Ivan Fedotov. Sermons — 1

January 25, 2014 · Adam Bondaruk, Baptists, Victor Belykh, AUCECB, Persecution, Interview, KGB, Books, Unregistered Pentecostals, Nikolay Kotyakov, On Emigration, United Church of Evangelical Christians, Vestibule, Petr Saenko, Pentecostals, Religious Mafia, Slavik Radchuk, Contemporary Persecution, Security Services

Presiding Bishop of the OCChVE, long-time prisoner in the USSR Ivan Fedotov

On True Piety

From a sermon at a worship service in the Evangelical Christian Baptist church of Maloyaroslavets

Let us read two verses from the epistle of James, a man of God, who wrote a short epistle, wonderfully teaching us, instructing the church of God and especially the men in the church of God. The church has existed for two thousand years, and for two thousand years this Word has been read in churches so that brothers, men of God, might examine themselves in it as in a mirror: “How am I living in the church? What am I doing in the church and what am I serving with?” The first chapter of the epistle of James speaks of testing true piety—not any kind of piety, but true piety, because everything is combined with the Truth. There is a measure for everything, and there is a measure for testing piety: “If anyone among you thinks he is religious…” Well, if any brother thinks he is not religious, then he must go to the pastors and open his inner self in confession. “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26). Thus, a person can think of himself as devout and ultimately realize that his piety is empty. Why? Because he does not bridle his tongue. An unbridled tongue defiles the inner man, and there is no place for the Holy Spirit there. Often a person empties himself by his tongue. The tongue must be spiritually circumcised, for the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart. In fact, one must first cleanse one’s heart to inwardly understand how full it is of piety, true piety. We must be silent, restrained in words, not give vent to anger, irritation, and understand that the tongue is the outward manifestation of what is hidden in the heart. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34; Luke 6:45). What dwells in our heart, the mouth speaks of. We need to hear this brief word and take it to heart, examine our condition and adjust it. In what state am I regarding my tongue? The verse below right here says: “Pure and undefiled religion,”—and explains what pure and undefiled religion is “before God and the Father.”

One may appear to people modest, quiet, calm, not even raising one’s voice. This is external, but here it says: “…before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). Here are three inward factors:

To bridle one’s tongue before God;
To visit widows and orphans in their affliction before God;
To keep oneself unstained from this world.

This is true and pure piety. And this inward quality, if it exists, will also be expressed outwardly.

We find in Holy Scripture that there are widows who are talkative, idle, going from house to house and speaking of things they ought not. Of course, James does not have such a widow in mind, but a widow who in her affliction, without a husband, is in great need. If she is devout, humble, continuing in prayer and fasting, spending these sorrowful days before the Lord God the Father. Holy Scripture tells us of such widows. One of them is Anna, the daughter of Phanuel. It is written: “And there was also Anna…” (Luke 2:36). Where? In the temple. She was always in the temple, serving God day and night under the blessed hand and grace of the priests, truly devout men, who sustained her for a very long time and blessed her. Being such, while in the temple, she lacked nothing. It is written about her: “And there was also Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity…” She became a widow at about 25, perhaps even earlier, for Israelite girls were married off early. And all the remaining years she served God in the temple, living a holy, God-fearing life. We must know in our churches such beautiful souls who, having forsaken the life of this world, purely serve God. They have true piety. This widow was about 84 years old. It was revealed to her, as to Simeon, about the birth of the Savior. And she, coming up, gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of Him to all who were waiting for redemption in Jerusalem. She was deeply believing, knew the Word of God, and together with the priests waited. By the example of the prophetess Anna, it is clear what devout widows are like and how they differ from the talkative ones who go from house to house and speak what they ought not. Devout widows also have devout orphans. They instruct, teach, bless, and bring them up. And such a widow must be cared for by devout men in the church of God, just as the priests cared for Anna, who was in the temple. We are talking about bridling the tongue. This is closely linked with true piety. Therefore, the question is asked: “Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Ps. 34:12-14). So teaches us the Word of God, therefore we should act this way not only in church, but everywhere: with outsiders, with representatives of state authority, and with other people, on whom even the ending of your life might depend. One can speak out and inflame himself so much in communication with this world that someone will pick up a stone, strike on the head, and your existence on this earth will end.

