Today Pastor Choi takes a moment to reflect on the goal of 2015 for Manahawkin Congregation: the Year of Knowing Jesus.  Out of many lessons he learned through the year, he shares the following three: first, love the Lord with a pure heart.  Next, do everything for the glory of God and His pleasure (I Corinthians 10:31).  Thirdly, brighten the corner where you are.

     Reflections on 2015

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Reflections on 2015

Today we have the cantata, so my message will be brief.

First of all, as pastor of this congregation, I would like to thank God for His faithfulness.  He has blessed us to finish this year strong, therefore, let us praise our Heavenly Father who sustained us both physically and spiritually.  I also thank all of you for loving the Lord and being faithful to His ministry through your presence, gifts, and talents.

I’d like to take a moment to reflect on our goal of 2015—“the year of knowing Jesus.”  I hope and pray that all of us have made progress in our faith and practice.

Personally, this year was one of the most productive years in terms of growing spiritually.  I have discovered Jesus in new and refreshing ways that, in turn, energized my walk with the Lord.

I’ve made over 30 discoveries throughout the year in knowing Jesus and they can be squeezed down to the following three:

First, love the Lord with a pure heart.  The Lord taught me to check on my motive why I wanted to know Jesus on a deeper level in the first place: it is never for selfish gains such as ‘doing great wonders and miracles’ or ‘making our church ten times bigger than it is now.’  Rather, He wants me to know, enjoy, and love Him with a pure motive for the sake of relationship not for the benefits thereof.  E.g. In any healthy and thriving relationship, no one looks for what’s in it for them first; rather, they love each other first, and enjoy the benefits thereafter.

Next, do everything for God’s glory and His pleasure (1 Corinthians 10:31).  Often times, I find myself keeping God’s commands for fear factors such as ‘to avoid the consequences of sins’ or ‘not to fall into temptations.’  The Lord wants me to change that attitude: keep His word, not because I’m afraid if I don’t, but because I love Him.  E.g. English sentence: I don’t have to, but I love to.  From now on, I will keep His Word not because I have to, but because I love Jesus (John 14:23).  Jesus also reminds me of this: whenever I keep His Word, it pleases Him.  E.g. Eric Liddell “God made me fast.  And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”  Let us do everything, from reading the Bible to prayer, from worship to our words, for His pleasure.  When He is pleased, it makes us pleased in turn.

Thirdly, brighten the corner where you are.  I realize more and more that the Lord doesn’t expect me to save the entire world (it is the job for Jesus).  Rather, He expects me to brighten the corner where I am and to blossom where I am planted.   E.g. A young man in 1930s wanted to liberate Korea from Japanese occupation by joining the armed resistance.  His mentor’s advice was to stay home instead and brighten the corner where he was.  What matters most in the sight of the Lord is: not how many great achievements we make but how much we love people around us with Christ-like love.  “Fervently love one another from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22, NASB).

2015 is almost over.  However, knowing Jesus doesn’t stop on December 31.  It is an ongoing process for us.  Let us keep growing in His love, knowledge, insight so that we may test and know what matters most and stay pure and blameless until Christ comes (Philippians 1:9-11).    Amen.

Today Pastor Choi talks about true joy and where we can find it: in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Sharing stories of three believers in Christ who found true joy in the Lord, he exhorts the believers to do the same by fixing their eyes on Jesus the true source of joy and light in the world.

    Rejoice

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Rejoice 

Philippians 4:4   New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Introduction

Have you been in the mall lately shopping?  Have you ever closely observed people’s faces?   Were they all happy, beaming, or joyous?  Or, rather, empty, tired, and even grumpy?  I’ve seen more weary faces than merry ones in this season of joy.

During this season of Christmas, we hear and speak a lot about joy: Christmas joy, joy to the world, and so forth.  One question arises in my mind: where’s the joy in this season of joy?  What has gone wrong in our celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ?  Although joy should’ve been the central theme of the season, some of us find burden in our hearts instead.  Some folks even suffer from ‘holiday blues.’  Sure, we can find fault with commercialism for the loss of our joy.  Yes, we can also blame our kids for their unreasonable requests of very expensive toys.  Yet, seriously, what happened to our joy?   How can we find true joy and where should we look for it?  That’s the topic this morning.

Contents

Where can we find joy?  Would you believe if I said that you can find joy in the midst of cancer treatments?  Would you say amen if I said that you can find joy even in a prison cell?  Would you agree if I said that you can find joy even in your disabilities?

I am going to tell you stories of three individuals who found their joys in the midst of hardships.  After their stories, I will briefly speak about the common thread that binds them together.

First, please come and meet a sister in Christ.  I will leave her unnamed.  I will simply say she was one of my parishioners some years ago in Michigan.  She was very ill at that time, because she had cancer and had been through a series of chemotherapy.  As a result, she lost all her hair and no physical strength was left in her body.  Believe me: none of us wants to be in such a state.  One day I met with her to pray for her healing and strength.  Humanly speaking, she had nothing to be joyful about.  However, that day, on her face I saw something priceless and heavenly: a smile.  In fact, I haven’t seen such a beautiful smile on anyone’s face in my life.  It left such an indelible impression on my mind that I wondered where this kind of smile / joy came from.  You simply cannot buy such a smile with money for sure.  Her smile definitely didn’t come from her circumstances, either.  Yet, I witnessed it.

Next, come and meet a brother in Christ who found a similar joy in a place where we would least expect to find it: in prison.  His name is Paul a.k.a. the Apostle.  In today’s passage, he says to us, “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I will say rejoice!”

Now, please consider the circumstances in which he wrote his letter.  He wasn’t vacationing in Hawaii basking in the sun.  Rather, he was sitting in a dark and damp dungeon in Rome.  He was a prisoner for Christ.  Mind you that he was not enjoying benefits of modern prison such as TV, internet, library, three square meals, medical benefits, exercise room, and so forth.  As far as his sentence was concerned, he had no hope of release.  Why?  Because he was on death row.  He was waiting for his last day on earth.  Yet, writing this letter with his own hands to the believers in Philippi, he commanded them twice to rejoice in the Lord.  How can a person on death row encourage the people outside to rejoice always?

Have you ever visited with a man who was terminally ill?   You go there to comfort him.  Yet, instead of comforting, you come out being comforted by him.  The same thing was true with Paul and the Philippian believers.  Humanly speaking, Paul was the one who needed to be comforted big time by the believers outside, because he was in prison with no hope of clemency, waiting to be executed.  The saints in Philippi, on the other hand, were the ones who were free and able to do whatever they wanted to do.  Furthermore, they had lots of blessings to be grateful for such as family, food, clothing, and shelter.  As far as material possessions, Paul had nothing to share with others.  Yet, the one with nothing actually did comfort those with much.   ‘Rejoice and again I say rejoice,’ the same prisoner urges us this morning.

Here’s the third story to ponder.  Feel free to guess who this lady is.  She was born in 1820 and died in 1915.  She became blind when she was six weeks old through an improper medical treatment.  She was married to a blind musician and had a child who died in early infancy.  She was rather petite in appearance; less than five feet tall and weighed less than one hundred pounds.  To some, she was physically unattractive —“a long face, prominent front teeth with a gap between them; thick, wavy hair parted in the middle and pulled backward in curls that hung to the shoulders”; she also wore the dark rectangular glasses obscuring her sightless eyes.  “Yet, when she spoke, it is said that there was an unusual charisma about her, as her face lit up with an expression that gave her great charm and attractiveness” (Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 More Hymn Stories, pp. 239-240).

You need more hints?  She wrote lots of poems for the Lord, and, in fact, we know well a number of hymns she wrote: “Blessed Assurance,” “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” “Rescue the Perishing,” and etc.  Got the idea now?  Yes, her name was Fanny J. Crosby.

By the way, folks, do you know that she had a true conversion experience at a Methodist revival meeting, and said about her conversion experience as follows? “The Lord planted a star in my life and no cloud had ever obscured its light” (Ibid., p. 240).

Now, speaking about the light, Jesus says He is the light of the world (John 8:12).  As long as He is in you, no cloud in your life will ever obscure His light, and you will walk in the light.  Jesus is also the source of our joy and delight.  Can you imagine a person like Fanny J. Crosby, who was blind, did one of the most wonderful ministries in history?  What did she do?  She led numerous souls to Christ through her songs.  Although she could’ve pitied herself for her handicap through her entire life, she was never imprisoned by self-pity.  Rather, she stayed very active for the Kingdom of God for years.  Who made all the difference in her life?  Wasn’t it Jesus Christ the Light and the Joy of the world?  She lived for 95 years on earth and now is with the Lord.  What do you think she would say to us, if she became alive at this moment among us?  Wouldn’t she say the same thing she did through many words of hymns she wrote?  That is, the best blessing anyone can have is Jesus Christ–Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.

True joy is found in the Lord:

I promised at the beginning that I would briefly share with you one thing that is in common among these three individuals.  They were all Christians.  They all had the same faith in Jesus.  Their circumstances were different, yet they all found the same joy in the Lord—the source of true joy in our lives.  Let me say it one more time: True joy is only found in the Lord.  It doesn’t come from anything material.  That is, you still may have emptiness even when you are surrounded with a plethora of things.   However, you can have true joy without spending a dime, too, as long as you are in the Lord.  True joy also transcends circumstances.  That’s why I would call it true joy.  It doesn’t depend on circumstances.  Prosperities don’t guarantee it.   It doesn’t disappear in adversities, either.   It is unshakable.  It is immovable, because it comes from eternal God.  Circumstances may change, but God never does.  Therefore, let us learn to refuse to fall into your mood swings that go with the circumstances.   Rather let us tell God that we will put our 100% trust in Him no matter what.   E.g. Fanny J. Crosby story again.   “At the age of eight years she wrote her first poem:

Oh what a happy soul am I!
Although I cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.

How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don’t;
To weep and sigh because I’m blind
I cannot nor I won’t.” (http://www.truthfulwords.org/biography/crosbytw.html)

Conclusion

Do you remember what happened on the first Christmas Eve in the region of Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-12)?  That night the heavenly angels appeared before the shepherds out in the field and proclaimed the good news of a great joy for all the people in the world.  Since then, Jesus Christ has been the true joy to many.  He may be the greatest joy for the world, but He can’t be yours, unless you too have Him in your heart as your Savior and Lord.

Do you miss joy in your life?  Does your soul cry for help?  Have Jesus Christ right now in your heart.   Have Him as your personal Savior and Lord today.  Ask Him to come into your heart and be the King in your life.  Then, your heart will be filled with heavenly joy.  You can have this joy all the time as long as Christ reigns in you.  Fix your eyes on Jesus, because He is the only one who can give you true joy.  Ask Him, and He will give it to you.    Shall we pray?

“Say after me, if you would like to have true joy in your life.  Lord Jesus, I repent my sins.  Forgive my sins through your precious blood.  Please come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior.  Be my true joy for the rest of my life.  In Christ’s name, I pray.  Amen.”

Today Pastor Choi talks about Christ’s second coming in three aspects: A. Why He comes again?  B. How will He come again? C. When is it going to be?  In conclusion, he reminds and exhorts the congregation that they must be on the alert in prayer while they await their Savior.

      Watch

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Watch!

Mark 13:32-37    New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³² But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

³³ “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. ³⁴ It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. ³⁵ Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— ³⁶ in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. ³⁷ What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’”

Introduction

According to the Church calendar, today is the first Sunday of Advent.  Advent consists of four Sundays before Christmas Day.  During this Advent season, we remember the spirit of Christmas from awaiting the promised Messiah to witnessing His actual coming as our Savior and Lord.

In the past, God communicated with His people through many means such as nature and people, dreams and visions, signs and wonders.  Today He mostly communicates with His people through the Bible (because the Bible is freely available—the best-selling book in history).  However, when the Scripture was not available, for instance, in the Old Testament times, the primary way of communication was prophets.  For hundreds of years God has spoken to His people through prophets (Hebrews 1:1).  Through the prophets He promised to Israel that He would send them the Messiah who would restore God’s reign on earth.  That promise had been fulfilled 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem.  God sent His Son to humanity.  In fact, that’s what Christmas is all about.  Jesus Christ was born with a mission: to save His people from their sins.  Let me assure you again the very reason for Jesus’ first coming: (as His name says the Lord saves) He came to save humanity from sin and to give them eternal life.

Now, our Lord Jesus Christ lived on earth for 33 years.  Especially, the last three years of His earthly life, He did many miracles, healed the sick, preached the good news, and taught the Word of God.  At the cross He completed the work of salvation: His body was broken so that we may be healed.  His blood was shed so that the wages of our sins may be paid.   The best part is this:  He arose from the dead in order to show us that death is not final.  We do have hope of eternal life.

After His physical resurrection, for the next forty days, the risen Christ repeatedly appeared to His disciples and performed many more miracles.  Eventually, He ascended into Heaven to be seated at the right hand of God.  As He was ascending to Heaven, He promised His disciples saying, “I will come again.”

Since His ascension, 2,000 years have passed.  We Christians still await the fulfillment of His promise.   We are still waiting for His second coming.  In the New Testament Jesus in His own words had already told us about His coming (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21).  So, it would be foolish of us if we fail to take heed to what He said about His own second coming.  That’s our topic this morning.

Contents

One day Christ’s disciples asked Him about His second coming (Mark 13:4).  Today’s passage is part of His answer to them.  If Jesus were here today in our midst, and if we asked Him the same question (that is, when He is coming to us and what signs we should look for), I doubt that He will change His original answer.  He would give us the same answer and say to us, “I already have given you.  Read My Book—-Mark 13.”   Based on that chapter, I am going to explain to you three parts of His promise of coming:  A. Why He comes again?  B. How will He come again? C. When is it going to be?

A. Why will He come again?  (Hebrews 9:28)

One thing I know about His second coming is this: He will come to judge the world.  It is going to be different from the first time.  When He came first time, it was for salvation for all.  But this time it’s going to be for judgment.  The Bible says He will come to judge the ungodly.  Listen to 2 Peter 3:7:  But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 

Christ will come again for the judgment of the world, not for its redemption.  It is not going to be pretty for those who refuse to obey God.  It is going to be miserable for those who are ungodly.   We don’t have to be afraid of His coming, though, because it is going to be our salvation and deliverance (Luke 21:28).  It is going to be our glorious day to meet the Lord in the air.  Listen again to Hebrews 9:28: so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.  Folks, His coming is great news for us!  Rejoice!   Let’s share this great news with others so that they too can be included in salvation not in judgment, Amen?

B. How will He come again?  (Acts 1:11, Matthew 24:26-27, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

In what manner He will come, first, Jesus said that He will come in the same way as He was taken to Heaven (Acts 1:11).  In other words, as the disciples of Jesus witnessed with their own eyes Him taken up into Heaven, we too will be able to see Him come down with our own eyes.  Furthermore, when He comes, everyone on earth, with no exception, will be able to see Him simultaneously.  It won’t be like: we Americans see Him, but folks in Australia won’t.  Rather, everyone in the world, from America to China, from Antarctica to Greenland, even people in North Korea will be able to see Him at the same time.  How do I know?  The Word of God says so.  Listen to Matthew 24:26-27: So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. ²⁷ For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Next, He will come in clouds with great power and glory (Mark 13:26).  He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven (Mark 13:27).  He will come in the clouds with the trumpet sound.  No one will miss His coming.  It’s going to be loud and clear to all ears.  Listen to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.  [play Handel’s Messiah: The trumpet shall sound].

C. When will He come again? (Mark 13:32)

We must know that His coming is the appointed time (Kairos) (v. 33).  It is firmly written in God’s schedule book.  He has every intention to keep it.  Therefore, Christ’s second coming is not a matter of “if” it happens, but “when” it happens.

As far as the exact time of His coming is concerned, no matter how curious you are, don’t waste your time in speculating, because no one knows the day or hour, neither the angels in Heaven, nor Jesus; only the Father knows (Mark 13:32).  In the past 2-3 years, many God’s servants say that we are getting close to His coming.  Don’t blindly believe what they say.  Rather, check yourself with what’s going on in today’s world.  Collect all the news yourself and compare them to the words Jesus has spoken in Mark 13, Matthew 24, and Luke 21.   Here are some of the signs of the end times that I checked myself in recent months: wars, rumors of wars, nation against nation, earthquakes, famine, darkening of the Moon, persecution against Christians, and false prophets.  Consider also other signs in our society.  Paul the Apostle prophesied about them well in 2 Timothy 3:1-5: But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. ² For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power.

In terms of what we must do while we await His coming, the Lord Jesus commands us not to panic (Mark 13:7), or be deceived (Mark 13:5, 21), nor worry (Mark 13:11).  The first and foremost of Christ’s command for us is to be on the alert [γρηγορειτε]—four times in today’s text (v. 33, 34, 35, 37).  ‘Watch’ in KJV.  By the way, how did the disciples of Jesus understand the word ‘watch’?  Here’s how they understood:  watch means to ‘remain awake’—Oxford Dictionary— ‘for a period of time.’  It is also used in the context of ‘pray.’  So, ‘to be on the alert’ means ‘to watch and pray.’  And, ‘to watch and pray’ means ‘to stay spiritually awake and keep on praying.’

Why do we need to stay awake and pray?  Because, we don’t know the day or the hour of His coming.  He will come like a thief at night (1 Thessalonians 5:2).  Since we don’t know the time of His coming, we relax our attitude and our expectation of His coming.  Consequently, our hearts will get dull to the signs of the times so that we live out our lives as business as usual.  Our hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life.  Another translation (the Message Bible) puts this way—Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. We must watch lest we live a life of dissipation, our hearts be drunk with the worldly pleasures and wrapped with the worldly cares.  And to those souls, the Lord warns, the day will come upon suddenly like a trap (Luke 21:34—NASB).

Don’t think that His warning is just for some pastors.  It is for every believer in Christ.  Jesus says in v. 37: What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’   Listen again.  But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).

Conclusion

Be on the alert.  We can do it, until He comes, Amen?

Next Sunday, we are going to listen again to the Word of God: this time what kind of life we should conduct while we await His coming.

Let us pray.

Today Pastor Choi talks about God’s will in Christ for all God’s children: be thankful in all circumstances.  He shares with the congregation three keys to thankfulness; thankfulness is a choice, thankfulness is a trust, thankfulness is an attitude of worship.

    The Old Man and the Horse

The following is a summary of the sermon:

The Old Man and the Horse [subtitle: three keys to thankfulness]

1 Thessalonians 5:18   New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Introduction

Let me begin with a Chinese folk tale.  It is called “The Horse of an Old Man in a Remote Village.”

Once upon a time there was an old man in a village in the northern Chinese border.  He lived with his only son.  He also owned a horse and one morning his horse was gone.  The village people came to see if he was all right.  They comforted him saying, “We are sorry that your horse is gone.  It is a misfortune!”

The old man responded with little emotions saying, “Don’t be sorry for me.  Who knows if this may turn into a blessing?’

Several months later, the horse came back.  Not only had he returned, he also had brought a beautiful mare with him.  Once again, the village people gathered around and said to the old man, “We are glad that your horse is back with another horse.  Congratulations!  What we thought a misfortune was a blessing!”

The old man replied as-a-matter-of-factly saying, “How do I know if this is a blessing or not?  It may turn into a curse.”

Sure enough.  His word came true a few days later.  While the old man’s son tried to break the new horse, he fell from the horse and broke his legs.  Once again the villagers comforted the old man saying, “We are sorry about what happened to your son.  This new horse is a bad news!”

The old man spoke plainly. “Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse?”

A year passed and China was engaged in a war against a neighboring country.  All the able men of the village went to the war and many of them died.  Only the son of the old man was spared because of his injury.

The morale of the story is this: Do not jump to conclusions too quickly.  No one is wise enough to know how things will turn out in the end.  Only God knows.

Contents

Thanksgiving is just four days away.  As we gather with our families and friends, let us not forget giving thanks to God for all the blessings.  

A pop quiz for you: If you squeeze the entire population of the world down to 10 people, how many of them would actually remember to say “thank you” to you when you do something nice for them?  The answer: only one (10%) [Both statistics and the Bible confirm it].  This is true when things are good.  For bad things, very rarely people give thanks to you and to God [actually we tend to blame God for bad things, don’t we?].  But, God commands us to be thankful in all circumstances; both good and bad.  That’s our topic this morning.

Before I dig deeper, let me read today’s text one more time to you: this time my own translation of the original Greek: in all circumstances and all the time be thankful; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  Some of us already think that it is impossible to be thankful in all circumstances.  You’re right.  In fact, with our own power, we can’t be thankful especially in adversities.  I am here to remind you, though, that God never asks us to do something impossible.  For the things that He asks us to be thankful, He also equips and enables us to do it.  Being thankful in all circumstances is not only possible but also doable [but only in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13)].  I am going to share with you three keys to thankfulness in all circumstances. 

First, thankfulness is a choice.  It is not a feeling.  We don’t thank God only when we feel like it.  We don’t thank God only for good things, either.  In fact, even the people who don’t know God can be grateful for the blessings.   We, God’s children, are different.  We choose to be thankful no matter what (why?  Because it is God’s will).  In the midst of all life’s situations, we choose not to go with our emotions but with our will.  Don’t misunderstand here: when God commands us to be thankful, He doesn’t mean that we should be happy because bad things happened to us.  No, He rather expects us to stay thankful to Him despite bad things and despite our bad feelings.   

There are two words in English we interchangeably use to express our gratitude: ‘grateful’ and ‘thankful.’  Let me point out here that it was rather intentional when the Bible translators chose the word ‘thankful’ over ‘grateful’ in today’s text.  In the Bible, ‘grateful’ is used for only good circumstances, while ‘thankful’ covers a greater territory and is used in both good and bad circumstances.  For instance, we are grateful for a promotion at work.  We are not grateful, however, when we are laid off.  Let’s say we lost our jobs.  We may not be happy; we may be far from grateful for the situation.  However, God still wants us to be thankful.  Remember: we are commanded to be thankful not just grateful.   We choose to stay thankful.  We choose to obey God’s will even when we don’t understand why bad things happen to us.  Thankfulness is a choice.

Next, thankfulness is a trust.  Without God, you can’t be thankful in all circumstances.  Without trust in God, you can’t be thankful at all, either.  Thankfulness begins with the understanding of who God is.  God is all-powerful.  He is everywhere.  He knows everything.  He is the author of time: He sees everything simultaneously; the beginning, the end, and everything in between.   He is the only One who sees the entire picture of our lives.  He knows when we were born.  He sees when we are going to die.  He sees everything in between.  He sees the whole picture of our lives.  That’s why we can trust in Him.  That’s why we can rely on His wisdom.   Remember the story of the old man and the horse?   We humans pretend that we know all about our lives, yet the truth is that we don’t.  We only see a piece here and a piece there.  Without looking at the big picture, we make quick judgments on our situations (either good or bad) and we are bound to make mistakes.  None of us knows how our life will turn out in the end.  But, God does.  Do you believe in God’s faithfulness and goodness?  Then, trust in Him and put everything in His hands.  Defer your judgments to God.  He is the fairest of all.  Trust in His good will that He will cause all things to work together for our good (Romans 8:28).  Thankfulness is a trust.

Lastly, thankfulness is an attitude; the attitude of worship.    

You may wonder: what does worship have anything to do with being thankful to God?  How can worship help me to be thankful to God in all circumstances, especially in bad ones?  

By the way, the worship I am talking about is more than Sunday morning worship services.  Worship can take place, if we choose to, anytime and anywhere; we can worship God when we drive.  We can worship God when we rake the leaves or even in the shower.

This is how it works: worship shifts our attention from us to God.  In worship, we fix our eyes on God and His greatness, not on our problems.  In worship, we remember who God is.  We adore and praise His Holy name and invoke His help for our situations.  In worship we remember who we are; we are God’s children and we call out to our Heavenly Father who cares about every need of ours.  In worship, we encounter the God who is faithful to His children.  In worship we remember God’s goodness and hold unto His promises, not unto our fears or anxieties.

Let me put it a different way.  In worship, we don’t focus on the bad things happening to us.  We focus on God, His greatness, His faithfulness, and His goodness.  Worship helps us to look up to God and trust in Him who makes all things beautiful for those who love Him.  Worship reminds us to trust in God’s ultimate good will for us.  You see, we can be thankful to God only when we trust in Him who turns all the bad things into our good in due time. 

Stay in constant spirit of worship of the Lord wherever you are and whenever it may be, and you will be able to be thankful.   Thankfulness is an attitude of worship.

Conclusion

A well-loved hymn: It Is Well with My Soul—the words were written by Horatio Gates Spafford in 1873.  Mr. Spafford was married and lived in Chicago with his family.  He was “professor of medical jurisprudence of Lind University and he bought a great deal of real estate on the lake front.  Then tragedy struck repeatedly.  First, the Chicago fire of 1871 wiped out his real estate holdings.  Then, in 1873, he planned a family vacation in Europe.  Spafford sent his family ahead aboard the ship Ville du Havre.  Out on the high seas, the Ville du Havre collided with the Lochearn and sunk.  Mrs. Spafford was saved but their four daughters perished.  Spafford took the next boat to meet his wife in Cardiff, Wales, where the survivors had been taken and while sailing past the spot where his daughters perished, wrote It is Well With My Soul.  Their son also died an untimely death in 1880” (Charles Johnson, One hundred & One famous hymns, p. 144).   He lost his five children in 7 years.  [Hymnal #377] Verse 1: When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well with my soul, it is well, it is well with my soul.  I have no doubt that only his determination to trust in the Lord in the attitude of worship carried him through his life’s tragedies.  

Anyone can be grateful for good things.  Very few people in their own might can be thankful in adversities.  However, God’s people are called to be thankful in all circumstances.   In Christ and with God’s help, we can and will be thankful all the time in all circumstances.  Thankfulness is a choice, it is a trust, and it is an attitude of worship.

Amen.

Today Pastor Choi urges the congregation not to be a fool in the sight of God.   He points out a three-fold error the rich fool made: fixing eyes on the life on earth only, setting his heart on the increase of wealth, and neglecting the welfare of others.  He exhorts the believers to be rich toward God by living with an eternal life perspective, setting their heart on true riches of God, and giving to the poor.

    Don’t Be a Fool

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Don’t Be a Fool.

Luke 12:13-21   New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Covetousness Denounced

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” ¹⁶ And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. ¹⁷ And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ ²¹ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Introduction

Some years ago, I was much into children’s literature all over the world: from Europe to Africa, from India to Korea.  After reading scores of them, I began to notice certain common themes such as ‘don’t be greedy,’ ‘be honest,’ ‘honor your parents’ and so forth.  One of the themes across the board was this: don’t be a simpleton.  Don’t be a fool.   I guess it is a universal lesson for humanity for centuries.  Even the Bible talks about it.  That’s our topic today: don’t be a fool.

Contents

Let me begin with a question for you.

Are You a Fool?

