Sunday Worship Service March 1, 2026
Prelude
Call to Worship Psalm 37:4
Hymn JBC # 278 There’s within my heart a melody
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #515 When peace, like a river, attendeth my way
The Prayer Time
Offering
Scripture Acts 11:19~30
Prayer
Sermon “As Each One was able”
Prayer
Hymn JBC# 656 Give of your best to the Master
Doxology JBC # 673
Benediction
At the beginning of today's passage, it says, "the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed”
This refers to the incident described in Acts 7, in which Stephen, a believer and evangelist of Christ, was killed (martyred) for blasphemy.
Stephen had not blasphemed. He was killed because of the wickedness of the Jewish authorities of his time.
The authorities could not recognize the true God revealed through Jesus Christ, and so they killed Stephen, who preached about Jesus Christ as Lord.
Stephen is said to be the first Christian martyr.
The martyrdom of Stephen sparked a great persecution of believers in Christ, as was written at the beginning of Chapter 8. Today's passage continues from there.
The martyrdom of Stephen was a very tragic and sad event, and as a result many Christians were no longer able to remain in the capital, Jerusalem, and were scattered abroad.
However, on the other hand, this (the scattering of believers in Christ to various places due to persecution) also became an opportunity for the gospel of Jesus Christ to spread throughout Israel, and eventually beyond Israel, to the world.
Today's passage tells us that those who were scattered abroad (believers in Christ) initially spoke the Word only to the Jews there.
In previous weeks we have already read about the conversion of the Gentile Cornelius and his family and friends, which took place through Peter's encounter with the Gentile Cornelius.
However, today's passage tells us that the work of spreading the gospel to Gentiles (foreigners) other than the Jews was carried out by many believers other than Peter, who was the leader of the church, and other than Paul, who would later become a key figure in evangelism to the Gentiles.
Verse 20 for today's passage says, "Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus."
"Those among them who came from Cyprus and Cyrene" refer to Jews who were born and raised abroad, outside of Israel.
As depicted in the Old Testament, due to the rule of Israel by the Assyrian and Babylonian empires, many Jews were scattered to far-flung foreign lands and lived there.
Today's passage says that Jews with such a background (and who had come to believe in Christ) began to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to Greek-speaking people (that is, Gentiles, foreigners, who are not Jews).
Because they, foreign born Jews, came from overseas, far from Israel, their views of and ways of interacting with Gentiles (foreigners) were likely different from those of Israel-born Jews (who believed that they should not associate with Gentiles).
Since they were originally raised in a foreign culture, they likely had more open-minded feelings and ideas.
And in today's context, they (the overseas Jews) are portrayed as the people who took the important first step in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
A desire arose among them to speak the word of God to the Gentiles as well.
This was natural, given the very essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ: the Word of God and the joy of salvation in Jesus Christ cannot be contained within one person or one nation.
Faith in Christ brings people overflowing joy, which naturally spreads and spreads far and wide.
The gospel of Christ is the word of life that gives life to all people.
Just as the gospel of Christ was spread throughout the world by Jews from overseas outside of Israel, we hope to be used as instruments in the work of spreading the gospel of Christ.
What's even more important here is what verse 21 says.
21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
It is written that through their preaching, many people turned to the Lord (began to believe in God).
And this is not because they (the evangelists) were excellent or wonderful believers or because they preached zealously.
Of course, they were enthusiastic and eager to tell people about Jesus. I believe their enthusiasm moved people.
However, the Bible tells us that many people were raised up there who believed in God and turned to the Lord, because the Lord helped those people (the Lord's helping hand was with them), and many people were raised up who believed and turned to the Lord God.
In our lives of faith, in our missionary work, and in the many other things we do in life, I think we are prone to be caught up in visible results.
Even in church activities, we plan evangelistic meetings and other events outside of Sunday services in the hope of attracting more people to church, and try to invite them, but the reality is that the number of people coming to church and those who believe in Jesus does not increase as much as we would like.
However, since the main actor in spreading the gospel is God, Jesus, we can have hope that God is surely working with us, and that people who will believe in His Word will continue to be raised up in ways and at times that we do not understand.
Let us not be discouraged by quick and visible results, but first let us rejoice in the gospel of Jesus Christ and live the gospel ourselves.
And let us continue to worship at church, share the Word, and thus serve in the work of spreading the gospel.
In today's passage, news spread to the capital, Jerusalem, that Gentiles had also believed in the gospel in the church in the city of Antioch.
So the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch, where he rejoiced to see that God's grace was being extended to the Gentiles as well.
Even Barnabas could see that the believers in the church of Antioch were rejoicing in God. When God's grace is received and shared with joy, the joy of the people is surely visible.
Barnabas then urged the believers in Antioch, to whom God's grace had been given, to "remain true to the Lord with all their hearts."
It is very important that Barnabas encouraged them in this way.
When Barnabas saw the believers in Antioch, he confirmed that God's grace had indeed been given to them.
However, it is not that once you believe in God in this way and receive His grace, everything will be smooth sailing.
No matter how filled we are with God's grace, no matter how much we decide to believe in God, various temptations or trials will inevitably come our way that will shake our faith and try to separate us from God's grace.
Therefore, Barnabas taught and encouraged the believers of the church in Antioch, saying, "Stay in the faith," and "The life of faith will not always go smoothly. Hardships will come, but stay in the faith."
We still need that encouragement today. When we gather at church and share our faith life together, we can encourage each other and join forces and pray for each other so that we can continue to remain in the faith.
Each of us is weak, and if we are alone, we will lose our faith.
But even when we are weak and tired, if we have a family of faith, friends, and church members who can support and encourage each other, we can help each other. We can pray for each other.
Let us take to heart Barnabas' words of encouragement to the church in Antioch, "Remain true to the Lord with all your hearts” as words directed to us as well.
Beginning in verse 27 of today's passage, it is written that the prophecy of a great famine was made by a man named Agabus through the "Spirit."
In fact, at that time, the believers of the church in Jerusalem were greatly affected by the famine and seemed to suffer greatly.
So the believers in Antioch decided that it was their duty to help the believers of the Jerusalem church. They must have made this decision after praying and discussing it together.
They decided to help their brothers in Judea (the members of the Jerusalem church) “as each one was able” (verse 29).
At that moment, they made a very ordinary, yet warm and loving decision to "help according to what each of us can do."
Earlier, I said that each of us has weak faith and that we may lose our faith alone.
But even in times like these, we can support each other by doing what we can, each according to the strengths and gifts we have been given.
Each of us has been given unique gifts that are best used when offered to others and to God.
Faith among those who believe in the same God and belong to the same community leads us to share each other's burdens and pain.
We can also confide our burdens and pain to our family of faith and ask them to pray for us. At that time, the practice of our faith is the very simple act of "reaching out to help (each one another) according to our ability."
In a sense, this is of course simple, but it is not always easy to do. How can we put into practice the idea of supporting each other according to our respective strengths?
It is through the words of the Bible and through prayer, through the Word and prayer, and with the Word and prayer at our center, that we continue to remain in the family of faith (the church).
By continually receiving and sharing God's Word together and continuing to pray for one another, we can put into practice what God is urging us to do.
Our faith, our growth, and our work of evangelization will always move forward in this way, even if at times it may seem like we are retreating or declining.
However, the hand of God in our Savior, Jesus Christ, and God's help are with us. With God's help and strength, let us also take each step forward of faith.
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Sunday Worship Service February ２２, 2026
Prelude
Call to Worship Genesis ２：７Joel 2:13 b,c
Hymn JBC # 4 Come, Christians, join to sing
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #514 I need Thee ev’ry hour
The Lord’s Supper
Offering
Scripture Acts 11:1~18
Prayer
Sermon “Repentance that leads to life”
Prayer
Hymn JBC# 455 Jesus is tenderly calling thee home
Doxology JBC # 672
Benediction
Today’s passage starts by saying, “The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.”
This means that people other than the Jews, people who were foreigners to the Jews, the Gentiles, were told about the true God through Jesus Christ and accepted His word.
Before today’s passage, Christ’s disciple Peter met a Gentile named Cornelius, told him about Jesus Christ, and Cornelius believed and was baptized.
Peter met Cornelius and told him about what Jesus Christ had done on Earth and how Christ resurrected after three days.
He (Peter) also spoke about how the resurrected Christ had appeared before him and the other disciples and commanded them to evangelize.
With this, God’s Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius, his family, and his friends (Acts 10:44-45). Not just Cornelius, but the Holy Spirit came to his family and friends as well.
There Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” (Acts 10:47)
And in 10:48, Peter ordered the baptism of Cornelius and the others.
As I said in last week’s message, baptism is a declaration of faith from a new believer to the church family so they can be welcomed into the flock.
That Peter commanded Cornelius and his household to be baptized also signifies that Peter himself had been given the heart to welcome Cornelius and his household, Gentiles as they were, as fellow believers from that point forward.
Until this point, Peter believed that the Gentiles were unclean and that it was improper to fraternize with them. This was a major change.
When one person has conviction of faith and receives baptism, sometimes the end receiving that person (the church) also undergoes a large change and is given new conviction.
In other words, when one person receives baptism in faith, it may become an opportunity for both parties (both the person being baptized and the church) to learn to welcome and accept each other.
Cornelius lived in place called Caesarea. Today’s passage takes place in Judea, which is thought to be Jerusalem.
If you check a map, there is about 120 kilometers between Caesarea and Jerusalem.