In other words, the tongue is our enemy, and we must bridle it. It is written: “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” This instruction tells us to turn away from evil so that evil does not take root in us and that there is no evil in our heart. We are of Christ, we are holy people, we must be like Him, and therefore no evil should be in us. James writes: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray…” (Jas. 5:13). Such things can happen even among Christians. Evil may not come from within, but from outside, tempting human life, so we must be very cautious in this regard. “Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Ps. 33:15-20).

What do we know about the righteous? For example, righteous Lot was tormented while living in depraved Sodom, seeing lawlessness and sin. The righteous man had nowhere to turn. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Lot preserved a righteous life to the end, even though he suffered. God was watching over Sodom, and He was watching over Lot in Sodom; He saw everything and saved Lot from sinful Sodom. The Lord watches over everyone, over this whole world, and He watches over us as well. The Lord delivers the righteous from all their afflictions. It is written: “He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned” (Ps. 33:21-23). Here the Old Testament Scripture echoes what is written in the New Testament. On the cross of Golgotha, Christ was crucified between two robbers. When they wanted to take down the executed men from the crosses on Friday evening, they broke their legs, but they did not break Jesus Christ’s legs because He was already dead. And the Word of God was fulfilled: “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” To this day, the Word is being fulfilled precisely. Of the righteous man it is said: “He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken.” If we strive to live a righteous life, we will be delivered from very much. And it all begins with our tongue, which speaks out of the abundance of the heart. May the Lord bless us to pray to Him and say in our hearts: “Lord, look upon my inward parts: is my godliness genuine or only outward?” If our brothers and sisters do not see in God’s church where they can prove themselves, how to supply the needs of widows and orphans, then they simply do not understand the Lord Jesus Christ. The brothers must preach about this, and the sisters must labor. God urges us to bear one another’s burdens. Amen.

Ivan Fedotov,
Presiding Bishop
OCChVE,
Maloyaroslavets
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On Calling

At times we cannot penetrate the depths of the Word of God in order to draw benefit for our souls. In the Gospel we read about Jesus’ disciples who were still imperfect and argued among themselves who was the greatest. They did this because they had not yet reached the day of Pentecost and had not received the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Of course, people who have not come to the understanding of Pentecost seek their own interests, not what pleases Jesus Christ. The Gospel speaks about the disciples, and to this day our meetings talk about the same things, so that we might understand and apply everything we read in practice, in order to receive edification. If the Apostles had been baptized with the Holy Spirit, they would not have competed with one another. But when they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, when Jesus was no longer on earth, the Holy Spirit continued to work, and they were persecuted and beaten with rods. They suffered for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and rejoiced. Yet at times we cannot grasp these deep truths of the Holy Scriptures and interpret them correctly. Let us read the Word of God which calls us to truly understand what we say, what we hear, and what we convey to those who listen to us: “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned” (Is. 50:4). What a wonderful word the prophet Isaiah gives us today! This word was given to him personally, and today he speaks to us, because he was specially anointed with the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. An angel from heaven brought a burning coal, touched his mouth, and he reveals to us today the whole way of the Lord. Isaiah does not speak of himself, but he foretells the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, to Him indeed was given the tongue of the learned, and with a word He strengthened every weary soul. “The Lord God has opened My ear, and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away” (v. 5). Could He have turned away? Yes, turning away was possible, yet He set His face like flint. He went forward without turning back.

When all the disciples were sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane, God put it into His ear that His hour had come. He knew that soon they would come, seize Him, and lead Him to suffering. Jesus was ready to fulfill His mission as Savior. He consented to go to Golgotha and die for every person who turns to Him. He prayed three times, fell with His face to the ground, and cried out: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. Your will be done.” A body was prepared for Jesus Christ so that in that body He might glorify the great God, being anointed and declared the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness. He fulfilled to the end everything God told Him. Without shrinking from trials, Jesus went only forward. And ahead of Him lay the cross of Golgotha. In Caiaphas’ courtyard they struck Him on the cheeks, placed a crown of thorns on His head, and beat Him on the head with a reed, saying, “Prophesy! Who struck You?” The prophet Isaiah goes on to write: “I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting” (v. 6).

