God Makes Alive
We are spiritually dead apart from God, but God makes alive.
Welcome to the Light of Christ Weekly podcast. Light of Christ Anglican Church is located in Georgetown, Texas at MLK and University Avenue. We are a modern expression of the ancient faith. You can learn more about us at lightofchristgeorgetown.org.
Our sermon soundbite today comes from Romans Chapter 6, Verse 17. "But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed.”
Notice our collect, the prayer that we prayed together at the beginning after the collect for purity, the collect of the day, we prayed, "Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners."
That's our dead hearts, right? Dead to God, but very much alive the sin. "Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise." Now notice this next part, "That among this swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may surely be fixed where true joys are to be found." I think that statement very much applies and describes very well our pattern of life in the last two or three weeks, hasn't it? Swift and varied change?
Yeah, I'd say so. As I look around this mostly empty place, as I look towards this camera to speak to you, "Swift and very changes of the world."
What does this breath of God give us during this time? It gives us a new heart so that in this moment of chaos and change, we know what we're here for. We know that we are forgiven. We know that we are loved of God, and we know that we are here to seek the good of the other for their own sake. The world may be wondering, "What do we do during this time?" But we're not because the crucified Word of God has given us His Spirit, a new heart, and we have direction. We have joy. Yes. Even in the weeping of this time.
"Through Jesus Christ, our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen."
We're spiritually dead apart from God, but God makes alive.
Thank you for listening to the Light of Christ Weekly podcast. Let us end our time together with a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer. You can find the collect for the fifth Sunday of Lent on page 606.
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