2000 years ago when they did not have our modern communication methods, I wonder how long it would take to send news to someone over that distance?
At the very least it would take a few days for someone to carry the news by carrying a letter or by word of mouth.
The news that reached the disciples in Jerusalem was that a Gentile had accepted the word of God and they also came to believe in God.
We would imagine it must have been joyous news to hear that people who had never believed in God finally found faith in the true God.
However, today’s passage points to a different reaction that people had to Gentiles accepting God’s word and being baptized. They brought up another problem and criticisms.
Their complaint was that Peter went to Gentiles (uncircumcised people) of his own will and ate with them.
More than Gentiles accepting God’s word, the Jewish disciples took issue with Peter breaking the Law.
They criticized Peter for eating with the uncircumcised Gentiles.
Jewish men were circumcised when they were 8 days old to show that they were descendants of their father in the faith, Abraham, and part of God’s specially chosen covenant people, Israel.
They also strictly observed Old Testament food laws about what was clean or unclean to eat.
For those who firmly believed that uncircumcised Gentiles—those different from themselves, incompatible with Israelites, and unclean before God—must never be associated with, what Peter did was utterly unacceptable.
To us now it may be confusing as to why circumcision was so important or why different nations or peoples were so important.
However, even now it is difficult for us to understand and accept people who have different ways of thinking or different beliefs from ourselves.
I think our thoughts often begin from ourselves, believing that others should be more like us in a self-centered manner.
However, where is God’s heart in that?
“Even if they believe in the same God, the same Christ as me, in other matters others should follow my way. If not, then we cannot get along.” If we think like this, what would God have to say about that?
I think for our church now, this will be a large problem.
Peter was shown God’s heart through a vision. Also, through meeting Cornelius he was shown that God does not call any person unclean.
With regard to man’s salvation, God does not discriminate between Israelites and other people.
Certainly, God first revealed Himself through the people of Israel. However, Peter understood that God’s plan is for all people to receive the Holy Spirit, be baptized and receive salvation.
And through Peter this message was conveyed to the other Jews. Today’s passage shows Peter persuading other Jewish Christians.
In verse 4 it states, “Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story.”
When people criticized Peter, his first reaction was not to defend himself, but rather he calmly explained what happened from the beginning.
For us as well, it may help solve problems if, when problems occur, we can calmly reflect on what started the whole situation.
Peter told them (the Jewish believers) what had happened to him, and how God had said in the vision, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean,” and “Do not call any person impure or unclean.”
Peter calmly explained that the reason he went to the Gentiles was that God had sent him. As he explained, the people listening gradually began to understand.
As such, it was revealed to them that they were no longer to view Jews as clean and other people as unclean.
Let us read verse 18.
18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
Through Peter’s explanation, what God had done and God’s heart were made clear to the people listening.
You could also say that through Peter’s words, God worked in the hearts of those who listened.
Peter said, “Just as the Holy Spirit came upon us, so the Holy Spirit, God's gift, has come upon these Gentiles too.”
Acts 10:46-47 states that when the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles, they spoke in tongues (speaking a special language, which is called a gift from God).
Gentiles praised the true God. This was likely a surprising event to Peter as well. They (Gentiles) were praising God, which was a clear confirmation that God’s Spirit was in them.
One litmus test of our faith is whether or not we joyfully praise God, giving Him the glory and not ourselves.
The Jews who heard Peter’s story (those who were circumcised and firmly believed that uncircumcised people could not receive God’s grace) calmed down.
Even their stubborn hearts understood that God was doing something new.
They may have even felt their own hearts being changed.
They also praised God saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
This is why those who believe in the same God are a brother or sister in the faith and we have great joy.
In today’s passage, through breaking a law that was thought clear and obvious until that point, Peter was criticized.
Peter then calmly explained everything that God had done.
When problems happen among us, as people who believe in the same God and are united in the desire to give God glory, we should start by calmly and prayerfully looking for God’s heart in the situation.
When we face each other while looking to God and giving Him glory, our desire to prove ourselves right or assert ourselves will disappear.
Then the Word of the Bible can become our foundation of knowing what God’s desire is. I hope we can live constantly within the Word of God seeking His heart.
When we look to God together and are united in a desire to glorify Him, then we will surely be shown His heart.
As fellow believers in faith at this church, let us search out God’s heart and obey it together.
Prelude
Call to Worship Genesis ２：７Joel 2:13 b,c
Hymn JBC # 4 Come, Christians, join to sing
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #514 I need Thee ev’ry hour
The Lord’s Supper
Offering
Scripture Acts 11:1~18
Prayer
Sermon “Repentance that leads to life”
Prayer
Hymn JBC# 455 Jesus is tenderly calling thee home
Doxology JBC # 672
Benediction
Today’s passage starts by saying, “The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.”
This means that people other than the Jews, people who were foreigners to the Jews, the Gentiles, were told about the true God through Jesus Christ and accepted His word.
Before today’s passage, Christ’s disciple Peter met a Gentile named Cornelius, told him about Jesus Christ, and Cornelius believed and was baptized.
Peter met Cornelius and told him about what Jesus Christ had done on Earth and how Christ resurrected after three days.
He (Peter) also spoke about how the resurrected Christ had appeared before him and the other disciples and commanded them to evangelize.
With this, God’s Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius, his family, and his friends (Acts 10:44-45). Not just Cornelius, but the Holy Spirit came to his family and friends as well.
There Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” (Acts 10:47)
And in 10:48, Peter ordered the baptism of Cornelius and the others.
As I said in last week’s message, baptism is a declaration of faith from a new believer to the church family so they can be welcomed into the flock.
That Peter commanded Cornelius and his household to be baptized also signifies that Peter himself had been given the heart to welcome Cornelius and his household, Gentiles as they were, as fellow believers from that point forward.
Until this point, Peter believed that the Gentiles were unclean and that it was improper to fraternize with them. This was a major change.
When one person has conviction of faith and receives baptism, sometimes the end receiving that person (the church) also undergoes a large change and is given new conviction.
In other words, when one person receives baptism in faith, it may become an opportunity for both parties (both the person being baptized and the church) to learn to welcome and accept each other.
Cornelius lived in place called Caesarea. Today’s passage takes place in Judea, which is thought to be Jerusalem.
If you check a map, there is about 120 kilometers between Caesarea and Jerusalem.
2000 years ago when they did not have our modern communication methods, I wonder how long it would take to send news to someone over that distance?
At the very least it would take a few days for someone to carry the news by carrying a letter or by word of mouth.
The news that reached the disciples in Jerusalem was that a Gentile had accepted the word of God and they also came to believe in God.
We would imagine it must have been joyous news to hear that people who had never believed in God finally found faith in the true God.
However, today’s passage points to a different reaction that people had to Gentiles accepting God’s word and being baptized. They brought up another problem and criticisms.
Their complaint was that Peter went to Gentiles (uncircumcised people) of his own will and ate with them.
More than Gentiles accepting God’s word, the Jewish disciples took issue with Peter breaking the Law.
They criticized Peter for eating with the uncircumcised Gentiles.
Jewish men were circumcised when they were 8 days old to show that they were descendants of their father in the faith, Abraham, and part of God’s specially chosen covenant people, Israel.
They also strictly observed Old Testament food laws about what was clean or unclean to eat.
For those who firmly believed that uncircumcised Gentiles—those different from themselves, incompatible with Israelites, and unclean before God—must never be associated with, what Peter did was utterly unacceptable.
To us now it may be confusing as to why circumcision was so important or why different nations or peoples were so important.
However, even now it is difficult for us to understand and accept people who have different ways of thinking or different beliefs from ourselves.
I think our thoughts often begin from ourselves, believing that others should be more like us in a self-centered manner.
However, where is God’s heart in that?
“Even if they believe in the same God, the same Christ as me, in other matters others should follow my way. If not, then we cannot get along.” If we think like this, what would God have to say about that?
I think for our church now, this will be a large problem.
Peter was shown God’s heart through a vision. Also, through meeting Cornelius he was shown that God does not call any person unclean.
With regard to man’s salvation, God does not discriminate between Israelites and other people.
Certainly, God first revealed Himself through the people of Israel. However, Peter understood that God’s plan is for all people to receive the Holy Spirit, be baptized and receive salvation.
And through Peter this message was conveyed to the other Jews. Today’s passage shows Peter persuading other Jewish Christians.
In verse 4 it states, “Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story.”
When people criticized Peter, his first reaction was not to defend himself, but rather he calmly explained what happened from the beginning.
For us as well, it may help solve problems if, when problems occur, we can calmly reflect on what started the whole situation.
Peter told them (the Jewish believers) what had happened to him, and how God had said in the vision, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean,” and “Do not call any person impure or unclean.”
Peter calmly explained that the reason he went to the Gentiles was that God had sent him. As he explained, the people listening gradually began to understand.
As such, it was revealed to them that they were no longer to view Jews as clean and other people as unclean.
Let us read verse 18.
18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
Through Peter’s explanation, what God had done and God’s heart were made clear to the people listening.
You could also say that through Peter’s words, God worked in the hearts of those who listened.
Peter said, “Just as the Holy Spirit came upon us, so the Holy Spirit, God's gift, has come upon these Gentiles too.”
Acts 10:46-47 states that when the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles, they spoke in tongues (speaking a special language, which is called a gift from God).
Gentiles praised the true God. This was likely a surprising event to Peter as well. They (Gentiles) were praising God, which was a clear confirmation that God’s Spirit was in them.
