the BIG RESCUE

The letter of Galatians written to answer the big question of personal and Christian Freedom.

We will look at three questions this morning: Whom was it written to?    Who wrote it?     Why was it written?

Two strong emphases: Paul’s God-given authority and Paul’s Christ-centered message. Once we grasp these points, you have the essence of the whole letter.

#1 Whom was it written to? The answer to the first question is a very easy one: to the churchES in Galatia. 

Not one church but the many in this area of what is now present day Turkey.  To the many fellowships that came to be as a direct result in the preaching from this man named Paul. 

In verse 13, we find “how intensely I persecuted the church of God…” This was the Church, universal.  The Whole Body of Christ. Believers everywhere! All who had placed their faith in the Lord Jesus were the target of his deep and personal attacks. He took great pride in seeking Believers out and driving them into jail and killing many that followed this Jesus.

But in this case, it is churchES that he is writing to.  This was a group of fellowships in the province of Galatia.  People were converted and gathered together to fellowship.Then it was to be passed on to the other churches in the area.

We find from Acts 14, the names of some of them.  Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe—all places where Paul was really hurt in some way by the enemies of the Cross!

That is whom it was sent to.

#2. Who wrote it? The first three words in English show us that: PAUL.

This was Paul's first letter to the churches.  In his usual style, Paul sets the stage with long introductions, but not in this one.  He is quick to get started as he was very serious.  It is written like a storm on the horizon.  Something was going to happen—all the signs of hardship were present—and Paul was not going to soften the impact one bit.

There was a BIG storm that was about to break in that area.  It was a deeply spiritual storm. Paul was concerned with the spiritual storm so he cut to the chase and did not give a long intro—as he usually did. And this was his first letter.

It was like getting on a plane at Narita.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard flight 476 to LA.  We should be having a smooth flight today, but we must go over some important information JUST IN CASE! Should the cabin pressure become an issue, oxygen masks will fall from above your seat. Put them on and breath normally---even when the plane is in a tail spin and fire is seen on both sides of the plane…”

On the ground, all is OK but in the air—when there is an emergency, things are said in a different manner.  When you are in a storm, it is critical that certain things are said!

God-Given Authority (1:1)

Within the churches here, there were some bad storms just about to hit and YOU HAD BETTER LISTEN!  Trouble is creeping into the Church. People are teaching WRONG teaching—Wrong Doctrine. The spiritual health of the local churchES was in trouble.  The wrong teaching was that Salvation did not come from Faith in the Lord Jesus alone. Paul taught Faith plus nothing=Salvation. But these false teachers said we would NEED to add things to your Faith. You will NEED to follow the Jewish rules and traditions.

Paul cuts that off right away with verse 1.  Here Paul sates that His ministry has a God-Given authority.  The risen Lord had directly commissioned him on the Road to Damascus.  In fact, those who were challenging Paul’s ‘right’ to speak out was, in fact, challenging the Lord who had commissioned him. Looking back to Matthew 10:40, Jesus gives guidance to us when He teaches: “He who receives you receives Me.”  Did the false teachers in that area receive Paul’s teaching as from God? No! They did not really accept the Teachings of Jesus either and that was the problem Paul needed to cover!

Since the start of the Christian Church there in the book of Acts, the first people to come to Faith were Jewish. They were in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and 5,000 devote Jews fell in line with the Teachings of their Messiah Jesus. They just added Jesus to the belief system and why not? It followed their teachings that He would be the fulfillment of the Prophecies from the Old Testament.  But now, Galatia, these new Believers were not from Jewish backgrounds. In fact, many had no background to follow at all!  Called gentile by the Jews. They had been a ‘pagan people group.’ As believers in Christ, the Jewish believers were struggling with a dual heritage.  They wanted to be strict followers of the Mosaic Law. Their new found faith invited them to base this new faith on LOVE and not on traditions. They also had difficulty with the concept that non-Jewish people could be part of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Paul wrote that any promise of Salvation that also requires Human effort is no salvation at all. Any belief system in the world that requires effort on their follower’s part to gain salvation denies the finished Work of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection.  They tried to improve the character of the followers. Only the transforming Power of the Holy Spirit can make us better than we are. Transformation! Newness of life!

#3 Why Was It Written?

