This is a Christian society, established in Japan at Toyohashi in 2006, whose primary function is to enable both Christians and Non-Christians to study the Bible.

Sermon

　These are written periodically for personal study. Conventionally, the ‘Text’ is taken from the relevant readings for the Japanese Holy Communion Services. These sermons are written in Japanese and English, one of which can be found in each language elsewhere on this web site

　CHURCH OF IRELAND (TRADITIONAL RITE)　　

Trinity Season　

Reverend Ivan Cosvy

　　　　　

Lessons:
Lessons: Ezekiel 2:1-7 Corinthians 12:2-10

Text: Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak to thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me[Ezk 2:1-2]

To those of us who are Christians, today's passages of Scripture are a clarion call to serve the LORD as evangelists. To those who are not Christians, it calls on them to reflect with integrity on why they choose to reject Christ.

How often do we not hear that still small voice nudging us to respond to his Call either to come to him or to go out in his name? Does the Call so fill us with dread that we do not want to hear it? In time, we become so deadened to it that the Call has become imperceptibly faint, only to fall below the horizon of our consciousness. When GOD calls us to serve Him, it is helpful to compare that Call to those made to Ezekiel, Moses, and the Apostles themselves, and to compare our respective responses. The Call and our responses to it are remarkably alike.

First, He makes us aware that we are treading on holy ground. Son of Man, Ezekiel is told, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak to thee. To Moses, the Angel of the LORD said: Put thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. [Ex.3:5b]. To standing is to pay full attention.

If we want to put ourselves at GOD's disposal as his witnesses and to hear and understand what He has to say to us, the least we can do is to stand metaphorically and approach Him reverently in the knowledge that we are treading on holy ground. Moses experienced the unquenchable fire of the Burning Bush; the Disciples experienced the burning fire of Pentecost spurring them on. Do we not also experience a burning desire, kindled when we are immersed in the Holy Scriptures that can only be described as an unquenchable yearning to know more, and to use that knowledge to good purpose, so serve the LORD.

Our first reaction is frequently to strike out impulsively on our own initiative in the sort of way that Peter struck off the servant of the High Priest's ear in a misguided attempt to serve and defend His LORD. Moses in his zeal to serve the LORD struck dead an Egyptian. Acting on our own initiative we are in grave danger not only of damaging ourselves and our reputation, but of doing something futile that is not honouring to GOD and is a just cause of derision by those to whom we are called upon to be a witness. Notice that it is only when we ourselves become open to receiving the Holy Spirit, in other words when we are willing to stand for what GOD requires of us that we can hear what He has to say unto us. [vv.1,2].

Our initial reaction is to be appalled at the relevance and prospect of what we are being called upon to do. In the words of Ezekiel our worst fears are confirmed: Son of Man I am sending thee to the children of Israel [i.e to your own people], to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me. For they are impudent children and stiff. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, thus saith the LORD. [Ezk.2: 3,4].

In like manner Moses was told, Come now I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt ....And I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you go, no not by a mighty hand. [Ex.3:10,19]. The Disciples were told: Go ye to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received freely give. [Mat.10:6-8].

And again: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. [Mat.28:19,20a.] That is alright, until we remember how He had also said: Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Furthermore, speaking about those same people to whom the disciples were to preach, He said, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall ski), and persecute [Lu. 11:49]. And again on another occasion: But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. [Mt.10.17,18].

If that is not enough, at the Last Supper He warned: If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; These things will be done unto us that make a stand, let alone preach in the name of Christ: because they [amongst whom we stand] know not him that sent me. [Jn.15:2 lb]

This is enough to make anyone shake in his boots. So, how can GOD say to Ezekiel: And thou son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though the briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dolt dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house? [Ezk 2:6].

Moses learned that there is no need to be afraid because it was not he, but GOD, who controls the whole situation, which embraces both us, and our adversaries. I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no not by a mighty hand And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he will let you go. [Ex.3:19,20]. It is not Moses but I [GOD who] will bring you [the people of Israel] up out of the land of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites unto a land flowing with milk and honey [Ex.3:17].

