Fri, 17 May 2024 13:43:13 +0900WeeblySat, 11 May 2024 20:53:55 GMThttp://kobeunionchurch.com/english-manuscripts/i-am-the-vine-john-151-8-kobe-union-church-may-12-2024-preacher-rev-mark-bartschI’m looking at Jesus’ well-known statement, "I am the Vine," from John 15, it is more direct than the parable of the Sower and the Seed in Matthew 13. In that parable, the disciples sought clarification from Jesus, saying, "Jesus, what do you mean?" and Jesus had to re-explain the parable to them.

However, in John 15, Jesus straightforwardly states, "I am the Vine; you are the branches." Simple got it. He goes on to say, God is the gardener or farmer. Then Jesus commands us to (challenges us to) fulfill our purpose and bear fruit. Simple go it.

During my high school years, I worked at two farming jobs. One involved a chicken plant—a job I'd rather not dwell on. But the other was at a vineyard. I'm familiar with tending vines—I've picked grapes, pruned branches, cared for the soil between the rows, and even planted new vines. My high school was situated in Niagara-On-the-Lake, renowned for its wines across Canada. Interestingly, my church, Vineyard Mennonite Church, was surrounded by vineyards, and discussions about grapes were common.

It's interesting to note that, similar to donkeys needing three years before they're ready to be ridden, vines typically take three years to mature. Jesus prepared his guys for three years and next week at Pentecost we will see them start fruiting when they are filled with the Holy Spirit. While vines start bearing fruit after the first year, the grapes aren't fully developed or flavorful until three years. Time is necessary. God provides us with the time required to mature and bear fruit. Once mature, a vine can produce fruit for 50 to 80 years. Like us.

Just as a vine draws nourishment from the soil to the branches, whose purpose is to bear grapes, we understand that there are approximately 10,000 grape varieties worldwide, symbolizing the diverse gifts and talents given by God's people. However, the crucial aspect is that the fruit must come from the vine (Christ), the true Vine. If we are not drawing nourishment from the WORD or not drawing nourishment from worship (not just on Sunday) not spending time in prayer we will not be ready to bear fruit. Stay in Christ. Don’t be like those virgins in Mt 25 that let their oil run out because they stopped receiving nourishment. 

There are a lot of different types of grapes and a lot of ways to express our love for Christ. At KUC, we're a union church, welcoming various expressions of faith in Christ. Whether you're Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, or whatever your fruit is wanted at KUC. Though our practices of communion or baptism may differ from our home denominations we recognize that Jesus’ kingdom is greater than our denomination.

A litmus test for whether our fruit stems from the Vine is whether it aligns with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 22. Do we love the Lord with all our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves? Jesus tells us that all of God’s laws stem from these two commands. 

Additionally, is our faith grounded in the crucified and resurrected Christ, consistent with the Word of God? If not, it's not from the vine. I've encountered appealing-looking fruit that turned sour and I’ve heard sermons that left a bitter taste because they lacked a foundation in a loving relationship with the father. The fruit was inedible.

An interesting fact about vines and branches is that they transform nutrients from the soil into sap, aiding the branches in producing juicy, big grapes—which is their intended purpose. Our connection to Christ, the Vine, enables us to bear fruit. The farmer's role is to cultivate our fruit or, in Christian terms, enhance our joy. Simply by staying connected to the vine, we're meant to bear fruit that not only brings us joy but also joy to those who eat of our fruit.

Here's the challenge: because branches have a high sap content, if they fail to bear fruit, they become useless for any other purpose. Jesus, being a carpenter, understood that vine branches aren't suitable for construction—they lack stability. They're also unsuitable for fuel in fireplaces because their sap content leads to chimney fires.

I recall a story from my youth about a man who built a million-dollar house but, he was so stingy, used vine branches as fuel because farmers were throwing them away. He burned them for a year or two remarking about the beautiful smell the branches gave off before his house caught fire. It was the first million-dollar fire in our area. Jesus himself taught that branches not bearing fruit are either useless or dangerous to themselves, their families, communities, churches. 

During harvest time in the vineyard where I worked, we tied ribbons on plants to guide us during pruning season. Yellow ribbons indicated plants needing extra care, while black ribbons marked vines appearing healthy but failing to produce grapes indicating they needed to be dug up and put into the fire.

Even healthy plants require pruning. Major pruning occurs in the fall, with lighter trimming in early summer, all aimed at maximizing plant health for fruitful growth. Although plants may not vocalize their dislike for pruning, Mr. Freezen, the owner of the farm where I worked, was selective about who pruned. He believed it required a genuine love for the plant. 

It's rare to find someone who enjoys being pruned. I've experienced pruning by the Lord, and it was far from pleasant. Yet, an unpruned pastor addressing you would be very dangerous to themselves and to the people. Unlike branches on a vine, which have no say if they get pruned or not we do. We can choose to accept or reject Christ, to take up our cross and follow Him—or not. God calls! We respond to that call or not. We are given that free will. 

Hebrews 12 says, God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.. 

Pruning, for me, is like going to the dentist. I have to go this week, I have two small cavities. I hate going to the dentist, I hate going for cleaning and I hate going to get drilled but I hate having a decaying mouth more. But so many people are okay having their soul decay. I have never heard my dentist laugh while drilling. He takes it seriously because he sees that this is not fun for me. God takes our pruning seriously. It is not a punishment to be pruned. Punishment is retribution for what we have done wrong. Pruning is discipline for our growth. And it brings a harvest of what? It brings a harvest of righteousness and peace. Accept the training so you can bear fruit.  

Thankfully, it's not the pastor's or elders' duty to prune; rather, it's God’s task. I recall an instance in Toledo when God called me to talk to a man in the church about an issue in his life. He had what I would call a "cavity of the soul." He reacted angrily, seeking validation from others. Yet, it wasn't me pruning but God's work he needed to allow to happen. He called up the church council and complained and I was lucky as a new pastor to have an elder support me and tell him that I was right, and he had some pruning to do. He said, “Mark is only the messenger not the pruner”. Unfortunately, he never truly permitted God to prune him. He was still a Christian but never the fruity Christian that God wanted him to be. 

In today's world, when challenged, most pick up and leave and go to another church. We are in an epidemic of musical (chairs) but church not just in Kobe but in all western countries. However, running from problems offers no lasting solution. God prunes us not out of cruelty but for our growth and flourishing, just as a dentist treats cavities to restore health.

How is God seeking to prune us, both individually and as a community at KUC? Are we willing to allow Him to cultivate our growth spiritually and emotionally? To receive the nourishment necessary for growth, we must remain connected to the Vine. Let us not deceive ourselves into thinking we can bear fruit independently. To borrow from Nike, "Just Do It." 