• It all depends.  Some of us would deny that we’ve ever been a fool.  Others may say that sometimes we are but most of the times we are OK.
• One thing is for sure: none of us wants to be a fool, either before people or in the sight of God.
• Definition of “fool”: person without much sense; stupid or rash person (Oxford Dictionary)
• Biblical Definition: person who says there’s no God.  Psalm 14:1: “Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’”  E.g. April 1—Fool’s Day.
• By the way, we all know that the belief in God alone doesn’t automatically make one wise.  We can confess our faith in Jesus until our face is blue, but we can still be a fool.  How?  Here’s how: if we believe in Him with lips only not in action.  The lip-service people in Christ are fools.   You don’t have to take my word for it.   Listen to Jesus (Matthew 7:24-27):  ²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
• Jesus, in today’s text, gives us another example of a fool.  We’d better pay attention to this story; because it’s one thing if people call us a fool, but it’s quite another if God calls us “You Fool!” (Luke 12:20).  We sure don’t want to be called by God a fool, right?
• Let’s check it out: the parable of the rich man.  It is a simple story yet its message is powerful: don’t be a fool to God.Meet the Investment Guru
• I must say that the rich man in today’s story was quite smart in the worldly sense back then.  He must’ve been the envy of the town-folks.  I doubt they would ever call him a fool.  In today’s standards, no one would call him a fool, either.  Far from it.  On the contrary, people would seek after his wisdom as a businessman; he would make a conference speaker on investment.
• Here’s why I believe so.  This man did so well in his business (in this case farming).  One year his land produced unusually good crops that would take care of him for the rest of his life (excellent hedge fund manager would he be at Wall Street today and we would invest with him any time, wouldn’t we?).  He did so well that he needed a bigger storage space.  So, he ended up tearing down old barns and building them bigger, setting up a sufficient retirement funds, and he was ready to enjoy many years of relaxation and fun (the joys of eating and drinking).
• The trouble I have with the story is this: why did God call him a fool in the end?  Not just a fool, but “You FOOL!” (with an exclamation point).   Why did God call him that way?  The answer is found in verse 21: (he was a fool because) he stored up treasure for himself but was not rich toward God.  May I say that his life was always about “ME” and never about “GOD”?   His life was full of ME and none of GOD.  I am not the only one who believes so.  Fred Craddock (preacher and commentator) asserts that the man lived totally for himself, talked to himself, planned for himself, and congratulated for himself [Interpretation, Luke, p. 163].  That was the problem: a fool’s life is totally immersed with self and no room for God.  To a fool, everything is about himself and nothing for God.   Fools not only say that there is no God, but indeed they have no room for God in their lives.THE Rich Fool’s three-fold Error
• Here’s my humble analysis on the life of the rich fool.
• He fixed his eyes on life on earth only.  He was well prepared for “many years” of his life on earth. Yet, he wasn’t interested or prepared for the life eternal that never ends.  Remember: this life on earth is four scores if we are strong; soon it is gone and we fly away (Psalm 90:10).  There are things that we have no control over.  Death is one of them.  The eternal life starts afterwards and lasts forever.  The wise ones live everyday with eternal life in mind and prepare themselves accordingly.  Fools don’t.  They may gain the whole world yet lose their life (Luke 9:25).   E.g. Movie–You can’t take it with you.
• Next, the rich man set his heart on the increase of wealth.  A lot of us do, too.   Did you know that there’s a warning from God’s Word on such attitude?  Psalm 62:10 says “though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.”  Why?  Because, the riches in the world can and will fool us with its deceitfulness (Mark 4:19).  They rot; thieves get into them, too.  They are fleeting and uncertain for sure (1 Timothy 6:17).  E.g. Retiree from Lucent Technology lost his over-a-million-dollar assets overnight.  Trusting in material possessions is like trusting in a paper umbrella in the storm.  Listen to what Christ says in today’s text: “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15).
• The rich fool was only interested in his own welfarethat he ended up neglecting the needs of others.  The Other’s Welfare (T.O.W.)=100-mine.  A trade-off.   When mine is 100, then zero for others.Rich toward God (Be Wise)
• Let’s think about being rich toward God this time.  If we take Jesus’ warning seriously, we all would desire to be rich toward God.  How do we do this?  By doing the following three things:
• Live your life with eternal life in perspective.   Prepare for the future—eternal life—not just with lips but in action.
• Set your heart, not on riches, but on God and His kingdom.  Seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness first (Matthew 6:33).  Seek after true riches of God: glory, kindness, tolerance, patience, wisdom, knowledge, and grace (Romans 9:23, 2:4, 11:33, Ephesians 1:7).  These are heavenly currencies.
• Increase the welfare of others by decreasing of your own.  How do we do it?  Only one way: give to the poor (Luke 12:33).  The more we give, the richer we will be toward God.  Giving and richness toward God is proportionate.  Remember the welfare equation? [The Other’s Welfare (T.O.W.) = 100-mine].  By giving to the poor, we prepare purses in heaven that do not wear out; by doing so, we keep our “unfailing” treasures in heaven where no thief comes near or moth can destroy.John Wesley’s Way of Living
• Let me introduce a man who was rich toward God; his heavenly account is pretty solid.  His name is John Wesley.  He took Jesus’ word very seriously and methodically practiced it throughout his life.  To him giving was living (and vice versa).  He wasn’t a poor man.  In fact, he was a wealthy man according to the worldly standards.  He said, “Make all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.” “When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart.”  E.g. His expenses for 60+ years remained the same.  He pre-arranged to hire six beggars to be his pall-bearers at his death.  That way, he spent his last £ 6, paying them £ 1 for each).
• Chart: John Wesley’s Way of Living
  

  Year	Income (Annual)	Expenses	To the Poor
  1	47.40 (Pounds)	44.24 (93%)	3.16 (7%)
  2	94.80	44.23 (47%)	50.56 (53%)
  3	142.40	44.24 (31%)	97.96 (69%)
  4	189.60	44.24 (23%)	148.36 (77%)
  Later	2,212.00	47.40 (2%)	2,164.40 (98%)

•  Source: Wesley’s Giving (http://new-wineskins.org/blog/2010/03/john-wesleys-spending-habits/) 

Conclusion

• I hope and pray that none of us would ever hear from God “You Fool!” in terms of our own wealth management.
• Rather, I pray that every one of us would hear from God saying, “Well done, my faithful servant! You are rich toward Me.”
• Go and do like John Wesley did.
• Let’s pray.

Today Pastor Choi encourages God’s people to pray for the persecuted believers in Christ in the world.  He also urges the congregation to take up their own cross and follow Christ. He points out that Christ Himself suffered on behalf of humanity.  We too as followers of Christ must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him for the eternal good for all.

    Church and Suffering

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Church and Suffering

Colossians 1:24  New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

Introduction

Bulletin insert: “I Commit to Pray”— use it to lift up our sisters and brothers in Christ in prayer. [Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body—Hebrews 13:3].

Our topic this morning is Church and suffering.

Suffering is a very unpopular topic to talk about in today’s society; whenever you talk about it, it is almost certain that you will make someone mad, either at you or at God.  In my 25 years of ministry, I preached over 1,000 times.  Yet, only once or twice I spoke about pain and suffering, because people generally don’t appreciate it.  Furthermore, the topic itself is too broad to cover with one sermon; you have to deal with evil in the world (to begin with) and with so many sufferings that don’t make any sense such as school shootings, plane crashes, children’s cancer, and so forth.

This morning, I am going to wise up myself and limit my focus on the Christian suffering; suffering in the context of Church, the body of Christ; the believers’ suffering due to their faith.  Questions or comments on other types of suffering must wait for another time.  Lord willing, I will deal with them later.  So, pray with me now: Lord, open up our hearts and ears to listen to Your truth about Church and suffering.  Amen.

Contents

MY OWN TRANSLATION OF GREEK TEXT

Let me read to you today’s text one more time—this time my own translation with my own commentaries.  Remember: Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter— in a Roman dungeon—not because of his wrongdoing but because of his witness for Christ.

Now I rejoice [keep rejoicing—not liking it, but whenever suffering comes, I take it in stride and with an attitude of welcoming it] in my sufferings [multiple occasions] on your behalf [my sufferings have a purpose in it—they are for you the Church], and I fill [keep filling] up in my flesh [my own share of physical pain] the lacking things of Christ’s afflictions [‘lacking’ means, afflictions will continue to happen to God’s people until God says enough—Revelation 6:11. ‘afflictions’ means unpleasant experiences] on behalf of His body [once again my sufferings are not meaningless—they are for His body], which is the church.

DEFINITION OF SUFFERING

Secular understanding: Oxford dictionary defines as [u] pain of body or mind; [plural] feelings of pain, unhappiness, or etc.  General attitude: avoid it at all costs.

Biblical understanding: in the entire Bible there are 150 entries under ‘suffer,’ ‘suffered,’ ‘suffering,’ or ‘sufferings.’   Only once, it talks about suffering as a consequence of our sins [murder, for example].  It is not God’s will for us to suffer for wrongdoings.  However, there are times and occasions that God wills and considers it worth suffering; for instance, sufferings for Jesus and His Kingdom.  In the New Testament, the believer’s suffering is described exclusively in the context of Christ, Christians, and Church.  E.g. suffering on account of faith in Christ, suffer according to God’s will, suffer while doing what is good / right in the sight of God.  Proper attitude should be like Paul’s: rejoice and take it in stride.

CHRIST THE SUFFERING SERVANT

The Christian understanding of suffering begins with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Did you know Christ Himself was not exempt from suffering even though He was equal to God and sinless?  Why did He suffer, then?  Not because He had done anything wrong, but because God willed His suffering.  It was God’s perfect will for Christ to suffer and die for us.  He suffered vicariously for humanity.  In Isaiah 53, we see Christ the Messiah, the suffering servant.  He was without sin yet suffered on behalf of the sinners.  God sent Him to the Cross to pay the wages of our sin.   On the cross, He had to endure excruciating pain for hours.  Let’s not forget: He didn’t deserve to be punished like that.  Rather, He suffered on our account and on our behalf so that we may go free.  Such suffering, God wills and approves.  Listen more.

SUFFERING WITH A PURPOSE

I already told you that God appointed His only begotten Son to suffer and die on the Cross: not that He didn’t love His son, not that He wasn’t pleased with Him, nor that the Messiah deserved such a punishment.  But that it was God’s will and His plan that were laid out even before the creation of the world.  Here’s the truth.  Christ’s suffering was with a divine purpose.  It was not meaningless or senseless.  Christ the Righteous died for the unrighteous.  It makes no sense in human eyes where the penalty should go to the perpetrator, not to the innocent, yet it sure makes perfect sense to God.  Some of us still grapple with it.  You may call it God’s mystery.  You may even reject the cross and accept only good things of the gospel such as peace, joy, love, and eternal life, yet one thing you cannot deny is that Christ suffered.  The same God expects us to be like Jesus including suffering (2 Corinthians 1:5, 4:10, 1 Thessalonians 3:3).

TWO-FOLD MEANING OF CROSS: suffering and eternal good

“Deny yourself, take up your own cross daily, and follow Me,” commands the suffering Christ (Luke 9:23).  He means what He says.  He is never ambiguous about it.  Neither should we.  Remember: cross means suffering.  Think of the cross in the time of Jesus.  It was a means of public execution.  Everyone understood the meaning of it —public disgrace and hours of excruciating pain that led to death.  As Christ took up His own cross, He commands us to take up the cross of our own—be ready to die for Him and for the sake of others.  We too, as He suffered, have our own share of suffering in our heaven-bound journey.  However, our suffering is not senseless or meaningless.  It too has a purpose.  What’s the purpose?  Eternal good for ourselves and for others.  Imagine a relationship where no one wants to sacrifice themselves on behalf of others.  Imagine a family where no one wants to take the garbage out, cook, do the dishes, or clean the toilet.  Every troubled relationship or nation has one thing in common: no one wants to take up their cross and they blame everybody else for the problems.  Somebody has to take up the cross for the sake of others.

Let’s face it.  When we became a believer in Christ, very few of us signed up for the cross; rather, we signed up for blessings such as eternal life, health, wealth, wisdom, love, joy, peace, and self-control.   Now, we must realize that those ‘good’ things are not the ultimate goal of a Christian (they are benefits, not the goal).  Our ultimate goal is Christ Himself; do whatever He commands, go wherever He leads, and live out His will.  All other ‘good’ things are the byproducts of the cross: they come afterwards not before.  Jesus says, the cross is good for you; take up your own cross and follow Me; in the end, it will benefit all; you, others, and the Church.  Let me tell you one more time: the cross is eternally good for all.  The cross and crown go together. However, the cross comes before the crown.   You can’t have the crown without the cross.

APOSTLES AND THE BODY OF CHRIST IN THE NEXT TWO MILLENIA

I already told you that Paul wrote today’s text in prison taking part in Christ’s suffering.  Later, he was executed.   So were all the other apostles; they fully participated in Christ’s suffering by enduring public disgrace, shame, and death: all of them filled up their bodies with suffering on behalf of the Church.

For the next two thousand years, countless believers followed Christ’s steps and filled up His body the Church with their own sufferings, too.  Like Pastor Suta today.  Like an Indian sister in Christ who was attacked with acid that ruined her face.

We call those believers who died on behalf of Christ “martyrs.”—meaning “witnesses” with their own death.  For them, it was worth it all—for the sake of Christ and His Church!

Wherever martyrdom takes place, one thing always happens to the body of Christ; revival and growth.  The opposite is true, too.  History tells us that when there was no persecution or suffering, the Church became corrupt, compromising, stagnant, and even declined.  E.g. one American Christian sect dissuades its followers from meditating on the Cross because it reminds them too much of suffering and pain.  They even removed the crosses from their church decorations.  Is it a coincidence that the Church in America is dying when it avoids the cross by all means?  I don’t like a recent increase of persecutions in America against believers, but in a grand scheme, perhaps God has a different plan to purify His Church through suffering.

When persecution arose against the body of Christ, and when the believers underwent torture, imprisonment, and death, the Church of God stayed pure, strong, and even grew in number.  Today, all around the world, persecutions abound and the Holy Spirit is at work.  The Church is growing leaps and bounds in the midst of suffering.

REALITY CHECK IN AMERICA

Understand the culture we are living in: Get rid of pain/suffering by all means.  E.g. pain killer business—multi-billion dollar business every year.  I understand why non-believers push suffering away from them.  What about the Church?  We too avoid suffering at all costs, do we not?   But, how can we help the people in the world without knowing and experiencing the suffering first hand?  How would we understand the meaning of apathy, sympathy, empathy, and compassion when we have not tasted of suffering at all?

Don’t get me wrong.   I am not advocating needless pain or suffering for the sake of suffering and pain.  Neither am I looking for it for the sake of having it.  Like many others, I myself prefer no suffering and a painless life.  Yet, when it comes down to legitimacy and necessity of pain and suffering in the believer’s life and the life of the Church, if that’s what God has in mind, I am willing to take it.  In fact, God’s Word confirms it.  That’s why I urge you all to be willing to take your own share of suffering for the sake of Christ.  I am thankful that ours will not be as drastic as Christ’s or Paul’s.  Most of us are grateful that God doesn’t consider our faith as strong as Paul’s.   However, all of us have our own crosses to bear.  As long as we take it, let’s take it in stride.

Conclusion

Millions of believers in the world today go through all kinds of persecution because of their faith in Christ.  They rejoice as they fill up their own lives with Christ’s afflictions such as mockery, physical pain, financial loss, and even death.  Let us remember them in our prayers.  Support them financially if you can.  May the Holy Spirit convict us; strengthen our hearts to follow Christ all the way like our brothers and sisters in the world do.

May God awaken our souls and grant us the desire to follow Him with our own crosses.

Let us pray.

Today Pastor Choi talks about life worthy of God’s calling: God the Creator and the Sustainer of all creations has chosen us to be His adopted children before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).  His choice was intentional and He called each of us by name.  The same God calls us to live a life worthy of His calling.  Pastor Choi exhorts God’s people to make God proud through a lifestyle that is worthy of His name.

    Life Worthy of God’s Calling

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Life Worthy of God’s Calling

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (New American Standard Bible)

¹¹ To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, ¹² so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Ephesians 4:1-3 (New American Standard Bible)

4 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, ³ being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Introduction

It’s hard to believe that we are already in November.  Two more months to go, and another new year!  In January this year, I designated 2015 to be the year of knowing Jesus.  I encouraged every one of you to get to know Him personally.  I myself was blessed to know Jesus in a newer and deeper level than before.  I pray and hope that all of you made progress in knowing Jesus personally.  Let’s continue knowing Him every day.

Whatever and however we get to know Jesus, one thing we want to make sure is this: to know Him right.   Here’s why: after many years of serving Him in many capacities and doing many things in His name (prophesying, casting out demons, and performing miracles), there’s a chance that we still could get Him wrong.  E.g. Matthew 7:21-23 “I never knew you.”  We may think that we have known Him well, yet He could say to us in the end of our heaven-bound journey, “I never knew you! Depart from Me.”   Now, none of us wants it to happen to us, right?

Therefore, let us come before Him with humility and a prayer that He would illumine us with the true and correct knowledge that it would bring forth in us the lifestyle of which He would be proud and say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant!  Enter into the joy of your master!” (Matthew 25:21).

Contents

Please look at the sermon title: life worthy of God’s calling.  I am going to highlight three things here.  First, God who has called us—we are going to ponder on the greatness of God.  Next, we are going to think about the object of God’s call: us. Thirdly, the life worthy of God.

The Greatness of God:  The life worthy of God’s calling cannot begin without the right understanding of how great our God is.  Most of us have a general and shallow understanding of God.  Some believers even call Him “a man upstairs.”  We all know that God exists and He is greater than we are.  But, that’s just about it.  We seldom take time to think or meditate on the greatness of God.

I don’t have enough time to give you a sermon on God’s greatness, so I am going to give you a brief summary of who God is.  First, God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).  He created all the things visible and invisible; every living creature that has breath in it.  By the way, folks, He doesn’t share the credit of creation with anyone else, not even with evolution.  Check yourself.  Numerous times in the Scripture, God claims that it is He alone who willed every single creature, designed them, and created them all (Isaiah 45:8, Revelation 4:11).

God is not only the Creator, but also is the Sustainer.  He gives life and health to all the creatures.  He provides their needs every day, too; food, shelter, and clothing.  He takes care of them all.  E.g. One day, Jesus was talking about worries.  He says when you are worried, lift up your head and look at the birds of the air.  They don’t sow, reap, nor gather into barns, yet the Heavenly Father feeds them.  Look at the lilies in the field, He continues.  They do not toil or spin, yet even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these (Matthew 6:26-29).  If God cares about the creatures like that, Jesus concludes, how much more He will take care of your needs?  (Matthew 6:30).

Thirdly, God is the One to be worshipped.  He is the only One worthy of our worship and devotion.  Here’s why.   He has created us; He sustains us; He provides every need of ours.  We owe Him everything we have and enjoy.  Therefore, He deserves our total devotion to Him, and we render it in worship.  Look at the first commandment of the Ten Commandments: you shall have no other gods before Me (Exodus 20:3).  You shall worship Me alone (Exodus 34:14).  We worship God alone, because no one else deserves our worship but God.

Speaking of worship, some people say that they don’t go to church because they don’t get anything from the sermon.  Even though you get nothing out of the sermon, it doesn’t exempt you from worshipping the Lord with fellow believers.  E.g. A history book describes Pilgrims as folks who loved to travel by sea.  Seriously?  They came to America for the freedom of worship.  I am afraid that some textbook writers in future may describe Christians as folks who love to get together once a week to have fellowship; as the folks who love to sing songs; as the folks who love to give offerings.  No, all these are on the surface.  The center of worship is God.  He is the main focus and object of worship.  That’s why even when we get nothing out of sermon, we still worship the Lord.

Let me tell you about the true nature of worship: worship is an encounter with God where we acknowledge who God is in our life (Creator); and we acknowledge who we are before God (Creature).  E.g. Heavenly worship in Revelation 4 & 5.  Every creature, including the 24 elders and four living creatures, along with angels and multitudes of God’s saints, worships God in His throne prostrating before Him (Revelation 5:12-14).  They all declare, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory, honor, and power” (Revelation 4:11).  What about Jesus?  In the same Heavenly worship, they too worship Him declaring, “The Lamb of God who is worthy of power, riches, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:12).  “He is Lord of lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17:14).  “At the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10).  That’s how majestic our God is.  That’s how great our Christ is.  That’s the Christ we follow and serve.  That’s the God who has called us to be a part of His kingdom.

We are called by God:  Have you ever played “bingo?”  As you play, have you not always desired to be called the winner?  How exciting it is to be chosen!  How much more exciting it is to be chosen and called by God to be in His family!  The sad reality is this: some believers have no idea of this blessing to be called by God.

God has called us from darkness to light; from bondage of sin and death to freedom; from fear to love; from condemnation to forgiveness; and from death to life.  Furthermore, in Christ, He has adopted us into His family and made us His own sons and daughters (Ephesians 1:5).  If God is the King, what would it make us to be?  Princes and princesses, right?  Hello, how many of us feel that way let alone realizing this great blessing?

It gets better.  God’s choice is intentional.  God hasn’t chosen us on the spur of moment.  Rather, He carefully thought it through and executed the adoption.  Listen to God’s Word:  He has chosen us to be His children even before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).  Mind boggling, isn’t it?  Yes, long before we were even conceived in mother’s womb, He has chosen us to be His children.  God knows this.  Jesus knows this.  The Holy Spirit knows it, too.  God’s Word confirms it.  Angels know this.  Even the devil and his followers know this.  Yet, do you?  God has not chosen you by number, either.  He knows you by name.  He called out your name and invited you to join the family.  It can’t get any better than that, can it?  Such a God expects us His children to lead a life worthy of His calling.  That leads us to the final part.

Life worthy of God’s calling:  E.g. The story goes that a young boy was brought before Alexander the Great for stealing a horse. Alexander saw how young he was and heard his story and decided he would go easy on him. Getting ready to release him, Alexander asked the young boy, “What is your name?” He replied, “Alexander, sir.” Alexander the Great was furious and asked him again, “What is your name?” The boy, this time with fear in his voice said, “Alexander, sir.” In anger, Alexander the Great threw the boy to the ground pointed at him and said, “Boy, change your conduct, or change your name.”  

Source: http:pastorericsblog.blogspot.com/

Think of the life worthy of God’s name.  We carry the name of Christ.  We are Christians.  Are you proud of the name you carry?  Is Christ proud of you carrying that name?

Let’s not forget: You and I represent God and Christ.  We are His children.  We belong to God.  We belong to Christ.  We are a Christian.  By the way, let’s not be ashamed of being a Christian.  We are living in a society where the mockery and persecution of Christianity is ever increasing.  Let’s not be ashamed of Christ whom we follow.  In fact, if we are ashamed of Him before people, Christ will be ashamed of us in front of the angels (Mark 8:38).  Let’s be proud of the name we carry.  We are a Christian!

Now, God considered us worthy of calling, and the same God calls us to live a life worthy of His calling.   In terms of what entails of the life worthy of Christ’s name, such as humility, gentleness, patience, and love, you can find them in today’s texts.  Do your homework.

Conclusion

Now, I am going to close my sermon with a story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17).

One day two armies gathered for battle: Philistines and Israel.   “The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. ⁴ Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath whose height was [about 10 foot tall]. ⁵ …a bronze helmet on his head,…clothed with scale-armor which weighed [125 pounds] of bronze. ⁶ He also had bronzegreaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. ⁷ The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed [15 pounds] of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him. ⁸ He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” ¹⁰ Again the Philistine said, “…; give me a man that we may fight together.”

⁶ The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.  ²⁴ When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid.

One day David delivered a care package for his three brothers who were in the army of Israel. “²³ As he was talking with them, behold, …Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them and said, “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?”

 ⁴⁰ He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

⁴² When [Goliath] looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance.⁴³ [He] said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And [He] cursed David by his gods.⁴⁴ …said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.” ⁴⁵ Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.⁴⁶ This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,⁴⁷ and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” 

The rest is history.  I want to be that David, the man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).  I want to live a life that is worthy of God’s name and His calling.  I want my God to be proud of my words and actions like He was with David’s.  I pray that all of us live the life worthy of God’s calling.

Amen.

Today Pastor Choi talks about three types of spirituality: natural, carnal, and spiritual.  A ‘natural’ person doesn’t know Christ or have the Holy Spirit.  Her mind is blinded by the devil that she cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.  A ‘carnal’ person believes in Jesus as Savior and Lord and has the Holy Spirit in her.  However, she remains spiritual baby; she cannot handle the truth well.  She still walks according to own desires.  She demonstrates little fruits of the Holy Spirit.  A ‘spiritual’ believer is mature in faith and practice.  Her faith is grounded in God’s Word the truth, not in human words of wisdom.  Her first and foremost interest in life is to please God and doing God’s will.  Pastor Choi exhorts the congregation to keep growing mature in Christ by getting into the Word of God, pray daily, and walking in the Holy Spirit.

    Three Types of People

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Three Types of People                     1 Corinthians 2:13-3:4

1 Corinthians 2:13-3:4    New King James Version (NKJV)

¹³ These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. ¹⁶ For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Sectarianism Is Carnal

3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. ² I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; ³ for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? ⁴ For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

Introduction

Background info on today’s text: Paul the missionary started the church in Corinth.  He didn’t stay there long and moved on to the next place.  A man named Apollos followed him.  He was a great Bible teacher.  A few years later, there was a division among the believers; a half of the congregation remembered Paul and still followed him as their leader, yet the other half followed Apollos.  So, in his letter to them, Paul lamented over the division four times saying, “You are carnal” (1 Corinthians 3: 1, 3, & 4).   He says; you are immature; you are still babies in Christ because of the division, envy, and strife among you.  You act like people who don’t know Christ at all.  Don’t follow me.  Don’t follow Apollos, either.  Follow Christ only.   

Once I met a lady who claimed that she was spiritual but not religious.  Nowadays, many people consider themselves spiritual but not religious meaning that they believe in God but not necessarily go to church or are associated with any “organized religion.”  I guess anyone can call themselves anyway they want.  However, we the believers in Christ must have the clear and right understanding of what the Bible says about those terms.  One thing is for sure: this lady’s claim ‘being spiritual’ is definitely NOT what the Word of God calls spiritual.  Being spiritual in the Bible never means just having faith in God (even the demons believe that there is one God—James 2:19).  Rather, it is reserved for those who are mature in Christ in their walk with God.

That’s what we are going to think about this morning: three types of people in terms of spirituality.   In today’s text we see three words that are related to spirituality (in the order of maturity): Natural, Carnal, and Spiritual.  God’s Word makes a clear distinction among them.  Let me explain to you one by one.

Contents

Natural (ψυχικος, 1 Corinthians 2:14) [literal translation: soulish]

How does the Bible define a person who is ‘natural’?  A person is natural when she doesn’t believe in Jesus as her Savior and Lord.  The natural person doesn’t have the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14), either.  Therefore, she cannot say that Jesus is the Lord.  This definition includes, but not limited to, atheists, agnostics, all the followers in other religions than Christianity (Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Shamanism, Shintoism, etc.).   Anyone who doesn’t confess Jesus as the Lord and Savior is natural.

The natural person is outside Jesus and cannot know or distinguish spiritual things of God.  These spiritual things of God are hidden from their eyes and rather appear to them foolishness.  E.g. Cross: foolishness to the Greek and a scandal to the Jews (1 Corinthians 1:23).

The wisdom of a natural person is not from above, but rather earthly, sensual, and demonic (James 3:15).

The natural people walk in the futility of mind, darkened in their understanding.  They are excluded from the life of God, not because God wants them that way, but because of the ignorance in them and because of the hardness of their heart; having become callous, they give themselves to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness (Ephesians 4:17-19).

They are perishing in God’s eyes, because the god of this world [that is, the devil] has blinded their minds that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).  The Gospel is veiled to them.  When they hear the word of the kingdom, they don’t understand it, because the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in their hearts (Matthew 13:19).

Don’t be arrogant that you are not natural.  In fact, before we knew Christ, we were all natural in God’s eyes.  We didn’t know Christ.  We didn’t have the Holy Spirit.  Our spirits were dead in sin.  We lived according to our fleshly desires.  We served and worshipped those who by nature are not gods (Galatians 4:8).  E.g. Bob Dylan’s song: “Gotta serve somebody.” — Either the devil or the Lord.   Thank God, because He has called us to be in His kingdom and we are no longer natural.

Carnal (σαρκικοι—1 Corinthians 3:1, 3, 4) [literal translation: following the flesh]

Who is carnal?   A person who believes in Jesus as Savior and Lord; she has the Holy Spirit in her yet still lives according to the worldly pattern.

The carnal believers were born into God’s family, yet not growing and still remain babies in faith and practice.  Like babies can digest only milk not solid foods (1 Corinthians 3:1, Hebrews 5:11-14), they cannot digest the truth well.  E.g. Jesus says “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother (Matthew 18:15).  A carnal believer doesn’t handle well the admonition of truth from other believers.

The carnal believers base their faith on humans not on Christ; therefore, they tend to create factions.  Remember today’s text where some believers followed Paul while others followed Apollos?  The carnal Christians are not grounded in the Word of God that they are “tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).  They are also led by various impulses, weighed down with sins, and constantly learning yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:6).

They still walk according to own desires like the days when they didn’t know Christ (1 Corinthians 3:3).  Their minds are still set on the things of the flesh that leads to death (because it is hostile to God and unable to be subject to God’s law) [Romans 8:5-6].

In their lives, little or no fruits of the Holy Spirit are demonstrated such as peace, joy, love, kindness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  E.g. Sure signs of carnality are frequent rage, lack of self-control, addicted to gambling, games, pornography, and the love of money.   A vast majority of believers today belong to this category.  We don’t have to be that way, though; in fact, we should never be content with this state.  We ought to grow in maturity.  That leads us to the next point.

Spiritual (πνευματικοι—1 Corinthians 2:15, 3:1) [literal translation: following the Spirit]

A believer is spiritual when she believes in Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord; she has the Spirit of God; and she is mature (1 Corinthians 2:5 & 13) in faith and practice.  She can digest solid food (meat) [Hebrews 5:14].  Her faith is grounded in God’s Word the truth, not in human words of wisdom.  She doesn’t follow Paul or Apollos.  She follows Christ alone.  She is trained to distinguish what is good from what is evil (Hebrews 5:14).  She accepts words of admonition from other believers with gratitude and humility.  Her first and foremost interest in life is to please God and doing God’s will.  E.g. Jesus’ food was doing God’s will (John 14:34).

She walks according to the Holy Spirit.  She sets her mind on the things of the Spirit and the things above (Colossians 3:2).  Her life demonstrates signs of love, peace, and righteousness (Romans 8:7).   She stands fully assured in every will of God (Colossians 4:12).

She also demonstrates spiritual wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:6).  E.g. John 8 (Jesus’ wisdom; ‘whoever sinless, first stone the adulterous woman’).  King Solomon (when he was fully devoted to the LORD) ordered to cut the baby in two to find the true mother (1 Kings 3:16-28).

Going on Perfection

Let me remind you one more time: we all once were natural not knowing God and outside the salvation.  We too were “foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures” (Titus 3:3).  We too lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

However, by God’s grace, we were called to be the children of God in Christ and to be the coheirs of Heaven with Christ.  We were born into God’s family.  We were born anew in Christ.  He saved us from our sins.  Our spirits became alive in Christ.

Yet, many of us still remain spiritual babies.  We are still carnal believers.  In our daily lives, we still live like before we knew Christ.  There’s not much of difference in lifestyles between us and the people in the world.  For instance, many of us still struggle with our natural passions and desires.  Many of us are still under the bondage of sin and lusts, greed, passion, and money.  It is time for us to move upward and onward, free from such bondages of old self.   If we are not happy with where we are now spiritually, neither is God.

In fact, God wants us to grow in Christ like any parent expects her child to grow over time.  He has a plan to turn us from carnal Christians into mature ones in Christ.  His expectation for us is the highest one we can ever imagine; be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).  Here, perfect means not without sin or shortcomings.  Rather, it means to be mature in Christ to the point where we demonstrate in our words and deeds every aspect of Christ’s character such as love and truth.

