Let us pray. Lord, may the words of my mouth and meditations of our hearts together tonight
be pleasing in your sight O Lord. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen. Merry Christmas to you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! I want you all to know that while I share the Christmast greeting with you in joy, it doesn’t come from me. I may be one of the pastors who serves in this church, but it is Christ Jesus who welcomes you into this beautiful sanctuary in God’s house this evening. This church is not your host tonight, and neither am I; God is the host, and the one who welcomes each and every one of us into this space tonight. Whether you realize it or not, God sent you a personalized invitation to come here tonight, and you came! So in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am so very happy to welcome you not to my church, or to our church, but to God’s church. And if you don’t mind, I would like to tell you a story. About a week or so ago, I went to my youngest child’s Christmas pageant at his kindergarten which, as it happens, is run by Christians. On the day of the pageant, I went to the school and was in line with all the other parents, waiting to get inside. Next to me was the mother of one of my son’s friends and, since the gates of the school had yet to be open, she and I started to chat a little. I don’t remember how we started talking about it exactly, but at some point I found myself sharing the story of Christmas with her. Since she wasn’t really familiar with the Bible, I did my best to explain it in a way that wouldn’t be too hard or too complicated, of course, but those of you who come to KUC regularly know how much I can talk when it comes to the Bible! So I started to tell her the story. I told her about Joseph and Mary, how they were a young couple, newly engaged, and looking forward to their marriage. And then, to their shock, they found out that they were expecting a child. This was so scary for them because in those days, if it was discovered that Mary was pregnant before getting married, it could mean death. Mary could be killed as a punishment for this! So Joseph planned to leave her and end their engagement quietly, so she might escape punishment. But an angel sent by God told both of them that they should stay together, to keep and care for the child. The angel said that this child they were expecting was a very special child; not just for them, but for everyone in the entire world. This child was to be named “Jesus,” which means “God who saves us,” and he would be born to be the Messiah; the Lord and Savior of everyone on Earth. Mary and Joseph believed what they had been told, so they decided to trust God, and keep the baby. 2000 years ahead, soon enough, the gate to the school was opened, so our little story time ended and my friend and I went into the school. We waited for a time, until the kids were ready, so I used that time to tell her more. I told her about the wisemen, the shepherds, and still more angels. And then, the pageant started. Now, who doesn’t love a good Christmas pageant, especially when the story of Christmas is acted out by cute little kids? You’ve just gotta smile at something like that, right? So instantly, my eyes, my ears, my mind, and my heart - all of me - were drawn into the unfolding pageant. Every little kid did a fantastic job playing all the different parts; sheep, shepherds, angels, innkeepers, wisemen, narrators and, of course, Joseph and Mary. And then there was my kid, who played one of the innkeepers!And he also did a great job! One of my favorite scenes in the pageant that day was the interaction between the innkeepers, and Joseph and Mary. And for sure, I definitely loved it because my kid was one of the innkeepers, but there was more to it than that. I was astounded by this scene because, even through the acting of these adorable little kids, it really showed the hardness that our human hearts are capable of. And in contrast to that hardness, it showed the gentleness of God’s heart which is always there for us, just waiting and wanting to meet us. Joseph and Mary had traveled to the town of Bethlehem because they had been told by the Roman Emperor that every citizen in the empire, including them, had to go back to the head of the family’s hometown in order to be registered (Luke 2:1-5). Having just arrived in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary were walking very slowly - Mary was just starting to go into labor - from one inn to another, looking for a place they could say. Of course, since this was a children’s pageant, all the adorable little ones - including my boy - were singing this catchy song. And they sang it like this, “knock knock knock, konbanwa (good evening!). Is there a room for us?” But each time the innkeepers opened their door, and sang back to them “Oh so sorry, the inn is full tonight. Please go find somewhere else.” Rejected, Joseph and Mary kept moving through town, knocking on one inn door after another. They kept singing, “knock knock knock, konbanwa. Is there a room for us tonight?” but all they received was rejection after rejection. Finally, they began to beg, and even though the innkeeper had said no like all the others, Joseph and Mary said in desperation. “Please, anywhere is fine. We are about to give birth. Please. We beg you.” The innkeeper opened the door a little wider, and said to them, “Ok, the space I have available is messy and not fitting for what you need, but if that is ok with you, please come in.” Mary and Joseph went in. And there they welcomed baby Jesus, a Savior of the world, the king of kings, wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, and the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6) right there, in a dirty, messy, smelly manger, welcomed into this world only by his earthly parents, and a bunch of stinky animals. “The space I have available is messy and not fitting, but please come in.” This is what the innkeeper said to Joseph and Mary, just as they were about to welcome the baby Jesus. Now I don’t know about you, but when my house is messy, or my life is messy, the last thing I want to do is invite someone in and show them my messy house or messy life. It’s hard to say “I have a room for you, but it's messy and you might not like what you see, but please come in.” This is so hard to say, isn’t it? But as hard as it is to say, I think it’s even harder to actually go one step farther and actually do it! It’s tough to say, “I know it’s messy, but please come in,” but it’s so much harder to actually open the door wider, open yourself up all the way, and let