The Gospel To All Nations

By John Githiga

The Gospel to All nations consist of the sermons based on the Revised Common Lectionary used by the protestant and Roman Catholic Churches. It is in three years cycle which covers all Christian doctrinal topics and human life cycle. They were preached for three decades by Dr Githiga who is a missionary to the global village. They are also based

• Language: English
• Publisher: ReadersMagnet LLC
• Release date: May 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9781951775285

John Githiga

Dr. Githiga is Chancellor at ANCCI University, former chaplain and faculty at West Texas A&M University, Grambling State University, and instructor at Pensacola Junior College, Head of the Department of Pastoral Theology at St. Paul's University, founder and first President of the African Association for Pastoral Study and Counseling. He is a graduate from Church Army College, St. Paul's United Theological College, Makerere University, the University of the South, Vanderbilt University and the International Bible Institute and Seminary. He holds a Dip. Th, M.Div, D.Min, DRE, and D.D. He is married to the Rev. Dr. Mary Githiga.

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The Gospel To All Nations

Copyright © 2020 by John Githiga

Published in the United States of America

ISBN Paperback: 978-1-951775-27-8

ISBN eBook: 978-1-951775-28-5

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of ReadersMagnet, LLC.

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OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

THE SPIRIT IN THE BLACK SOUL

CHRIST AND ROOTS:

Jesus as Revealed in the Bible and the African Traditional Religions

INITIATION AND PASTORAL PSYCHOLOGY:

Toward African Personality Theory

MINISTRY TO ALL NATIONS:

Practical Theology of Mission and Church Planting

THE SECRETS OF SUCCESS IN MARRIAGE

25 SECRETS OF SUCCESS IN MARRIAGE

FROM VICTORY TO VICTORY

30 SECRETS OF SUCCESS IN MISSION

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

An Introduction to African Theological Voice

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all the preachers who preach in the power of the Holy Spirit, to all those who suffer for their faithfulness to Christ, to my father and mother, Isaac Githiga and Joyce Githiga, to my grandfather and grandmother, Gatungu Gichuhi and Mary Wambui., and to my spiritual parents, Archbishop Manasess and Mary Kuria.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

