Pastor Choi offers three pieces of advice to those who are down due to their life’s difficult situations: 1. Do not trust own feelings.  Rather, trust in God and His Word.  2. Do not let the negatives pull you down.  Cherish small successes and thank God for the strengths He has given you.  3. Surround yourself with trusted believers, family, and friends, because you need their support and their encouragement.

When You Are Down

The following is a summary of the sermon:

When You Are Down

Numbers 11:10-15    New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Complaint of Moses

¹⁰ Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly, and Moses was displeased. ¹¹ So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me? ¹² Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers ’? ¹³ Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’ ¹⁴ I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. ¹⁵ So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.”

Introduction

One of church jokes on Moses: Why did Moses wander in the wilderness for 40 years?  Because, being a man, he never asked for directions.  Indeed, Moses led the congregation of Israel (a.k.a. Israelites) for 40 years in the wilderness until they finally entered the Promised Land.

Grumbling Generation: During those forty years in wilderness, many a time the Israelites grumbled against God and against Moses: mainly due to the harsh living conditions in the wilderness: from food and drinks to fears.  Their constant grumbling against God and against their leader provoked God to anger and drove Moses to frustration.  In turn, Moses complained to God.  I must say here: it is best for us not to complain or grumble, but the truth is that God tolerates our occasional complaints but never likes our grumbling.  Grumbling displeases God, while occasional complaints don’t (disclaimer: I never suggest you to complain to God oftenJ).

I would like to make a clear distinction here between two words: Complain vs. Grumble: The Oxford Dictionary defines as follows:

Complain: to say that one is not satisfied/something is wrong/one is suffering.

Grumble: to complain/protest in a bad tempered way.

Tired Leader:  Let’s go to our leader Moses again.  Most of the times, he handled well his moments of frustration and discouragement.  In fact, I admire his patience and humility with the Congregation of Israel (personally, I don’t believe I would survive even a year in Moses’ shoes).  Yet, there were times when Moses had more than he could handle.  Here, I see a leader discouraged / fed-up with his people’s constant rebellion against God.  He had enough.  He was about to quit.

So, one day, he vented out his frustration to God in his prayer.  He begged God to release him from his duty.  Listen again:  ¹¹ So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me? ¹² Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers ’? ¹³ Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’ ¹⁴ I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. ¹⁵ So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.” (vv. 11-15) [emphasis mine].

Whoa!  Did you just hear what I heard?  His death wish in the words he uttered to God?  Pretty strong, I must say.  Come to think of it, some great men of God have been there and done that: Job wished to die in the midst of misery.  So did Jonah.  So did Elijah.  So did I (not that I am worthy of being in that party).  Welcome to the club.  When the chips are down, we all get discouraged.  Sometimes, we even wish to die.

I remember, several years ago, falling into a spiritual depression.  I didn’t arrive at a death wish, but I was very discouraged.  One day I attended a District Day of Learning where church leaders were invited to learn something beneficial for church growth.  The topic of the day was “Discover your spirituality type.”  Both for pastors and congregations.  There are four types: Theologian, Charismatic, Mystic, and Crusader.  The speakers also talked about the American spirituality in the past 50 years quoting from Robert Wuthnow’s Book: “After Heaven: Spirituality in America since the 1950s.”  Here’s a summary.

The 1950s was the era of “Dwelling Spirituality.”  Here come the baby-boomers!   Neighborhoods were swarmed with children.  Houses of worship were filled with people.  Denominations across the board all flourished.   People flocked to the church which became a cultural center.

“Seeking Spirituality” emerged in the 1960s.  People would go beyond churches.  The denominational loyalty began to erode.  Believers began to go any church they chose to.

“Practice or (Do Something) Spirituality” emerged in the 21^st century.  On the one hand, people love “hands-on” ministries.  On the other hand, however, they are uncomfortable within a single faith community when it comes down to commitment.   In fact, they offer minimal or no commitment to their churches.  E.g. The attitude of “No longer than six weeks” commitment permeates in committees, membership classes, confirmation class, and even worship leaders.  That day I struggled with one question: what happened to the membership vow?  (every members promises “to faithfully participate in ministries by prayers, presence, gifts, and service”).  That “Non-committal” phrase was what got me!!!  Welcome to the era of non-commitment.

