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.