Until we become mature in the fullness of Christ, God will keep working on our inner beings (Ephesians 4:11-13).  We can count on His faithfulness, wisdom, and patience.  He will take time working on us.  He will never give up on us nor give up on His part “until Christ is formed in us” (Galatians 4:19).

Tools for Perfection

To accomplish His purpose in us, and to sanctify us, God uses certain tools and venues.  For instance, He often uses our life circumstances and people to shape us.  But, we don’t have to wait until we get into those situations.  We can be proactive and prepare ourselves with the tools that God has already made available to us; the Scripture and prayer.

The Bible helps us to know who God is, and to understand who we are.  It also reminds us of the relationship between Him and us.  It sufficiently equips us for life’s journey; it reproves us, edifies us, comforts us, and grants wisdom and courage for our daily lives.

Prayer is for daily conversation with God.  Don’t neglect to use this great tool which was proven useful and beneficial by all the prophets of God, Jesus, and His disciples for the past thousands of years.

Finally, don’t forget the Holy Spirit our residential help from God 24/7; He teaches us, guides us, counsels us, and reminds us of Jesus’ teachings.   All we have to do is: Ask for His help every day.

When we do all these things I have mentioned, we will grow mature in Christ every day and surely become ‘spiritual.’

Amen.

Today Pastor Choi talks about what Jesus did in the Temple: He chased out the merchants, He healed the blind and the lame, and He welcomed children.  So should we in today’s church make prayer as our priority in worship, experience God’s healing among us, and welcome children as Jesus did.

   House of God

Following is a summary of the sermon:

House of God

Matthew 21:12-17   New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Cleansing the Temple

¹² And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. ¹³ And He *said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”

¹⁴ And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant ¹⁶ and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus *said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” ¹⁷ And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

Introduction

Background: Begin with an explanation of the Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem in the 1^st century at the time of Jesus.  The temple was standing on the Temple Mount facing east.  You climb up the stairs and finally arrive at the Temple area (160 by 250 yards—six football fields).  It consists of two parts: outer court and inner courts.  The Court of the Gentiles is the outer court.  As you continue walking westward, you enter the inner courts beginning with the Court of Women and the Court of the Israelites next (men only).  Then, as you get closer to the Temple, you see the Altar on the left and Slaughter House on the right.  Behind them, there is the Priest’s Court and the Temple.  Inside the Temple there are Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies.

Focus on the court of the Gentiles: this is where money changers and animal sellers set up their tables and chairs.  It was also the place where the Jews (both men and women) and the Gentiles were allowed.  So were the blind, the lame, and children.  In the porticoes, teachers of the Law would engage in theological discussions.  There were a row of posts that separated the Gentiles’ Court from the inner courts.  Made of stone, each post was about 5 foot-high and 2.5 foot-wide. “Along this balustrade at regular intervals were placed slabs with inscriptions in Greek and Latin forbidding Gentiles, on pain of death, to go further” (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 772).   In fact, Jews didn’t mind slaying Gentiles who broke the boundaries (and the Roman authorities allowed them to kill even the Roman citizens), because they believed that the presence of uncircumcised Gentile in God’s sanctuary would profane God’s House (Ezekiel 44:7): ‘Thus says the Lord God, “No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the sons of Israel, shall enter My sanctuary (Ezekiel 44:9).  Jews took God’s House very seriously.   That was the place Jesus cleansed.

Contents

The House of God is where God’s heart is perpetually on (1 Kings 9:3).  God deeply cares about what’s happening in His house.  So does Jesus.  Three things did Jesus in the temple: He drove out the merchants, healed the sick, and welcomed the children.  Through His cleansing act, He gives us the following three lessons to remember and practice in the House of God.

1. The No.1 priority in God’s House is prayer (v. 13).  All other rituals and activities are secondary.  In today’s text, the temple court was hustling and bustling with lots of activities; priests offer sacrifices on the altar, smoke from burnt offerings and incense arise into heaven, students listen to teachers, worshippers buy sacrificial animals and exchange money, even food (Wikipedia—Second Temple).  I am sure some people prayed, too (Luke 1:10).  However, when the main purpose and focus of God’s House, prayer and worship, is overshadowed by other activities, it is time to clean up the temple.  That’s exactly what Jesus did.  I believe He would do the same thing with today’s church when we lose our focus on prayer in God’s House.I believe it is time to restore prayers in today’s church and in church worship services.  We ought to fill our sanctuary with prayers.  E.g. Yeo-ui-do Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea.  Nowadays, its membership is close to a million, it is the largest congregation in the world and in the history of the Church.  Every time they gather for worship, they always start with prayers.  All the members pray aloud for the pastor and for the ministries of the church.  Here’s the number:  one million prayers are offered in God’s House every Sunday.  It would jam the heavenly prayer lines. The result is astonishing.   Miracles and wonders take place in the name of Jesus.  The presence of the Holy Spirit and God’s power is palpable.  Here’s the thing: the congregation literally fills up the sanctuary with prayers.  We serve the same God.  Therefore, we ought to experience the same thing here in Manahawkin when we turn to the Lord with all our hearts and minds and pray.  He will listen to our prayers as He did to that of Solomon’s (1 Kings 9:3).  He will listen to ours as He does with the Full Gospel Church in Korea.  Wouldn’t you join me transforming our church, the House of God, into a praying church, too?
2. Healing is a part of God’s House (v. 14): both physical and emotional. During His public ministry, Jesus healed the sick anywhere He went; on the streets, in the house, in the wilderness, in the synagogue.   He spent one third of His entire time for healing ministry.  He also healed the blind and the lame in the temple in today’s text.  The tragedy in God’s Church today is that we seldom experience God’s healing of the sick among us.  Even the majority of believers in Christ first look up to doctors and medical technology for healing.   Don’t get me wrong.  I believe in medicine.  I am not denying the importance of medical contributions to our physical healing.  God still uses doctors and medicine for healing.  However, when we only rely on them to the point where we totally deny or do not expect the divine healing among us, it becomes a problem.   As far as I am concerned, God is still the Healer.  He is the God of Healing.  Therefore, both physical and emotional healing should naturally be demonstrated and witnessed in God’s House today including our own congregation.  E.g. Once I was in a Prayer House in Korea.  Hundreds of people were fasting and praying for their own problems: cancer patients, broken hearted people, depression, financial troubles, and so forth.  I was one of them.  One night a lady with liver cancer stood before us.  With tears she begged us to pray for her healing.  We did.  Two days later, I saw her testifying in front of the people that God healed her entirely.  Praise the Lord!  In God’s House, Jesus still heals the people.
3. Children are welcome in God’s House (v. 15).  About a month ago, I spoke about Jesus’ welcoming and blessing of the children.  Let us not forget.  Jesus accepted children with open arms.  So should we.  I believe children shouldn’t be hushed in God’s House.  Even infants and nursing babies are welcome in our Sunday morning services.  Look at verse 16—God opens up the mouth of even infants and nursing babes—and He accepts their praises!  I don’t mean to give any trouble to those parents of infants who want to worship God in peace and quiet without hassles with their infants.Rather, I am talking about our general attitude toward children during worship.  Next time, when you hear a baby crying in the middle of the service, please do not frown at the child or the parent.  In today’s text, however, that’s what the priests did.  They got really upset with the children who said, “Hosanna (Save us Now!) to the son of David” (v. 16).   Think about it.  Why were they particularly angry with the children?  For two possible reasons.  First, they might have gotten upset with the content of the praises the children sang—Hosanna to the son of David.  In other words, they didn’t want the children or anyone to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah.   The other possible reason is that the priests got angry with the way the children praised Jesus.  Look at verse 15.  The children cried out(Greek: krazo).  It literally means to shout out on top of the voice.  A similar example is found in Mark 10:47 where Bartimaeus the blind beggar cried out to Jesus to get His attention (he didn’t want to lose this once in a life time chance to regain his sight).  So, when the children shouted and cried out their words saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” the priests got indignant with the children.Now, how many of us would react like the priests, frowning at the kids, when we hear them making a joyful noise unto the Lord in our midst?  How long would we insist and impose our own ways of worship and praising God unto them?  Or, how many of us would accept the kids and encourage them to worship and praise God in their ways?  E.g. I know some grown-up children who completely gave up on worshipping the Lord in church on Sunday morning, mainly because their parents were too strict with them when they were growing up.  They, in fact, lost their interest in church all together.  They felt that the Christian religion was shoved down their throats by their parents.  They were often scolded harshly for minor misbehaviors during the worship.  Many of them ended up having no fond memories of growing up in God’s Church.  They never felt that they were welcome at God’s House.I humbly urge all of us especially parents who bring up their children in the Church, which is a necessary and an honorable thing to do.  When you do so, please instill pleasant memories in their hearts and minds by treating them as a person, rather than a robot who sits quiet for an hour without making any noise.   I encourage you to educate your child at home to show respect in the church; however, when you are at church with your child, and when the child makes an innocent noise, I wouldn’t chastise the child.  Try to put yourself in the child’s shoes and try to look at everything from the kid’s perspective (songs, sermon, rituals, sit up quiet and so forth,…).  Let’s treat them as Jesus did.

Conclusion

God doesn’t mind closing the churches.  Europe is a good example.  Many church buildings once filled with worshippers for centuries are closed now and being used as dance halls and storage rooms.  Only the churches that fulfill God’s purpose will thrive and last long.  I humbly remind all of us today to fill our church with fervent prayers, to experience the divine healing in the name of Jesus our Lord, and to welcome children as Jesus did.  Let us pray.

Today Rev. Dr. Regina Hendrickson, guest speaker, speaks about “Cast Your Net!”  Pointing out that 64% of all households in Monmouth and Ocean Counties in NJ have no religious affiliation, she exhorts the congregation to go out and cast their nets right where they are—in the neighborhoods of Manahawkin!

    Cast Your Net

Following is a summary of the sermon.

October 11, 2015                             CAST YOUR NET                             Manahawkin UMC

John 21:1-6

Peace & grace my brothers and sisters in Christ! 

What a joy & privilege it is to be with you again, & I want to thank your pastor for the invitation to preach!

I miss it!  Serving as a District Superintendent keeps me out of the pulpit and I miss the chance to share a Word in the midst of God’s people as we worship our living God together.  

So thanks again Pastor Kyewoon!

When I served the local church, I loved doing preaching series. 

I found they were opportunities to engage in Scripture & relevant themes

    that engaged the prophetic Word over a longer time frame

that was exciting for me as preacher as well as for the congregation. 

It led to creative components within the worship experience,

as well as small group and mission opportunities

 that extended its’ impact beyond any individual Sunday. 

Each year, I created a sermon series based on the theme of Annual Conference—

    this would help us remember the connectional nature of our life together

as United Methodists and how we were called to live out

      the Bishop’s challenge and vision in the local church & communities

in which we live and serve. 

Again, that’s another thing I miss as a superintendent

who no longer serves in the local church,

so I’ve decided to share my reflections on this throughout the fall season

when I preach, in my monthly newsletter message

and it will also be integrated within church conferences.

This morning I’d like us to spend some time on this year’s theme from our Annual Conference Session last May:  “FISH.”  

The key verse came from John 21:6—a resurrection appearance—

where Jesus was giving some words of direction

to his frustrated fishermen disciples he said:

“Throw your net on the other side of the boat and you will find some.”  

I love the provocative image of what it means to cast your net…

as a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

The scope and power of the image,

as well as the beauty and work of such a calling pulls at my heart.

And this morning, I want to lift up 3 key points I think Christ has for us to consider as we begin a new season of “Casting Our Nets” for Christ. 

The First Point is that All Are Called.

Each of us is called to cast our net into the world

to reach others in the name of Christ. 

And how we do that, & where we do that is as varied

as each of us sitting here this morning

or as unique as the 65 churches that make up the Northern Shore. 

Each of us lives, works and plays within a different context—

there are countless ponds, lakes, rivers or oceans to fish. 

We all have God-given gifts, skills and opportunities

to cast our net into a hurting and needy world. 

But we have the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to cast our nets wide,

over and over again; to keep fishing for those who need

the love, hope and joy that comes in and through Jesus Christ. 

All of us are called to lean out over the edge of whatever boat

     that is holding us safe and secure (the church, home, job or school)—

           and WORK the calling that God has given us to FISH…

for men and women, young and old, rich and poor,

neighbor and co-worker, family and strangers.  Cast your Net! 

The Second Point for us to consider today is to “Know What You Need.”

I have always had a special joy with fishing,

because my grandfather was a fisherman. 

One of the greatest memories I have of my Poppa Jack

was watching him work a line off the Ocean Grove fishing pier. 

But it wouldn’t just be off the pier, he also fished off a jetty, along the beach

& occasionally on a “party boat” from the Belmar Marina. 

Every location required different equipment, an assortment of bait

& unique skills;    and boy was he good at it.

My grandfather would take each of us 7 grandkids along with him on occasion,

and we learned many life lessons. 

It was a gift of presence that revealed the love of a grandfather and the power of patience.  I think that was 1 of the greatest lessons he taught me, patience.

My grandfather cast his net in so many ways throughout his life. 

He caught fish that was the meal for his family

He reeled in his grandkids through the sport and fun of surf fishing—

and wound up giving us far more than a fish fry on Saturday night.

He cast his net of love & wisdom,

catching each of us in special ways that changed us forever. 

No one knew my Grandpa shared his fish w/many people around the Grove,

Folk who he knew were experiencing difficult times. 

He’d stop by with fresh flounder and the occasional snapper,

have a chat over a cup of coffee and leave enough fish for a few meals. 

My Poppa Jack was a fisher for Christ in ways I know made a difference

over his 100 years of life. 

Friends, as we cast our net for Christ, we will have countless opportunities…

and contexts in which we can make a difference. 

What fishing equipment do we need to get the job done? 

Where will we cast our net or drop a line? 

For every place we hope to fish,

  every context in which we seek to serve as Disciples—

        different equipment, an assortment of bait & unique skills will be needed.

Who are the ones who can teach us how to fish?

Who can we take out on an adventure,

sharing the gift of presence, love and patience

as we teach them how to be fishers of men & women?

God calls us to cast our net—and part of our job is to acquire the skills,

        equipment and knowledge of how to become awesome fishers for Christ.  

This is why we worship each Sunday, attend Bible studies & Sunday School,

This is why 10 of you did the Appalachian Service Project.

This is why you have youth group, UMM and the UMW. 

Why you have baptism classes and VBS.

This is why we have church conference each fall…

…yes even Church Conferences!!…

to vision for the ministries of our churches, to set goals,

to elect leaders and approve ministries.

This is why the GNJAC has launched coaching, PaCE/cohort Groups, Team Vital and Communities of Hope—

All to FISH for Christ & to cast our nets into a hurting and needy world.

My Grandfather’s last fishing trip was when he was 99,

   along with 3 of us grandkids on a small charted boat in the Shark River Inlet. 

Poppa Jack caught the largest fish of the day,

still schooling us on how to fish, maintain our equipment and…

treasure the small gifts of life—

love of family & patience for the work we are called to do.

Friends, cast your net!  Drop a line!

Keep up with the tools, experience and knowledge you need

to be fishers for Christ.  And invite someone to fish with you! 

The Third and final lesson from Christ as we are casting our nets,

is to ask ourselves,  “Who are We Hoping to Catch?”

We have a wonderful opportunity presented to us as United Methodists—

64% of all households in our district have NO religious affiliation! 

That means for every 10 houses in a 2-3 block radius of this church or where you live—

• Six households have no church to call home.

• Six out of ten of your neighbors

have no place to feel the love, grace, peace and hope of Christ. 

• Six out of ten families are figuring out how to live their liveswithout the support and encouragement of a faith community.
• Six out of ten of your coworkers have no place to grow in ways

    that will transform their lives forever

by being part of something bigger than they can imagine. 

This is why we CAST OUR NETS! 

The mission field is right on the same street that you live

and this neighborhood right here in Manahawkin.  CAST YOUR NET!

Just yesterday at our first Super Saturday Church Conference event,

      we offered a workshop entitled, “Evangelism in Context”—

  unpacking what it means to invite others into a relationship with Christ,

either for the very first time or as an ever-deepening love.

• This happens through:  WITNESS—individually and corporately,

  But it also happens through:

• Creative and inspiring WORSHIP opportunities   &
• Through SERVICE and OUTREACH where we tangibly bring

the love of Christ into the community.

Where is God calling you to fish? 

Who are you planning to catch? 

What will you do when you bring in the haul? 

We have to ask ourselves these questions! 

Have you looked at the demographics of your towns & neighborhoods

               through the conference resource of Mission Insight?

Have you explored what it means to rethink mission

as not only those who live across the oceans,

but to those who live across the street?

As the provocative cover on this morning’s bulletin indicates

and as Jesus taught so powerfully,

there are more fish to catch than we can imagine!

But isn’t it a joy-filled gift to just IMAGINE what we could do

with all those who we “net,” as we work together

growing in the love and grace of God?

 Cast your Net! 

Households right here in Manahawkin and where you live,

need exactly what you have to offer—the light, love and joy of Christ!

Throughout the upcoming year, may we continue to discover the power

and impact of Jesus’ challenge to Cast Our Net—

We are fishers for Christ…

• Called to make disciples
• To use our skills AND learn new ones
• And to throw our nets sometimes on the other side of the boat.

The fish are biting…

               And God is hopeful for the catch!

Amen and Amen!

Today Pastor Choi concludes his series on “How to Know God’s Will.”  There are five ways of knowing God’s will.  1. Circumstances (Open/Closed Doors).  2. Family/Friends/Pastors.  3. Peace in Heart.  4. Dreams/Visions/Signs.  5. Word of God.  He points out that the Word of God trumps all other ways of knowing God’s will.  He ends his message with a personalized declaration of Romans 12:2.

   How to Know God’s Will. Part 3 of 3

Following is a summary of the sermon:

How to know God’s will?   Part 3 of 3                        Romans 12:2

² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Introduction

Begin the sermon with a scenario as follows: you received a check in the mail with $10,000 payable to you with a letter saying that a Mr. Generous in Africa who recently made a huge fortune in diamond mine wants to share it with you; just go to the bank, cash it out, and send back 10% to him in appreciation of his generosity and keep the rest to yourself.

What would you do with it?  How would you discern God’s will in here for you?

Recap: Last week, we learned about a prerequisite for knowing God’s will: to get our hearts ready to do His will comes before we expect to know God’s will.  In particular, we talked about three obstacles in the path of knowing God’s will: the unwillingness to come out of comfort zones, the failed acknowledgement of Jesus as the Lord, and the heart that seeks self-glory rather than God’s glory.  When these obstacles are removed, then, we are 80% ready to know God’s will.  The other 20% is how-to’s.

Let’s take a look at today’s verse one more time.  Please turn to your bulletin to follow along as I read it to you, this time, with my commentaries.

And do not be conformed to this world [Stop being conformed to this world; stop bench-marking the world; stop imitating the world; stop being shaped by the worldly principles and stop living after them such as cravings/desires/lusts of the eyes/pride—1 John 2:16], but be transformed [keep being meta-morphow-ed (metamorphosis): constant and daily transformation] by the renewing of your mind [ana-kaino-sis: thorough renewing of your mind], so that [the end result] you may prove [do-ki-ma-zo: test and prove—potter testing clay vessels that he made against the light] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [acknowledge that every will of God is good, acceptable, and perfect for you].  

Apostle Paul warns us here that bench-marking the world and living after its values and principles is dangerous and harmful for believers, because it will surely cloud our minds to discern God’s will (E.g. cataracts in the eye cloud vision).  We ought to wash away the worldly influences from our minds and hearts with God’s Word and prayer.  Paul also reminds us that it is our job to test and prove what God’s will is for us.  No one will do it for us.  We have to do it ourselves.  Of course, God provides the tools to do the job, but still we need to do it.  That’s what today’s sermon is all about: how to know God’s will.

Contents

Two kinds of God’s will: When it comes down to God’s will, there are two kinds: general and specific.

General will of God: is revealed in the written Word of God commonly called the Bible (Ephesians 1:9: He [God] made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him).

“General” means that it applies to all.  E.g. Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 such as You shall have no other gods before Me, You shall not murder, You shall not steal,..).  Also, be holy as God is holy (Leviticus 11:44).  Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Specific will of God: “Specific” means that it only applies to certain individuals in their unique situations.  E.g. Jesus’ death on the cross, …, Should I marry “John Doe” or “Jane Smith?”  Should I take this new opportunity or not?

We can know God’s general will in the Scriptures.  We also are most interested in knowing God’s specific will for us.  Here’s a thing to remember between the two: the more familiar we are with God’s general will, the easier for us to know God’s specific will.  The more we are trained in God’s Word, the easier to discern God’s specific will for us.  Derek Prince once said, “A Christian who ignores his Bible has no right to hear from God.” In other words, unless we are willing to do God’s general will first, God wouldn’t bother revealing His specific will for us.

So, let’s proceed with that understanding.

How do we tell God’s will in specific situations?

There are five ways.  God approves them all; He uses them all to reveal His will for us.  All of them are attested in the Bible, too.  Each way is practical; each one works and deserves our attention.  We need to practice all five and familiarize ourselves with them so that we may understand God’s specific will for us.

1. Circumstances (2 Corinthians 2:12— Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord): This approach is called, “open door/ closed door.”  In fact, we are most familiar with this approach and often use it.  Open door means God’s leading us to that direction.  Closed door means He is not.  This approach, however, is not always reliable.  In other words, not every open door is God’s will and vice versa.  We can be confused with this approach, because our enemy can entice us with open doors and discourage us with closed doors (he can disguise himself and approach us as an angel of light –2 Corinthians 11:14).  There are times that we need to persist even when the door is closed.  E.g.  A certain believer’s visa application to the U.S. was rejected 24 times, yet he persisted and got it on the next try.  There are also times that we need to reject “the wide open door.”  E.g.  Jesus had an opportunity to avoid the crucifixion (Matthew 26:53—twelve legions of angels), yet he persisted on it, because it was God’s will for Him to die on the cross in humanity’s behalf.
2.  Family/Friends/Pastors (1 Samuel 28:6—When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.): We use this approach a lot.  God used prophets such as Moses and Samuel to give His will to His people.  God can also use our loved ones (family, friends, church members, pastors) to guide us into the right path.   When you go to them for counseling, though, make sure that they are in sync with God’s will: otherwise they can mislead you.  E.g.  My brother asks me of God’s will for him.
3. Peace in heart (Philippians 4:6-7— Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.): We often say to each other, “Pray about it!”  So, we do pray for God’s directions.  As we pray about certain things, and when we have peace in our hearts, we take it as God’s will.  E.g.  My college entrance exam.
4. Visions/Dreams/Signs (Matthew 2:13—an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt”): Sometimes God uses visions and dreams to guide us into His will.  E.g. Paul’s ministry team was redirected to Macedonia from Asia (Acts 16:9-10).  E.g.2. Joseph, son of Jacob, who was directed by dreams (Genesis 42:9).
5. Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17: ¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work):  We seldom use this approach.  We rarely read the Bible to know God’s will, both general and specific. Therefore, this is the least familiar way to us among the five.  Out of the five ways, though, this is the most reliable means.  Even though it takes time to wait on God’s Word, this is the surest/safest way to confirm God’s will.  Even though I get a confirmation or two from the Lord through other means, I would make sure that I get a specific one from God’s Word.

How do we discern God’s specific will using the Bible?  We do so through daily reading, not by random pick of the passage.  E.g.  A poor way of doing it is the ‘finger approach’: put your finger on a verse.  One man just did that and his finger landed on a verse, “He went away and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5).  “Not a very good verse,” he thought, and he did it again.  This time he put his finger on the verse that said, “Go and do the same” (Luke 10:37).  The third time is a charm, right?  The third verse he found said, “What you do, do quickly” (John 13:27) (Leslie and Bernie Flynn, God’s Will: You Can Know It).  E.g. 2. Going into an English speaking congregation, the Lord spoke to me through Moses’ encounter with God (Exodus 4:10-12).

All five ways work.  However, God’s Word outweighs all others. In other words, when any of them are in conflict with God’s Word, God’s Word trumps everything else.  All other means should align and match with God’s Word.  If you don’t have affirmation of God’s Word, wait until you have one.

Let’s revisit our scenario of receiving the $10,000 check in the mail (by the way, a similar thing happened to me before; only the invitation came by email).   E.g.  You receive a check in the mail with $10,000 payable to you with a letter saying that a man in Africa made a fortune in diamond mine and he wants to share it with you; just go to the bank, cash it out, and send 10% to the sender and keep the rest to yourself.  You might say, “Praise God!”  But, wait!  Before you drive to the bank, let’s go down the checklist here.  Check #1: is this an open door?  Sure, it is.   You may even think God blesses you with this check.  Check #2:  Speak to your spouse about it.  What would s/he say?  Check #3: do you have God’s peace in you by doing that?  Well, you kind of have a suspicion, but you still justify that you can use the money for good.   Check #4: No dreams/ visions/ signs here, but you might remember the Chinese fortune cookie message the other day saying, “Something good is on your way.”  Check #5:  What does the Bible say?  You might not have one in mind, but here’s one for you: Test every spirit (Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world—1 John 4:1).  After this, you realize that this is a scam and you throw it into the trash can.   

Conclusion

God wants us to know/ do His will every day and glorify Him.  He is eager and ready to reveal His will to us.  To know God’s will is not only possible but is also our duty.  Let’s say to God that we will follow God’s will, whatever it takes, and then we will clearly know His will for us (Colossians 1:9— we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding).   

Let’s end with a personalized declaration of Romans 12:2.  To the Lord and to the world I declare: I will stop bench-marking this world.  Instead, I will be transformed every day.  I will renew my mind by getting into the Word of God.  I will also renew my heart by prayer, so that I may test and prove what the will of God is for me, good and acceptable and perfect.  In Christ’s name, Amen.

Today Pastor Choi talks about three obstacles to knowing God’s will for us: a. Insisting on staying on comfort zones.  b. Refusing to acknowledge who Jesus is. c. Seeking one’s own glory, not God’s.   He concludes his sermon with John 7:17: if anyone is willing to do His [God’s] will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.   

  How to Know God’s Will. part 2 of 3

Following is a summary of the sermon:

How to know God’s will?      Part 2 of 3         John 7:10-24

John 7:10-24  New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁰ But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret.¹¹ So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, “Where is He?” ¹² There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray.” ¹³ Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

¹⁴ But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.¹⁵ The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?” ¹⁶ So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. ¹⁷ If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself. ¹⁸ He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

¹⁹ “Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”²⁰ The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You?” ²¹ Jesus answered them, “I did one deed, and you all marvel. ²² For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man. ²³ If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? ²⁴ Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

Introduction

Let me tell you a story of Jesus (John 5:1-18).  One day He was walking in Jerusalem by a pool named Bethesda (house of mercy).  Around the pool, there were a multitude of people who were sick, blind, lame, and withered.  Day in day out, all of them were waiting for one thing: an angel of the LORD to come down at certain seasons and stir up the water; after the stirring up of the water, whoever first stepped in would be healed from whatever disease they had.  You can imagine the competition among those folks: everyone wanted to be that first person!  You can imagine many also solicited help from their families and friends.

Well, one of them was a man who had been sick for 38 years.  That day Jesus met him and asked, “Do you wish to get well?”  “Of course, sir,” the sick man answered, “However, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up.  Even though I try, while I am coming, another always steps down before me” (John 5:7).  Then, Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your pallet, and walk.” And, immediately the man became well, and took up his pallet and began to walk.  So far so good, right?

However, it didn’t go well for Jesus.  You see, the problem was that this thing happened on the day of Sabbath.  The Jewish authorities saw the man walking home with his pallet and said, “Hey, it is the Sabbath, and you are not permitted to carry your pallet.”  But, he answered, “The one who made me well asked me to do so.”  They asked him, “Who is the man who asked you to do so?”  “Jesus,” he answered.  From then on, the Bible says, the Jewish authorities persecuted Jesus and tried to kill Him because He did these things on the Sabbath (John 5:16, 18).  Keep this story in your mind as we proceed: the tension between the Jewish authorities and Jesus on the issue of breaking the Sabbath.

With that in mind, I am going to read to you today’s text one more time with a little bit of [my own commentaries].

¹⁰ But when His brothers had gone up to the feast [the Feast of Booths—five days after Yom Kippur, two weeks after Rosh Hashanah, 9/28/15.  7 day-festival of rejoicing and thanksgiving], then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret.

¹¹ So the Jews [Not ordinary Jews but the Jewish authorities who were dead against Jesus—John 5:16] were seeking Him [On-going search effort with ill intention to arrest and kill Him (v. 19)] at the feast and were saying, “Where is He?”

¹² There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray.”

¹³ Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews [Jewish authorities].

¹⁴ But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.

¹⁵ The Jews [Jewish authorities] then were astonished [Marveled: vexed], saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?”  [Learned (grammata—Scripture, letter, learning); How does He know so much of the Scripture when he was never educated—never been discipled / trained under any rabbi?].

¹⁶ So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. [Hey, you look for credentials?  God is My Rabbi.  My teaching is not mine.  It is from God.]

¹⁷ If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself. [Jesus saying, the reason why you don’t recognize Me and My teaching is because you are not interested in doing God’s will.  If you do like I do, you will clearly know that My teaching is from God.]

¹⁸ He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. [Jesus points out here that He is seeking God’s glory not His own and that the heart of doing God’s will is the glory of God.]

¹⁹ “Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” [What Jesus actually saying is this: You have no desire to please God.  You are not interested in God’s glory, either.  Your heart is not there.  Therefore, you don’t keep God’s law.  Instead, you try to kill Me who carries out God’s will and keep His Law.]