The Lord God helps those who do not retreat before difficulties. If you will go forward, striving for the work of the Gospel, for your holy walk, and for the salvation of perishing souls, then God will help you. He said to the Apostle Paul: “Be of good courage, Paul; for as you have testified of Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome” (Acts 23:11b). Paul was courageous, did not retreat backward, but went forward, fulfilling His holy will. In due time, having met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he asked Him: “Who are You?” “I am Jesus Christ, whom you are persecuting.” “What do You command me to do?” Jesus once and for all commanded him what to do, and Paul never retreated once.

“And the Lord God helps Me; therefore I am not ashamed, therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates Me is near…” (Isaiah 50:7‑8). The Lord Jesus did not retreat backward, and how will you stand beside Him? Paul had trials, temptations even to death. They said to him: “Paul, where are you going? The Holy Spirit testifies in every city that chains and tribulations await you.” But Paul answered: “Why do you break my heart, fall upon my neck? I am ready to die for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; I want to stand beside Him.” Thus he responded to the Lord’s calling. If you emulate the Lord Jesus Christ in His virtue, in His exploits, in His preaching, in His sufferings, and in His salvation of people, then He allows you to stand beside Him.

“Who will contend with Me? Let him come near Me” (Isaiah 50:8). We are not merely called to attend meetings. We must understand that we need to preach the Gospel. God, of course, notes who is at the meeting and who is not, but He looks at how the people of God, whom He called and anointed with the Holy Spirit, respond to His calling. All of us, anointed with the Holy Spirit, must compare ourselves with Him. Then we will have more zeal and boldness to imitate Jesus Christ, as the Apostle Paul imitated. Paul imitated the Lord Jesus Christ excellently, because he understood very well who He is. We must not have a liberal policy in preaching and in the Lord’s teaching. We must labor in the place where each of us is placed and called by the Lord. Jesus was struck on the cheeks. You too be counted worthy of this honor. He gave His back to the smiters and His cheeks to those who struck them; He did not hide His face from insult and spitting. Stand up, you also, beside Him. But if you suffer for your roughness or for some other offenses, do not deceive yourselves that you have been counted worthy to suffer with Him. We must live as our precious Jesus Christ lived: “I gave My back to the smiters and My cheeks to those who struck them; I did not hide My face from insult and spitting. And the Lord God helps Me; therefore I am not ashamed, therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates Me is near: who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me. Behold, the Lord God helps Me; who will condemn Me? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up. Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God” (Isaiah 50:6‑10).

The unchanging purpose of God is fulfilled through the preaching of the Gospel. For three and a half years He performed amazing works to lay the foundations of divine teaching.

“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:28‑31).

If any of you lacks a spiritual gift and another has it, do not envy those who have, but pursue, seek, and obtain what that one or another has.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Paul was thrown into prison, after being beaten with rods, and his feet were fastened in a stock that was chained to the wall. This worked together for his good, because he bore the yoke of Christ and stood beside Him. Further we read: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (v. 29). If the Lord called you, then He also predestined you to be conformed to the image of His Son, “that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:29‑32).

This concerns not only the elderly who understand the truth, who have long followed the Lord, but also the young, that we all might understand the goodness of God. He who gave up the most precious for us, His Only Begotten Son, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? If only you would desire to have all this, not let your hands down, but imitate those who strive to press forward. These passages of Holy Scripture speak to us today so that we do not grow cold in preaching and in His work.

“Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:33). The devil always wages war against God’s elect. They are always accused, condemned, but God justifies them when they labor in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and carry out His service. “Who is he who condemns? Christ Jesus died, but also rose again” (v. 34). They condemned Him, reasoning wrongly about Him, because He had already been lying in the tomb for three days. But He rose, He rose because He did the will of the Heavenly Father, that which was entrusted to Him, and did not retreat backward. Therefore He sits at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us. I call you, brothers and sisters, not to retreat backwards, but to go forward, even if it will be very difficult for you, even if your hands fall down, even if you are insulted and they even spit in your face. Boast in the Lord when He will live in you and accomplish His work.

Ivan Fedotov, Presiding Bishop of OTsKhVE
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On the Depth of God’s Love

«When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”» (Luke 5:4)

Glory to our Lord! Today we are comforted by His holy blessing. The preaching of the Apostle Paul is Christ, and Him crucified. We, His disciples and followers, also preach our Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified for the sins and iniquities of the whole world, and we thank the Lord for this.

Holy love is high, wide, and deep. We can ascend to where the angels glorify God, and we can descend into the depth of this wonderful love of God. But few people want to descend into the depth of God’s love, which is not merely beautiful on the lips of those who speak of it, as we usually love to preach about God’s love. Christ wants to say that we speak correctly, but love must always be demonstrated in deed. Love without deeds is not love, but merely a fantasy on the theme of love. Judas Iscariot also spoke to Jesus of his love for Him and even kissed Him. But that was a sign of betrayal, a sign to have Him arrested and crucified. That was not love. But this should not be in the church of God. Those today who are not like Judas and are not under the spirit of Judas must love the Lord Jesus Christ in deed.

Therefore, Jesus Christ is for us the greatest depth, if only we truly desire to plunge into His Word, as He commanded the Apostle Peter, whom He called in due time to be a fisher of human souls. Whoever does not launch out into the deep will remain a shallow and fruitless person. He will not justify the Lord’s trust that He indeed found a person who, after Him, will do what Jesus Christ did, and even greater things.

Therefore, we sincerely thank the Lord today and speak of His great depth. I would like to speak of such a remarkable example. Two people came to Him. One said to Him, “I want to follow You.” Jesus looked at him and answered, “No, you will not follow Me.” The second did not want to go, but He commanded him to follow Him, denying his own personal life goals. We are in the same situation today. To you, church of God, the Lord speaks into your ears and hearts, so that you would follow Him, as the disciple Elisha once followed the prophet Elijah.

Let me read from the first verse: “When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal” (2 Kings 2:1). Why did He want to take Elijah up? But God sees everything! God knows everything. He needs no advice or prompting. He saw that Elijah had honorably finished his work on this earth, to which the Lord had sent him in due time, obeying only Him and not the royal authority of Ahab. He submitted only to the great God, listened only to Him, spoke only with Him, cried out only to Him, and received revelations only from Him in order to do His will. Elijah labored from his youth until his very last minute, but still had one more thing to accomplish.

Let us consider here. It was not Elisha who went with Elijah to receive something from him and take something, but Elijah went with Elisha. Why do I want to emphasize this? Because Elisha still does not understand as he should. He only sees that this man has power upon him. His heart thirsted, because God had already prompted him to come to Elijah and go with him in order to receive and know that power which was upon the old prophet. So, Elijah goes with Elisha. There were four stages of the journey. He passes Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, then approaches the Jordan and crosses the Jordan.

During the whole journey with Elijah, Elisha did not leave the prophet, although Elijah kept urging his servant not to follow him, because the Lord was sending him farther. Elisha answered him, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you; I will go with you.” He was a faithful disciple, whom God truly sent to minister to Elijah. During the test he answered wisely, “No, no! The Lord has called me. I will follow you to see what the Lord will do with you: how He will take you up, and how you will be carried up to heaven, so that I may be further established, having seen everything with my own eyes.” This passage of Scripture is very dear to me.

Now let us consider our Lord Jesus Christ. He was born in the fields of Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, and now God Himself leads Him to John the Baptist, to the Jordan River, where Elijah led his disciple Elisha.

He came to the Jordan to be baptized by John. “When all the people were baptized, and Jesus also was baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened” (Luke 3:21). Elijah opened and shut the heaven. At the prayer of the Lord Jesus, the heaven also opens.

