Sunday Worship Service June 22, 2025

Prelude
Call to Worship  Deuteronomy 14:2
Hymn JBC# 327  Lead on, O King eternal
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 262 Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Offering
Scripture 1 Peter 2:9～12
Sermon “Chosen according to God's purpose”

Prayer
Hymn JBC # 618 Love divine, all loves excelling
Doxology JBC # 679 Living for Jesus
Closing Prayer
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements

*message texts not uploaded today due to a lay sermon.

Sunday Worship Service June 25, 2025

Prelude
Call to Worship Proverb 22:9
Hymn JBC# 120 Praise to the Lord Almighty
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 262 Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Offering
Scripture Acts 2:43～47
Sermon “Life of the Believers”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 19 Love divine, all loves excelling
Doxology JBC # 679
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements


The Bible passage given to us today begins with the words “Everyone was filled with awe (*”fear” in other translations) at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ”
It says that many wonders and signs were performed by the apostles of Christ, and everyone was filled with “fear” at the sight.
　Jesus Christ rose from the grave (from the dead) and revealed himself to his disciples.
Jesus Christ, who was completely sinless, bore the sins of humanity and was crucified (killed).
　Through Christ's death, we are forgiven of our sins and were able to receive true life (eternal life) and were able to live.
　Having received eternal life, we can say that those who believe in Christ no longer need to fear death. What a blessing!
On Sunday, the day of the Lord's resurrection, Christians still gather for worship, remembering the Lord's resurrection and receiving from the resurrected Lord the power to live and the grace of eternal life.
Once again, Jesus died on the cross and was buried in the tomb.

However, Jesus did not remain dead, as the Bible (Psalms) says, “He was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.”
That Christ would never remain dead was foretold through the words of Old Testament prophecy.
After appearing to his disciples for about 40 days after his resurrection and encouraging them, Jesus ascended again to heaven.
Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus promised His disciples, "The Holy Spirit will fall on you. When the Holy Spirit falls on you, you will receive power.” (Acts 1:8)
And as promised, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples, and they began to speak of the great works of God in various foreign languages, and they began to do many other wondrous works, too. (We celebrated the events of Pentecost last week)
Seeing what had happened, today’s passage says, “Everyone was filled with awe”, or in other translations of the Bible, “fear came upon all.” What kind of fear was this?
“Fear” is one of the most important elements of the Christian faith. Once again we need to know the fear of the Lord God.

Through Jesus, we are made known to God our Heavenly Father. Through Jesus, we know the infinite love of God and are greatly comforted.
For Jesus, the Son of God, has delivered us from sin in exchange for His own life.
That love of Jesus is truly unlimited, and we humans can never fully know the magnitude of that love.
When we are touched by such deep love and the essence of God, we become deeply grateful for the blessings we receive, but at the same time we also come to feel fear.
One of the indicators of whether or not a Christian believes in and lives according to the true God of the Bible is whether or not he or she has this "fear of the Lord God.”
I dare say that God is "terrifying One”. By terrifying, I mean that God completely transcends us in everything, including our thoughts and ideas.
We can never know everything about God, much less the things we stand above Him and dictate to Him.
However, isn’t it the case without our noticing well that we are demanding various things to God as if doing so are our legitimate rights.

God is the One to be feared. The fear is to "honor God and recognize His greatness and immeasurability.”
In Old Testament times, Moses was the man chosen by God to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, where they had lived in slavery for about 400 years.
When the Lord God first appeared to Moses, the Lord spoke to him, “Moses, Moses” (Exodus Chapter 3).
Then God spoke to Moses, saying, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Then “Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God,” the passage (Exodus 3:6) says.
Hearing God's voice, being made known to God, inherently causes so much fear in us.
　We know that "God is love”. However, we want once again to remind ourselves of the fear toward God, that God is the one whom we should fear.

　We should be afraid when we remember the immeasurable power of the One who created everything in the world, heaven and earth, ordained all the laws of nature, and made all of us alive.
　We should be afraid that we will never be able to stand before Him.
　When we lose our fear of the Lord, we become arrogant, we think we know everything, and we become self-centered in many things.
　To fear the Lord is also to know (or admit) that we know nothing. The Apostle Paul said the following.
He says, “Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.”

(1 Corinthians 8:2).
Knowing that we know nothing forces us to be humble. And we become willing to be constantly taught, both by God and by others.

So we always need to listen to one another and teach one another. For one person's understanding and faith are limited. For we are the ones who "do not yet know what we need to know.
When Christians in faith honor one another, listen to one another, teach one another, and fellowship with one another, the love of God is at the center of such fellowship.
Paradoxically, having fear of God leads to knowing God's love and love for others as well.
Let us always humble ourselves before God, acknowledge His immense power, and know that we rightly fear Him. Let us also receive with gratitude the love of God that is made known to us at the same time.
　In today's passage, we read that the apostles (disciples of Christ) “were all one, having all things in common, selling their possessions and belongings, and sharing them with one another according to their own needs.”

　This was the early Christian community filled with the love of Christ. How was it possible to have everything in common?
　That is why they believed that "all things are given to us by God.” When we are proud of our own strength, we think that what we have earned with our own abilities is our own.
But if we believe that “we are created by God and made alive by God’s mercy,” we are given the faith that "everything is a God-given gift.”
　When we receive the faith that “everything is a gift from God,” we are freed from attachment to our possessions, our talents, or ourselves.
　The Bible tells us that when we live by the faith that “everything is a gift from God,” then we can share what we need with one another.