²⁰ The crowd answered, “You have a demon!  [Terrible way to acknowledge God’s Son] Who seeks to kill You?”

²¹ Jesus answered them, “I did one deed, and you all marvel. [Jesus refers to healing of the sick on the day of Sabbath in John 5].

²² For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man.

                        ²³ If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me [Bitter with me— taste of gall, poison: cf. Matthew 27:34] because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath?  [Greek root for “break” also means to destroy.  In order not to destroy the Law of circumcision, you say it’s O.K. to circumcise (that is, a work) even on the Sabbath.  On the Sabbath, I too worked in order to restore this man to full health whose health was destroyed for 38 years.  And, you accuse me of breaking the Law?”]

²⁴ Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” [Think and act in God’s perspective, not in your own narrow prejudice].

Contents

Last Sunday, we learned that God wants us to know/understand/do His will.  Whether we live out His will (or not) will determine our eternal destination (Matthew 7:21-23).  I also pointed out that doing God’s will is not an option: it’s a must and a genuine Christian experience for every child of God.  Today, as part 2 of 3, we are going to think about some obstacles that stand in the way of knowing God’s will.  Before we expect to know God’s will, we must clear these obstacles.

We find three obstacles in today’s text in Jesus’ dialogue with the religious leaders: three “No’s” in knowing God’s will.  If you do these three, you will never be able to know God’s will.   If you avoid these three, you will be able to clearly discern His will.

a. Insisting on staying on comfort zones.  The Jewish authorities refused to change the status quo.  Their attitude was “Don’t rock the boat” attitude.  They refused to be changed/ challenged by God and His Word.  That’s why they hated Jesus when He confronted them with truth.  Remember Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath?  He challenged them not to pass judgment on Him by outward appearance but by righteous judgment.  Yet, they refused to do so insisting on their own ways only: Don’t heal people on the Sabbath.  This attitude tells God: Don’t ask me to give up what I love.  Don’t ask me to sacrifice my comfort.  Don’t ask me to carry my cross.  You carry one for me instead.  Don’t ask me to love You more than my own family.  Don’t ask me to give up my TV time for reading your Word and pray.  Don’t ask me to forgive my enemies.  Don’t ask me to give more than one hour on Sunday morning. Don’t ask me….

b. Refusing to acknowledge who Jesus is: There was one individual whom the Jewish authorities respected the most: Moses, right next to God.  To the point where Torah, God’s Law, was commonly called the Law of Moses (v. 23).  They revered Moses with the highest esteem.  Consider this time how they treated Jesus.  They called Him: 1. Misleading the crowd (v. 12)  2. Uneducated (v. 15).   3. Crazy, demon-possessed (v. 20).  Don’t you think their treatment of Jesus clearly reflects their attitude toward Him?  Furthermore, their treatment of Jesus demonstrates their knowledge (in this case, total ignorance) of God’s will.   Attitude determines treatment and treatment determines the knowledge of Jesus.  The knowledge of Jesus determines that of God’s will.  E.g. I was visiting members at a local hospital once.  I overheard a nurse using the name “Jesus” in vain.  It gives away how she regards and treats Jesus.  God would never reveal His will to those who refuse to acknowledge Jesus with respect.  Ask yourself who Jesus is to you.  If He is the Lord and Savior as you confess, treat Him likewise.  Don’t fool yourself saying that He is your Lord yet never obey His Word.  God will not be fooled with our hypocrisy.  He only reveals His will to those who properly acknowledge Jesus.

c. Seeking one’s own glory/desires/greed, not God’s glory. What blinded the religious leaders was that they didn’t seek God’s glory and honor.  With lips, yes, they did: all the time.  Yet, in their hearts, they didn’t.  That’s what Jesus was able to see all the time: seeking one’s own glory not God’s.  I don’t think such attitude has changed a lot even among God’s children today.  There are too many believers who seek their own interests, desires, and wishes in the name of God’s will.  E.g.  A man is hanging for his life on a branch sticking out on a cliff.  “Help!” he cried out.  “Is anyone out there?  Please help!”  No one came.  A few seconds later, he began to pray to God:  “God, please help me!”  Somehow, he felt his prayer was heard.  Sure enough, there came a voice from heaven, saying, “Did you call Me?”  The man said, “Yes, Lord, I did.  Please help me!”  God said, “Do you really want Me to help you?”  “Yes, please and quickly, because I am about to fall!”  God said, “Let go of the branch, then.”  The man couldn’t believe what he just heard.  “Lord, did you really say to let go of the branch?”  God said, “Yes.”  The man said, “No, really, you don’t mean that!”  God replied, “I mean it.  If you let go of the branch, you shall live.”  The man thought for a while and began to shout, “Is anyone else out there?  Please help!”

Conclusion

John 7:17 is the key verse: If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.  Have you noticed that this sentence is conditional?  In other words, when the condition is fulfilled, the following promise will be fulfilled as well.  God says to us, “Make your heart ready to do My will, then I will make My will known to you.”  Do you want to know God’s will?  Learn to put your own desire aside and seek God’s glory and honor first.  E.g. The late Father Archer Torrey: “Willingness to do God’s will is the key to knowing God’s will.  We are 80% ready.”  Learn to put yourself neutral, meaning “Either way, Lord, I will be faithful to You.”   Positive example: Jesus’ own prayer on Gethsemane. “Not as I will, but as You will.”

Be willing to move out of your comfort zone.    Acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus and listen to Him.  Seek God’s glory, not yours.  Then, you are ready to know and do His will for you in your life.

Next week: 5 ways to discern God’s will for you.

Let’s pray.

Pastor Choi talks about knowing God’s will today.  As part 1 of 3 series, he exposes four spiritual lies concerning knowing God’s will among God’s children: 1.You don’t have to know God’s will.  2. You don’t deserve to know God’s will.  3. It is impolite to inquire of God’s will.  4. It is impossible to know God’s will.  He exhorts God’s people to seek God’s will and accomplish God’s work in their daily lives.

   How to Know God’s Will

Following is a summary of the sermon:

How to know God’s will?   Part 1 of 3       Ephesians 1:9

Ephesians 1:9   New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁹ He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him.

Introduction

For the next three Sundays, we are going to learn about God’s will for His children, that is, for you and me.  It is essential for us to know God’s will for our daily lives.  This is my favorite subject to preach.   In fact, in my 25 years of preaching, knowing God’s will was the second most popular sermon topic (#1 was Anger).  This is what we are going to do: today, we are going to consider why it is necessary for us to know God’s will.  Next Sunday, we will lay the foundations of knowing God’s will by removing the obstacles in knowing His will.  Following Sunday, we will talk about five practical applications of how to know God’s will.  I pray that all of us will benefit from this sermon series.

Contents

One of the greatest tragedies in the Christian world today is that many of us believe in lies regarding God’s will for us.  I can identify four lies.

#1.  That we don’t have to know God’s will for us.  That’s a big fat lie that Satan whispers to our ears.  Here’s why we should never believe in his lie.  While God wants us to have an abundant life in Jesus, our enemy wants to steal, kill and destroy us (John 10:10).   While God wants us to walk in the light, the devil wants us to stay in darkness.  While God wants us to live in love, joy, peace, and righteousness, our enemy wants to keep us in discontent, lusts, envy, hate, and un-forgiveness.  Many of us are so unfamiliar with God’s will for us that we end up living our lives like non-believers according to own fleshly desires.  The bottom-line is: God repeatedly says to us, “Know My will and don’t settle for less.”  Say after me, please: I will know God’s will for me.  I will not settle for less.

#2. That we don’t deserve to know God’s will for us.  Don’t forget you are God’s child, not a slave.  God wants every child of His to be fully assured in every will of God (Colossians 4:12).  If you believe that you are not worthy to know His will for you, it is the same as telling yourself that you are a slave who doesn’t deserve to know what your father is doing.  Listen again: you are God’s child; therefore, you have the right to know His will.  You are not a slave or an outsider.  You are a member of God’s family.  Listen to Jesus who already said that you are in the know: No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you (John 15:15).  Say after me once more: I am a child of God.  I have every right to know my Father’s will for me.

#3. That it is impolite to inquire of God’s will from Him (this is equal to keeping Him as an impersonal and indifferent God from our daily struggles).  It is like us asking a child never to ask what her parents expect her to do.  Our Father in Heaven never frowns upon us when we ask about His will for us.  He welcomes our inquiries on His will; that’s a sure sign of a healthy relationship between us and God.  Furthermore, it is God who commands us to ask for God’s will and His wisdom (But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him—James 1:5).  Here’s another promise: This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us—1 John 5:14).  Repeat after me: I will ask for God’s will with confidence every day.

#4.  That it is impossible for us to know God’s will (this is equal to agnosticism).   This lie is so contradictory to the Scripture which says it is possible to know God’s will.  How?  First, God reveals His will to us both generally (applies to all) and specifically (applies to individuals).  Take the Ten Commandments, for instance.  They are God’s will for all people, aren’t they?  He also reveals His will that applies to a specific individual (e.g. ‘Should I take this job or not?).   Next, God reveals His will when we ask.  Listen to what Jesus says: ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you (Matthew 7:7).  So, when asked by His children about God’s will, God keeps His promise and let us know His will.  Please repeat after me: it is absolutely possible to know God’s will for me by asking for it.

The point is this: knowing God’s will is not an option.  It is a must for every believer to know God’s will so that we may lead an abundant life in Christ.  Say after me, please: I must know God’s will for me.  Please keep in mind here: living out God’s will is an integral part of genuine Christian experience, not a special and isolated experience for a few believers.  God wants you to be familiar with His will.  Say after me one more time: God wants me to know His will.  Without knowing God’s will, we won’t be able to distinguish from what is pleasing to the Lord and what is not.  We will waste our time and energy, sometimes for years, on things earthly that don’t last or things that don’t matter to God thinking that they do.  The end result will be eternally tragic.   E.g. Matthew 7: 21-23 ²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Doing God’s will is not an occasional thing.  It is an everyday thing.  It should be daily practice like the way we breathe and eat (John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work”).  We pray daily the Lord’s Prayer which says, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  ‘On earth’ also means ‘in our daily lives.’  We are to say to God, “Your will be done in my life today and every day.”

What’s the benefit of knowing God’s will?  Three benefits: First, there is no waste of our time and energy in daily situations.  For instance, Jesus commands us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).  We would bless them, not curse, when we know His will.  When we know what’s pleasing to the Lord and what’s not, we won’t waste any breath on wrong prayers, either.

Next, the knowledge of God’s will helps us to live our lives to the fullest.  By understanding His will, we will learn to do God’s will.  By doing God’s will, we will accomplish what God wants us in our lives and in our relationships.  E.g. Do not let the Sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26).  This will lower adrenalin and give us a better life.

Thirdly, it shapes our character into a Christ-like image.  The more faithfully we follow God’s will day in and day out, the more our character will become like that of Jesus.

Conclusion

It is God’s will for us to know God’s will.   He expects us to live out His will in our daily lives (“For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother”—Matthew 12:50).  He reveals His will to us (Ephesians 1:9).  He prepares us with everything good to do His will (Hebrews 13:21).  He rewards those who do God’s will with eternal blessings (1 John 2:17).  

Why do we need to know God’s will for us?  So that we may understand His will and not be a fool (Ephesians 5:17).  So that we may live out as God wants us.  So that we may accomplish His work.  So that we may walk close with God.  So that we may faithfully and effectively live out God’s purpose for us here on earth, that is, to advance His Kingdom on earth.  He wants us to know His will (Acts 22:14).  He wants us to understand His will (Ephesians 5:17).  He wants us to do His will (Matthew 7:21).

Closing prayer: Our Father in Heaven, Your will be done in my life today and every day. You expect me to know Your will.   I want to know Your will, too.   I am Your child.  I have every right to know Your will for me.  It is absolutely possible to know Your will, because You reveal it to me.  I must know Your will.  I humbly ask for Your will every day.  I will not settle for less.  In Christ’s name, I pray.  Amen.

Today Pastor Choi expounds on Jesus’ blessing of little children.  In the time of Jesus, children were not treated equally as adults.  Jesus changed that understanding and gave a fresh look on children as follows: 1) The Kingdom of God is theirs.  Be like them.   2) Receive God’s Kingdom with simple heart, with sincerity, and with humility like a child does.  At the end, Jesus fervently blessed the children that they would walk humbly with God throughout their lives.

    Blessing of Children

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Blessing of Children     Mark 10:13-16

Mark 10:13-16   New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Jesus Blesses Little Children

¹³ And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵ Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” ¹⁶ And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.

Introduction

Before I do my sermon, I would like to give you background info on the status of children in the time of Jesus.  Back then, children along with women were not counted in number in any gatherings.  E.g.  Jesus’ miracle of feeding 5,000 men with five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14:21).   Children were often “presented as either examples of unreasonable behavior or objects to be trained” (Jerome Bible Commentary, p. 618).  They were surely less important than adults and often treated as a second class citizen in society.

Contents

Enter that understanding into today’s text.  Here’s what was happening: One day Jesus was engaged in a serious teaching session with folks on divorce (Mark 10:1-12).  Then, a few parents and grandparents brought their children to Jesus with a hope that He would touch them (v. 13).  As soon as the disciples of Jesus saw them approaching their Master, they rebuked (and shooed them away) both adults and children (v. 13).  The disciples believed that their Rabbi shouldn’t be bothered or diverted from teaching by anyone else, let alone by little children!  Well, they immediately found out how wrong their assumption was about their Master.  As soon as Jesus realized what was going on, He got indignant (v. 14).

Now, the word ‘indignant’ is a very strong word.  Not often, Jesus got angry or displeased: I know of only three occasions in the New Testament when He was displeased—eight times He said “woe to you” to the hypocrites (Matthew 23), twice “woe to you” to those unrepentant cities where He demonstrated many miracles (Matthew 11:21), once He overturned tables and chairs in the Temple of God and whipped out the money changers, the sellers and buyers of animals from the Temple court (Matthew 21:12).  This time, Jesus surely got upset with the way the disciples treated the children.  He directly expressed his anger toward the disciples.  Then, He gave them a fresh lesson on how to think about and treat the children.

He said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (v. 14).  My translation of the sentence– ‘the kingdom of God belongs to such as these’– is this: the Kingdom of God is theirs!  Seldom in the New Testament did Jesus give to anyone such an assurance that ‘the Kingdom of God is yours!’  E.g. He did in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”  Another time to the criminal on the cross (Luke 23:43– And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise”).  Other than that, very few times to very few people.  But here, He clearly says that children will be in God’s Kingdom.  It is theirs!

I am a firm believer that children indeed have a very special place in God’s heart.  I also believe that when children die unexpectedly, they will be brought directly to God’s presence.  E.g. During the medieval times, the Catholic Church taught that baptism is necessary for salvation; infant baptism was crucial among folks, because the infant mortality rate was rather high, so the parents wanted to make sure that their children went to Heaven in case they died young.  My personal belief is that when children die young, below their age of accountability, baptism or no baptism, they go to Heaven.

Anyway, Jesus continues on here in v. 15 with this teaching moment:  Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all (v. 15).  Two places deserve our attention here: First, Truly I say to you—(verily I say unto you—KJV).  My translation would be this: I am telling you the truth!   I am not kidding you!  Take it seriously! 

Then, Jesus goes on saying, “…whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”  My translation of the same sentence would be: Unless anyone receives the Kingdom of God like a child, s/he will never, ever enter it.  The Greek grammar of double negation (ου μη ) is not affirmative, but emphasis on the zero possibility of getting into the Kingdom of God.  That’s why we’d better pay attention to it.  Once again, what makes it a zero chance to make into God’s presence?  The way we receive the Kingdom of God.

Let’s think about the meaning of receiving the Kingdom of God for a while.  What does it mean to receive God’s Kingdom?  My study of the Bible and prayers convince me as follows: to receive God’s Kingdom means first, the way we hear about God’s Kingdom, and next, the way we understand it and keep God’s commandments.  In other words, to receive God’s Kingdom means the way we take God’s Kingdom in our thoughts, words, and actions.  To receive God’s Kingdom means to hear and understand what Jesus says about it and put it into practice day in day out.  Only hearing without practice and only intellectual understanding without daily practice wouldn’t cut it.   It must include the put-into-action part!  That’s what it means to receive the Kingdom of God.

So, Jesus says here unless we hear/understand/ put into practice like a child does of what Jesus says about the Kingdom of God, we will not make it.  So, the next question for us is this: how does a child receive God’s Kingdom?  Two things come to my mind.  First, the child takes it with a simple heart and mind.  When the child hears the Gospel, the child takes it with a simple faith.  No complications, no doubts, no reasoning, but just believing.  E.g.  All the high-criticism methods in theological circles in the 19^th and 20^th century killed the simple spirit of faith.  E.g.2. Drought in the South.  A church called for a prayer meeting for rain.  Only one girl came to the meeting with an umbrella.

Next, to be childlike means no hypocrisy.  Remember how much Jesus disliked the hypocrisy of adult religious leaders?  I always try to be sincere in my personal and professional life and I always learn from a child to be so.  E.g. A son asks for $10 from his father—Dad, can I have $10?   Simple and to the point, right?  Imagine the child making the request with big words: “Oh, my benevolent Father, I daily thank you for your loving kindness for me.  Would you kindly consider helping your loving child who is in desperate need of $10?”

Let us receive the Kingdom of God in simple faith and with sincerity.

Immediately after His teaching, Jesus did one of the best things He did for the children: Blessing.  You know, in my humble opinion, the adults who brought the children to Jesus got more than what they had hoped for.  Originally, all they wanted from Him was a touch (v. 13).  But, in the end, this is what they got: He embraced them, laid His hands on them, and blessed them (v. 16).

Picture yourself: Jesus taking one child at a time, hugging one child at a time, laying His both hands on one child at a time, and blessing one after another!  The Greek tense of the verb ‘to lay hands’ is present: that means ‘repeated action.’  In other words, He kept laying His hands on the children until all were blessed!  One commentator says this way: “He (Jesus) fervently blessed them.  The Saviour (sic) lifted up to His Father, in behalf of the little ones, the fervent desires of His heart, and thus invoked ‘down’ upon them a blessing” (James Morison, A Practical Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Mark, p. 282).

I wonder what kind of blessing or ‘fervent desires of His heart’ Jesus bestowed upon each child?  Do you think it was all about things down here such as health, prosperity, and wealth?  Like, “I bless you my child so that you become Miss America, so that you go to Harvard, so that you become a billionaire?”  Or, did He truly put His heart onto the blessing that eternally matters; the blessing that reflects His fervent desires for each child?  I believe this is what’s inside of Jesus’ blessing: each child to become a true child of God; to know God, to love God with all their hearts and minds, to love their neighbors, and to keep God’s commandments.  I believe He blessed them so that they would walk humbly with God throughout their lives and hear and do what Jesus has commanded them to.

Conclusion

Whenever we have children’s presence with us, let us remember how Jesus treated them:  He welcomed them, He embraced them, He laid His hands on them, and He fervently blessed them.  Let us imitate our Lord and do the same with our children.  Let us also remember what He says about the Kingdom of God and receive God’s Kingdom with a simple and believing heart and keep Jesus’ Word without hypocrisy.

Amen.

Today Pastor Choi concludes his sermon series on the adequacy of God.  Expounding on Paul’s assertion that nothing or no one in the universe can separate God’s elect from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, he assures God’s people that God is resolved to keep them eternally secure in Christ’s love.

     Who Can Separate Us

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Who Can Separate Us?                                                        Romans 8:31-39

Romans 8:31-39 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Introduction

Personalize today’s text with the congregation (will come back to that later).

Let me read to you again vv. 31-34 paraphrased in my own words.

V.31: What can I say about life that is full of surprises, temptation, challenges, discouragement, and despair?  In moments of struggle, I will remember who’s on my side!  God is!  If God is for me, no one and nothing stands a chance (by the way, my enemy the Devil knows this quite well and sees this all the time.  Sadly, however, it is I who forget and often fail to see this spiritual truth).

V. 32: Do I know how much God loves me?  He gave up His most precious Son and willingly sent Him to the cross to pay the wages of my sin.  That’s how much He loves me.  If that’s the case, I am sure the same God will also give me all things freely with Jesus for my eternal happiness and joy.

V. 33: (Now, I am speaking to the Devil and to those who oppose me).  If you think about bringing a charge against me, God’s elect, think again.  Who do you think you are dealing with?   God !  He is the Supreme Judge of One and He is my Father.  Yes, you heard me right.  My loving Father.

V. 34: You think you can condemn me, God’s elect?  Wake up, because you have zero chance of convicting me.  Why?  Because Christ has already taken care of my punishment at the cross and it is forever effective!  His action covers sins of my past, present, and even sins of my future. Don’t forget the same Christ now at the right hand of God makes intercessions for me 24/7 and the Judge always listens to Him.

Recap: In the past three Sundays, we talked about the adequacy of God.  God is sufficient for all our needs, problems, and challenges.  In the first week, we discovered that God is our Sovereign Protector.  The best way to counter the fear of opposition is to know that our God is greater than any challenges and hardships we face in life.  In the following week, we learned that God is our Sovereign Benefactor.  Not only does God know our needs, but He also provides them all and doesn’t withhold anything good from us.  With such trust in God, we counter the fear of privation.   In the third week, we countered the fear of rejection by God; the Scripture assures us that once God declares that we are chosen and justified, that’s final and eternal.  No one can review His verdict.  He is our Sovereign Judge and Champion.

Today, as the conclusion of the series, I would like to speak about God as our Sovereign Keeper.  He keeps us eternally secure in Christ’s love.  Like Krazy glue that keeps two objects together, Christ’s love brings God and us together and keeps us together forever.  No separation from Christ’s love can ever befall us.  No one or nothing in the world can separate us from God’s love.

Contents

In verses 35 through 39, Paul reveals the eternal truth in the relationship between God and us His elect.  We are eternally secure in God’s love.

Paul repeats twice in v. 35 and v. 39 that nothing (either visible or invisible) and no creature (natural or supernatural) in the entire universe can separate us from the love of Christ and from the love of God in Christ.  ³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ?…  ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Separate (v. 35, v. 39): Let’s consider the verb ‘to separate.’  This verb is used in the New Testament in the following contexts: divorce (Matthew 19:6), separation of body and spirit (James 2:26), and departure from one place (Acts 1:4).   Basically, it is to cause things apart and keep them apart.   E.g. In particle physics, scientists probe fundamental structure of universe with an attempt to separate particles through collision at the speed of light (e.g. molecule—atom—proton (+)—neutron—electron (-)— protons and neutrons are made of three quarks each).  Let me tell you: even the most sophisticated instrument in the world cannot separate us from God’s love.  That’s how strongly we are secured in God’s love.

Sheep to be slaughtered (v. 36): In verse 36, Paul remembers what he has been through in his life.  Indeed, he has been through numerous challenges that none of us will ever go through.  In his own words, he was daily delivered over to death (2 Corinthians 4:11).  How did he feel in the midst of his trials?  Dead.  Done.  The last day of my life.  He puts this way in v. 36: Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered” (Psalm 44:22).

Many a time, Paul must have felt dead when things were tough.  Have you ever felt like that before?  I am dead.  I am done for.  I am at the end of my rope.  I have no energy to carry on.  Have you ever felt like just giving up since there’s nothing you can do about the situation?  Like a lamb on the way to be slaughtered?

In all things (v. 37).  Paul is speaking from his own life’s experiences.  In all things, good and bad, easy and tough, he’s been there and done that.  All kinds of situations you and I face.  In all things.

We Overwhelmingly Conquer (v. 37): I don’t think Paul is exaggerating here.  Rather, he is honest.  Through it all, he says: I overcame life.  In all those situations, he declares, that he came out as the victor not as a victim.  He came out strong and as a winner.  All the time.  Without exception.  Pay attention to the verb ‘conquer’ here.  The Greek word (υπερ-νικωμεν) means conquer thoroughly— over and over again.  Win big time!   Every time. 

Through Him who loved us (v. 37):  Paul didn’t forget to give proper credit for his victory to the Right One.  Who makes his victory possible?  Not he but God who loves him (v. 37).   Not through his own might but through God and His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10).  He points out to the same source of his triumph again in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  “What is the key to a triumphant life?” you may ask.  Paul says, “It is the love of God.  Ultimately, God.”  God and His unwavering love for us help us to prevail in all life’s circumstances.

I am convinced (v. 38):  Based on his life experience, Paul boldly declares the truth:  ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Paul is not repeating someone’s abstract theology that God is the source of victorious life.  He speaks from his heart and from his experience.  “Based on my life,” he concludes, “I am fully convinced that we are secure in God’s love.”  The very bottom of God’s adequacy for us is love.   Here’s one believer who is eternally secure in God’s unfailing love.

E.g. Hussein was 9 years old.   He and his family are believers in Christ living in Turkey.  In Turkey, even though it is a secular state, more than 96% people claim to be a Muslim.   Christians are unwelcome in many parts of Turkey, despite government claims and a constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.  Without his parents’ knowing, Hussein publicly proclaimed his faith in Jesus by wearing a cross necklace to school.  When his classmates saw the cross, some of them spat and swore at him.  He was threatened and bullied by his peers.  Some hit Hussein in the head and stomach with their fists, while others threw rocks at him and beat him with sticks.  Tears streamed from Hussein’s eyes, and he screamed in pain as the boys dragged him along the ground by the shirt.  His trouble didn’t stop there.  Every student in the class was required to write and recite the shahada, “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.” Hussein would not compromise his faith by reciting the shahada.  Annoyed by his disobedience, the religion teacher, an imam, hit him with a wooden rod about 2 feet long and as big around as a quarter.  Hussein endured repeated beatings for refusing to recite the shahada.  “I don’t like saying it,” he explains.  “It isn’t in my heart; it is just meaningless words to me.” After suffering more than three weeks of beatings by the imam, Hussein began to have severe seizures.   Hussein’s parents transferred him to a different school, where he experiences fewer attacks.  Hussein, now 11, says he would never return to Islam even if forced to endure worse abuse.  “Christ said we would suffer for him,” he says. “It’s okay to suffer for Christ, and we should be happy to suffer for Christ.  The Lord is with me.”  [pp. 6-7, The Voice of the Martyrs, April 2012].

Conclusion

No persecution or beatings can separate Hussein from Christ’s love.  Nothing will separate us from God’s love, either.  We are more than conquerors in Christ.  Go in peace today with such a conviction that God is your Sovereign Keeper.  He is resolved to keep you forever in His love.  Amen.

Invite the congregation to read together in one voice today’s text personalized as below.

Romans 8:31-39 New American Standard Bible (NASB) (personalized)

³¹ What then shall I say to these things? If God is for me, who is against me ?³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for me, how will He not also with Him freely give me all things?³³ Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for me.³⁵ Who will separate me from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written,

“For Your sake I AM being put to death all day long;
I WAS considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ But in all these things I overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved me.³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus my Lord.

Today Pastor Choi speaks of God’s justifying grace in Christ.  We God’s elect are saved and justified in Christ’s merit by grace, not by our own.  Pastor Choi also urges the congregation never to believe Satan’s accusations, to remember Jesus the Defender and His constant intercessions on our behalf, and that God is the Judge whose verdict upon us is final and eternal.

   Who Will Accuse Us

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Who Will Accuse Us?                                                Romans 8:33-34

Romans 8:33-34

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³³ Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?

God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who condemns?

Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Introduction

Previously, we talked about our fears of opposition and privation.  In the first week, I said that no fears or challenges in life are greater than God our Sovereign Protector.  In moments of panic, let us declare “If God is for me, who is against me?”  In the second week, I talked about God as our Sovereign Benefactor who doesn’t withhold anything good from us.  In moments of worry, let us declare “God provides all my needs.”

Today, as part 3 of the series on the adequacy of God, we are going to think about God as our Sovereign Champion and the decisiveness of God’s justifying verdict upon us.  More specifically, we will counter the fear of rejection by God.   Say after me, “I am God’s elect.  Christ is my Redeemer.  God is my Champion. ”

Contents

Have you ever been in a situation where you did something wrong before God?  Repeatedly?  Do you feel so terrible and hopeless that you believe you don’t deserve God’s favor anymore in terms of salvation?  After serious moral lapses, you feel God has rejected you; or worse, you feel that you deserve to be rejected by God.

E.g. There were days when I fell into the same temptation over and over again.  I felt terrible.  I went to the Lord for the couple of times for forgiveness of my sins.  However, after three or four times, I began to hear Satan’s accusation telling me, “Shame on you.  Don’t even think about going back to God, because He will not take you back this time!”  For a while, I believed him and indeed stopped going to God for forgiveness and remained miserable despising myself.  In those days of struggle, one thing I didn’t stop was reading the Bible.   One day God spoke to me through Peter’s story.  That day His word forever changed me, set me free from Satan’s accusation and doubting God’s forgiveness:  ²¹ Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?  Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22, NASB).

If Jesus asks me, I reasoned myself, to forgive my brother who sins against me for 490 times, He would forgive me for the same number of times if not more!   After this, I kept going to God for forgiveness and eventually overcame the temptation and Satan’s accusation no more!   Praise the Lord!

Here is a typical pattern in our daily struggle with sin: sins committed, accusation follows, guilt and shame set in, forgiveness sought and granted, then new beginning.  We sin, Satan accuses, Jesus redeems, God forgives, and we start anew.

In today’s verses, verses 33-34, we see some legal terms used in the days of Paul: bring a charge, condemn, justify, and intercede.   Imagine the Heavenly Court: God the Judge sitting on throne, Satan the Accuser, Jesus Christ as the Defender.  Satan the adversary brings a charge against us presenting before the court all the bad things we have done in life.  We in vain try to defend ourselves by presenting all of our own deeds and achievements.