Let's pray.
]]>Sat, 04 May 2024 04:12:54 GMThttp://kobeunionchurch.com/english-manuscripts/be-ready-bible-passage-matthew-24-36-44-kobe-union-church-may-5-2024-preacher-ted-kitchen-jrMessage
Good morning! It’s great to be back preaching here again here at Kobe Union Church. My name is Ted Kitchen, and as most of you know I am the KUPC manager working here at church. I retired from being a full time missionary and teacher at Keimei Gakuin Junior and Senior High School two years ago. Keimei is the school that our pastor Mark Bartsch works at. At Keimei, I often preached in Japanese during the daily chapel services there, and they say pastors and missionaries never retire, so here I am preaching again. I want us to think together today about how important being ready is. Being ready for what? Well, for everything and anything!
I feel in my life, God has blessed me and protected me in many situations, and has taught me to expect the unexpected. We live in a world where there are many disasters. Some are natural and some are caused by people. When I think of the gun violence and school shootings in America, or the random knife attacks in Japan, or train accidents, like the one that occurred 19 years ago on the Fukuchiyama Line in Japan, I know that I am not completely safe because anything can happen to anyone. In 2001, our family left New York on the plane to come back to Japan after visiting my family in the U.S. We usually left from Washington, D.C. because my father and family live near there. But that year my wife, children, and I visited New York for the first time together. One week after we got home, the 9/11 disaster occurred. We had escaped that disaster, but others did not. Before that, in 1995, my wife and I experienced the Great Awaji Hanshin Earthquake here in Kobe and survived somehow, but many people did not.
When I was growing up, I was a boy scout. The motto of the boy scouts was “Be Prepared”. Scouting was a good experience because it taught us how be able to survive in nature and how to help other people. I enjoyed working at Keimei because the school motto is “Hands and hearts are trained to serve both man below and God above.” As educators, we tried to teach the students of the importance of being prepared by obtaining the knowledge and skills in order to be able to help people. We emphasized the importance of becoming physically and mentally strong, and cooperating with others, so that when the time came to help others, our students would be able to do it.
How prepared are you for things in your daily life? How about for earthquakes? Living in Japan, this is a big concern. Earthquakes cannot be predicted, but by being prepared for them, by stocking up on emergency supplies, for example, we can lessen the harm they cause. Natural disasters are terrible experiences, but they give us the opportunity to help people in need. Are we prepared to do that? Many things in life require good preparation for them to be successful. Do you know of the famous fable called “The Ant and the Grasshopper”? Because the ant worked hard, stored food, and prepared in the summer, he was able to survive through the winter, but the lazy grasshopper could not. I have run in full marathons, but before I ran the race I spent many hours training and experienced many setbacks before I could successfully finish the race. And we all know that: “Practice makes perfect.” The more we practice, the more likely we will succeed. 
I choose today’s Bible passage because I want you to think about whether you are ready to meet Jesus, whether at his second coming or in heaven after you die. Are you confident that you are living a life that would make Jesus proud? Of course, we are human and are sinful, and, fortunately, God forgives us for that, but are we trying our best to live out the greatest commandment, which is: Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself? I have been thinking about this my whole life, but even more recently because of the health problems I experienced. As many of you know, I was diagnosed with a heart problem last year and underwent open heart surgery. It was a scary and difficult time for me, but with God’s help and everyone’s prayers and support, I got through it. However, I was not prepared for it.
I had felt that I was basically living a healthy life: eating a well-balanced diet, and, I was a runner, so getting good exercise, and sleeping well. Last year in April, I had my annual physical exam, and was told by the doctor then that I had a heart murmur. I didn’t think much of it, but decided to get my heart checked at a big hospital later in June. After getting tests, to my great surprise, I was told that I had three faulty valves and would have to have open heart surgery to have them repaired. I was like: What? Why me? Usually, when you have this problem you have shortness of breath, but I didn’t have any symptoms at all. It was arranged for me to get further tests and eventual surgery at the Kobe Chuo Shimin Hospital.
In the meanwhile, I started feeling tired and slightly feverish, but I continued working. Then I started losing weight and wondering why. Then in July, suddenly, I got a very high fever and had to go to the emergency room. After tests, the doctors discovered that bacteria had entered my bloodstream and was attacking my heart, and said it was a very dangerous situation. I later learned that the bacteria was able to attack my heart because of my heart disease. Normally, my body would have been able to fight the bacteria off. Anyway, I had to be hospitalized for 4 weeks, getting treated with antibiotics intravenously 6 times a day to kill the bacteria. After surviving that, I was eventually cleared to have the heart surgery in October.
I had never had any kind of surgery in my life and then suddenly this. The surgery lasted about 8 hours. They stopped my heart for about 3 hours and a machine pumped my blood during the surgery. Fortunately, I didn’t need to get any blood transfusions. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks and the recovery went quite well. Then I went home and rehabilitated at home for 3 months. I started working again in January. I have had some irregular heartbeat problems and have to take medicine, but now I feel fairly normal again. Thanks be to God and all of you for helping me through this.
Now back to the Bible passage: we don’t know when the Son of Man, or another term for the messiah, will come again, but we need to be ready, we need to be alert. We don’t know when Jesus will come again, maybe tomorrow when we are alive on earth, or maybe He will come after we die and we are in heaven. But we need to be ready to meet Jesus in person anytime. The passage tells us to be ready, but not how. How can we be ready? When you invite people to your house for a party, what do you do? Well, you probably clean the house, cook nice food, and wear nice clothes to create a nice atmosphere for your guests so they can feel happy. Basically, you try to do nice things for them. So how about getting ready for Jesus? We can do things that make Him happy, that is, doing what He commanded us to do, and trying to live the way He did, following His example. Jesus was the only perfect person. We cannot be perfect, but Jesus tells us to be perfect, so we have to try. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to say: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That means we need to strive to make life on earth like it is in heaven. We need to bring heaven to earth now, not wait until we die. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us parables, The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, The Parable of the Talents, and The Judgment of the Nations, that give us hints on how we can be ready to enter the kingdom of God and meet Jesus. Maybe if we are awake and alert, we can notice problems around us and be able to help other people that need help. Also, we should not be hesitant, but use whatever talents we have to help others. And lastly, we should feed the hungry, give drinks to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, take care of the sick, and visit the prisoner. Let’s try to live the life that God wants us to live, and let’s try to be ready to meet Jesus anywhere, anytime because we don’t know when that will be.
]]>Sat, 27 Apr 2024 13:14:28 GMThttp://kobeunionchurch.com/english-manuscripts/-i-am-the-bread-of-life-john-625-40-kobe-union-church-april-28-2024-preacher-rev-mark-bartschMessage
This chapter is one of the longest and most profound in the Bible. At the beginning, Jesus has just miraculously fed 5,000 men, so that means there were probably at least 7 to 10 thousand people fed. At my school opening ceremony, we give them Odango and my job with another teacher was to pass out these packaged Odango to 240 students. It took us 20 to 30 minutes and they were in these nice little boxes. I can’t imagine 7 to 10 thousand people. Some interpret this feeding as a metaphor (I don’t), while others believe Jesus tapped into people's generosity (I don’t), prompting them to share. It's miraculous to shift people from selfishness to generosity. Try doing that to yourself let alone a large crowd of people. What we know is something profound happened, and even after Jesus withdrew from the crowd, put his disciples in boats, and crossed the lake, the people sought him out for more. 
These people witnessed something so compelling that they hungered for more of Jesus. Yet, they desired the wrong thing, similar to those who wanted Jesus to be merely an earthly king rather than their messiah. They craved a spectacle, wanted a show. They were screaming encore., encore. They were impressed by Jesus cooking of bread and fish because lets be honest it must have tasted amazing. “What do you want for dinner honey?” “You know what I am craving. I’m craving that bread and fish that that carpenter made for us.” 
