This sermon will be based on the speaker’s experience of climbing a mountain in Japan. Because the speaker and his wife wanted to experience nature and exercise, they decided to climb Mount Atago - close to Kyoto.

Some background of this mountain: It is 934m in height. It would take a total of 5h to get up and down according to the guide. As a comparison, Mt Atago is 924m; Bukit Timah Hill in Singapore is 164m. It takes less than an hour to climb up and down BTH if the main path was taken. This experience of his made him think a little bit about faith.

When they started off this journey, they took a bus from Kyoto to an ulu place. When they got off, they looked around and realised there no no signs in their immediate vicinity. Online said after getting off a bus, one would be able to find a path and immediately climb the mountain. After walking around for 5min looking for signs or a path and finding none, they decided to go back to the bus stop, remembering an elderly person had also alighted. The elder gentleman was also getting ready to climb the mountain. With broken Japanese and English, they communicated how to get to Mt Atago. He brought us before a map. “Which path are you going? And which mountain are you climbing? Why do you want to climb this mountain?”

These 3 questions got the speaker thinking. Partly because he didn’t know there were many mountains. “If you take this particular path, you’d take 12h to reach the peak of that mountain.” “If you want to climb Atago, there’s a long route and a short route.”

Why do you want to climb the mountain Their answer was simple. “Just wanna exercise. Wanna see nature. Wanna breathe the fresh air away from the city.”

As he guided them to the path, they decided to take the 5h route.

These 3 questions he posed also caused the speaker to think about faith.

1. Considering 3 questions
2. Which mountain are you climbing?
3. Why do you want to climb it?
4. Implicitly, can you complete climbing it?

It was winter time. They started at 8am. The sun would set at 4.20am. Undertaking the 12h route one would mean they wouldn’t have enough time to get down.

These 3 questions are also good to ask ourselves as Christians today. Today, as we walk this journey of faith. Is there a mountain we’re supposed to climb? Is there a reason why we must climb this mountain? Can we complete climbing this mountain?

Isa 2:2-3
These verses show that the mountain of the Lord refers to the True Jesus Church. If we want to climb this mountain, it is the mountain of the Lord. Why do we want to climb this mountain? Because out of the mountain proceeds the law and word of God. For in the True Jesus Church proceeds the truth of God; the complete and accurate way of salvation. It’s clear we’re climbing the right mountain. It’s also clear the reason why we climb this mountain. But can we complete it? This is also an important question to think about. Because before we set off on this journey, we must know if we can complete it. Or if we will get lost and die. (The speaker says if he had taken the 12h route he wonders if he would be able to get food or back to civilisation.)

Jesus also reminds us to consider whether we can complete climbing this mountain; this project. He wants us to ask ourselves this question as we follow Him. Let’s turn to the question.

Luke 14:25-31
When Jesus spoke these two examples

1. A man who wants to build a tower
2. A king who wants to go to war
   it’s cautionary because these two individuals need to wonder if they can complete the project. In the same way, when we consider whether we can complete climbing the mountain of the Lord, it’s important for us to consider.

There were great multitudes who followed Jesus. But amongst them, how many considered this question to completely following Jesus Christ; to be a true disciple?

Because a price must be paid. To complete building a tower, a certain amount of money must be used. To fight and win a war really depends on whether one has enough men or perhaps whether one has enough faith in God.

Let’s consider this question ourselves. We’re on our journey and want to climb the mountain of the Lord, because that’s where His law proceeds from. But can we complete our climbing?

For the two examples, if we think about what the Bible says about us being living stones built together to be God’s house, this building will definitely be completed. The prophecy of God’s kingdom being established shows God’s kingdom will definitely grow. In Daniel’s prophecy, the rock struck the foot of the statue, then it grew into a mountain. It shows how the house of God will be completed. The question is whether we’ll be the ones making it up.

For the king who has a war to fight:
If our eyes of faith are open, perhaps we’ll be just like what Elijah did. When he prayed for his servant’s eyes to be open, the chariots of fire were more than the chariots of the enemies.

The project or climbing the mountain can be accomplished. Be assured of the fact. So we ourselves should be resolute to complete it.

This was the first thing the speaker thought of.

1. What’s true spiritual nurture?
   The elderly gentlemen was in his late 60s to early 70s. He said since they wanted to climb Atago, he would guide them because he was too. They knew it was the start of the route because of a Tori gate.

