I didn't expect to be here this morning. It was such a surprise and blessing for me to be asked to speak here today. Just now while singing to the Lord with you, I recognised that all of the things we need to live were included in those songs we sang together. However, as I am here to speak by the power and work of God, I should do so.

In today's reading, John the Baptist sent his disciples out to Jesus [to discover if He was truly the One he had been waiting for - whom he had been preparing the way for]. As you know, this John is not the John among Jesus' apostles, but the one who was to prepare the way for Jesus.

In those days, people were walking in the darkness in so many ways, [recognising a problem in their lives] they were happily coming to John to get baptised. Read Lu.3:15-17;18-20. As we can tell from these parts of the Bible, the work that John did was really strong with the presence of the Spirit.

Let us look again at 7:19. Though he had been working so strongly, here he was anxious to know whether Jesus was the One or not. He was not certain at all. Personally, I felt I needed to search out the reason for why he was not sure in the Bible. I ended up forming this conclusion, probably, John was greatly depressed after the work he had done[, and even just living with an extended awareness,] in his society - watching all of those poor people. He was anxious about the future of his country, the country of Judea. 'With all these sinful and poor people, what was to become of the country? And now here we have Someone whom the people are beginning to praise! He looks like such a strong and confident person, someone who might lead this country.' Probably, John was starting to expect Jesus to be a new leader of his country - however, Jesus had been healing and curing the sick and demon-possessed. 'He might start a strong work throughout the country.. but when?'

Jesus cared for all the sick people, poor people who were going through many sufferings and hardships. His eyes were fixed on each of them. Jesus had been demonstrating miraculous and wonderful signs before these people.

So maybe John was a bit confused; whether or not He was the One who would take their country as the promised Saviour. Of course, He was to be a leader in a spiritual way, He had such a huge and enormous love in Him.

After the Second World War, when we received so many christian missionaries into Japan, we Japanese peoples began to hear the word Love (Ai in Japanese); this great love Jesus had in Him all of the time. However, today, I personally do not like to use the word "love" so often - for the word "love" we use too often in life recently has become one that is so far from the significant meaning of the true love of Jesus. It has come to mean something less. Especially in Japan, "love" means the love (koi) between a man and a woman. I really want people to know the true love of Jesus!

Every day now, I watch and hear terrible news on the television, radio, or newspapers. There is a kind of chaos in our society. [Can you see it?] I see people going in a wrong and strange direction.

Believe it or not, one of the cults in Japan "Owemu" [sounds like Ohm] still has many, many believers. People should know all about its unrighteousness and illogical ideas through that terrible crime[ it committed in the Tokyo subway]. But still the numbers of believers are increasing. One of those believers[, not atypically,] such an intelligent man from a wealthy family, recently confessed that he was a terribly lonely man. He shouldn't have had any problems in his life at all, we might have thought. [But there is a lesson for us in this!]

No one could understand why he had become a believer -- but, the truth is, without Jesus, no one can have joy. No one, without Jesus, can find a purpose or aim in life [what they do find is baseless and temporary]. People are searching for the "true love", and we [Christians] are the ones who have been sent out to them with Jesus. [So let us stop thinking selfishly about our own lives. Our purpose is out there, serving God by bringing Christ to the lost. Let us pray and then let us be available to the work God has given us.]

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