Meanwhile, in the midst of feeding the multitude, Jesus urged his disciples into the boat rather forcibly. Why? I believe it's because they were being swayed by popular of the crowds. It seductive. I read a story by a famous actor that was talking about fame. He said, the only thing worse than being flocked for autographs and pictures when he went out to restaurants was when he went out and no one noticed him. (That will never be my problem). They finally had their platform, like to today's influencers. Today, 5,000; tomorrow, perhaps 10,000 and the day after? Jesus recognized the allure and temptation on this guys on popularity. So he put them in the boat and shoved them off and he went on a hillside to pray. 
The story unfolds with the disciples battling a storm throughout the night. In the midst of the wind and waves, a figure approaches them walking on water, leading to the famous account of Jesus walking on water. Personally, I dislike the title "Jesus walking on water" It is in the realm of my faith that Jesus can walk on water what surprises me and still surprises me is that through our connection to Jesus we too can walk on water as Peter steps out of the boat and walks toward Jesus. And you can too? If Jesus calls you he will equip you. But to follow Jesus we need to be strong and courageous. Today's message is not on Peter and the boat but that happened right before today’s main text. And after getting in the boat Jesus speaks to the waves and they listen to him. This is not just a teacher. This is not just a fish and bread multiplier this is the Son of God. 
Now on the other side the crowds catch up to Jesus and the disciples. After catching up they ask a simple question, "How did you get here?" However, Jesus doesn't tell them he simply changes the topic. It was not for them that he calmed the sea it was for his disciples. There are moments in life when we must address questions and issues, but there are also times when those questions serve as distractions. Jesus changes the topic by simply saying “Very truly”. 
When Jesus says “Very truly” pay attention because it is important. It's like me telling my students that this page or question will be on the test. So, pay attention. Jesus wants to draw people to look at their motivation at our motivation. Why are you here today? It's not to hear from me I know that. We all like different aspects of the service some like the prayer time more or the worship music time some the sermon. But our motivation should be to draw closer to the living Lord. (Period) These people are looking at their stomach and wanting a show. Jesus delves into the issue of motivation: 
Why are you here today? Jesus knows that the people's motives are misguided. They aren't seeking him to deepen their spiritual connection with the Father or to nurture a deeper relationship with the Creator of the universe. They want a king again not a messiah. Oh people do not like their motivations challenged. It is a question I ask myself every time I preach. (Why am I doing this?). It's similar to the Beatles' song "With a Little Help from My Friends," where they question “What would you do if I sang out of tune would you stand up and walk out on me?” The answer is yes. 
Jesus was the first person to lose a mega-church. Instead of being the social media influencer they took the road jack and did not want to come back no more no more no more no more. Jesus challenges them to look their priorities, questioning why they invest so much time, energy, and concern into pursuits that are fleeting. Personally, I employ a rule to control my spending: whenever I purchase a new item of clothing, I discard an old one. And if I am unwilling to throw something away I do not need another shirt. Many of us are enslaved by the trappings of the world. Much like the rich young ruler whom Jesus instructed him to let go of the thing that was possessing him. It is okay to have possessions. It is not okay to be possessed by our possessions. Why do you chase earthly things so hard and totally neglect the things that will last forever. 
Here lies the difficulty: God designed us with fundamental needs such as food, water, and rest, we trick ourselves into believing that these are all there is. Our Lord says that our hierarchy of needs is upside down especially if you are concerned about eternity. If today is all you want, live it up. If we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Teacher, he reveals that our hierarchy of needs is inverted. This notion is most clearly seen in Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4; she yearned for living water why so that she did not have to walk up the hill to get the water not because she wanted to draw closer to God. Eventually, I think she got it. 
During my childhood, my pastor once instructed us to bring the oldest food item in our homes to church. I recall the pastor consuming a pack of ramen noodles that had expired over a decade ago. We fix an expiration date on food products to know if it is safe to eat. It is the way that the government certifies that something is safe. Similarly, God has certified “Placed his SEAL” his Son. Just as Jesus provided nourishment to those people, he offers us so much more if we put our faith in him. 
While many regard Jesus as a wise teacher and apply his teachings to their live. If you do unto others as you would like done for you not only your life will be better but the people around you will benefit. You you do not worry about tomorrow you will live a much more productive and happy life. Jesus is a GREAT TEACHER but he is so much more than that. However, merely accepting Jesus as a teacher while refusing to acknowledge him as Lord and Savior is like to accepting the bread and fish but rejecting the bread of life or refusing the living water. 
They ask, "What must we do to perform the works God requires?" Jesus' response challenges the notion that faith alone is simplistic (mambi pampi). People often yearn for tangible tasks, such as feeding the poor or constructing hospitals or schools, and dismiss faith as trivial. Jesus says the WORK that is required is one of faith. By saying work is is not saying that it is unpleasant, but he is saying it takes effort. More effort than the tangle tasks. I work for the church (supposedly 10 hours a week) I give a tithe of my work by spending at least an hour a week in quite praying for the church. My mind wanders but I remind myself that this is work. It requires effort the same as typing a sermon or doing pastoral care. Of course I need actions to go along with the work of faith as the Book of James teaches because faith without works is dead but work without faith is futile. Our primary task (work) is to believe in the one whom God has sent—Jesus. 
Yet, the people respond similarly to those who encountered John the Baptist; they boast of their lineage, claiming descent from Abraham. Similarly, they boast of their ancestors eating manna in the wilderness, boasting of their Jewish heritage. However, Jesus corrects their flawed theology. He tells them Moses didn't give you manna from heaven; it was God who provided this bread. Moses would freak out if someone said that he provided the bread. Let's briefly look at manna. Fleeing Egypt with almost no provisions, the Israelites ate unleavened bread, hastily prepared as the angel of the Lord passed over their homes on what we call PASSOVER. The angel saw or smelt the blood of the lamb spread on their doorpost and passed over. But after getting free of the Egyptians, they complained in the wilderness. The opposite of worship is complaining. “We have nothing to eat”. 
To this God provided manna, a flaky white substance—bread from heaven. Interestingly, manna had a shelf life of one day, except on the day before the Sabbath, when it would last for two days. This allowed the people to consume it daily as they journeyed through the wilderness. If manna was not consumed that day or a person tried to save it, it became rancid. Interestingly, a portion of manna was preserved in a jar and placed in the Ark of the Covenant. Manna connected to worship and the sacred, what would otherwise spoil remains fresh. How do we maintain our spiritual freshness in a world intent on corrupting us? It is through worship and praise. If your faith seems dry do not read your bible more instead praise the lord in song. 
Moses one of the greatest prophets and leaders did not provide manna it was God. And here God’s son does the same. And yet more than the bread and fish he gave he is ready to provide Manna from heaven to the people and yet they want the fish. Similarly, God has now sent the bread of life from heaven. Unlike manna, which sustained for a day, Jesus—the bread of life—nourishes our souls eternally, like the manna near the Ark ensuring freshness indefinitely. They yearn for this bread, demanding, "Give it to us!" Yet, Jesus startles them by proclaiming, "I am the bread of life." It is me. Whoever partakes of this bread—by putting their faith in Jesus—will never hunger. For Jesus descended from heaven not to pursue his own agenda but to fulfill the Father's will, because the father and son are one. 
For those who believe in him, Jesus himself will raise them up on the last day, for he will not lose any sheep who entrust their love and hearts to the Lord. Are you prepared to undertake the task the Lord has assigned to receive this gift? If so, put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the waters. Put your hand in the hand of the man that calmed the sea. Take a look at yourself and you will see others differently. Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee. Let’s pray.
Psalm 91
People: He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Leader: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 
People: He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Leader: I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
People: He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Leader: Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly poisons.
People: He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Leader: He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.
​People: Under our Lord’s wings we will find refuge. 

