This morning we had a few new people at Grace Chapel for worship, which was a good surprise for me. I had a sudden idea to change the sermon I had prepared. It was an idea from God, and through it we offered our sincere worship. Praise the Lord!

Last week, we had a blessed time, both in our Easter Day worship service, and at the Easter Festival that we prepared afterwards. I heard that people who had come for the first time had had a happy time. I am sure that this is one of the ways we can reach out to the people of Oita City.

As you all know, Jesus was raised from death. He died, but He rose again, which is what we will do in exactly the same way. We, human beings do die. We are mortal. But, as one who believes in Jesus and follows Him, each one of us will experience the same resurrection that He experienced.

Now as a Christian who belongs to Chapel Noah, this morning, we would like to consider our purpose here and our goal. We all have our own purposes in life. In the Bible (Pr.16:4), God said that He created us for a certain purpose. Also, in Pr.29:18, it says that we are to have visions and dreams through life. So is Chapel Noah, as well as all of the other churches through out the world. In the Bible, after Peter's confession of faith, Jesus said that He would build up His Church among us. So we must not have a wrong idea: that a church is a pastor's, or a congregation's either, or a certain leader's. The Church is the Lord's. It is His Church. Trying to find a purpose of a church in the Bible, first of all we are to think of why we are here, why our church is here, then how we should be as Christians. Thirdly, what we should do and how we should do it.

Before returning to Heaven, after His resurrection, Jesus left us His Will. It is found in today's scripture reading.

Read Mt.28:10: Jesus gave His words to the three Marys to encourage them.

Read He.2:11,12: Here, we find Jesus, Himself, declares that He would call the disciples "brothers". In spite of their having betrayed Him, Jesus started to call them His brothers (Of course, He calls us His brothers, too). In other parts of the Bible, we see Jesus as our elder brother.

Read Jn.20:17: Jesus' Father is our Father. So, we are brothers and sisters. Jesus, who rose again, does not hesitate to call us brothers and sisters. We may not deserve to be called so, but He calls us this anyway. How gracious He is!

Then Jesus told the three Marys to tell the disciples to go to Galilee. All of the disciples were born in Galilee, and were raised there. So He should have said to go back to Galilee. Well, we all have our true home in Heaven. We have a home town on earth, this is true, but our real home is in Heaven. We all are sent out into the World from Heaven with the Great Commission of evangelism, which is today's passage, Mt.28:18-20. We are sent to different places in the World with the Gospel. This is not only our responsibility, but our privilege as children of God. And, this is our Chapel Noah's purpose and goal. This is our reason to be present in this place, and at this time. See 1 Co.9:16.

There are so many things that we want to do and should do. But our priority should be on this: to reach out to the people who haven't come to know Christ yet, and to make them His disciples. This is not what I am saying, but what Jesus commanded us to do as our privilege.

Yesterday, we held what we call an "M E B I G" meeting (a special gathering for non-Christians) at Grace Chapel. Our Sunday School teachers prepared many things for this gathering ahead of time. They distributed tracts in front of two elementary schools in that district a week before. I could do this with them after a long absence, and had a good time. Yesterday, quite a few children (around 40 of them) came, and we danced, sang to the Lord, played games, heard the Bible being read, and many other things.. We are not just to wait in the church. St. Paul said, if I don't do this, my life is not worth living, for I have lots of debt.

Let us go into the World, with the strength of the Holy Spirit, and with the love that comes from God!

Translated by Junko Okamoto - Edited for the Net by Shido
For another sermon see: Oita Evangelical Christ Church
For all sermon indicies see: cHaPeL nOaH sErMoN iNdEx