Sunday (Pentecost) Worship Service May 19, 2024

Prelude
Call to Worship 2 Samuel 23:2
Hymn JBC # 27 Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn JBC # 1 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!
The Event of Pentecost
Offering
Scripture Acts 4:23~31
Prayer
Sermon “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 86 O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Doxology JBC # 672
Benediction
Postlude

Today we are giving the Pentecost Worship Service. Pentecost refers to the event when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples after the death of Jesus Christ (after His resurrection and ascension), just as Jesus had predicted to them.
　Christianity began in the nation of Judea (located in present-day Israel). It began about 2,000 years ago, when a man named Jesus, who was born a Jew, proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of God to the people.
　As you all know, Jesus Christ was eventually arrested and killed by the Jewish authorities and the Roman Empire (which ruled Judea at that time) by crucifixion.
　In the normal course of events, Jesus' activities (to preach the Kingdom of God to people, to make people repent (turn to God), and to invite people to a life of obedience to God) should have ended there.

　However, Jesus rose from the grave, or resurrected, and appeared to His disciples and many others in his physical body.
　I believe that through His resurrection, Jesus showed us that those who believe in the Lord God will have eternal life.
　His resurrection proved that although our earthly life and body will eventually decay, we have eternal life and are alive in the hands of the eternal God.
　Death is, in the ordinary sense of the word, the end of all things. But death is not the end of our true life. And Jesus' resurrection showed us that what appears to be the end (and despair) in our eyes is actually not the end in God's plan.

　However, the resurrected Jesus did not remain on earth with His disciples and people.
The resurrected Jesus appeared to the people for about 40 days, and then He was taken up to heaven.
　　Jesus ascended into heaven, leaving His disciples with the following words: (This is the scripture we read in today's multilingual scripture reading.)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Jesus told his disciples that "the Holy Spirit will come (descend) on you.” Since the Holy Spirit "descends," it is given from above.
　The Holy Spirit is the power of God given to man from above, from heaven. We believe in faith that the Holy Spirit is equal to God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ.
　Truth be told (according to human common sense), everything should have ended when Jesus was arrested and was put to death on the cross.
When Jesus was eventually arrested, all the disciples fled and abandoned Jesus.

　　But the resurrected Jesus appeared to those (cowardly) disciples, encouraged and strengthened them, and proclaimed the forgiveness of sins. He then exhorted them to pick up the work of proclaiming the Kingdom of God to the people.
Jesus commanded his disciples, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.” Jesus entrusted them with the important task of preaching the Kingdom of God.
　As promised, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, and they then preached with power the teachings of Jesus Christ and the good news of the Kingdom of God. The book of Acts describes this in detail.
　It was not because of their own strength or ability that the disciples were able to boldly preach the teachings of Jesus without succumbing to the threats and persecution that threatened to discourage their mission.
　They were not superior or strong, but there was One who gave them strength and boldness in their timidity.
It was the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the invisible power of God, the very presence of God.

　　Today's reading begins in Acts 4:23. Verse 23 says, "On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.”
　Peter and John were 2 of the 12 disciples who were directly chosen by Jesus when He was alive.
　Peter and John met the resurrected Jesus and then began to boldly preach the Word to the people. However, we read at the beginning of chapter 4 that they were arrested and put in prison by the Jewish authorities for doing so.
　The Jewish authorities arrested them because they were preaching about Jesus Christ and about His resurrection (chapter 4, verses 2-3).
　Peter and John said, "God has resurrected Jesus Christ, whom you crucified and killed.” They also boldly asserted, "Only in the name of Jesus Christ can a person be saved.”

　The Jewish authorities got irritated and angry at Peter and John, telling them “Enough with the nonsense! This Jesus fellow died on the cross for treason against the Roman Empire and for blasphemy against our Jewish God!”
er again speak in that name [of Jesus Christ]!" (4:17-18).
　But Peter and John, who had once abandoned Jesus and fled, now did not yield to such terrible threats, saying
Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Ch.4 v.20)

What bold words these are!
"Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!"
These words should make us today seriously consider whether we are really obeying God on a daily basis, even though we say we believe in Him.
And Peter and John also say, "We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
　They say that they preach about Jesus Christ because they just can't help but do so.
That is to say, apart from their own thoughts and desires, there was some other force at work in them (that influenced their thoughts and desires that way), that was driving them.
　That was the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit was working in Peter and John, causing them to boldly continue to preach the name of Jesus Christ, despite the terrible threats to which one would normally succumb.

　It was the power of the Holy Spirit that empowered them to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ with such boldness (not by their own ability). It was the Holy Spirit who strengthened and empowered them to continue to speak the name of Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is given to us today too. If we ask for the Holy Spirit, God is gracious and will surely give us the Holy Spirit we so desperately long for.
And if God the Holy Spirit resides in each of our hearts, and at the center of this church that is the body of Christ, we will certainly be a church that continues to boldly (and lovingly) proclaim the name of Christ.
　As long as God the Holy Spirit continues to give us the desire to preach the name of Jesus Christ, nothing in the world can take that desire and hope away from us.
　So, let us examine once again whether or not the desire to preach the name of Jesus Christ has been aroused in each one of us.

　Whether or not the Holy Spirit is given to us is also determined by whether or not we have the desire to preach the name of Jesus Christ.
　Let us join together in prayer that the desire of the Holy Spirit, the desire to preach the name of Jesus Christ, may be given to us in abundance.
　Today's scripture tells us that when Peter and John were released, they went to their friends and told them everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
　What the chief priests and elders said was a threat: "Never speak to anyone in Jesus' name again.” Normally, this would instill fear in a person.
　However, something amazing happened to those who heard such news from Peter and John. They raised their voices together in prayer to God.
　Instead of crisis overwhelming them, the terrible situation prompted them to pray to God.

　　Their prayer began with the confession, "Sovereign Lord, … you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.“ (4:24).
　The God we believe in is the Creator of the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.
Since the Creator of heaven and earth is on their side, so they believed and declared that no matter how frightening or critical the situation may seem, “we are protected by you (God)!”
And they prayed too “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” (v. 29)
　Their desire to speak the Word and to preach the name of Jesus Christ never wavered.

　Therefore, they prayed with one heart, "Let us be bold and not be intimidated, and let us continue the work of preaching the Word, which is a blessing for them.”
　　They also asked and prayed "Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." (v. 30).
By "heal and perform signs and wonders," they meant that the life of those who believe in God may be visibly changed, and that the power and effectiveness of their faith in God may be visibly manifested.
Prayer is not to be limited to mere words and emotional upsurges. That is the earnest wish that through the lives of each believer who prays to God and who believes in Him the name of Jesus Christ may be exalted and that His name may be spread far and wide.

It is the hope that our faith will tangibly encourage others, strengthen our weak neighbors, and bring God's love to those who are hungry for love.
There is a place where each of us of our church spends his/her daily life. I pray that each one of you (myself included), on fire through the Spirit as Christians, may speak boldly the name of Jesus Christ in your own way at home, at work, in fellowship with friends, and so on.
　The protection and guidance of the Maker of heaven and earth, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, God the Holy Spirit, is always with us.
So let us all be filled with the Holy Spirit (and let’s desire to be filled), speak the Word of God boldly, and live out our faith