February 4, 2018

MK 1:38 Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Today is our Church Annual Congregational Meeting. We will talk about how we are going to do our work this year as a church. Since we are a Christian church, we should do our mission in the same way Christ did. So, let's see how Jesus Christ did his mission work.

Let’s look at today's Gospel lesson for clues. We first see that Jesus was in the synagogue. The synagogue is a place of prayer and worship and studying the scripture. So, this year we will be sure that our church is a place of prayer, worship and Bible study. I hope we can have more Bible study opportunities, and I will try to preach as best I can. Please pray for me!

When Jesus left the synagogue, he went to the home of Simon and Andrew. This is fellowship time. Fellowship time is not just for fun, but it is here that we live with fellow Christians and encourage each other in our lives as Christians. Fellowship is so valuable that there is a saying that after Baptism and Holy Communion, the "Third Lutheran Sacrament is Coffee." Over the coffee cup we speak love to one another. T

Then Jesus healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law. We are always praying for the health and healing of those we love, and we know from this Gospel story that Jesus has the power to heal, so we have confidence and hope as we pray. When Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law, we are told that she got up "and began to wait on them." We find in the Gospel of Mark that many times when someone is healed there is proof of the immediate and full recovery to health. The paralytic now carries his bed, the blind man now sees, and Peter's mother-in-law now is in full health enough to fix something to eat. But it is also a matter of faith on her part. She is so thankful to be healed that she wants to serve Jesus. Isn't this how it is with us, too. We have been healed by Jesus. The weight of our sin has been removed and forgiven. With joy we want to serve Jesus. One way to serve Jesus is to do as he did. As he healed the women, we also work for the healing and relief of the suffering of other people. Jesus was not looking for rewards when he healed her, and neither do we when we do works of charity or make donations to help the suffering of the world. Part of the work of this church is to donate to worthy causes for the relief of victims of disaster and hunger. We will continue to do so this year again, perhaps with the flea market or donation box or something.

After he healed Peter's mother-in-law, many people heard about it and brought the sick and suffering to his door. And Jesus healed them and drove out many demons. We are told that Jesus "would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was." This is one aspect where our mission method is different than that of Jesus. We want the source of our love told. We want people to know about Jesus. T

Then we are told that Jesus went to a place where he could be alone and prayed. Sometimes we pray together as a church, but often we pray alone. This year, I hope everyone will pray daily in private devotions. We should make use of some quiet time to read the Bible or to read a devotion book or a Christian novel like the Narnia series. When we are driving in the car or walking the dog or combing our hair, there are times when we are by ourselves, and it is a wonderful time to pray.

Finally in our Gospel lesson, Jesus says, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." This is our mission also. It is why we have come here. Our mission is to proclaim the Good News about Jesus Christ. We start in our church, our families, our relatives, and into the town, and even throughout the world. We may not go far ourselves, but we support missionaries and others that do. In this way the Gospel of Jesus' love and forgiveness is proclaimed. People hear about the love of Jesus who died on the cross to forgive our sin and bring us the grace of God. That Gospel is like healing, it is like driving our demons.

This year our church's mission is to be like Christ. It is to be the Church of Christ. And that means that we proclaim and live the Gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus. That is the forgiveness and peace in which we daily live. It is that Gospel that guides us as we work as a church congregation and as individuals in our daily work and play. We can live like Christ because he comes to us with grace and mercy.

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

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