REMNANT Sermon By Ven Canon Geoffrey Kairu Vicar

REMNANT Sermon By Ven. Canon Geoffrey Kairu (Vicar). 6/09/2015.

v. Remnant refers to the faithful minority who are truly devoted to God or to the course. v. Israel as a whole was God's people but only a minority of the people ever truly believed. v. The majority carried out rituals without any attitude of genuine repentance or faith.

v Remnants are always victorious, they survive God's judgement and become the germ of the new people of God. ------Micah in 2: 12, and 5: 7, Saw the returning glory of Israel. ------Zephaniah in 2: 4 -7, saw the triumph of the remnant. ------Isaiah in 7: 3 , named a son Shear Jashub which means a remnant returns. v. Any biblical and Christianity victory is related to the remnant.

TIME OF JONAH v. The decree of the King in 3: 6_9, was to differentiate between the remnant and the ordinary. v. The remnants listened to the king and obeyed v 10.

v. They were not destroyed, God relented and had compassion over them. This was against the will of Jonah, to a point that he wished to die. v. Remnants don't wish others evil but they walk along with the right attitude, joy, peace and in God's spirit.

REMNANTS IN THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN REVELATION. • We visited these great historical biblical sites but the question remains whethere are remnants or not. • They are all dilapidated historical sites only to earn currency to the Nation. They are under the ministry of Tourism.

• The seven Churches are all in Turkey which is the only country occupying two Continents, Europe and Asia. • The only church is St Polycarp situated in the City of Izmir (Smyrna), but this Church also is not friendly to the surrounding. It is like a deserted Church.

WHAT WERE TO BE THE BLESSINGS OF THE REMNANTS HERE?

1. Church of Ephesus

1. Church of Ephesus. THE RIGHT TO EAT FROM THE TREE OF LIFE. Rev 2: 7. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (NIV)

2. Church of Smyrna

2. Church of Smyrna. WILL NOT BE HURT AT ALL BY THE SECOND DEATH. Rev 2: 11. Revelation 2: 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. (NIV)

3. Church of Thyatira

3. Church of Thyatira. AUTHORITY OVER NATIONS. Revelation 2: 26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--(NIV)

4. Church of Pergamum

4. Church of Pergamum. WILL GET SOME OF THE HIDDEN MANNA AND A WHITE STONE WITH A NEW NAME. Revelation 2: 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. (NIV)

5. Church of Sardis

5. Church of Sardis. DRESSED IN WHITE AND HIS NAME WILL NEVER BE BLOTTED OUT FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE. Revelation 3: 5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. (NIV)

6. Church of Philadelphia

6. Church of Philadelphia. A PILLAR WILL BE MADE IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD AND WILL NOT LEAVE IT. Revelation 3: 12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. (NIV)

7. Church of Laodicea

7. Church of Laodicea. WILL BE GIVEN THE RIGHT TO SIT WITH HIM IN HIS THRONE. Revelation 3: 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. (NIV)

These Churches were destroyed by Muslims during the crusades and were never rebuilt again. Initially Turkey was a Christian nation but today it is 99% Muslim. Could be the 1% is the remnant.

REMNANT IN AFRICA. v. In his book African Christianity. John Mbiti says two things ; 1_ Africans are notoriously religious 2_ Christianity in Africa is only skin dip (deep). v. This means Christianity has not penetrated to our blood and so what we have is the celebration of life, thus notorious religious.

• To a lesser degree, yes, we celebrate life, BUT AFRICA IS GOD'S REMNANT. WE HOLD THE KEY TO OPEN THE WORLD FOR THE KINGDOM. WE MUST STAND OUR GROUND. WE ARE NOT LESSER BEINGS, WE ARE CREATED IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD. WE ARE BLACK BUT BLACK IS BEAUTY.

v. Where is our hope? v. Hymn 290: My hope is built on nothing less

1. My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest fame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ Name

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand

2. When darkness seems to veil His face I rest on His unchanging Grace

In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand

3. His oath, His covenant and blood Support me in the ‘whelming flood:

When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay…

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand…

Our hope lies in God our Creator, In Christ our Redeemer and in the Holy Spirit who perfects our lives in readiness to eternal life.

SO THEN; • Since we are the remnants, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. It is not burdensome neither in vain nor wasting. • We must run the race waiting not only for Gold but also great and better things that are imperishable.

v. We must fight the good fight and NEVER give up at whatever cost. v. We must keep the faith just like Paul and retain the marks of Jesus in our bodies. MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHINGLESS. . .

Bonus Photos of Vicar’s Visit

Photos by: Ven. Canon Geoffrey Kairu (Vicar). Power. Point Presentation Prepared and Compiled by: John Gichuru (0722 -705645) God bless you