1. The Lord Of The Universe

2. Alone With God

3. Advent And Joy

4. Advent And Ministry

5. Yes, To God: No Matter What

6. Ash Wednesday And Reconciliation

7. Avoid Bad Stewardship

8. Are You The One?

9. The Humiliated And Exalted

10. Preach The Gospel

11. The Life-giving Water

12. Put God Before All Things

13. Be Anxious For Nothing

14. Faith Of All Nations

15. Fasting And Confession Of Sin

16. Come And See

17. The Light That Illumines

18. The Gift Of The Holy Spirit

19. God Answers Our Prayers

20. The Word

21. Expect A Miracle

22. Tares And Wheats

23. Good News For Sinners

24. Healing And Gratitude

25. Hear And Do The Word

26. Independence Day

27. Investing Our Talents

28. Invitation To The Feast

29. Invitation And Tribulation

30. All Saints

31. Jesus The Bread Of Life

32. Mountain Top Experience

33. Resurrection

34. St Mark And St Anselm

35. Glorify Thy Son

36. John The Baptist

37. Life In The Son Of Man

38. Love God With All Your Heart

39. Why Do Good People Suffer?

40. Is This The End?

41. The Message Of Christ

42. Nourish Us with All Goodness

43. Prophecy And Being Of Light

44. The Holy Trinity

45. The Humilated And Exalted Christ

46. Paul’s Coronation

47. Rejoice In The Lord

48. Repentance And Obedience

49. Jesus Sees What We Can Become

50. Called To Teach, Preach, And Heal

51. Signs And Wonders

52. Stewardship And Faith

53. Stewardship And Diplomacy

54. Good Seeds And Weed

55. The Blessing Of Repentance

56. The Coming King

57. To Bear The Cross

58. The Greatest Commandment

59. The Holy Spirit Like Wind And Water

60. The Royalty Of Service

61. The Source Of Spiritual Success

62. The Suffering Servant

63. The Day Of Judgment

64. Christian Unity

65. Easter Community

66. The Resurrection And The Life

67. Mission With Amazing Grace

68. My Light And My Salvation

69. To Serve You Is Freedom

70. Eternal Word

71. God Is Gracious

72. Children As Ministers

73. A Traveler As A Shepherd

74. Nourished At Bible Church

75. Shepherded At First Christian Church

76. Shephereded By Our Student

77. All Saints And All Faithful Sous Days

78. Conclusion

79. Epilogue

Acknowledgement

I am most grateful to the Rev. Dr Mary Githiga for being a faithful companion and co-minister, to Dr Glen Sanborn, Chancellor of All nations Christian Church International, for editing this book, and to The Rev. Sue Sanborn and Dr David Brister for their moral and financial support.

It is my great joy to share with you the sermons that I preached for more than three decades to four different communities. The first community was the parish of St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church in Pensacola, Florida (1986 to 1991). The parishioners were comprised of African-American professionals. Being well educated, they expected a well-prepared message. But more importantly, they expected to see and experience the Spirit. Sometimes I would get the comment: It was a great message, but I didn’t see the Spirit. One of the most powerful sermons we experienced at St Cyprian’s, one that was a turning point in our relationship with the parishioners, was a nonverbal sermon delivered on Passion Sunday. The lessons included Matthew 26:36–27:1–55. Rather than just hearing about Jesus, we saw Jesus. When I went to the pulpit, I was overcome by the presence of the Holy Spirit and started sobbing. The congregants joined me and we were overcome by emotion. I descended the pulpit without a word and asked my Parish Brothers and Sisters to hold hands. We were all overcome by the power of God and, hence, we moved to a different level of connectedness.

Other sermons were delivered to the community of St. Luke at Grambling State University (1992–1995). I ministered there as University Chaplain and taught Kiswahili language classes The University population was predominately African-American and the local people of African descent. The motto was, A place where everybody is somebody. Being the only Chaplain with three theological doctoral degrees, I attracted graduate students, Deans, and the heads of the departments to my sermons. As in my previous ministry they expected well prepared sermons. A few didn’t like prophetic messages. Whenever the message required spiritual transformation, I was accused of being a Baptist preacher. Despite the opposition, the Holy Spirit spoke through us. I write more about this experience in my book Christ and Roots.

Other sermons were delivered at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Canyon, Texas, where I ministered as Vicar/Chaplain. (1996–2003). The nearby University community and the congregation were predominantly Anglo-American. In addition to Ministering to the Congregation, I taught New Testament at West Texas A&M University and was President of United Campus Ministry. This community also expected a well-prepared sermon. They greatly treasured my theological education. On one occasion, I asked them why they decided to call me. The answer was: There were fifty applicants, and we found you to be more educated and being more equipped for University ministry. The message was well received and bore fruits which included a weekly fellowship of the women who met in our home; a men’s fellowship who met at the parish hall every Saturday; and a Canterbury (student meeting) which met every Wednesday. Also, we held an international picnic in our backyard once a semester.

Other sermons were delivered at St. Cyprian’s International Church in Amarillo, Texas (2003 to 2017); which is the most international church that I have ministered to in the USA. The members are devoted in the ministry of ANCCI and have participated in overseas missions and in editing my books. May God continue to bless these lovely Saints.

Because the sermons cover many years (and many years of notes), I have annotated the sermons with references to lectionary readings, liturgical dates and calendar dates to provide context as appropriate.

The sermons are based on the Revised Common Lectionary¹ of readings from the Bible for use in protestant and Roman Catholic churches, making provision for liturgical year with its paten of the observation of festivals and seasons. The readings cover all the doctrinal topics. The Lectionary format outlines readings for each Sunday: a passage typically from the Old Testament or the Acts of the Apostles; a passage from one of the Psalms; another from either the Epistles or the Book of Revelation; and finally a passage from one of the four Gospels. The lectionary is written in three-year cycles. The gospel readings in the first year (Year A) are taken from the Gospel of Matthew, those in the second year (Year B) from the Gospel of Mark, and in the third year (Year C) come from the Gospel of Luke. Portions of the Gospel of John are read throughout Easter, and may also be used for the other liturgical seasons such as Advent, Christmas, and Lent.