One litmus test of our faith is whether or not we joyfully praise God, giving Him the glory and not ourselves.
The Jews who heard Peter’s story (those who were circumcised and firmly believed that uncircumcised people could not receive God’s grace) calmed down.
Even their stubborn hearts understood that God was doing something new.
They may have even felt their own hearts being changed.
They also praised God saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
This is why those who believe in the same God are a brother or sister in the faith and we have great joy.
In today’s passage, through breaking a law that was thought clear and obvious until that point, Peter was criticized.
Peter then calmly explained everything that God had done.
When problems happen among us, as people who believe in the same God and are united in the desire to give God glory, we should start by calmly and prayerfully looking for God’s heart in the situation.
When we face each other while looking to God and giving Him glory, our desire to prove ourselves right or assert ourselves will disappear.
Then the Word of the Bible can become our foundation of knowing what God’s desire is. I hope we can live constantly within the Word of God seeking His heart.
When we look to God together and are united in a desire to glorify Him, then we will surely be shown His heart.
As fellow believers in faith at this church, let us search out God’s heart and obey it together.
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Sunday Worship Service February 15, 2026
Prelude
Call to Worship Psalm 107:20
Hymn JBC#330 Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight
Hymn JBC #514 I need Thee ev’ry hour
Offering
Scripture Acts 10:34~48
Prayer
Sermon “The gift of the Holy Spirit is poured out”
Prayer
＊Hymn JBC # 81 God, our Father, we adore Thee!
Doxology JBC # 672
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements
“God...accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” At the beginning of today’s passage, Peter professes that he now realizes how true this is.
That is, that no matter who a person is, what country or region they are from, their ethnicity, or their position in life, they can be accepted by God.
For Peter who had firmly believed that only the Jews as God’s specially chosen people were given God’s grace, this was a major shift in thinking, and a surprising one.
God is not a God who looks on people with prejudice, as is recorded in many passages even in the Old Testament.
In Deuteronomy chapter 10 verses 17 to 18, it says:
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.
This says that the Lord God does not show partiality, and protects those whose position in society has become weak, such as the fatherless and widows (women whose husbands have died).
Even when King David who was king of Israel was first picked out by the prophet Samuel, God showed Samuel that He does not judge people based on their outward appearance, but sees into the hearts of man.
Since Saul, who was the first king of Israel, had strayed from God’s path, God removed him from the throne.
This shows us that that even if someone is chosen by God, if that person then strays from God’s path, God may take back the good things that He once gave them.
Rather, those who are chosen by God and are living under the grace of God and the good things He has given them, they are called to live in such a way as to be worthy of those blessings, not living a self-centered life, but living in obedience to God.
When Samuel, who was trying to find a new king to replace Saul, was invited to the home of David’s father Jesse, Samuel looked over the sons of Jesse.
Samuel first looked at David’s older brother Eliab who was the eldest (perhaps he had a pleasing appearance), and he thought “Surely he must be the one anointed by the Lord (the one chosen by the Lord God)”.
But God said to Samuel “Do not consider his height or his appearance, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outwards appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
No matter what we do, we can’t help but judge people based on what we see with our eyes and within the limits of our own understanding.
We need to accept that these are our own limitations, and also that it is a part of our sinful nature.
But since God knows all, and more than that, is the God who created us, God looks at all kinds of people in fairness and without prejudice.
That fact that such a God exists, and that this God is with us, this is a true blessing to us. Because there is a God who knows all, including what is in our hearts, we can be at peace.
As opposed to our biased, self-centered way of seeing things as humans, Let’s accept that there is a God who sees things differently to us, a God who sees things justly and fairly, who is righteousness itself.
Following on from Peter’s first words in today’s passage, that “God does not show favoritism”, there is a second part to this sentence. Although we just read this earlier, these words are incredibly important.
These words are in verse 35, and is the part that says “but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.”
It doesn’t matter what country a person is from, whether they are Jewish or not. This means that so long as a person “fears God and does what is right”, God accepts them.
Through his meeting with Cornelius, and by witnessing Cornelius with his own eyes as a living testimony of faith, Peter came to see this clearly.
For Peter, who had gone on believing that non-Jewish peoples were outside of God’s grace, that they were unclean and that it was wrong to associate with gentiles (foreigners) because of this, he came to understand that this was not the case.
Peter came to understand that what is important is not whether or not a person is a Jew, but whether or not a person hears the word of the Lord, obeys that words (those teachings), and lives rightly before God.
When we think about how this applies to Christians today, we can see that we cannot say that “If I believe in God once, get baptized and become a Christian, I’m already saved, I can rest assured”.
Being a Christian does not mean that you have secured a lifelong position of privilege.
Certainly, we have been given privilege in the form of the grace of Christ, but as the duty of those who have received that privilege, we are called to always live rightly as believers.
We must always examine ourselves closely to see whether or not we are fearing God and living rightly, whether or not we are living in obedience to Christ.
Are we truly turned towards God, not just in outward appearance, but within our hearts?
Are we living in obedience to the voice and will of God? This is something that we need to ask ourselves.
When we ask ourselves this, it may be that we realize that we are not living in obedience to Christ.
If this happens, does this mean that we should be filled with despair? Is there no other way for us than to fall deeper into our own sins?
Of course not. Rather, it is at these times when we despair in our faith and in our own sin that we can come back to the joy of knowing that Christ died on the cross for even someone like me”
Even when we believe in God, we are still sinners, and we still make mistakes, fail and commit sins.
But, if at these times we turn back to God with our whole heart (repent), God will surely never abandon us.
Let us acknowledge that without God’s grace, we cannot live righteously, or even live at all, and let us go on living holding close to God’s grace.
In today’s passage, what Peter and Cornelius share is the Word of God. The Word that they share is that Jesus Christ, the son of God, came to live on earth, and the miracles that He performed and His words during his time on earth.
And that is the good news that Christ took our sins upon himself and died on the cross, and rose again three days later.
Cornelius had already heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, and seemed to know it to some extent (verse 37). And, he was someone who had already become a believer in the God of Israel.
Through the words he heard through Peter in today’s passage, Cornelius once again heard the gospel of Christ, that Christ died (was killed) on the cross and rose again on the third day.
Then he also heard that if anyone believes in Christ, their sins will be forgiven in His name, and he grew deeper in his faith.
Even for us, as we worship together like this, and in our usual time studying the Bible together, we hear and share together time and time again that Christ died for us on the cross and rose again.
Each time we hear and share the events of the gospel, we receive that truth over again, and each time we receive the strength to keep living in God’s word. It is truly nourishment for the soul.
Won’t we rejoice that we are always given God’s grace and strength, the strength to live, through the Word?
The passage says that while Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit came upon those who were gathered there hearing the Word (Cornelius’s family and friends).
For the people who were with Peter (the other Jews), they were shocked to see the Holy Spirit, the spirit of God, come upon people who they viewed gentiles (foreigners), to see these people be led by the Holy Spirit to praise God.
Then Peter said “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have”, and Peter baptized them (he so ordered)
Being baptized with water means becoming a fellow believer. The person who carries out the baptism welcomes the person being baptized into fellowship of believers sharing the same faith, and into God’s family.
When Peter saw the Holy Spirit being poured out also on the gentiles, he said “Since the same Holy Spirit comes upon them, how can we not welcome them into the family of our faith?”
When our church holds a baptism based on God’s commission, it holds the great significance of accepting that the new believer shares in our faith, of welcoming them as a member of our church as a member of God’s family.
Peter and Cornelius were both led by God to meet, both listened to each other’s hearts, and through sharing their understanding of God’s grace, truly spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and the grace of God beyond the bounds of the Jewish people and out to the gentiles (foreigners).
And so, let us also value listening to one another’s hearts, and not just keep God’s grace to ourselves, but cherish sharing it with others.
Also, let us pray that new believers may also be raised up in our church too.
And for us who have received God’s grace and have been permitted to walk in the grace of Christ, let us live the life of faith, admonishing (warning and reprimanding) ourselves so that we can listen to and obey God’s word each day, walking in righteousness before God.
Prelude
Call to Worship Psalm 107:20
Hymn JBC#330 Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight
Hymn JBC #514 I need Thee ev’ry hour
Offering
Scripture Acts 10:34~48
Prayer
Sermon “The gift of the Holy Spirit is poured out”
Prayer
＊Hymn JBC # 81 God, our Father, we adore Thee!
Doxology JBC # 672
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements
“God...accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” At the beginning of today’s passage, Peter professes that he now realizes how true this is.
That is, that no matter who a person is, what country or region they are from, their ethnicity, or their position in life, they can be accepted by God.
For Peter who had firmly believed that only the Jews as God’s specially chosen people were given God’s grace, this was a major shift in thinking, and a surprising one.
God is not a God who looks on people with prejudice, as is recorded in many passages even in the Old Testament.
In Deuteronomy chapter 10 verses 17 to 18, it says:
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.
This says that the Lord God does not show partiality, and protects those whose position in society has become weak, such as the fatherless and widows (women whose husbands have died).
Even when King David who was king of Israel was first picked out by the prophet Samuel, God showed Samuel that He does not judge people based on their outward appearance, but sees into the hearts of man.
Since Saul, who was the first king of Israel, had strayed from God’s path, God removed him from the throne.
This shows us that that even if someone is chosen by God, if that person then strays from God’s path, God may take back the good things that He once gave them.
Rather, those who are chosen by God and are living under the grace of God and the good things He has given them, they are called to live in such a way as to be worthy of those blessings, not living a self-centered life, but living in obedience to God.