whoever has been knocking at the door come right into the dirt and the mess. It is so hard, isn't it? But why is it so hard? Why does it have to be so hard? It’s hard because we’re all human, and humans are afraid of being judged and criticized. We don’t know how this person might react when they see the state of our room, or the state of our lives. It’s a risky move to invite people in, and there’s no promise that it’ll go well. There is no guarantee that this person won’t come in, look around, and say, “O gosh, this is way worse than I thought! What happened to you?!? This is just gross!” Yes, there is that possibility, and I have to admit that it’s a scary one. But there is one other possibility, one other thing that might happen that we can’t easily imagine. . Instead, you might hear this person say to you with compassion, “The mess doesn’t matter; I just wanted to see you. Thank you for letting me in.” “It doesn’t matter. I just wanted to see you.” As someone who truly believes that Jesus Christ was born for all of us this Christmas night, I can say with conviction that our Lord and Savior always chooses this way, always chooses to say words of love to you, rather than judgment. “It doesn't matter whether your house or your life is a mess. I only came to see you. Please, let me in your life.” As long as your heart is an open door, as long as you’re willing to take the risk of opening it wider and letting him in, Jesus will always say that to you. “Knock, knock, knock, konbanwa may I stay for the night?” That is the song God is singing to you, again and again, because God never stops believing, never stops hoping that you will open the door, and let God into your messy room and your messy life. Of course, we don’t see God with our eyes, and we don’t hear God’s voice as loudly or in the same way that we hear other sounds, but when you soften your heart and let it open, you can hear that still, small voice whispering to you. You can feel the gentle warmth of God’s voice, speaking directly to your heart, saying, “Let me in. I love you. I won’t judge you.” Whether this is your first time hearing the Christmas story, or the millionth time, God is always saying the same thing to you tonight; “Knock, knock, knock, konbanwa, may I come in? May I stay for the night? Because I really want to see you!” So what do we do? What do we say? How can we answer this knocking at the door of our hearts? Well, for myself, I found an answer in verse 4 of the hymn, “In the Bleak Mid- Winter,” which the choir is going to sing next. And here is the lyrics. What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb, If I were a wise man, I would do my part, yet what I can I give him, give my heart. As the choir sings, I would like to invite you all to take a moment not just to savor the sound of voices mixed together in beautiful melodies, but to savor the words of the song itself. I invite you to open the eyes and ears of your hearts to God’s quiet, whispered invitation, and see if your heart is ready to follow. “Knock, knock, knock, konbanwa, may I come in? May I stay for the night? Because I really want to see you!”
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Let us pray.
God of Love, we ask you to help us understand the true meaning of Christmas this morning, as our hearts come together as one to meditate on your great love which comes down this night. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen. While I have been preparing for today’s message, I’ve been wondering; what is the good news about Christmas, exactly. In today’s story, the angel of the Lord appears to the shepherds as they were taking care of their sheep in the field at night, and says, “I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) Ugh…what is that good news, though! Come on, Akiko! You know this! Even little kids know the answer to this one, especially if they grow up in church! You know, I actually asked this question to my kids yesterday, why exactly Christmas is such good news of great joy, and they had an answer right away. Their answer was the same thing the angel said; Jesus Christ, our Lord and the Savior of all human kind, was born on Christmas Day. So that’s it, that’s the answer, right? But my question is, perhaps, a bit bigger than that. What about that birth, the birth of our Lord and Savior, is the good news? Do we really understand? Can we explain it? Do we know the true meaning of Christmas? When I was writing today’s message, I was sitting in the same room in our house where we had put up the Christmas tree. It was still very early, and the sun hadn’t risen yet, and I really like sleeping, so I very much did not want to turn the lights on and get started. But in that darkened room, I found myself mesmerized by how beautiful the Christmas tree was. And even though I should have hurried to get all my writing done, even though my hands should have been moving as fast as possible to finish this message (because, as you might have guessed, it was this morning that I wrote it!) I found my hands resting in my lap, as I stopped getting ready for a moment and just looked upon our Christmas tree. Our Christmas tree isn’t anywhere near as tall as this Christmas tree, here in the sanctuary. In our house, we have it in the corner of the living room, the room where visitors stay when we have them over, and where we often play music, worship, and spend time with God. Of course, with the lights off I couldn’t see every beautiful detail of the tree, but even still it took my breath away. The white and gold lights on the tree blinked slowly in the dark, and each time they did I could catch a tiny glimpse of each ornament, their shape and their color, and understand one more little piece of how they contributed to the great beauty of the whole Christmas tree. I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) When the shepherds heard these words from the angel, they probably had no idea precisely what they meant for them. What would simple shepherds know of Saviors and Messiahs? Why would this be good news for all the people? And why would such great news be delivered to us, and not to someone more powerful, more well-known; someone who could offer great gifts in welcome, rather than a crooked walking-staff and rough clothes that smelled like sheep? In those days, taking care of the sheep was considered one of the lowest, dirtiest jobs imaginable. Taking care of sheep involved touching blood and excrement, things it was considered extremely unclean to do. The very nature of their job, necessary though it was, made them unclean and untouchable; outcast in the society around them. And