Paul sets up his credentials as in vs 1 “Paul—an apostle…”  Not an ego trip for him.  The Office of being an APOSTLE came from the Lord Jesus.  It means to be a Special Messenger.  One who was commissioned. Someone sent them out from someone higher than themselves.  How did Jesus do this? He called His Followers together to teach them.  He then called 12 men out of that larger group—setting them apart to a task He would empower them to finish.

Paul was added later. After the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, on the Road to Damascus.  His calling was not from men, not from a committee. He was there in that office by the Will of, not only Jesus but also Father God.  He was God’s chosen Messenger.  See 1 Cor 9:1 “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?”

Paul said he was the LAST to been chosen by the Lord for a very special task: take the Gospel to the Gentiles. And he had seen Jesus face to face. He had seen the resurrected Lord.  He was not part of Jesus’ Band but was added later.  By definition: Paul was unique.  Not passed on by bloodline. Not like the House of Lords.  Not from a privileged class.  That did not work for Paul. He had credentials but he counted them ALL as fifthly rags.  

His Salvation was based on Faith in Christ---ALONE!!!

Their question was not only directed toward him as a person but also they had a problem with Loyalty to the Apostolic Teaching.  Not only did they not like Paul, they really did not want to follow what he said—even when that teaching came from the Lord Himself.  They wanted it the old way: works, effort, tasks, heritage, not simply by Faith alone!

The Gospel was at stake here.  If Paul was not an Apostle, than what he wrote was worthless.  If it could be challenged in the First Century, it could be set-aside in the 21st Century. Just set aside what we don’t like. Marriage, morality, government, roles of men and women…all could be challenged.  

It is not a Viking Dinner.  Choose what you like and leave the rest.  We said this before: Some said: God said it; I believe it, that settles it for me.  But I say: God said it; that settles it for me! It is a question of Divine Authority. The Bible either IS the Word of God or it is not. It is! Live with that!

The Message was of Grace and Peace. Grace is the summary of the Gospel.  Undeserved Favor from God!

Peace comes from God.  The God of ALL Peace…  The Father of our (risen) Lord Jesus.

And where is Grace seen? In verse 4 HE RESCUED ME! The Great Rescue!  He volunteered to die for me. I HAD not ask Him!

Ill: A doctor who ‘takes on’ the illness.  Great! Take it on in his own body.   

We don’t deserve it either.  Can’t clean up our act by ourselves.  Zacchaeus in Lk 19:2 did not say: “I’ll clean up my life and then I will follow Jesus.” Jesus said Today Salvation has come to this house.  Because there was a Transformed Life!

We need to be rescued.   He died for our sins.

My lack of knowledge does not negate my need of being rescued.  

 C.T. Studd once said, “Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell, I want to run a rescue shop a yard from hell.”

---

Galatians 1:1-5

 1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers with me,

   To the churches in Galatia:

 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

---

~Alistair Begg of Ohio inspired much of this sermon.  Many thanks for the help and clarity.

Part 2, Theology of Suffering (WHAT DO I DO WITH THE PAIN?)

 Suffering: James wrote that Followers of Christ should “consider it pure joy” when we face trials because we know that this leads to perseverance, which then leads to maturity (James  1:2-4).  It is not that we enjoy the suffering, but we rejoice because we know that we are moving toward maturity. 

   From James, we can see one of the results in suffering—and I am talking about the trials Christians face, leads us to perseverance. Or we let it drive us into a black hole of self doubt and despair.  The trials are there to help us become mature in Christ…more than mature -- complete.

   Our faith being strengthened, our rough edges being worn down so that we are becoming more like Christ.  Mature and complete means the same thing in this context.  More than mature. All together. Full. 

   The stuff of suffering. Is it all about my comfort or my issues, or is it bigger than me?  I would tend to feel my comfort is important but not at the loss of what God wants in my life. I need to look higher than my life. Keep the standard high. We can’t allow our conduct and emotions carry us from the Teaching of the Cross.

One side note, if you please: The death of Osama bin Laden over the weekend. I would rather mourn the death of this man than to sing praises that he is dead. We, as Gospel Carriers, need to show a very cold and spiritually dead society that we carry the Message of God’s Love to everyone. I did not like the things he did…no question; he was an evil man!  But, to rejoice at the death of any person does not reflect the teachings of Jesus. 