I Was a Discouraged Leader: That day, more than anything else, I lamented over the fact that the Christian Church suffers from this great pandemic of the “non-committal” attitude among its members.

That afternoon, and for the next two days, I found myself very discouraged / tired and spiritually down.  Thank God, though, my slump didn’t last long.

How I Came out of the Spiritual Dump: Three things helped me to snap out of the spiritual depression.

First, it was God’s Word.  One verse pulled me out right away.  It was 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord (NASB).”  I learned a lesson that I should never trust my own feelings because they change constantly.  I also learned not to make any decision when I feel down or angry or hungry.  I would rather trust in God and His unchanging Word than my own feelings.  To such an immovable Word of God I can anchor my soul.

Next, I didn’t let the negatives pull me down.  Instead, I focused on what was working well and cherished small successes in my ministry at that time.  E.g. a couple of members of the church thanked me, the pastor, for their answered prayers.  In turn, I was grateful to God for answering their prayers of which I was part.

Thirdly, I surrounded myself with faithful family and friends.  They listened to my frustrations and supported me, and encouraged me to keep on going.   Their support and words of encouragement were priceless because they lifted me up.   That’s why I thank God every day for my family!

What Do You Do When You Feel Down?

I would give three pieces of advice to those who feel down and frustrated with their life situations.

First, trust in God and His Word, not your moods.  God makes all things beautiful according to His good will in His time.  His timing is never too late or too early.  Therefore, be patient.   Do not trust your feelings especially when your chips are down.  Never make a decision influenced by your moods, either.  Let God’s word speak to you.  Soak your soul in God’s word daily.

Next, never let the negatives pull you down.  Focus on the small successes and on your strengths that work well.  Recall the times when God answered your prayers and thank God for that.  Do not give up but keep on praying (Jesus’ command in Luke 18:1 ff).  P.U.S.H.  (Pray Until Something Happens).  Meditate on God’s Word that would keep your heart and mind in assurance and peace such as Philippians 4:6-7 and Matthew 6.  That’s where this year’s Lenten Challenge comes in.  Do the daily proclamation using the booklet I provided for you.

Third, surround yourself with trusted believers for their support and prayers.  You need family and friends who would encourage you to go on in God.   E.g. Paul was encouraged by Titus’s arrival.  Even Jesus had a moment of discouragement (John 6:53-69).  One day, He fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish.  The crowd loved it.  So, on the following day, they returned for more bread.  Jesus, this time, gave them a hard teaching to accept: to eat His flesh and to drink His blood meaning His own atoning sacrifice for all.  The crowd didn’t understand the true meaning of it.   In fact, they took it literally and got quite offended with His message.  Shaking their heads in disapproval of His teaching, they deserted Him.  Jesus, turning to His disciples, said, “You won’t leave me, would you?” Peter answered: No, we are going to stick with you and around you, because You have the words of eternal life (v. 68).

You can definitely use the prayers from your friends as well.  E.g. Even Jesus asked for prayers from His disciples in his darkest hour at the garden of Gethsemane.  How much more do we need them!  Ask your friends to double up their prayers for you!

Conclusion

Jesus Knows Your Problem: Jesus deeply cares about your daily needs.  In fact, if He knows how many strands of hair you have, don’t you think He already knows what you are up against?   Therefore, hang in there, because He will see you through.

The late Corrie ten Boom once said: “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off.  You sit still and trust the engineer.”   Be still and trust the Greatest Engineer of all—God.   Never trust your feelings.   Anchor your soul to God’s Word that is immovable.  Gather your trusted friends and family members and pray together.  You will get out of your slump in no time.  Amen.

Today Pastor Choi presents a Lenten challenge to his congregation: Proclamation of God’s Word every day for 40 days.  He talks about the meaning of “to proclaim,” explains why proclamation is necessary, and how we do it.  For the transformation of life, he urges every child of God to start practicing this privilege and responsibility to proclaim God’s Word daily.

