Sunday Worship Service November 24, 2024

Prelude
Call to Worship Exodus 19:5
Hymn JBC # 1 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!
The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Supper
Hymn JBC #236 What can wash away my sin?
Appeal for the World Baptist Prayer Week
Offering
Scripture Matthew 28:16～20
Prayer
Sermon “Make Disciples of All Nations”
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 213 Tell me the story of Jesus
Doxology JBC #676
Benediction
Postlude

I am very happy that today, as we begin the first day of a new week, we can worship together like this.
The freedom to worship in this way is something we should never take for granted.
Today week is the World Baptist Prayer Week, an annual event held by the Japan Baptist Convention, of which our church is a member. Today, we join together in prayer to remember the mission works and missionaries who serve the mission work both at home and abroad that is supported by the Japan Baptist Convention.
Religious freedom is not always guaranteed outside Japan, and there are many regions and countries where it is difficult to have Christian faith. (Even within Japan, there are areas where Christian missionary work is very difficult.)
We’d like to pray that the work, safety and lives of the missionaries and evangelists working in such places will be protected.
Let us also join in prayer for revival in these areas and places; that many people will be saved through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The God we worship and believe in is the God who revealed himself through Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead on the cross and resurrected to new life.

　Today's Bible passage is the final part of the Gospel of Matthew.

Let us listen together to God's message from today's passage, where Jesus' disciples met the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's read the first verse, verse 16.

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.

The eleven disciples were Jesus' direct disciples and were also called "apostles." Until then, there were twelve apostles.
However, one of them, Judas Iscariot, took his own life out of guilt for having sold Jesus to the Jewish authorities, leaving only eleven disciples left.
I imagine that the disciples were shocked and saddened by the fact that their teacher Jesus had been crucified, and also by the loss of their friend Judas.
Jesus was crucified (executed) and died in Jerusalem, Israel.
And Jesus appeared to two women (Mary Magdalene and the other Mary) who had come to see the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week (Sunday). This is what it says at the beginning of Matthew 28.
Jesus said to the women, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." (28:10).
The two Mary must have told the disciples what Jesus had said, as instructed by Jesus. The disciples followed His instruction and went from Jerusalem to Galilee.
There, on a mountain, the disciples met Jesus, the one who had been crucified and died and had risen from the dead. The disciples bowed down before Jesus.

To bow down also means to "worship," as that is how it is translated in the New International Version (NIV).
Just like the disciples who worshiped Jesus at that time, we now meet the resurrected Jesus and worship the resurrected Jesus Christ in our worship services.
　The resurrected Jesus Christ is here with us, speaking to us and empowering us.
Jesus promised his disciples, "Go to Galilee, where you will see me after the resurrection," and indeed he did appear to them.
Galilee for us today is the church, where we can meet the One who died and rose again, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

In the church, we meet Jesus, who destroyed the power of death and the power of darkness through His resurrection. We pray and hope to be a church filled with the power of the resurrected Jesus Christ.
But verse 17 says, "But some doubted." Even after seeing the resurrected Jesus, some of the disciples still doubted.
The faith of Jesus' disciples was not perfect. Humans are naturally skeptical, and no one has perfect faith. The disciples were no exception.
But even so, even to us who have such imperfect faith, Jesus Christ has revealed himself and taught us through His words. We too are not able to have strong faith, without any doubts, all the time.
We may sometimes waver in our faith and even doubt, but even so, despite our doubts and weaknesses, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ meets us where we are and teaches us through His Word.
Verse 18 says, "Jesus came and said to them." Jesus came to His disciples.

God took the initiative to come to us. We did not reach Him from our side; that is impossible.
It is not that we go to God and receive His words, but rather that God came to us so that we could hear His voice. Let us give thanks to God for this grace.

Let's read verses 18 to the first half of verse 20.

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." The One who has all authority sends us out to "make disciples of all nations."
First of all, let us firmly believe that the One who sends out Christians on missionary work (Lord Jesus) has all authority in heaven and on earth.
The One who has all authority sends us out to preach the gospel, so nothing can hinder or discourage us except by His permission.
And Jesus commanded, "Make disciples of all nations." Christians today also live by this command.
But how long will it take to accomplish Jesus' command to "make disciples of all nations"?
This so-called “Great Commission” to make all nations disciples of Jesus Christ is a grand command that is yet to be fulfilled.

This mission has been imposed on Christian churches across places and generations.
The Christian church has existed in order to fulfill this Great Commission (God's grand vision): to make disciples (Jesus’ disciples) of all nations (although it’s not certain when this will be fulfilled).
Even though each of us is small, and our church is also small, don't you feel inspired and excited when you think that we live for God's grand plan and mission?
Let us follow Jesus' command to make disciples of all nations; trusting not in ourselves but in God, Jesus Christ, who has all authority.
And of course, we Christians too, as disciples of the Lord, let us continuously grow and walk together on the never-ending journey of faith.
What does it mean to become a disciple of Jesus? First of all, to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The Bible teaches that there is one God in three person: God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit.

　The Bible tells us a very mysterious truth that cannot be explained by human logic: God the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct Persons, yet they are one and the same God.
We have been clearly commanded by Jesus Himself to confess our faith in the Triune God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and for the church to baptize new believers (those who have made a decision) as evidence of that faith.
At our church the week after next, one sister will profess her faith and get baptized. We are extremely glad about this and thankful to God.
Let us once again remember that through Christ's command, we’ve been given the authority to baptize new believers and let’s also be aware of that responsibility.
And Jesus said, "teach them to obey everything I have commanded you."
Jesus taught us many important things.
It is our mission as Christians to constantly learn about each of these things and deepen our understanding and faith, while at the same time sharing all of Jesus' teachings with the world.

When we think about it, it seems like an incredibly heavy responsibility that we could never bear. Indeed, it’s not a responsibility and mission that we can shoulder alone.
But we do not need to worry because Jesus has promised us the following. Let us read the last words of today's passage in the second half of verse 20.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." - Jesus has given us a great responsibility and mission, but he also promises us such amazing grace.
God's Son, Jesus Christ, will always be with us, even to the end of the world.
The work of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ is not something we do alone. Jesus is with us now and always until the end of the world, guiding and helping us in our work.
The resurrected Jesus Christ takes the lead in guiding our lives of faith and our evangelization ministry (preaching the Gospel).

Therefore, let us continue to look up to Jesus with the eyes of faith and continue to serve as ambassadors for Christ.
As we remember and pray for those who are currently serving in various missionary efforts both at home and abroad, I also hope that each of us and our church will renew our joy and determination in preaching the Gospel.
“I am with you always, even to the end of the age” - this promise of Jesus will remain true forever.