Ezekiel 18:23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

God does not take joy in the death of the person who is far from Him.  His will is for ALL to come to a saving Faith in the Lord. Revenge is not good. I just had to say that and add another voice in the sea of voices on this topic…

   People are asking how Christians should respond to tragedy and suffering like what happened in Tohoku. Let’s go to our Teacher.  How did Jesus handle a similar question in His day? Turn with me to Luke 13:1-5 

1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

   Evil is with us.  We see hurt and despair all over the globe.  It is always disturbing. In truth, tragedy surrounds us on every side.  We have to really look for non-tragedies to keep our balance.  In the ancient world, it was a theory that when bad happens to ANYONE, it was only because of sin: the blind man, the woman who was bleeding, the young man born lame; all, they thought, were that way because someone sinned.  Every day, some assume that tragedy generally reflects the Judgment of God for sins committed.  If tragedy comes, the responsibility lies with the one who experiences the tragedy.  That is far from true.

   Those suppositions lead our Lord to respond to the comments spoken to Him about the recent hardships in their country.  (Only Luke addresses these items.)  As Jesus usually does, He takes something people believed in (falsely) and turns it into an open door for reflection.  Rather than talking about life in the philosophical area, He brings it right home.  Repent.

   What had these Galileans done to deserve such a death?

   They too were no worse than anyone else. When the tower fell, what happened was not some kind of punishment, but an accident, something really random. That point is perhaps underlined by one incident-taking place in the north, in Galilee, while the other occurred further south, in Jerusalem. Location makes no difference. Tragedies can happen anywhere, at any time.

   The BIG question is not why did it happen.  Life happens! Things like this will always happen around us.  Sometimes it touches home and it causes us some intense pain. Sometimes, it is far away from us.  The truth is: things will happen. I can’t explain WHY the tower fell on those people in Siloam nor can I explain why the waves took out so many in Tohoku. I can only say that this is what life looks like in the real world. We are living in a fallen world and these kinds of things go on.  From the time after the Fall, things went wrong. People died, got sick, lost, hurt. We move on.  We don’t just push it off as nothing!  As Followers of Jesus, we can care, we can help out, and we can become part of the healing process—as we need the healing as well.  But as Jesus teaches, there is a response that pleases God in all this: “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Our Lord takes the situation to a higher personal level. It makes it a matter of the person’s personal heart issue.

   What am I going to do with this situation? What am I going to do with personal pain of the masses? I need to be sure I am standing in a right relationship with the Maker. Repent of my sins and receive forgiveness. His Good News is that we can know forgiveness through having Faith in Him!  IF a tower falls on me, then I’d be ready to face my Creator. The hardest part might well be to acknowledge that we have in fact done wrong and NEED to repent.

   That may be why so many gave so generously on Easter Sunday. That is why Scot, Andy, Dee and Ken are ministering up north to the needs of those who are in pain. People can help. There is such pain, and those with the insight of the Gospel can be there to help the people along toward healing of their deep pain.

   James teaches us a great deal about our response to suffering. As we said at the beginning: James wrote that we should “consider it pure joy” when we face trials because we know that this leads to perseverance, which then leads to maturity.  It is not that we enjoy the suffering, but we rejoice because we know that we are moving toward maturity. Toward wholeness and being complete in Christ. A process. We are not what we were…

   Was God glad when Osama bin Laden got shot in the head?  NO! It broke His Heart that one more left this world without finding forgiveness of their sins. Was He glad that Northern Japan got hit so hard with the loss of life being so massive? NOT AT ALL!

   Please look with me at two verses: Romans 5:2-3 

 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 

Romans 12:2 

2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.  Use this as a filter for life.

We are only responsible for the questions we have been given the answers to.

   To be mature in Christ. It is the goal we, who are followers of Jesus, should all be living for! As your own Mother gave birth to you, cared for you, fed you, washed you, loved you—so that you would grow to maturity, the Lord is doing the same with all of us. That is our real goal in life!  

By the way: Happy Mother's Day!

A Theology of Suffering; Why does it hurt so much?

Do you really like to feel pain? 

If you had your choice, would you rather be given a free 10-day vacation in Hawaii would you rather have a nine-inch nail be pounded through your left eye? 