]]>Sat, 20 Apr 2024 13:53:35 GMThttp://kobeunionchurch.com/english-manuscripts/i-am-the-good-shepherd-john-1011-18-kobe-union-church-2024-april-21-preacher-rev-mark-bartschFirstly, I'm a Canadian, not a person from New Zealand like some of the past shepherds of KUC. Just so you know, in Greek, "ποιμήν" (poimen) is for Shepherd and also Pastor. So, I will interchange them a bit during this sermon. When you hear me say shepherd, think of pastor, and vice versa. Being from Canada, I know a lot more about ice hockey than rugby, and a lot more about chickens (having worked in a chicken plant) than I know about sheep. 
The most common analogy in scriptures of the people of God is as sheep. I'm sure you've seen Sadao Watanabe's Last Supper where Jesus is passing out sushi and sake for bread and wine. Scripture says that Jesus saw the people like sheep without a shepherd. I'm not sure that would work, as Jesus saying he saw them as chickens without a farmer. So, I say this, that you might come to me with facts about sheep that I am not familiar with, but I know a little about human sheep because I have looked at myself first and have walked with other sheep. So, here goes something that I do not know a lot about. But first, a story.
The Christian writer, Lynn Anderson, tells a story of a tour that he was on to the Holy Land (Israel). In the story, he tells of this tour guide that was leading a bus tour, and because they saw a lot of sheep, the guide started talking about how the Middle Eastern shepherds do not drive the sheep like the Australians do, but who use dogs to scare the sheep into compliance with the shepherd's will. He talked about how the ancient shepherd had a loving relationship with the sheep, he talked about how the shepherd would care for his sheep and provide for his sheep. He talked about how the shepherd did not need to be harsh with his sheep because they knew his voice and smell. When all of a sudden, the tour guide lost interest in the group as they saw a man with a stick hitting the sheep, screaming at the sheep, and totally intimidating the sheep. The tour guide stopped the bus and went up to this shepherd and asked him what he was doing. The man turned to him and said, “Friend, you misunderstand me, I am not a shepherd. I am the butcher”.
Just for your information, being called a sheep is not a compliment. Sheep have no natural sense of direction, they have very few natural defenses if in danger. Their choices are to run or to run, but they are by no means the fastest of God’s creatures. Actually, sheep fight each other. (I did not know that). They will fight and kick each other, but if a wolf or dog comes, they stand no chance. Just to let you know, we are good at fighting each other (forgive us, Lord) but not against our real enemy. We always have to remember our fight is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. NOT AGAINST FLESH and BLOOD but against Principalities and powers. Against these, we stand no chance on our own. We can kick and scream, but we will not win. What we need is the shepherd. Fight a demon either from the outside or from your own making, fighting it on your own power, and you stand a better chance against Mike Tyson or Manny Pacquiao. When in trouble, call on the name of Jesus because at his name, every knee will bow and tongue confess that he is Lord. In the Old Testament, before David became a king, he raised his father’s sheep, and when the predators came, he stood his ground because he loved his sheep. We do not need a (Small a) shepherd in times of trouble; we need THE GOOD SHEPHERD in times of trouble.
I have often prayed, “God, I am your sheep, and you are my shepherd. I need your help. I need you to lead me. I need you to protect me, especially against myself. God forgive me when I forced you to look for me when I willfully did not follow you.”
Sheep are also emotional creatures, and they can work themselves into a panic easily. Did you know that sheep do not like to drink from running water because it scares them? It is why in Psalm 23; the Psalmist says he leads me beside still waters. Our shepherd does not want to frighten us. 
Sheep do not deal well with burdens Mt 11:28~29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Our faith needs to be life-giving because that is how God designed it. When it becomes a list of does and don’ts instead of a relationship, it becomes really heavy and we need the good shepherd to sheer us. When I walk by faith not by sight, I follow along after my master’s voice that not only knows my name but knows all the names of all of his sheep. I just got a list of 400 new students, and it takes me a semester to remember their names, but Jesus does not have that problem.
With all these deficiencies, why does God call us sheep throughout the Bible? One is they sheep are valued. Sheep was how you measured your wealth in the bible. You are valuable and valued by God. When Jesus was starting his ministry, he was going from town-to-town teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When a crowd came, he had compassion on them (WHY?) because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matt 9:35-36) As KUC starts the process of a pastoral search, you are really looking for an under-shepherd to follow THE GOOD Shepherd. (That job is taken). Interestingly, the under-shepherd is also a sheep. (Be careful of any pastor that does not know that reality).
Interesting we look at the characteristics of The Good Shepherd and as Christians, we should look for these characteristics in an under-shepherd. The first characteristic of the shepherd from v.11 is that the good shepherd lays his life down for his sheep. It is called sacrificial love. A love not of the results but of the processes. We all like winning. Every football player I have ever had likes winning more than losing. But not many people like the process of getting to the win. (The Grind). Jesus of course paid the ultimate price on the cross for the sins of the world. Not many pastors are asked to pay that price. Some have, but that is not a burden most pastors (Shepherds are called to pay) but will they pray for their people, will they love them, will they fast and pray for them? Most days a hired hand will do a good job, but there are times when the crap hits the fan and the pastor is called to stand in the gap for the people of the church.
A friend of mine in Toledo had the crap hit the fan. It is a nasty image because the poop goes everywhere. Anyway, his church was going right along when his treasurer stole the money of the church. The pastor had a wife and kids and responsibilities, and he had to get a job outside the church and worked for the church for a year without any pay. They actually could pay him but would have to lay off the part-time youth pastor and secretary. So he worked and through that outside work, he stood in the gap for his people. If the paycheck was all he wanted (if he was a hired hand) he would have left for a bigger church. It was not only him but him and his wife that committed themselves to the sheep as an under shepherd.
Secondly, a good shepherd knows his sheep by name. Not just their name but knows them. A while ago at my school an older teacher had to replace a homeroom teacher because of trouble. The class was chaotic before their homeroom teacher left and then more chaotic as he left. This older soft-spoken teacher came in and I thought they would tear him apart. I, like the other teachers, was almost having to shout over the students (it really was chaos), but I walked by his class and saw the class calmly studying. I had an open period, and I went in, and when the kids got noisy, he got quiet. He fought their chaos with calm and love. Slowly, slowly as he got to know the students, it became one of the most well-behaved classes in the school. It was a miracle like turning water into wine. Well, maybe not. Well, our gentle and good shepherd knows you. Loves you. You have only one task to know and love him back. And once you know that love nothing. NOTHING can separate you from that love. Paul said, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. [No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Rom 8:34-37
Compared to the good shepherd, the hired man. Let’s be honest on good days. On days when there are no real problems, a hired man will do. No, they will not go above and beyond, but generally, they will do their job. They will not wake up in the middle of the night and feel the need to lift up the congregation in prayer. When things do not go perfectly, they will not risk upsetting the apple cart. They do their job, get their pay that they worked for, and then they go home. If big problems come (and they do for all of us) they just move on. They do not have a passion for or really care that much about what they are doing but they do their job. I’ve known pastors like these guys and generally they are professional pastors and that is not bad but there is better.
Compared to a bad shepherd, a hired man is so much better. The difficulty with the bad shepherd is at first, it is difficult to distinguish the bad shepherd from a good shepherd. Remember we are talking about under-shepherds. Ezekiel 34 is the account of a prophet in exile. In Ezekiel 33, he hears the terrible news that Jerusalem has fallen (He prophesied it but did not want it) the temple had been sacked and destroyed. Then in Ezekiel 34, he prophesies against the bad shepherds. God says this through him. “Is it not enough for you shepherds to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?”
Where the good shepherd brings peace and stability, the bad shepherd brings division and strife. They are passionate and often articulate, but they are pointing in a direction that is opposite to where God is leading the people. Remember sheep are poor at directions; that is why when they get lost, they have a hard time finding their way home. That is why Jesus tells the story of the 100 sheep; when one is lost, he goes out and searches for it because it is not capable of finding its way back. The bad shepherds scatter the flock with their fine words. They eat first, but that is not their worst characteristic; after they eat, they then trample on the grasses, so it is difficult for the sheep to feed themselves. Thus making the sheep more dependent on them.
Another characteristic of a bad shepherd is that they muddy the waters. Oh, they drink. But after they drink, they wade into the pools and stir up all the mud and silt at the bottom so the other sheep can’t drink or can’t enjoy drinking. And bad shepherds take the life out of church or try to. How do bad pastors do this? Number one, they make the ministry about themselves instead of the people. These are people who will not ask for forgiveness while making all the problems of the church about the sheep. Often they have terrible theology. Health and wealth gospels are one of them. These are pastors that fly around on private jets. Forget business class or first class; it has to be a private jet. They live well above the station of the people. Another way they trick the people is they use big words and big ideas not to draw people up but to make themselves look good. They appear humble, but they are just wolves in sheep’s clothing. Where the hired hand does his job and goes home, the bad shepherd will never go home because they are afraid of losing their control of the people.
How did our Lord teach? He taught us in a way that a small child could understand. Because he wanted us to understand and grow. To have life and have it in its fullness because our good shepherd wants us to grow. When Jesus says I AM the GOOD SHEPHERD believe him. Trust him. Don’t run away from him. 
Let’s pray.
]]>Sat, 13 Apr 2024 13:38:20 GMThttp://kobeunionchurch.com/english-manuscripts/doubting-to-faith-john-2019-29-kobe-union-church-preacher-rev-mark-bartschMessage
During my high school days, there was this buddy from my neighborhood who always talked big, you know the type. "I caught a fish this big," he'd say, or "I can jump this high." One day, he approached a group of us and claimed he had a date with the cutest girl in our school. We all dismissed it, thinking he was either pulling our leg or just plain lying. We told him, "There's no way she's going out with you." Despite our skepticism, he persisted in his assertion. Then, one of the girls who was friends with the girl he mentioned confirmed it. Not only was it true, but she had actually invited him to the movies. It seemed unbelievable, but it turned out to be true. He never let us forget that he wasn't lying about her going out with a goofy guy like him.
Today, we're discussing something even more unbelievable than a girl asking my friend out on a date. We know on Good Friday that Jesus was brutally murdered, whipped, and beaten, with nails driven into his hands and feet. Then, after hanging on the cross and dying, he had a spear rammed into his side. 
About 20 years ago, I watched Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ." Moviegoers complained about how brutal the crucifixion scenes were; it was hard to watch. The theaters even struggled to sell popcorn and snacks because it was too intense to eat while watching. Yet, the movie simply depicted a level of violence that our Lord endured. Jesus' body would have been severely battered. People wonder why Mary Magdalene (whom I briefly mentioned on Easter) couldn't recognize Jesus at first, and one of the reasons might be was the violence inflicted upon him. It puts into context Isaiah 53:5, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." Amen. 
Thomas knew what happened to Jesus; he knew that one does not come back from brutality like that. So, when the ten disciples claimed that Jesus was alive, it was beyond "I caught a fish this big," or beyond a normal guy getting a date with a cute girl. It wasn't just in the realm of improbability; it was in the realm of impossibility. No way! 
Thomas might have wondered if these guys were playing a prank on him. If they were, it would have been way beyond bad taste to claim that their master, teacher, and friend was walking around when Thomas knew he was dead. Or maybe Thomas thought they were having some kind of group hysteria driven mad by their grief. But whatever the issue was, Thomas wasn't going to fall for it.
So, after hearing about the encounter (Thomas thinks "fake news"), he famously says, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
A week later, all eleven are together again. Once more, the doors are locked. Why would eleven men in a house need to lock the doors? It's because they were living in fear – fear of the Romans, fear of the Jewish leaders, fear of the world. Maybe the ten who had met Jesus on that first night started doubting what they had seen a week before. I don't know what they were fearful about. It's okay to be afraid, but it's not okay to be controlled by your fear. When we make our fears greater than our faith in God, and then we're really in trouble.
Like I have said before, when Liew, and the search committee asked me to consider coming as a support pastor here at KUC, I was afraid. (I did not know how afraid I really should be but I was afraid) I won't list all the things I was afraid of. Yet, as I heard God say to me Isaiah 41:10, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Lets say that as a community. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah knows his history: when the Israelites were fighting a battle and Moses would lift up his hands in praise of God, the Israelites could not be beaten. However, battles are not quick, and his arms would grow tired and when he lowered them, the Israelites would lose. So, he needed men to help hold up his arms (Exodus 17) to support him. It's good to have brothers and sisters who will hold up our arms when we are in the midst of battles, so that we can continue to praise God, regardless. Remember, our battles are not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12). But even when we don't have brothers or sisters to hold up our arms, Isaiah 41 tells us that He himself (GOD!!!!) will hold us up by his righteous right hand, because if God is with us, who can be against us?
So, the disciples are huddled in their room, windows shut, doors locked, like an earthly purgatory. And I'm not sure if you've ever been in a room with eleven men in close confinement; it might not have smelled very good. And suddenly, Jesus is standing in their midst, greeting them with "Shalom be with you." Because if you're living in fear (no judgment), pray for God’s peace. I'll say it again because it's so important: if you're living with fear, pray for God’s peace, God’s shalom. 