Proclamation of God’s Word

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Proclamation of God’s Word    Isaiah 55:10-11

Isaiah 55:10-11           New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁰ “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
¹¹ So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Introduction

(Invite the congregation to read aloud Isaiah 55:10-11 with me).

This Wednesday the season of Lent begins.  In the Church Calendar, after the hustle and bustle of the Advent season, Lent falls upon us rather quietly.  It begins with Ash Wednesday and ends on the day before Easter. Not counting 6 Sundays in between the two days, Lent consists of 40 days of self-reflection and meditation on God’s Word.   It is the season of prayer, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial in preparation of Easter.  As pastor of the church, I am bringing you another challenge for Lent.  (Remember what we did last year?  We prayed for everyone in the church directory for forty days).  I am excited to announce this year’s Lenten Challenge: Proclamation of God’s Word.  I got this idea from a book written by Derek Prince: Prayers and Proclamations.

Looking at the title of the challenge, some of you may wonder if you are supposed to preach a sermon to others.  Don’t worry.  That’s not what I have in my mind.  Rather, I want everyone to proclaim God’s Word every single day during Lent (if you want to, you can even proclaim God’s Word on Sundays as well).  Yes, every single day for the next 40 days, you’re encouraged to say aloud God’s Word to yourself.  That’s the challenge.  Let me explain how it works.

Content

What Does It Mean “to Proclaim?”

First of all, let me explain what I mean by “to proclaim.”  It means “to cry out” or “to shout forth” (originated from the Latin word ‘proclamare’).   It also has a connection to a Greek word “to confess (homologeo).”  In Greek, “to confess” means “to say the same as”.  So, “to proclaim” God’s Word is “to say the same thing with our mouths as God has already said in His Word” (Prayers & Proclamations, Derek Prince, p. 11).  The closest example of the activity of proclamation is this: a herald proclaims king’s edict to the people saying, “Oyez! Oyez!”  We do the same thing with God’s Word: not in front of others but to yourself.

Why Proclamation?  For the transformation of our lives.

Proclamation is more than just saying any human words aloud.  You are proclaiming God’s Word that has power to create and change environments.  E.g.  Remember how God created the universe?   With His own spoken Word.  For instance, in Genesis 1:3, God said, “Let there be light” and there was light.  In Genesis 1:24, God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after its kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind; and it was so. 

When we do the same with God’s Word, something happens in our circumstances.   How?   God’s Word that goes forth from our mouths will not return to us void; it will accomplish what God pleases and it will prosper in the thing for which it is sent (Isaiah 55:11).   So, why proclaim God’s Word?  Because we want to see our lives transformed by God’s Word and by its power: our faith will grow, we become bold and we will face the day with the conviction that the Lord is with us.  Proclamation is a means of releasing God’s tremendous power unto our lives and circumstances.  There’s no more effective way to release God’s power than proclamation.

Derek Prince says that too many believers are unaware of this spiritual truth and live their lives without experiencing the changing power of God’s Word in their circumstances.  I agree with him.   It’s time that we reclaimed this spiritual privilege and blessing that is available to every child of God.  When we learn how to proclaim God’s Word into every situation, from our personal needs to international crises, we will see God’s creative power that transforms our circumstances and us.  It’s time that we exercised the privilege and responsibility to proclaim God’s Word every day.

A word of caution

Although learning to proclaim God’s Word into circumstances sounds simple, the Word of God we proclaim won’t be effective at all until we learn to reverence God’s Word.  Even though we proclaim God’s Word until our faces are blue, unless we bring in our reverent attitude towards God’s Word, it won’t work.

Listen to Isaiah 66:1-2:  Thus says the Lord:

“Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
² For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,”
Says the Lord.
“But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.