I have learned that the lectionary covers the human life cycle. Over the years I have also learned that the lectionary is the best means of interpreting the scripture with the Scriptures and the Old Testament revealed in the New Testament and the New Testament hidden in the Old Testament.

Better still; sermons based on Lectionary are a celebration of the Universality of the Church. It is a declaration that, in the deepest sense, the church is one, though it may be divided in many families, she is one, holy and apostolic Church.

Part Two of this book discusses the preacher as a sheep. I have learned over the years that I need to be nourished by God through the people of God. To be fruitful, I must receive from other ministers of the Gospel. This includes preachers of other denominations. Mary and I worship in the churches ministered by our students and Faculty. We listen to sermons on Christian TV and radio. We are nurtured by Gospel Songs on the Radio and on YouTube, in English, Swahili and Kikuyu.

We praise the Great Shepherd, who, though a highly exalted King, nourishes us using various means.

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¹ Various on-line sources exist. As of November 2017, one source is https://lectionary.library.Vanderbilt.edu.

Chapter One

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

Christ is the exalted King, serve him in love.

—Colossians 1:3–23

Today’s lectionary directs our thought to exalting Christ as the King. Nowhere else in the New Testament is Christ portrayed as the King of Kings as in the Epistle to the Colossians. Owing to this fact, John Calvin describes the Epistle as an inestimable treasure. ²

The significance of the Colossians epistle lies not only in its presentation of Christ as the King, but also on how He is related to God, to the church, and to the universe. Traditionally the African put God in the highest plane and is related to the cosmos. He is described as the Great One of the Forest, the All-Knowing, The Wise One, The Source of Wisdom, The Ancient of Days, The All-powerful, The Sustainer, The Great Provider, and the Being who is self-existence and pre-eminent.

The Zulus address him as He Who is of Himself or He who comes of himself into being. The Kikuyu³ describes the Being as the unique self or that which belongs to itself. We say, God has no father nor mother nor wife nor children He is alone; He is neither a child nor an old man. He is the same today as he was yesterday.

We may ask, if Christ is the Lord of the Universe, why is there chaos, killing of civilians by the police, killing of the police officers by civilians? Why are there mass killings in Turkey, in France, and in the USA?

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the profound Christology of the Epistle to the Colossians sprung out of a dangerous problem. It was written against a background of a heresy taught by unknown persons. These false teachers taught their followers to worship angels, celestial spirits, and cosmic powers. Like some modern denominations, the heretics worshipped the feast days, special seasons and certain practices. These people were similar to some people in current society who worship themselves. The worshippers-of-self prefer giving devotion to self, rather than worshipping God, who is the sustainer and creator of all things.

The author of the Epistle to the Colossians reveals Christ as the divine agent of creation. All things were created through, by, and for him. For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. Hence all worship should be directed to God through Christ. He is the principle of coherence for every creature. In him all things hold together. He existed before all things (he is the ancient of the days) and in union with him all things have their proper place.⁴

He can cement the relationship between the members of St. Cyprian’s family. He can harmonize the conflicting elements within yourself and give you the peace of God, which passes all understanding. Like the divine wisdom, or Logos, Christ is all pervasive. To use the New Testament writers’ cosmology, the cosmic Christ came from the first world. He dwelt with the people of the second world. After death he descended to the third world, and after his resurrection he ascended into the first world.

He is the first-born son who was raised form death in order that he alone might have the first place in all things. For that reason, if we worship God through Christ and in Christ’s body, the Church, we experience the fullness of God. Thus, his spirit pervades the entire universe. In this capacity, He directs every process of life and every energy.⁵

God, in his fullness, chose to dwell in Christ bodily. Christ is the Lord over all the angels, celestial beings and all that is seen and unseen, and therefore we need to give him the first priority.⁶

Furthermore, He is the head of his body, the church; He is the source of the body’s life. We should imitate him rather than imitating the church leader, because it is Him and Him alone who was and is sinless.⁷

Interestingly there are three threads that are interwoven and run through the I am statements of Christ: self-knowledge, self-giving, and intimacy. Christ, by having great self-knowledge, was able to give himself in love to the world. He in turn challenges us to know Him, that we may be able to know ourselves and consequently serve one another in love. To this end, ask yourselves the following questions:

• Do you search yourself?