That is a no brainier: the trip, of course!  But wait, maybe on your trip to Hawaii, you’ll fall off the stairs as you board the flight.  You then get your leg cut on some metal piece of something and that causes your leg to get infected. And because it is so bad, you need the leg cut off?  Wait, what happened to the nice vacation part?

For many today, and since the world had situations that could go bad, no sane person really takes pleasure in suffering.  In fact, some would say that suffering is an indication of something abnormal.  Suffering means pain and that means it is bad.  Do you agree?

What we really need as Believers and as people who live in the real world is a better understanding of pain—yes, a theology of suffering that reflects real Biblical reality.  We must go beyond the myths of suffering we get from our cultures and look to the Bible—as our final authority—for a solid Biblical view.  To have God’s view of suffering is essential to being able to handle suffering better than most—like falling off the staircase at the airport.

Suffering is normal, after all.  It is a part of a Believers life. It is part of LIFE!  Especially the suffering we have for the Cause of Christ.  Look to Phil 1:29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him, あなたがたはキリストのために、ただ彼を信じることだけではなく、彼のために苦しむことをも賜わっている。 and 1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. あなたがたは、実に、そうするようにと召されたのである。キリストも、あなたがたのために苦しみを受け、御足の跡を踏み従うようにと、模範を残されたのである.

I know that some would say this is not so, but we need to be Biblical and find our answers IN the WORD of GOD.

What we are going to do today is look at some views of suffering that effect us, look at the Word of God—at Jesus’ teaching about suffering and look into seeing the joy of suffering.  I will then hand out some papers for you to do some homework—a study guide, if you will, and we will continue our study next week.  Suffer with me, please.

Does Jesus talk about suffering?  The fast answer is YES.  A great deal.  From the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-11, we read:

 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
 for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
 for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
 for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
 for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
 for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
 for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

   11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

Mat 5:4  悲しんでいる人たちは、さいわいである、彼らは慰められるであろう。

:5  柔和な人たちは、さいわいである、彼らは地を受けつぐであろう。

:6  義に飢えかわいている人たちは、さいわいである、彼らは飽き足りるようになるであろう。

:7  あわれみ深い人たちは、さいわいである、彼らはあわれみを受けるであろう。

:8  心の清い人たちは、さいわいである、彼らは神を見るであろう。

:9  平和をつくり出す人たちは、さいわいである、彼らは神の子と呼ばれるであろう。

:10  義のために迫害されてきた人たちは、さいわいである、天国は彼らのものである。

:11  わたしのために人々があなたがたをののしり、また迫害し、あなたがたに対し偽って様々の悪口を言う時には、あなたがたは、さいわいである。

 

 

Matthew 10:28 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 16:24-25 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it.

Mark 10:29-30 29 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.

Luke 12:49-53 49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
 

Matthew 10:28 また、からだを殺しても、魂を殺すことのできない者どもを恐れるな。むしろ、からだも魂も地獄で滅ぼす力のあるかたを恐れなさい。

Matthew 16:24-25 ²⁴それからイエスは弟子たちに言われた、「だれでもわたしについてきたいと思うなら、自分を捨て、自分の十字架を負うて、わたしに従ってきなさい 自分の命を救おうと思う者はそれを失い、わたしのために自分の命を失う者は、それを見いだすであろう。

Mark 10:29-30 イエスは言われた、「よく聞いておくがよい。だれでもわたしのために、また福音のために、家、兄弟、姉妹、母、父、子、もしくは畑を捨てた者は、:30  必ずその百倍を受ける。すなわち、今この時代では家、兄弟、姉妹、母、子および畑を迫害と共に受け、また、きたるべき世では永遠の生命を受ける。

Luke 12:49-53 わたしは、火を地上に投じるためにきたのだ。火がすでに燃えていたならと、わたしはどんなに願っていることか。

 

On your handout for homework, we will ask you to consider reading Luke 14:26-17, and 33; Luke 21:12-19; and John 12:24-26.

How has our minds and attitudes been challenged in this area of suffering and pain? Our culture has spent a lot of money and time to move us away from the Biblical teaching of suffering and pain. Want to loose weight—don’t take out a gym contract with hard exercise and painful diets-take this pill instead and watch the pounds fall off.   Don’t fight city hall-don’t go against the flow of culture—give in and watch your life get easier…

Cultural Myths About Suffering-all from my point of view.