The purpose of the plagues, prior to the departure of the people of Israel, was to leave Pharaoh, his spiritual authorities and people in no doubt that the almighty biblical GOD is the ultimate source of authority, not Pharaoh and the Egyptian deitities. See that thou doest all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden Pharaoh's heart , that he shall not let the people go[Ex. 4:21].... that I may lay my hand upon Egypt [Ex.7:41)]... And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD [Ex7:5a]. In case; anyone should doubt that it was GOD not Moses in control of events, when the Israelites found themselves trapped between the army of the Egyptians and the waters of the Red Sea, Moses, was helpless to do anything. He could only urge the people to: Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will show you this day. ...The LORD shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace. [Ex.14:13a,14]

GOD is so totally in control that we are not even to worry about what to say. Moses, pleading that he was incapable of knowing what to say, was told: ...I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what to say [Ex.4:12b]

Ezekiel was told: And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear them or whether they will forbear. [Ezk.2:7a]. To the Disciples Christ said, But when they deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. [Mt.10:19,20]

What do we find? The temple guards arrested and dragged Peter and John before the High Priest and Sanhedrin for preaching, through Jesus, the resurrection from the dead.

Peter filled with the Holy Ghost confronted them. When the authorities: saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled [Acts 4:134 Having adjourned in confusion over how to handle them, the Sanhedrin reconvened to give the disciples only a verbal warning to stop teaching in the name of Jesus:

But Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of GOD to hearken unto you more than unto GOD, judge ye. We cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard So when they the Sanhedrin] had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified GOD for that which was done. [Acts 4:19-21]

Because Christ is within us, He can say unto us, as he does in the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets before you. Ye are the salt of the earth. [Mt.5:10-13a] Repeatedly our LORD says that we have no cause to fear. In the contexts of responding to the call to be a witness, we must remember what he said elsewhere: Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him [Mt 6:8b]

However daunting the prospects ahead, we must also remember that although Christ said He was sending the Disciples forth as lambs among wolves, He also told them how He was sending them out as evangelists: before his face into every city and place whither he himself would come. [Lu.101b]

In other words, however daunting the situation, we are not going into any situation alone but to where Christ is already there to support us. We know in advance that we are actually only going to places and situations where there are some that are ready to receive the LORD. They will be strengthened by our being there and are ready to receive us.

There will also be those who reject both Christ and us, and they are the ones to be pitied. Whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same and say, even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: not withstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. [Lu.10:11,12]. Furthermore, today's Gospel lesson reminds us that Christ, too, suffered rejection. Consequently, ... there He could do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands on a few sick folk and healed them. [Mk.6:5]. It will be the same for us at times.

What is required of us? First, we are to pray. We must ask GOD to strengthen the fragility of our own faith. Like Moses and the Disciples, we are likely to be overwhelmed by what seems a daunting task. Like the father who brought his unbalanced child to our LORD for healing and was told that if he believed, everything would be possible, we need to cry out in anguish: Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief [Mk9:24b]

We must pray that we will be receptive to those, known or unknown, to whom we are being sent. We must pray that will be fit instruments ready to listen, to receive and pass on the words that Christ would have us speak to those for whom He intends them, and not confuse his commands with our inventions. Unto thee lift up mine eyes, 0 thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold as the servants look unto the hand of their master, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: so our eyes wait upon the Lord our GOD. [Ps.123:1,2a]

We must pray for wisdom and help to be worthy of manifesting the proximity of GOD's Kingdom. Finally, we need to give thanks, in the manner of St. Paul: Therefore, being justified by faith, we have the peace of GOD through our LORD Jesus Christ: By whom we also have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of GOD. And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience, and experience hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of GOD is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us. For when w were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for us the ungodly [Rom.5:1-6]

Second, we must remember what St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of GOD may rest upon me... ; for when I am weak then I am strong. [2 Cor.12:9b, 9a, 10b]

Third, as Christ's ambassadors we are to place ourselves where we can be known. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house) yet shall they know that there hath been a prophet among them. [Ezk 2:7a, 5a].

In our love for Christ, but also for those who would, but who do not yet, know Him, we may say with St. Peter: Moses truly said unto the fathers, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people ....Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which GOD made with our. fathers , saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of men of the earth be blessed Unto you first GOD, having rasied up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away everyone of you from his iniquities. [Acts 3:22, 25,]

We are to speak out simply and clearly what is true and what is GOD's Word. We can do no more. Our LORD will do the rest.

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June　

2025