When Samuel, who was trying to find a new king to replace Saul, was invited to the home of David’s father Jesse, Samuel looked over the sons of Jesse.
Samuel first looked at David’s older brother Eliab who was the eldest (perhaps he had a pleasing appearance), and he thought “Surely he must be the one anointed by the Lord (the one chosen by the Lord God)”.
But God said to Samuel “Do not consider his height or his appearance, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outwards appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
No matter what we do, we can’t help but judge people based on what we see with our eyes and within the limits of our own understanding.
We need to accept that these are our own limitations, and also that it is a part of our sinful nature.
But since God knows all, and more than that, is the God who created us, God looks at all kinds of people in fairness and without prejudice.
That fact that such a God exists, and that this God is with us, this is a true blessing to us. Because there is a God who knows all, including what is in our hearts, we can be at peace.
As opposed to our biased, self-centered way of seeing things as humans, Let’s accept that there is a God who sees things differently to us, a God who sees things justly and fairly, who is righteousness itself.
Following on from Peter’s first words in today’s passage, that “God does not show favoritism”, there is a second part to this sentence. Although we just read this earlier, these words are incredibly important.
These words are in verse 35, and is the part that says “but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.”
It doesn’t matter what country a person is from, whether they are Jewish or not. This means that so long as a person “fears God and does what is right”, God accepts them.
Through his meeting with Cornelius, and by witnessing Cornelius with his own eyes as a living testimony of faith, Peter came to see this clearly.
For Peter, who had gone on believing that non-Jewish peoples were outside of God’s grace, that they were unclean and that it was wrong to associate with gentiles (foreigners) because of this, he came to understand that this was not the case.
Peter came to understand that what is important is not whether or not a person is a Jew, but whether or not a person hears the word of the Lord, obeys that words (those teachings), and lives rightly before God.
When we think about how this applies to Christians today, we can see that we cannot say that “If I believe in God once, get baptized and become a Christian, I’m already saved, I can rest assured”.
Being a Christian does not mean that you have secured a lifelong position of privilege.
Certainly, we have been given privilege in the form of the grace of Christ, but as the duty of those who have received that privilege, we are called to always live rightly as believers.
We must always examine ourselves closely to see whether or not we are fearing God and living rightly, whether or not we are living in obedience to Christ.
Are we truly turned towards God, not just in outward appearance, but within our hearts?
Are we living in obedience to the voice and will of God? This is something that we need to ask ourselves.
When we ask ourselves this, it may be that we realize that we are not living in obedience to Christ.
If this happens, does this mean that we should be filled with despair? Is there no other way for us than to fall deeper into our own sins?
Of course not. Rather, it is at these times when we despair in our faith and in our own sin that we can come back to the joy of knowing that Christ died on the cross for even someone like me”
Even when we believe in God, we are still sinners, and we still make mistakes, fail and commit sins.
But, if at these times we turn back to God with our whole heart (repent), God will surely never abandon us.
Let us acknowledge that without God’s grace, we cannot live righteously, or even live at all, and let us go on living holding close to God’s grace.
In today’s passage, what Peter and Cornelius share is the Word of God. The Word that they share is that Jesus Christ, the son of God, came to live on earth, and the miracles that He performed and His words during his time on earth.
And that is the good news that Christ took our sins upon himself and died on the cross, and rose again three days later.
Cornelius had already heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, and seemed to know it to some extent (verse 37). And, he was someone who had already become a believer in the God of Israel.
Through the words he heard through Peter in today’s passage, Cornelius once again heard the gospel of Christ, that Christ died (was killed) on the cross and rose again on the third day.
Then he also heard that if anyone believes in Christ, their sins will be forgiven in His name, and he grew deeper in his faith.
Even for us, as we worship together like this, and in our usual time studying the Bible together, we hear and share together time and time again that Christ died for us on the cross and rose again.
Each time we hear and share the events of the gospel, we receive that truth over again, and each time we receive the strength to keep living in God’s word. It is truly nourishment for the soul.
Won’t we rejoice that we are always given God’s grace and strength, the strength to live, through the Word?
The passage says that while Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit came upon those who were gathered there hearing the Word (Cornelius’s family and friends).
For the people who were with Peter (the other Jews), they were shocked to see the Holy Spirit, the spirit of God, come upon people who they viewed gentiles (foreigners), to see these people be led by the Holy Spirit to praise God.
Then Peter said “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have”, and Peter baptized them (he so ordered)
Being baptized with water means becoming a fellow believer. The person who carries out the baptism welcomes the person being baptized into fellowship of believers sharing the same faith, and into God’s family.
When Peter saw the Holy Spirit being poured out also on the gentiles, he said “Since the same Holy Spirit comes upon them, how can we not welcome them into the family of our faith?”
When our church holds a baptism based on God’s commission, it holds the great significance of accepting that the new believer shares in our faith, of welcoming them as a member of our church as a member of God’s family.
Peter and Cornelius were both led by God to meet, both listened to each other’s hearts, and through sharing their understanding of God’s grace, truly spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and the grace of God beyond the bounds of the Jewish people and out to the gentiles (foreigners).
And so, let us also value listening to one another’s hearts, and not just keep God’s grace to ourselves, but cherish sharing it with others.
Also, let us pray that new believers may also be raised up in our church too.
And for us who have received God’s grace and have been permitted to walk in the grace of Christ, let us live the life of faith, admonishing (warning and reprimanding) ourselves so that we can listen to and obey God’s word each day, walking in righteousness before God.
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Sunday Worship Service February 8, 2026
Prelude
Call to Worship Jeremiah 17:7
Hymn JBC#59 Great is Thy faithfulnessThe Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #514 I need Thee ev’ry hour
Offering
Scripture John 15:1~12
Prayer
Sermon “What is to remain connected to Jesus…”
Prayer
＊Hymn JBC # 507 He leadeth me! O blessed tho’t!
Prelude
Call to Worship Jeremiah 17:7
Hymn JBC#59 Great is Thy faithfulnessThe Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #514 I need Thee ev’ry hour
Offering
Scripture John 15:1~12
Prayer
Sermon “What is to remain connected to Jesus…”
Prayer
＊Hymn JBC # 507 He leadeth me! O blessed tho’t!
Doxology JBC # 672
Closing Prayer
*Sermon script is not provided today.
Closing Prayer
*Sermon script is not provided today.
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Sunday Worship Service February 1, 2026
Prelude
Call to Worship Genesis 2:7
Hymn JBC # 3 Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #514 I need Thee ev’ry hour
The Prayer Time
Offering
Scripture Acts 10:23b~33
Prayer
Sermon “I am only a man myself”
Prayer
Hymn JBC# 278 There’s within my heart a melody
Doxology JBC # 672
Benediction
In today’s scripture passage, it is written that Peter left the town of Joppa, where he had been staying, and headed for the town of Caesarea.
Both Joppa and Caesarea were towns located along Israel’s Mediterranean coast. From Joppa in the south to Caesarea in the north, the distance was approximately 60 kilometers.
It is written that Peter was not alone; some of his brothers went with him. These "brothers" do not refer to blood relatives but to brothers in faith who believe in the same Jesus Christ.
While staying in Joppa, Peter saw a vision while he prayed.
This is described in the section preceding today’s passage, which we studied during last week’s service.
Peter saw this vision while he was praying during the noon hour and feeling hungry.
In the vision, heaven opened and something like a large sheet descended to the earth. Inside the sheet were all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds of the air (v. 12).
Then Peter heard a voice. The voice said, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."
Although Peter was hungry at the time, what the voice said was shocking to him.
This was because those creatures were exactly what Jews were strictly forbidden to eat according to Biblical law. Peter had never eaten any of those animals before.
Therefore, Peter rejected what the voice said in the vision, replying, "These are unclean foods that I have never once eaten."
He may have felt that by eating them, he would lose something he had long cherished—perhaps his pride as a Jew, or his own sense of self-worth and confidence.
However, God told Peter that something new was about to happen. The voice said, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean" (v. 15).
This happened three times.
Prior to this event, Cornelius, a centurion in the Roman army stationed in Caesarea, had received a message from an angel of God.
Though Cornelius was a gentile (foreigner), not a Jew, he was a believer in the true God of Israel, lived a life of sincere faith, and gave generously to those in need. Furthermore, such his way of life influenced his family, and his entire household feared God.
The message to Cornelius was, "Send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Peter."
Being a man of faith, Cornelius believed the word of God (delivered by the angel) and sent two of his trusted servants and one of his soldiers to Joppa, where Peter was.
What happened to both Cornelius and Peter was that God had arranged it so that they might meet.
God orchestrated an encounter between Cornelius and Peter by speaking to them through an angel and a vision.
I believe that the encounters we experience are never accidental; God brings us together in various ways according to His plan.
God works and advances His plan by bringing us together and bringing us into fellowship.
God brings about these encounters in mysterious ways, but we can trust He has a plan and something to tell us through these encounters.
Cornelius had gathered his relatives and friends and was waiting for Peter.
The fact that Cornelius was not alone but gathered his relatives and friends to wait for Peter suggests he felt that what was about to happen was not something meant for him alone.
It is written that when Peter met Cornelius, Cornelius fell at Peter’s feet in reverence (v. 25).
For Cornelius, the man whom God had told him to summon had finally arrived.
To Cornelius, Peter must have looked like a messenger of God, or perhaps even like God Himself.