　And in today's passage, when it says that “the apostles all shared in one another's needs,” it means that they knew who needed what from one another.
　There was a kindness among them that showed consideration for each other, and a relationship of trust was also built between them that allowed those in need to ask for help.
We hope to build a community where we can share with each other and where those who are in need can call out for help, based on the love we receive from Jesus.
Let’s read verses 46~47
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

They were "enjoying the favor of all the people.” Why was this?
The reason was that the apostles (disciples and believers) had gathered together in faith, and they were "praising God.”
　When Christ's followers gather by faith, there God is praised (glorified and worshipped). And such an appearance has won the favor of many people.
　Here is what is important, or we can say even only one thing that is important in evangelizing Christ.
　It means that when believers praise God genuinely and sincerely, such an appearance captures the hearts of those who do not know God, too.
　To praise God is also to seek His glory, to attribute glory to Him.

The theme of our church this year is “All for the Glory of the Lord God”. This theme condenses the mission and purpose of the Christian faith.
We do not seek the glory of ourselves or of our church, but only the glory of the Lord God of Jesus Christ.
Let us ask that only the God of Christ be praised. Let us desire it with all our hearts.
　It is the supreme joy and blessedness for the believer that God is praised and all glory is attributed to Him, and God's praise is the most powerful way in which His gospel is preached.
　And at the end of today's passage, we read, “The Lord added to them daily those who were being saved, and made them one.”
When believers in Christ gather together under the Lord's grace and love, united in the thought that all is given to us by God, when we share and help one another, and when we praise the Lord, He will add daily those who will be saved.
　There are many around us who must be saved by the grace of Christ and should be fellow members of the community of faith.
Remembering that there are many such people, let us once again have a “fear” of the great God, but let us also be kept alive in His love and mercy.
　When we love, share, and help one another by faith, God is praised and glory is returned to Him. And one by one, people who come to believe in the Lord will surely be arised.
　Encouraged by such a picture (vision) of gospel evangelism as conveyed in the Acts of the Apostles, we, too, hope to live a life of faith daily living and sharing the gospel.

Sunday (Pentecost) Worship Service June 8, 2025

Prelude
Call to Worship Job 33:4
Hymn JBC # 650 Serve the Lord with gladness
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC #262 Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Offering
Special Hymn 1
God’s Wonderful Works in the multiple languages
Special Hymn 2
Scripture Acts 2:32～42
Prayer
Sermon “Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 278 There’s within my heart a melody
Doxology JBC # 679
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements

Today we offer the worship service of Pentecost.
Let us listen together to God's message from the Bible about Pentecost, in which the Lord's Holy Spirit was poured out on Christ's disciples.
Today's Bible passage is from the New Testament in the book of Acts, chapter 2, verses 32-42.
Peter, the first disciple of Jesus Christ, is speaking to the people who have gathered.
Peter told them that Jesus Christ is the One sent from God and that He has risen from the dead.
Here are Peter's words in the first verse of today's passage:

　God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.
When Peter encountered the risen Jesus Christ, he could not help but share the resurrected Christ with others. And it was the Holy Spirit who prompted him to do so.
Peter himself says that he was poured out with the Holy Spirit. These are the words of today's verse 33.

33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

　Peter is telling about who the Jesus Christ is, and about His death and resurrection, because he has received the promised Holy Spirit.
　And the work of the invisible Holy Spirit was also evident in Peter's figure that passionately talk about Jesus Christ and God.
I sometimes wonder if Jesus showed up and prove Himself that he was resurrected, more people would believe in Jesus.
I am sure there would still be doubters, but I think that evangelism would go much faster if Jesus himself revealed himself to us and spoke his words directly than if we, as people, evangelize.
However, the Bible says that there is sure hope in that faith because it is invisible to our eyes, and that such faith is eternal.

Let me quote 2 biblical passages below:

Romans 8:24～25
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

2 Corinthians 4:18
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

　We live in an invisible but sure hope, an invisible but eternal hope (rather because we cannot see).
We still cannot see Jesus with our eyes or meet Him in person. We know who Jesus is through the Bible.
And we can also know Christ through the example of others who have believed in Him and have been changed in the way they live, and who are actually living out their faith through the way they live.
In this way, Christ is communicated through the life of each believer and also through the work of the church. And it is the Holy Spirit who makes this possible.
Therefore, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we hope to continue to testify that Christ has indeed risen and that we have received hope through the resurrected Christ and are kept alive.

Let us read verse 36 of today’s passage.
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

“Jesus, whom you crucified," is a fierce expression. But we must listen to these words as they are directed to us too today.
Jesus went to the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Therefore, it was each one of us who crucified Jesus, and it was “this myself” who crucified Him.
Our church carries the cross on its roof. The cross is a method of capital (death) punishment. The wood of the cross is an instrument of capital punishment.
We have on our roof (the most prominent place) what is an instrument of death penalty. We do this so that we will always remember the fact that we have crucified Christ, the One who is God.
And we will always remember that on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ died for us and gave us new life.

In today's passage, there was the following response from those who had heard such a story of Peter.
　“Brothers, what shall we do?” (v.37)

When people are informed about the true God and what Jesus Christ has done for them, they will think “Now I must not go on like this”
Therefore, they asked Peter “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter answered (verses 38-39)
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (v.38~39)
“Be baptized in the name of Christ for the forgiveness of sins" means that only in the name of Christ can we be saved and have our sins forgiven.”

And baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, then, not only represents the forgiveness of sins, but also leads to the reception of the Holy Spirit as a gift.
It is also very important to note that the Holy Spirit as a gift is given "to your children and to all who are far away, for all whom God calls.”
Here we are taught that the Christian must continue to speak of the presence of the Risen Lord in every situation.
This is because if the Christian does not speak (testify) about the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, others will not hear about Him.
Unless we give a living testimony of our faith as our own experience of faith, others will not know that Christ is still working and sustaining our lives.
And also because we do not know whom the Lord God is calling to Himself (who would become believers).
Therefore, it is important that we continue to witness and testify of the Lord Jesus Christ through every opportunity we are given.

In today's passage, it says that those who accepted Peter's words were baptized, and about 3,000 people joined them that day.
Three thousand is an impressive number. We would think that such a miracle can’t be today.
But we can have faith in the hope that if the Word of God is spoken with truth, such a great event is not impossible, even today.

Let me read the last verse, v.42, of today's passage.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Here is what the Christian Church continues to value today. Apostles’ teaching means teaching the Word of Jesus Christ, the teaching of God as conveyed in the Bible.
　Teaching does not mean that someone teaches someone else one-way, but that we teach and learn from each other. We are to teach one another and encourage one another in the faith. That is the Body of Christ.
　It is where Jesus Christ, as communicated in the Bible, is communicated vividly. I believe that in such a church where the living Christ is preached and shared, people will surely gather.
In Christ's church, there is mutual fellowship. There is a fellowship of life in which we support one another.
As for mutual fellowship in the church, I realize the importance of this from my own experience as a pastor.
The pastor is the spiritual leader, but he is also the only believer before God.
It is essential for the pastor to be nurtured in spiritual fellowship with the church members in order to continue his ministry of speaking the Word.
Therefore, I am truly thankful that you all have chosen me as your pastor, and that you continue to nurture me in spiritual fellowship with me as a fellow believer (brother).
As a pastor, I too am taught many things by you.
I can also look back on my life of faith before I became a pastor and I can say with certainty that my faith would never have grown if I had not been connected to the church.
Let us cherish the fellowship of each other and the church, which is so important.

The “breaking of bread” refers directly to the Lord's Supper.
Although we cannot see Jesus Christ now, we remember that He offered His body for us through the Lord's Supper.
And by actually partaking of the bread and wine that symbolize the body of Christ, we experience that our lives are still sustained by Christ, and we continue to witness to that faith through the visible ritual.
And the last thing we are told is to pray.
The church is a place where two or three people can pray in the name of Christ, believing together in earnest that their prayers will be heard if they pray together with their hearts.
Prayer is one of the precious gifts given to the Church, and I believe it is safe to say that nothing can deprive us of this gift of prayer.
We want to be a church that can pray with joy, expectation, and strength, guided by the Holy Spirit.
Today we offer a worship service that remembers and celebrates the event of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit first fell on Christ's disciples.
Let us join in prayer, with open hearts and minds, and also listening to each other's hearts and voices, that the Holy Spirit will work freely (like the wind) among us, even now.
When we ask and pray, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to us and to our Church in abundance. Let us believe in the Lord's promise and continue to live in faith of hope.

Sunday Worship Service June 1, 2025

Prelude
Call to Worship Psalm 16:2
Hymn JBC # 105 There is sunshine in my soul today
The Prayer Time
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 262 Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Offering
Scripture Acts 2:22～31
Prayer
Sermon “Making Known the Paths of Life”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 86 O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Doxology JBC # 679
Benediction
Postlude


Today's Bible passage is from the middle section of Acts 2. The beginning of chapter 2 depicts the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples as they gathered together on Pentecost, the Jewish feast of thanksgiving for the harvest.
For the service next week (June 8), we will celebrate the event of the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, descended upon Christ's disciples.
The event of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, is also the event from which the Christian Church is said to have been born.
　The disciples, upon receiving the Holy Spirit, began to speak about the great works of God in the languages of the various nations at that time.
The Christian church today is also commissioned by God to speak and tell of the great works of God to the society we find ourselves in and to the reset of the world.

The day of Pentecost marked the beginning of the Church's work of speaking and telling of God's great works and of God's love and grace.
Today's passage is a continuation of Peter's sermon, which he delivered to the many people gathered at Pentecost.
Let us start with verse 22 of today's passage.
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.

　The first thing Peter says here is that "Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God.”
　The fact that “the man accredited by God,” the One equal to God, was a Nazarene was difficult to accept for the Jews listening to Peter.
Nazareth is a small village in the region known as Galilee in the north of Israel. This was where Jesus grew up.
　According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus was born in a Jewish town called Bethlehem.
　When King Herod, the king of the Jews, heard the news (from the scholars (magi) from the east) that a new king had been born to replace him, he tried to find the child.
However, when he was unable to find the child, King Herod had all the boys in the area of Bethlehem under the age of two brutally killed.
　To escape Herod's slaughter, Jesus' father Joseph took his wife Mary and baby Jesus and fled to Egypt.
　After Herod's death, Joseph and his family returned to Israel, but the Bible says that they came to live not in Bethlehem, but in Nazareth in Galilee. (Matthew 2).
Nazareth was a small village in Galilee, despised by the rest of the region. This can be seen, for example, from the following passages in the Gospel of John.
In the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 43, Philip (he became one of the twelve disciples later) meets Jesus.
Philip believes that Jesus is the Son of God and follows Him. He also tells his companion, Nathanael, about Jesus.

