Sunday Worship Service Oct.22, 2023

Call to Worship Jeremiah 23:29
Hymn JBC # 124 This is my Father’s world
The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Supper
Offering
Scripture Luke 4:31~37
Prayer
Sermon “The Authority of God’s Word”
https://youtu.be/N6VvfGJnhwg
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 506 ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Doxology JBC # 674
Benediction

In today’s bible passage, it is written that Jesus [taught the people on the Sabbath]. Even in chap. 4:16 which is prior to today’s passage, it is written that it was Jesus’ custom to go to the synagogue (it’s the church to the present Christian) to worship God.
We work (each one’s task) six days in a week, and to specially set aside a day within the week for God as a Sabbath day is a solemn command that was given to us from God, and that is also a great blessing to us.
The day of the Sabbath is a confirmation and a joyful day as well that we were created by God and to live in fellowship with Him.

By suspending each one’s task and other things that we need to do, we confirm that nothing in this world surpasses the blessing that is given us from God. We have the confidence that we are made to live by God.
We worship God in the church’s worship service. And we listen to God’s word, the words of His teachings in the worship service. It is written in today’s scripture that “Jesus went to the synagogue and taught the people”.
It doesn’t mean that Jesus did that sometimes, but instead He always went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and always taught the people. Jesus was also “a person who teaches = teacher” of people.
Jesus kept on teaching people again and again concerning God’s teachings, about the words of the bible, probably even of the same matter if it was significant.

The Word of God, His teaching is never ending. In my opinion, Jesus couldn’t fully proclaim God’s word in public evangelism within around three years of His life on earth.
It is because the grace of God’s word is eternal. I, as a pastor speak from God’s Word of the bible at worship service every week, or at prayer meetings and even in some other opportunities.
One thing is clear, that I cannot speak all through (in the first place, I cannot fully understand God’s word of the bible) this entire Word of the bible even if I take my entire lifetime.
However, Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior who carried our sins and died on the cross.
Therefore, we can say that Jesus has told us everything (even if he couldn't say it all in words) through that life and His figure that died on the cross all things that He should tell us as the Son of God.
Let us always listen to the words of the bible that was conveyed (remained) to us as words of God while being illuminated by the teachings of Jesus Christ.

The Word of God is a spiritual food to us. A living being not taking in food becomes malnourished.
If we become spiritually malnourished due to lack of God’s word, what lies ahead is spiritual death.
The bible remains as this even now as the Word of God, and message based on the words of the bible is told continually in Christian churches all over the world even now, that none of us won’t be led to spiritual death.
There was an extraordinary power on the words of God that Jesus spoke. In today’s verse 32 is written as follows.

32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.

How do we know whether we certainly heard God’s word? One way to gauge whether we certainly heard God’s word is the [amazement].
In today’s scripture, those who heard the teachings of Jesus were “remarkably amazed”. Similarly, we should be amazed if we also truly heard God’s voice, if we really heard His teaching.
“Amazement” is to have a shocking experience that seems to tremble you. It is to experience being overwhelmed of God’s Word, so much moved and seems to overturn you.
The message of God conveyed by the bible is filled with amazement. Even the fact that this world of ours, all things of heaven and earth were created by God is a message of amazement.
Even the fact that God became man, came to this world as Jesus Christ, taught people about God’s kingdom and His love in words they could understand is a message of amazement.

　Do we (particularly the Christian) experience the amazement of God’s Word?

As our life of faith gets longer, we become quite familiar of the contents and knowledge increases of bible stories or even the words of Jesus.
Even with regards to stories in the bible or words of Jesus, the more we are familiar of the passage, the more we may think [I already know much about this passage. I also understand its meaning. I have read and thought of it many times in the past].
However, it’s not the case. Though the same passage or the same Word of God, words of the bible approach us with new resonance, freshness and amazement.
When the light of the Holy Spirit that is the spirit of God illumines our heart and His Word as well, that Word approaches us with new amazement every time.
The Word of God comes as an amazement and approaches us, we are trembled, made to realize our sin, and the awareness that we can be transformed or must be changed by God arises.
Always receiving the Word of God with such amazement is the kind of church we want to be.

The reason why people were amazed to Jesus’ teaching at that time is clearly written in today’s scripture. It is because there was authority in His teaching.
because his words had authority. (verse 32)
The authority that Jesus had was not one that would wrestle the person to the ground as if to let him listen by force.
　To wrestle a person to the ground and strongly make him listen to what you say is not a true authority. If it is such an authority, it is at least not God’s authority that the bible tells.
The authority that Jesus had is one that fundamentally transforms us from the inside. It is such an authority.
It’s not changing us forcibly by threatening with fear or force from the outside, but the authority that by speaking God’s Word repeatedly, the person that hears it seems to be changing from the inside (even if it takes time) is the authority that Jesus had.

God patiently speaks to us of His Word repeatedly even to this day. Such God’s patience and in His Word is found the true authority.
However, we human beings by nature have the tendency to rebel against God’s Word. In today’s scripture is described “a demon, an impure spirit” as one that makes us rebel against God.
In the synagogue where Jesus taught was a man possessed by an impure spirit and cries out at the top of his voice as follows.
“Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” (verse 34)

[Don’t bother me (What does it have to do with you and me?)] ～ this is a cry that says “ leave me alone, don’t bother me”.
We don’t clearly understand what kind of existence has the impure spirit or the devil, but they certainly exist. That is because the bible clearly tells of that matter.
Judging from the impure spirit that is described in today’s passage, the evil spirit’s work is to make us lonesome. It’s an existence that keeps us away from the love of God. It’s an existence that makes us think “I can manage well enough on my own even without God”.
“I can manage well enough on my own even without God”, “Even if there’s no one else (though it’s ok to have some involvement, to acquaintance degree), I can do enough”. The evil spirit that is described in today’s passage is an existence that makes human beings bear such wrong thoughts.
However, we can never live alone. We will die spiritually if we haven’t fellowship with the true God.
And the way of life to live in fellowship with the true God urges us to have a close spiritual fellowship also with other people aside from our self.

What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Even us might also have such a thought (even if you are a Christian).
　What does a Jew who died of crucifixion 2000 years ago have to do with me to this day? However, He has a great relationship even with us to this day. Without His existence, the death of Jesus on the cross, even our life now is nothing.
　We don’t understand everything. I can’t have full knowledge or talk about everything concerning matters of God and the words of the bible. That is impossible even for me as a pastor.
However, we are as this built as a church of Christ, continue to gather (worship service), talk of God’s Word, keep mutual sharing and keep trusting on God due to the following reasons.

Because we cannot live in the true sense if Jesus Christ the Son of God was not born as a human being.
And if Jesus Christ is with us, we are completely unafraid of anything in this world, not even evil spirit. And we believe in that.
Let us continue to listen repeatedly to the words of God (words of the bible) and know God’s love and protection to us even more. Let us store up God’s words in abundance within us and be joyful for the life to live with Him.
In today’s passage, it is written that as Jesus said sternly [Be quiet! Come out of him!], the demon threw the man down among the people and came out without injuring him.
There is nothing more powerful than the words of Jesus. With a word, it disperses whatever evil power is. Therefore, we must store up in our heart one by one the words of Jesus Christ as our weapon to stand against evil.
The evil spirit couldn’t inflict any injury to that man. Whatever evil power or even evil spirit doesn’t have the power to hurt us even just a little before the power of the true God.
God’s power is such powerful and that is given to us as the words of the bible even to this day. Let us walk our life of faith each day, always relying more than ever on the authoritative and transforming Word of God that overcomes evil and fundamentally transforms us.