in the darkness of that first Christmas night, the news of the birth of baby Jesus, the Savior of the entire world, was given first to these outcast shepherds, standing watch in the cold fields at night. In response, these shepherds dropped everything they were doing; the tasks of their hands and feet stopped immediately at the news. And suddenly, they saw a great multitude of the heavenly host joining with the angel, praising God together and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:13-14) In that moment, the shepherds saw something extraordinary, something beautiful and majestic take shape right in front of their eyes; an angel, with the heavenly host behind them singing out in glory! As awestruck as I was by our Christmas tree this morning, these shepherds must have been blown away a thousand times stronger than that! Of course they were! As nice as I think it is, there’s no comparison between my little Christmas tree and the heavenly host! But the reaction was much the same anyways. There is an awe that overtakes us, when something beautiful stops our hands and feet, settles our hearts and minds, and stops that powerful train of thought which runs through our brains constantly trying to focus on whatever it is we need to do next. And in that moment, we gaze - even just slightly - on the beauty of God. But what is so good about that good news, though? After all, the coming of Jesus didn’t change the shepherds difficult lives. They were still unclean, still poorly compensated, still unwelcome in the community around them. When all was finished this night, they went right back to their demanding, harsh, and difficult lives. And I wrestle with that question, I look at the world around us. Another war started this year. Living expenses continue to rise and inflation continues to grow all while wages remain the same. So many people got sick this year, in so many different ways, and not everyone got better. People are working so hard just to get by. People are desperate for connection, desperate to be part of a community, but we’re all so busy that no matter how much we want it, no matter how much we try, it never seems to happen. So what about this news is so good, what is so special about the birth of our Lord and Savior if we haven’t been saved from our struggles? Where’s the good news if nothing seems to have been changed? While I wrestled with this question in my heart this morning, I stood up, and turned on the lights in the room. Despite my uncertainty, my confusion, and my questioning, I took action and started to move. The Shepherds did much the same, by the way, when despite the confusing message they had received, they stood up and said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place.” (Luke 2:15) And when I turned on those lights, I saw that Christmas tree in a whole new way. You see, it turns out our Christmas tree is just as beautiful in a fully-lit room as it is in the dark. The tree is still the same, of course; nothing new has been added to it just by turning on the lights. But when the lights came on I would say that it is even more beautiful because now I could see the fine details of each and every ornament on that tree. Each one has their own unique color, and their own special shape, each beautiful in their own right. Some of them are spheres, some of them are snowflakes - some of them are starships, because my husband is a very big geek! - but all of them are beautiful! And once again, the beauty of the Christmas tree stopped me in any tracks. When I responded to the beauty with action, the details came into focus, and I was able to see. And the beauty grew even more magnificent. The shepherds saw the beauty of the angels, and they heard the good news, even though they couldn’t quite see it yet. But they responded with action, they went to see the baby Jesus and met with Jesus’ earthly parents. They told them about what the angel had said, and the beauty of the heavenly host united in song. And everyone there was amazed, mesmerized even. The details of the Christmas story came alive when they came together, to witness the miracle of Christmas in the light, together, sharing the beauty of what they had been blessed to see. This, beloved, is the true meaning of Christmas. The world is still broken. Difficult things remain in our lives, and all the challenges of the world remain. Yet in the midst of it all, there is something so beautiful and majestic right here among us; a God so overflowing with love and hope, a God who comes to us in the form of a helpless little baby rather than a conquering king, a God who announced the arrival of the Savior by showing unbelievable beauty to outcast shepherds rather than the rich and powerful. The love that we are given in christ is so beautiful that it stops our busy hands and feet, and writes over the worries of our hearts and minds with awe and amazement. This majestic beauty, this amazing love stops us right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of our lives and, like the shepherds in the field, we can’t help but stop and stare at the wondrous beauty of God; the light shining in the darkness of this lost and broken world. I know that for many of us, life will remain busy. Life may remain tough, and our challenges will not disappear with the coming of Christmas. But the Christmas story isn’t one of miraculous lifting of all our burdens; it’s a message of beauty, and hope. It’s a chance to stop what we are doing, to stop completely in our tracks, and observe the majestic, otherworldly beauty that is God’s love, brought to us in this world. This beauty is all around us; it’s in the Christmas tree, it’s in today’s story; it’s in the faces of the loved ones surrounding us in our lives, and in our sanctuary today. Find that love, find that beauty and majesty and know that it comes from God. Take it all in, let yourself be in awe of it, knowing that behind it all is a God who is even bigger still, a God who is still trying, even today, to tell us that this world is beautiful despite all the brokenness that runs through it. Hear from God this good news of great joy, and in awe and wonder stand up, turn on the lights, respond to the call of the angels, share that good news of great love with the world around you, and watch how that beauty grows. See how the message makes sense when you follow it to Bethlehem, to the manger, and watch as the love of God take shape in the form of a little baby, lying in a manger. Come and see, because our Lord and Savior, the light of the world, is born tonight. Amen. Let us begin with prayer, and as we start to pray let us open our ears to these words from