• "God, I'm afraid that I'm super busy and I don't know what to say to the people of KUC this week, and I have no time, and aaahhhhhh! God, give me your peace.
  
• God, I have trouble in my marriage. God, give me your peace.
  
• God, I'm struggling with my work. God, give me your peace.
  
• God, I'm worried about my kids. God, give me your peace.
  

Not once did I say, 'Give me MY peace,' because my peace is not big enough to deal with my problems. But God’s peace is. And when we are living in God’s peace under God’s protection what do we have to fear? 
Jesus with the ten other guys there goes straight to Thomas. He doesn't belittle him; he simply, matter-of-factly, addresses the man who wants facts. He says, "Put your fingers here; see my hands. Put your hand on my side. Stop doubting and believe." It wasn't not an accusation; it's a matter of fact. You saw what has happened to me on the cross. You saw the price I had to pay for your sins. You see the reality of this world: that the world killed the Son of God, and YET God raised him from the dead. 
Jesus isn't telling us to turn off our thinking caps. Jesus doesn't tell us to turn off our feelings. Most people process the world through their thinking or feelings. And having faith doesn't reject our rational brains or our feelings, and yet there is something much more powerful than just our rational understanding of the world, or our feelings, and that is faith. That is our faith in God the Father.
Thomas could see. Thomas could feel our master's wounds. Thomas got his physical proof. However, Jesus says to Thomas and all other Thomases through the ages, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." These words aren't just for Thomas but for all of us who walk the path of faith. Jesus acknowledges that there will be times when we won't have the luxury of physical proof, times when we must rely solely on faith.
Belief without seeing is the essence of faith. It's what sets apart mere followers of Jesus from true disciples. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. It's about trusting in the promises of God even when circumstances seem bleak, holding onto hope when everything around us points to despair.
But how do we cultivate such faith? How do we believe without seeing? It begins with a personal encounter with the risen Christ. When we allow Jesus into our hearts, when we experience His love and grace, our faith becomes more than just a set of doctrines or beliefs. It becomes a living, breathing relationship with the living God.
We know that in Mark 8:27-29, when Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" The disciples were willing to say, "Some say you are a teacher; others say you are a prophet, others even say Jesus was John the Baptist come back to live." But Jesus says, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter says, "You are the Christ!" "You are the Messiah!" Here, Thomas goes one step further. He says to Jesus, "My Lord and my God!” Not just a tool of God, which is what a messiah is, but Jesus, you are one with the Father. You are the only one worth worshiping. You are the only one worth following. You are the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, the first and the last. Jesus, you are GOD.
This is Thomas’ burning bush moment. 
This is Thomas’ Isaiah 6 moment when he was taken up into God’s kingdom and Isaiah says, “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Now Thomas has seen the Lord God face to face. That is what he is saying. That is who Jesus is. Let’s pray. 

]]>Sat, 30 Mar 2024 11:12:08 GMThttp://kobeunionchurch.com/english-manuscripts/happy-birthday-john-201-18-kobe-union-church-march-31-2024-preacher-rev-mark-bartschHappy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Today is not only my birthday but everyone's birthday who has accepted the love of Christ into your hearts. Because we know that “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. Not you might be saved or you could be saved but that you will be saved (period)! 
We all have personal birthdays but today with the resurrection of our Lord, today is our spiritual birthday. 
I always thought it was weird that we celebrate our birthdays with cake and presents and that we get to blow out the candles on the cake. We were born but we did not do the hard work on the day of our births. 
In my case, Evelyn Bartsch on Jan 5th, she did the hard work while Karl (my father) waited in the hall. With my two boys, I was in the room, going “Hi Hi Wo” with all my might but Stephanie did all the hard work. 
You have accepted Christ as your Lord and savior and you WILL be saved, but it was Jesus that did the heavy lifting to allow us the opportunity to be reunited with God. 1 John 5:11-12 "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." 
Years ago, there was an advertising campaign that simply said, “Got Milk”. But if you have accepted Jesus into your heart, you Got Life. (If you have not accepted Jesus into your heart, talk to one of us and we will tell you about this amazing life). 
To our passage today. Mary Magdalene and a few other ladies walked up to the tomb to pay their last respects to the one that loved them so much and in return they loved him. On the day of the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus got permission from Pilate to take Jesus' dead body and bury it but because his death was running right up to the Sabbath of Passover. They placed Jesus' body into a tomb that Joseph had bought for his own family and yet gave it for Jesus. 
Let’s face it men, the women usually pay more attention to details and care for things and the women thought that the men probably did not do a very good job of the niceties in caring for Jesus’ (what they assumed was his dead) body. So, the women walk up to the tomb that is being guarded by soldiers to ceremonially wash his body not even thinking that they were not strong enough to roll the rock that covered the entrance to the tomb away. (When people are experiencing grief, they do not always think logically). 
They walk up the hill to the tomb while it is still dark and as they approach the tomb, the guards were gone and the stone had been rolled away. The first thought was not the 31 times that Jesus either outright said or implied that he was going to be raised from the dead. At least 31 times you would think that they were listening. 
No. Their first thought was that this was one more trick. One more indignity that the powers that be (Jewish leaders, Romans) were doing to them. Not only did they kill Jesus but now they would not even allow them to say “Goodbye”. It was too much. 
There are times in life when life is just too much. When life is too much for you, don’t turn to bitterness. Don’t turn to the bottle. Don’t ignore it and shove it down. Turn your pain over to God. He knows. 
One of the most profound verses in the Bible is “Jesus wept” (Jn 11:35) because our Lord knows pain, knows loss, knows what it means to be sad. Mary M. ran back to the place the disciples were staying and told them. Being mad that someone had taken their lord and teacher Peter and John raced up the hill. John being in better shape than Peter made it to the tomb first but Peter being Peter raced into the tomb to find that Mary M. was telling the truth. The stone had been rolled away and Jesus’ body was gone. 
An interesting detail that is given in the biblical story. But Jesus would make a good house guest. See when they went inside the tomb, the linen cloth that was covering his head and was folded up and was laying apart from the other cloth that was probably covered in blood. 
The men seemingly have wondered away, and Mary remains by herself at the tomb and wept. She wept for the man that pulled her out of so much pain and now was lost. She wept for all that she had hoped for. Remember this is Mary Magdalene one rumored (rumored) to be in prostitution before Jesus saved her not only from this degrading profession of selling herself for men’s lust but also from possession of demonic spirits (Luke 8:2) not one mind you but seven. She must have been wondering what happens now to me that Jesus was gone. Would the old life come back? Would the demons return? What will happen to me? 
I liken Mary and all of us Mary’s to a broken pots or dishes. And as I said last week, we are all tied down by something and we need deliverance from those unhealthy things that bind us. Well, we are all broken too. 
Almost 11 years ago many of us did volunteer work in Tohoku after the earthquake. On one of my trips, I helped a woman clean her house full of seawater and broken dishes. She had lost her husband in the earthquake, and I was assisting her in cleaning up her house. As we picked up broken dish after broken and shattered dish. I think it was helpful that my Japanese was not great because she could mourn. From time to time, she would pick up a dish and stare at it for a time before breaking out in tears and I would make the sign of the cross and then she would put it in the trash and pick up the next dish. 
It reminded me of when Ezekiel the OT prophet was asked by God if this field of bones could live? He responded, “You alone O God know if they can live.” Because of Easter we have confidence through the resurrection that yes, these bones can live. We are all broken in some way shape or form. Some of us just hide it a little better than other people. Jesus’ ministry was focused on repairing the broken dishes of our lives. Jesus said, “I have come to comfort the broken hearted” (Lk 4:18) 
In Japan, we have the amazing art of Kintsugi. I saw a demonstration in Kyoto once on a student field trip. The art of Kintsugi is taking pieces of pottery that have been broken sometimes even shattered and instead of throwing these pieces of pottery away like I did in Tohoku and going to the 100 Yen shop and buying another dish. This art restores the pottery by melding gold in between the cracks. It not only makes the bowl useful but more beautiful than before it was even broken. The day I saw the demonstration I saw a bowl that had just happened to be broken in Tohoku earthquake and the master was painstakingly putting the bowl back together again. 
Interestingly with Kintsugi and also faith you do not cover up all the cracks like you do if you superglue it. No, instead you see the cracks but instead of being ashamed of our cracks we say thank you God. For healing and restoring us. For I was once lost but now I am found. I was blind but now I see. I was dead but now I can live. 
When Mary M. saw Jesus she became to the first witness. The first evangelist to share the news that Jesus lives. 
Because he lives, I can face tomorrow, 
because he lives all fear is gone, 
because I know, I know he holds the future, 
and life is worth the living just because he lives. 
Let’s pray

]]>Sat, 23 Mar 2024 05:39:13 GMThttp://kobeunionchurch.com/english-manuscripts/the-master-has-need-of-it-luke-1928-40-kobe-union-church-2024-march-24-preacher-rev-mark-bartsch

Message - 
Today marks the start of Holy Week. Many Christians transition from "Hosanna" and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" to next Sunday's declaration of "Christ has risen! He has risen indeed," often missing the essence of the week. It's like eating an Oreo cookie without savoring the middle. If we do this, we overlook Jesus cleansing the temple of those who exploit the poor in God's name, emphasizing, "My house will be a house of prayer." Jesus did not say that the church should be a house of preaching or even music, but rather a house built on a relationship with God in prayer. How is your prayer life? Really, how is it? If we just rush to next Sunday, we miss Jesus' betrayal by Judas, Peter's denial of Jesus, and significant portions of Jesus’ teaching. We overlook the Last Supper, where Jesus institutes the communion service, and his act of humility in washing his disciples' feet. Most importantly, we overlook the significance of the cross. Missing the cross means missing the essence of Christianity. 
When the world killed the king of kings, and we recognize our voices in the crowd that simply wants the status quo. We want a messiah but on our terms. Don’t rush through this week. On Friday, we will hold a solemn service, focused on contemplating the sacrifice made for each of us. During the service, we will reflect on Jesus' last words on the cross. This week earns its title of "Holy" for a reason; it holds profound importance for every Christian.
As Jesus makes his final journey to Jerusalem, often termed the Triumphal Entry, there is a palpable energy. Last year, during baseball championships, I was on a train among passionate fans of the Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffalos. You could feel the energy and excitement as both teams vied for the championship in their fans. Jerusalem would have been similar or even more energetic. Jesus, having recently raised Lazarus from the dead, now approaches Jerusalem amidst heightened anticipation of what this young rabbi was going to do. It is interesting Christian’s call this Palm Sunday or The Triumphal Entry. The triumphal entry comes from Roman culture when a general would achieve a great victory they would be paraded in Roman and proclaimed a god. (small g). Jesus has not achieved his greatest victory yet (that happens on Friday) but Jesus never needed a parade to proclaim he was one with the Father. He simply was. I and the father are one and because of that and what he did on the cross we have won. 
While on their way, Jesus instructs two disciples to find a young donkey in an upcoming village. We know that the donkey had never been ridden but was to be brought to Jesus. Zechariah 9:9 says, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
We know that this donkey was about 3 years old, as it is unsafe to ride a donkey before the age of three. Just imagine, as Jesus began his earthly ministry, this donkey was born in preparation for this day. God provides. When Jesus needed to pay the temple tax, he sent Peter fishing, and from the mouth of a fish, he pulled out two coins. (Remember, Jesus was paying the temple tax, and the temple was his father’s house.) It's like going to my mother and father-in-law's house for a meal and then getting a bill for the meal when I leave.
This donkey, which had never been ridden before, was to be brought to Jesus. They were told not to seek permission but to simply respond if asked why they were taking the donkey that did not belong to them by saying, "The Lord needs it." This is kingly language, and Jesus is fully embracing his identity as Lord. A king or lord in those times could walk up to anyone and take their property by simply saying, “The Lord needs it.” the person would give it to them. But usually, those servants of the king looked like servants of the king, not like fishermen.