• Do you ask God to search you?

• Do you know yourself?

• Do you know your sins?

• Do you know your God?

• If you know yourself and your God, what is your special contribution to the family of God?

• What is your particular role in the family?

• If you happen to move from this city, or if you depart this world, what service will your family miss?

• If you go away what will the people of this city miss?

Now pray this prayer, Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, mercifully grant that the people of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under His most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

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² Calvin argued, And, truly, even this one article were of itself perfectly sufficient to lead us to reckon this Epistle, short as it is, to be an inestimable treasure; for what is of greater importance in the whole system of heavenly doctrine than to have Christ drawn to the life, that we may distinctly behold [Commentary fn271] his excellence, his office, and all the fruits that arise to us from it. [footnote 271—Afin que nous puissions aiseement veoir et contempler;—That we may be able easily to perceive and contemplate.] Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. 42: Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, tr. by John King, [1847–50], on-line as of December 2017 at sacred-texts.com.

³ The Kikuyu tribe is a Bantu tribe that neighbors the Embu, Mbeere and Meru tribes around Mount Kenya. For more information, see the on-line Kenya Information Guide on-line at: http://www.kenya-information-guide.com/kikuyu-tribe.html. The author is proud both of his Kikuyu heritage and US Citizenship, circa 1999.

⁴ Colossians 1:15–20.

⁵ Id

⁶ Colossians 1:15–16.

⁷ Colossians 1:1.

Chapter Two

ALONE WITH GOD

—6 Pentecost, Proper 11, Mark 6:30–44 (July 23, 2000)

The most challenging thing that the presiding Bishop did at General Convention in Denver (2000) was to ask the participants to keep silence for 90 minutes. He wanted the Episcopalians to have a jubilee. They had to keep silence on the seventh day of the seventh month. The undertaking was so challenging that some didn’t cooperate.

One lady was reported to have left and went to do her loudly. However, the majority kept silence for 90 minutes. I believe it was through our prayer and the alone with God that the 10,000 congregates were enabled to tackle 333 resolutions without getting physical.

In the Gospel, Jesus is asking the disciples to have a moment of silence. They had just come from the mission. They have done signs and wonders. They had preached the Gospel. They had anointed with oil those who were sick. But now they are exhausted. They are joyfully sharing with Jesus what they had done. But Jesus perceived their battery needed a recharge. So, he said: Come away by yourself to a lonely place, and rest a while.⁸ Here we see what William Barclay calls, the rhythm of the Christian Life.⁹ The Christian life is a continuous going into the presence of God, then from God to humans and then from humans to God. It is like the rhythm of sleep and work. Without rest we cannot work; and sleep will not come unless we have worked until we are tired.

The Danger of Constant Activity

There is danger in too much constant activity. Work, work, and no play makes Jack a dull boy. We cannot do God’s work in God’s way; unless we have time with God. The Christian Day should start with quiet time with God. The whole trouble in our lives is that we give God no opportunity to speak to us; because we do not know how to be still and to listen. We give God no time to recharge us with spiritual energy and strength; because there is no time when we wait upon him. How can we face the day without first facing God? How can we shoulder life’s burdens without Him who is the source of life? How can we have life, and have it more abundantly, without spending time with the one who is the life? How can we intimately experience God, without spending quality time with Him?

The Danger of Too Much Withdrawal

There is danger of too much withdrawal. Devotion that does not result in action is not a real devotion. Prayer that does not issue work is not real prayer. The rhythm of the Christian life is the alternate meeting with God in the secret place, and serving the human beings in the market place.

Stewardship of Abundance

In the gospel, we see two types of stewardship. Stewardship of scarcity, and stewardship of abundance. The disciples are operating in the stewardship of scarcity. They are saying: This is a lonely place. There is nothing. We have nothing. We cannot do anything. We have always tried and it didn’t work. Or we have always done it this way. We can’t! We can’t! We can’t! Send them away; that they may go and take care of themselves!

But Jesus is operating in the Stewardship of Abundance:

You! You! You! You! You give them something to eat! You have something to give!

You are not going to send them away! They are sheep. You are the shepherd.

The shepherds do not send away