Isaiah 55:6-11. Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let all return to the Lord, that the Lord may have mercy on them, and to our God, for God will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Lord, I am in awe. I am in awe of your confidence. You say that your word shall not return to you empty. You know that your word will accomplish the full purpose to which it is set, and succeed in all that you send it to do. Your word is not idle; it has a purpose, and results that you plan for. So this morning, I invite everyone to join me in this one prayer: in this time, may we truly experience what it means not to live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). Lord, we seek you truly and deeply in this house of yours. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen. Those of you who were at church last Sunday probably noticed that I wasn’t here. And not only was I not here on Sunday, but I worked from home all this last week as well. First of all, I would like to thank all of you so much for going the extra mile to cover things in my absence, and I am so very sorry to have made you all worried. Your support and your prayers have meant a lot to me. I want to start by assuring you all that I am ok. I am with God, and God is with me. But I think I should share with you all the reasons why I wasn’t here last week, and why I have been working from home since then. I have already shared this with the council, church staff, and those with whom I have been working closely in various church ministries, so this isn’t exactly news for some people, but for others it might still be. I am burnt out. Not only am I burnt out, but being burnt out has caused my depression to get worse. Of course, many of you here already know I have depression; it’s not something I’ve ever really hidden. I don’t feel guilty or ashamed to have depression, and it’s been a part of my life for a long time. My faith in Christ has redeemed me, but my journey with God hasn’t magically made my depression disappear completely either. But that’s ok, because walking through life with God has taught me to rely on God and, over the years, God and I have become so very close as the Lord has taught me to live with my depression, while relying on the grace, mercy, and love of God. I truly believe that the power of Christ is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and that through it - through my depression - Christ has been, and even still is, glorified. But being burnt-out, being mentally overloaded, made my depression worse lately. So I went to my doctor, and he told me that I needed to take it easy, to take a break. And I agree. I do need a break. I need to spend more time with God, resting my body and resting in the Word. So, the council and pastor Mark are graciously allowing me to take time and do minimum work for a while. I am so very grateful for the care they are showing for me, and my family. They are willing to place my health and wellbeing above the business of the church, and they are standing behind me 100%. But as they do, I would like to ask you all for help too. If you can, I would like to ask you to go to the council, go to the church staff, and ask what you can do to help out the church. I understand that this news might come as quite a shock to some of you. You might be feeling confused, even upset to see a pastor showing weakness like this. If that is the case, I am sorry, and I hope you know that it isn’t my intention to upset you. Whatever it is that you are feeling, I want to acknowledge that it is valid, natural, and ok. But at the same time, I want to ask you to try to listen, still acknowledging the feelings you have, but setting them aside for a moment to hear what I have to say to you this morning. Because the truth is that in the midst of all this, God has done some truly great amazing things! And I want to tell you all about it! Even though my depression has worsened, God hasn’t stopped speaking to me; God is still hard at work, and is so very powerful in all that God is doing! The first thing I want to share with you is a story about a member of our church, who has given me their permission to share this with all of you. This is a person I had been working with on a task together for some time. This person didn’t realize how overworked I was, and did not know that my depression was worsening. So this person, with no ill intent, kept asking me for more and more detailed information about the task we were working together. After last Sunday, this person emailed me and apologized profusely, sincerely thinking that they might have been part of the reason I was so burnt out. After apologizing, this person said, “I pray that what you plan goes well and right according to the good will of the Lord.” When I read this email in bed, I cried. Yes, I cried. Not because I was sad, no, but I shed a tear of joy! I was rejoicing! I felt great joy, because I remembered the words that Jesus said in today’s scripture reading, “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7) This email gave such joy to my heart! Great joy! A joy that could never be purchased, never satisfied by Netflix binging, junk food eating, massages, acupuncture, or buying myself whatever thing I thought might help to alleviate my stress. Yes, sometimes I do all these things - and more - to help cope with stress and take care of myself (though, I don’t really buy everything I want for myself because I don’t really have that much money!), but I know that the feelings of relaxation, happiness, and joy that come from these things are fleeting, temporary things. They pass away. But here is the truth: all these things, these human things, are NOTHING compared to the eternal joy that is promised to us as believers when we repent! A few days after this email, this person and I spoke again. And we prayed together. And in our time of prayer we both just focused on the Lord, our God, who had forgiven us and redeemed us both. In that moment, I had nothing but gratitude, praise, and joy in our hearts. Now, isn’t that amazing? Can you see why I wanted to share this story with you this morning? As you can see, I have such a big smile on my face even now as I am sharing this story with you, because I truly believe that this was given to all of us, as a community, by God, in order to encourage us to rejoice, and celebrate together how amazing our God is! And now, I have another amazing story to share as well! Even though I am burnt out, even though my depression is weighing me down, God has not stopped working as powerfully as God ever has. God has been speaking to me so