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I discussed getting palm branches with Ted for today's celebration. He looked for a bunch of palm branches at stores but had a challenging time finding them. (Thanks, Ted.) I visited Ted's house a few weeks ago and actually saw a palm tree in Ted’s neighborhood. I told Ted we need those palm branches, so Ted climbed over his neighbor's fence and cut them down. He did just as I told him. I said if asked by the owner what he was doing, I told him to say, “Mark needs them.” This is a picture of Ted after the conversation with the owner of the palm tree. Just to be honest, only half of that story was true. But what is 100% true is that God provides.

About the donkey. Most new items are worth more than used items. Go to Second Street store and you can get almost brand-new clothing for 50% to 70% off. Not with a donkey or horse. At an auction, a broken horse that can be ridden is far more valuable than a horse that has not been broken. Jesus rides this donkey for a day and returns it more valuable than when he got it. 
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There's a spiritual truth here: when we offer something to God—our time, talents, or resources—God will return those gifts imbued with greater value. Jesus needed this specific donkey, but by and large, God does not need anything. He doesn’t need me. He does not need you. God is self-sufficient. But God finds joy in being in being in relationship with us and being with us. He desires nothing more than to walk with us in the cool of the evening just like he walked with Adam and Eve so long ago. It is not true to say, “God needs me”; instead, “God wants you.” He wants you so much that he was willing to purchase your sins back with his blood (Isaiah 53:5): “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed.”
Let me show you a video of how we should respond when we are called!
The parallel between Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and King David's procession with the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6 is striking. David's exuberant worship, though criticized as undignified, reveals the depth of his joy in God's presence. Don't let anyone steal your joy; the world has enough challenges. Jesus reminds us not to worry about tomorrow's troubles, for today has enough of its own. That is why it is so important to embrace moments of joy.
Jesus sends the disciples on a mission, instructing them to untie a never-ridden donkey with the simple declaration, "The Lord needs it." We are all tied to something. Some things are healthy and good to be tied to. When I am tied to something good like my relationship with God, my care for my family, my faithfulness to my call, I tie a double knot so that nothing will slip. But when I am tied to things of this world pride, image, extra I ask God to give me the strength to untie these things and give them to God. Do you know? Have you not heard? That we were given the authority and the power and privilege as believers and followers of Christ to not only bind but to loosen (Matthew 16:19), not only on earth but also in heaven. As long as they are in accordance to the will of God. 
When you praise God fully, you will face resistance. King David faced criticism from his wife Michal for his exuberant worship, echoing the Pharisees' attempts to silence Jesus' followers on Palm Sunday. Jesus rebukes their efforts to silence their worship, suggesting that even if he tells them to be silent, it will not do any good because creation itself will erupt in spontaneous praise. Jesus says the rocks will start praising God if the people are silent.
I do not think the stones, inanimate objects, will speak. Maybe I am wrong. I wouldn’t believe a donkey could talk, but one did in the Old Testament (Nub 22). I think the stones that Jesus is talking about are the tombs that line the path to Jerusalem. Each tomb had a verse or scripture on it. Jesus is saying that these tombs speak of who he is. Not only the words on the tombs speak of God’s faithfulness that is now being fulfilled in Jesus as he enters Jerusalem, but if worse comes to worse, the faithful who have fallen asleep will rise and testify to who Jesus is. Because the dead know! That is one reason why on Friday when the curtain of the temple that separates the holy from the ordinary was ripped, not by man’s hands which would be from bottom to top, but God ripped it from top to bottom. And the dead walked the streets (Matthew 27:52). If we forget our duty and joy to celebrate the Lord, the dead will not. 
As the people in raptured joy celebrate Jesus, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. The donkey knew what his job was and did it with the Lord sitting on his back, but the City of David, the people of God, forgot their purpose, which was to be ready to welcome their king, and they turned on Jesus in just three days. Because of that, Jesus saw the consequences of their disobedience and longed to gather them in like a mother hen gathers up her chicks to protect them, but the people made their choice. They wanted Barabbas. Hopefully, when Jesus comes again, we will not. Let me say it again the Lord does not need me. But he wants me.
Let’s pray.

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]]>Sat, 16 Mar 2024 15:17:15 GMThttp://kobeunionchurch.com/english-manuscripts/let-go-and-let-god-fruit-of-self-control-galatians-522-23-matthew-41-11-kobe-union-church-march-17-2024-preacher-roy-mislangIf you want to be good or skilled about a certain thing, especially in sports it requires discipline. 
If you check out the professional athletes, they are the very first people you see practicing in the field and later after everyone had gone, they still stay longer than everyone else. 

These people put in more time, more effort and more commitment to train themselves. They believe if they be disciplined with their time and with their actions, they could become good, if not the best, in their chosen field. They become highly skilled in their profession. 

You see, dear friends, discipline involves self-control. You need self-control to do a lot of things. You can talk about committing yourself to exercise. You want to lose weight, you want to diet. You want to remove those excess flat tires you have in your belly. But you have to make sure you know control to do those things. 

We live in the world that’s so obsessed with “INSTANT GRATIFICATION”. Instant food, instant noodles, instant coffee, (even instant wife! – made to order bride)

People would say “Why would I need to wait for the results?” I don’t have to wait and work my way to get it. I want it now”. 

When we go through a drive through, or a restaurant, we don’t want to wait long. We get easily angered when someone cuts us down the road and we want to get even.  What you do is you burst your anger at the crew who was taking your order. You burst into anger when you catch up with the car that cuts you off. 

My dear friends we are in our last installment of the Fruits of the Spirit. Amen! Did we learn many things from Ptr. Mark and our Sunday schools? Hope you did.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

And you know, I heard from a lot of people, and maybe you too, that what they struggle the most (and I’m guilty sometimes) is SELF-CONTROL. Different kinds of people, different background nationalities, all struggle from SELF-CONTROL. 
Maybe you have struggles too, maybe some people here, or maybe most of us are struggling with self-control?  Are you? 
Do you feel struggling with self-control before, and now we are all Christians, there is like a battle inside of you when things get out of control. 
WHAT IS SELF CONTROL?
It’s from the Greek Word “ENKRATEIA”   EN = IN, KRATOS = POWER

A state of power or self-mastery over something
Basically it’s the restraint of one’s emotions, impulses or desires. It’s the ability to hold back.
It’s the ability to want something but not taking it! 

You can be tempted to want something, but still you have the power to say no!
Again, being tempted is not a sin. But can we be able to say NO when temptation knocks
Beloved friends, can we tell ourselves NO, when temptation to be “out of control” comes? 

The best example about self-control is in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Jesus knows what you are going through right now. He understands your struggles. He understands what you are going through, your difficulties and the temptation that you are in right now. That is why we defined self-control “the ability to resist or say no”. Self-Restraint.

Just a while ago we read about the account of Jesus’ temptation in Matthew Chapter 4.
Can you imagine that Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights? It says there in v. 4 
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Jesus did not eat for 1 and a half month and it says there he was hungry. 
When we haven’t eaten breakfast or skip a meal or two, we say we are hungry. 
He was hungry here means “HE WAS STARVING TO DEATH”. He really needs food and he wants it!
So the devil comes and tempts Jesus to misuse His power for something that He really desired and wanted! It was a very strong desire to eat. 
And then the devil says, “If you’re the Son of God, all you have to do is turn that stone to become bread”. 
YOU SEE THE DEVIL KNOWS HE CAN DO IT. JESUS KNOWS HE CAN DO IT!
HE REALLY WANTS TO EAT BREAD. BUT HE SAID NO! 
AGAIN SATAN TEMPTED JESUS WITH ALL THINGS THAT ARE DESIRABLE. 
THE DEVIL DOES NOT TEMPT YOU WITH THINGS THAT DON’T LOOK GOOD! 