Then Peter made Cornelius get up and said to him:
"Stand up. I am only a man myself" (v. 26).
Peter’s own experience in the faith was a big reason he said this.
Why was Peter able to say these words?
It was because he had met Jesus Christ and had experienced being shown just how small, weak, and sinful he was in the presence of God’s greatness.
In Matthew 18, it is described how the disciples, while Jesus was living on earth with them, were arguing among themselves about "who is the greatest."
Peter was one of those disciples. Peter and the disciples were arguing, "Who is the greatest among us?" and "It must surely be me."
Peter once asked Jesus, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Peter must have had considerable confidence as a disciple in himself.
Peter likely held the confidence that, "I have left everything to follow the Lord. Someone like me must certainly be the greatest."
Before Jesus was arrested and crucified, He told His disciples, "You will all fall away because of me" (meaning they would falter and flee, abandoning Him).
At that time, Peter said to Jesus, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."
When Jesus further told Peter, "This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times," Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you."
However, Peter (and all the other disciples), who had spoken so boldly, fled just as Jesus had said when He was arrested.
And when others accused him, saying "You also were with that man Jesus," Peter vehemently denied knowing Jesus three times, saying, "I don't know the man." It was exactly as Jesus had foretold.
All of this must have left a painful mark on Peter’s heart for a long time after that.
Through these events, Peter must have been made painfully aware of his own weakness and sinfulness.
Yet, the resurrected Jesus appeared to such a man as Peter, encouraged him and the other disciples, and told them that God remembered them and that their sins were forgiven.
Peter, who had been shown his own weakness and ugliness to the point of disgust, received a great, immense hope from Jesus: "The Lord has forgiven someone like me. By His mercy, He has given me life again and now lets me live anew as one who shares the Gospel."
That is why, looking at Cornelius kneeling before him, Peter was able to say, "Stand up; I am only a (weak, sinful) man myself." He had no choice but to say so from his heart.
This is because, through Jesus, Peter had been shown the truth that he was truly a weak and sinful person, and the truth that we all humans are the same.
"Man is man, and God is God." This is a vital message that runs throughout the Bible.
However, we commit the sin of making things that are not God into God. Treating what is not God as God is called idolatry.
We also create hierarchies and artificial differences between people, acting as if there is a difference even in our inherent value as human beings.
However, God told Peter through the vision, "Do not call anyone impure or unclean." It means that all people are precious.
Humans have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Yet, God has redeemed and forgiven us through the death of Jesus on the cross.
Our sins are forgiven through the precious sacrifice of Jesus. God has forgiven us to be born again and God made us clean through Jesus.
Through Jesus, we have been given the blessing of being considered precious in the sight of God.
Is that not a truly great and amazing blessing and grace? In the face of God's grace, we can do nothing but feel gratitude and humility.
Let’s read what Cornelius said in today’s passage in the last verse (33).
"It was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."
The fact that we are here together in the church means that we are in the presence of God.
And that means we have been permitted to be in God's presence and permitted to hear His Word.
The opportunity to hear the Word of God has been given to us. So, let us not miss this opportunity, but rather let us hear everything that God is trying to tell us now without exception and with great expectation.
God speaks to us in various ways. He speaks to us especially through the words of the Bible, and through this worship service where the words of the Bible are spoken aloud and explained.
The Word of God spoken and shared through worship never stops giving us new strength and sustenance in our lives.
God grants us wonderful grace—beyond what we ask or expect—especially through His Word, right here in this place of worship.
Therefore, let us gather for worship with great gratitude and expectation. And let us together receive the blessing of hearing and sharing the Word through worship with heartfelt thanks.
Prelude
Call to Worship Genesis 2:7
Hymn JBC # 3 Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #514 I need Thee ev’ry hour
The Prayer Time
Offering
Scripture Acts 10:23b~33
Prayer
Sermon “I am only a man myself”
Prayer
Hymn JBC# 278 There’s within my heart a melody
Doxology JBC # 672
Benediction
In today’s scripture passage, it is written that Peter left the town of Joppa, where he had been staying, and headed for the town of Caesarea.
Both Joppa and Caesarea were towns located along Israel’s Mediterranean coast. From Joppa in the south to Caesarea in the north, the distance was approximately 60 kilometers.
It is written that Peter was not alone; some of his brothers went with him. These "brothers" do not refer to blood relatives but to brothers in faith who believe in the same Jesus Christ.
While staying in Joppa, Peter saw a vision while he prayed.
This is described in the section preceding today’s passage, which we studied during last week’s service.
Peter saw this vision while he was praying during the noon hour and feeling hungry.
In the vision, heaven opened and something like a large sheet descended to the earth. Inside the sheet were all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds of the air (v. 12).
Then Peter heard a voice. The voice said, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."
Although Peter was hungry at the time, what the voice said was shocking to him.
This was because those creatures were exactly what Jews were strictly forbidden to eat according to Biblical law. Peter had never eaten any of those animals before.
Therefore, Peter rejected what the voice said in the vision, replying, "These are unclean foods that I have never once eaten."
He may have felt that by eating them, he would lose something he had long cherished—perhaps his pride as a Jew, or his own sense of self-worth and confidence.
However, God told Peter that something new was about to happen. The voice said, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean" (v. 15).
This happened three times.
Prior to this event, Cornelius, a centurion in the Roman army stationed in Caesarea, had received a message from an angel of God.
Though Cornelius was a gentile (foreigner), not a Jew, he was a believer in the true God of Israel, lived a life of sincere faith, and gave generously to those in need. Furthermore, such his way of life influenced his family, and his entire household feared God.
The message to Cornelius was, "Send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Peter."
Being a man of faith, Cornelius believed the word of God (delivered by the angel) and sent two of his trusted servants and one of his soldiers to Joppa, where Peter was.
What happened to both Cornelius and Peter was that God had arranged it so that they might meet.
God orchestrated an encounter between Cornelius and Peter by speaking to them through an angel and a vision.
I believe that the encounters we experience are never accidental; God brings us together in various ways according to His plan.
God works and advances His plan by bringing us together and bringing us into fellowship.
God brings about these encounters in mysterious ways, but we can trust He has a plan and something to tell us through these encounters.
Cornelius had gathered his relatives and friends and was waiting for Peter.
The fact that Cornelius was not alone but gathered his relatives and friends to wait for Peter suggests he felt that what was about to happen was not something meant for him alone.
It is written that when Peter met Cornelius, Cornelius fell at Peter’s feet in reverence (v. 25).
For Cornelius, the man whom God had told him to summon had finally arrived.
To Cornelius, Peter must have looked like a messenger of God, or perhaps even like God Himself.
Then Peter made Cornelius get up and said to him:
"Stand up. I am only a man myself" (v. 26).
Peter’s own experience in the faith was a big reason he said this.
Why was Peter able to say these words?
It was because he had met Jesus Christ and had experienced being shown just how small, weak, and sinful he was in the presence of God’s greatness.
In Matthew 18, it is described how the disciples, while Jesus was living on earth with them, were arguing among themselves about "who is the greatest."
Peter was one of those disciples. Peter and the disciples were arguing, "Who is the greatest among us?" and "It must surely be me."
Peter once asked Jesus, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Peter must have had considerable confidence as a disciple in himself.
Peter likely held the confidence that, "I have left everything to follow the Lord. Someone like me must certainly be the greatest."
Before Jesus was arrested and crucified, He told His disciples, "You will all fall away because of me" (meaning they would falter and flee, abandoning Him).
At that time, Peter said to Jesus, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."
When Jesus further told Peter, "This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times," Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you."
However, Peter (and all the other disciples), who had spoken so boldly, fled just as Jesus had said when He was arrested.
And when others accused him, saying "You also were with that man Jesus," Peter vehemently denied knowing Jesus three times, saying, "I don't know the man." It was exactly as Jesus had foretold.
All of this must have left a painful mark on Peter’s heart for a long time after that.
Through these events, Peter must have been made painfully aware of his own weakness and sinfulness.
Yet, the resurrected Jesus appeared to such a man as Peter, encouraged him and the other disciples, and told them that God remembered them and that their sins were forgiven.
Peter, who had been shown his own weakness and ugliness to the point of disgust, received a great, immense hope from Jesus: "The Lord has forgiven someone like me. By His mercy, He has given me life again and now lets me live anew as one who shares the Gospel."
That is why, looking at Cornelius kneeling before him, Peter was able to say, "Stand up; I am only a (weak, sinful) man myself." He had no choice but to say so from his heart.
This is because, through Jesus, Peter had been shown the truth that he was truly a weak and sinful person, and the truth that we all humans are the same.
"Man is man, and God is God." This is a vital message that runs throughout the Bible.
However, we commit the sin of making things that are not God into God. Treating what is not God as God is called idolatry.
We also create hierarchies and artificial differences between people, acting as if there is a difference even in our inherent value as human beings.
However, God told Peter through the vision, "Do not call anyone impure or unclean." It means that all people are precious.
Humans have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Yet, God has redeemed and forgiven us through the death of Jesus on the cross.
Our sins are forgiven through the precious sacrifice of Jesus. God has forgiven us to be born again and God made us clean through Jesus.
Through Jesus, we have been given the blessing of being considered precious in the sight of God.
Is that not a truly great and amazing blessing and grace? In the face of God's grace, we can do nothing but feel gratitude and humility.
Let’s read what Cornelius said in today’s passage in the last verse (33).
"It was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."
The fact that we are here together in the church means that we are in the presence of God.
And that means we have been permitted to be in God's presence and permitted to hear His Word.