very much, showing me just how powerfully faithful and true God is to the Word, to the promises we are given in Christ Jesus. About a week and a half ago, I was reading the Bible early in the morning. For my daily devotion, I follow the lectionary; an assigned reading through the Bible. On that day, one of the texts was Psalm 79 and, as I was reading, I found myself stopped at Psalm 79:11. So strongly Psalm 79:11 spoke to me that I found myself stopping completely, looking at the verse and reading it again: “Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die.” (Psalm 79:11) As I read this verse, as I heard it speak to me, I remembered a man that Yoshiko Burke-san had told me about this past summer. This man, Will (who has given me permission to share both his name and his story) had been thrown into the Kobe detention center, and had been in there for some time. Yoshiko san had learned about him through a friend, and had reached out to us pastors here at KUC and asked if we could visit him in prison, since she could not. Of course, I wanted to help right away, but the sheer amount of work I had been given here at KUC prevented me from doing so; I just couldn’t find any time. So, even though I felt terrible about it, even though I knew that I should visit this man in prison, I couldn’t do anything but give up on visiting him. And I felt guilt and shame about it. But here, now, a few months later, as I found myself stopped on Psalm 79:11, God spoke to me again. And in this moment, I knew. I knew that God was giving me a second chance, one more chance to be a part of that great, divine, God’s holy work of helping the groaning, suffering voices of the prisoners come before the Lord. So I dug through my emails, found the one Yoshiko had sent me all those months ago, and found the cell phone number for this man’s wife, and I called her. I called Will’s wife, and she actually picked it up! I introduced myself, explained why it was that I had her phone number, and how I had come to learn about her husband’s situation. And she told me that she was actually in Kobe that very day, because it was the final day of the trial. She asked me to come to the courthouse with her, to sit beside her during the final moments of the trial. I could not believe it! After all this time, I could not believe that God still wanted to use someone like me, someone who had known of her husband’s situation this whole time, but didn’t reach out until now. Someone who failed as a pastor. Someone who had let her phone number sit in my mailbox for several months while I busied myself with other churchwork. But when I set my heart on the mercy of God, I knew what had to be done. Even though my body and soul were weary, I knew what needed to be done. So I made some calls, changed my work schedule that very day, and set out for the courthouse. Now, I won’t go into detail about the reasons why this man was on trial. I actually spoke to Will last night, and he would love to share his story with us someday, so perhaps it would be better to let him tell his own story later. But for today, what I can share with you is this: Will was, and is, truly and completely sorry for the small, accidental mistake he had made. He stood in the courthouse and apologized, sincerely and profusely. He apologized for having caused trouble for so many people, but more than anything he was so sorry to have caused such a burden on his wife. He cried, kneeling on the floor, confessing and repenting from the depths of his heart. I was struck by the sincerity of his remorse; this was a man who was truly stricken by what he had done, truly remorseful. I was so heartbroken because, as a child of God, I know that in the eye of God when you are sorry, truly sorry, you are completely forgiven. Just like we see in the story of the prodigal son, remorse and repentance earn you not condemnation, but a welcome back into God’s house with big, wide, open arms! In repentance we are clothed with luxurious, beautiful garments. We aren’t turned away, but God throws a giant welcome back party, just for us! But in that moment, what I saw with my eyes was so very different. Here, in this world, I saw a man who had confessed and repented from the deepest depths of his heart placed in chains and returned to prison, escorted from the room by stone-faced guards. I was devastated. The next day, I visited him in the detention center. In the courtroom, he had been wearing a mask, so I could not see his face clearly. But when I met him through the glass I found a man with a gentle smile, a sharp mind, and eyes shining with curiosity. He was positive, kind, thoughtful, and grateful, despite the situation he found himself in. I explained how I had been in touch with his wife, and what had brought me to the courthouse yesterday. I told him the Word I had found in Psalm 79:11, and how that had been the beginning of everything for me. The 30 minutes of the visitation went by so quickly, and just before I left I asked if it would be ok for me to pray. He said yes, and we prayed a short prayer together; I prayed that he might find himself out of detention soon, because our God is a God who “proclaims liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1). In that moment, I prayed simply for God to be faithful to who God is. One day after this visit, before a verdict had even been reached, I learned from his wife that he was suddenly granted bail. He was reunited with his wife for the first time in 9 months! Not only that, but he was allowed to leave Kobe and return to his wife and his home in Ehime; the first person ever to be allowed to travel such a distance on bail in this detention center! Can you believe that? He came home! “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7) I know that, for a lot of us, the word “repentance” lies heavy on our hearts. It can be hard to explain sometimes, but I feel like Christians might have kind of an allergic reaction to the word “repentance,” don’t we? We avoid it. We don’t talk about it. The word leaves such an awful taste in our mouths that we do whatever we can to keep it from tasting and savoring it. In the past, when I have preached on this topic, I’ve been asked, “Why do you make us feel so bad? Why do you talk badly about church? That’s too dark of a topic; sermons should remain positive.” Sermons should remain positive. I agree, but I also know that to find true light and positivity, stories get dark so that we can get to the other side. But we have to hang in there. Because there is a light at the end of the tunnel! In Greek, the word for repentance is metanoia (μετάνοια). This word isn’t some great, terrible, negative thing; it simply means changing directions. Changing our minds. It means turning ourselves around, and turning to God. That’s all. When we talk about repentance, even when we do repentance, the goal is never to make you feel bad. God certainly doesn’t want you to feel bad. NO! Repentance, real repentance is not guilt, not condemnation. Repentance leads to the new life in Christ! Repentance leads to joy! God rejoices with you, celebrates with you when you turn back, when you come home to God. For some of us it might be the first time, for others it might just be the most recent time, but every single time, God has the same reaction, the same joy! ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep. there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:6-7) There is more joy in heaven when one person repents, even if there are ninety nine righteous people there already. Can you see how important it is, how much God rejoices when we come back to God?! No matter how many times you’ve gotten lost, God always rejoices at your return! This is the joy which has kept me strong and encouraged this past week. My spirit was willing, but my flesh was so very weak. I was tired, depressed, overworked, and exhausted. I have reached my limit. But when I saw the beauty and majesty of repentance shining through the apology of a member of our church community, through Will’s sincere confession in court, and even in my own turning back to God to connect with Will when I should have done so much sooner, I was able to experience such enormous, divine, heavenly joy. And I could not contain it to myself. I could not wait to come to church this morning. I was so looking forward to sharing what I had been witnessing with all of you! The joy of coming back to the Lord isn’t something that should be held in silence. It should be lifted up, exalted, celebrated with friends and neighbors. “Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.” (Luke 15:6) Repentance should be a party! This is why I became a pastor, and this is why I came to KUC. I want people to know this amazing joy that is given to us, the great and loving welcome we are given every time we turn back to God. And this is a turning that needs to happen again, and again, and again, as long as we live our lives here on earth. There are just too many temptations, too many distractions, too many different kinds of darkness, selfishness, and evil within us and in the world around us, which hold us back from walking in God’s ways. But here is the good news which is given to us this day and every day, and I would like to quote from the song we sang, “The Father's House” at the beginning of today’s service: Sometimes on this journey, I get lost in my mistakes And my story isn't over, my story's just begun Failure won't define me 'cause that's what my Father does Yeah, failure won't define me 'cause that's what my Father does Lay your burdens down. You are in the Father’s house. In my father’s house, there are many rooms, Jesus said. (John 14:2) In this house of the Lord, the house we are standing in right now, there are many, many rooms.There is enough room for you, and for me.. Room for all our mistakes, our trials, false accusations, sufferings, pains and of course, one very big room reserved for eternal joy! As I said earlier, I need to take it easy. As much as God has been speaking to me, as much joy as I have found in the great work of repentance going on around us, I am yet to recover, so I would like to ask you to please pray for me as I prepare for our Christmas services. If you are able, please volunteer to help; we need help with fellowship after the services, with the shuttle van, with traffic control in the parking lot. We could use help with the fellowship event at Michael’s house on the 25th itself, and help transporting people up the mountain. I could use help with the website update. If we all come together as a community, we can do this, together. And don’t forget to invite your family and friends to come to church with you on 12/24! I want you all to know that I am ok, and I will be ok because God always finds a way to hold me in this eternal joy, in a peace that surpasses all understanding, and with no one or nothing can take away. No matter what, I can always rejoice in the Lord, as long as I live. KUC family, this is what I have always wanted for us all; I have always wanted us to come together to rejoice in the Lord. I want us to fill this house with that great party energy, to make God’s house a place of celebration and constant rejoicing because people are always turning back towards God. And when we see people within our community turning back to God, we should never let that be done in secret or in silence, never tucked away in some shadowy corner of our beautiful building, binding them in guilt and shame. No! This joy should be shared, and more than shared. It should be celebrated! God is faithful. God always gives us another chance. Whether it’s our first time repenting, or our millionth time, God is always there inviting us to come home, and join in the celebration. So today I want to ask you all; are we ready to come home? Are we ready to turn our hearts back to God? Because if so…let it out! Don’t keep it to yourself! Let us rejoice together as God’s community, and let God’s house be a house of repentance, joy, and celebration! Amen. Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
To understand the beauty of Isaiah 40, you have to understand the pain of what the people were going through. It’s like trying to understand Easter without knowing about the crucifixion/Good Friday. If you do not understand Good Friday, Easter has little or no meaning beyond Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies. It is why the world emphasizes the eggs and bunnies to shift our attention away from the cross. Easter happens when all hope seemed lost, and these women walk up to consecrate a tomb they couldn’t even get into with the rock door in place, and then the wonder of Resurrection Sunday happens. You have to know the story of the Israelites and their despair to understand the beauty of Isaiah 40. In the first half of Isaiah, God through the prophet accuses the leaders of Israel of leading a rebellion (coup d’état) against God. They had turned away from God and turned toward idols. They mistreated God’s prophets and desecrated the Temple of the Lord. This was abhorrent to God. In the old cartoon Popeye, he would say, “I can stand what I can stand, but I can’t stand it anymore.” The people’s behavior is abhorrent to God; “He could not take it anymore.” The people’s