1.    As Believers in Christ, we should not suffer in this life.

2.    When we are living in God’s Will, living godly lives, we should experience few hardships.

3.    Suffering means something is wrong. It is an abnormal state.

4.    Suffering has no redeeming or positive results.

5.    Suffering means we can have no joy. It robs us of the choice to rejoice.

6.    Spiritual people don’t hurt emotionally when they suffer.

7.    If God really loves us He won’t let us suffer very much. His love means that He will put a hedge around us to keep terrible trials from entering and hurting our lives.

8.    Lastly, when we do suffer, God is punishing us out of anger. He is vindictive and wants us to suffer when He is angry with us.

Do any of these sound like they have made room in your thinking?

Let’s look at How God Views Suffering

1.    We are, in fact, called to suffer for Jesus. Phil 1:29, 1 Peter 2:20-21

2.    We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God; we are destined for trials. Acts 14:22, 1 Thess 3:3

3.    Suffering is normal and expected or inevitable in the Christian life. 2 Tim 3:12

4.    God uses suffering for our good, to conform us to the likeness of His Son. Rom 8:28-29

5.    We have a choice to rejoice in our suffering.

6.    Spiritual people feel many painful emotions when they suffer. Mark 14:33-34, 2 Cor 2:4

7.    God did not prevent His own Son from Suffering. Rom 8:32 And He did not prevent Paul, Peter, John the Baptist, Job, David, …. And others He loves from suffering greatly.

8.    Suffering may be God’s loving discipline, for our good and for His Glory.  Heb 12:7-11

Do any of these sound like they have made room in your thinking?

But it hurts so much!  When we see the pain on people’s faces, we feel badly.  When we hear of suffering, we get uncomfortable, wishing the topic would change.  Yes, life does hurt and it is painful. But, it could be way worse.  Without the Grace of God on Earth—things could be a lot harder affecting the lives of so many.

Some find ways of dealing with suffering, other than a Biblical way.  Their view of godliness is challenged.  “I missed my devotions this morning—He won’t give me what I ask for.”  “I need a favor of God, but I don’t want to bother Him with the request—so I’ll go to a Saint and ask him to intercede on my behalf.”

“I have this lucky charm that has helped me in the past…”

“I have this lucky chant I use to get me through hard times…”

All this is NOT the way of the Cross. It is not found in Biblical teaching or practice. You only need to go to Christ DIRECTLY and you will find His love and help.  If you are doing anything like that in your life practice, you will need to, not only stop that, but also seek forgiveness for taking the wrong way through life.  Seek His Hand and His forgiveness.  You will find the end will go better for you. You will be doing life the Master’s Way.

You will be in good company should you doubt your suffering.  As Jesus anticipated being crucified, He felt deeply distressed and troubled  恐れおののき、また悩みはじめて (Mark 14:33).  He was overwhelmed with sorrow  悲しみのあまり死ぬほどである (Matt 26:38 and Mark 14:34). He was deeply distraught  どんなにか苦しい思いをする (Luke 12:50). Jesus was troubled in heart and in His Spirit (John 12:25, 13:21).

One thing people don’t need when they are going through a hard time is people telling them to hang in there.  Things will get better. A slap on the back.  Smile, why don’t you? Be happy!  Truth is, the suffering may be more real than the other person understands. That person who is going through that hard time needs some compassion. Someone who will cry with them—if needed.  Someone who will get down with them and listen and not talk. Some have a hard time listening because they don’t know when to stop talking.  Listen to the hurting person. Let them be silent. Silence is not a bad thing. And you can’t always fix what is wrong anyway.  Allow the Grace of God to touch them. Pray for them in silence.  What can you really say? With Job, his friends spoke a great deal but really did not understand the situation….as Job didn’t understand either. It was a God Thing.