When those who walk rightly before the Lord pray, the heaven opens for them. If you have not yet experienced what an open heaven means, then today we are exactly dealing with this. The church must pray to God in such a way that the heaven opens, and you feel that the heaven has opened. Sometimes we pray, but above us there is not an open heaven, but iron ceilings. Yet someone notices that the heaven has opened. The one who is filled with the Holy Spirit — for him the heaven is open.

Jesus at the Jordan by His prayer opens the heaven. And when He opens the heaven, it is not silent. The upper sources of heaven pour out rain on that land or on that person who prays for the heaven to open. “And the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased!’” (Luke 3:22). You and I experience these moments because we read the Holy Scriptures and only believe, but we ourselves do not participate in practical life. He wants you to go after Him, alongside Him, just as Elisha went alongside Elijah. Elijah led Elisha and brought him into these wonderful blessings, because Elisha did not yet understand everything. Christ goes with us today and leads the church — the entire universal Church, as well as our local one — and leads you personally in this church, so that you may follow Him.

Today we have resolved to undertake a forty-day fast. A group of people who are keeping this wonderful watch of God follow Jesus today. Jesus leads them today. Where is He leading them?

After the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, He led Him into the wilderness. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. The Holy Spirit goes with Jesus, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus and His holy, blessed church. Follow Jesus: He will reveal Himself to you and bless you. God today calls each one of us together with you so that we may understand this depth of the spirituality of Jesus Christ. Today Jesus steps down from the pages of Holy Scripture and, as a living Person, stands before us. The day and hour came when He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. God leads the church of God into the wilderness so that each of you might experience and know the Lord Jesus Christ within himself. How much room do we give Him in our heart?

Crying out to the Lord, we must feel how heaven opens and how the Holy Spirit fills us. At times we ask for things that are not what matters in our life. The most important thing is to prepare our heart for Christ.

He is leading me today into the wilderness to fast, to pray, and to be enriched, to gain the power of the Holy Spirit inside myself, so that afterward I may come and do great works of God. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts” (Ps. 138:23), prayed the psalmist David.

If you take the first step, you will want to take the second; having taken the third step, you will want to take the next. Thus you will advance each time toward the Jordan. There the question will be resolved, when the Jordan parts, how you will cross over there, and what you will see there, beyond the Jordan.

The Lord Jesus Christ must be searched out and known more deeply. When we walk this course in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will draw those souls for whose sake we are doing all this today. We labor not simply to experience a blessed hour of prayer, but so that, having experienced this hour of prayer, we might experience the power of God. With the help of this wonderful power of God we can pray and spread the holy Gospel word in this city, in this region, throughout all of Russia and beyond, so that this wonderful stream may flow, so that many may drink of this holy grace.

Ivan Fedotov, Presiding Bishop of the OTsKhVE

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Who Are You?

From a sermon by the Presiding Bishop of the OTsKhVE of Russia, the CIS, I. P. Fedotov at a service in the Maloyaroslavets church.

Today God gives us mercy to come to Him once more, to serve Him. Every service and every blessing in that service is recorded in heaven, so we, not forsaking our assembly, come here to serve the Lord. For we have become His forever; having begun to serve here on earth, we will continue there, in heaven, if we do not grow weak. It is possible to grow weak, but it is undesirable. Therefore we come to our assembly to be strengthened by His great Word of God, living and active. The Word acts on us; it certainly helps us to stand, to hold fast, and to walk in the way of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I will read one verse from the first book of Chronicles: “And King David came and stood before the Lord and said, ‘Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?’” (1 Chr. 17:16). Let this short word be an edification for us today, and may the Holy Spirit open our understanding to reason about this living Word. A single verse will give us something today for guidance from this assembly into our home. We see that David came into the temple of God: “And King David came and stood before the Lord…” He stood before the Lord in the temple of God. There, of course, was the Holy of Holies; there was the ark of God, and there were people who understood that in the ark God Himself was present. David, as it is written, stood before the Lord, and although he stood before the ark, he well knew that God was present there.