By the way, all our good deeds are considered in the sight of God filthy rags: For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; (Isaiah 64:6, NASB).  Then, Christ the Defender comes in saying, “Father, I invoke Your mercy on this man/woman.  According to Your will, I paid the wages of his/her sin through my own blood.  I died for this man/woman.  Therefore, forgive him/her, for he/she doesn’t know what he/she is doing.”  God says, “Amen!  The case is closed.”  The gavel falls.   Then, we go free spared from condemnation – the sentence to eternal judgment/separation from God.

The Bible calls this act of God justification—God’s act of accepting us sinners on the merit of Christ’s death (because through His death He paid the wages of our sins once and for all).  The Bible also calls such God’s love justifying grace.  Grace is the free gift of God that cannot be purchased or earned by human merits.  The only thing we can do for such God’s saving grace is to accept it with gratitude.

E.g. William MacDonald wrote as follows: “To seek to earn, merit, or purchase salvation is to insult the Giver.  Imagine yourself invited to a banquet in the White House by the President of the United States.  You are seated at a table that is filled with the choicest foods.  Every effort is made to give you a most enjoyable evening.  At the end of a lovely visit, the president stands at the front door to bid you good-bye.  What do you do?  As you leave, do you press a dime into his hand and say, ‘Thank you very much for your kindness.  I have enjoyed the evening very much.  I realize it has cost you a lot of money, and I want to help you pay for the meal’?  Is that the proper response to his kindness?  On the contrary, it is a rude and insulting gesture.  So it would be with God’s grace.” [William MacDonald, The Grace of God].

Because of God’s grace, and because of what His son Jesus has done at the cross, even though we absolutely deserve to be condemned to eternal punishment, God lets us go free.  We are justified in Christ by grace.

Remember no sin is too grave for God to forgive except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29) — to blaspheme means to speak evil of the Holy Spirit and what He does (2 Peter 2:2, Matthew 12:31).  No matter how gross your sins may be, they cannot endanger your justified status.  Rest assured that no accusation will ever disinherit you.

This time let’s think of our daily life.  The same court scene in the spiritual realm happens right here on earth in our mind and heart: we get into daily sins, both intentional and unintentional.  Then, our enemy Satan starts accusing us based on all the wrongs we have done.  At this very stage, completely forgetting about what Jesus has done, many of us simply accept his accusations and admit that he is right.  So ashamed of our deeds, we are filled with guilt.  We begin to believe in Satan’s lie that we no longer deserve God’s grace and forgiveness.  Stop right there.  At that very moment of guilt and shame, we must remember where Jesus is and what He is doing for us.  He is at the right hand of God (Romans 8:34).  He fiercely defends us with what He has done on the cross.  And, the final verdict is always the same: God the Judge says to us, “What Jesus has done is forever effective.  The wages of your sin have been paid.  You are my child.  Grace is extended.  Forgiveness is granted.  You are free to go.”

The Scripture declares that our justification is final and eternal.  God doesn’t change His mind switching on and off of our eternal destination depending on how good/bad we are.  The election is a done deal.  It is final.  There’s no change.  It is irrevocable: for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29, NASB).  We are sealed with God’s grace for eternal redemption.

Therefore, go in peace today.  Go in an unwavering assurance that God has called you to be His child and He never repents.  His election of you never changes.  So, when you sin against God and against people next time, and when you struggle with guilt and shame afterwards, simply go to God’s throne room in repentance and humility, stand before God, see Jesus standing by you as defender and call for His help.  Then, go in peace and sin no more.

Never ever believe in Satan’s accusation no matter how true they may sound, because he is a liar from the very beginning of creation.  Listen to what Jesus says about him:  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44, NASB).  Rather, remember who intercedes for you 24/7.  You have two allies: Jesus (Romans 8:34) and the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27).   They both intercede for you day in day out.  Trust in what Christ has done for you.  He died on the cross for you once and for all.  His death covers your sins in the past, sins in the present, and sins in the future.  Never believe in Satan’s lie that you have lost your salvation in Christ due to your sins.  Never believe in his lie that you don’t deserve God’s grace.  Never fall into his tactic of shaming you into the guilt that keeps you from coming to God.  Never fall into his deception that God has rejected you.

When you have sinned against God and people, come to God in humility, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness in Jesus’ name, thank Him for another chance to make up, and restore your relationship with Him.

Conclusion

Final recap:

1. It is possible for God’s elect to sin.  Understand that your enemy Satan constantly brings charges against you in vain.  Never believe in his lies.
2. Remember your defender Jesus the Messiah and what He did and does.  He died on the cross on your behalf and paid the wages of your sins.  Now, He makes constant intercessions for you.  Cling to His merit not to your own because none of your own merits is sufficient to defend you from the accusations.  Christ is the only one who can defend you permanently, because He is the perfect redeemer without sin.
3. Remember God is the Judge.  He is the Supreme Court of One in heaven and earth.  No one is in a position to get His verdict reviewed.  Once He declares that you are justified, that is final and eternal.

Say after me, “I will not believe in Satan’s lie!  I am God’s elect.  Christ is my Redeemer!  God is my Champion! ”

Let us pray.

Today Pastor Choi continues his series on God’s Adequacy as our sovereign Benefactor.  God provides us all things good with Christ.  All things ‘good’ are defined by God not by us.  All things good never means a plethora of possessions, either.  It rather has everything to do with being with God, knowing God, and enjoying Him.   Finally, Pastor Choi exhorts God’s people to give God all they have—their complete trust and absolute loyalty.

   No Good Thing Is Withheld

Following is a summary of the sermon:

No Good Thing Is Withheld                                    Romans 8:32

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32, NASB)

Introduction

Last Sunday, I talked about the adequacy of God as our sovereign Protector.  When it comes down to human fears, God is greater than all of them and all the challenges we face in our lives.  As our protector, He never forgets or overlooks our needs.  He listens to our cries.  Our trust in God surely quells the panic.

Today, we will continue on God’s adequacy as our sovereign Benefactor.  He provides all things we need: spiritual, emotional, and physical.  Today’s Scripture, verse 32, declares that God who didn’t spare His own Son for our salvation never withholds anything good from us both in this life and in the life to come.  Do you believe that with no doubt?  I do.  In fact, I asked myself: Based on my life experience, will I solemnly testify that God indeed withholds nothing good from me?  The answer is a resounding “YES!”

Contents

Let me read to you today’s verse one more time: He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

God did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all: Why did God send His own Son Jesus to the cross to die on our behalf?  Because He loves us.  Why would He give us all things freely?  Because He loves us.  God is love and His love is the foundation of our relationship with God.

Think for a moment.  Don’t you think it easier for God to keep to Himself the most precious possession and give us the rest?  That’s what the noblest parents in the world would do for others: having to choose between their own children and their most cherished possessions, they would give up possessions holding onto their children.  In fact, that’s what we all would do: between our children and anything else we cherish, we would give up everything but keep our children.  Here’s the twist.  God didn’t.  He delivered over His own Son His most precious Child as a ransom for us.  That tells us how much He loves us when we don’t deserve such love and grace.  By the way, the word “deliver” is to hand over.  It is the same word used when Judas Iscariot delivered Jesus over to the Jewish authorities.  God loved us so much that He handed over His own Son to death.   He didn’t spare His own Son so as to spare us from the judgment over our sins and iniquities.  Think about that!  How amazing that is!  If God loves us that much, Paul says, will He also not give us all other things free?

How will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Verse 32 reminds us that God freely gives us all things good with Christ.  Key phrase: with Him.  All things come to us with Jesus in a package deal.  Christ, God’s Gift, is the box.  All things are in it.  You accept the box, open it, and enjoy everything in it.  Same thing with Christ and good things.  Accept Christ and receive all things good in Him, all the blessings that come along with Him and in Him.  Reject Christ, and reject all God’s blessings.  You cannot have Christ without all things good. You cannot have all good things apart from Christ, either.  They are inseparable.  Here’s a good story.  The Painting of the Son.

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art.  They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael.  They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.  When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war.  He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier.  The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.  About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door.  A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, ‘Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life.  He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly.  He often talked about you, and your love for art.’  The young man held out the package.  ‘I know this isn’t much.  I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.’

The father opened the package.  It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man.  He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting.  The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears.  He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.  ‘Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me.  It’s a gift.’

The father hung the portrait over his mantle.  Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later.  There was to be a great auction of his paintings.   Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.  On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel.  ‘We will start the bidding with this picture of the son.  Who will bid for this picture?’  There was silence.  Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, ‘We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.’  But the auctioneer persisted.  ‘Will somebody bid for this painting?  Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?’  Another voiced angrily.  ‘We didn’t come to see this painting.  We came to see the Van Gogh’s, the Rembrandt’s.  Get on with the real bids!’  But still the auctioneer continued.  ‘The son!  The son!  Who’ll take the son?’

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room.  It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son.  ‘I’ll give $10 for the painting.’ Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.  ‘We have $10, who will bid $20?’  ‘Give it to him for $10.  Let’s see the masters,’ [someone shouted.]  ‘$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?’  The crowd was becoming angry.  They didn’t want the picture of the son.  They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.  The auctioneer pounded the gavel. ‘Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!’

A man sitting on the second row shouted, ‘Now let’s get on with the collection!’  The auctioneer laid down his gavel.  ‘I’m sorry, the auction is over.’ ‘What about the paintings?’ ‘I am sorry.  When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will.  I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time.  Only the painting of the son would be auctioned.  Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.  The man who took the son gets everything!’  (Story : The Painting of The Son http://www.turnbacktogod.com/story-the-painting-of-the-son/#ixzz3icdLpK7H)

All things ‘Good’:  Two points.  First, ask yourself a question: in whose definition are all things ‘good?’  In ours or in God’s?  By the way, in whose definition the Bible calls things good?  Of course, in God’s.  Come to think of it, God’s definition of good things is far better and safer than ours.  His understanding is eternally superior to our understanding of what is good.  What we may think good may not be the case in God’s sight.  What God thinks good for us may appear terrible to us.  E.g. Cross is the worst punishment in human eyes, yet the best gift in God’s eyes.  One day Jesus told “His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. ²² Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” ²³ But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Matthew 16: 21-23, NASB).  I would rather rely on God’s interpretation of what is good for me than my own, because He knows best, He is never changing, and He sees the entire picture.  Our human understanding is limited, always changing, and not reliable at all times.

Next, ‘all things good’ never means a plethora of material possessions.  E.g. Jesus—we cannot serve God and money at the same time [Matthew 6:24].  The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil [1 Timothy 6:10].  E.g. Lottery winners.  At first, all of them thought wealth would make them happy after winning multi million dollars.  Opposite are the facts.  Many of the couples get divorced afterwards.  All of them squander their winning dollars.  Relationships go sour.  Money made their lives miserable.  E.g. 2.  A mafia gangster made a million dollars in one day.  In his apartment, he opened his briefcase full of cash.  He flung all these hundred dollar bills in the air laughing.  However, a few seconds later, as the money landed on the floor, he began to sob uncontrollably feeling so empty in his soul.  Here’s excellent advice from Paul to those who want to be rich in the present world: fix your hope not on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17).  When it comes down to good things, we’d be far better off listening to God and His definition.

J. I. Packer explains on this phrase ‘all things good’: “The passion for possessions has to be cast out of us in order to let the ‘all things’ in.  For this phrase has to do with knowing and enjoying God, and not with anything else.  The meaning of ‘he will give us all things’ can be put thus; one day we shall see that nothing—literally nothing—which could have increased our eternal happiness has been denied us, and that nothing—literally nothing—that could have reduced that happiness has been left with us (p. 270, Knowing God).” God with us is the ultimate source of our happiness (Hebrews 13:6).

What are things ‘good’ in the Bible?  The best gift of all is salvation in Christ (Hebrews 6:9).  None of us fully understand now or appreciate how great this gift of salvation in Christ is.  May God open our eyes to see how blessed we are and to see His glory (2 Corinthians 4:6).  In fact, many non-believers mock at salvation.  E.g. A friend of mine distributed gospel tracts at a fair: a couple laughed at him saying, “Sure, we will go to Hell!  We will burn in there!” They walked away laughing.  We will find out who’s going to laugh in the end.  Folks, if you have nothing to be thankful for, begin with this one.  Thank God every day for your salvation in Christ.

Now, I discovered in the Bible things that are good as the following three (not limited to, but including):

1.  Basic necessities: food, shelter, and clothing.  And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).  Paul to Timothy: Be content with what you have.  If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content (1 Timothy 6:8).  Be free from the love of money, being content with what you have (Hebrews 13:5).
2. Means to do good works.  E.g. Grace and strength.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed (2 Corinthians 9:8).
3. Anything that brings us closer to God.  E.g. the Word of God—the sweetness of God’s Word (Hebrews 6:5).  How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  (Psalm 119:103).  E.g. 2.  Good heavenly gifts (Hebrews 6:4) and fruit of the Holy Spirit such as peace, joy, love, …self control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Conclusion

Many of us dither over giving our absolute loyalty to God.  Why?  Simply because of our unbelief in God.  Let’s call a spade a spade.

Packer analyzes: “We are not persuaded of the adequacy of God to provide for all the needs….  Therefore, we feel obliged to break the first commandment just a little, by withdrawing a certain amount of our time and energy from serving God in order to serve mammon.  This, at bottom, seems to be what is wrong with us.  We are afraid to go all the way in accepting the authority of God, because of our secret uncertainty as to his adequacy to look after us if we do (Ibid.).”

E.g. A huge crowd was watching the famous tightrope walker, Blondin, cross Niagara Falls one day in 1860.  He crossed it numerous times—a 1,000 foot trip 160 feet above the raging waters.  He not only walked across it; he also pushed a wheelbarrow across it.  One little boy just stared in amazement.  So after completing a crossing the fellow looked at that little boy and he said, “Do you believe I could take a person across in the wheelbarrow without falling?” “Yes, sir, I really do.’  The fellow says, “Well then, get in, son” [Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations].

Do you fear that “God lacks strength or wisdom for fulfilling His declared purpose for you?” (Packer, p. 271).  Then, ponder on the truths that “God created the worlds, rules them, and ordains all that takes place, even the fall of a sparrow” (Ibid.).

Do you fear that God may disappoint you?  Then, please listen to Romans 8:28, “In everything God works for good with those who love Him.” Never think that “you will be the first exception, the first person to find God wavering and failing to keep his word” (ibid.).

Do you doubt God’s constancy?  Remember God never changes: Malachi 3:6, Jesus is the same: Hebrews 13:8.

Give God all you have–your complete trust and absolute loyalty.  Never doubt that He is your sovereign Provider.  Hold back no longer.  Dwell on God’s promises.   He will not withhold anything good from you.

Amen.

Today pastor Choi talks about God’s adequacy.  More specifically, he focuses on the truth that God is our sovereign Protector (Romans 8: 31).  He is bigger than any fears we may have, greater than any challenges we may face, and able to see us through any hardships we may encounter in our daily lives.  He exhorts God’s people to daily claim God’s promise in Romans 8:31: If God is for us, who is against us?

    If God Is for Us

Following is a summary of the sermon:

If God Is for Us

Romans 8:31-39   New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?³³ Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?³⁶ Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Introduction

One of my favorite books is by J. I. Packer entitled “Knowing God.”  Based on his book, for the next four Sundays, I am going to do a sermon series on the adequacy of God: God is sufficient for all human needs.

Here’s a brief overview.   Today, part 1 of 4, we will focus on the truth that God is our sovereign Protector (v. 31).  He is bigger than any fears we may have, greater than any challenges we may face, and able to see us through any hardships we may encounter in our daily lives.  Next Sunday, we will discover that God is our sovereign Benefactor who withholds nothing good from us (v. 32).  The following Sunday, we will see God as sovereign Champion and Judge who offers salvation based on grace.  No one can condemn us when God justifies us (vv. 33-34).  Finally, we will see God as our sovereign Keeper who keeps us eternally secure in Christ.  Nothing will separate us from the love of God (v. 39).

I am convinced that at the end of my sermon series all of us will be blessed.  We will grow in faith and be eternally grateful for our God who is sufficient for all our needs; physical, emotional, and spiritual.

Contents

If anyone is qualified to talk about life, I believe Apostle Paul is the one.  He begins today’s text saying, “What then shall we say to these things?”(v. 31).  What are ‘these things’ that he refers to?  He is referring to all the things that he’s been through (moments of temptation and condemnation (Romans 8:2), moments of living in the flesh (Romans 8:9, 12), moments of fear (Romans 8:15), moments of suffering (Romans 8:18), moments of weakness and loss of directions (Romans 8:26), moments of disappointment and doubt (Romans 8:28).  In fact, he himself lived through more hardships and life-threatening situations than anyone I know (even more so than Job).

Here’s the list of what he’s been through: afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger (2 Corinthians 6:4-5).  Listen to him in his own words:  ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. ²⁶ I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; ²⁷ I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure (2 Corinthians 11:24-27).   After living through such harsh environments for years, he says, “What can I tell you about life?”

Let’s think of the environment we are living in today.  If you choose one word to characterize today’s world, what word would it be?   Here is mine: fear.  We are bombarded daily with message of fear, are we not?   E.g. NY Times Headlines (8/5/2015): ISIS or Al Qaeda?  American Officials Split Over Top Terror Threat.

Definition:  Fear is “the bad feeling that you have when you are in danger, when something bad might happen, or when a particular thing frightens you” [Oxford Dictionary]. 

Fears are real, aren’t they?  Having fears is also a common human experience.  From ancient times, everyone with no exception has experienced fears and all of us currently have at least one or two.  For instance, the fear of death, the fear of losing health, the fear of losing our job, the fear of losing loved ones, the fear of the dark, spiders, snakes, the fear of flying, the fear of being a failure, the fear of loneliness, the fear of depression, the fear of heights, the fear of the terrorist attacks, the fear of bullies, the fear of rejection, the list goes on.

All of us have fears.  The real question is how can we handle them?  How do we counter the forces of fear and circumstances that are massed against us?  In today’s text, Paul points out an eternal truth that we can apply to our daily lives.  With the greatest conviction, he declares that God is the solution to all of our problems including fears.  Numerous times in the Bible, God says to His children, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”  Therefore, when we are afraid, we must declare as Paul did, “God is with me.  I am not afraid.  If God is for me, who is against me?”

My testimony: twenty some years ago, I was gripped with the fear of the future for my daughter.  God promised that He will be there for my daughter and take care of her, even long after her parents are gone.  Ever since He has kept His promise and He will do so until the Day of the Lord.

Let me read verse 31 one more time to you: If God is for us, who is against us?

What does it mean—God is for us?

It means God is committed to be our Protector.  It means that God is on our side.  It also means that no humans or fears can mess us up because God is with us.  When we are afraid, we can turn to and cry unto Him.  When our enemies see God with us, they will flee away from us; our fears will melt away within us.  God is the perfect answer to human fears.  He is the best solution that works always and forever!  As long as God is our sovereign Protector, no fear can crush us.  Don’t believe in a lie that no one can protect you from fears. God can and He will as long as you trust Him in faith.

Remember this: not everyone in the world can claim this promise that God is for them.  You have to be in relationship with God to be able to say, “God is for me.”  Why?  Because this promise of protection is only (let me repeat only) meant for God’s elect (v. 33), not for all.  God is only committed to those who worship and serve Him as the Lord.  God’s protection comes through His commitment to the covenant between Him and His people made.  The words ‘covenant’ and ‘covenantal relationship’ deserve our attention here.  In fact, the Bible is all about covenant relationship between God and His children.

Covenant Relationship

A little bit of historical information on the suzerainty covenant clause here would help us understand our “covenantal” relationship with God: A typical ancient suzerainty document begins with identifying the two parties in the covenant.  One is the suzerain and the other is the vassal state.  One is the more powerful state and the benefactor and the other is the weaker state and the beneficiary.  It declares that “the suzerain is for the vassal state…..”

In Genesis 17: 1, 7-9, we see the same type of covenant declared by God to Abraham.  “I am God Almighty,…. I will establish my covenant ….between me and you…to be your God and the God of your descendants after you….I will be their God…You must keep my covenant.”

Who is ‘God’ here?

He is God the Almighty.  He is God the Creator who created the universe and everything in it.  He is God the Sustainer.  All-powerful God.  All-knowing God.  All-present God.  He is God who cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).  He remains faithful even when we are not (2 Timothy 2:13).  He cannot lie and keeps His promises for His children (Titus 1:2).  He is God who predestined us to be His children and to inherit the Kingdom of God for eternity (Ephesians 1:5). He is God who loves the world so that He sent His own Son to the cross on our behalf (John 3:16). He is God who began a good work in us, and will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

Who is ‘us’­­­­ here? 

We are God’s covenant people in Christ.  We are His children redeemed by the blood of Christ.  We are heirs of His kingdom: Gentiles or Jews, women or men, all who have faith in Jesus.

You see, we become children of God through our repentance of sins and believing in Jesus as our Savior and Lord.  That is how we become the covenant people of God.  Once established, the covenant between God and us abides for eternity, for God keeps it in being (p. 261, Knowing God, J.I. Packer).  In this covenant, God declares that He would uphold and protect us when people and circumstances are threatening to us.  In this covenant, God promises that He would provide for us as long as our earthly pilgrimage lasts.  To this covenant, God commits Himself that He would not leave us until we become more like Him in our character.  In this same covenant, in turn, we declare our faithfulness and loyalty to God in Heaven.  We promise that we would obey Him and keep His commandments.

What it means to be able to say “God is for me”?

I believe Paul got the idea of “God is for us” from Psalmist who says, “God is for me.”  Listen. Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me (Psalm 56:9).

 To say that God is for me means:

1. God will not forget or overlook our needs.
2. When we cry unto God, He listens and the enemies turn back.
3. It gives us the basis for the trust that quells panic (Ibid., p. 262).

Conclusion 

Remember the story of David and Goliath?   David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:45) .

When the Goliath of fears, worries, and doubts assails you, don’t run away.  Instead, walk straight toward him and counter with God’s truth: if God is for me, who is against me?   Claim this powerful promise of God every day.  Nothing can crush you, because for you is God the Sovereign Protector.  Amen.

Today Pastor Choi talks about seeking justice.  Religion without a humble walk with God is nothing.  Worship rituals without repentant hearts are futile.  Prayers without justice go unanswered.  At the end of the sermon, he exhorts the congregation to start living out justice every day including prayers of justice for our nation.

   Seek Justice

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Seek Justice

Isaiah 1:10-20   New American Standard Bible (NASB)

God Has Had Enough

¹⁰ Hear the word of the Lord,
You rulers of Sodom;
Give ear to the instruction of our God,
You people of Gomorrah.
¹¹ “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?”
Says the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle;
And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.
¹² “When you come to appear before Me,
Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?
¹³ “Bring your worthless offerings no longer,
Incense is an abomination to Me.
New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.
¹⁴ “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts,
They have become a burden to Me;
I am weary of bearing them.
¹⁵ “So when you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Yes, even though you multiply prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are covered with blood.

¹⁶ “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight.
Cease to do evil,
¹⁷ Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
Plead for the widow.

“Let Us Reason”

¹⁸ “Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.
¹⁹ “If you consent and obey,
You will eat the best of the land;
²⁰ “But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be devoured by the sword.”
Truly, the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Introduction

Historical Background

• Let’s time travel back to the land of Palestine 2800 years ago—around the 8^th Century B.C.  Israel back then struggled for its survival like a smoldering wick, sandwiched between two power houses: Assyria in the north and Egypt in the south.  For years, it was subject to Assyria and would pay heavy tributes year after year.  It was often harassed by neighboring kingdoms as well.
• Enter Isaiah the prophet: he was active in his ministry of prophecy during this tumultuous time (740-700 B.C.).  His service stretched over the reign of four kings in the Judean Kingdom: King Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
• Over these years, Isaiah painfully witnessed the desolation of his home land from two major invasions by neighboring kingdoms (Syro-Ephramite War, 735-732 B.C./Hezekiah’s Revolt against Assyria 705-701 B.C.).  God describes the scene as this: “Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are stripped by foreigners, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers” (Isaiah 1:7). God’s Message to the Rulers: Morality over Security
• Today’s text was written in that geo-political setting.  It begins with God’s utmost concern for Israel: moral decay.  God calls Israel sinful nation (v. 4) and His people wicked—as wicked as Sodom and Gomorrah: “Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah” (v. 10).  Why?  Because “Your hands are covered with blood” (v. 15)—which means that they are accountable for murder and violent oppression in their land.  Therefore, God says, “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean” (v. 16)—in other words, repent.
• Two words stand out:  Seek justice (v. 17).  Please notice here: God’s urgent message to the rulers and people of this fragile kingdom is justice.  Why not national security?   Why not more protection?   One may wonder.
• Now, let’s pretend that you are national security adviser to the king back in the 8^th century in Jerusalem.  The king trusts you.  All he wants is independence and lasting peace and security from neighboring kingdoms.   What advice would you give him?
• You might want to say: Let’s strengthen our diplomatic ties.  We need to build up our military power.  Let’s build a mighty army with more chariots and horses.  We need more fortresses and so forth.
• God’s advice for the same challenge was quite different: repent and seek justice.   Why justice?  Because, justice is the foundation of prosperity and security of any nation.  Nation is built upon justice.  Without justice no nation stands.Without Justice No Nation Stands

• Definition of justice: just behavior or treatment.  The quality of being right and fair.  The administration of the law or authority in maintaining this (Oxford Dictionary)
• Let me repeat what I said: without justice no nation stands.
• What is the ruler’s number one job in the land?  Economy?  No.  National security?  No.   Both of them are important.  But, neither of them is the number one job of the ruler.   According to God’s Word, the ruler’s number one job is to administer justice and righteousness (1 Kings 10:9).  Do what is just and right, not just in human standards, but also in God’s sight.  Throughout the Scriptures, God commands the rulers to do justice and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8).  Then, what they look for such as ‘economic prosperity and national security’ will be added to the nation (Matthew 6:33).
• Let’s check out what the Scriptures say about God in the business of justice.  The LORD is a God of justice (Isaiah 30:18).  Justice is the foundation of God’s throne (Psalm 89:14).  God loves justice (Psalm 99:4).  Justice is the core of God’s being.  So is it of our being (created by God with attributes of creativity, love, and justice).
• God says to every ruler: Do you want prosperity?  Administer justice first.  Do you want security?  Make sure justice is done.  Do you want stability?  Do justice.  The king gives stability to the land by justice (Proverbs 29:4).  “How do I do justice?” the ruler may ask.  “Have fear of Me, be accountable to Me, walk with Me, and honor Me,” God answers.  In fact, this is excellent advice to the rulers of any nation in the world.  We must pray for our national leaders that they walk in the reverence of God (healthy fear of the Lord).  Why?  Because justice cannot be done without the fear of God.  E.g. One thing in common among corrupt leaders: lack of fear of God.  Stalin.  Hitler. Saddam Hussein.  Kim Jong-Un.God Wants You to Seek Justice

• Let’s turn our attention to ourselves.  Terribly mistaken would we be if we think justice is only for the rulers.  God wants everyone, especially His own children, to do justice in everyday life (v. 10).Worship and Prayers

• In today’s text God makes three references in the context of justice: sacrifices (v. 11) (offerings), assemblies (v. 13) (worship services), and prayers (v. 15).  These acts of piety are important, God says, but they are not good when His people do evil.  Without justice practiced in our lives, they are considered nothing (actually, worse, an abomination) in God’s eyes (v. 13).  Justice completes your personal piety.
• Listen.  Religion without a humble walk with God is nothing.  Worship rituals without repentant hearts are futile.  Prayers without justice go unanswered.
• Do you remember faith without works is dead (James 2:26)?  Faith and works go hand in hand.  So do personal devotion and justice.  They are inseparable.

• E.g.  John Wesley promoted the abolition of slavery in the late 18^th century in England.  Following is his letter to William Wilberforce Member of Parliament who spearheaded the complete abolition in the British Empire:
• To William Wilberforce  [*Athanasius: bishop of Alexandria in the 4 Century, A.D., five times exiled fighting for orthodoxy. He spearheaded Nicene Creed.  Church adopted his opinion on the number of books in New Testament Canon (27 books)].
• BALAM, February 24, 1791. DEAR SIR, — Unless the divine power has raised you up to be as *Athanasius contra mundum, [‘Athanasius against the world.’] I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable villainy, which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O be not weary of well doing.  Go on, in the name of God and in the power of His might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it.
• Reading this morning a tract wrote by a poor African, I was particularly struck by that circumstance, that a man who has a black skin, being wronged or outraged by a white man, can have no redress; it being a law in all our Colonies that the oath of a black against a white goes for nothing. What villainy is this!
• That He who has guided you from youth up may continue to strengthen you in this and all things is the prayer of, dear sir,     
• Your affectionate servant.  John Wesley (http://wesley.nnu.edu/john_wesley/letters/1791.htm)
• John Wesley died on 2 March, 1791.  This was the last letter Wesley wrote—Wiki.
• 42 years after this letter, in 1833, Wilberforce heard that “the passage of the Act [Slavery Abolition Act: 1833] through Parliament was assured.”  He died three days later (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wilberforce).Remember justice begins with you and me.  Here are the Action points for this week:Stop

• Doing what is wrong (Isaiah 1:16).
• Oppressing the powerless (Zechariah 7:10).
• Thinking evil of each other (Zechariah 7:10).Start

• Showing mercy and compassion to one another (Zechariah 7:9).
• Learning to do what is good (Isaiah 1:17).
• Encouraging the oppressed (Isaiah 1:18).  E.g. Letters to the persecuted sponsored by the Voice of the Martyrs
• Defending the cause of the orphans (Isaiah 1:18).
• Pleading the case of the widows (Isaiah 1:18).Conclusion
  Our congregation, starting today for a week, hosts homeless families in our area.  I am very thankful for and excited with this great opportunity to defend the cause of the poor.  It is a good start.   Please pray for the success.  May God help us continue doing what is right and just in His sight for the people in our communities.  Let’s pray together “Prayers of Justice.”   Amen.Prayers of Justice (* all found in Scripture below)L: Almighty God, righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne.

