How much do we love Jesus?
God loves us, more than we can possibly imagine.
How much do we love God?
We are commanded, as Christians, love our fellow human beings.
The ultimate fruit of the Christian vine is 'Love'.
Love of God... Love of Jesus... Love of one another!

How much do we love our fellow human beings?
Every person in the world.
Even the wicked and evil people
Everyone we meet.
You see, there's the challenge...
...to be a Christian.
All you need is Faith in God...
...and lots
...and lots
...of unlimited, unquestioning, unconditional... ...love.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.