This sermon drawing primarily from the miracle of healing the paralytic man in Mark 2, emphasizes the profound, life-altering impact of choosing the right friends. The speaker highlights that this man, afflicted both physically and spiritually due to past mistakes, was saved because his companions had the faith and loyalty to bring him to Christ, resulting in both forgiveness of sins and physical cure. Conversely, the text warns that bad friendships are destructive, citing examples like the man at the Bethesda pond who had no friends and the prodigal son who was led astray by bad company. Ultimately, the sermon delivers a crucial message for parents and servants to carefully teach the importance of selective trust and virtuous relationships, reinforcing the idea that one person's faith can lead to another's healing and that collective faith within the church can save those who are struggling.

Healing & Friendship

This sermon uses the biblical story of Simon the Pharisee's banquet for Jesus (Luke 7:36-50) to deliver three powerful spiritual lessons centered on the need for self-examination of the heart. The text critiques Simon for extending only superficial hospitality—inviting Jesus to his house but not to his heart—failing to offer customary courtesies like foot washing or oil anointing because he sought to use God to gain credit and praise rather than acting out of genuine love. Furthermore, Simon is presented as a complete hypocrite because he internally judged and condemned both Jesus and the repenting sinful woman, exposing a lack of mercy and understanding. Ultimately, the sermon asks listeners to question whether their relationship with God is one of genuine love or a business deal, warning against treating spiritual practices as investments with expected returns.

Lessons from the Banquet for Jesus

This sermon passionately explores the multifaceted significance of the cross, framing it through three primary messages: the love of God, the wisdom of God, and the power of God. The text emphasizes that the cross is the ultimate display of divine love, asserting that Christianity is a "love story written in blood" where Christ sacrificed himself not only for friends but also for enemies, taking on humanity’s sin and curse to offer righteousness and peace. Furthermore, the wisdom of God is manifested in the cross's transformation from a symbol of shame, Roman tyranny, and fear into a sign of hope, comfort, and mercy. Finally, the source highlights the power of God, describing Christ as the ultimate warrior who won the battle against death and Satan with only "two pieces of wood," ultimately disarming principalities and powers, making the message of the cross the power of God for salvation.

Messages From the Cross

This sermon excerpt profoundly explores the biblical command to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, detailing three essential characteristics of this divine love. First, it must be wholesome and complete, meaning God demands the entirety of our devotion, not just partial affections, mirroring His own perfect and complete love for humanity. Second, this love must be consecrating, actively translating into our emotions, behaviors, and especially our thoughts, which should align with the humble and obedient mind of Christ. Finally, this love must be free, performed by choice and volition rather than out of compulsion or fear, because anything done without freedom is considered hypocrisy. The ultimate message is that true love for God requires an unwavering, practical, and unreserved commitment of our entire being.

Love the Lord Your God

This sermon, given at the start of the new Coptic year, presents John the Baptist as a crucial role model for spiritual growth and reflection, drawing specifically from Luke 7:28-35. The central message is structured around three key lessons derived from John's life: first, humility, as demonstrated by his refusal to accept praise and his self-description as merely a "voice" or "the bridegroom's friend," a quality that enabled him to decrease so that Christ might increase. The second vital lesson is that repentance and change are the direct fruits of humility, as a proud person will never confess sin but instead blame others, while a humble heart allows for true confession and transformation. Finally, John modeled courage by speaking the truth to power, famously confronting King Herod with the message, "it is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife," ultimately preferring to be "without a head than being without conscience."

John the Baptist as a Role Model

This sermon deeply explores the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, focusing on the End of Times and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as the Coptic year draws to a close. The message is structured into four distinct phases, each detailing specific signs and providing crucial guidance for believers, emphasizing that the Antichrist is not merely a single person but an evil spirit that takes many forms to deny Christ’s divinity. To endure the initial troubles and rising false prophets, the source stresses that believers must seek the peace of God through repentance and remain vigilant against spiritual coldness and laziness during the intense tribulation preceding Christ's arrival. The overall preparation for these difficult times is summarized by four key principles: repentance, patience, constant readiness through prayer, and discerning truth through the Word of God.

Jesus’ Message for End of Year

This sermon delivered near the end of the Coptic year, focuses on the themes of the end of life and the second coming of Jesus Christ, drawing from the Gospel of Mark 13:3-37 to remind congregants of their spiritual urgency. The preacher emphasizes the shocking reality that the second coming is personal and imminent, equating it with the moment an individual departs this world, thus sealing their eternal destiny. The message warns against procrastination in repentance, highlighting that on that final day, humanity will be divided into two groups: those who mourn and fear, and those whose redemption draws near, where God will comfort them by wiping away "every tear" and rewarding every secret act of service performed during life. The sermon concludes by prompting listeners to examine their current feelings about the gospel, as their reaction—whether trouble or comfort—reveals which of the two groups they are currently aligned with.

End of Life & Second Coming

This sermon reflects on the biblical account of Jesus inviting Levi, a despised tax collector, to "follow me" while Levi was still working in his tax office, emphasizing the importance of accepting God's call just as you are. The speaker contrasts this direct invitation with the human tendency to believe one must first repent, cleanse oneself, or become worthy before returning to God, arguing that such attempts to self-justify negate the need for Christ’s sacrifice. Using the parable of the Prodigal Son and a passage from Galatians, the sermon powerfully asserts that if humans could achieve righteousness through their own works or efforts, Christ died in vain, underscoring that our transformation is God's work, not our prerequisite to follow Him. The core message encourages listeners to immediately follow Christ, who will then initiate the necessary change, much like Levi the sinner became Matthew the evangelist.

Inviting Levi to Discipleship

This sermon focuses on the active presence and divine works of the Holy Spirit in the church community, drawing inspiration from Mark 3:22-35 concerning the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. The speaker uses a recent story about a significant, unexpected donation to the church to illustrate God’s tangible provision and miraculous involvement, which cannot be explained by human effort alone. Emphasizing that God is undeniably present and working in this place, the message challenges the congregation to actively participate and serve in God’s vineyard today, echoing the urgency found in Matthew 21:28 and the reprimands in the book of Haggai for neglecting God's house. Ultimately, the sermon calls for the community to arise, build, and share the powerful testimony of God’s goodness and activity with others, ensuring the church does not fall into ruin.

Denying the Works of the Holy Spirit

This sermon addresses the challenging question of why God seems to delay or is "late" in responding to prayers, particularly when people are facing prolonged troubles, drawing specifically on the Biblical account of Jesus resurrecting Lazarus four days after his death. The speaker proposes three spiritual reasons for God's apparent unresponsiveness. The first reason is that God often waits to perform a greater and more marvelous act than what was originally requested, using the examples of Lazarus's resurrection (versus a simple healing) and the parting of the Red Sea (versus Pharaoh simply releasing the Israelites). The second reason is that delays and hard times serve to reveal and strengthen one's faith, growing it through successive tests and temptations, much like Abraham's faith developed over time. Finally, the third reason is that God's timing ensures that events unfold at the perfectly appointed time for everything under heaven, as illustrated by Joseph's prolonged imprisonment leading him to a position of ultimate influence rather than simply a quick release back into servitude.

Why did Jesus wait?

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New tracks tagged #Sunday Homilies