Sunday Worship Service July 30, 2023

Call to Worship Psalm 143:8
Hymn JBC # 125 All creatures of our God and King
The Lord’s Prayer
Offering
Scripture Galatians 5:16~26
Prayer
Sermon “The fruit and the Spirit ~ Service with love”
https://youtu.be/eOjClT5c5LM
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 456 Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling
Doxology JBC # 671
Benediction


The motto (theme) of our church this year is “Give your service with love.”
Earlier this year during the service on Sunday, April 30, I gave a message centering on this theme.
Today as well I would like us to keep this year’s motto (theme) in mind and listen to God’s word together as we are shown the path, we as Christians can take to best serve God.
At the service on Sunday, July 9, two believers gave their testimony about “service.” It was a pity that I was not able to hear the testimony in person that day as I was giving a sermon at another church.

However, I had read a copy of their testimony beforehand. Through their testimonies, I was able to learn again that “God gives us the joy and encouragement of faith through the testimony of believers,” and I was very grateful.

Colossians 3:16 says:
　　Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Beppu International Baptist Church was established by the words of Christ. I would like us to continue to teach and encourage each other (not one-way from pastors or teachers/leaders to believers, but “mutually”), as we continue to praise God.
The two believers who gave their testimony had one thing in common: they both described how they learned how to serve God as a Christian, how to serve through the church, and just the overall approach to service from other believers (predecessors in faith). This was very impressive to me.
We all know Jesus Christ now and have been led to this path of believing in God because there was a person (predecessor) who told us about Christ.

And I believe that in many cases, as Christians, we are able to serve God through the church because we had our predecessors in the faith who set an example of how to serve God.
There was a sister at my home church who once said, “I do not turn down any service requested by the church.”
To avoid any misunderstanding, I am not saying that you should never refuse requests at church. Let me be clear on that point.
Service is done according to one’s circumstances and gifts, so I hope that those who can do it will do so voluntarily and within their means.

That sister, who was my predecessor in faith, drew from her own faith experience when she said, “I will not refuse anything asked at church.”
Having known her character too, I was deeply impressed by her words. From then, I made up my mind that I would not refuse anything that was asked of me at church.
Then, right after that—at the perfect time—I was appointed as a deacon. Perhaps, if I hadn’t made up my mind following what the sister said, I would have said, “I can’t do it,” and declined the nomination.
However, it happened with such mysterious timing. I thought, “I’ve already made up my mind,” and became one of the deacons, and since then have continued to serve as a deacon.

My pastoral work today has been influenced in many ways by the actions of my past pastors (I belonged to multiple churches, including when I was a seminary student, so there are multiple pastors).
The memories of “At that time, the pastor dealt with it like this,” and the various other things I learned from those before me are very useful in the many ways I serve as a pastor now. I am grateful for their influence.
Of course, the things and people that my pastors faced in the past are different from the things and people I’m facing at BIBC now, so I cannot just replicate what I have learned and thought.
Since I have been given my own gifts and character, I can take what I was taught in the past and what I am continuing to be taught in this church here, to carry out my pastoral ministry day by day.
It’s a never-ending study of faith. In that sense, I think it’s the same even for believers who may not be pastors.

When it comes to service, we are all gifted differently, and depending on our gift and circumstances, we should offer the service that we are able to provide with joy.
This year’s motto for the church comes from Galatians 5:13, but I chose Galatians 5:16 – 26 for today’s scripture.
The first verse, verse 16, is written as follows.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Paul, the author of this letter says, to serve one another in love, “it is necessary to walk by the spirit.”
At first glance, the words “spirit” and “flesh” may catch our eye here. “Flesh” here, to put it bluntly, refers to our own desires that are born in us.
In verses 19 – 21, various actions caused by human greed are listed. I can’t go into detail about each of the things that are listed there, but I think it’s possible to summarize them briefly.
“Sexual immorality” and “impurity”, etc. are the act of sexually satisfying one’s own desires while disregarding the dignity of others.

“Idolatry” and “witchcraft” are placing something that is not of God as a god. Putting something mysterious or exciting that works wonders on our emotions as a god.
“Discord” and “fits of rage” are caused by the mistakenly heightened desire to protect one’s own interests and desires.
And we try to distract and solve problems through “drunkenness” and “orgies” (methods that may seem to have an immediate effect). But the real problem will never be solved until the root of the problem is addressed.
Today’s passage tells us not to walk according to such thoughts and desires of the flesh, but to walk (live) according to the spirit.
“Spirit” is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. By following the Spirit of Jesus Christ, we will be able to bear the many fruits of faith described in verses 22 – 23.
Carnal desires, selfish desires, anger, and other negative emotions seem beyond our control. In fact, it is true that we cannot control them or eliminate them entirely.

But, in verse 24 something amazing is written.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Believing in Christ means believing in what Jesus Christ overcame on the cross. Jesus forgave all our sins in exchange for his life on the cross.

Jesus also crucified our fleshly desires with him on the cross and destroyed that power.
We all know that we have many negative emotions within us.
No one has never experienced things like envy, or lusting over what others have, or hatred, or anger against others.
Such thoughts never leave us. But the Bible tells us that there is a way for us to live without being controlled by such carnal thoughts and negative emotions.
When we look up at Jesus Christ on the cross, we look up at the one who destroyed (sacrificed) Himself to also destroy our fleshly thoughts and desires.

Even now, Jesus walks ahead of us and guides us thrugh the words of the Bible and through the Holy Spirit, who is the spirit of God.
When we follow Christ and walk according to the guidance of the Spirit, the many fruits that are born from that are written in verses 22 – 23.
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
“Love, joy, peace, forbearance...” are said to be the “fruits” of the Spirit. And as fruit, it takes time to grow, develop, and ripen.
It is not something that is given to you in an instant if you believe in Christ. In order for us to embody these qualities in our lives of faith, we need faith growth and discipline

By continuing to connect with Jesus Christ, by continuing to listen to and receive the word of God, it is gradually built up through a life of faith.
For me, there is a person who is one of my predecessors in the faith, who has devoted her life to helping many others, even though she has suffered many hardships.
I can remember this one instance very well, the deep expression on her face when she said the phrase “The love of the Lord.” I think that the sister was saying, “Thank you for the love of the Lord.”
I am convinced that she was able to serve others with such devotion because she herself was made aware of the love of the Lord and lived in that joy.
The Lord gave us His love, the love of Jesus Christ. Feelings of animosity and anger have no power before the love, joy, and peace of the Lord.
Since such great love has been given to us, I would like us to live a life of faith together with gratitude, joy, and love for each other. The first step is for each of us to live within the love of the Lord.

Lastly, I will read from Romans 8:1 – 3.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh,

When we are in Jesus Christ, we are no longer condemned. When we are in Christ, we are not subject to carnal thoughts.
By following Christ and allowing Christ to live in us, let us not give in to these carnal thoughts and continue to walk together with the Spirit of Christ.