Sunday, May 14, 2017

“Selection of the Twelve Disciples”

Luke 6:12-16

1. Selection list

*Peter (Simon)　　　*Andrew　　　*James　　　*John　　*Philip　　　

*Bartholomew (Nathanael)　　*Matthew (Levi)　　　*Thomas (Didymus)

*James son of Alphaeus (Small James)　　　*Simon who was called the Zealot

*Judas son of James (Thaddeus)　　　*Judas Iscariot

2. Selection conditions

* 2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (NIV)

3. Selection plan

* Mark, doing missionary work in the Huangtu Plateau, China

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. We too are people chosen by God. What do you think the purpose for that is? (Refer to John 15:16)

2. What type of people were those who were chosen by Jesus? Were they complete people?

3. Why did Jesus only choose twelve people?

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Sunday, May 7, 2017

“Leave It Alone For One More Year”

Luke 13:1-9

1. “Repent” = “Change direction”

* John 5:14 “…See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” (NIV)

* John 5:7 “’Sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’” (NIV)

* Luke 13:3 & 5) “…But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (NIV)

2. The caretaker’s intercession

* Luke 13:8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it.” (NIV)

* “Show them, tell them, have them do it, and then praise them; otherwise, people won't do anything.” (Isoroku Yamamoto)

3. “Leave it alone”

* 1 Corinthians 7:24 “Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.” (NIV)

* Isaiah 6:5 “’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.’” (NIV)

* Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (NIV)

* 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What is a common way of thinking we have?

2. Why does God wait for us to such an extent?

3. Why do we have to start in a “left alone” state?

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Sunday, April 30, 2017

“It is Finished!”

John 19:30

* “It is finished.” = Teterestai (in Greek) Meaning the complete price has been paid in full. Indicating that the payment for all of humanity is complete.

1. All people are sinners

* The 20th century was a century in which the sin of people’s hearts was revealed

* April 11, 1961: The trial of Adolf Eichmann, responsible for the Jewish massacre

* Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV)

2. The redemption of the cross

* “The Father’s Love” by Philip Yancey

* Colossians 2:14 “Having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (NIV)

* In order to receive that salvation, what do we have to do?

〓 We only have to receive that with faith

〓 “Dear Jesus, thank you for being placed on the cross for my sin, for rising on the third day, and solving the problem of sin.”

3. The grace given by receiving salvation

* Two blessings given when receiving the salvation of the cross:

(1) Blessings for your life on earth

(2) The blessing of being able to go to Heaven after you die

* There was a resurrection – The disciples changed

* The reunion of families with soldiers returning from the American and Iraq war

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Do you think you have sin when you take a look at your heart using Biblical standards?

2. Do you desire to receive the salvation of Jesus Christ’s cross?

3. Are there people you want to see in Heaven?

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Sunday, April 16, 2017

“The God Who Sustains Us”

Isaiah 46:3-4

1. Creator God

* “Space Anthropic Principle” by Kunitomo Sakurai (Astrophysicist)

* Psalm 8:3-4 “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (NIV)

2. Loving (agape) God

* Ephesians 3:17B-19 “And I pray that you… may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (NIV)

* Jenny’s story

3. Eternal God

* “The Case for Easter” by Lee Strobel

* “Hospice: My Life’s Training Hall” by Yasuyuki Shimoinaba

* John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What impact does the historical fact of Jesus Christ’s resurrection bring about on your life?

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Sunday, April 9, 2017

“Christ, Lord of the Sabbath”

Luke 6:1-11

1. Picking heads of grain on the Sabbath

* Deuteronomy 23:25 “If you enter your neighbor’s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain.” (NIV)

* Prohibited acts on the Sabbath: Harvesting, threshing, sifting, eating

2. Healing of a man with a shriveled right hand on the Sabbath

* Acts prohibited on the Sabbath: “Medical acts for persons not in a life-threatening state”

* The meaning of the Sabbath:

1. “Sabbath” = “Shabasu” = “break,” “cut off”

2. Remember leaving Egypt (Deuteronomy 5)

3. Re-recognizing the greatness of the world God created

* Luke 6:10 “completely restored” = “when everything is renewed”

* Acts 3:21 “Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything…” (NIV)

* “You Raise Me Up” (Music by Rolf Lovland & lyrics by Brendan Graham)

　　　When I am down and, oh, my soul, so weary;

　　　When troubles come and my heart burdened be;

　　　Then I am still and wait here in the silence,

　　　Until you come and sit awhile with me.