Today there is no temple in Jerusalem, and we, yesterday’s pagans, are far from Jerusalem.

When Christ yielded up His spirit to God, the veil of the temple was torn, and a free entrance into the Holy of Holies was opened to us. The Lord is present today in every place, as He Himself said to the Samaritan woman. In every place where the Lord appears by the Holy Spirit, there He is; and this is a wonderful temple of God—our heart, and we can have fellowship with Him and rightfully address Him with the words of David. This is an example for us. He was a king, and how he humbled himself! Today we are not kings; today we do not sit on a throne. But David was a king. He walked a long path to this kingdom, having received the pledge of this kingdom when Samuel anointed his head with oil, and it was announced to him that the Lord would set him to reign in place of the fallen Saul. But this he had to attain, attain through struggle, labor, danger to his life. And he overcame all dangers, fleeing from Saul, hiding in forests, caves, in other countries. David walked this path and, as the Lord had told him in due time through Samuel, he ascended the throne. And while sitting on this throne, he always cried out to his Lord, knowing that only God could have exalted him so. Being in his royal majesty, performing royal deeds in his people, in his state, he never forgot God and, upon hearing the promise, immediately came to Him to say: “Who am I, O Lord?”

My dear friends, today no one can distinguish who I am, who you are, who you all are, but we know that the great God has called us kings and priests. He has seated us today in the heavens, seated us at His own right hand; He has honored us and has taken us from everywhere—from fields, flocks, fishermen’s nets, from carpenters’ homes—and seated us with Himself in Him. How we ought to magnify our Lord today! Perhaps we do not fully believe this, we doubt or do not entrust ourselves to His words, but these words are living and active; they give us the right, by hoping in them, to live by these words and thank God, asking Him the question: “Who am I, O Lord God… that You have so exalted me today?” And further, David says: “But even this seemed too little in Your sight, O God; You have spoken of Your servant’s house for the distant future, and You regard me as a man of great worth, O Lord God!” Dear friends, we can look far ahead into the days of our life, beginning from childhood or youth, and believe in the Lord. And at eighty years old as well, to look far ahead. The Lord speaks of this path, yet He seems to emphasize: “…and You regard me as a man of great worth, O Lord God!” No one will enter heaven of those who are not like Jesus Christ. He alone is great. He magnifies us and says: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10). He teaches us to live in humility. Only by finding us in humility can He magnify us. Humility exalts and lifts up human life. Today, reading this Word, we should give thanks for our glorious path laid out by the Lord. David said: “What more can David add before You…” He understood that God had exalted him not only over an earthly kingdom, but lifted him higher and above, that he would be with Him in heaven. “What more can David add before You for the exaltation of Your servant? You know Your servant!” This is very important: “You know Your servant!” To Nathanael, who was praying under the fig tree, Christ said: “I knew you. I saw you in your prayer.” This amazed Nathanael greatly: how could Christ see him when no one was under the fig tree? My friend, know that when you pray to the Lord and turn to Him, He sees, knows, hears, understands, and feels you. He will answer you in His time, just as He promises here: “Lord! For Your servant, according to Your own heart, You do all this great thing for Your servant according to Your own heart.”

Let no one be deceived: if you are not a servant after the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ, He will not magnify you, and you will not receive what a person after the Lord’s heart receives. What does it mean to be after the Lord’s heart? It means to do His will, to accept the good and the bad, to accept the joyful and the unjoyful, with sorrow and illness—it means to thank your God for all things, so that the Lord sees that you are a person after His heart. And then David says: “Lord! For Your servant, according to Your own heart, You do all this great thing.” And today the Lord gives this blessing to each one, just as to David. We have already passed the beginning of our journey: we heard the Word of God, received it, mixed it with faith, repented, confessed, were baptized with the Holy Spirit, having received water baptism, we gave Him a promise to serve with a good conscience, and we partake of His broken body and precious blood shed. He is ours and we are His. Glory to Him! Amen.

Ivan Fedotov,
Presiding Bishop
OTsKhVE,
Maloyaroslavets

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