Sermon Outlines 2016 - CSI SYNOD

1 CHURCH OF SOUTH INDIA Sermon Outlines 2016 Based on the Third cycle (Year C) of the revised common lectionary of CSI, CNI and MTC Editor Rev. K. James Cecil Victor The views expressed in the book are those of the author and the publisher takes no responsibility for any of the statements. January 1, 2016 , Friday New Year (Covenant Day) God s Call for Committed Partnership OT :12-22 Psalm Ps. 23 I :1-8 :35-45 : 1-9 I :5-9 Collect: Gracious and merciful God, we thank you for coming to us through your son Jesus Christ and accepting us as people of the New Covenant. Grant us grace that we will remain in your covenantal love throughout this year and be committed to do your will just as your Son has obeyed and set a model for us.

2 We beseech you to instil a clean and right spirit that obeys you and serves you, through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God world without end. Amen. Year: 2015 is over, with the memories of good and bad; success and unsuccess; terror strikes, earthquakes, horrendous in Chennai floods and scams; refugee crisis in Germany COP21 climate change conference in France and so ! Even Church, we gained; lost some! There were times of celebrations and jubilations; there were times of silence. New Year 2016 gives an opportunity for us: i) to introspect strengths, weakness, our career, relationship, opportunities, threats, engagement; and to see where we stand!

3 Ii) to rectify our failures and weakness. iii) To resolve to reach new heights, to achieve new goals, to change / unchange, to do or undo certain things in order to become what can be. Today s theme opens our eyes to a New Challenge in faith that calls for a committed partnership with God. 1. God calls for a relationship through covenant: Covenant is coming together of one or two or more parties to make a contract. In the Bible the word bond ( berit in Hebrew and diatheke in Greek) refers to a binding a relationship. Interestingly, God is the initiator of the covenant! The purpose of God s covenant with humans is to restore human kind.

4 God wants his creation to be whole; to own Him and to serve Him. Covenant refers to a binding agreement. In the Bible we see that Abimelech and Isaac decided to settle their land dispute ( :26-31), Joshua and Gibeonites made an covenant to live in peace together ( :15). Also Solomon and Hiram made agreement to live together (I Kgs. 5:12). David and Jonathan made a friendship band (I ; 16-17). Vividly, covenant was bilateral and always implied equal privileges, responsibilities and assigned roles. But when it comes to covenant with God; God initiates the covenant and invites people to keep the covenant!

5 God always postulates certain stipulations for the covenant. When God made a covenant with Abraham that he would bless his offspring; and Abraham would possess the land ( ); the stipulations God laid were that (1) he should walk before God (remain in fellowship with God constantly) (2) be blameless (to live uprightly) (3) Circumcise the male child was an act of obedience (perpetual reminder) to the covenant (II :6). In Deut. 10:12 we read that And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? Is it to (1) Fear the Lord your God (2) Walk in all his ways (3) to love Him (4) to serve Him with all your heart and your soul.

6 Here the outward sign is replaced by the inward circumcision in the hearts ( ). The outward circumcision is to do social justice such as (1) To execute Justice to the fatherless and widows (2) to love those who are aliens / sojourners. ( ,19). They are vulnerable for exploitation. God calls us for a committed partnership that we become his hands to touch, his feet to walk, his eyes to see the agony, his ears to hear the cries of the victims, his mouth to speak justice. In Isaiah 1:17 we read that we have to do good, to seek justice, to correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow s cause.

7 2. God calls for moral / ethical living: In I The. 4:1-8 we understand that we have to live a life pleasing to God. Verse 3 speaks of abstaining from sexual immorality, controlling our body in holiness and honour and doing no wrong to our brother. In we read that God has not called us for impurity but in holiness. Holiness is the distinct quality of a child of God. As God is holy, we the image bearers of God are expected to live a holy life. Holiness in personal, however, its effects are seen not merely in the individuals but also on the people with whom he/she comes in contact with.

8 While holiness is a distinct life style as against the worldly, it actually challenges us to partner with God to annihilate to darkness and evil forces which negate life. Holiness is the exemplary ethical life that respects the other as they are. 3. God calls for kenesthetic service ( :35-45): When we are in covenant relationship with God and live worthy of God s calling, we are expected to do a self-emptying service expecting nothing in return. If we are selfish, you give what is left-over, but in kenesthetic love we share what we have. In Mark 10:43-44 we read whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

9 We also see that the Son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many Kenesthetic service is risky for it requires the self-denial. In Risking life for Christ s sake we have to 1. establish an inclusive community 2. raise a prophetic voice against injustice and corruption 3. strive for reconciliation and peace God s creation. May God help us to respond to God s call for a committed partnership to affirm God s creation that declares his glory. May the New Year usher-in God s choicest blessings and his guidance to be an agent of peace, reconciliation and change we want to see around us!

10 Rev. K. James Cecil Victor CSI Medak Diocese Director, DPC, CSI SYNOD January 10, 2016 , Sunday Be Holy :1-11, Psalm Eph. 5: 18- 20 :13-17 Eve. :1-6 I :13-16 Collect: Gracious God, we thank you for choosing us to be a Holy people in order that we may reflect your image and likeness. Help us to be conscious of your holy presence with us so that we strive to pursue holiness in our words and deeds, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen. Holiness if the essence of God: Holiness is the attribute of God. His name is holy, His laws, Commandments, His service and everything he does is holy (Rom 7:12).