We are to come along side those who are hurting. See how the Lord does it?  In Isaiah 42:2-4 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise His voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice; 4 He will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on earth. In His teaching the islands will put their hope.”
 彼は叫ぶことなく、声をあげることなく、その声をちまたに聞えさせず、:3  また傷ついた葦を折ることなく、ほのぐらい灯心を消すことなく、真実をもって道をしめす。:4  彼は衰えず、落胆せず、ついに道を地に確立する。海沿いの国々はその教を待ち望む。 

He is not loud.  He will not force Himself on you.  He is not out in the street yelling at you. You are hurting and He will be by your side. You are a bruised reed…a flute that has been hurt—He will fix to make beautiful music once again.  Don’t be thrown away. Encouraged to press on and to be used once again for His Glory.  If you feel you are more smoke than light, He will work with you. It will take time but He restores the broken hearted. In Isaiah 40:29 “29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”　3０ 弱った者には力を与え、勢いのない者には強さを増し加えられる。31しかし主を待ち望む者は新たなる力を得、わしのように翼をはって、のぼることができる。走っても疲れることなく、歩いても弱ることはない。

Is that you this morning, my Friend?  He cares for you in ways you will only start to understand. 43:4 “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you…I will give men in exchange for you.”  あなたはわが目に尊く、重んぜられるもの、わたしはあなたを愛するがゆえに、あなたの代りに人を与え、あなたの命の代りに民を与える。

You are THAT important to Him. He will restore your life…in Christ Jesus the Lord.  THAT is His promise.

Next week, we will look into the saying and strong belief of "There is joy in suffering!"

Purpose and Results of Suffering. 

On May 8th, Lord willing, God is our MAIN Resource in Suffering

Resurrection Sunday: He Is Alive!

He is Risen!  He is Risen, indeed!

   A most interesting statement that the Early Believers would say was “Christ is Risen!  Alleluia!”  Another would be: “Even so come Lord Jesus!” Both reflect the Resurrection of Jesus.

   That theme was central to the teaching of the early church and all through Church History.  When it became second or third level in the teaching and of interest and when it almost disappeared, then the Church suffered a decline in Her impact in the society. The Miracle of all miracles.  When the Power of God’s resurrection was missing in the teaching and preaching of the Message of Christ, the Church lost the foothold in people’s hearts and minds.  He is Risen!

Point One:  It affects my life.

   How had this Resurrection affected me? I now have Hope in the Risen Lord.  If He is raised from the Dead, than I have my sins covered.

It works like this.  God restores a dead and dying mankind through the willing sacrifice of God’s Son on the Cross. 

 At the cross, all the sin of the ages was placed on the heart of the sinless Son of God, as He came the racial representative of all humanity. From the cross, salvation flows to every believing soul. This is the Gospel, the greatest good news the world has ever heard. The Person of Christ: Death, Burial, Resurrection, Ascension. Basic Christian Doctrines, Carl F.H. Henry, ed. p. 139.

   So what does it do for us?  In short, that is the wrong question. So many times, people today want something. What is in it for me? What can I get of it? Do I get something back? How can this benefit me?

Being selfish, that kinda works for me.  I am sure it might be that way for you as well.  However, when it comes to THIS point, we need to step back and give room for Him to work.  Give room for Him to take center stage.  Life is not all about me: not all about what I could get out of life.  Life is ALL about HIM.  Who He is!  His Character.  His Holiness.  His God-ness. True, there are verses that say that IF you do this and that, you will GET that and this. But the whole meaning of the Gospel is that This Good News starts and finishes with Him.  His good news to Mankind—to you and me—is that He is Lord.  IS that He has power over life and death.  Is that He offers Forgiveness to all who call on Him.

   In 1 Cor 15:19-26, Paul describes what Resurrection meant to him:

19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to Him. 24 Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 

   As a Believer, I must give my attention to this teaching!  Again, it is not a Viking Style selection.  I will only choose what is pleasing to me.  When I put my trust in this One who died for me, I took the whole package.  The blessings along with the hardships.  The growth along with the pain of living.  The promises along with the results of my disobedience.  All for His Glory!

   We look at the story of this resurrection and we will see the result of God’s plan for all us humans.  He loves us.  His wish and His plan for our lives is for us to LET this resurrection really work into our day to day lives.  For us to live like His is alive. He is at work in Tohoku. He is at work here in Enoki-Cho.  last night, we heard of a 78 year old who wants to be identified with Christ in Baptism!

Point Two:  He is Faithful.

