Sermon One
Sermon Two

A sermon preached by Fr Clive Brook

on the second Sunday of Epiphany, 2012    

1 Corinthians 6: 19,20 Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself but God; he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God’s glory.

What are you?

The word belong is applied to a number of things. For example; your house - your car - your mobile phone belong to you

            There are relationships in which we belong. We may belong in a marriage, in a family, in a job, in the army, in a club, in the church . Above all we belong to God.

            I have a car – it belongs to me – I bought it – I can do what I like with it within the limits of the law.

            I have a chess board I made it.  It belongs to me - I can do what I like with it.

            A husband and wife by solemn vow before God give themselves each to the other. They surrender their independence and bind themselves to live together  in a close, working and intimate relationship. They belong to each other in a deeply loving and fulfilling relationship.

            Children are the offspring of that relationship – they belong to their parents. Parents nurture them, feed them, clothe them, love them and train them, Children are secure in the loving arms of their parents where they belong.

            Slave/servant/employee:  In biblical times, often the slave-master relationship was a very loving one. The Old Testament had the law that the slave would be released after seven years of service, but it also had the provision that if the slave was happy in that loving family, he could choose to be their slave for life. The agreement was sealed by the master putting an awl through the lobe of the slave’s ear into the door post of the house. What were the benefits of being the slave of a good master?

The master fed the slave and clothed him/her, accommodated him/her, and provided for all his/her needs in the fellowship of the family life as a parent does for a child. Children were often very fond of the family slave as the slave cared for the children a lot of the time.

            Instead of slaves we have employees. A faithful employee and a caring boss can have a long-lasting and deeply fulfilling relationship. The slave belongs to the master; the employee belongs to the boss.

            You belong to God:

1. He made you (along with heaven and earth). “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”
2. By reason of your baptism: In the water of baptism you are “a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven.”  You renewed this in your confirmation. You renew this afresh every time you drink the blood of the New Covenant in Holy Communion.
3. You bound yourself to Christ in a love relationship when you opened your heart and invited him into your life as your “Lord and Master” . You are his bride.
4. “ He bought you for a price.” The word Paul used was “ransom” the price paid for a slave. Jesus paid your ransom – he bought you on the cross
5. So You Belong to GOD – you are his child, his bride, his servant bought on the cross.

 There are benefits of belonging to God.

            You are secure in the Kingdom (no one can take that away from you).

            You are loved

            You are provided for now and for all eternity “All  things work together for the good of those who love the Lord” (Romans 8:28)

There is only one thing you need to be concerned about. Paul put it this way – “Use your body for God’s glory”

A please yourself life style is dead end –a DEAD END. “Use your bodies for God’s glory.”

On Sunday you get up and come to church – you don’t have to think about it. It is the Master’s will - you do it.

You do kind and loving things to others (even strangers) - that is what God expects.

You give freely of your money. - It is not your money.  Like you, it belongs to God.

So you give freely of God’s money that is in your bank account.

Spend time with God – when you love someone you spend time with them talk with them and enjoy their company.  So every day you spend time with Jesus - read his word –talk to him – listen to him.

WHAT ARE YOU?    You are a child of God with all the security and blessing of belonging.  So put Jesus first.

            Remember - he wants more than lip-service.

“Not everyone who says unto me “Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my father in heaven.”