The opportunity to hear the Word of God has been given to us. So, let us not miss this opportunity, but rather let us hear everything that God is trying to tell us now without exception and with great expectation.
God speaks to us in various ways. He speaks to us especially through the words of the Bible, and through this worship service where the words of the Bible are spoken aloud and explained.
The Word of God spoken and shared through worship never stops giving us new strength and sustenance in our lives.
God grants us wonderful grace—beyond what we ask or expect—especially through His Word, right here in this place of worship.
Therefore, let us gather for worship with great gratitude and expectation. And let us together receive the blessing of hearing and sharing the Word through worship with heartfelt thanks.
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Sunday Worship Service January 25, 2026
Prelude
Call to Worship Jeremiah 33:3
Hymn JBC # 320 Shine and Live
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #493 God sent His Son
The Lord’s Supper
Offering
Scripture Acts 10:9~23a
Prayer
Sermon “Peter’s Vision”
Prayer
Hymn JBC# 544 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Doxology JBC # 671
Benediction
At the beginning of today’s bible passage is written that three men were travelling on their journey.
These three men were sent by a man named Cornelius who was a centurion captain of the Roman army, two were his servants and one who was his immediate aide attendant and a devout soldier.
Cornelius, while praying received what was spoken by the angel of God, is written in the earlier passage of today (passage of last week’s message)
The angel appeared to Cornelius who was praying and said [Send men to Joppa and bring to your place Simon called Peter]
Cornelius was not a Jew, but a Gentile (foreigner) from the Jews' perspective. And he was a centurion commander who was stationed in the town of Caesarea.
Even though he was a gentile, Cornelius believed the God of Israel, did many charities to people, etc., and even in that way of life he was a man who practiced faith to the Lord God.
Cornelius obeyed what the angel had commanded him. In obedience to God’s message that was given to him through prayer, he sent the three, his two servants and an attendant soldier to Joppa (to the house where Peter was).
The encounter of Cornelius and Peter was one of the most significant events in the process where the gospel of God spreads out surpassing the Jews.
At that time, even the three attendants that were used by Cornelius carried out a very important role in realizing that precious encounter of Cornelius and Peter.
We can say that the Lord did not let Cornelius and Peter meet directly from the beginning but has made the three as the so called “mediator” between them for them to meet.
Even when we meet new people, I believe that there are many instances where one introduces that person or someone carries out as the intermediary between our encounters.
As such, God gives us new encounters among each other through various people.
I believe that God desires that His gospel spreads out through such an encounter.
To my idea, even the first time we come to church, often we are led through connection with people like being invited by someone, having an acquaintance or because we have a friend at church, etc.
In that way, let us cherish and be grateful for the blessing of opportunity of new encounter that is given us and the gospel to spread out through such an encounter.
It is written that when the three men were on their journey, Peter who was in the town called Joppa went up the roof to pray. It was 12:00 in the daytime (noon). That period was one of the prayer times that was made 3 times a day.
Praying on the roof top is to pray in a place where one could be alone as possible. By being alone in a place and praying at a definite time, we can meditate on our prayer to God.
For a prayer to be fruitful (intimate time with God), praying at a definite time and in a place where we could be alone as possible is effective.
By deciding our prayer time in a place where we can meditate alone even for a short period, by spending even a short moment of prayer through God’s word of the bible, we can set prayer in the center of our living.
Moreover, even the worship service where we gather every Sunday as this, we come together at a definite time.
By setting the time and gathering at the same place, also even abiding by the pre-determined program, we become aware and prepare beforehand if we set worship service the center of our life of faith.
And because there is determined time and place, we meet up with each other this way and can personally worship together.
Let us cherish gathering regularly to worship God and praying together even from now on.
At that moment, Peter felt hungry. It is written, [then Peter fell into a trance and saw a vision]
Let me read verses 11～12.
11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.
Then a voice told him [Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.]
That was astonishing to Peter. It’s because the living things that were in the sheet were those kinds that should never be eaten by the Jews as taught according to the laws of the Bible up to that point.
In chapter 11 of [the book of Leviticus] of the Old Testament is written rules concerning various living things that were specified as clean and good to eat, and as unclean things that must not eat.
Even at present, there are also those who strictly practice Judaism who keep that rule.
The living things that Peter saw in his vision were all those that were taught [must not eat] until then.
Therefore, Peter said [Surely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.]
That Peter’s remark [I have never eaten anything impure or unclean] seems to have the feeling of being proud himself.
It’s a self-awareness of [I have firmly upheld what I should observe]
In my opinion, at that time Peter must have sensed within him the thought, I adhere properly by my own will and strength God’s ordained decree.
However, the Law given from God is primarily to protect and guide man. It’s a grace given to us freely to make man come closer to God.
The Law is not given to take pride in oneself by adhering to it.
God always try to shatter such feelings of ours, the pride in us.
To us, the important thing is not to take pride in our self by depending on our own strength but plainly receive with gratefulness God’s grace that is given us and depend on that blessing.
Our true encounter with God changes our way of life from the thought of taking pride in our self, trying to depend on our own, to the way of life to live depending on God, plainly believing His grace and strength.
The living things that Peter saw in the sheet were certainly those that were ordained “must not eat” from God until then.
However, at that time God was intending to do a new thing.
When Jesus Christ was on earth with His disciples, Jesus said as follows.
[Anything that goes into your mouth goes into your stomach and then on out of your body. But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these are the things that make you ritually unclean.] (Matthew 15:17-18)
those words of Jesus, God had already mentioned “what truly makes a person unclean?”, it’s the evil thoughts that come out from man’s evil heart.
At that time, God had planned to do a new great occurrence. Therefore, God told Peter.
Verse 15 “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
It is written in today’s passage that that happened three times. We can see how firm his belief until then on the matter [Absolutely, you must not eat these things.]
And we are taught of God’s grace in how patiently and repeatedly (even three times) He spoke to Peter to change such thoughts.
Peter was lost in thoughts by himself about what that vision could mean. Then the people who were sent from Cornelius arrived at Peter’s place.
The “Spirit” told Peter.
“three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” (vs. 19-20)
“Do not hesitate to go with them”. Having received encouragement of the Spirit (God’s Spirit), it is written [Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.]
Peter invited those people and made them his guests into his house. In here, Peter had already made a great step.
It is clearly written in the later passage that back then, as prohibited in the law, the Jews never associated with foreigners, even visiting them.
However, God intended to demonstrate His new plan to Peter through vision and the guidance of the Spirit. God tried to make Peter take step to a new way by the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.
The food rule until then is abolished, the event in which the grace of the true God is proclaimed to all people surpassing the Jews, people all over the world believe the true God is about to happen right now.
What could be a new transition the Lord prepares for us, for our church presently? God’s plan, the Lord’s will is truly unfathomable, it’s vast and far surpassing our imagination.
We can believe that the Lord has a wonderful plan that is more than what we envision and hope even for our church.
Let us together listen to and receive the Lord’s revelation giving importance to prayer, God’s word of the Bible and the worship service where we gather.
And should it be necessary, if God’s Spirit leads us in such way, let us not fear even the things about us (ourselves) that can be changed until then.
It is my desire that we face new encounters, various events, new challenges, not fearing even changes in ourselves from now on, being obedient to the Lord’s will that is revealed to us.
Prelude
Call to Worship Jeremiah 33:3
Hymn JBC # 320 Shine and Live
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #493 God sent His Son
The Lord’s Supper
Offering
Scripture Acts 10:9~23a
Prayer
Sermon “Peter’s Vision”
Prayer
Hymn JBC# 544 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Doxology JBC # 671
Benediction
At the beginning of today’s bible passage is written that three men were travelling on their journey.
These three men were sent by a man named Cornelius who was a centurion captain of the Roman army, two were his servants and one who was his immediate aide attendant and a devout soldier.
Cornelius, while praying received what was spoken by the angel of God, is written in the earlier passage of today (passage of last week’s message)
The angel appeared to Cornelius who was praying and said [Send men to Joppa and bring to your place Simon called Peter]
Cornelius was not a Jew, but a Gentile (foreigner) from the Jews' perspective. And he was a centurion commander who was stationed in the town of Caesarea.
Even though he was a gentile, Cornelius believed the God of Israel, did many charities to people, etc., and even in that way of life he was a man who practiced faith to the Lord God.
Cornelius obeyed what the angel had commanded him. In obedience to God’s message that was given to him through prayer, he sent the three, his two servants and an attendant soldier to Joppa (to the house where Peter was).
The encounter of Cornelius and Peter was one of the most significant events in the process where the gospel of God spreads out surpassing the Jews.
At that time, even the three attendants that were used by Cornelius carried out a very important role in realizing that precious encounter of Cornelius and Peter.
We can say that the Lord did not let Cornelius and Peter meet directly from the beginning but has made the three as the so called “mediator” between them for them to meet.
Even when we meet new people, I believe that there are many instances where one introduces that person or someone carries out as the intermediary between our encounters.
As such, God gives us new encounters among each other through various people.
I believe that God desires that His gospel spreads out through such an encounter.
To my idea, even the first time we come to church, often we are led through connection with people like being invited by someone, having an acquaintance or because we have a friend at church, etc.
In that way, let us cherish and be grateful for the blessing of opportunity of new encounter that is given us and the gospel to spread out through such an encounter.
It is written that when the three men were on their journey, Peter who was in the town called Joppa went up the roof to pray. It was 12:00 in the daytime (noon). That period was one of the prayer times that was made 3 times a day.