But then Nathanael said to Philip, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? (no way)” (John 1:46)
At the time Jesus lived, the village of Nazareth was looked down upon and despised by people from other places, even in Galilee.
　But Jesus, the Son of God, grew up in Nazareth by God's design and came to be called "Jesus the Nazarene.”
　　Nazareth, which to the human eye was thought to be a place where nothing good could come out of it, became a very special place where the Son of God was chosen by God to grow up as a man.
　We may have the same feelings of contempt and discrimination that the Jewish people of that time had toward Nazareth toward something (or someone) today. That is a part of the sin of man.
However, let us remember that what is despised by others is considered precious in God's eyes and is used in a special way, so let us recognize and repent of the sin of discrimination and prejudice in our hearts.

Peter tells there that Jesus of Nazareth did the works of God but was killed on the cross for the sins of men.
Peter goes so far as to say, “you…put him to death by nailing him to the cross.” (v. 23), stating that Jesus was crucified for the sins of all men, including Peter himself.
　Peter then says that Jesus, who was crucified and killed, was released from the agony of death and resurrected. Peter strongly stated the resurrection of Christ.
Why was Peter so convinced of this at that time?
First of all, Peter himself had met the resurrected Jesus. He was also convinced by the words of the Bible at that time.
Peter quotes a psalm of David from the Old Testament book of Psalms and continues.
Let me read you verse 25 of today's passage. This is a quote from Psalm 16.

25 David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

This “the Lord” is the Lord God. And this “Lord” is Jesus Christ, Peter affirms. Namely, Jesus is the Lord and God.
　”I saw the Lord always before me." – with this words of psalm by David, Peter would have recalled the days when Jesus was with him.
　I imagine that Peter was remembering that if Jesus had been only a man, he would never have had that sense of security and peace.
　There was a time when the disciples boarded a boat with Jesus and rowed out into the lake, and there was a violent storm that nearly sank the boat.
The disciples were afraid, but when Jesus rebuked the wind and the lake, the storm stopped. Peter may have remembered how Jesus calmed the storm too.
　If the Lord is with us, we will never be shaken.
　For no storm, no matter how fierce, has the power to bring us to our knees before the power of the Word of the Lord Jesus.
　No matter how difficult or unpredictable a situation may be, let us first give the situation to the Lord God, Jesus, and let Him sustain us.
The Lord will sustain us ~ Let us trust in this promise from the Bible.

Let's read verses 27~28.

27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

　I believe that Peter himself was experiencing spiritually coming to life as he spoke these words.
　We can say that Peter was once spiritually dead. When Jesus was alive, Peter had great hope in Him, but when Jesus was finally arrested, he abandoned Him and fled.
　He completely stumbled once in faith and died spiritually. But by meeting the resurrected Jesus and being encouraged by His words, Peter rose again and experienced spiritual resurrection of himself.
　And it was revealed to Peter that Jesus is the “path of life,” the way to eternal life with God through which all people pass, just as the psalmist had said.
　The path to true life was also shown to us by Jesus. Jesus himself is the way.
　Nothing can deprive us of the joy of being with God and His grace as long as we walk the path of life that is Jesus Christ.
If we stay in the presence of God, if we persist on the path of life that is Christ, we will always be filled with joy.

　Let us walk together in faith on the path of life in Jesus Christ revealed to us through His Word.
　Let’s read verses 30-31 and the passage quoted from Psalm 16:10.
　30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.

　This was promised through the words of the Psalms of David. The One who would be born as one of David's descendants would be born as the true King.
　And although man, in his sin, would kill Christ on the cross, Christ would not remain in the realm of death.
　The person who was spoken of in David's words was Jesus of Nazareth, as Peter was convinced of that and he clearly stated so.
This person Jesus, being God Himself, lived as a human, suffered a painful death for the sins of humanity, and was resurrected.
Jesus did not remain dead, but was resurrected, just as it was prophesied by the Bible that he would not remain dead.

Here, let us return to verse 22 from today's passage.
It says that God performed various miracles, wonders, and signs through Jesus, proving that Jesus was indeed sent from God.
　　Let us also open our hearts and keep our eyes on the many miracles, works, and signs that the resurrected Jesus is doing today.
Isn’t it a great miracle (God's grace) that having the same faith, we are called together by Christ and can worship together in this way.
Let us recognize the work of the great God through our hearts, and be enlivened by the power of Christ the Lord.
No matter how difficult our circumstances may be, no matter how hopeless our lives may seem, the Lord Jesus Christ who has risen from the dead, as he will never be left dead, will always sustain us.
The Lord is always with us. Therefore, we do not need to be afraid or upset. Let us live each day of this new week, relying on and clinging to the Lord.