Have you noticed here that God in heavens won’t be impressed with all the human works and achievements in the world?   Indeed, Jesus said, to God the clothing of King Solomon in all his glory wasn’t as impressive as the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:29).  Yet, Isaiah points out certain individuals who will attract God’s favor: poor, of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at God’s Word.  God looks for and favors those who show holy reverence for His Word. 

Why we should tremble before God’s Word?  In his book “Prayers & Proclamations” Derek Prince points out two reasons:  First, the very Word of God will judge us in the last day.  Listen to Jesus: He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day (John 12:48, NKJV).  Each time we open the Bible and read it, “we are looking at that which will one day judge us.  No wonder we should tremble at it” (ibid. p.35).

The next reason is that through the Word of God will Jesus and God come to us.  Listen again to Jesus: Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him (John 14:23).  Note here We–Jesus and His Father.  They both will come to us and make their home with us.  How will they come?  Through God’s Word.  When we read God’s Word, God (the Father and the Son) come into our lives and make home with us.  Imagine that Jesus is coming to your house.  You would vacuum, dust, and get everything ready to invite Him to your living room.  As soon as He steps in, you would fall down before Him and worship Him.  But, then, not only is He coming to your house, He is also bringing His Father with Him.  Wow!  You would be overwhelmed with a sense of awe.  The same thing happens spiritually every time we open God’s Word.  Shouldn’t we, therefore, show a much greater sense of reverence and awe to God’s Word? 

How to Proclaim?  Three steps: Proclaim, Thank, and Praise.

Say aloud the appropriate Scripture with bold and unwavering confidence.  Personalize it by replacing “we,” “us,” or “you” with “I” or “me.”  Accept the Scripture proclaimed as true, even before you see its actual outworking in your situation.  Thank God and praise Him for the transformation of your life.

For Maximum Benefit

Ask the Holy Spirit to make “alive” to you any Scriptures that are appropriate to your particular situations.  Remember: God’s Spirit always works together with God’s Word.  He is our teacher who makes God’s Word alive and relevant.  Ask for His help.

Also, read the Scriptures through many times—out loud, if possible.

Gradually proceed from reading aloud to systematic memorization.

So, this is how we will do proclamation of God’s Word through Lent.  For the next seven Sundays, in the bulletin insert, I will provide three or four verses for the coming week.  We will proclaim those verses together as a congregation each Sunday starting today (Do it now).  Then, you go home and proclaim God’s Word throughout the week until the following Sunday and we will repeat it seven times.  How long will it take each day to proclaim God’s Word?  3 minutes max each day, but the benefits will be tremendous for your spirit, soul, and body.

This morning, I will also provide a booklet for those who are serious about proclaiming God’s Word for the next seven weeks (on your way out, the ushers will hand out one for you).   So, throughout Lent, we will proclaim God’s Word in the following seven areas of our lives: salvation and holiness, overcoming negative thinking, protection from evil, financial and physical needs, national and international affairs, Christianity and opposing forces, and testing and trials.

Conclusion

I have been doing this proclamation of God’s Word for at least a couple of years.  My daily practice prepares me to face the day with courage and faith.  Proclaim God’s Word over and over again every day.  Speak them out loud until the Scriptures become part of your thinking and attitude.  Personalize it and accept God’s promise for you.  You will see your lives transformed forever.    Amen.

Today Pastor Choi talks about agape love and its three attributes: 1. Agape love is divine.  God is agape—the author and source of divine love.  2. Agape love is unconditional.  God loves us unconditionally.  3. Agape love is reciprocal.  God expects us to love others as He has loved us.

Can Anyone Love without God

The following is a summary of his sermon:

Can Anyone Love without God?      1 John 4: 7-21

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. ¹³ By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴ We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us.  God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷ By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. ¹⁹ We love, because He first loved us. ²⁰ If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹ And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also (1 John 4: 7-21, NASB).—-26 times of “beloved,” “love,” and “to love.”—all rooted in agape (love).

What does love mean?  Let’s listen to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds what they think love is (Read the excerpts from internet below).

Subject: Love according to children

“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore.  So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too.  That’s love.”   Rebecca – age 8.

“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.”  Karl – age 5.

“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.”  Danny – age 7.

