Notes from today's sermon at the Anglican Catholic Cathedral in Ottawa

This is what I can make of my notes of Bishop Robert Mercer's sermon for the Day of Pentecost.

He took his text from 1 Peter 4:14, which Peter had written to provinces of the Roman Empire now in present day Turkey: Pontus, Galatia, Cappdocie, Asia and Bithynia.

"Peter realizes that a time of persecution is about to come....This letter is written to prepare the church for that persecution."

He used the New English translation which reads: "If Christ's own name is flung in your teeth as an insult, count yourself happy for the glorious Spirit which is given of God rests on you."

Bp. Mercer then went on to talk about how the Old Testament Scripture do not convey a full meaning of Jesus Christ or of the Holy Spirit. They feel after them. They hint after them. They hold types and shadows.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is shown to give great physical courage, and cause suffering and death to the enemies of God's people, whether human or animal. He cited the incident of Samson killing the lion with his bare hands, or Gideon's strength in overcoming his enemies.

"People often ask us--how do we now if the Spirit is in us or with our church?"

Bp. Mercer said there are two categories: doctrinal orthodoxy and holiness of life.

St. John's first letter tells us to test the spirits.
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God."
(I John 4:1-2)

He quoted our Lord who said, according to the Gospel of Matthew:
Beware of false prophets which come toyou in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:15-16)

Then, he spoke about how St. Paul listed three theological virtues: faith, hope and charity, as well as gifts of the Spirit, such as wisdom, knowledge, faith, diserning of spirits.
(1 Cor. 12 and Romans 12)

Then he talked about the fruits fo the Spirit, that St. Paul lists in Galatians 5: 22 : love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, temperance

However, Bp. Mercer said, St. Peter gives a third sign that we have the Holy Spirit in addition to doctrinal orthodoxy and holiness of life: conflict, pain and suffering. But, unlike the Old Testament version where the Holy Spirit helps us to inflict the pain and suffering on our enemies, God's enemies will be killing us as they killed Peter and Paul and our Lord Jesus.

After Pentecost the 12 Apostles endured spears and swords. In St. Peter's time, the persecution of Christians was just beginning in the Roman Empire, and it lasted 300 years.

He said that in his former diocese, Zimbabwe, Marxist revolutionaries killed men, women and children simply for being Christians.

He noted that the same thing is still happening in Communist countries today, as well as in Moslem countries.

"In the materialistic west, formerly Christian, but increasingly anti-Christian, if by any chance you happen to be persecuted in the name of human rights, that will be one sign of the Holy Spirit being with you."

"Come Holy Spirit Come. We sing today and all this week. Do we really want Him to come? The trouble with God, is quite often He does give us what we ask for."