behavior was disgusting to the Lord. Like when Jesus went into the temple in (Mk 11) and overturned the moneylenders' tables, saying, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.” The people whom God had called to be a priesthood to the nations but instead had become polluted by the world and had debased themselves as they turned from God. They broke His commandments, and not just the 8th, 9th, or 10th commandments but the first one, “YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER gods BEFORE ME” (Ex 20:3). Does not sound much like a Christmas message, does it? But it gets darker. Because of the people’s actions, God withdraws his protection over his people and uses the superpowers of the day, Assyria first and then Babylon, as instruments of his judgment against Israel. The people were taken into exile. The temple was looted of its Holy relics and then destroyed. The people taken into captivity away from the promised land because they had broken their covenant with the Lord. In captivity, most of the people wandered away from the Lord. The Assyrians and Babylonians had their gods and idols but for the most part did not force the captured people to convert. But many lost their faith simply because life was easier fitting into Assyrian and Babylonian culture and life. But a remnant remained to those that did not lose their faith. Isaiah says, “Comfort. I will say it again: Comfort my people, says your God.” “Your sins have been forgiven and have been paid for.” A lot of people, when they say that they forgive you, still hold on to it. In 1 Cor 13, “Love keeps no record of wrong.” That is how God deals with sin. If you ask God for forgiveness, I mean you really ask for forgiveness, God will forgive you, washing the sin “whiter than even snow.” A lot of people try to play tricks with this passage. They say, “I’ve asked God to forgive me, so I am forgiven, so I do not need to seek forgiveness from the people I have hurt.” This is not biblical forgiveness. (I do not want to get off track here). God has spoken his word of compassion to a people who have been punished, and now God is going to speak a new message to his people. God says, “Comfort, Comfort my people, says your God.” Sometimes when a student has a big problem or a big question, they will say, “Bartsch, Bartsch,” to get my attention. Like a food you like so much that you named it twice like “Couscous,” “Bonbons,” or “Chowchow” or “Tam-Tam.” God does not want the prophets, the preachers, the church, the people to miss that after judgment (righteous judgment) there is reconciliation and comfort. The advent season is God’s olive branch to the world, the gift of himself in his son. Joseph in the Matthew reading was in a similar state. He was planning to marry his young bride and found out that she was with child. Being an honorable man, he did not want her stoned (Which was a punishment that he could have demanded) but he did not want to marry a woman that he thought cheated on him. But Joseph’s greatness is that he was willing to listen to the Lord and change his plans. Am I? Are we when we hear a new Word from the Lord? God does not say comfort, comfort THOSE people. Or even my disobedient people or the people that disappointed me. No, he says Comfort, comfort MY PEOPLE. We are not orphans to God; we are HIS people, the sheep of HIS pasture. John the Baptist uses the words from Isaiah, saying, “A voice of one calling: Prepare the way for the Lord.” He calls us to make straight for God’s kingdom. In some churches, I have been to, the people will sometimes encourage the preacher by saying, “Give it to us straight.” Don’t shy away from telling us the truth or spend so much energy and time trying to butter us up. Give it to us straight. Here is the straight truth: We need God so much. So many of us, because of our stupidity or arrogance or sinfulness, have gotten ourselves into places of exile from God (Yes), from our brothers and sisters (Yes), from ourselves and a healthy life (You bet). Like the boy that took his father’s gifts and squandered it in Luke 15. We end up like that prodigal child eating pig food. That is the truth. And we are so proud that we even trick ourselves into thinking that the pig food is good. But this Christmas, this the second Sunday in Advent, God is saying to us COME HOME to the words of Comfort, Comfort to you, to me because we are his people. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. I ask you to pray this prayer of acceptance of Christ. For it is time to come home this Christmas. Let’s pray. "Dear Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus is your one and only son who died on the cross for me. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead. I ask you to forgive me of my sins. I ask you to wash me and clean me of all sin. I put my faith and trust in Jesus as my only hope for eternal life. Amen." If you have prayed this prayer for the first time, please come forward after the service, and Akiko or I would be honored to pray with you. I have never preached from Mark 13 during the Christmas season. Years ago, as a young preacher, I attempted to preach a series on the End Times. While it was a biblically sound series, it turned into a disaster. I got myself all turned around and confused my congregation. I won’t make the same mistake today. I have learned to keep it simple (not simplistic because it isn’t). There is wisdom in preaching messages of hope and joy during Lent (the time leading up to Easter) and messages of the crucifixion during Advent. Both seasons call people to wait. Why? Because God is going to do something amazing and the cake needs time in the oven. We know that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40). When I grow spiritually weary, one lesson I’ve learned is, “Slow down; you’re going too fast.” When I try to go at a pace faster than what the Lord wants me to, I get exhausted. Interestingly, going slower than God's pace is also exhausting. I ran a10k with a friend who was much slower than I am. You think it would be easy but running his slow pace made me feel almost as tired as running a pace faster than my normal. The Apostle Paul sometimes says that this does not come from the Lord but offers advice. This does not come from the Lord, but it is my advice. During the Advent season, don’t try to do so much that you turn Christmas into misery. It is a time of joy, but here is the big BUT. But we can’t do everything. Find your pace to make Christmas meaningful for yourself and others, but don’t turn it into a drudge. Take a breath this Advent season and let the Lord set your pace, not the world. Waiting. It