“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.”  Nikka – age 6.

“There are two kinds of love.  Our love.  God’s love.  But God makes both kinds of them.”  Jenny – age 4.

“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.”  Noelle – age 7.

“Love is like a little old woman and little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.” Tommy – age 6.

“During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared.  I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.  He was the only one doing that.  I wasn’t scared anymore.”  Cindy – age 8.

“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.”  Mary Ann – age 4.

“I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me.  So I pick on my baby sister because I love her.”  Bethany – age 4.

“When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.”  Karen – age 7.

“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it.  But, if you mean it, you should say it a lot.  People forget.”  Jessica – age 8. 

And we think they don’t notice….

Introduction

Can Anyone Love without God?

The answer depends on how you define love:

Let’s check out how Oxford English Dictionary defines love: 1. affection: a strong feeling of deep affection for someone or something, especially a member of your family or a friend (a mother’s love for children).  2. Romantic: a strong feeling of affection for someone that you are sexually attracted to (fall in love with each other).  3. Enjoyment: the strong feeling of enjoyment that something gives you (a love of learning).   4. Someone or something you like:  a person, a thing, or an activity that you like very much (tennis is my first love).

Yes, anyone can love a person whom they are sexually attracted to.  That’s a basic human instinct.  All humans do.  So do all the animals.  Yes, anyone can love someone else whom they have a strong and deep affection like their children, parents, spouses, even pets.  Most parents love their children based on their parental affection.  Such a love is built in the parents, both in humans and animals.  Yes, anyone can love their favorite sports team and cheer for the champions of Super Bowl because of their proud achievements.

Contents

But, the love I am going to talk about this morning is far different from these types of love.  The love I am going to talk about is far greater than all of these combined.  The love we are going to focus on this morning is the love the Bible constantly talks about.  It is called agape—the divine love or God’s love.

Agape love is God’s love. It is divine.  It is the ancient love of God, the present love of God, and the future love of God.  It never changes.  From the very beginning of the universe, God has constantly exercised agape love for humanity and for all the creatures.  Since the same God wants and expects His children to practice the same love as His, (yes, He wants you and me to practice the divine love in our daily lives), we need to seriously think about agape love this morning.  We will pay a close attention to three attributes of God’s love so that we may have a better understanding of it, learn from it, and put it into our daily practice.

