「神の愛とキリストの忍耐を深く悟る方法」八月第二主日礼拝 宣教 2025年8月10日
テサロニケの信徒への手紙二 2 Thessalonians 3章1〜5節 牧師 河野信一郎
Good morning, and welcome to the morning of the Lord’s Day, August 10, 2025. We thank God for the blessing of being able to worship with you this morning, as August is Peace Month in Japan, as we remember the anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the end of the war.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the anniversary of the end of World War II, so the media coverage seems to be more frenetic than usual. It has been reported that people’s awareness of war and the damage caused by the atomic bombings has been changing considerably. The need to pray and seek for peace not only in Japan but also in the world as a whole is being called for from all corners of the globe.
However, as the Mayor of Nagasaki stated in his Nagasaki Peace Declaration yesterday, there is a vicious cycle of conflict and division in many parts of the world, and conflicts are escalating. There are regions of the globe that seem more dire and desperate than we can do anything about. However, a Palestinian diplomat attending the peace ceremony in Hiroshima said, “When we see that Hiroshima, which suffered from the atomic bomb 80 years ago, has now recovered so well, it gives us hope.
A media outlet pointed out that although there are many people calling for liberation in Ukraine and Palestine, the truth that hundreds of thousands or millions of people elsewhere are suffering severe oppression and persecution because of their religion is not being reported. We need to know more about the truth, and we need to pray to God for mercy.
Please hear this as a kind of funny story. Just the other day, one of my children said to me, “Father, don’t you think that your recent missionary work focuses too much on social issues? I was surprised to hear that. I was surprised to hear that, because I had not been aware of that at all. However, in retrospect, I realize that this is indeed true. Why have I been focusing so much on social issues lately? I think it is probably because the news and information that pops into my eyes, ears, and heart is so tragic that I feel as if the return of the Lord Jesus is approaching, and I am concerned about the issues and problems that society is facing. If I have made you who gather for worship feel the same way, I will reflect on this, apologize, and concentrate on speaking only the Word of God.
Now, for the month of August, we are exploring how it is God’s and Jesus’ will for us to live our lives here on earth, using the word “patience” as our key word. This morning, I hope to share about “how to deeply realize the love of God and the patience of Christ” from the Apostle Paul’s prayer in Thessalonians 3:5, “May the Lord make you deeply aware of the love of God and the patience of Christ,” but first, I would like to share that this letter was written by the Apostle First of all, I need to give you some background on why this letter was written by Paul to the church in Thessalonica, in what is now Greece, in the region of Macedonia.
For this we need to read verses 3 through 5 of chapter 1. 3 “Brothers and sisters, I cannot help but thank God always for you. And it is right that you should do so. Therefore we ourselves are proud among the churches of God that you are showing perseverance and faith in the midst of all the persecutions and tribulations which you are now undergoing, and that you are worthy to be counted worthy of the kingdom of God. You, too, are suffering for the sake of the Kingdom of God.” It is said.
Here, Paul indicates that the Christians of the Thessalonian Church, because they believed in and followed Jesus, were subjected to severe persecution and went through hardships because of their faith. However, he is proud that in the midst of unspeakable hardships, the Thessalonian believers persevered and remained connected to Jesus Christ rather than abandoning their faith, and he gives thanks to God who gives Christians the strength to persevere in such hardships and remain faithful to their faith. But that is not all. But that is not all. He gives the purpose for going through tribulation and persecution and the reason for persevering, saying, “I make you worthy of the kingdom of God,” and “You are suffering for the sake of the kingdom of God,” greatly encouraging them not to give up their faith.
In chapter 1, verse 6, “God does what is right.” God does what is right. Because God is true, His plans, works, and guidance have a clear purpose and reason. It is God’s will to make us worthy of His Kingdom through tribulations and trials. In order to be invited to God’s presence and spend eternity there, we must be sanctified by God. To be sanctified means to be separated from the things of the world. This sanctification can only be done by a holy God and our Savior Jesus. We who are in sin cannot do it. This sanctification is like gold being burned by a hot fire, melted, and all impurities are burned away to become pure gold.
That fire is hardship and trials. Therefore, as last week’s Bible verse, James 1:2-4 says, “When you encounter trials of various kinds, think of them as the greatest joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, patience will result. Be patient. Then you will be perfect, complete, and without defect. In other words, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit transform us through trials and tribulations.
We are invited into God’s presence, but if we cling too much to earthly things, we will be alienated from God’s love. It is indeed painful to go through suffering, but through that suffering, we come to know what is truly important, and we are able to let go of what we do not need. With our empty hands, we can then clasp the hands of Jesus, the hands that bear the marks of the nails that were nailed to the cross to atone for our sins, and Jesus, who will never let go of our hands, will lead us into the presence of God. Let us remember that Jesus holds our hands even in the midst of suffering.
Now let’s return to the Word of God in chapter 3, verse 5. This prayer and petition of the Apostle Paul, “May the Lord make you deeply aware of the love of God and the patience of Christ.” The Apostle Paul’s prayer and desire is blessedly fulfilled through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Jesus is the only one who can make us deeply realize God’s great love for us. And it is the “patience of Christ,” or the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross, that clearly demonstrates God’s love for us. Jesus endured the suffering and pain of the cross and the hopelessness of being separated from God in order to demonstrate God’s love for us.
In order for us to deeply realize God’s love and Jesus’ patience, we must look up to Jesus, who suffered pain on the cross as our substitute. We must open our hearts to this Jesus and receive Him as our Savior and Redeemer.
For example, if we see something delicious in front of us that looks wonderful and the mellow smell makes us want to eat it, we will open our mouths and eat it. In the same way, in order to deeply savor God’s love, we must first open our hearts, receive God’s love in the form of Jesus, and taste it well in our hearts. Just as the more we chew, the deeper the flavor we enjoy, the more time we spend with Jesus, the more we can taste, touch, and enjoy God’s love for each of us, and the more we can truly appreciate being loved.
There are other ways to deeply realize God’s love and Jesus’ patience. In chapter 3, verse 1, the Apostle Paul makes a prayer request, “Brothers and sisters, pray for us. When we remember one another and pray always, we can feel that each of us is connected by God’s love, by Jesus’ redemption, and that we are God’s family. The church that prays together becomes one body, the body of Christ. Without praying for each other, we would all be scattered, and when faced with trials, we would all scatter and fall apart.
Another way is to work together in the work of proclaiming “the Word of the Lord. The mission of the church is to preach the gospel of Jesus. The more the gospel is spread, the more people will listen to it, and from among them will come those who believe in Jesus and worship God together. There will be times when we will experience the pain of being rejected for sharing the gospel.
Paul says in verse 2, “Not all have faith.” He is saying. You know from Jesus’ parable of the sower that not every seed that is sown will sprout and grow. But verse 3, “The Lord is true.” And so it is. If we continue to trust in the Lord God and obey Jesus’ words, the Lord will work with us and give us a harvest. I believe that the harvest is the grace of “peace,” and I look to the Lord for it.
I will conclude by reading Psalm 126:5 and 6. “The one who sows with tears shall reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping with sacks of seed on his back will return with bunches of ears on his back, singing songs of joy.” Amen.
As Okubo Church, let us continue to sow the seeds of the gospel together and receive the harvest of peace from God. God will continue to give us comfort and encouragement, peace, joy, and hope, purpose and strength to live, as He makes us deeply aware of His truthfulness, His love, and the patience of Christ. Let us trust in Him.