Author: RCCM

[An audio recording of this sermon will be uploaded after the worship service.] As we continue reading the Gospel of Mark, I want to talk about how Jesus saves us from shame and bestows us with honor. The ideas of honor and shame run deeply in many cultures. Let me give an example in Japan. For a few years, a hot topic in Japanese media was the story of Princess Mako’s engagement to a commoner. The young man was scrutinized from all angles. Was he worthy of marrying a member of the Imperial family? Many people opposed this marriage because the young man’s mother had an unresolved financial dispute. This

↓Audio link to the sermon:(1st worship recording) (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) In our series on the book of Mark, we recently looked at Jesus’ parables. Now we begin a new section, in which Jesus authenticates his teachings and identity as God’s Son through his miraculous power. He has power over nature, demons, sickness, and death. For today, we will look at Jesus’ power over the nature, in Mark chapter 4. Let’s pray. Mark 4:35-36 We’ll read Mark 4:35-41. Starting with verses 35-36: On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving

↓Audio link to the sermon:(1st worship recording) (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) Today, we will continue with Jesus’ teaching using parables in Mark 4:21-34. Like my previous message, a key theme in this passage is to listen well to God’s Word. Another theme is trusting God to work in people’s lives. Let us pray. The Lamp (4:21-25) Jesus’ question in verse 21, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?” has an obvious answer: no. First, what does this lamp refer to? Earlier in verse 11, after the disciples ask Jesus to

↓Audio link to the sermon: (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) Today, we will look at a story Jesus told, called “the Parable of the Sower”, which is in Mark chapter 4. Jesus’ parables uses images from daily life and nature. These images are very simple and concrete, yet convey deep spiritual truths. Let’s start with the first 9 verses of Mark chapter 4. Mark 4:1-9 Why does Jesus teach in this way, instead of just explaining things directly? It’s his way of catching his audience’s attention, by inviting them to ponder: “What does Jesus mean?” They were memorable, making his teachings easier to remember.

↓Audio link to the sermon:(1st worship recording) (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) In today’s sermon, we get a small glimpse of Jesus’s earthly family. And we’ll hear Jesus start to talk about his wider, global family. We’ll read three short passages from Mark’s Gospel chapter 3. The first passage is verses 7 to 12. Mark 3:7-12 Here we see Jesus’ popularity skyrocket. Not just among people from Jewish lands like Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem but also from non-Jewish lands like Idumea, Jordan, Tyre, and Sidon. In later chapters we see Jesus reaching out not just to his own Jewish people but to other races,

↓Audio link to the sermon: (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) Intro I watched an interview of a Japanese man who converted to Islam. After years of working as a salaryman, he began to ask about the meaning of life. He began to explore different religions. He was most attracted to Christianity and Islam. Islam had many more rules that were clearly defined—for example, telling you how many times to pray each day. Islam was the most appealing religion because he wanted order, rules, details, and clarity. These are not bad things necessarily. But as we’ll see in today’s passage, rules can also control our

↓Audio link to the sermon:(1st worship recording) (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) In preparing for today’s sermon, I came across the stories of two rabbis—that is, two Jewish religious teachers: Rabbi Honi and Rabbi Hanina Ben Dosa. Rabbi Honi lived a hundred years before Jesus and was famous for praying for rain. The one time his prayer was not immediately answered, it’s said that he drew a circle on the ground and told God he would not leave the circle until it rained. Then it rained right after. As for Rabbi Hanina, who lived a few decades after Jesus’ death, he was known for