The speaker and his wife planned to start once reaching. But the elderly gentleman said he wanted to worship first. He took off his outer clothing and bowed towards an idol. But they bade farewell and started to climb. When they started to climb, they were reminded of Bukit Timah hill. It wasn’t that hard. A constant upward slope. There weren’t much flat or downhill parts. Either it’s a slope or steps; an incline. As they started walking, they were ahead of the elderly gentleman, they passed by another set of idols on the ground. There were flowers already put inside the idols. Of course for them they didn’t bother too much and concentrated on climbing and enjoying the fresh air. They saw more idols and flowers. They also noticed there were signs on the ground.

It started off with 1/40. As they continued, 2/40, 3/40. Idols on the floor were also seen. Suddenly a thought came to the speaker’s head: you mean people climb up everyday? And they put a flower before their idol?
He thought about the elderly gentleman. “Did he stop by every idol and make a bow?” It occurred to the speaker that it was difficult for an elderly gentleman to do such a thing. For the sake of his faith, he’s willing to do such a strenuous activity and show such dedication to his god.

Later on the speaker did some research and found out Mt Atago was a holy mountain to the Japanese who were religious. They would climb up to cleanse themselves and make wishes to their gods at the top of the mountain. During summer time, toddlers (below the age of 4) would also be found amongst the crowd who climbed the mountain. Why? Their superstitious belief was that a toddler under 4 would receive the protection of the deity so that they would never die because of being burnt by fire. Which is why they bring their toddler even though it’s a difficult task.

These people were willing to suffer for the sake of their beliefs. They were willing to feel pain for certain benefits from their god. This made the speaker wonder: is this something common in people? In order to show my sincerity and discipline, I’m willing to suffer for that god and this religion.

If we think about it, the Gentiles in the Bible have been doing this. They have to suffer pain in exchange for blessing from their god. In the New Testament, Jesus says.

Matt 6:7
One of the things Jesus cautions is for His disciples/Christians not to think using many many words (and even consequently losing one’s voice) won’t mean God will bless them. The Gentiles have the mindset that to gain their god’s pleasure, they just need to suffer a bit. In the Old Testament we also read of a lot of examples where the Gentiles would cut themselves or sacrifice their children in exchange for something from their god. It seems like it’s a natural thing to suffer to show their sincerity in exchange for goodwill from God.

This is not just a misconception found in Gentiles. We must realise Christians sometimes also have this. Christians of other denominations have this thinking as well. Some of the Roman Catholics practise self-flagellation. They’ll take a whip to whack themselves, because the body is sinful. Some will kneel for extended hours to feel the pain and to push their bodies beyond their limits. An example is what happens in Philippines during Easter. They crucify themselves like Christ so they can experience what He went through and this makes them more spiritual. How did such practices come about and is it right?

Some people use Paul in 1 Cor 9:27 as support.
“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
To them, the disciplining of one’s body also means inflicting pain on oneself, enabling them to touch God and also to remove fleshly lusts from themselves. These are the teachings that they preach.

How should we Christians in the True Jesus Church view this? Is there a need for such a direction? Do we decide: to reject my flesh, I’m going to pray for 5h without using the kneeling pad so I can overcome my physical body. “I will fast as long as I can. Even if I feel hungry, I can overcome it. This is becoming spiritually.”

Is that how we truly spiritually nurture ourselves? Do we go on to self-flagellate and beat ourselves?

It’s important to consider. It’s important to have a right concept. There’s a need to differentiate two things.

When we suffer and rejoice for Christ, we need to consider how the suffering came about. Did it come about because you yourself inflicted it upon yourself? We purposely beat ourselves. We purposely use willpower to resist hunger. This is different from the case where someone persecutes you for your faith. Sufferings come from an outside source, not ourselves. Once we’ve differentiated this case, then if we self inflict our own suffering, this isn’t spiritual nurture. Nothing which you do on our own body or by trying to use our will power is spiritual nurture. Where does this concept come from?

Col 2:20-23
Controlling our own body using our own body or will power are of no value to the indulgence of the flesh. While on the surface there’s some piety and religiousness about this; whole there’s an appearance of wisdom, in reality, it does nothing for our flesh; it’s not spiritual nurture. So what’s the point? The point is this: don’t try to say spiritual nurture is feeling the pain and using our willpower to overcome.