Praying on the roof top is to pray in a place where one could be alone as possible. By being alone in a place and praying at a definite time, we can meditate on our prayer to God.
For a prayer to be fruitful (intimate time with God), praying at a definite time and in a place where we could be alone as possible is effective.
By deciding our prayer time in a place where we can meditate alone even for a short period, by spending even a short moment of prayer through God’s word of the bible, we can set prayer in the center of our living.
Moreover, even the worship service where we gather every Sunday as this, we come together at a definite time.
By setting the time and gathering at the same place, also even abiding by the pre-determined program, we become aware and prepare beforehand if we set worship service the center of our life of faith.
And because there is determined time and place, we meet up with each other this way and can personally worship together.
Let us cherish gathering regularly to worship God and praying together even from now on.
At that moment, Peter felt hungry. It is written, [then Peter fell into a trance and saw a vision]
Let me read verses 11～12.
11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.
Then a voice told him [Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.]
That was astonishing to Peter. It’s because the living things that were in the sheet were those kinds that should never be eaten by the Jews as taught according to the laws of the Bible up to that point.
In chapter 11 of [the book of Leviticus] of the Old Testament is written rules concerning various living things that were specified as clean and good to eat, and as unclean things that must not eat.
Even at present, there are also those who strictly practice Judaism who keep that rule.
The living things that Peter saw in his vision were all those that were taught [must not eat] until then.
Therefore, Peter said [Surely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.]
That Peter’s remark [I have never eaten anything impure or unclean] seems to have the feeling of being proud himself.
It’s a self-awareness of [I have firmly upheld what I should observe]
In my opinion, at that time Peter must have sensed within him the thought, I adhere properly by my own will and strength God’s ordained decree.
However, the Law given from God is primarily to protect and guide man. It’s a grace given to us freely to make man come closer to God.
The Law is not given to take pride in oneself by adhering to it.
God always try to shatter such feelings of ours, the pride in us.
To us, the important thing is not to take pride in our self by depending on our own strength but plainly receive with gratefulness God’s grace that is given us and depend on that blessing.
Our true encounter with God changes our way of life from the thought of taking pride in our self, trying to depend on our own, to the way of life to live depending on God, plainly believing His grace and strength.
The living things that Peter saw in the sheet were certainly those that were ordained “must not eat” from God until then.
However, at that time God was intending to do a new thing.
When Jesus Christ was on earth with His disciples, Jesus said as follows.
[Anything that goes into your mouth goes into your stomach and then on out of your body. But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these are the things that make you ritually unclean.] (Matthew 15:17-18)
those words of Jesus, God had already mentioned “what truly makes a person unclean?”, it’s the evil thoughts that come out from man’s evil heart.
At that time, God had planned to do a new great occurrence. Therefore, God told Peter.
Verse 15 “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
It is written in today’s passage that that happened three times. We can see how firm his belief until then on the matter [Absolutely, you must not eat these things.]
And we are taught of God’s grace in how patiently and repeatedly (even three times) He spoke to Peter to change such thoughts.
Peter was lost in thoughts by himself about what that vision could mean. Then the people who were sent from Cornelius arrived at Peter’s place.
The “Spirit” told Peter.
“three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” (vs. 19-20)
“Do not hesitate to go with them”. Having received encouragement of the Spirit (God’s Spirit), it is written [Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.]
Peter invited those people and made them his guests into his house. In here, Peter had already made a great step.
It is clearly written in the later passage that back then, as prohibited in the law, the Jews never associated with foreigners, even visiting them.
However, God intended to demonstrate His new plan to Peter through vision and the guidance of the Spirit. God tried to make Peter take step to a new way by the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.
The food rule until then is abolished, the event in which the grace of the true God is proclaimed to all people surpassing the Jews, people all over the world believe the true God is about to happen right now.
What could be a new transition the Lord prepares for us, for our church presently? God’s plan, the Lord’s will is truly unfathomable, it’s vast and far surpassing our imagination.
We can believe that the Lord has a wonderful plan that is more than what we envision and hope even for our church.
Let us together listen to and receive the Lord’s revelation giving importance to prayer, God’s word of the Bible and the worship service where we gather.
And should it be necessary, if God’s Spirit leads us in such way, let us not fear even the things about us (ourselves) that can be changed until then.
It is my desire that we face new encounters, various events, new challenges, not fearing even changes in ourselves from now on, being obedient to the Lord’s will that is revealed to us.
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Sunday Worship Service January 18, 2026
Prelude
Call to Worship Deuteronomy 31:6
Hymn JBC # 120 Praise to the Lord, Almighty
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #493 God sent His Son
Offering
Scripture Acts 10:1~8
Prayer
Sermon “Praying to God regularly”
Prayer
Hymn JBC# 510 When we walk with the Lord
Doxology JBC # 671
Benediction
Today's Bible passage takes place in a city called Caesarea. Caesarea was a city located on the Mediterranean coast in the northwestern part of Israel.
At that time (about 2,000 years ago), Caesarea served as one of the bases for the Roman Empire's rule over Judea.
Caesarea was a port city that flourished under King Herod the Great of Judea. The name “Caesarea” literally means “Caesar's City.”
It was named after the Roman Emperor Caesar. It was also King Herod the Great who developed Caesarea and named the city “Caesarea” in honor of the Roman Emperor.
Herod the Great had been appointed King of Judea by the Roman Empire. For Herod, backing from the Roman Empire was indispensable for maintaining his position and power as king.
That he named this prosperous port city after the emperor and undertook various improvements to the city was likely because he wished to curry favor with the Roman emperor as much as possible, hoping to make his position as King of Judea secure and strong.
King Herod, upon hearing from the wise men who came from the east to Jerusalem that “a king of the Jews has been born,” became greatly troubled (Matthew 2).
Anyone would feel uneasy like Herod if their secure position or status were threatened.
Not knowing who this new king was, Herod ordered the killing of all the newborn boys at that time.
We Christians today know that the newly born King of the Jews at that time was the true King and Savior, Jesus Christ, who came to save the people of the world from sin.
However, I believe we cannot simply condemn King Herod as foolish.
For we must constantly examine whether we truly welcome Jesus Christ as the true King into the center of our lives.
Unlike Herod the Great, who committed the cruel act of killing all newborn male infants because he could not precisely identify the one who would replace him as king, we do not do such things.
But what if we claim to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, yet fail to truly welcome Him into our hearts and live in obedience to Him?
If so, I am compelled to think we are no different from King Herod in that we are rejecting the true King.
The weakness Herod displayed—naming his city after the emperor of the empire, currying favor with that human emperor, and relying on the backing of a human ruler to protect himself—is a weakness we also carry within us.
We desire to reaffirm once more that the only One whose name should be revered and praised is the Lord God, Jesus Christ, and that the only true strength and support for us comes from God's power alone.
In today's passage, a man named Cornelius appears in Caesarea. He was a centurion in a Roman military unit known as the “Italian Regiment”
A centurion was the commander of a military unit consisting of several dozen to a hundred soldiers.
In fact, several men referred to as centurions appear in the Gospels, and they are portrayed as figures demonstrating significant faith.
In Matthew 27, when Jesus breathed His last on the cross, the centurion who witnessed this, along with others, declared, “Surely he was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).
I believe it is fair to say that upon seeing Jesus breathe His last on the cross, he made this confession of faith: “Surely he was the Son of God.”
At the beginning of Luke chapter 7, we see a centurion whose servant was gravely ill. He asked Jesus to come to him.
So the centurion sent word to Jesus, saying:
"Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof... Just say the word, ..." Thus, he demonstrated unwavering trust in God's word.
It was the non-Jews who displayed this astonishing faith, declaring, “If you only say the word, it will surely happen.”
According to the Jewish thinking of that time, non-Jews were Gentiles, and Gentiles were outside the scope of God's grace. Therefore, Jews were even considered forbidden to associate with Gentiles.
But God also chose the Gentiles, and had already given them the faith to recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Jesus Christ, God became man, Himself tore down the walls of division erected between people, between races, and between countries, and accomplished the work of establishing peace.
We desire to realize the peace established by Jesus among us who believe in Christ as Lord, so that the various differences between us do not lead to conflict or mutual exclusion.
What does today's passage say about this centurion?
As verse 2 states, it says of this centurion: “He was a devout man, revered by his whole household, a generous man who gave generously to the people, and prayed to God continually.”
Though he was a centurion in the Roman army, he recognized that the true General, the true King, was the Lord God.
It is astonishing that in Caesarea, a city named after the Roman emperor, a commander of the Roman army lived a life of genuine reverence for God, together with his entire household.
And most importantly, he “prayed regularly.”
I have made “Praying regularly (or constantly)” the title of today's message. What a blessed posture of faith it is to pray to God constantly, always. The ability to pray is one of the greatest blessings of our faith.
Through prayer, we can entrust ourselves to God, we are permitted to speak to Him, and through prayer, God speaks to us.
I believe Cornelius' prayer was that of believing in God and seeking to entrust himself to God. Moreover, to pray without ceasing is a way of life—persevering in prayer without giving up.
Within that centurion's prayers, I believe there were prayers that were heard (answered) and prayers that were not heard (unanswered).
Yet even so, I believe that continuing to pray without ceasing was the driving force of that centurion's life.
And because he continually believed in God and kept praying, his sincere faith even influenced his own family.
The many acts of charity Cornelius performed were likely also based on the grace and strength he received from God through his constant prayer.