1 Cor 1:9 God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

   Have you ever had a pet, esp a dog?  They are the most faithful of all friends.  Even after a long absence of being away from our dog, he remembers me and wants to please my every wish.  Faithfulness is a sought after quality in humans as well.  In a marriage, faithful is not only expected, it is a command of God on the couple.  When  one partner fails in this, the relationship is deeply tested. In friendships, there MUST be Faithfulness, otherwise, no trust will grow and the friendship will not survive. 

   Is it any different with you and God?  We know from the Bible that God is called the Faithful God.  We read about His Greatness.  About His Faithfulness.

   And He has a plan to show us His faithfulness.  He has, as this verse strongly says, CALLS us into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Because of His faithfulness, the Father did not let Jesus decay in the grave.  Because of His faithfulness, He called Him out of Death’s grip and set Him free.  God is Faithful.  Do you find that to be true?  Tell us why you believe that to be true?

   In closing, two verse that point to His Great Faithfulness.  One is Luke 1:27  “Nothing is impossible with God.”

The other is Romans 10:17.  The Source of ALL Faith.  Comes by hearing the spoken Word of God.  Like right here, right now, you are all called to believe this message of God’s Faithfulness. Do you hear me?  Can you believe?

This whole teaching is true as it is based on the fact of the resurrection of Christ!

The dying Jesus is evidence of God’s anger toward sin, but the LIVING Jesus is proof of God’s Love and forgiveness!

Palm Sunday-April 17th

Come to ICCS for our Palm Sunday Service.

Worship in English and in Japanese.

Come and join the Fellowship--starting at 10:30 AM on Sunday!

Be there!  You owe it to your heart.  
Come and be refreshed!

The Resurrection of Jesus: The Key of Belief/ イエスの復活：信仰の要（かなめ）

The Resurrection of Jesus is a matter of Death and of Life   

イエスの復活：信仰の要（かなめ）これこそ命と死のことです

日本のために祈る。Praying for Japan.

   Soon, we will be in the Easter Season.  Palm Sunday is next week, followed by Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday), Good Friday, Easter or Resurrection Sunday. 

     The whole week is one of great interest to the Believer as it covers so much of the events of why Jesus came to earth.

One, He came to die.

   And once He was dead, He came to be alive once again.  The Work of Christ on the Cross IS the most important event in Human History. Sure His Birth was grand. Never before happened in the history of mankind that God would become flesh and live among us. Incarnation, it is called. God became Man, in the flesh: All God and ALL Man. Immanuel: God is with us!

Certainly not going to take away any of the Glory of Christmas BUT, the reason He came born as a Man, was so that He could die on the Cross for the sins of ALL of us here in this room. All who will read this sermon on line. All who have never heard of this message, Christ’ Death was to pay the price for our sins. All of them! The very sins that keep us away from God to begin with are the very ones He took upon Himself and He felt the wrath of His Father on our behalf. 

The importance of the Resurrection. He came to Rise from the Dead.

   Some would say today that they are Believers in the Lord Jesus, but… they do not believe that Jesus rose from the dead. I would counter that with this comment: You can’t be a follower of Jesus Christ and NOT believe in the Resurrection of Jesus. The Resurrection is central to the Christian faith. It is One of the Biggies of Christianity. It is The Main Thing.

   This is the very question and problem that faced the Church in Corinth. Turn with me to 1 Cor 15: 12-32

   Let us look at the passage and move through it and see what Paul is teaching us. Evidently, in that city, there were some who were teaching that there was no resurrection. How important IS the resurrection? VERY! It is the foundation—no, even deeper that that!  Paul states that IF there were no Resurrection, then Christ Himself is still dead and that blows a hole in the Gospel.  Our preaching would be useless—and so would our Faith.

   If the 11 Apostles MADE up the story of the resurrection, they would not have had such a change in their personalities.  Think with me: They never thought that Jesus would be brought back from the dead to begin with.  Where were they after the death of Jesus?  Locked in their room—afraid of the Jewish leaders!  Their whole life seemed empty to them.  One decided to go fishing ‘cause that was what he use to do BEFORE Jesus came into his life.  And that is the point: Jesus had not really come into their lives yet!  They were doubting along with Thomas. 

   When the women returned from the empty tomb, they were saying “He’s Alive!” Never entered their minds that He would do this.  He told them a number of times before that He would but they were slow in understanding…just like us.