When I am on a fast and I feel hungry, the devil can’t tempt me with VEGETABLE SALAD. 
BUT IF I AM SHOWN LECHON AND STEAK, SUSHI, STRAWBERRY CAKE AND ICE CREAM AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, - - - THAT’S WHAT I CALL “TEMPTATION”.
(LORD JUST A TASTE, JUST A BIT OF THIS AND THAT’S IT NO MORE –WHILE PULLING)
THE DEVIL GOES WITH THE THINGS WE WANT. And it takes self-control and restraint.

In this case the devil wants Jesus to show off His power, His ability, and His authority.
“YOURE THE SON OF GOD RIGHT? TURN THAT STONE INTO BREAD! YOURE HUNGRY RIGHT! YOU CAN DO IT! DO IT”
Jesus then decides, the desire to eat or to do the thing that is right?

Is our desire to do what we want stronger than the desire to choose what is right?

When you choose what is right then we say you are right-choose. (RIGHTEOUS) or you choose-right. (interchange) 

GARDEN OF GETHSEMENE (Jesus was praying before he was crucified)

Jesus said “Father, if there is any other way, let this cup pass from me, but not my will but yours be done”. 

At that moment, He knew if He would take all the sins of mankind that He will be separated from the Father. Because God the Father cannot stand sin. 
Can you imagine that? Jesus was with the Father in all eternity past, and that very moment He will be separated from Him. He needed to control what he was feeling inside. 

He allowed himself to be tortured and crucified after that. He died your death! My brothers and sisters. He died our death.
JESUS DID WHAT WAS RIGHT. HE WAS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF SELF CONTROL.
AND HIS SELF CONTROL DID NOT END THERE. 

DO YOU KNOW JESUS WOULD HAVE CALLED FOR REINFORCEMENTS BUT HE DIDN’T? JESUS RESTRAINED HIMSELF TO AUTHORIZE ANGELS TO DESTROY ALL THESE PEOPLE PERSECUTING HIM. 

Matthew 26:53
Jesus said “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will not at once put at my disposal more than TWELVE LEGIONS OF ANGELS?”

He was saying to Peter you don’t need to protect me from these soldiers taking him.

Do you know how many soldiers are one legion? In the Roman army it’s about 6000 soldiers. So if you multiply 6000 x 12 equals how many angels are we talking? 72 thousand ANGELS.
In the Bible, in the book of Kings, (2 Kings 19:35) one angel destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. 
If you do the math. 72 000 angels x 185000 people = 13 billion people would have died if Jesus did not restrain himself commanding the angels to help him.

That time it was estimated that the world population was only about 300 million, 
Can you imagine if Jesus did not restrain himself or did not have any self-control?
You, me our families won’t be here. The whole world will be wiped off the face of the earth.
Even if Jesus would have lived now and died at our time, he will also destroy the world with those angels because the world’s population now is only 8 billion. 

2 Peter 2:21-24
 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 
You see my dear brothers and sisters, if there was anybody in the whole earth who have the right to unleash his authority, it was JESUS! It was Jesus. But he didn’t. Why?
He saw you. He saw me. He saw your family. He saw ALL your loved ones. He saw your friends. He even saw the neighbor you lost your temper yesterday. Jesus saw the world. 
If He will not die, where will you be? Where will be your parents, your children? 

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS SELF-CONTROL.
My friends, we are called to restrain ourselves and be able to say NO and HOLD BACK when our desires and temptations come in.


WHEN DO WE NEED SELF-CONTROL?

1. SELF-CONTROL IS NEEDED WITH OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS.
“Ever had someone made you so angry you just want to give him the stars?”
Remember the pastor who almost shouted at the elder in his church?
You need to restrain yourself. Count to a hundred. Don’t count sheep or you’ll go to sleep.
One thing I learned from experience and wisdom is called here. Don’t say or do something in extreme emotions. 
If you’re too happy, too angry or too sad, you might regret what you have said and done.
Extreme emotions cloud our judgement. You can be carried away by emotions.
2. SELF-CONTROL IS NEEDED IN OUR FINANCES.
Do you spend more than you ought to? Do you spend what is needed to be saved?
Ever experienced going inside the shopping mall for window shopping and find yourself you had shopping for the whole house?
3. SELF-CONTROL IS NEEDED TO HAVE HEALTHY PHYSICAL BODIES.
To keep a schedule. To build a habit of exercise. It takes real dedication to keep going.
It takes self-control to eat right. Well, you can’t be tempted to eat salad, but you’ll be triggered to eat cake and steak. Takes self-control to say no. Not today.

4. SELF-CONTROL IS NEEDED TO HAVE HEALTHY SPIRITUAL BODIES
It is difficult to set a schedule to exercise and eat healthy food.
But it is also difficult to be disciplined when to pray and when to have personal devotions.
We need determination, discipline and self-control to cultivate your relationship with God.
5. SELF-CONTROL IS NEEDED TO AVOID SIN.
Just before the section on the Fruits of the HS in Galatians, we can see the contrast of the fruits. These are the works of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, 20 idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

You might say, oh no! I did one or 2 of those? I’m dead! I’m not going heaven. 
My friends, the answer is in the last sentence of verse 21
“that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

If you have been doing it continuously, practicing it and sin becomes a way of living, then that is what it means. You will not inherit the kingdom of God. 
But if you have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins, then all those have been removed from you. You have been justified. 

ALL OF US ARE TEMPTED IN SOME AREAS. AND THE DEVIL KNOWS WHERE YOUR WEAK SIDE IS.

1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Dear friends, God will always give you an escape so that you will not be tempted beyond what you can do. There is always an option not to sin! 

If we surrender everything to Jesus and give all our burden to him. We will be at peace. 
Lord I want you to be in control of my life. I raise my hands in surrender to your will. Not my will but yours be done. 

Before we end let’s read this. We will learn a principle here.

Matthew 7:15-20
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF SOMEBODY IS FOLLOWING JESUS?
LOOK AT THEIR FRUIT? ARE THEY BEARING THE FRUIT?
Do they have love, joy peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, self-control? 
THE QUESTION NOW IS DO I HAVE THE FRUIT?
YOU SAY YES, MOST I HAVE, SOME, I DON’T. God is still working in my life.
My dear brother, my dear sister. If you want to grow the fruit, let’s ask Jesus to plant those seed and make it grow. He is the one that makes it grow.
Let go of any hurt, let go of any pain and let Jesus take control. Not you. Release it to Jesus. 

​LET US PRAY.


