Dear Friends
We regularly use words such as faithfulness, loyalty and trust: but what do they mean? What does it mean for a husband to be faithful to his wife, for fans to be loyal to their team, for a neighbour to be trustworthy with a spare key? It means more than them knowing the right thing to do—we often see, in either fiction or real life, examples of faithless marriages, of a fairweather fan whose loyalty is conditioned on success, a neighbour who cannot be trusted: they know the right thing to do, but what is important is that they do it, do it regularly, do it predictably, do it and not do the opposite.
Those who are faithful, loyal and trustworthy do the right thing even when doing the opposite would reward them, they invest their time, their talents, their energy and their money towards what they value.
It is a great joy to announce that Twelve Apostles’ Church is now a registered charity. We give glory to God and feel greatly indebted to those who have worked to achieve this. Being a charity will give us many opportunities which we hope to realise in the coming weeks, months and years: but these will mean nothing to us if we are not faithful, loyal and trustworthy towards the Gospel. We have heard the news of the Victory of Christ over idolatry, sin and even death through his saving crucifixion and Resurrection and that we are invited to new Life in him.
What is our response to this Gospel? Do we reject it outright and get on with our lives? Do we accept it in part—accepting it but going no further, accepting it but stepping away when it suits us? Or do we resolve that we will remain faithful, loyal and trustworthy to the Gospel, to God and to his Church? The most dangerous thing, the most perilous option, would be to remain on the fence: in, but not fully in. As a Christian writer of the 20th century put it,
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance, the only thing it cannot be is moderately important.
C.S. Lewis
Or, from another,
If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen—nothing else matters.
Jaroslav Pelikan
We cannot sit on the fence, we must choose, must be willing to make a stand, must make a decision one way or the other.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord has given us the Resurrection as the guarantee of our new Life in Christ. What is our response? Will we reject it as not for us? Will we be lukewarm—accept it as much as it benefits us but remain aloof and apart? Or will we determine that we will be faithful, loyal and trustworthy? Will we invest what we have—our time, our talents, our energy and our money—for the sake of the Kingdom? “Not that I have already obtained it,” according to the example and model of the Apostle Paul,
or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
Philippians 3:12–14
Brethren, I do not count myself to have laid hold of it; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, also press on together: having heard and come to believe in the Gospel let us be faithful, loyal and trustworthy to Christ through his Church that we too may press toward the goal—Life, eternal Life, the Kingdom of Heaven. Let us, each one of us, invest our time, our talents, our energy and our money for the sake of being faithful, loyal and trustworthy to the Resurrection of Christ.
Come and see!
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Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
Through Moses we, the children of Israel, received a first baptism. By the waters, the pillar of cloud, the pursuing tyrant was kept at bay and by passing through the waters, “a wall to [us] on [our] right hand and on [our] left,” (Exodus 14:22) have we been led to freedom from slavery. By the Forerunner have we received a second baptism, for the remission of sins, that we may be cleansed and purified. But these two baptisms are not complete—we have been freed for captivity, we have been cleansed, but for what purpose? For we may still fall back into slavery, still sin may control us: but through Christ, “he will baptise [us] with the Holy Spirit,” that we may be as glorious as the stars of heaven.
And yet I so easily deny each of these baptisms. The Satan shows me the kingdoms of this Age and whispers in my ear,
“All this authority I will give you, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Therefore, if you will worship before me, all will be yours.” (Luke 4:6–7)
And I choose to step back through the pillar of cloud into his servitude. The sin I accept as a logical consequence and, therefore, the Holy Spirit cannot remain. My position, my potential, as a son of God is denied and I become as the demonic powers for whom the everlasting fire is prepared. (Matthew 25:41)
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Read last Sunday’s Sermon, Three Baptisms.
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Please check the email on Friday for confirmation.
Friday 12th January
Discussion on the Epistle to the Hebrews, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 13th January
Great Vespers, 6.30 pm
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Sunday 14th January
Matins & Divine Liturgy, 9 am
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Online session is via Google Meet: please get in contact for the details.
Please join us: all are welcome, come and see.
Attending Church
We meet at St Francis’ Hall, Nightingale Avenue, Eastleigh, SO50 9JA. Come and See.
Can I help you?
I am here for you, you need only ask. Is there a way I can support your life of faith? Get in touch.
Can you help the parish?
Yes, absolutely. Offer yourselves to the Lord: pray! Make available to him all your talents and ask him how he would like you to use them — listen for his reply.
Your prayers!
With love in Christ
Fr Alexander
[email protected]