Sunday Worship Service May 25, 2025

Prelude
Call to Worship Isaiah 60:20
Hymn JBC # 16 To God be the glory
The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Supper
Hymn JBC #320 Shine and Live
Confession of Faith
Offering
Scripture Acts 2:14~21
Prayer
Sermon “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 260 Set my soul afire, Lord
Doxology JBC # 676
Benediction
Postlude


The Bible passage shared in our worship service last week was from Acts 2:1-13, which precedes today's passage.
When the apostles (disciples of Jesus Christ) were gathered together, the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of violent wind and tongues of fire, and the Holy Spirit descended on each of the disciples.
Since that day was the day of Pentecost (the Jewish harvest festival), the event is called the Pentecostal event.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, and they began to speak in many languages ​​about the great works of God.
The fact that they spoke of God's great works in different languages ​​was an indication that God's word and God's great works must reach every country and region of the world.
The work of telling the world about God's great deeds is still ongoing today, and it is the Christian church that has been entrusted with this task.

The church is a place where believers gather to experience God's wonderful work, His Word, and where we are healed, comforted, and strengthened by God's Word.
The church is a place where we have our sins revealed through Jesus Christ then repent (turn to God), and rejoice in the knowledge that we have been forgiven by Christ, and share that joy together.
The church has also been entrusted with the task of spreading the message of Jesus Christ's forgiveness and grace, not just to ourselves, but to the communities to which each church is sent.
An important part of the church's work in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ is the preaching of God’s Word (sermon at worship services).
The work of preaching (the message) during worship services is usually entrusted to the pastor of the church, by church members.
However, even if it is the pastor who actually delivers the message (although there are times when a believer other than the pastor is entrusted with the task of delivering the message), the message delivered in a public gathering such as a worship service never comes from just personal message of the person who delivers it.

　This is well shown at the beginning of today's Bible passage.
In today's passage, Peter (one of Jesus Christ's first disciples) is speaking to the people.
It could be said that this was the first sermon (message) in the Christian church.
God the Father sent the promised Holy Spirit to the disciples, and Peter stood up.
It was not that Peter was chosen because he was outstanding among the disciples or because he had a particularly strong faith.
Although he was Christ's first disciple, he had the shameful experience of betraying the Lord and running away (everyone knew about it).
Even so, Peter was chosen by the Lord, forgiven, and set to speak God's word.

Let's look at the first verse of today's passage, verse 14.
　14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd:

　Peter stood up with the eleven (the other apostles) and began to speak. Although it was Peter who actually spoke, he was not alone.
He stood up as a representative of the twelve apostles (including Peter) who were there and began to speak.
Peter first received the power of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ, and then, with the prayers and support of his fellow apostles who were with him, he was able to stand up and speak the word of God.
This made me realize once again that the message of a church pastor is actually the same thing. Well, it may be the pastor alone who actually speaks.
However, the message of a church pastor is spoken through the prayers and support of each and every church member, and it’s a message that God entrusted to the church. Therefore, the worship message is created together by each and every one of us (you) who are connected to the church.
So, especially church members and Christians, I hope that you will not only think of yourself as someone who listens to the message, but also always pray for the sermon and the preacher.
I would like you to share the feeling that, "I am praying with the preacher, preparing, and speaking together with him."

In verse 15 Paul said this:
　15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!

There was a reason why Peter said this. In the previous passage, when the disciples received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in many different languages, some people mocked them, saying:

　“They have had too much wine.” (v.13)

There were people at that time who thought, “They seem to be speaking in many different languages, but in reality, they are just drunk and uttering nonsense.”
Peter spoke to those who said this. He did not fight against them with anger, but spoke calmly (with love) based on God's Word.
I think that speaking calmly and with love based on God's Word is very important for us today.

Here is what Peter said:
It was still 9 o'clock in the morning, so it was not a time when so many people would normally drink alcohol together.
9 o'clock in the morning was the first of three daily Jewish prayer times (morning, noon, and evening).

Peter calmly explained, "If you look closely at us, you will see that we are not drunk at the first morning prayer time."
Peter then quoted the passages in the Bible (Old Testament) that described the events of the day, and explained the events based on God's Word.
The words from verses 17 to 21 were from Joel 3:1-5 in the Old Testament.
It said, "God will pour out his Spirit on all people."
It said that the Spirit of God will be poured out on all people, and that sons and daughters (both men and women) will prophesy (speak the word of God), and young people and old people will have visions and dreams (visions).

All people who have received the Spirit of God will begin to speak the word of God in their own language.
In the church, the preacher (pastor) speaks the message on behalf of the church during worship. However, we can see from today's passage that God also speaks through all people whose hearts are touched by the Spirit.
Therefore, it is very important that we listen to each other's voices in the church and always try to understand each other's hearts.
Because each of you has the potential to speak God's word as a prophet of the Lord.
Especially in our Baptist church, we value listening to each other's voices and accepting each other's thoughts and opinions.
Through process like this, with prayers and discussion with each other, we are to seek God's will.

We have been gathered in the same church so that we can be united with each other as God's family. As prophets of the Lord's word, let us respect each other and listen to each other's voices.
Today's verses 19-20 say that there will be “blood and fire and billows of smoke" and that " the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. "
It is prophesied that difficult and painful times will come. There will be painful and sad realities, wars and hardships in this world, even for the church and the believers who believe in God.
There are difficulties and sufferings in every era and in the lives of every person. However, amidst these difficulties, we are given unchanging hope.
I will read the words of the last verse of today's passage, verse 21, which is also the title of today's message.

21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Calling on the name of the Lord" means believing in the Lord God Jesus Christ, being kept alive by God's grace through Jesus Christ, always praying to the Lord and relying on Him.
In our eyes, many things may seem wrong and are heading in the wrong direction.
The world is filled with tragic and sad events; there is that reality. However, the plan of salvation of the Lord God who created this world was revealed through Jesus Christ.
"All who believe in Christ and call on the name of the Lord Christ and trust in the Lord will be saved, and there is salvation and hope even in the midst of suffering" - this is the promise of the Bible.