  C: You love justice.  You bless those who conduct their affairs with justice.

  L: You discipline us only with justice and mercy.

  C: You will judge the world with justice.

  A: Many seek the favor of a ruler, but it is from You, O Lord, that we get justice.

  L: Let justice be a light to all nations.

  C: Let justice roll like a river in America.

  L: Endow our leaders with justice, O God.

  C: Help them not to pervert justice by showing partiality or receiving bribes.

  A: Help them not to be partial to the guilty or deprive the innocent of justice.

  L: Help our Congress never to write oppressive laws.

  C: Let our judges maintain justice in the courts.

  L: Make our judges aware that they are watched by a higher Judge of all.

  C: Grant our President discernment in administering justice.  Let his mouth not betray justice.

  L: You speak to us, “Make sure justice is done.”

  C:  We will “Help the down-and-out; Stand up for the homeless;
  Go to bat for the defenseless” (The Message Bible).

  A: Help us not to deny justice to the poor.  In Christ’s name, we pray.  Amen.

Lay Speaker Louise Jones delivered her sermon on Sunday, July 19, on the topic of faith based on Ephesians 6 16 “Above all taking the shield of Faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

     Faith

Today Pastor Choi talks about ways to know Jesus.  It is God’s will for God’s children to know Jesus.  The knowledge of Jesus is a matter of eternal life and death.  He then explains three major ways to know Jesus: 1. We know Jesus through the Holy Spirit.  2. We know Jesus through the Scripture.  3. We know Jesus through prayer.  He exhorts the congregation to press on to know Jesus throughout this year following those three ways.

  Ways to Know Jesus

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Ways to Know Jesus
John 10:11-15   New American Standard Bible (NASB)
¹¹ “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.¹² He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³ He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,¹⁵ even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

Introduction

God knows us quite well—everything about you and me.  So does Jesus.  So does the Holy Spirit.  In fact, the all-knowing God knows us to the deepest secrets of our hearts and minds.   We rarely doubt that.   How about us knowing God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in turn?  How much do we know Jesus?  Many of us would say, “Well, I am not sure that I know Him well.”  How critical is it, anyway, for us to know Jesus?  It is a matter of eternal life and death.  That’s how critical it is to know Him.

In John 8:19, Jesus says to the Pharisees (religious leaders then), “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.”  Knowing Jesus is the prerequisite for knowing God.  We know God through Jesus.   If we know Jesus, we would know God the Father also.  If we don’t know Jesus, we don’t know God, either.  In Jeremiah 4:22, God calls Israel His people fools because they don’t know God.  If we don’t know God, we are fools, too!  We are pathetic without the knowledge of God!  We perish if we don’t have the knowledge of God (Hosea 4:6).  We must know God.  We must know Jesus.  We must know the Holy Spirit (John 14:17).

That’s why I designated this year to be the Year of Knowing Jesus (T.Y.O.K.J.).  When we were not a believer in Christ, we were outside salvation.  Back then, God would overlook our ignorance and indifference to the knowledge of Jesus.  Now, we are in Jesus.  We have salvation through Him.  We are called to follow Jesus.  We are called to know Him.  Therefore, we have no excuses now not to know Him.  In fact, it is God’s will for us to know Jesus and His will.  God wants and expects us to know Jesus so that we may keep His commandments. Moreover, the knowledge of Jesus would keep us from being deceived with the wrong image of Jesus.  E.g. False image of Jesus such as the political liberator in South America, Jesus as spiritual guru, and Jesus as Father Christmas.

Contents

If you agree with me that we must know Jesus for our salvation, the next question would be: how can we know Jesus?  This morning, I am going to present three ways through which we can know Jesus.  By faithfully following these three ways, we will know Jesus and we will avoid deceptions in our journey to Heaven.

First, we know Jesus through the Holy Spirit.  Some folks attempt to know Jesus through the wisdom of the world (1 Corinthians 1:21) such as history and literature, yet no matter how hard they try in human wisdom and knowledge, they will never find the true Jesus.  They may pick up the partial image of Christ, but never gain the whole true image of Jesus.  E.g. In my college days, I took a course “Comparative Religion.”  The instructor had us study several religions of the world: Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, and even Shamanism to name a few.  Then, he asked the students to choose the truth among them.  At best, I was distracted from the truth.  At worst, I failed to discover the true image of Jesus that way.  Instead of helping me, it threw me into further confusion.  There’s only one way, God declares, for us to find the true image of Jesus.  That is ‘a spirit of wisdom and revelation’ (Ephesians 1:17—that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him).  That spirit is the Holy Spirit.   He is the spirit of truth.  And, Jesus is the truth (John 14:6).  The Holy Spirit’s job is to reveal Jesus the truth to us and to glorify Him (John 16:14).  His responsibility is to teach God’s children everything about Jesus (John 14:26).  If you want to learn mathematics, you need a math teacher.  Likewise, if we want to know Jesus, we need the Holy Spirit the Teacher.

Now, many of us would say, “Well, I am not really familiar with the Holy Spirit.  Where do I start?”  Here’s what you do.  First, recognize that the Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit who dwells in you (John 14:17).  Then, you acknowledge His role as teacher by saying, “Holy Spirit, You are my teacher.  I need You.  Please reveal to me the true Jesus in the ways that I would understand.”  Then, you begin to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in you.  Sometimes, we get confused with the other voices in us that seem to be the voice of the Holy Spirit.      E.g. New Age promotes the small voice in you is the Holy Spirit (when it is anything but the Holy Spirit).  Remember: God commands us not to believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God (1 John 4:1).  Our responsibility is to test every voice in us and accept only the true voice of the Holy Spirit and reject all others.  Now, at first, you may not be able to distinguish the Holy Spirit from other voices, but as you practice day in day out, you will become familiar with the ways He leads you.  The more you practice, the better you get.  Eventually, you will be able to discern the true ways the Holy Spirit guides you.

How do you tell the Holy Spirit from the other voices in you?  The bottom-line is this: the Holy Spirit never contradicts Jesus or the Scripture (John 16:14–He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.)  In other words, you test the Holy Spirit’s voice against Jesus and the Scripture.  They agree?  Then, it is the Holy Spirit.  If not, it is not.  E.g.1. On my way home from visiting a shut-in, one day, the Holy Spirit spoke to me that I have seen Jesus that afternoon reminding me of the Scripture that confirms the voice: “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:39-40).  E.g. 2. One lady thought that the Holy Spirit spoke to her to become her pastor’s wife (when the pastor was already married).  So, one night, while pastor’s wife was away and pastor was out, somehow she got into the pastor’s house and jumped in pastor’s bed waiting for him.  Well, her conviction wasn’t from the Holy Spirit, because it contradicts God’s commandment not to commit adultery (Exodus 20:14).

The second way to know Jesus is the Bible.  Some believers are privileged to know Jesus through special revelations such as dreams, visions, and even visitations from angels.  E.g. Jesus personally appeared to Saul on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:5).  However, most of us (including myself) don’t have such experiences.  Although those are very special ways to know Jesus, we don’t have to envy them, because they are not the primary means to get to know Jesus His Son.  What is the primary means, then?  The Scripture—the Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit.  God uses the Bible to teach us of Jesus.  Let me share with you one thing God taught me this year about Jesus through the Scripture: Jesus’ love language is Action (Matthew 7) and to know Jesus means to love Him, and to love Him means to keep His commandments (John 14:21).  These new understanding of Jesus came through my daily reading of God’s Word.  The Bible is the Book about Jesus, so without getting into God’s Word, we will never be able to fully understand who Jesus is (like a student ignoring the major textbook).  We will be very susceptible to deceptions, too.  That is why it is crucial for us to get into God’s Word daily.

Two years ago, I challenged the congregation to read the entire Bible in a year.  For those who did, I promised I would record their names in my notebook called “The Book Club”—the Book meaning God’s Word.  So far, five people completed this challenge.  I am very proud of them.  I am still waiting for seven more people so that when I have twelve I would like to celebrate together their great achievement of reading through God’s Word in a year.  E.g. A man died and went to Heaven (later came back to life—near death experience).  When he asked Jesus in Heaven for lots of questions he had, Jesus said to him, “Have you read My Book?”  Folks, we have no excuses not to get into God’s Word (“It is too difficult to understand, I have no time to read”—those wouldn’t cut it).  God may be merciful to those who don’t have bibles with them such as Christians in North Korea, but here in America He will hold us accountable with His Word.

Lastly, we learn of Jesus through prayers.  Prayer is an ancient way of God’s revealing Himself to us.  Jesus still uses it.  God’s people still need it.  If we don’t pray, we deprive Jesus of revealing Himself to us.  We also deprive ourselves of knowing Jesus personally.  Many believers get to know Jesus through prayer.  Show me a prayer warrior, and I will show you the one who knows Jesus.  My own experience this year: in my prayers Jesus reminded me to love Him not because of the blessings He gives me but for the sake of relationship.  He also commanded me to love Him more than my wife.  All these understandings came through prayer.
Conclusion
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, ¹⁵ even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father” (John 10: 14-15). 
My own know Me (v. 14):  the Greek sentence for My own know Me is passive—so, the literal translation is: I am known by them. The initiative and responsibility to know Him lies with us. We have homework to do.  That part, Jesus won’t do it for us.
Prophet Hosea exhorts us, “So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3).  We still have the second half of the year to know Jesus.  Let us know Him by asking God’s Spirit to reveal and teach of Jesus every day.  Let us press on to know Him by getting into God’s Word every day.   Let us follow our Good Shepherd in prayer every day.  Amen.

Today Pastor Choi talks about God’s commandment on fathers: honor them (Exodus 20:12).  Pointing out the reality in America, he exhorts the congregation to reconcile with their earthly fathers not by feelings but by will.  He gives three pieces of advice to those who want to reconcile with their estranged fathers: obey God no matter what.  Forgive.  Be proactive.

   On Fathers

Following is a summary of the sermon:

On Fathers 

• Exodus 20:12  New American Standard Bible

• ¹² “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

   

  Introduction

  Happy Father’s Day!   Let me begin with a story of my own father.  Had he been alive today, he would have been 107 years old.  He passed away at 59 (I was 11 years old).  He was a kind man and never violent yet dysfunctional due to his alcoholism.  He was often sick and couldn’t hold a steady job and left a heavy burden on my mother’s shoulders to raise six kids.   I wish he had lived a little longer, but it didn’t happen.  I always had the longing in my heart for my father as I grew up into my adulthood.

   

  Contents

  Reality:  What about your father?  Is he a wonderful father?  Are you proud of him?  Then, be thankful and honor him.

• Is he not so good, in fact, a terrible father?  Forgive and still honor him.

• Not every one of us is proud of our fathers: in fact, there are many children wish that their fathers would’ve been different.  E.g.  One year a greeting card company offered free Mother’s Day cards to prison inmates.  It was a huge success!   So, for Father’s Day, the company did the same: free cards for fathers.  However, this time, unlike the Mother’s Day offer, it was received very poorly among the inmates.   Hmmm… it tells us something, doesn’t it?   Did you also know that Father’s Day is the busiest day of the year for collect calls (because so many fathers are in jail)?   Sadly, many fathers in America have a poor track record when it comes down to bringing up their children right (cf. Ephesians 6:4 says, ^“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord”).

• Two kinds of father we see in the Bible: two different Hebrew words are used for father (when no such biblical distinctions  are made for mothers): 

  1) Ab:  it occurs in most references for fathers; five out of six times (also used in all occasions for father: e.g.1. father of all who play the harp and flute (Genesis 4:21).  e.g. 2. Paul was the father to all Corinthian believers (1 Corinthians 4:15).  

  2) Yalad: (biological fathers) occurs in one out of six times in the Old Testament references.   This one reminds me of the fathers who are good at creating babies but very poor in relationships with their children.   

• My heart goes out to those young and grown-up children who have difficult relationships with their earthly fathers.  E.g.  I remember one female student in seminary who refused to call God in Heaven ‘Father.’   Why?  Because her difficult and abusive relationship with her earthly father made it impossible to call God ‘Father.’ Thank God that we have only one perfect Father in Heaven.  Jesus points out that we all have one Father who is in Heaven (Matthew 23:9) (we’d best stop relating the imperfect image of earthly father to that of heavenly Father).

• With such reality (of two kinds of fathers) in mind, let’s pay attention to the fifth commandment once again: ¹² “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.”

  Why Should We Honor Fathers?

• I asked myself a question: Why should we honor fathers? 

• Simply because God commands us to do so (like the other nine commandments in the Ten Commandments.)  It is God’s will for us to honor our parents.  It’s a commandment of God not an option or suggestion.  If we don’t honor our fathers, we are disobeying God.  

• This commandment is not conditional, either. 

• In other words, God wants us to honor our fathers

  • Not because of what they have done for us.

  • Not because of societal pressure or culture.

  • Not because we may feel like doing it.

  • But because we owe them our lives.  Like they owed theirs to their parents.  It goes all the way up to God—the Giver of Life.  One reason we ought to honor our fathers is for the life in us.  Proverbs 23:22 says: “Listen to your father, who gave you life.”  By honoring our fathers, we ultimately show our respect to God the Giver of Life.

    By the way, God promises a reward to those who honor their fathers: a blessed long-life on earth.    

    What Does It Mean to Honor?

• Honor: Note here that it is different from “obey.”  To honor means: to show respect [Nahash, 2 Samuel 10:3].  To Reward [Balaam, Numbers  22:17, 37].  To think more important [sons of Eli. 1 Samuel 2:29].  To make them proud of you.  Not to ‘embarrass’ [Saul to Samuel, 1 Samuel 15:30].  Not to ‘despise’ [Jerusalem, Lamentations 1:8, Despise vile men, Psalms 15:4, 1 Samuel 2:30].  To Care for, show affection, glorify, prize and cherish.

  How Do We Honor the Unworthy Fathers?

• My honest thought: It would’ve been far easier if the commandment said, “Honor your father and mother only if they deserve it.”  Or, “Honor them only when they are good to you.”

• But, that’s not how the commandment is written.  Rather, it says: “Honor your father.”  Period.   Plain and simple.  The way I see it is to honor all types of fathers, both good or bad.  

• So, the real question is: how can we honor our fathers who deserve no respect or honor from us?   Impossible with our own might, but it is doable in the Lord.  Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

• Here are three things to start with to honor your father. 

• First, be resolved to obey God no matter what.  Be resolved that you are not going to let your hurts and feelings stand in the way to obey God’s commandment.  Resolution determines attitude; attitude determines approach; approach determines outcome (Derek Prince).

• Next, forgive him.  Remember the Lord’s prayer: forgive our trespasses as we forgive those [our fathers] who trespass against us.   Forgiveness is not done by feelings but by your will. 

• Thirdly, be proactive, not reactive.  Honor your undeserving father not because of but inspite of.  This commandment is one of the two commandments in positive formulation in the Ten Commandments [i.e., it is not “You shall NOT…” but “Do…”   When we are proactive, it opens a door for us to honor them in many ways. 

  Closing

  Folks, for closing, I am going to say a prayer especially for those who have very difficult relationships with their earthly fathers.  Please close your eyes and join me in prayer.  If you need to forgive your father, don’t wait for another day to do so.  Now is the time.  

  If you want to forgive your father, say after me in silence:  Father in Heaven, it is your will to honor my father.  I am determined to obey you no matter what.  Today I forgive my own father not by feelings but by will.  By myself I cannot do, but I can with your help.   In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Today Pastor Choi explains the meaning of confirmation: it is a life-long faith journey where God is fully committed to strengthen the believer’s faith and practice until s/he is transformed into Christ’s image (Ephesians 5:1).  He exhorts God’s children to be Christ’s representatives to the world in this life and stand blameless in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.

      Confirmation Sunday Message

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Confirmation Sunday Message

2 Corinthians 2:14-17   New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. ¹⁵ For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; ¹⁶ to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? ¹⁷ For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

Introduction

Congratulations!  This is a great day for the confirmands who completed a three-month long class.  I am very proud of you all.  Thanks to the parents for their encouragement and support.  Thanks to the congregation for your prayers.  Today is also great day for our church because we received four new members to God’s family!  Special thanks to c0-teachers , Randy and Vanessa Estelow: we had such a great fun teaching about God and about God’s Church.  Also, special thanks to Rosemary Molinaro who provided each confirmand with a very special stole to wear this morning.

Let me begin my message with a question: What is confirmation to you?  How would you explain to your friend if she asks you ‘what confirmation is all about’?   A typical answer would be something like this: you complete a three-month (or a year) long class and you get confirmed on a Sunday (typically in June) and you become a full member of the Church of God.  Let me tell you.  Confirmation is much more than that.

I looked up the word ‘to confirm’ in the dictionary.  This is what I have found: the word “confirm” is originated from a Latin word “confirmare” which has two parts: con—(together) and firmare—(to strengthen).  Therefore, ‘to confirm’ means ‘to strengthen together.’   So, in the context of Church, ‘to confirm’ means ‘to strengthen together someone’s (typically youth) faith and practice.’

Contents

At the first confirmation class, I explained to the youth that confirmation is a life-long journey, not a three-month long class.  By taking the class, I said, they are taking their first step in their faith journey to Heaven.  I encourage the confirmands to continue their participation in the life of the Church after they are confirmed.

Sadly, however, that’s not the reality in America.  A vast majority of confirmands, as soon as they are confirmed, drop out of the Church (statistics show that they don’t come back to the Church until they are married and have their own kids).   My experience of 25 years of ministry testifies to that reality.  It shouldn’t be.  Let us remind ourselves that Confirmation Sunday is not the end, but the beginning of faith journey.

Remember the ‘together’ part?  In this faith journey, no one travels alone.  We go together.  In fact, God assigns to us four travel partners: family, friends, Church, and God Himself.   Families sometimes can discourage us.  Friends at other times can abandon us.  Even the Church of God can disappoint us as well.  However, we do have one partner, eternal and divine, who never abandons or forsakes us.   He is God.   His name is Immanuel.   He is with us forever.  He is our faithful partner in our journey to Heaven.  In fact, the Scripture says that God is fully committed to this journey of confirmation and sanctification to the end (through and through).  He will carry out His work in us until we are transformed into Christ’s image (Ephesians 5:1).   Listen to the promise of God: who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:8).   We can trust in Him.  We can rely on His commitment to make us whole and blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ—this phrase deserves our attention.

You see, our final destination in our journey is Heaven.  Heaven is not a physical place like the USA or Australia.  Heaven is a place where God is.  We are going to this place where God is and we will be with Him in His presence for eternity.

To be with God, we must know who God is and His attributes.  God is holy and righteous.  Nothing impure/unclean is permitted in His presence.   That means, to be with Him and in the presence of God who is holy, we too need to be holy like He is.  That’s why God expects us to be perfect, pure, and blameless (1 Corinthians 1:8) not just in human standards but in His own.  Of course, all of us would fail that holiness test before God due to our sin and iniquities.  That’s precisely why God sent His Son Jesus Christ the sinless so that He would take care of our sin and its consequences (the Bible calls it ‘the wages of sin’).  So, Jesus took our sins to the cross and paid the wages of our sins once and for all at the cross through His own death.  Now, we are pardoned of our sins and we are free from the condemnation of our sins that culminates in eternal judgment in Hell.  Because of Christ’s merit, not our own, and because of our faith in Him, we can stand in front of God with Christ’s righteousness that was imputed on us (like we are wearing Christ’s righteousness on us).

During our faith journey to Heaven, in this life God calls us to be His representatives to the world.  The Scripture puts in the following four ways: we are the salt, the light, the letter, and the aroma.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth.”   Imagine a food that is without salt.  A right amount of salt brings out the best taste of the food.  So do you.  Be the salt where you belong (family, school, work, community and church) and bring glory to God.

Jesus also says in Matthew 5:14 that weare the light of the world.  Imagine the world without God’s children—how dark it would be!  E.g.  A satellite picture of the earth at night with the background of pitch darkness studded with countless points of light.  Brighten the corner of your place with the light of God.

Thirdly, each one of us is a letter of Christ to the world.  People read us as if they read a letter.  Listen to Paul: (to the Corinthian believers) he wrote “…you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:3).  When the people in the world read our lives, what would they think of us, of the Church, and of God?   Would they think of Christ the author and give glory to God or would they be disappointed and stay away from the Church altogether?  E.g. My bumper sticker: IXΘUS (Jesus Christ Son of God Savior) makes me a little more conscious of my driving behavior.

Lastly, the Bible says that we are a fragrance of Christ to God (2 Corinthians 2:14).  I am sure we are a fragrance of Christ to the world as well.  Let’s be an aroma of Christ, not a stench, to whomever we meet and interact.

One more thing before I am done.  For our Heaven-bound journey God never leaves us unprepared.  Rather, He fully equips us with essential tools (for lack of better terms)—things that we must have for the journey.  There are two: God’s own Word and God’s own Spirit.  The Bible and the Holy Spirit.   First, the Bible.  This morning we gave the confirmands God’s Word so that they may get into God’s Word daily.  We also gave them a 365 day Bible reading plan.  I pray that they diligently get into God’s living Word.   I believe God’s Word is more important than ever before.   Why?  Because we are living in a perilous time where everything is relative and permissible.  When everything is permissible, nothing is sacred including God’s Word.  For instance, nowadays, people don’t want to offend each other, so they remove anything that is offensive to someone.  E.g. An atheist sues the church to remove the sign board that posts God-references.  He claims that he is offended each day as he drives by the church sign with God-references in it.  The court sides with him!   Why is the Bible more important than ever before?   Because it is filled with absolutes and with God’s Word (not just human’s words).  I give Psalm 119:9, 11 to all: How can a young man keep his way pure?  By keeping it according to Your word.  Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against You.

For our Heaven-bound journey, God also provides us with His Holy Spirit as our constant companion.  Who is the Holy Spirit?  God’s own Spirit who dwells in our hearts (2 Corinthians 1:22).  What is He doing in us and in our lives?  He is the Helper and the Counselor.  He comforts us in times of sorrow.  In times of confusion, He guides us into the right directions.  He even intercedes for us even when we don’t know what to pray for ourselves (Romans 8:26).

Conclusion

So, folks, and especially confirmands, we are taking our first step in our Heaven-bound journey.  Our final destination is Heaven.  Our family, friends, Church, and God are journeying with us.  We do have the right tools—the Bible (map to Heaven) and the Holy Spirit (our guide)—that will guide us into the right paths and help us to stay on the course.  May God help all of us to complete this journey and stand blameless in His presence on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.   When we do, God will say to us, “Welcome Home!”  That day would be the most glorious day of all.   Amen.    Let us pray.

Today Pastor Choi continues his sermon series on dunamis (God’s power).  Based on Derek Prince’s Book “The Holy Spirit in You,” he lays out seven steps to receive the Holy Spirit: 1. Repent 2. Be baptized. 3. Ask God. 4. Be thirsty. 5. Come to Jesus. 6. Drink—receive within yourself. 7. Yield your body and members to God. He concludes his message with an invitation prayer to receive the Holy Spirit.

    Dunamis 2

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Dunamis—the Power of God, Part 2 of 2
Acts 2:37-38 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Introduction
The night before He was crucified, Jesus promised His disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth, the Helper, the Comforter, and the Advocate (John 16:7). After He was risen from the dead, He stayed with His disciples for 40 days. As the risen Christ was ascending into heaven, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. Indeed, 10 days later, the Holy Spirit like a tongue of fire descended upon the 120 praying disciples and filled them with dunamis (the power of God). That event is called Pentecost.

On Pentecost the Church was born. Since then, for the next two thousand years, the Holy Spirit has stayed with the believers and still dwells in every child of God providing timely help. He also fills them with dunamis—the power of God.

Two Sundays ago, I spoke to you what dunamis is all about. Dunamis is God’s power and it came down on the believers through the Holy Spirit two thousand years ago. It is God’s will for us to experience that same dunamis. He makes it available to us through the Holy Spirit today.
As I promised two weeks ago, this morning I am going to talk about how we can receive the Holy Spirit and dunamis.

Contents
Now, there are a couple of things we must prepare ourselves with before we talk about how to receive the Holy Spirit. First and foremost, we must acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit within us and among us. How do we know He is within us and among us? By trusting and believing God’s Word that says so. 1 Corinthians 6:19: 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you?
We also must bring in the right attitude; that is to acknowledge the authority of the Holy Spirit over us. The Holy Spirit is not our servant. We are His servants. He is not a genie in a bottle. He is the Spirit of God. If you are only interested in dunamis, and not in the Holy Spirit, forget about receiving it. You cannot separate dunamis the gift from the Holy Spirit the Giver. No Holy Spirit, no dunamis. The Holy Spirit won’t give you dunamis unless your heart is right with Him. Dunamis is only given to those who obey the Holy Spirit no matter what.

When we meet these conditions, then we are ready to receive the Holy Spirit and dunamis. In order to receive the Holy Spirit and receive all the blessings promised including dunamis, we need to be open up to the Holy Spirit. I am going to share with you seven practical steps to receive the Holy Spirit from Derek Prince’s book The Holy Spirit in You.

1. Repent and Be Baptized (Acts 2:37-38): On the day of Pentecost Apostle Peter preached to the crowd and they responded to his message as follows: “37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Here are the first two conditions for us to meet. Repent and be baptized. Repent means a complete turn-around from our sins and rebellion and submit ourselves to God without reservation. E.g. Switching the train. Be baptized means to openly acknowledge that we are dead to sin and to old self-centered life styles (that is, we have been crucified with Christ—Galatians 2:20) and alive to God (Romans 6:11—Christ was risen. So were we in Christ) and giving ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:13).

2. Ask God (Luke 11:9-13): You never receive the Holy Spirit if you don’t ask for Him. Whoever wants to receive the Holy Spirit must ask for Him. 9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Here, Jesus promises us that those who ask God for the Holy Spirit will receive Him. So we should ask God to give us the Holy Spirit.

3. Be Thirsty, Go to Jesus, and Drink (John 7:37-39). Three more simple conditions are stated here. 37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

This passage is clearly about who will receive the Holy Spirit—those who are thirsty, who come to Jesus and drink. God never forces anyone who doesn’t feel thirsty for His blessings including the Holy Spirit. E.g. Perhaps the reason why we don’t receive the Holy Spirit and dunamis is because we don’t feel the need of them let alone thirsty for them. Are you thirsty for the Holy Spirit and His dunamis? Then, you go to Jesus who baptizes you with the Holy Spirit. No human being but Jesus can baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Go to Him. Then, you must drink too—the decision is totally up to you. “Just being totally passive and saying, ‘Well, if God wants to do it, let Him do it!’ is not drinking. Drinking is actively receiving within you” (Ibid., p. 100). Make up your mind to drink and receive the Holy Spirit.

4. Yield: your body and members to God. Here are two more relevant facts. 1 Corinthians 6:19: 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? Our bodies are the places where the Holy Spirit dwells—the temple of God. Romans 6:13: 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. We are commanded to offer our bodies as instruments for His service.

Recap: seven conditions for receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit and dunamis:
1. Repent. 2. Be baptized. 3. Ask God. 4. Be thirsty. 5. Come to Jesus; He is the baptizer. 6. Drink—receive within yourself. 7. Yield your body as a temple for the Holy Spirit and your members as instruments of righteousness.

Conclusion
Perhaps you may wonder how you can do all this at once. You can begin with a simple prayer. I am going to lead you in prayer that is taken from the book of Derek Prince. Say after me if you would like to receive the Holy Spirit and dunamis in your life: “Lord Jesus, I am thirsty / for the fullness of Your Holy Spirit. I present my body to You / as a temple / and my members / as instruments of righteousness, especially my tongue, the member I cannot tame. Fill me, I pray, and let Your Holy Spirit / flow through my lips / in rivers of praise and worship. Amen” (Ibid., p. 103).

Receive the Holy Spirit—it is God’s will and God’s promise for you and me. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we can also experience dunamis. Start walking in the Holy Spirit, and you will lead a victorious life day in day out. Also, when you do, the church too will grow in dunamis every day: In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power (Acts 19:20). Amen.

Today Pastor Choi talks about the power of God (dunamis) that is promised to every disciple of Christ. Dunamis is God’s majestic power that created the heavens and the earth.  The same power sustains every living creature.  It is the power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.  The sermon reminds the congregation that dunamis is available to God’s children through the Holy Spirit.

dunamis

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Dunamis (the power of the Holy Spirit)        Part 1 of 2

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Introduction

Let me tell you a story of Jesus’ disciples in Mark 9:  one day, when Jesus was away, a father brought his son who suffered from epilepsy.  He asked the disciples to cure his son but they couldn’t.  Thankfully, Jesus showed up in the nick of time and healed the boy.  Puzzled and embarrassed, the disciples later asked their Master in private, “Why couldn’t we drive out the evil spirit?” Jesus answered: This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:28-29).

The 21^st century church in America faces the same dilemma as the disciples: We the Church of God have a great task before us: that is, to transform the lives of people in the name of Christ, yet we are unable to carry it out due to the lack of power in the Body of Christ.

Contents

Reality Check: Let us do a reality check with the following five questions.

