Last week, we experienced several things, along with you. On Monday, we said good-bye to one of our church ladies, who died at the age of 85 years. On Tuesday, my wife's old aunt passed away. My wife, son and I drove all the way to Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi, where we had a funeral service for her. Then, on Friday, Tadashi's wife's grandmother, whom we had been praying for, died. We had been praying for her salvation for some time, and I am not sure whether she accepted the Lord or not -- I haven't been able to talk with Tadashi about it yet. So many old people left us last week! This made me think about the old people that are living now in the world, as well as around me.

In this age we find we have more and more elderly people. I just can't help thinking of these people. And, this is one of the things we need to seriously think about: God created us, each one of us, for His special purposes. We have a reason for being alive. However, some, or maybe quite a few people, don't know this truth.

A man could finally leave the hospital where he had stayed for a very long time. People expected him to be excited at the prospects of living a healthy life again, and working for his company. However, the very next day, he committed suicide. People did not understand why he would do that. But -- he couldn't find an acceptable reason for living. In his company, he was sure that he would find another person in his old position. He was not needed in work any more. Then, what should he do? He believed he was the only person to be in that particular role. But now, they didn't need his expertise anymore. Then, where should he go? It had been his purpose and reason for living. Now, he had lost that purpose So, he killed himself --- this is a very sad story but it makes us think about ourselves.

We all need to know the reason we have for living, as well as the reason we exist. We were made to have a purpose, and know what God wants us to do, or be.

Last week, as Christians, we were reminded that we all have a goal to reach in our lives; to go out into the World, and make disciples of Jesus Christ. And, this morning, we are to recognize that we, Christians, belong to Christ. When we believe, we get baptized; we sink into water, and we rise again. To sink, means to die, and to rise again, means to be reborn into a new and different life. But, it also means that we have newly become 'ones who belong to Christ', which is the Church. Read: Ro.6:3-4; Ga.3:27-28; Ep.2:19.

In Genesis, God said that it was no good for us to be alone -- this place is often referred to in marriages, but it is also a passage for all the people He has created. We are called to be together and to share our burdens.

A certain man once said that the most fearful thing in this age was not nuclear war, but the threat of being separated from one another is what we are afraid of.

In Japan, we find recently that we are having serious problems in the classrooms -- students don't know how to work together. Each person heads out in his own direction, and hate to belong to other things. God, who created us, wants us to work together. Of course, we are different people in many ways, but God created us differently so that we could have our own tasks in harmony with each other. You may say, "Well, I don't like those troubles in the church, and I don't like to gather with people. It's a big hassle! I don't want to be bound to it." Well, baptism has a meaning that people in the church will welcome the newly-believing people as new members of "the family" in the Church. Jesus prayed before the cross that people would be united. Satan always tries to break our ties. But, Jesus orders us to be one.

Ephesians 4:1-6: By being among people, we can learn to be humble, patient, gentle and bearing each other up in love. To be gentle is to have a large capacity. A gentle person can accept a large number of different people into their lives. In being with others, we all learn how to be perfect. To live with other people demands that you are patient, supportive and loving. Otherwise, you should live all alone.

Ephesians 4:3: Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. We are to keep peace among ourselves, and we are to be peace-makers. Now, I hope and pray that all of you will find it wonderful to be united in the Name of Jesus. And, our goal is to bring new people to this faith so that they can belong to God and His Church [and our church], finding the greatness of being with people whom God created.

Translated by Junko Okamoto - Edited for the Net by Shido
For another sermon see: Oita Evangelical Christ Church
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