　　　　*Chorus: You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

　　　　　　　　　　You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;

　　　　　　　　　　I am strong when I am on your shoulders;

　　　　　　　　　　You raise me up to more than I can be.

　　　There is no life - no life without its hunger;

　　　Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;

　　　But when you come and I am filled with wonder,

　　　Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

　　　　*Chorus

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Recognize the meaning of the Sabbath.

2. How can we utilize the spirit of the Sabbath in our faith life?

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Sunday, April 2, 2017

“New Wine Must Be Poured Into New Wineskins”

Luke 5:33-39

1. Controversy over fasting

* Luke 15:32 “But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (NIV)

* Ephesians 2:1 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” (NIV)

* Acts 2:46-47 “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (NIV)

2. New garment and old garment parable

* Galatians 3:3 “Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (NIV)

* Revelation 3:15-16 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (NIV)

* Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (NIV)

3. Old wine and new wine parable

* Romans 5:6-10 “When we were utterly helpless, with no way of escape, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners who had no use for him. Even if we were good, we really wouldn’t expect anyone to die for us, though, of course, that might be barely possible. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since by his blood he did all this for us as sinners, how much more will he do for us now that he has declared us not guilty? Now he will save us from all of God’s wrath to come. And since, when we were his enemies, we were brought back to God by the death of his Son, what blessings he must have for us now that we are his friends and he is living within us!” (Living Bible)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. In what ways were the Jewish leaders different from Jesus Christ?

2. What are the “garment” and “wine” parables about?

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Sunday, March 26, 2017

“Jesus, the Inviter of Sinners”

Luke 5:27-32

1. Jesus who invites tax collectors

* Isaiah 43:4 “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you...” (NIV)

2. The tax collector who followed Jesus

* The status of Christianity in North Korea

* An American missionary’s report

3. The reason why Jesus came

* “Self-awareness” → “Desire” → “Judgment” → “Trust”

* The faith of Sylvester Stallone

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Why did Jesus invite Matthew?

2. What kind of sacrifice do you think Matthew had to make in order to follow Jesus?

3. What kind of person do you think are the “sick” that come to Jesus to be called?

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Sunday, March 19, 2017

“Collaborative Work With God”

Genesis 1:26-2:3

1. It was all very good

* Genesis 1:31 “It was all very good”

* Genesis 2:2-3 “God rested on the seventh day” – Why?

2. God is always at work

* John 5:17 “Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is still working all the time so I am working also.’” (NIV)

* God wants to restore “this world distorted by human sin”

* The gap between “God’s will” and “human free will”

* God is in Jesus Christ, working freely!

3. God’s desire

* God wants to recover “this world He Himself created” through humans.

God is able to work freely through the “person He sent on His own initiative.”

* 2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord move over all the earth so that He may give strength to those whose whole heart is given to Him...” (NIV)

* Our mission is to always watch our surroundings, find a “place where a work of God can be revealed,” and allow ourselves to be used to accomplish it in the name of Jesus Christ.

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. When God made heaven and earth, what was this work like? How is it now?

2. What is “God’s desire” for this world? What relationship does that have with you?

3. In order for God to work through you, what can you do?

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Sunday, March 12, 2017

“The Authority to Forgive Sins”

Luke 5:17-26

1. The expression of faith

2. The forgiveness of sins

* “All sins are ultimately committed against God”

Psalm 51:4 “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.” (NIV)

* “Only God can forgive sins”

John 3:18 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned...” (NIV)

John 5:24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. How did the four people who brought the paralytic person to Jesus express their faith? If you were one of those four people, what attitude would you assume?

2. Before God does a work, he desires an expression of our faith. Why do you think that is? Look for and find such examples in the Bible.

3. What did you learn about “sin” and “the forgiveness of sin?”

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Sunday, March 5, 2017

“Jesus Reached Out His Hand”

Luke 5:12-16

1. What is leprosy?

* Leviticus 13-14 Reference

* Hebrew: “Tamei” = dirty, “Tahor” = clean/pure

2. The faith of the leprosy patient

* Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (NIV)

3. Jesus’ heart

* Luke 5:12 “if you are willing” = “If it is your desire”

* Luke 5:13 “I am willing” = “That is my desire”

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What kind of disease is “leprosy?”

2. What kind of difference do you think there is between “just praying” and “devoting yourself to prayer?”

3. Based off the “leprosy” patient’s healing record, what kind of person can you tell that Jesus is?

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