1.   What’s the spiritual state of today’s Church?

A: Many a church (including Methodists) are dying (losing members left and right).  Like a drowning man, the Church of God gasps for God’s truth and God’s power.  We also witness the lack of God’s power in the lives of believers today.  Even though we proclaim the truth of God saying, “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” (1 Corinthians 4:20), we don’t see the realization of it.  Paul’s prophecy on the last days seems fulfilled: we have a form of godliness yet deny (or lack of) its power (2 Timothy 3:5).

2.   How well do we know what the power of God is?

A: Very little.   Few of us actually realize let alone experience what God’s power is.  We don’t know how majestic God’s power is that created the heavens and the earth.  We also are ignorant of God’s sustaining power of the universe.  We seldom read or hear about God’s miracles, signs, and wonders in today’s Church.  Worst of all, many of us are Bible illiterate.  We don’t spend time to get into God’s word.  Many Bibles at home collect dust.  Even the pew Bibles in the church rarely get opened.  The danger and the sad consequence of this reality is that the ignorance of the Scriptures leads to an error and misunderstanding in God’s power both in knowledge and in practice like the Sadducees in the 1^st century: (concerning the resurrection) Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”

3. What is the Power of God?

A:  Dunamis is the power of God.  Let me begin with a definition of dunamis: it is the Greek word for power/strength/ability.  The English words such as “dynamic” and “dynamite” are originated from dunamis.

The word “power” appears 335 times in the Bible (NIV).  In the New Testament alone 117 times in the form of “dunamis.”   Dunamis mostly refers to God’s majestic power.

What is dunamis?  It is the power that solely belongs to God [majestic power]: “power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise belong to God” (Revelation 5:12).  It is the power of God that created the heavens and the earth and anything in between and underneath [creation power].  It is the power that sustains them all.   It is the power that is greater than any mortal or angelic powers.  Actually, we cannot even compare God’s power to any other powers in the world, both visible and invisible.  It is the power that wows and awes us (E.g. standing before Grand Canyon or looking into a night sky with many stars).   It is the power that performs all the miracles.  It is the power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

4.  Does God want His Church and His children in the 21^st century to experience the power of God as the Early Church did in the 1^st century?

A: Absolutely.  God wants every child of God in every generation to experience and live by God’s power.  When we become a believer in Christ, God starts working on us in some areas such as love and self-discipline.  He also wants us to experience God’s power in our daily lives.  In other words, God’s power, like love and self-discipline, is an integral part of our Christian life experience: For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).  He wants us to lead a triumphant life both individually as well as in the life of the Church.

5.  Is God’s power still available for us?

A: Yes, definitely.  Not only does God want us to have His power in our lives, but He also makes it available to us.

In fact, God’s majestic power has been in operation for ages.  It still is. It still creates life on earth.  It still upholds the entire universe.  It still wows and awes us.  It still is the greatest power we can imagine.  It will be that way forever.

The good news is this: God shares His divine power with us freely and graciously.  In fact, He is delighted to share His mighty power with His people.  How does He do that?  He does so through the Holy Spirit.  By sending us His spirit and by having the Spirit dwell within us, God makes His divine power available to us 24/7.

Why does God do that—sharing the divine power— through His Spirit?   Because, He loves us.  His promise to send us the Helper and the Comforter was fulfilled at the first Pentecost 2,000 years ago.  From then on, the Holy Spirit—the Giver of dunamis— has been with us, worked with God’s people, and demonstrated God’s mighty works in the Church (the Book of Acts is all about the Acts of the Holy Spirit).

The real question for us all is this:  Why, then, don’t we see such God’s power demonstrated in our Church and in the lives of believers anymore?  The more important question is: “How can we experience dunamis in our walk with God?”  I am going to talk about those things next time in two weeks.

Let us pray.

Today Pastor Choi talks about how the Bible treats women.  Quoting Edith Hamilton who said the Bible is the only book up to the 20^th century that treats women as equal as men, Pastor Choi points out how Jesus treated women in the Bible.  He urges all God’s people to follow Jesus’ examples.

  Women in the Bible

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Women in the Bible                                         John 8:1-11

John 8      New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Adulterous Woman

8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.² Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. ³ The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. ⁵ Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” ⁶ They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. ⁷ But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. ¹⁰ Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

Introduction

Happy Mother’s Day!

Today’s sermon is dedicated to the mothers of our congregation for all the things they have done for their children over the years.  Abraham Lincoln said it right: “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother” (brainyquote.com).  Their love, prayers, and tender care are forever appreciated.   Originally, I was going to speak about mothers in the Bible.  Then, I decided to extend my attention to the women in the Bible instead.  So, this morning you’re going to hear a sermon on the women in the Bible.  More specifically, how the Bible treats women.

Contents

Question: is the Bible a good influence or a bad one when it comes down to women’s status in our society?  Some believe that the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, is a bad influence.  For instance, in Texts of Terror, Professor Phyllis Trible depicts the women in the Old Testament as victims.  Quoting the stories of four women in the Hebrew Scripture (Hagar, Tamar, the daughter of Jephthah, and unnamed concubine), she sees God as the one who smites, strikes, and imposes suffering on women (I disagree that it was God who made women suffer.  It was people who did that).  In the past 50 years in America, the Church and its century old practice of male dominance and male preference were rightfully criticized by the feminists who fiercely promoted women’s equality with men.  It improved people’s attitude towards women.  More people began to treat women as equal to men, thanks to the education.

Let me refine my question a little bit: “Is the Bible itself a bad influence against women or is it the people responsible for that abuse?”  I believe it is the people who misuse and abuse God’s Word to justify their deeds.  I don’t see God or His Word at fault, because God always treats men and women equally.  He doesn’t show favoritism.  He is the fairest of all.   It is the society, the culture, and the people in it that historically favored men over women for centuries; both in the West and in the East.

E.g. 1.  Korean culture under the Confucian teachings (during Joseon Dynasty: 1392-1897 A.D.) was very unfair to women—one example, a widow should remain forever a widow, while a widower could remarry.

E.g. 2.  My mom, the second eldest of five children in her family, always wished to have been a boy.  Simply because, as a girl, she was not educated beyond the 2^nd grade while all her three brothers went into a higher education.

Today a bias and practice against women still continue in some parts of the world.  For instance, some cultures practice honor killings (“Honor killings are acts of vengeance, usually death, committed by male family members against female family members, who are held to have brought dishonor upon the family—wikipedia ‘honor killings’).  Another instance, in China there is a serious shortage of women today due to the years of son-preference birth practice among the parents.  Now, some worry that such a disparity between genders will cause a problem: less women for men to marry may lead to a war.

Here’s another view on women in the Bible.  Edith Hamilton (a German-American educator and author who was “recognized as the greatest woman Classicist”—wikipedia) once said, “The Bible is the only book in the world up to our century which looks at women as human beings, no better or no worse than men.”  Her view resonates with mine and with the Bible.  Let me explain what the Bible says about women.

In the beginning, God created woman as a helper for man.  Not just a helper but a divine helper—that is uniquely designed and provided by God alone.  The partner God has created and appointed exclusively for man:  The Lord God said, “It is not good (literally, evil) for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18).   The meaning behind “ezer (helper suitable)” is this: man is stuck in a pit and cannot get out by himself.  Woman comes to his rescue and throws him a rope to pull him out.

Man needs woman and woman needs man.  They complement each other.  Without the other, neither side is complete.  They are partners for life.  Equal partners.   Furthermore, without women, humanity will be in a big trouble, because there will be no procreation and no future for humanity.

Do you know how many women are listed in the Bible?  Hundreds of them.   First, there are 188 women whose names are recorded in the Bible, from Abigail to Zipporah.  See how many you can recognize: Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, Tamar, Zipporah, Miriam, Rahab, Deborah, Hannah, Ruth, Bathsheba, Esther, Jezebel, Mary of Nazareth, Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist), Anna (prophetess) who prayed in the Temple day and night waiting for the coming of Messiah, Mary and Martha of Bethany, Mary Magdalene, Dorca, Lydia, Priscilla, and many more.

Next, there are other women who remain unnamed in the Scriptures: the wife of Noah, the wife of Lot, the wife of Potiphar, the wife of Job, the daughter of Jephthah, the unnamed concubine (who was senselessly murdered by thugs), the mothers who lost their babies to Herod’s sword while Jesus’ family escaped to Egypt, the Samaritan woman, the Syrophoenician woman, the woman whose hemorrhage problem was healed by Jesus, the woman who was caught in the middle of adultery and brought before Jesus, the women who cried for Jesus on His way to Calvary, and so on.

They were queens, prophetesses, leaders, slaves, prostitutes, wives, widows, sisters, daughters, daughters-in-law, mothers, and mothers-in-law.  Oppressors and victims.  Young and old.  Good ones and bad ones.  Except a few bad ones such as Jezebel—the evil queen who worshiped Baal and persecuted/killed God’s prophets, most of them encountered God and were touched by God’s grace.   Working together with God, they left their footprints in the history of God’s people and their salvation journey.

Women’s status makes a huge progress in the New Testament.   All thanks to Jesus!   He brings a lot of good things about women.  For instance, Gospel stories show a high number of references on women.  Historically, the way Jesus treated women has laid the foundation for the western culture to treat women as equal to men.  Jesus became our role model when it comes down to how we think of and treat women.  Even today His story still gives us a fresh perspective on women.

I am going to briefly point out three ways how Jesus treated all the women who had encountered Him.

1. He treated them equally as He did with men.  He treated each woman with respect.  He liberated and affirmed them.  He never disgraced, belittled, reproached, or stereo-typed women.   E.g. No sign of degrading the woman in John 8.  The Samaritan woman at the well in John 4.
2. He acknowledged their worth and value as co-heirs of God’s Kingdom and co-workers for God’s Kingdom.  Women were always an integral part of Jesus’ ministry.  He worked together with them (they ministered to the physical needs of Jesus and His disciples).  For the next two thousand years, the gifts women brought to the Church have been the true blessings to the Church.
3. Jesus looked at woman as a soul housed in a female body.  Never as an individual who is inferior to man (a soul housed in a male body).  We ought to practice as Jesus did, that is, to look at individuals, male or female, as precious souls in God’s sight.

Conclusion

Thanks to all women for their divine partnership with men.  Thanks for all the contributions they have made in our human history.  Let us follow Jesus’ examples.  Let us continue working for God’s Kingdom treating each other with respect and equality.

Amen.

Today Pastor Choi lays out all the opinions on Jesus (that are found in the Bible) 2,000 years ago in Israel.  He also presents three outrageous claims that Jesus has made for Himself: He and God are one.  He has authority to forgive sins on earth.  He has risen from the dead.  Pastor Choi also introduces people’s understanding of who Jesus is today.  Then, he urges the congregation to make up their minds and declare their own confession on Jesus.

     Who Do You Say That Jesus Is

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Who Do You Say Jesus Is?     Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13-20  (NASB)

Peter’s Confession of Christ

¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” ²⁰ Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

 Introduction

Last January, as pastor of the church, I designated this year to be the year of knowing Jesus.  I handed out scrolls that contained eighteen different Scripture verses pertaining to our goal of knowing Jesus.  I encouraged you to look at the verse everyday as often as you can as a reminder.  I also told you that I would preach six sermons on knowing Jesus.  I am doing sermon number 3 today.  

I hope and pray that we all have been making a progress of knowing Jesus so far.  As for my progress, I have kept a journal to record any new insights about Jesus.  As of today, there are over twenty things that I have discovered anew about my relationship with Him: who He is and what He expects of me, and so forth. 

Let me share a couple of them with you.  First, I discovered that to know Jesus means to love Him; to love Him means to keep His commandments (John 14:21).  So, keeping His commandments is a sure sign that I know and love Him.  In other words, if I don’t keep His commandments, that means, I don’t love Him.  If I don’t love Him, no matter how strongly I claim that I know Jesus personally, it doesn’t count.  The next thing I learned about Jesus is this: To know Him means that I recognize Him (Amos 3:2) both in public and in private without shame or fear.  For instance, saying grace in a restaurant for the meal shouldn’t be a struggle.

So, here we go folks, the sermon number three: who we say Jesus is, to us and to the world.

Contents

Have you noticed one thing in the past couple of months?  Welcome to the season of presidential election again!  They don’t leave us alone, do they?  We begin to hear about candidates from both parties.  We also hear about how many dollars some candidates have raised, their stances on certain issues, who the front runners are, and so forth.  By the way, how do they know who’s leading and who’s trailing?  By polls, right?  So, for the next year and a half, we will hear plenty polls on candidates from various sources such as CBS, NBC, CNN, and so forth. 

Did you know that Jesus once did a poll on Himself?   We can see that in today’s text.  One day Jesus was curious to know what the people said about Him.   So in their private setting, He did an informal survey.  He asked His disciples: Who do people say that the Son of Man is?  One answered, “Some say John the Baptist.”  Another disciple said, “Others say you are Elijah.”  Another chipped in saying, “They consider you Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Then, Jesus turned to them saying, “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter, one of the twelve disciples, hit the bull’s eye!   He said, “You are the Christ,the Son of the living God” (v. 16).   He called Jesus the Christ—the anointed (three offices were anointed in the Old Testament tradition: kings, priests, and prophets).  Christ had all three offices in one.  Calling Peter blessed, Jesus told him that it was God in Heaven who revealed to him the true identity of Jesus.  No humans could give that understanding.  Only God could. 

By the way, we must consider other opinions on Jesus at the time that were not included in today’s text: First, the famous doubting Thomas called Him, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).  Some religious leaders called Him a trouble maker (Luke 23:2), a Samaritan (John 8:48); or worse a demon or even insane (John 8:52, 10:20).

So you heard it all: several opinions on Jesus that existed 2000 years ago; from John the Baptist to prophets; from the Messiah to a demon; from God to a lunatic.   Today, like the first century, we too have a wide spectrum of understanding of who Jesus is.  Some believe that He is equal to God.  Others consider Him a prophet.  More others think that He is a good moral teacher such as Confucius or Socrates (e.g. M. Ghandi).  Even worse, some consider Jesus a myth, a non-historical figure.  How about Jesus an insurance policy for heaven?  E.g. My Sunday School lesson: What if Jesus were in Hell?  Would you follow Him there or would you rather stay in Heaven having nothing to do with Him?  It sure makes you think twice about your true motive in believing Jesus, doesn’t it? 

Before you say anything about Jesus, you must consider some outrageous claims Jesus has made about Himself.  I am going to present three claims that He has made.  First, He said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).  He made Himself equal to God.  He even said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father;”(John 14:9).   He said that He was with God before the creation of the world.  He claimed that He was older than Abraham (John 8:58) to the point where the Jews wanted to stone Him.  Next, He claimed that He has authority to forgive sins on earth (Mark 2:10).  Once again this is unthinkable in the Jewish mind where they consider God alone has that authority; no human beings, not even Moses, nor Abraham, can forgive someone’s sins.  Thirdly, He has risen from the dead.

Now, who do you say Jesus is?  Whatever you say about Him, one thing you don’t want to do is this: sitting on the fence.  For instance, you don’t want to say that Jesus was a good moral teacher while you reject His claims, because no good moral teacher makes a false claim about himself.  Let’s listen to C.S. Lewis: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say.  A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell.  You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.  He did not intend to. … Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God (Lewis, C. S., Mere Christianity, London: Collins, 1952, pp. 54 – 56).

Make up your mind today, because your confession of who Jesus is makes a world of difference in your walk with God, in your worship and services, and in your daily life.  E.g. If your life as a believer is boring and your commitment to the Lord is mediocre, it is a direct outcome of your fuzzy confession of Jesus.  Even Jesus doesn’t like that attitude:  He said to the church in Laodicea, ¹⁵ ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.¹⁶ So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth (Revelation 3:15-16).   If you take Jesus as He claims to be, the Son of the living God, the Messiah, the Lord of the world and your personal Savior, your walk with God will be revolutionized, because He means everything to you.   

Conclusion

So, this morning declare your confession on Jesus.  Ask yourself: who do I say that Jesus is?  Who is He to me?   Do not delay.  Don’t be half-hearted, either.   Let me tell you what mine is.  To me, Jesus is the God incarnate, the Son of God, the Messiah, my Savior and Lord.  To Him, I give my life and undivided allegiance.   What is yours?    May God reveal true Jesus to you as He did to Peter. 

Let’s pray. 

Pastor Choi talks about the message of the risen Christ to His people.  His message to His disciples on the first Easter Day would be the same to us in the 21^st century in America.  He would speak to us: stop crying, for I am with you.  Shalom.  Receive the Holy Spirit.  Forgive.

The Easter Message of Christ

Following is a summary of the sermon:

The Easter Message of the Risen Christ                        John 20:1-23

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ² So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” ³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. ¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” ¹⁴ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). ¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Introduction

If the risen Christ appeared to us again this morning, what words do you think He would say to us?  I believe He would give us the same message that He had given to His disciples 2000 years ago: one in the morning and one in the evening.  That’s what you are about to hear from me this morning: the message of the risen Christ to Easter people.

The message was (is, and will be the same): stop crying, for I am with you.  I give my peace to you.  Receive the Holy Spirit.  Forgive.   Let’s go over them one by one.

Why are you crying (v. 13, v. 15)?  When Mary Magdalene couldn’t find Jesus’ body in the tomb, she went back to Peter and John and reported that the tomb was empty.  The two men ran to the tomb to check it out, looked inside and didn’t see Jesus’ body, either.  Then, they went back to their home.  Thank God, Mary lingered a little longer.  When she peeked inside the empty tomb, two angels spoke to her saying, “Woman, why are you crying?”  After telling them that she was looking for Jesus’ missing body, Mary turned around saw Jesus standing right behind her.  At first, she didn’t recognize Him (perhaps it has something to do with Christ’s resurrection body).  She rather thought Him a gardener.  The risen Christ asked her the same question as the angels: “Woman, why are you crying?”  By the way, the term “woman” here is not a derogatory term for a female.  Rather, it was a dear and affectionate term to call a woman at the time: like we say today, “My dear lady, my dearest, honey, darling, sweetheart, and so on.”  Jesus said, “My dear lady, why are you crying?”

What do you see in the words of Jesus?   Here, I see Jesus’ deepest concerns for Mary.  I see Jesus the caring and compassionate who was right there for her when she was crying.   E.g.  Have you ever been with someone who was crying?  You don’t have to say many words to comfort them.  All you have to do is to be there.

Do you see what I see in the story?  Jesus saw the tears of Mary.   Likewise, the same risen Lord sees your tears today.  So does our Heavenly Father.  In other words, our Lord is not so detached from our daily struggles.  He is not a God who is aloof from us.  Rather, He knows everything about you and your life.   He is fully aware of what’s going on in your life right now and He knows what you are up against.   He sees your tears and feels your pain.  He knows you and calls you by name (v. 16.  See also John 10:4, 27, Isaiah 45:3-4).   He deeply cares about you.  So, when you are alone crying next time, please remember that Jesus sees your tears and He is with you.

One more thing about Mary quickly:  When Jesus opened Mary’s eyes so that she could recognize Him standing right next to her, instantly her sorrow turned into joy and ecstasy.  May the Lord open your eyes to see the risen Lord right there right beside you.  He will turn your sorrows into joy.

Peace be unto you (v. 19, v. 21).  It was Easter evening.  Several hours passed since Mary first encountered the risen Christ.  The rest of the disciples (except Thomas) were gathered in one place.  Gripped with fear of the Jewish authorities, they locked their doors and windows.   Then, the risen Christ, out of nowhere, appeared in their midst and said to them: “Shalom.”

I believe the risen Christ would bring the same greetings to us: Shalom!  Peace be unto you.  Of course, He is not talking about the world peace.  Rather, He means the peace in our hearts.  Notice in today’s text: Jesus said “Shalom” twice, because He wanted His disciples to have it in their hearts.  Is there anything you and I desire more than peace in our hearts?  The same Christ wants us to have such peace–the peace that overcomes our fears and anxieties.

Did you know that such peace is available to us?  Indeed Jesus promised that peace—the peace of Christ, and the peace that the world cannot give or take away from us.   Listen to Jesus in John 14:27:  ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  It is the same peace that we experience when we pray—the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).

Receive the Holy Spirit (v. 22).  Please note here in verse 22.  When Christ commands the disciples to receive the Holy Spirit, it was not an option or suggestion.  It was a command.  It’s a must.  The same command applies to us as well.  Every believer in Christ must receive the Holy Spirit.

Some of us wonder why we need the Holy Spirit: after all, isn’t God or Jesus enough for us?  Here’s why we need the Holy Spirit: first, without the Holy Spirit, we cannot confess that Jesus is our Savior and Lord.  It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to believe in the name of Jesus.  Next, the Holy Spirit is God’s pledge to us that He is with us until the Day of Judgment.  Every believer in Christ has that seal of salvation.  Finally, the Holy Spirit is not limited with time and space.  He can be everywhere, so, God is with billions of believers through His spirit.

The trouble is that many of us don’t think we need the Holy Spirit.  Or, some of us don’t know whether we have received the Holy Spirit or not.  Let me ask you a question.  Do you have the Holy Spirit?  If you are not sure, here’s a simple test: From the bottom of your heart, can you say that Jesus is your Lord and Savior?  I mean, you wouldn’t deny Him even if it means imprisonment or worse, the death?  If you confess in such a sincere manner that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, you do have the Holy Spirit in you.   Never ever doubt that.  He dwells in your heart.

Who is the Holy Spirit?  He is the Spirit of God.  He is the third being of the triune God.  What does He do in us?  Dwelling in our heart, He is our resident counselor, comforter, and teacher.  He guides us to the truth.  He reminds us of Jesus’ teachings.  He convicts our sins and nudges us to repent our sins.  He even intercedes for us in unspeakable sighs when we don’t know what to say in prayer (Romans 8:27).

Forgive (v. 23): Consider this: out of so many things Jesus could have said to the disciples on that very first Easter evening, He included this one: forgive.  It is crucial for us to forgive.

You might just have discovered that Christ has given us the awesome authority and power to forgive others’ sins.  In reality, though, seldom have we the Protestants practiced this privilege in the name of Christ.  The only case I know this practiced on a regular basis is in the Catholic Church where priests remit the sins of the people who come to the confession.

Now, I want to say one thing to those who may focus on the second part of v. 23, “if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”  I am sure most of us have one or two individuals in our lives whom we haven’t forgiven (or would not forgive)—those who trespassed against us big time.  E.g.  Once I heard a believer saying, “I would never forgive so and so.”

Perhaps you would never forgive the sins of your adversaries because you think they don’t deserve your forgiveness.   Think again.  What makes you think you deserve unlimited forgiveness from God when you don’t reciprocate the same grace for your fellow humans?  Despite the fact that none of us deserves God’s unconditional love and grace, God still forgives us.  The same thing God expects us to do for our fellow humans: forgive.   Furthermore, from a practical perspective, ask yourself: is it really good for me to keep their sins un-forgiven forever?  The answer is “No,” because it is eternally bad for the both parties; you and them if you haven’t.  Here’s why: because your own sins remain un-forgiven forever along with theirs, if you don’t forgive.   Don’t you understand?

I must remind you of Jesus’ own words: Unless you forgive their sins from your heart, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins, either (Matthew 18:35).  If their sins are not forgiven by you, then neither is yours by God.

Here’s another reminder.  Remember the Lord’s Prayer where we say “Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”?  It is conditional.  Unless you forgive them, your sins will remain un-forgiven, too.

Recap: The risen Christ says to the Easter people: My dear one, stop crying.  I am with you.  Shalom to you.  Receive the Holy Spirit and forgive.    Let’s pray.

Today Pastor Choi exhorts God’s people to be a sensible steward of God’s creation.  Creation care begins with the restoration of broken relationships between God and us, between us and others, and between people and nature.  Creation care only succeeds when we are faithful to God, merciful to one another, and sensible stewards of God’s creation.

   Creation Care

The following is a summary of the sermon:

Creation Care     Genesis 1:28   (NASB)

God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Introduction

On April 22, in many parts of the world, people celebrate the Earth Day.

It’s a good thing that all nations work together with a common goal to build a clean, healthy, safe environment for future generations to enjoy and live in.

Earth Day addresses many environmental issues such as oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife.  It promotes clean air, clean water, and green energy.

There also has been a charge that environmentalists care more about birds than people.  So, now, some people want to put people back, especially the poor, at the center of the movement.   An article in the Christian Science Monitor reads, “This Earth Day, let’s focus on people.  Environmentalists go on about the loss of endangered species and degraded coral reefs. But we barely mention people – nature’s biggest beneficiaries. This Earth Day, let’s put human well-being at the center of things, and make explicit the value of nature to our everyday lives” (M. Sanjayan / April 20, 2012. the Christian Science Monitor).

I agree.  Let’s not forget people.  I dare to say, though, in this earth care movement we forget the most important partner: God.  Did you know God is the first environmentalist and the first whistle blower in the history of the earth care?  Almost three thousand years ago, He brought a charge against the polluters of the land (Isaiah 24:5, Hosea 4:1-3)—I will get to this later.  In today’s world, His name is barely mentioned, if ever,—God the Creator, the Sustainer, and the ever-gracious Benefactor.  If we want to succeed in the earth care, we need the whole picture.  In order to see the whole picture, we must consider every party involved (God, humans, and nature all together).  In fact, it’s the only way that will work.  Without God the Creator/Sustainer in the picture, no environmental movement would succeed.  God is the author of a holistic solution to the environmental issues today.

This is where my creation care idea differs from the secular version of “Save-the-Earth.”  My approach is: God – people – creation in that order.  The secular approach is: environment – people in that order with no God in it.  We may do some things in common like recycling and using energy efficient bulbs, yet the two approaches are fundamentally different.  My approach would say, “Let’s seek God’s wisdom, listen to Him, and do what God commands us to do.”  The secular earth care says, “Look, this earth is the only thing you’ve got.  You’d better take good care of it.”

Contents

So I begin with God.

In the beginning God created lights and creatures first that are non-human (sun, moon, stars, birds, plants, fish, and animals) for five days; at the end of each day of creation, God looked at His own work and said it was good (Genesis 1:3, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25).  On the sixth day, He created human-beings; when He looked at the humans, male and female, He said it was very good (Genesis 1:31).  At first, every creation of God worked and operated in perfect harmony and balance that pleased the Lord.  The ensuing creation story, however, doesn’t have a fairy tale ending: they didn’t live happily ever after.

“What did cause the imbalance and disharmony in God’s creation?” we may wonder.  The Bible says sin.  Sin caused it.  Sin has entered and permeated into the world: pride, selfishness, idolatry, hatred, murder, greed, and jealousy.  They entered in the history of the world and adversely affected the entire creation.  God, humans, and non-humans all suffered from it ever since.   Sin is the cause.  Pollution of the world is the effect.   The Bible says so. 

Listen to the Word of the LORD in Isaiah 24:5.  :  “The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant.” 

Listen to God one more time in Hosea 4:1-3.   “Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, For the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land. ² There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. ³ Therefore the land mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky, And also the fish of the sea disappear.”

Both times the Lord points out that all God’s creation (land, people, the beasts, the birds, and the fish) mourn and languish because of the inhabitants of the land and particularly their transgressions against God (swearing) and against each other (deception, murder, stealing, adultery, and violence).

Sin has broken the relationships among the three parties: God, humans, and non-humans.  Let’s take a closer look.

1. God and Humans.  In the beginning, God set the boundaries for humans (Genesis 2:16-17).   Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were consequently thrown out from Eden.

2. Humans and humans.  The first murder in human history took place in Adam’s family and innocent blood was shed on the ground (Genesis 4:8).  Since then, it was a downward spiral.  By the time of Noah, the sin in the world was so bad that the Lord grieved that he had made humankind (not the other creatures) on the earth.  His heart was filled with pain that He had to start anew (Genesis 6:6).

3. Humans and non-humans.  Humans kept abusing and misusing the God-given resources without providing proper care (we misinterpreted Genesis 1:28 and subdued the environment without mercy).  Creation eagerly awaits the day of redemption:  “²² For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now” (Romans 8:22).  “The creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19).

The real question is: how do we bring back the order, balance, and harmony among all three parties?  By fixing the broken relationships among the parties.  Once the broken relationships are restored, then the order, balance, and harmony will be naturally restored as well.  Please notice here the order of brokenness, because in the same order we will find the proper restoration: Be faithful to God.  Be merciful to each other.  Be a sensible steward.  Let me explain to you one by one.

a. Sin of breaking the Sabbath: there can be so many areas where we should restore our broken relationship with God, but let me suggest one thing today: that we start with the Sabbath.    It’s worth repeating the Fourth Commandment:

⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy (Exodus 20:8-11).

The whole idea of the Sabbath is that we rest one day a week: a complete stop from labor and rest.  God set the example before us: He Himself took a rest from His work on the seventh day.  He commands us to do the same.  Imagine a town where everyone takes a rest on Sunday at the same time.  That’s the beauty and key of the Sabbath.   Everyone at the same time.   God’s simple solution is still relevant, yet our society doesn’t follow it any longer.

Remember the Blue Laws?  America used to close the stores on Sunday until the 1960s.  Then, it began to vanish 50 years ago.  A few stores began to open Sundays, then the majority followed suit.  Now, opening the stores on Sunday is a norm in our society.  Keeping the Sabbath holy became a rarity even among the Christians.  We are all guilty of violating the Fourth Commandment, are we not?  Myself included.