Instead, spiritual nurture is doing something spiritual. It’s not the duration or making our knees painful that matters. In fact, we should try to make ourselves as comfortable as possible so we can concentrate on our communication with God. This is how we will be able to bear fruits of the spirit. That’s true religion and true spiritual nurture. Don’t think they having physical pain makes you spiritual.

Fasting is not about “Oh I must feel the hunger! Then with my self control and own innate ability, I won’t eat.” It’s about humbling ourselves and really trying to focus on God before Him. We don’t voluntarily seek to suffer in the body. But should it be inflicted upon us when persecution arises? The Bible does promise that he who leads a godly life will be persecuted. At that time then we should try to rejoice for that suffering. That’s how one views suffering and faith. Not just a self inflicted suffering which one thinks is true religion.

This was the second thought the speaker had.

1. Things that weigh us down
   Remember the mountain had 1/40 2/40 signs? The speaker thought he was way ahead of the elderly gentleman and his wife. But when he reached 20/40, he felt his body was so weak. His wife passed him. The elderly gentleman also passed him by. He felt a bit paiseh because this elderly gentleman has to worship as he walked, for sure they would be miles ahead. But he passed them by.

They decided to stop by a hut. In the speaker’s bag were drinks and food for sustenance. They sat and the speaker started eating. His wife declined. He thought to himself that it was important to lighten his load. At the same time he’d have energy from this sustenance. What lesson did he gain from this? Climbing a mountain is more of an endurance sport; more like a marathon than a sprint. You never know when you’ll hit a wall; when your energy is suddenly sapped and you feel so drained. The speaker hadn’t felt such a feeling for a long time. At that time, any little weight can weigh you down.

Heb 12:1-2
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Our journey of faith is like a race. It isn’t like that of a sprint.
The author doesn’t just remind us the life of faith is like a race; it’s a marathon - an endurance race. v1 reminds us every weight of sin can easily ensnare us. Anything extra you’re carrying after some time will just weigh us down. The weight of the food weighed the speaker down. Just that extra little bit of weight weighed him down. And so we must work to remove sin from our lives, but not in the way we used to think - by our own power and ability - but through Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. He’s not just there in the beginning or just at the end. He’s there throughout. One thing we can learn from Him is that He was able to endure because He knew of the glory before Him when He finished the race.

Similarly, let’s endure running this race with Him because we too know the reward at the end.

1. Work for the night is coming
   After having bread and getting enough strength, they reached 40/40. At the top there was a nice view. There was also a vending machine LOL. A hot corn soup could be bought. At that time it was also raining.

His wife was saying, “Wah thank God it’s just a drizzle.” But after that it started to pour heavily. They were wet through. He was shivering badly.

The hot soup was nice. The nice view was great. But they couldn’t sit there for too long. Because the sun was going to set.

The speaker knew his wife would have difficulty descending because she had short legs. There was hence a sense of urgency in his head. Because there was no artificial light. How long can the phone batteries last? He hurried her. Ultimately they managed to reach the bottom at 3.45, 30 min before the sunset. Still, he had a sense of urgency and felt the time they made was rather tight.

It made him think how our lives will one day comes to an end. In this journey of life, have we accomplished what God wants us to accomplish in this time. There’s our own individual part we have to do.

When the speaker spoke this sermon to the Telok Kurau youths, he said that there were certain times where certain things were set for us. These were things we could do at that period and that stage of our lives. For example, being a theolo counsellor is usually only possible when you’re still a student and have holidays. Days will come when you have to work and you’ll really wish you didn’t have to. The sun has set for that particular work you can do.

When the speaker spoke this sermon to the S9 congregation, he said the work of preaching is important. But there’s also a time night will come and you won’t be able to do this work anymore. Perhaps because your loved one passes away. Perhaps we ourselves depart from the world. Do we feel a sense of urgency to go and preach to our family?

John 9:4-5
“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Jesus’ urgency and His sense of mission in this world is reflected in these verses. There’s a time where night will come when no one can work.

The speaker doesn’t know what night time refers to to the Adam congregation. But if there are things you have not been able to accomplish last time or haven’t taken the opportunity due to a lack of time, let us consider what we must do, and do it when we can.

Let us think what we must accomplish while we still have the time. While we still have breath, remember to continue to work for Him.