As the Children of God

June 6, 2013 Sermon Summary

Mathew 5:9

Now, I want to focus on the verse “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”◆When we confess and believe that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of our sins, we become children of God. Do you remember?That’s why we have to be peacemakers because we are the children of God. Today, I believe that we have special mission here at Beppu International Baptist Church.◆Currently, there are conflicts and terrors occurring everywhere all around the world. There are many people who suffer from poverty.I think it can be the first step to make peace, if, with merciful and meek hearts we can build relationships together with people from other countries.Breaking the walls, building bridges and peacemaking are indeed the things that the world is looking for today. Here, we are like this, having a wonderful relationship with each other. We have been given an environment where we can send many people all over the world to spread the gospel from this church. ◆In The Tower of Babel, God judged humans’ pride and haughtiness therefore God scattered people to different countries by confusing their language. However, with gospel as the common “language”, God is using us to make and realize peace. Are you following this calling, everyone? 　（Deacon Tetsuaki Endo）

Live Richly Toward God

June 2, 2013 Sermon Summary

Like 12:13-21

The event in these verses took place when Jesus was teaching the crowd like usual. Among the crowd, there was a man who was troubled over family inheritance so he asked Jesus to solve the problem for him.◆A quarrel similar to that appears in every generation. Sometimes, a quarrel can even lead to murders. I think possessions and wealth are such scary things because they can distort humans’ hearts. ◆Of course, I’m not saying that wealth and possessions are “evil” things. What’s important is how we utilize them. We must not sell our souls to wealth and possessions; we must not be controlled by them.◆That is a sound argument. Everyone here probably agrees to it, too. Still, wealth and possessions have the power of an evil desire, “greed”, which can suddenly enter our hearts and control us against our logic, without us even realizing it.◆This is not a problem of one man who is worried over family inheritance. This is a trap into which all humans can fall easily; this is our weakness. ◆“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions”.――The point that Jesus focuses on in this parable is “death”. The problem does not lie in wealth. It is in “death” which inevitably comes to visit everyone, regardless of their wealth.◆When death comes, there are meaningless things that we must let go of. Or, to put it differently, there are things that cannot separate us from death even if we cling onto them.◆This parable is not meant to say that “No matter how hard you work to amass your fortune, you’re only human and you’re destined to die”. This parable is an invitation, asking us “How should you live so that you are rich in the presence of God?”

The Lost Sheep That Was Found

May 26, 2013 Sermon Summary

Luke 15:1-7

We had the Lord’s Supper today. When we had the Lord Supper, I believe no one thought,” Oh my, how come that person is also with us? I don’t like it. I wonder why the pastor treats that person in the same way he treats us.” However, in this scene, these exactly criticizing, complaining words came out. ◆Having meal together is the basic thing when we live with other people. Having meal together means that we accept each other as friends. In other words, Lord Jesus became friends with the tax collectors and the sinners. ◆However there were people who saw this and could not tolerate that. They absolutely couldn’t tolerate that Jesus became friends with the sinners. It’s because they had pride in their own righteousness and they thought “we are different from those people.” Jesus told this parable to destroy their arrogance. ◆Perhaps, when Jesus told this parable, the tax collectors and sinners, who became the reason of the criticism, were with him. For them, this parable was nothing more than a great joy (gospel/good news). For them, these words are words that they had never heard before, words that are full of love and mercy. ◆In this way, parables can be judgment or salvation depending on the standpoint of the listener. Now, when we listen to this parable, in which position do we stand? Is it the law teachers’ or the sinners’? ◆Let each and every one of us confirm our position and standpoint. If we can look at ourselves and everyone else around us as “the lost sheep that was found”, I believe that the Kingdom of God will come on earth.

Make Disciples of Jesus in All Nations

May 19, 2013 Sermon Summary

Matthew 28:18-20 Acts 2:1-11

he Holy Spirit rested “on each one of them” like “tongues of fire”. It’s very important to note that it says “on each one of them”.None of them was merely an onlooker. Since then, all of them became world missionaries. That’s the event of the Pentecost.◆I want to call your attention to the verse that says it “filled the whole house” (2:2). In the Bible, sometimes the word “house” (oikos) points to the “world” (kosmos).That the wind noise of the Holy Spirit “filled the whole house” (oikos) means that the entire world will be filled with the proclamation of the Word through the Holy Spirit, pointing to the joy of the Good News spreading to the whole world.◆Fortunately, in our church we have people from different parts of the world. And from this church, many people go out to every part of the world. What a promising potential to spread the Good News!◆To achieve this, we have to undergo a discipleship training. We have to learn earnestly about the Gospel, we have to prepare our testimonies, we have to acquire learn how to share the Word effectively to other people. ◆My prayer is that everyone in this church becomes a disciple of the Lord Jesus to proclaim the Good News.◆My prayer is that pastors, preachers and missionaries may rise from this church. That there may be among you people who carry on the work of evangelism in Japan. And not only in Japan, but in the whole world.

With the Lord Jesus,the Great Shepherd

May 12, 2013 Sermon Summary

Hebrew 13:20-21

It has been 16 years since I have been called to be pastor but I feel great responsibility and fear up to this day. I feel there is much I am lacking in when I think about the responsibility of taking care of and shepherding the believers (sheep) of this church. ◆However, when I think of my smallness, I face the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the “Great Shepherd” of his people (the sheep).◆The Lord Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11)◆The Lord Jesus, the “Great Shepherd,” did just this by giving up his life (dying on the cross) to save us (the sheep). By doing this, he made our covenant (promise of salvation) with God the Father an eternal one and not a temporary one.◆Is there anything “eternal” in this world? The answer is “no.” Our physical health, nations, the earth’s environment will all change.◆However, the covenant made by the “Great Shepherd” Jesus will always be anew, never to change. This is an unchanging truth. That is why we can have security when we walk with Him.◆We are greatly blessed if we can be assured of the “Great Shepherd” Jesus’ presence when listening to this “benediction.” This assurance will give us encouragement and peace whatever we face.

Pentecost Worship Service

Pentecost is one of the three major ceremonies of Christianity. Pentecost Special worship service will be held at our church on Sunday, May 19, 2013 from 11am.
We won't have the first 9am worship service on the day.

Be Strengthened by Grace

May 5, 2013 Sermon Summary

Hebrew 13:7-9

The strength of a believer is in their realization that God’s grace is the one that allows them to live.◆“Grace” is something that God one-sidedly gives to us. We can also call it “an unconditional love”. It is not a conditional love where God will love us back only if we love him first. Even way before we love him, God has always loved us. It’s not because of what “we did” but because God loves us unconditionally. And that is grace.◆All of us are not saved by our action, but by God’s grace. We mustn’t forget that. We must not be tricked into thinking that we can live in our own strength.◆he Lord says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12: 9 NIV).◆Whenever you feel down and troubled by your own weaknesses, let’s remember that verse. And then ask God so that you may be strengthened by his grace.
Dear Lord, our God, you have opened the path of salvation for us sinners, by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, we thank you and praise you from our hearts for that amazing grace.
We are weak and small. We are like a bowl with many faults, but please use us so that your grace may flow abundantly from us so the world can see.