Through such a life of prayer, he was given the faith that “what we should truly fear is not the human ruler, the Roman emperor, but the true God.”
We too desire to know that God alone is the One to be feared, to humble ourselves before Him, to lower ourselves, and to understand that man is not an object to be revered as God.
Around three o'clock one afternoon, an angel of God called out to Cornelius. Three o'clock in the afternoon was one of the times for Jewish prayer.
I believe we can understand that Cornelius consistently offered prayer as a regular, sincere practice of his faith.
The angel of God called out to him, “Cornelius.” It is written that he was terrified at that moment.
He was afraid because he was called directly by God (by the angel) through a voice. Yet Cornelius asked, “Lord, what is it?”
Faced with an event beyond ordinary experience and sensation, Cornelius, though afraid, sought God's will by asking, “Lord, what is it?”
We too desire to live a life where, in every circumstance, we say, “Lord, what is it?” always seeking the Lord's will and walking in obedience to it.
The angel of God told Cornelius, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. ”
Through his life of prayer, Cornelius had a rich relationship with God. By the grace he received from God, by the love he received from God, he was able to give generously to others.
Cornelius was able to give generously to others because he himself had received overflowing grace, love, and power from God. It was because Cornelius was conscious of God's grace, love, and power.
The source of our faith, the source of our practice of faith, is the grace, love, and power we receive from the Lord God. We desire to always keep the grace, love, and power we receive from God as the driving force of our faith.
God's angel told Cornelius, “Send men to Joppa now and bring back a man named Simon, who is called Peter.”
The meeting between Peter, a Jew and an apostle of Jesus Christ, and Cornelius, a Roman centurion, was unfolding at that time according to God's plan.
From today's passage onward, their encounter unfolds to reveal that God's salvation is open not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles, to all people.
We too are given encounters with various people. I believe we can trust that God guides these encounters between us within His great plan.
Moreover, when we consider that each encounter among us, each meeting brought about by God, forms part of His great plan, we feel profoundly encouraged.
We desire to cherish the encounters granted to us by God.
And through a life of prayer, we wish to live daily in obedience to His Word.
By continually praying and listening to God's word, we may receive new revelations and new encounters.
Let us walk forward, trusting in God, looking forward to the plans and guidance He has prepared for us.
Prelude
Call to Worship Deuteronomy 31:6
Hymn JBC # 120 Praise to the Lord, Almighty
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #493 God sent His Son
Offering
Scripture Acts 10:1~8
Prayer
Sermon “Praying to God regularly”
Prayer
Hymn JBC# 510 When we walk with the Lord
Doxology JBC # 671
Benediction
Today's Bible passage takes place in a city called Caesarea. Caesarea was a city located on the Mediterranean coast in the northwestern part of Israel.
At that time (about 2,000 years ago), Caesarea served as one of the bases for the Roman Empire's rule over Judea.
Caesarea was a port city that flourished under King Herod the Great of Judea. The name “Caesarea” literally means “Caesar's City.”
It was named after the Roman Emperor Caesar. It was also King Herod the Great who developed Caesarea and named the city “Caesarea” in honor of the Roman Emperor.
Herod the Great had been appointed King of Judea by the Roman Empire. For Herod, backing from the Roman Empire was indispensable for maintaining his position and power as king.
That he named this prosperous port city after the emperor and undertook various improvements to the city was likely because he wished to curry favor with the Roman emperor as much as possible, hoping to make his position as King of Judea secure and strong.
King Herod, upon hearing from the wise men who came from the east to Jerusalem that “a king of the Jews has been born,” became greatly troubled (Matthew 2).
Anyone would feel uneasy like Herod if their secure position or status were threatened.
Not knowing who this new king was, Herod ordered the killing of all the newborn boys at that time.
We Christians today know that the newly born King of the Jews at that time was the true King and Savior, Jesus Christ, who came to save the people of the world from sin.
However, I believe we cannot simply condemn King Herod as foolish.
For we must constantly examine whether we truly welcome Jesus Christ as the true King into the center of our lives.
Unlike Herod the Great, who committed the cruel act of killing all newborn male infants because he could not precisely identify the one who would replace him as king, we do not do such things.
But what if we claim to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, yet fail to truly welcome Him into our hearts and live in obedience to Him?
If so, I am compelled to think we are no different from King Herod in that we are rejecting the true King.
The weakness Herod displayed—naming his city after the emperor of the empire, currying favor with that human emperor, and relying on the backing of a human ruler to protect himself—is a weakness we also carry within us.
We desire to reaffirm once more that the only One whose name should be revered and praised is the Lord God, Jesus Christ, and that the only true strength and support for us comes from God's power alone.
In today's passage, a man named Cornelius appears in Caesarea. He was a centurion in a Roman military unit known as the “Italian Regiment”
A centurion was the commander of a military unit consisting of several dozen to a hundred soldiers.
In fact, several men referred to as centurions appear in the Gospels, and they are portrayed as figures demonstrating significant faith.
In Matthew 27, when Jesus breathed His last on the cross, the centurion who witnessed this, along with others, declared, “Surely he was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).
I believe it is fair to say that upon seeing Jesus breathe His last on the cross, he made this confession of faith: “Surely he was the Son of God.”
At the beginning of Luke chapter 7, we see a centurion whose servant was gravely ill. He asked Jesus to come to him.
So the centurion sent word to Jesus, saying:
"Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof... Just say the word, ..." Thus, he demonstrated unwavering trust in God's word.
It was the non-Jews who displayed this astonishing faith, declaring, “If you only say the word, it will surely happen.”
According to the Jewish thinking of that time, non-Jews were Gentiles, and Gentiles were outside the scope of God's grace. Therefore, Jews were even considered forbidden to associate with Gentiles.
But God also chose the Gentiles, and had already given them the faith to recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Jesus Christ, God became man, Himself tore down the walls of division erected between people, between races, and between countries, and accomplished the work of establishing peace.
We desire to realize the peace established by Jesus among us who believe in Christ as Lord, so that the various differences between us do not lead to conflict or mutual exclusion.
What does today's passage say about this centurion?
As verse 2 states, it says of this centurion: “He was a devout man, revered by his whole household, a generous man who gave generously to the people, and prayed to God continually.”
Though he was a centurion in the Roman army, he recognized that the true General, the true King, was the Lord God.
It is astonishing that in Caesarea, a city named after the Roman emperor, a commander of the Roman army lived a life of genuine reverence for God, together with his entire household.
And most importantly, he “prayed regularly.”
I have made “Praying regularly (or constantly)” the title of today's message. What a blessed posture of faith it is to pray to God constantly, always. The ability to pray is one of the greatest blessings of our faith.
Through prayer, we can entrust ourselves to God, we are permitted to speak to Him, and through prayer, God speaks to us.
I believe Cornelius' prayer was that of believing in God and seeking to entrust himself to God. Moreover, to pray without ceasing is a way of life—persevering in prayer without giving up.
Within that centurion's prayers, I believe there were prayers that were heard (answered) and prayers that were not heard (unanswered).
Yet even so, I believe that continuing to pray without ceasing was the driving force of that centurion's life.
And because he continually believed in God and kept praying, his sincere faith even influenced his own family.
The many acts of charity Cornelius performed were likely also based on the grace and strength he received from God through his constant prayer.
Through such a life of prayer, he was given the faith that “what we should truly fear is not the human ruler, the Roman emperor, but the true God.”
We too desire to know that God alone is the One to be feared, to humble ourselves before Him, to lower ourselves, and to understand that man is not an object to be revered as God.
Around three o'clock one afternoon, an angel of God called out to Cornelius. Three o'clock in the afternoon was one of the times for Jewish prayer.
I believe we can understand that Cornelius consistently offered prayer as a regular, sincere practice of his faith.
The angel of God called out to him, “Cornelius.” It is written that he was terrified at that moment.
He was afraid because he was called directly by God (by the angel) through a voice. Yet Cornelius asked, “Lord, what is it?”
Faced with an event beyond ordinary experience and sensation, Cornelius, though afraid, sought God's will by asking, “Lord, what is it?”
We too desire to live a life where, in every circumstance, we say, “Lord, what is it?” always seeking the Lord's will and walking in obedience to it.
The angel of God told Cornelius, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. ”
Through his life of prayer, Cornelius had a rich relationship with God. By the grace he received from God, by the love he received from God, he was able to give generously to others.
Cornelius was able to give generously to others because he himself had received overflowing grace, love, and power from God. It was because Cornelius was conscious of God's grace, love, and power.
The source of our faith, the source of our practice of faith, is the grace, love, and power we receive from the Lord God. We desire to always keep the grace, love, and power we receive from God as the driving force of our faith.
God's angel told Cornelius, “Send men to Joppa now and bring back a man named Simon, who is called Peter.”
The meeting between Peter, a Jew and an apostle of Jesus Christ, and Cornelius, a Roman centurion, was unfolding at that time according to God's plan.
From today's passage onward, their encounter unfolds to reveal that God's salvation is open not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles, to all people.
We too are given encounters with various people. I believe we can trust that God guides these encounters between us within His great plan.
Moreover, when we consider that each encounter among us, each meeting brought about by God, forms part of His great plan, we feel profoundly encouraged.
We desire to cherish the encounters granted to us by God.
And through a life of prayer, we wish to live daily in obedience to His Word.
By continually praying and listening to God's word, we may receive new revelations and new encounters.
Let us walk forward, trusting in God, looking forward to the plans and guidance He has prepared for us.
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