]]>Sat, 09 Mar 2024 12:05:12 GMThttp://kobeunionchurch.com/english-manuscripts/fruit-of-gentleness-galatians-522-23-john-2115-17-kobe-union-church-2024-march-10-preacher-rev-mark-bartschMessage:
Back when I lived in Yokohama in the 90s, we attended YUC (where Pastor Claudia is now serving). We were doing a church cleanup day because, in those days, there was a burnt-out hull of the old church that was destroyed in WW2. It was a place where the kids played after church; if I were a kid, it would be where I'd want to play. However, due to the debris, it was a little dangerous. Anyway, we were doing a church cleanup because we did not have a property manager like Ted.
I had gathered a small mountain of wood and burnable stuff and was told to burn it. But it wouldn't light. So I poured gasoline over the pile and lit it. It didn't just burn; it exploded, and a ball of fire and unlit gas hit me from my waist down, and my legs literally (not figuratively) were on fire. I was rushed to the hospital with second-degree burns on my legs. After being discharged, I went to a burn specialist where every three days, I had to have my bandages peeled off and reapplied with medicine.
I would lie on my back, and this older nurse, maybe in her late 50s, would say, "This is going to hurt, count to three," and I would start counting. Sometimes she waited until two, sometimes until three, but she would smoothly rip off the bandages. I am not ashamed to admit that I would whimper with tears running down my face and shout out in pain.
One day, the older nurse was busy, and I got this young, kind nurse just out of nursing school. I laid down just like normal, and she said, "I think this will hurt, so I will be gentle." She slowly went about pulling these bandages off my leg inch by inch. It hurt like H-E double hockey sticks. I was weeping on the table when the old nurse barged in and said in Japanese, "What the H-E double hockey sticks are you doing?" and ripped them off in one smooth motion. I tell you this story because her decisiveness and straightforward care of my leg was the gentlest thing in the world.
In a world of hurting people, we need deft hands at caring for people. Counseling is not my main gift. So when I am called to give care, I am aware that I can sometimes be too aggressive. So I hold back and, like that young nurse, slowly deal with things instead of being who I naturally am as a straightforward person. We know from John 1:14 that Jesus is full of Grace and Truth. That is important. Full of grace and truth. We often err on the side of one or the other. We either are too truthful, too honest, and so end up scaring people away from us and away from our faith.
(I might cut if not enough time) I had a friend who was on fire for the Lord (a good thing), but he would go out at nights in Toledo to the areas of the bars and tell people to repent and turn from sin. He, of course, was mocked. He said he was telling people the truth, but he had no grace, no compassion, no social skills. I have known other people that anything goes, and they will tell you it is okay, even though it wasn't okay. And we naturally fall emotionally on one side or the other of the grace and truth sliding scale, and none of us has it perfectly balanced. That is why there are many times I will pray before talking to someone. God, help me to be full of your grace and also your truth.
By the way, I challenged my friend to go into a quieter bar and instead of shouting damnation at people, to simply buy a drink and talk to people. To my knowledge, he never did, and to my knowledge, he never led anyone to Christ, and just the opposite might have pushed people further away from God. We know that Jesus met with, talked to, not talked at sinners and tax collectors. That is one of the things that the Pharisees held against him. James the brother of Jesus says, (3:13-16) “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom”.  It is actions done in gentleness that comes from an understand that is informed by our relationship with Christ that shows our wisdom. This is not the wisdom of this age but a wisdom connected to the Logos. 
There was a movie starring Robert Redford called "Horse Whisperer." The movie was based on a real man who worked with injured and damaged horses. The real man, not Redford, said that... Stay calm and centered (for us, that is staying in the Spirit, or as old-timers would say, "Staying Prayed up"). Know that it takes time. Set loving boundaries. Let the horse come to you.
In the scene we are going to watch, the horse has run away in fear, and Redford stays connected to the horse but allows the horse to come to him. Just like in Luke 15, the father waited for the prodigal son to come home.
Let's watch the clip...
In John 21, Jesus restores Peter, the person that Jesus said would be the rock of the early church. We know when Jesus was arrested, Peter stayed close but then denied Jesus not once, not twice, but three times. Here, Jesus meets Peter and asks him a question.
Jesus asks, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" And Peter says, "You know that I love you." Jesus says, "Feed my lambs." First, we know that Jesus is addressing Peter formally, not as a friend, by calling him "Simon son of John." Secondly, lambs are small and vulnerable. If a mother sheep rejects her lamb (and it happens), shepherds have two choices: let the lamb die or milk a sheep and feed the lamb himself. Interestingly, that lamb, when it grows up, will be the most devoted to the shepherd of any sheep in the flock. It is an understandable command that even a fisherman could understand.
Jesus says again to Simon son of John, "Do you love me?" Again Peter says, "Yes, I love you." Here, Jesus gives Peter a second command: "Take care of my sheep." This is normal because sheep can feed themselves; all they need is general guidance, and sheep pretty much care for themselves.
Jesus, for a third time (and we cannot miss that Jesus asks him three times, just as Peter had denied him three times), asks, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" We know that Peter felt hurt because Jesus was gently but firmly asking Peter to commit to this relationship. Peter says, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." You see, Jesus knew that Peter loved him, but Peter did not yet know how much he loved Jesus, and Jesus was giving him a mirror to Peter’s own heart. The final command was, "Feed my sheep." Numbers one and two make sense, but number 3 does not. Sheep know how to eat. But Jesus knows that some are so damaged by life that they have lost the capacity to do the normal thing. These are people who should be able to handle spiritual meat, but because of trauma or difficulties, they are unable to do so. Because of this, Jesus is calling Peter to not just care for the little ones, not just to care for the normal ones that need a little direction, but to care for the weak and challenged. They need a gentle but truthful, loving hand to guide them back to health.
If you feel like one of these wounded sheep. Please do not keep it to yourself. Please tell someone preferably someone mature enough to pray for you and support you in a loving way. But as much as you get support from these spiritually mature people also tell Jesus and allow him to touch your heart with his loving hands as he cares for you. For Jesus tells us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
Let's pray.
]]>Sat, 02 Mar 2024 04:18:31 GMThttp://kobeunionchurch.com/english-manuscripts/fruit-of-faithfulness-galatians-522-23-daniel-616-23-kobe-union-church-2024-march-3-preacher-rev-mark-bartschGalatians 5:22-23 
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. 
Daniel 6:16-23
So, the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Message:
We all know the story of Hachiko (The statue of the dog, which is the most famous meeting place in Tokyo), the faithful dog that even after his master died, continued to go to Shibuya station to wait for his master to return every evening, despite being shooed away by train staff and commuters at first. An article in the newspaper inspired people to be kind to Hachiko, the dog. He was faithful.

There is another story of a dog named Captain in Argentina, a German Shepherd that lost his master, a 20-year-old who died. The dog was taken, as the story goes, to the cemetery where he howled in pain as his young master was laid to rest. That night, the family returned home with him but saw his food was not eaten. They looked for him but could not find the dog. A few days later, they went back to the gravesite of their son, and there was Captain. They brought him back home, but as soon as he could get outside, he ran the 20 miles to the gravesite and stayed there until his death in 2018. Just so you know, I am a pro-animal preacher. I love reading stories on animals, and watching cute YouTube videos of pets always makes me smile. One way you can really make me angry is to be angry to an animal in front of me.

We gather today not merely as individuals but as a community bound by the unbreakable thread of faithfulness to God as we seek to follow him and emulate our heavenly father's faithfulness that he has shown us time and time again. God through the OT was faithful sometimes to an unfaithful people. Jesus was faithful unto the cross, bearing our sins even as we people yelled, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” He could have called on a legion of angels to rescue him, but he was faithful unto death for us. The faithfulness we have is just a reflection of God’s faithfulness that he has shown us.

Years ago, at a church I attended, there was a woman with a debilitating illness. She could barely move her arms and legs and was permanently wheelchair-bound. Yet Sunday after Sunday and Wednesday prayer meeting too her husband and her faithfully made it to church. Rain or shine she was there. It was a witness to all of the people of the church her commitment to Christ and the congregation.

Faithfulness is a virtue that lies at the very heart of our relationship with God. It connects to our willingness to be obedient to God. I will say it again its our willingness to be obedient to God not just once but day after day. I told the story of the two dogs; despite their heartache, these faithful companions remained steadfast in their commitment to their masters. Their stories serve as reminders of the depth and power of faithfulness.

In the Bible, we have countless accounts of people being faithful to God. The Bible being fair and balanced also tell stories of peoples fickleness and unfaithfulness. Just after being rescued from Egypt and being brought through the Red Sea (can you imagine) by the mighty hand of God, the Israelites built an idol of a golden calf and worshiped it. Maybe fickle is too nice a word. We are like water moving in the path of least resistance. God forgive us for our fickleness.

This goes without saying, but you cannot have faithfulness without a deep undergirding of faith. (Sounds silly to say that but it is true). Faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not yet see. Because you cannot have faithfulness without FAITH. You cannot be faithful without Agape and also Hope. Most mornings I close my prayer time, I ask for these three things, “God give me Faith, Hope, and Love in this world”. Because I know if I have these three things faithfulness will follow.

There are many examples of people being faithful to the Lord, but few rival Daniel. He was a young man who, along with his friends, were taken into captive to Babylon during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. Despite being in a foreign land, Daniel remained devoted to God and refused to compromise his faith, from small things like dietary rules to bigger things like prayer; he was faithful.

Faithfulness is often little acts of faith compiled together. One of the most well-known accounts of Daniel's faithfulness occurs in Daniel chapter 6. Daniel had risen to a position of power in the Babylonian government, which caused jealousy and resentment among others. These men conspired against Daniel and convinced King Darius (the new king) to sign a law forbidding anyone from praying to any god or man except the king for thirty days (Kings are often narcissists). Violators would be thrown into a den of lions until they were eaten. Knowing the consequences, Daniel remained faithful to God and continued to pray three times a day. Just as he always did, with his window facing Jerusalem, so it wasn’t a secret. He wasn’t hiding his faith, and the guys that were jealous of Daniel knew he wouldn't stop, they were counting on it. Many of us would say, "30 days I will take it up again in a month," but for Daniel, his faith was a living thing. Just as well say to Daniel hold your breath for a month. He couldn’t do it.

He was easily caught and reported to the king. The king wanted to save him because the king knew him as a talented and, more importantly, faithful man. The king's hands were tied by the very law that he himself had signed. (Be careful what you agree to). His punishment was an execution of being thrown to the lions. The next morning the King rushed to the den of lions and shouted down. “Daniel, do you live?” Daniel replied back, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me because I was found blameless before him.” Daniel's unwavering faith in God, even in the face of death, serves as a powerful example of trusting in the Lord regardless of the consequences.

People might say, “If I pray before my meal at work, people might look strangely at me.” Oh no! “If I tell people that I am a Christian, what will they think of me?” Oh no! “If I say I will not go along with something because it is wrong and goes against my faith what will my family and friends think about me?” These are real things that people have told me over the years. Faith is not easy. Ask Daniel. Ask our Lord who prayed in the garden of Gethsemane to take this cup from his hands only to say to the Father, “Not my will but your will be done.” It is called faithfulness. Daniel’s story inspires us to remain faithful in our own lives, trusting that God is with us in every situation, no matter how dire it may seem. Daniel's faithfulness not only saved his own life but also served as a testimony to the power and faithfulness of God, ultimately bringing glory to His name.

What does it truly mean to be faithful? Is it merely a matter of fulfilling obligations and duties, or does it encompass something far deeper and more profound? At its core, faithfulness is a testament to the strength of our faith, hope and love to Christ. It is a living, breathing expression of our unwavering commitment to God and to one another.

That is what we celebrate when we come to the table of our Lord. We profess that God has been faithful when we take the bread and the cup as a sign of God’s faithfulness. Once Jesus asked by a father to heal his son. Jesus asked him if he believed. The father replied I believe but help me with my unbelief. When we come to the table we say Lord I have faith in you that you are able to help me be faithful. 

​Let’s pray.

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