• Three attributes of agape: divine, unconditional, reciprocal.
• Agape is divine:  Where does agape come from?  From God (1 John 4:7).  The Bible says that God is agape (love).  He is the author and source of agape.  Agape love is the very essence of God.  His purpose for humanity/ His creation of all things/ His providence for all creatures are based on His love.   E.g.  The reason why God created us and the way we are created (fearfully and wonderfully made) is because He loves us.  The reason why God gives us life every day and provides our daily needs is because He loves us.  The reason why God disciplines us is because He is our loving Father.  The reason why He sent Christ to the cross is because God loves us (Romans 5:8).   Everything God does is motivated by love.  So should we be like God (1 Thessalonians 1:3).
• Agape is unconditional:There are two kinds of love: conditional love and unconditional love.  Conditional love is “if” love.  The way I love you totally depends on what I get from you and how you behave.  It is a merit system.   E.g. I will love you if you are lovable.  I will love you if you love me back.  I will love you if you behave well.   I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.Unconditional love, however, never depends on the recipient’s merits.  Rather, it totally depends on the giver (will and grace).  It is exercised regardless of the recipient’s merits.  It is “in spite of” love.  That’s how God loves us.  He loves us unconditionally.  That’s how God demonstrates His grace and love for us in Christ.   He loves us in spite of what we have done or what we have not done.  He loves us, the unlovable.  He loves us despite our sins.  He loves us even though we never deserve His love.  E.g. The Beauty and the Beast—love the unlovable.This is what the Bible says: God is holy (nothing impure or unclean can stand before Him).   We are called to be holy like God, yet all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  No matter how hard we try, we still cannot reach God’s standards of holiness with our own merits.  Now, whenever we sin, there are always consequences, which the Bible calls the wages of sin that is death.  However, God doesn’t want us to pay the wages of our sins by ourselves, so, out of His love for us, He sent Christ Jesus instead to the cross.  The innocent and the sinless Christ, taking over your sins and mine, paid the penalty on our behalf once and for all so that we may go free.  Cross is the ultimate expression of God’s love for us.Did we deserve such a great love of God?  No.  Even though we were the enemies of God due to our sins, even though we fell short of God’s standards, even though we were so unlovable, God still loved us.   That’s agape love.
• Agape is reciprocal.   Agape love is always a two way street.  Got love?  Love back.  God loves us and we love Him back by loving those around us.  “Do you love Me?” says God, “Then, love one another.”  We reciprocate God’s love by loving others.What is love?  Bob Dylan says, “It’s just a four letter word.”  How do you define love?  This is mine: Love is the expression of our love for God toward fellow humans in the same manner that we have received divine love.  A good example is Jesus.  E.g. He has experienced God’s love to its fullest extent.  He learned such divine love from God, and He loved God back by loving sinners as God had loved Him.  He demonstrated His ultimate love for us by taking care of our sins on the cross.  This time, the same Jesus wants us, the recipients of His unconditional and sacrificial love, to love back, not to Him, but to other fellow humans.  His command is simple: to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34).  Love God? Love others.  (1 John 5:1).  If anyone asks you why you love others, tell him/her that because God has loved you.  The Bible says, ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11).One more thing: The demonstration of agape is the sign of knowing God (John 17:26).  If we claim that we know God, yet fail to love others, then we are liars.  If we don’t love, then we don’t know God because God is love (1 John 4:8).  Know God?  Love God.  Love God?  Love others.  E.g. “I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least”—Dorothy Day.Conclusion

  Back to the original question:

• Can anyone agape love without God?  I don’t think so.  No one can love unconditionally without God or without God’s help.  God has called you to love others unconditionally, even your enemies.
• What is your answer to His call?Let us pray.

Today Pastor Choi expounds on the meaning of following Christ.  He points out three marks of a Christ’s disciple: self-denial (all-of-Christ- none-of-me): obedience (keeping His commandment to love one another): service (serve as Christ did with humility).

Following Jesus

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Following Jesus                       Matthew 4:18-20

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

¹⁸ As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰ At once they left their nets and followed him (NIV).

Introduction

(Begin the sermon with group discussion for two minutes: What does it mean to be a Christian?  Am I a Christian?)

Once I looked up the definition of “computer” in a 1920s dictionary: one who computes.  Today everyone understands it quite differently: “A computer is a general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a set of arithmetic or logical operations automatically” (wikipedia).  Its original meaning got lost or changed over time.

What about the word ‘Christian’?  Same thing happened.  2,000 years ago, the disciples of Jesus were called Christians first in history at Antioch (Acts 11:46).  Today, however, it has lost its original meaning even among believers.  Sadly, in America, it is often associated with a political movement and misused as a political term, far from its true meaning.  E.g. During election, “evangelical Christians”—a political group with negative image.

The true meaning of “Christian” is the disciple of Christ.  The follower of Jesus.  The one who learns from Jesus the Master and lives out His teachings accordingly.  That’s what we are going to think about this morning: the meaning of following Jesus.

Contents

The meaning of Following Jesus:

2,000 years ago, in Galilee, Jesus invited a fisherman Simon Peter and Andrew his brother to come and follow Him (Matthew 4:19).   Think for a moment about the meaning of following.  Today, we tend to use the word “follow” casually such as “Follow me on Twitter.”  Back then, however, following Jesus never meant casual or no-sweat as today.  Rather, it meant serious business and a total commitment.

Did you notice what Simon and Andrew did when they were called by Jesus?  They dropped everything and followed Him (v. 20): they left behind their vocation, their family, and their dreams.  In those days, and still today, following the Master meant to live together with Jesus, breathe together, eat and sleep together, walk and journey together, be together all the time.  Go wherever and whenever Jesus goes.  Memorize the teachings of Jesus and live out.  Experience everything together with Master: from praise to persecution even suffering and death; from the glorious moment on the mountain top to the grotesque scene at the foot of the cross.

