Message: “Unmoved”　 April 25, 2021

Message: 　“Unmoved”　　 April 25, 2021

Before I start my message, I would like to say a few words.

Due to my campaign for mayor, I have not been able to make a message for a while. I apologize for that. I started my political activities in earnest in November last year and have been working with missionary Michio for about four months. During that time, I was able to communicate with people, listen to their requests, and give medical consultations, and I was able to share the gospel with more people than ever before.

We hope to open our services to the public so that everyone can attend the worship service from now on and we hope to continue to post messages on our website as we have in the past. 

We will serve the people of Kushimoto and Higashi-Muro County with prayer.

Also, I would like to ask you to remember me in your prayers as I would like to respond to the needs of the people with all my heart at the "Mustard Seed Home Clinic," which will start in June.

Now, let me give you today’s message.

What do we mean by "the work of the Lord" here? I think this is the time to reflect on what kind of work our Lord Jesus Christ had done for us.

Let me give you some examples.

(1) He came into the world to give eternal life to all humankind.

(2) He suffered and died on the cross, as our substitute, for our sins, so that we could stand as God's children.

(3) He was victorious in death, resurrected, and is still by our side, leading us as the Holy Spirit and living and working. . ＜(Luke 10:37)

I would like you to take note of this and think about it.

If I were to rephrase "the Lord's work", I might say it is the Lord's mission.

We have been given a new mission as those who have known the Lord's abundant love and mercy. There are two kinds of missions: the common mission of truth and the mission of personal gifts.

An example of a common mission is

"Be ye the salt of the earth, and the light of the world.. ＜(Matthew 5:13-14)

 

The earth means the world. Salt adds flavor to the world, prevents decay, and keeps it clean. The important thing to remember is that the saltiness does not come from us, but only when we obey the Lord. For without obedience to the Lord, salt cannot retain its potency, can it?

 

As an aside, housewives may know that when making sweet red bean paste, a little salt is added, which seems to be the opposite. I've experienced that it enriches the sweetness and accentuates it.

We tend to want people who share the same opinion as us, but there are times when the subtle addition of an idea that is the complete opposite of our own can bring more meaning.

This may also be the role of salt.

 God, who is the true light, is himself the light.

The light of the world, by shining without being hidden, illuminates the darkness around us and attracts people, giving them security and hope. However, this does not mean that we should show ourselves off. We are encouraged to do good deeds with all our heart, not for our own honor, but out of gratitude to God and a sense of solidarity with others.

 

However, when we try to do the Lord's work and live our mission, we always run into a wall of trials. For example, in the Old Testament period, after 12 spies explored the land of Canaan, 10 of them reported negative and unfaithful information to the Israelites, discouraging them. But Joshua and Caleb were the only ones with faithful hearts who advised the people that the time to attack Canaan was now. And finally, it came to pass.＜(Numbers 32:7-12)

Disbelief, negativity, and fear can strongly infect people and pull us away from our walk of faith. When we remain committed to our mission, we will suffer and cry. It is not an easy task. The realities that confront us may be serious. But as long as we are connected to the Lord every day, we can be sure that God will help us beyond our imagination and we will be victorious.