Society

First Aussie Sermon: What shall I render unto the Lord for all that He has done for me

As the newly-arrived Australians made their way to attend Sunday Service, everyone awaited in eager anticipation on what the sermon would be given a week earlier, the First Fleet had taken 36 weeks to sail to Australia. Reverend Richard Johnson, the first Chaplin on the Fleet, reading from Psalms 116: 12 declared to his weary congregants, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all that He has done for me?”

As the newly-arrived Australians made their way to attend Sunday Service, everyone awaited in eager anticipation on what the sermon would be given a week earlier, the First Fleet had taken 36 weeks to sail to Australia. Reverend Richard Johnson, the first Chaplin on the Fleet, reading from Psalms 116: 12 declared to his weary congregants, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all that He has done for me?”

With this humble opening, some might ask who Rev. Johnson is and why this particular message was delivered at the dawn of the founding of Australia.

Celebrating the 220th anniversary of the first service, Reverend David Mansfield, the rector of St. Philip Anglican Church in Sydney, who will hold a commemorative service next Sunday, told Christian Today Australia that only a small proportion of us would know who Rev. Johnson was given our limited appreciation of history.

“I think that very few Australians will know who Richard Johnson is even among the local Christian community. The reason is because Australians, including Christians, appreciation of history, in particularly church, is very limited,” he said.

In regard to why this message was especially chosen, Rev. Mansfield said it was to recognise the great blessing the Lord has poured on the passengers and crews onboard the First Fleet by arriving safely onto Botany Bay. The message delivered gave an insight of the importance of the Gospel to the life of Rev. Johnson who dedicated his life to the evangelical course.

More specifically, Rev. Johnson was a man on a mission, said Rev. Mansfield. The mission was to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the salvation he brings to all those who repent and confess their faith in our Lord.

Stressing the centrality of Jesus Christ, Rev. Johnson explained in his tract which he wrote in 1792 with a passion, to the Gospel, the Chaplin said it was only through Jesus Christ a ‘door of hope’ was opened by God to redeem humanity from a life of misery and ruin.

“But, blessed be God, a door of hope is opened by the Gospel! A gracious promise was given early, even to our first parents, immediately after the fall.”

“The promised seed is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, in due time, was to appear in the world, to be born of a woman, that by his life, sufferings, and obedience unto death, he might recover man from the misery and ruin in which he was involved.”

Furthermore, he emphasised the sacrificial life Jesus Christ took so that those who believed in him would be able to seek a new life.

He therefore exhorted every citizen of the newly found nation to turn and seek the rich blessings found in the Gospel of Christ.

• WCC head rejoices at release of Colombian hostages
• Archbishop sees ‘risks’ in conservative Anglican proposals
• Conservative Anglicans stay with Communion, launch global fellowship
• World Evangelical Alliance, Wycliffe collaborate in Bible-rooted transformation
• Tutu calls on Africa to reject Mugabe

Well-Being Australia named a Finalist in BEX

TWEED HEADS - Well-Being Australia (WBA) chairman Mark Tronson, a Baptist minister, is delighted to announce that WBA..

• WCC head rejoices at release of Colombian hostages