We, the Christian church, will always continue to speak the words of hope promised in the Bible amid the difficult reality of this world.
With strength from God, let us continue to carry out this work with God who is with us.
And let each of us who are part of the church revere the name of the same Jesus Christ, believe in his name, and call on the name of Christ together.

Sunday Worship Service May 18, 2025

Prelude
Call to Worship Isaiah 32:15
Hymn JBC # 3 Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 320 Shine and Live
Offering
Appeal and testimony
Scripture Acts 2:1~13
Prayer
Sermon “In their own language”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 272 Breathe on me, Breath of God
Doxology JBC # 676
Benediction
Postlude
Welcome & Announcements

Today’s Bible passage starts with the phrase “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.”
“Pentecost” means “the 50th day” in Greek, and this festival was so named because it was held 7 weeks, that is, 50 days, after the festival of the Passover.
In the Old Testament, this was referred to as the “Festival of Weeks”, as is mentioned in the following passage.

In Chapter 16 verses 9-10 of Deuteronomy, it says:
9 Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. 10 Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you.
　
The Passover is a time of thanksgiving and remembrance for when the Israelites were delivered by the grace of God from their 400 years of slavery in Egypt.
The Passover is still an extremely important festival in Judaism to this day.
God gave the Israelites the command to observe the Festival of Weeks including giving thanks for the harvest given by God, in the seventh week after the Passover.
In the passage we just read from Deuteronomy, it says “giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you.”
The Israelites were commanded to give freewill offerings in gratitude to God for delivering them from slavery, or captivity, in Egypt, and for providing them with the food they needed to survive ever since then.

　In today’s Christian church, we do not celebrate the Jewish festival of the Passover or the Festival of Weeks.
However, it is just as important for us as Christians today to give our freewill offerings to God in gratitude for saving us from our sins and for always providing us our daily needs.
Chapter 16 of Deuteronomy continues on to talk more about the Festival of Weeks. Deuteronomy Chapter 16 verses 11~12 says this:

11 And rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your towns, and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows living among you. 12 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees.

God said to the Israelites “rejoice and celebrate God’s salvation and blessings with everyone who is with you.”
And God also commanded the Israelites to never forget that they themselves had been slaves in Egypt, and that God had delivered them from this slavery.

Offering gratitude to God, never forgetting that he has saved us, and sharing God’s blessings with many people, these teachings are just as important for us as Christians today.
Christians were forgiven and saved by the grace of God from the state of hostages of sins in the past.
And so, let us give thanks for God’s blessings, give our offering willingly from our heart, tell many people of His blessings and share His blessings with others, and hold these things close to our hearts.
　Today’s passage follows on from the previous passage where the resurrected Jesus’ ascended to Heaven and Mathias was appointed as a new apostle, being chosen to take Judas’ place as one of the 12 Apostles.
On the day of Pentecost, they were all together in one place (verse 1). I imagine they were all gathered together in prayer and would have been offering their gratitude as well.
Then it says that all of a sudden, they heard a violent wind from heaven, reverberating through the house they were in, and tongues of fire appeared, separated, and came to rest on each of them (verses 2~3).

This is the event known as “Pentecost”, the descent of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost will be actually remembered and celebrated according to Church calendar this year on June 8th worship service.
The violent wind and flames like tongues were signs that God’s spirit, the Holy Spirit, descended on the Apostles at that time.
Jesus had commanded them to “wait for His father’s spirit, the Holy Spirit, that was promised,” and just as He had promised to the apostles, the Holy Spirit finally descended on the Disciples.
And, the part where it says that the Holy Spirit came to rest on each of them, on those who believed in God, is important.
The Holy Spirit is not given only to certain special believers. The Holy Spirit is given equally to all those who believe in God.
The act itself of being able to believe in God, to be able to believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord God, this is made possible by the Holy Spirit.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 3, it is written that “no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit is given equally to believers, but the gifts that the Holy Spirit brings to each person are different. We are each given different, unique gifts.
In the same chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians, it says “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them” (verse 4), and that “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (verse 7).
God gives each of us different gifts through the Holy Spirit. This is so that we each offer these gifts to one another, bring our thoughts together as one, for the good of all.
In other words, this is so that in offering our gifts to each other, we are always giving glory back to God.
Our church’s theme for this year is “All for the glory of the Lord God”.

Shall we not recognize each other’s gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit, bring ourselves together in hearts and minds, and work together for the glory of God?
In today’s passage, the flames stopped on each person who was there, and they all began talking in the languages of different countries.
In verse 5, it says that “there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven”.
These Jews were the descendants of the Jewish people who, in the times of the Old Testament, had been forced to leave their homeland and migrate to various distant countries when Israel and Judea were conquered by foreign powers.

　They were those who had returned to Israel, the land of their ancestors.
Verse 6 shows the shock they felt at hearing the apostles of Jerusalem speak in the tongues of the lands they had been born in.