stinks. But the Bible is full of waiting. Generations of it. Just look at how long the Jews had to wait for the Messiah, and most of them rejected Jesus because he did not fit their box. And we have been waiting for 2,000 years for Jesus’ return. My prayer is that if he comes before I am taken by the Lord, I will be ready. The Second Coming or Day of the Lord. The Old Testament prophet Joel (2:31) describes the day of the Lord as “great and terrible or great and terrifying day of the Lord”. I believe every Christian should experience these conflicting feelings at the prospect of standing before the Lord. It will be terrifying because we will face the Lord in judgment, confronted by our sins of action and sins of omission. Can you imagine grading yourself on how you used your life? I don’t want to do that. I know the grade I would give myself because I know me. I might be able to hide some things from others, but I can’t hide from God or myself. We come before God in his perfect judgment, and I would not even be close to being welcomed in. It’s like dining at the most expensive restaurant in Tokyo and then getting the bill and not having enough to pay for it. Your credit cards have been maxed out. Jesus comes and tells you that he has already paid – paid not with cash or an offering but with his blood, paid with his suffering for our sins. Not his sins, mind you, but our sins. He paid because of the faith we have put in him as Lord. Faith the size of a mustard seed can move this mountain of judgment because of Jesus. It is called GRACE. Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin! Jesus tells us to be vigilant because a time of darkness and distress is coming. In the lessons from the fig tree, Jesus tells us that, like a farmer can tell that summer is near by observing the tenderness of the fig tree's branches and the leaves budding, we too can see that the time is near. I don’t think verses 28-31 should be lumped together with verses 32-37. I think there is a break one to the people Jesus is speaking to “This generation” v.30 I think he is referring to one of two signs or both to the Jewish people: his death on the cross and his resurrection, and second, the sacking of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 AD. These both happened while the generation Jesus was talking about still lived. Jesus transitions in v 31, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Here he is starting to talk about coming again. So many people strive for permanence, something to hold on to. The English department at my school recently had interviews for full-time positions. Candidates mentioned that they applied to find a permanent position. Others try to find permanence in their relationships, in their careers, in money, patriotism, owning a piece of property – you name it. Some things are more permanent than others; a full-time job at my school locks you in for 63 years, whereas a job at another school might offer just a 4-year contract. Finding human security isn’t a bad thing, but that is not the rock on which we are to build our spiritual house. Jesus tells us that even heaven and earth are not permanent when compared to his words. Can you imagine that? John 1 tells us that in the beginning was the Word (before heaven or earth), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus is the Alpha (beginning) and the Omega (end). Psalm 127 says, “Unless the LORD builds a house, the builder labors in vain.” What are you building your life on? If it is not grounded in the Word of God, then it is not permanent, and the storms or winds or waves that come against it will not be able to crush it. Jesus tells the disciples not only about his coming crucifixion but also about his resurrection. He also tells us that he will come again. In verse 32, Jesus tells us very clearly that the date of His return is unknown. If someone tells you that they know information that God does not even tell his son or his angels, then run from that person. Jesus says only (ONLY) the Father possesses this knowledge, and thus, we remain in the dark about the exact timing. What is even clearer than the time is that Jesus wants us to be ready or prepared for his return. From verse 32 to 37, Jesus emphasizes being watchful, alert, and on guard five times. However, I want to look at how we can be alert, on guard, and pay attention. How do we do that? I believe the answer can be found in Matthew 22:37-40. While it might not answer all biblical questions, it serves as a good starting point. The key to being ready is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and second, to love your neighbor as yourself. This is what worship entails. This Advent, it should be our morning and evening prayer: "God, help me love you with my whole self," and "Lord, help me be a loving person." It will bless you family more than one more batch of cookies. Let’s consider two people in the Bible that were prepared because they followed the advice in Matt 22. It was two people in Luke 2. One man and one woman. Simeon was a man who spent a lifetime worshiping the Lord. Although he had seen many babies in his life, when he saw Jesus, he took the baby in his arms and started thanking God. (We will meet this godly man in heaven one day.) The other was a widow for over 60 years, a woman devoted to, you guessed it, worshiping the Lord. When she saw the baby Jesus, she too started praising God for sending the Messiah. They are both considered saints because they kept watch; they kept their hearts awake. Not with their eyes, but with their souls. It doesn't say that either of them was perfect, but as they worshiped God, they were rewarded with seeing the gift of God. Feel free to discuss premillennial or postmillennial views—I don't have the answer. But what I do know is that if you daily keep loving the Lord, you will be prepared for anything that the world will throw at you. Keep watch. In just a few moments, we will receive the blessing of the Lord’s Table. In Cor 11, Paul as he instructs the church on a healthy way to receive the blessing, calls us to do three things. One, to pay attention to what you are doing in the moment. What we do is not something to be done lightly; some have become sick or become weak by taking the elements in an unworthy manner. Two, we are called to remember not only our Lord’s teachings but his crucifixion and death on our behalf along with the glory of the resurrection. Finally, we are to wait for his return. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death UNTIL HE COMES AGAIN. For he will. Let’s pray. |
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