Following Jesus never means, as some of us believe and practice today, “Twice a year,” “1 hour on Sunday morning,” or “one day a week.”  Imagine a married couple spending time together like that.  No wonder our Christian life has no intimacy with Jesus, no power or joy.  If your walk with Jesus rather has been boring, think about the amount of time you spend with Him.   Let me repeat: being Christian means to be with Jesus 24/7/365.   That’s the life of a disciple who follows Jesus.

In such seriousness, 2,000 years ago, Jesus called the Twelve to be His disciples.  They, except Judas Iscariot, all followed Jesus for the next three years and for the rest of their lives.  In the end they turned the world upside down.  That’s the power of the gospel.

His call still continues today: Jesus still looks for those who would “follow” Him and to be His “disciples.”  He still invites us to be the kingdom agents for God following Him with purpose and commitment.

I looked up in the Bible to understand what it entails to be His disciple, and I have discovered three marks of Christ’s disciple.

Three marks of a Christian:  Self-denial, Obedience, and Service.

The first sign is Self-Denial: Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24).

To follow Jesus means all in, live or die.  E.g. My military training camp:  Zip Line across river with single pulley: Are you ready to die?  Christ asks you this morning, “Are you ready to die for Me?”  If you are, then, you are in.  Not half-half.  Never lukewarm.  Be either hot or cold.  Ready to die and live for Christ and His cause.  This command is not just for a few pastors or a few religious fanatics.  It is for every believer who is serious about their faith.  This attitude of all-in may look foolish to the world but it is essential to God’s kingdom.  It may be a total waste to the world but actually eternal gain to you.

The real question is this: Is Jesus worth following and dying for?  Absolutely!  In fact, Christ and His kingdom are worth of everything we have!  Listen to Jesus.  “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44, NASB).

That’s what the Twelve did with Jesus.  They waged their entire lives on Jesus.  That’s how Paul spent his life: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).  That’s how Jim Elliot, missionary to Auca Indians, lived out his life: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose” (Jim Elliot).  So should we.  Let our lives be Christ only and Christ alone. 

Self-denial means none of me and all of Christ.  When we deny ourselves, we pursue the Kingdom of God, not the Kingdom of Mine.  It is all about Christ and none of me.  Don’t be like those who seek their own interests before the Lord’s.  E.g. Someone’s prayer: “Lord, not Thy will but Mine be done.”

Don’t believe in the false gospel that promises glory and crown without cross and self-denial.  Those who don’t want to give up on their self and self-interests are unfit for the Lord Jesus.  E.g. Jesus turned away some want-to-be disciples in John 6:66.  They no longer followed Him.

The second sign of Christ’s follower is obedience.  “¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love” (John 15:10). 

 To remain in Jesus means to obey His Word.  To obey His Word is to keep His commands and to love one another as He did: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35) –Love one another as Christ has loved us.  Unconditionally and sacrificially.  E.g. Korean pastor (Pastor Sohn Yang-Won) who adopted the murderer of his son during the Korean War.

Reminder: We don’t have the power to love as Christ on our own. “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5). Apart from Him we can do nothing.  Like the branches have no power to bear fruit by themselves without the vine, we have no strength to love without Christ.  The power comes from Jesus.  Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.” 

The third sign of discipleship is service:  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

The same Christ calls us to be the servant of all:  (cf. Secular governments, rulers and authorities rule over you).  Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (Mark 10:43).

Christ served us with humility and expects us to do the same: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

Let’s serve people like Jesus did: to free people from the bondage of sin and death with the truth of the gospel.

Closing:

-Let us recommit ourselves to Christ today: All in.

-Let us deny ourselves by carrying our own crosses: Christ alone and none of me.

-Let us obey His word: Love unconditionally and sacrificially.

-Let us serve one another with humility.

Then the world would know that we are His disciples and followers.

Amen.