In their surprise, they said:
“Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? (verses 7~8)
Galilee was a rural area in Israel, and the people from there were considered to be uneducated.
Since Peter and the other apostles were mostly born in Galilee, those foreign born Jews couldn’t believe that they (those Galileans) were speaking in foreign languages they had no way of knowing.
However, this in itself was the work of the Holy Spirit. God wanted “word of God’s kingdom to be spread beyond Israel throughout the world, to every corner of the earth”, and at that time He gave to the apostles who had received the Holy Spirit the ability to speak in foreign languages.
　But the more important thing that happened at that time, more so than the Galileans speaking in foreign languages, was what they were actually saying.
According to verse 11 of today’s scripture, the Apostles who had then received the Holy Spirit were talking in various languages about “the wonders of God”.
The hearts of those who heard this were most struck by the fact that the Apostles were declaring the wonders of God in each of their languages.
Whenever I read today’s passage, I always identify this with our church, Beppu International Baptist Church.
Why is this so? Because in our church there are people from so many countries and regions, gathering and worshipping together.
Each person has their own native language. Differences in language can make it difficult to communicate.

However, beyond our differences in language and culture, the wonders of God, Jesus Christ, always bring us all together as one.
Why do we meet at church? Is it because there are many people in church and it’s fun to meet together, or because the praise hymns is great? There may be some people who think this way.
These are all good things. However, in the end, the reason that we gather in church is to worship God, and that we want to hear about the “wonders of God” and the words of the Bible.
As the pastor here, I have taken on the role of spiritual leader of the church and as the chief administrator of the church as an organization.
In this role, I think about how everyone who comes to this church might receive strength and hope, and hope they can enjoy and smile at church as much as possible.
　And to be honest, I also want the church to run smoothly as an organization.

　However, what today’s passage shows me is that continuing to declare the word of God that is written in the Bible and the wonders of God, this the most important work for a pastor.
I am convinced that continuing to faithfully speak God’s words as written in the Bible and to tell of the wonders of God, guided by the Holy Spirit, is what most empowers us as people and also gives hope and joy to others.
The Bible includes accounts of phenomena which seem to be inconsistent with our modern everyday senses. The Holy Spirit is surely one of these things.
When we first hear these kinds of accounts, I think many of us must be bewildered and think things like “I don’t believe it” or “what is going on here.”
But, even so, God’s words and each and every word written in the Bible tell us of God’s truth and His love.
Let us open our hearts, invite the God’s spirit, the Holy Spirit, to live within us, acknowledging the wonders of God and becoming people who believe in God.
The Holy Spirit that brings us to faith in God even now is bringing us together, and it is the Holy Spirit that is the source of power that builds this church.

If we were to try to rely on our own strength to build this church, the church would quickly come to a standstill.
If we were to try to live in our own strength, our lives would also undoubtedly become stuck.
However, if we rely on the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of God, and entrust ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, each and every one of us, as well as our church, will always be supported and able to walk and live day by day, step by step, under the protection of the Holy Spirit.

So, let us ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit together. Let us receive God’s protection and power, and continue walking this path of living with the Holy Spirit together.

May 11, 2025 Sunday Worship Service

Prelude
Call to Worship Psalm 143:10
Hymn JBC # 120 This is my Father’s world
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 320 Shine and Live
Offering
Scripture Acts 1:12~26
Prayer
Sermon “The selection of Matthias”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 255 Face to face with Christ, my Saviour
Doxology JBC # 676
Benediction
Postlude

Today’s Scripture passage is the latter half of [the book of Acts] chapter 1. It is the scene where the disciples (Jesus Christ’s direct disciples) encountered the resurrected Jesus, and after that Jesus was ascended to heaven before their eyes.
Jesus said [Wait till the Holy Spirit comes upon you and receive power. Do not depart from Jerusalem, stay there.] (v.4, v. 8)
In today’s passage, after Jesus was ascended to heaven, the disciples returned to Jerusalem, and is written [they went upstairs to the room where they were staying]

Whose house were they staying at? The accurate matter on whose house it was, is not written in the Bible.
To my idea, we can consider that that house was probably where the room was when the disciples had their last meal with Jesus.
I have mentioned last time that the book of Acts has a position like a sequel of the gospel of Luke.
Luke, the author writes in the gospel of Luke how the place was prepared where Jesus and the disciples had their last meal.

In the gospel of Luke chap. 22: v.7～v.13, is written as follows. Let me summarize the passage below.
The day of the Passover which was a significant holiday to the Jews had come near. The Passover was a day to celebrate the fact that the Israelites who in the past were under slavery were liberated from Egypt.
God sent a total of ten calamities (misfortunes, sufferings) to Egypt because of the king of Egypt, Pharaoh’s stubborn attitude of not allowing the Israelites to depart from Egypt.
The last calamity was one where all of Egypt’s human as well as cattle’s firstborn were struck (life was taken away) by God.

However, only the house of Israel was passed by (passed over) by that calamity.
The way for that calamity to pass over was made known to the Israelites beforehand through Moses.
They were commanded to prepare a sacrificial lamb and apply its blood to each house’s lintel (the horizontal support of the door) and doorposts. (Exodus chap. 12)
The calamity that the firstborn will be struck passed over from the house of Israel where the house gate was applied with the blood of the sacrificial lamb, and their children were protected.
Jesus had the last meal with His disciples on the day of the Passover to commemorate that event. That matter also demonstrated “Jesus Himself to become the sacrificial Lamb to compensate for the sins of all people”.