   When two of the men ran to the tomb, they were shocked!  What did they do with His Body?  One woman asked a man she thought was the gardener, “Where have you placed Him?  I want to care for the body.”  She was shocked when she heard Jesus talking to her.  No, the followers of Jesus DID NOT expect Him to return from the dead.  No way.

   The two on the road to Emmaus did not know about it either! Once the Resurrected Jesus asked them what was going on, they stood still and asked, “Where have you been? Are you a visitor to this city?  Jesus died!”  But when He broke bread in front of them as He did in the upper room and gave thanks –POW, they could see that it was Jesus.

   The teaching of the resurrection was not made up inside the locked doors of the followers of Jesus.  Thomas did not believe unless he could put his fingers into the holes in His Hands and in His side.

   It also could not be hysteria.  Maybe for one, but not for the 11 and then later well over 500!  No, mass-hysteria does not work that way.  And they would not die for a made-up vision.  They would not die for a self-proclaimed lie.  These timid and uneducated men-for the most part-really changed after they saw and walked with the resurrected Jesus.  Peter was no longer the fool.  The other disciples went to their death defending this teaching—not so if they had made it up.

   Even the empty tomb did not convince them. It was only going to be the appearance of Jesus that brought the conviction of hearts. 

   It wasn’t their Faith that created the appearances; it was the appearances that created Faith.  It wasn’t a ‘Wish-I-could-see-Him-one-more-time’ sort of thing.  They were not too keen on He being alive again.  Jesus told them that this was His intent. He was going to be raised from the dead, but they did not believe it!

   Even at the Crucifying of Jesus, they thought their whole world was falling apart around them. All was lost!  “Our Jesus is dead.”  Sorrow and pain.  His Followers experienced the feeling of being left outside life.  Peter had denied Jesus THREE times.  He felt rejected.  Alone.  Judas already killed himself; he felt that defeated!  Yet, the promise of Jesus was that He’d be with them—until the end of the world—but that promise was not given to them until He had already been raised!

   What sort of promise did they have?  He had told them so many times during the last three years, but they could not understand resurrection.  In their Hebrew teaching, there was a resurrection but it was something that would happen way in the years to come. 

   Remember Mary and Martha, when their brother died?  “Yes, of course, Jesus, I believe in the resurrection of the dead…” Then Jesus said: “I am The Resurrection!”  She still did not understand!  How could she?  It was way outside her realm of understanding! Way outside our way of understanding, too!

   Have you ever lost a loved one?  You look at the body and you SEE them breathing because that is what the loved one used to do.  They were alive!  But then, they are placed in the coffin and reality begins to set in.  They are dead.  Sad as it is, you’d still wish them next to you!

   Is that what happened back then?  A mass illusion of the 11 and some women, WISHING Jesus alive?  No, they believed He was dead!  The two walking on the road to Emmaus, were convinced that their leader had died.  All was lost. What do we do now?  Jesus is dead! 

   But He did not stay dead.  He was not almost dead!  He did not swoon because of loss of blood and was revived in the coolness of the tomb. The guards-who witnessed death on the Cross so many times, believed Him dead because they did not break His legs as they did to the other two hanging both sides of Jesus.  Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took Him down from the Cross and PACKED Him with over 75 pounds of spices and wrapped Him in a death cloth.  If the crucifixion would not kill you, all that spices and being tired up would kill you!

No, this teaching of the resurrection became central to the Christian Message because it is the core of the Message. You are dead in your sins and only through Jesus’ death on the Cross—which paid the cost for our sins—and His coming BACK from the Dead, could mankind be set free from the penalty of death.  Verse 26 says: The last enemy to be destroyed is death.   And at the Resurrection of Jesus, death lost out.  Death could no longer hold mankind in fear.  Jesus went into Death and came out of Death as Victor.  Going back up to verse 21-22: 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

   Yes, the mere evidence of the changed lives of the Followers of Jesus speaks volumes to us.  Changed men who now have the Holy Spirit in them as promised by the Resurrected Christ. 

Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

   And Jesus’ response to Thomas’ witness, verse 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Like you!

   Then John ends it all with verse 31 But these are written that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name.

   The Resurrection is the Key that unlocks the doors of Faith and sets us free.  If Christ was raised, then I, when I put my trust in Him as my Savior, am sure to be raised as well…unto eternal life in His Name.