◆“You Are an Actor on God’s Stage” (John 1:6–8) November 9, 2025

You may have found today’s message title a little interesting. You might have wondered, “What is God’s theater?” or “Who are the people who appear on that stage?” What follows is an explanation of those questions.
Today’s Scripture passage speaks about John—known in the other Gospels as John the Baptist, and not the John who wrote this Gospel. Verse 6 says, “There was a man sent from God whose name was John.” The Shinkaiyaku 2017 translates it, “A man sent from God appeared.” This word “appeared” reminds us of an actor stepping onto a stage in a play. An actor does not suddenly appear out of nowhere. They memorize lines, create their character in their mind and body, rehearse on stage, and then finally perform.
What about John? He was prophesied, and more than 700 years after that prophecy, he appeared on the stage of history. Isaiah 40:3 says, “A voice cries out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness… The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” John states in verse 23 that his appearance fulfilled this prophecy.
Let us also look at Psalm 139:16:
“Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
From these two Scriptures we learn that not only John, but all of us existed in God’s heart and will even before we were born. Just as an artist does not produce a work by random strokes of a brush, but forms an image in their mind and then brings it into shape, so we too were born as God’s image—God’s workmanship. Ephesians 2:10 also says, “We are God’s workmanship.”
John was born—indeed sent—with a mission: that people might see the glory of the Lord. And Psalm 139 tells us that his days were written in God’s book. In this way, John serves as a model for us. We too were in God’s plan, in God’s imagination, before our birth. Our days are within His design. And Scripture teaches that we too were born with a purpose. That purpose is the same as John’s: that God’s glory might be revealed so that people may see it.
John stepped onto the stage of life and into the world with that calling. And likewise, each of us has appeared on this stage. You and I have been gathered into the fellowship of the church—almost as if a theater troupe has been formed.
In a theater troupe, actors do not perform however they please. If they did, the performance would not be art but chaos. There is a playwright, a director, and each actor plays their role to communicate the message of the play. The timing of each entrance is carefully planned—each actor appears precisely at the necessary moment.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “For everything there is a season,” and continues, “a time to be born.” It is the moment of stepping onto the stage.
You were not born by accident, on your birthday, in Japan. It may be painful, but some people were born even though their parents did not desire them. I personally know someone who experienced this, and from his story I learned how deep the wounds can be. Thankfully, he came to know that he was in fact desired by God, created as God’s workmanship, and born at God’s appointed time. Through that truth, he discovered his own value.
Just as each actor has their role, we too walk through different experiences and different scenes in life. Yet in each of those places, we have our own role to play. In those places we walk with God, trust in Him, pray, hope, struggle, and sometimes suffer in the Lord. And through such a life, God’s glory is revealed to others.
Life resembles a drama in many ways, but there is one difference: every single person is a leading actor. The roles differ—but each person is a protagonist. You are being used by God, standing on a stage where only you can play your part.
To a playwright, each character is precious. Recently, a television drama depicted the life of Takashi Yanase, the creator of Anpanman. I did not watch much of it, but I remember one line I heard when I happened to watch it with my wife. Someone—likely from the TV or movie industry—was strongly encouraging Yanase to make Anpanman into an animated show. Yanase replied, “I don’t want Anpanman to get hurt.” Those words show how deeply a creator loves their character.
God surely says the same about us, His irreplaceable workmanship. Yet without knowing this, we often look at our circumstances and feel dissatisfaction or anger toward God. But God loves us and uses us for His purpose—so that His glory may be shown to others.
This purpose does not demand that we live perfect, flawless, sinless lives. That is impossible. God is righteous and hates sin, and we stand under His judgment. Yet He still takes pity on us. Christ took our sins upon Himself and was judged in our place so we might be forgiven. Not only forgiven—He made us His children. And as we stumble along the path toward heaven, Christ intercedes for us, supports us, guides us, and walks with us.
When we walk our lives with gratitude, our fragile, forgiven, and beloved lives themselves become a testimony of God’s glory to those around us.
You are the leading actor on God’s stage. Your walk of faith—your weaknesses, your struggles with God, and the way you are supported through them—all of it reveals God’s glory. Therefore, never let go of God. Rather, as the God who never lets go of you continues to hold your hand, may you also hold His hand firmly as you walk forward.

Sermon script modified based on proofreading and translation with ChatGPT.