In the scene of Luke chap.22, on the last Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus told His disciples Peter and John [“Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”]
As they asked [Where do you want us to prepare for it?], Jesus said as this.
“As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11 and say to the owner of the house,
‘The Teacher asks: ‘Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”

It is written in the gospel of Luke that, as the two (Peter and John) went to give it a try, it just happened as Jesus said.
I believe that the “upper room” of today’s passage is also the same as that place. Which means that a place to pray and to worship was provided for the disciples and other believers by someone.
It was not written in the Bible who that person even was, however, being driven forward by the utterance “For the Lord’s service”, someone has offered his own house.
And it was a blessing from God that has moved the heart of that person who offered that house.
Likewise, I would like us to be truly thankful once again that we are provided with our church, a place of prayer where we can gather as this.
To have a church, a place to gather, is never an ordinary matter.

Being provided with this church in this place was a spiritual gift through support and prayers of countless people in the past.
And let us never forget the feelings of the people of neighboring areas who accept us, for the fact that it is allowed to stand as a church in this place even now.
Let us never think that “we stand as a church in this place, merely due to our own strength and faith”, but let us rejoice and be sincerely thankful that a church that is a place of prayer is provided as God’s grace, acknowledged and supported by many people.

It is written in verse 15 of today’s passage as follows.
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty)
Peter who was one of the apostles stood up and began to speak before about 120 people who gathered there.
It was the beginning of Peter to be in a leadership position among the flock of believers henceforth.
As one of Jesus’s direct disciples, Peter experienced great setback and sorrow before then.

When Jesus was arrested, he denied Him three times, saying [I don’t know him].
In today’s passage, such a Peter stood up at the center of the disciples.
Normally, he would have been embarrassed (since he denied knowing Jesus in public), and he couldn’t have stand up in the middle of the crowd.

However, such a Peter could stand up.
It was not because of his own strength, but there was someone praying for him.

That person was none other than Jesus. In the passage of Luke 22 :31～, is written when Jesus said beforehand that “Peter says three times, I don’t know Him”.
Peter, at that time, bravely said to the extent [Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death].
At that time, Jesus also told Peter as follows.
“Simon, Simon (*Peter’s original name), Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Peter was full of confidence; however, Jesus knew that he will certainly have setback.
And Jesus promised that no matter how he would setback, Jesus Himself would pray for him that his faith will not fail.
Since Jesus prayed as such, Peter could stand up once again and could speak words that would strengthen other people.
Even us, there are times when we probably seem to lose our faith or experience our self-confidence like being shattered.
However, it is such an experience of setback that it is very important to our faith.
It is such a time when we come to realize that “faith is not something that I myself can keep holding it by my own strength and feelings”.
We can have faith because the Lord God gives it to us.
And granting that we get setback or even stumble, we won’t lose our faith for there is Jesus who [prays for us that our faith will not fail].
And when we can stand once again, we can comfort and strengthen other believers and other people.
In today’s passage, Peter who stood up began to speak about Judas who was one of them. There were 12 disciples (apostles) including Judas that were primarily chosen by Jesus.
However, Judas sold Jesus to the Jewish authorities, hence, he ended up creating the direct trigger of Jesus being arrested and crucified.

Peter speaks in today’s passage about what Judas, who was formerly one of them, has done and the fact that he lost his life in a terribly tragic manner.
I believe that it was an extremely difficult situation even for Peter to talk about it. On how to interpret Judas’s betrayal and death is constantly a significant issue to the Christians.
In Peter’s statement of today’s passage, he states that “Judas’s betrayal and his death was prophesied in the Book of Psalms of the Old Testament”.
We human beings cannot ultimately judge Judas’s act. It’s because the only one who can do true judgement is not man but God alone.
Peter probably couldn’t fully understand about Judas’s betrayal and tragic death.

And yet, he encouraged the rest of the disciples and spoke of words for them to move forward.
We can learn through the words of Peter, that the apostles back then were given the feeling to “overcome the betrayal and death of Judas their companion, move forward to the next step, advance from there and live”.
Peter called out “Judas is not here with us now. However, the important work to be witnesses to the Lord’s resurrection is given to us.
　So, we must choose one to replace Judas”.

Peter said, “we must choose one in place of Judas to become witness to the Lord’s resurrection and continue the work to proclaim the Gospel of Christ.”
They proposed two men named Joseph and Matthias, and they prayed. They prayed to God saying, “show which of these two You have chosen”.
Regarding the two, Joseph and Matthias, it seems that the disciples chose those two themselves by prayer and discussion.
Ultimately, however, they have fully entrusted to God’s will by “casting their lots” concerning whom is to be chosen between the two.
We, at the present day, don’t select by casting lots when choosing the church’s representatives or deacons.
However, by continuous prayer and discussion, after choosing what they think is best, I think the way of “casting lots” was used in today’s passage as an expression of faith “it’s only the Lord God who knows the real answer”.
And it was Matthias that was chosen.

In this way, the Lord provides and adds companions of faith even to us now, partners to carry with us the work of Gospel evangelism when needed.
And even if we get disappointed, have difficulties or depressed, we can stand up once again.
It’s because the Lord Jesus is praying for us and he will make us stand once again.
And whatever weakness or ill-will we humans bear, the work to proclaim the Gospel of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ will not be hindered completely.
The resurrected Lord Jesus Christ lives even after death, always keeps us alive and makes us move onward.
As people that are made to live each day by the resurrected Lord, made to stand by Him even though amidst difficulties, let us walk as people that proclaim to the world the joy of having faith in the Lord.