Personally I believe shopping on Sundays hurt our society rather than help.  Why?  Not because shopping and pleasure activities themselves are evil, but because they take our time away from rest.  More activities mean more energy spent and less rest taken.  None of us is an Energizer Bunny, yet we think and act like one.  No wonder, back to work on Monday morning, many of us are sluggish.   Furthermore, environmentally speaking, keeping the stores open on Sunday means more electricity needs to be generated, more traffic for shoppers, more CO₂, and more family time taken away from the employees, let alone that of shoppers.  Maybe, I am living in a fantasy world myself, but I believe it doable (otherwise, God wouldn’t command us to do it) and God will honor those who honor Him by keeping the Sabbath holy.  Here are a couple of positive examples: 1) B & H Store in NYC.  Business (both store and online store) is shut down during Sabbath and Passover.   2) Chick-Fil-A company.  Stores are closed on Sundays.  Truett Cathy, the founder, says, “I don’t want to ask people to do that what I am not willing to do myself” (Golden Rule).    Both of them thrive with God’s blessings.

b. Sins of Hate, murder, jealousy, greed, and violence among nations: we need to restore peace among us.  One way to do it is Jubilee—God’s concept of debt cancellation. 

What is Jubilee?  In a nutshell, it is the year of release from debt.   Listen to the Word of God.  The Lord then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I shall give you, then the land shall have a sabbath to the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord…You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years. You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land. You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you (Leviticus 25:1-4, 8-10, NASB). 

Application: imagine the world where everyone, both individuals and nations, practices a universal debt cancellation [forgiveness—remember the Lord’s Prayer].  How wonderful would it be?  Not a far-fetched idea, either.  E.g. Japan three years ago said it would forgive about 300 billion yen ($3.7 billion) of Myanmar’s debt and resume development aid as a way to support the country’s democratic and economic reforms (ABC News 4/21/2012).

c. Sins of Greed and Abuse: Although we have been making a progress on this, we still have a long way to go.  One thing we Christians must remember is this: we are the stewards, not the owners of God’s creation.  The earth doesn’t belong to us.  Neither do we belong to the earth.  Both belong to God who has entrusted in our hands the care of the earth.  Being God’s stewards means that God will hold us accountable.  God will reward those who fear His name and will destroy those who destroy the earth (Revelation 11:18).

Application: Never waste God-given resources but use with care.  E.g.  A study shows the less consuming of meat helps to reduce the global warming: nearly 80 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions (of foods) come from producing and processing food. (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/10/07/141123243/how-that-food-you-throw-out-is-linked-to-global-warming).   So, my suggestion is to eat less meat.  E.g. My personal habit of eating half of the food at restaurant and bring the other half home.

Conclusion

We have a job to do: creation care (Romans 8:19).  Creation care begins with bringing God back into the picture.  We need to restore our broken relationships with God, with each other and with God’s creation.    We can only be responsible stewards of God’s creation when we keep God’s commandments, when we are merciful to each other, and when we treat God’s creation with the sense of accountability.

Let’s pray.

Pastor Choi talks about resurrection today: Christ affirms that there is resurrection.  He raised the dead.  He even raised Himself from the dead.  In the same resurrection we will partake after our physical death.  At the end of the sermon, Pastor Choi invites the congregation to take up an Easter Challenge: to worship the Lord every Sunday to walk close with God.

An Easter Challenge

Following is a summary of the sermon:

An Easter Challenge                                    Matthew 22:23-33

Matthew 22:23-33  New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Jesus Answers the Sadducees

²³ On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him,²⁴ asking, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up children for his brother.’ ²⁵ Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; ²⁶ so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. ²⁷ Last of all, the woman died. ²⁸ In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”

²⁹ But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.³⁰ For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ³¹ But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: ³² ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” ³³ When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

Introduction

The human mind is a curious thing; it sure is a curious thing.  Our brain houses the mind.  In this football-sized brain, we can contain the entire universe, the vast universe (E.g. The Sun is 93 million miles away, our own galaxy the Milky Way is so huge that it takes at the speed of light 100,000 years to travel across it.  It is the size of a quarter when the Sun is a microscopic speck of dust on it; whose orbit is the flat disc of the coin—NASA).

The human mind is curious about anything in the world; both visible and invisible.  It has an insatiable appetite for knowledge.  It is in the constant search of truth and information.  It engages itself in ever going exploration of the unknown.  In the past 30 years, technology and information have advanced in an unprecedented rate.  E.g. IBM computers in the 1980s took up the entire room.  Now, in the 2010s, we feel we need to upgrade our computers every three or four years due to the fast pace of innovations made.  Another example is genetic engineering: not only have scientists mapped the entire human DNA, but they also alter the genes across various species, cloning, cross-breeding, both plants and animals and even humans (it’s perilous times we are living in).

The same mind has been curious about one thing ever since Day-1 of human history: the afterlife.  What’s out there after we die?  There seem two beliefs: don’t know/nothing or something.   Apple co-founder Steve Jobs (in the book written by Walter Isaacson) once said about life after death: don’t know.  Maybe it is like a switch “on-off.”  50-50. This theory follows the logic that since we don’t exactly know what’s out there let’s not talk about it.  Death is followed by complete darkness.  No one knows what’s out there.  No one has been there and come back to tell us.  Science can’t prove it.  No one can explain it.  Today, many scientists follow this approach.

At the time of Jesus, the Sadducees (religious leaders and members of the Sanhedrin—the Jewish Council—along with the Pharisees) also took this approach, not through science but through logic.  They thought of themselves as rational (scientifically-minded in today’s term).  Has anyone come back to life after death and tell us what it is like?  No, then, why bother with something you don’t know well?  Why bother with something invisible and intangible?   So, they said, let’s focus on what we have here.  All we need is the idea of God and the principles to live by.  Not miracles.  Not resurrection. Not even angels.  Stop talking about supernatural things.   Just give me the Book of Law (Torah—the first five books of the Old Testament). 

That’s what today’s story is about: one day the Sadducees brought a hypothetical question to Jesus.  A woman was married seven times, they said.  If there is resurrection, whose wife is she going to be in the end?   A tricky question that no one was able to answer until Jesus cleared it up.  Jesus said to them, “Two things you don’t understand: the Scriptures and the power of God.”  There is resurrection, Jesus asserts.  It’s a sure thing.  Your question is invalid in itself, too, because there is no marriage in resurrection.  All will be like angels.   After all, Jesus concludes, God is the God of the living, not of the dead.

The second approach is the belief that there’s something out there after we die.  In this belief, there are two schools of thoughts.  One is reincarnation (Hinduism and Buddhism): basically, it is the recycling of life.  Born over and over again with no end.  Like a circle with no beginning and no end.  Continuous cycle of life for eternity.  The next life form you will be born into is determined by how good or bad you have been in the present life: born into a lower form of life if you had been bad and vice versa.  You will be born as a worm if you had been bad in this life.  A dog can be born into a human form in its next life if it had been a good dog.  The other branch is Christianity.  We believe in the resurrection.  Every human soul with no exception will be resurrected.   All will stand before God’s judgment throne.  They will either enter into eternal life in Heaven or eternal judgment in Hell.  God determines each one’s eternal fate.

So far, I talked about beliefs on the afterlife.  Now, if you were inquisitive, the Bible would be a good place to study further on this subject (e.g. 40 occurrences of the word “resurrection”).  It is filled with stories and teachings on resurrection, in both the Old and the New Testament.  For instance, Elisha the prophet in the Old Testament raised the son of Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:32-37).  In the New Testament Jesus raised the dead at least three times: resurrected the only son of a widow in Nain (Luke 7), raised the only daughter of Jairus (Mark 5), and raised Lazarus from the tomb (John 11).  Peter the Apostle raised a woman called Tabitha/Dorcas—Acts 9:36-41.   Paul the Apostle too raised a young man named Eutychus—Acts 20:7-12.  The Bible presents real proofs of physical resurrection.

Now, we can raise the bar another notch: Can Jesus, who taught about the resurrection and also raised others from the dead, raise Himself from the dead?  Yes, He can and He did.  He rose from the dead on the first Easter Day, every Apostle and every writer of the Four Gospels testified with their own lives.  He is the first fruit of resurrection, the Scripture says.  The risen Christ appeared to three ladies first, to His ten disciples, then to the doubting Thomas.  Later He also appeared to more than 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:5).   Then, He ascended into Heaven.

Since then, the Church of Christ celebrated Christ’s resurrection for the next two thousand years.   Please note here that the risen Christ never appeared to those who rejected His teachings or to those who refused to believe Him as the Messiah.  If I were Christ, I would’ve appeared to everyone who doubts God’s power to raise the Christ from the dead (this approach of mine is dangerous because it puts God to the test and brings Him down to the human level).  E.g. an atheist professor dares God, if He exists, to strike him down with lightning.  Nothing happens so he claims that there’s no God.  Just remember: God doesn’t respond to those who put Him to the test.  He appears only to those who sincerely seek Him.   E.g.2. an atheist teacher asks the children in classroom to look at the sky.  He asks if they see God in the sky.  When the students say no, he says, “See?  There’s no God.”  Johnny the student asks his peers if they can see the teacher’s brain.  When they say no, he says, “See?  He has no brain.”

Finally, I want to place an Easter challenge before you.  I hope and pray that all of us will take it.  The challenge is to renew our relationship with God through worship for the next year.  The goal is to worship the Lord at least 52 times in the coming year.  Yes, that means, once a week.  Every Sunday.  Perfect attendance for a year.  Challenging, maybe.  But, it is doable.

Why the challenge?  Let me explain.  I am thankful that we all share the same faith in Jesus’ resurrection.   Every one of us believes that Christ has risen from the dead, right?  Otherwise, you would not have been here this morning.  We believe that we too will partake in the same resurrection as Jesus, that is, to have the same resurrection body that Jesus had, that transcends time and space.  We also believe that we will be in the presence of God forever along with our loved ones in the place called Heaven.  So far, so good.

I must point out to you, though, that it would be very naïve of us to believe that having such intellectual agreements alone would carry us all the way to Heaven’s gate even when we neglect to worship the Lord on a regular basis, let’s say only a couple of times a year.  You know that there’s such a word in the Church nowadays, “Chr-easter-s” combined word of the two words: Christmas and Easter referring to folks who go to church only twice a year on holidays.

I am not criticizing anyone.  Because there are some reasons why people don’t worship the Lord often enough.  You work on Sundays, you have families over, you are tired, you want to sleep in, and so forth.  You don’t have to explain to me or defend yourself.  It is between God and you.  All I am saying is this: even though worship itself doesn’t guarantee your seat in Heaven, it will help you to stay the course without drifting away from salvation.   It is delusional to believe that we still have a good chance or even a guarantee in Heaven without worshiping the Lord.   If I were you, I would make sure that I clear out my Sunday mornings so that I worship God with God’s children every Sunday.  Why?  Because in worship we encounter the living God.  Worship establishes and reaffirms our covenantal relationship with the Almighty God: who we are and what kind of God we serve and honor.  Worship, like an anchor to a ship, keeps us from drifting away from God.  Worship also provides the opportunity to cultivate the attitude of gratitude.  In worship we encourage one another.  We will miss out on all these great opportunities if we only go to church a couple of times a year.

Think this way: Jesus was in very nature God.  However, when He was on earth, He would worship the Lord every week along with other believers either at synagogue or at the Temple of God.  How much more do we need to do so?  By the way, if you got hurt in the past by the Church, or by “the organized religion,” for whatever reasons, I sincerely apologize on behalf of the believers.  However, that shouldn’t keep you from worshiping the Lord, because it is Satan’s scheme to keep you from the Body of Christ by all means.   After all, as the Day of Judgment is approaching, God commands us never to neglect worship (Hebrews 10:25).

I pray all of us will take up the Easter Challenge so that next year you come to me and say, “I have completed my challenge!”  And, I will say, “Good for you!  Praise God!”  Take up the challenge, and you will be forever blessed. Your life won’t be the same.

Amen.

Today Pastor Choi highlights Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem 2000 years ago.  The biblical scholars call it “triumphal.”  Was it really, though?  If so, in what sense?  Not in the world’s point of view but in God’s.  Not in power and dominance but in humility and service.   Christ the King clearly demonstrated true power and triumph through His humble examples in birth, teaching, life, and death.

  Jesus the Humble King

Following is a summary of his sermon: 

Jesus the Humble King                                                              John 12:12-16

Jesus Enters Jerusalem    John 12:12-16 (NASB)

¹² On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,¹³ took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” ¹⁴ Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, ¹⁵ “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” ¹⁶ These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.

Introduction 

Once I watched a PBS program on “Frontline” featuring Kim Jung-il the North Korean dictator.  It explained how America got into the botched nuclear deal with North Korea in the 1990s.  One of the people interviewed in the program was then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.  She had a meeting with Kim to ease the tension between the two countries caused by North Korea’s missile development.  Albright and her team were invited to the 50^th Anniversary of the Labor Party.  They were impressed with the way they were treated.  ¼ million people cheered in one accord, applauded, chanting their leader’s name, and pledging their unshakable allegiance to their leader. 

Wow!  That’s what I would call an unforgettable welcome.  Such an impressive welcome, however, is nowhere seen in today’s passage where Jesus the Messiah enters Jerusalem.   

Contents  

Two thousand years ago today, He entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey’s back.  The crowds, marching in front and behind Him, shouted in excitement “Hosanna! (הושיעה־נא —Please save now!) Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna!”  They shouted aloud, “O Jesus Our King!  Please save us now!  Save us!”   Some waved the palms in honor of the king of Israel.  Others spread their cloaks on the road along with palm branches.  I have to tell you, though.   It was rather a small and unnoticed event in Jerusalem at the time, because about 3 million people were in the city to celebrate the Passover.   Had it been there a newspaper in town, it never would’ve made a headline. The biblical scholars call the historical event of Jesus’ entry triumphal, though. 

Now, here’s a question to ask.  Why is it called triumphal? (See also, Zechariah 9:9, 2 Corinthians 2:14)   Why is it so? 

Was it because there was anything in Jesus’ march that deserves to be called triumphal and magnificent?   Humanly speaking, my honest answer is no.   Here’s why.  The word “triumph” comes from an ancient “ceremony attending the entering of Rome by a general who had won a decisive victory over a foreign enemy” (Merriam-Webster).  Certain images come to my mind such as an impressive long procession of captives, chariots, and soldiers carrying in pride on their shoulders the spoils of the battle.   Laurels on the general’s head and fancy red carpet would also be appropriate.  Finally, the march would culminate in magnificent and professional fanfares.  Yet, none of the above was shown, not even a hint, in Jesus’ procession.  Not at all. 

Furthermore, in the worldly sense, the status as triumphant king should have lasted for a while.  At least, more than a week.  Yet, do you know what happened to Jesus following His entry?   Two or three days after the entry, Jesus was completely betrayed and abandoned by His own disciples.   He was arrested, spat on, beaten, and mocked by Roman soldiers.  The next morning the crowd rejected Him by shouting, “Crucify him!  Crucify him!”  Eventually, Jesus the King of the Jews was crucified.   Anyone with average intelligence would not call such Jesus’ entry and the following events triumphal and victorious, would he?  Why, then, do we call it triumphal?

Here’s why.  We call it triumphal because God says so.   We must understand that God’s definition and our Christian understanding of triumph is absolutely different from that in the world.   The world measures one’s success and victory by power, achievements, position, degrees, wealth, health, and long life.   The more you have, the greater you are.   The less you have, the less significant you are.  However, God judges differently.  He measures one’s success by faithfulness and obedience to the Lord, even though at times it means rejection, humiliation, mockery, persecution, suffering, imprisonment, and even death.  E.g. Think of all martyrs.  John the Baptist.   Please notice here that Jesus rode on the donkey back in order to fulfill the Scriptures (Zechariah 9:9), that is to obey God’s will.  In fact, He could’ve have commanded the heavenly angels to declare, “Hail the king!  Long live the king!”  He could’ve called out the heavenly choir to sing wonderful tributes one after another accompanied with angelic trumpets.  Yet, He didn’t.  Why?  Because He knew better than that.  He wanted to demonstrate to the world what really matters in the Kingdom of God: Love not force.  Service not dominance. Humility not arrogance. 

Speaking of humility, Jesus was a humble king.   His image as king doesn’t fit at all the worldly image, does it?  Listen to Napoleon Bonaparte: “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius?  Upon force.  Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him.”

In the worldly sense Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem was anything but triumphal.  Yet, it was the most splendid and magnificent procession in God’s sight.   He was anybody but king in human eyes.  Yet, He was the true king of kings in the kingdom of God because He was the humblest of all.   Paradox, isn’t it?  Paradox!   In fact, Christ’s message is full of such paradox:  He said, if you lose your life for Me, you will gain it again.   When you cling to your life denying Me in front of the people, then you would lose your life eternal.  Death means life.  Life means death.  The first will be the last, and the last will be the first.   The servant of all here on earth will be the greatest among all in heaven.  The master washes disciples’ feet.   Bless your enemies, give them a drink when they are thirsty, and feed them when they are hungry, and so on. 

Jesus came to earth not to be served but to serve us (Mark 10:45).  He demonstrated true humility in all areas of His life— birth, life examples, teachings, and even in death.  He was equal to God, yet He was born in human flesh laid down in a manger.  He was the Lord of all, yet He washed His disciples’ dirty and smelly feet with His hands.  He was the king of kings, yet He died naked on the cross.   Philippians 2:5-8 well summarizes such Jesus’ humility.  “Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on the cross!” (E.g. the closest analogy I can think of is turning myself a human into a lower form of life such as an amoeba or ant).

Conclusion 

As we celebrate Palm Sunday today, I pray that all of us would remember one thing: Jesus’ humility.  I pray that we imitate the humble Christ in all areas of our lives.  I pray that we seriously check out our own measurements of greatness and success: follow God’s definition not that of the world.  I often wonder how we Americans appear in the eyes of the world.  We are a mighty nation, are we not?  We often demonstrated our military supremacy to the world, didn’t we?  Yet, are we not considered a very arrogant nation? 

Christ’s message is clear for all whether individuals, families, or nations: true greatness is only to be measured and demonstrated in humility and service not in arrogance or dominance.  May the Lord would help us to practice our humility daily by considering others better than we are and serve them accordingly. 

Let us pray.      

Today Pastor Choi talks about Jesus’ healing ministry.  He points out that God’s healing is still available in the 21^st century.  He also reminds the congregation to do three things before they seek divine healing: first, say “God’s will be done.”  Next, leave no sin unresolved.  Third, believe that God can heal the sick.  He exhorts the congregation to claim God’s healing with faith and perseverance. 

     Jesus’ Ministry. Healing

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Jesus’ Ministry (3): Healing                             Matthew 8:1-4

Matthew 8:1-4   New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

8 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. ² And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” ³ Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Introduction

In the past two Sundays we learned what Jesus has done for people in His ministry.  First, He taught.  His teachings were full of truth, grace, and wisdom.  Jesus’ teachings are priceless and it would be tragic if we don’t learn from them.  They are recorded in the Bible and that’s why I urge every child of God to get into the Word of God to be fed by and live on Jesus’ teachings.  Jesus also preached.  He proclaimed the Kingdom of God—that is to come and that is here and now.  While we await the Kingdom of God to come with Jesus’ Second Coming, we live out God’s Kingdom here and now by keeping Jesus’ Word.  We live it out by on-going repentance of our sins and forgiveness of each other’s sins.

Today, as part three of my series, I will speak about the healing ministry of Jesus.  Once a pastor calculated how much time Jesus spent during His public ministry for healing of the sick.  He claimed that about 2/3 of Jesus’ time was devoted to healing and the rest to teaching and preaching.  Just for this reason alone, it is worth our time looking into the healing ministry of Jesus.  After careful research on this topic I realized that there is no way for me to cover the entire subject of divine healing with one sermon.  Therefore, this morning I would focus on the following two things: first, divine healing is still available in the 21^st century.  Second, what we need to remember when we seek God’s healing.

Contents

History of the divine healing in the Scriptures: 

Throughout the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, we see God heal His people.  The God whom we worship and serve is the God of Healing.  Begin with the name Rafael—God of Healing (Immanuel, Israel, Michael, El Shaddai, El Elyon, and Bethel).  YAHWEH God declares, “I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26). 

Here are three examples in the Old Testament where God made people whole again.   First, God healed the infertility problem among the women of Abimelech (Genesis 20:17).  Second, He healed King Hezekiah’s unknown sickness at the point of death and added 15 more years to his life (2 Kings 20:1 ff).  Third, He cured Naaman’s leprosy (2 Kings 5).

Jesus our Lord also healed many people during His Ministry on earth.  He even raised the dead (Luke 11, John 11).  In fact, He healed every disease (Matthew 4:23).  To name the few, He healed the people of paralysis (Matthew 4:24), hemorrhage (Matthew 9:22), blind (Luke 18:43), deaf and dumb (John 5:10), dropsy (Luke 14:2), epilepsy (Luke 9:42), and leprosy (Luke 17:11 ff).  He also healed the people who were oppressed by demons (Mark 9:14 ff).  He came to set people free from the bondage of pain and suffering.

Even after Jesus ascended into heaven, God’s healing ministry continued in the Early Church: this time by the hands of Jesus’ Apostles.  I am going to give you a couple of examples. 

First, Peter and John (Acts 3).  One day, they were going up to the Temple in Jerusalem to pray.  It was in the afternoon around 3 o’clock.  At the gate of the Temple, a man lame from birth was begging for alms from the people who entered the Temple. When the beggar asked for alms from Peter and John, Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none, but I give you what I have.  In the name of Jesus, rise and walk!”  Then, Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.  The man stood up, and began to walk, jump, and praise God. 

Next, Paul the Apostle did many healings as well in the name of Jesus.  One time, he was shipwrecked at an island (Malta) along with other 275 passengers (Acts 27:37 ff).  He cured the father of the chief of the island and later many others with diseases and led the entire island to Christ (Acts 28:8-9). 

What about the churches in the first century?  Yes, they too carried on this divine healing in the name of Jesus.  For instance, in the Corinthian Church, some believers received the gift of healing and used it for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 12:28).  

For the next 2000 years, the Church of Christ practiced and benefited from divine healing of the sick. 

The real question is whether divine healing still happens or not in today’s church.  It was thing of the past and no longer God Himself heals the sick, some claim.  He uses doctors instead.   Others like me disagree.  Why?  Because God doesn’t change over time.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  The God of Healing in the Old Testament still heals people today.  The same Jesus in the New Testament still sets us free from the demonic oppressions and ailments in our body and soul (Acts 10:48).  

For more empirical reasons, I asked the following questions for myself: Have I experienced it personally?  (YES, I have and in fact more than once too)  Do I personally know people who are healed in the name of Jesus?  (YES, I do)  Have I seen God’s people healed in my own ministry? (YES, I have)—one time in Michigan, we prayed for God’s healing in the congregation and for 18 months we didn’t lose a single life.  Therefore, with the fullest conviction, I can testify to you that divine healing is still available to those who claim it in the name of Jesus.  Of course, God uses many other means of healing such as doctors, nurses, medicine, and medical technology, yet God still wants you and me to seek divine healing. 

I am going to present now three essential things to remember as we seek divine healing: 

First and foremost, God’s will:  Before we claim God’s promise of healing, we must bring in our humble attitude—the foundation of answered prayers—God’s will be done.

In today’s story, the leper said to Jesus, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” ³ Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed” (Matthew 8:2-3, NASB).  Take this God’s promise with you in your prayers and present it to Jesus: Lord, if you are willing, you can make me whole like you did the leper. 

Next, leave no sin unresolved.   Sin must be dealt before we invoke God’s healing upon us, because undealt sins block the answers from God (Mark 11:25-26).  Confess every sin before you ask.  Also, forgive your perpetrators.  An unforgiving spirit is a boulder that blocks the path to answered prayers. 

Thirdly, believe that God heals you.  In almost every case of Jesus’ healing He emphasized the importance of the person’s faith: your faith has saved you (Luke 7:50) or do you believe that I can do for you? (Matthew 9:28) or.  Say to Jesus, “YES, I DO!”  In today’s story, the leper said to Jesus, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”  Say to Jesus, “YES, YOU CAN!” Do not expect to get anything from God if you doubt God’s ability (James 1:6-7).  E.g.  My experience with some people who prayed with me for the divine healing.  Believe that you already received it: Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you (Mark 11:24, NASB).   Notice the sequence here: believe and it will be granted. 

Once these three conditions are met, we go to God in prayer for healing.  Don’t give up after one prayer.  Keep on praying.  In fact, Jesus commands us to be persistent (Luke 18) until we receive the healing or until the Lord reveals the reason why the answer is no like Jesus or Paul (but that’s another topic for later time).

Conclusion

My prayer for all of you: may God heal your body, mind, soul, and spirit in Jesus’ name. 

Invite the people to the altar in the following steps as Paul did (Acts 28:8): Pray-Lay Hands-Heal.

1.  I pray: Lord, You are the God of Healing.  You want us to be free from physical illness.  If You are willing, You can make us whole.  We ask for Your forgiveness on everything we’ve done wrong.  We forgive those who trespass against us.  Every one of them.  We believe that You have already answered our prayers.  We thank You and praise You for the healing.  Have mercy on us.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.
2. People kneel/stand around the altar.
3. I lay my hands on them saying, “Be healed in the name of Jesus.  Amen.”
4. Leave the rest to God.

Today Pastor Choi continues his sermon series on Jesus’ ministry: preaching.  The central theme of Christ’s preaching was the Kingdom of God.  Pastor Choi explains the two aspects of the Kingdom of God: here and now (present) and that is to come (future). In the end, he exhorts God’s people to establish God’s Kingdom in their hearts by repentance and forgiveness.

Jesus’ Ministry. Preaching

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Jesus’ Ministry (part 2): Preaching     Mark 1:14-15

¹⁴ Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15, NASB).

Introduction

I promised you last Sunday a three-part sermon series on Jesus’ ministry.   First, I talked about His teaching ministry: his teachings are filled with truth, grace, and wisdom.  It would be a grave mistake with eternal consequences if we fail to tap into God’s great resource for us—the Bible where we find Jesus’ teachings.  Today, as part 2 of the series, we will think about His preaching ministry.  During His ministry for three years, Jesus would go around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the Kingdom of God (Luke 8:1).  Today’s text well sums up what He preached about:  Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15).

Contents

The catch phrase for His ministry is this: The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).   The central theme of His preaching was the Kingdom of God.

What is the Kingdom of God?

A child in China once asked a missionary what the Kingdom of God is.  The missionary simply explained that the Kingdom of God is the kingdom where God is King.   The Kingdom of God is, indeed, where God is King and we are His subjects.  In the Kingdom of God, God is in charge and we are His citizens.  He is our loving Father and we are His children.   In God’s Kingdom He is our Lord and we are His servants.  He is our boss and we are His agents working together to bring about His Kingdom here on earth.

Two concepts

We all wonder when and where Kingdom of God is going to come.  I will explain briefly this morning that there are two aspects of the Kingdom of God: here and now and that is to come.   Present and future.  Let me explain the future sense of God’s Kingdom first.   It will come in the end times.   One day Jesus’ disciples asked Him when the end of the age is going to come on the earth—the full consummation of God’s Kingdom (Matthew 24:3).  Jesus answered: there will be wars, rumors of wars, natural disasters, heavenly signs, and the persecution of believers.  The gospel must be preached in the entire world before it comes.  There will be false prophets and false Christs.  Lawlessness is to be increased and people’s love will grow cold.  Then, the end of the world will come and Christ will return in His glory.   Since nobody but God knows exactly when it is going to be, Christ commands us to be prepared, watch, and pray.   That is the Kingdom of God in the future.  The full consummation of God’s reign both in the heavens and on earth.

Here’s the other aspect: the Kingdom of God here and now—it is the foretaste of God’s Kingdom in your heart and this is what we need to be concerned about while we are waiting for Christ’s coming.  In fact, that’s what today’s text is all about: God’s Kingdom here and now.  Let me elaborate on it.

The Kingdom of God at hand

Jesus begins verse 15 saying, the time (kairos–God’s time) is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand.  “At hand” means God’s Kingdom is right next to you and to your heart.  By the way, the Kingdom of God at hand— it reminds me of an imagery of Jesus standing at the door knocking: Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me (Revelation 3:20, NASB).

What is your answer to His call?  Jesus asks you to open your heart and invite Him so that you may have the relationship with Him: Christ as your King and you as His servant.  Invite Him into your heart and to your throne: you give up your throne to Him and serve Him as your Lord.   He calls you to establish this wonderful and eternal relationship with Him.  He wants you to walk in God’s light and truth.  He wants you to do justice and walk humbly with God.  He wants you to pursue holiness with Him and peace with one another (Hebrews 12:14).

Repent

You may wonder what’s the first thing you need to do to establish the Kingdom of God in your heart.  Jesus answers, “through repentance.”  Now, think with me.  Out of so many words Jesus could’ve chosen for His ministry catch phrase such as “The Kingdom of God is at hand, therefore, be good/do good/serve the poor/ pray/read the Bible/go to church/transform the world” and so forth, why did He choose the word “Repent” instead?

Repent is one of the most beautiful words in Christianity that has been misunderstood, misinterpreted, and consequently has been shunned by preachers and believers for years in America.  E.g. In my seminary days, the emphasis of preaching class was “Give a positive and uplifting message.”  Therefore, shun negative words such as sin or repentance.  But, you know what?  If Jesus used them, so shall I.  So must every preacher.  In fact, it would be a great disservice to you if I only focus on the “feel-good” words never mentioning words that are essential in the Christian’s life.  I just don’t want to omit the words that Jesus frequently used: the words that are crucial in our relationship with God and with each other.  Repentance is the word Jesus often used in the context of forgiveness.

Why repentance is important?  Because it is a means to restore our relationship with God and with each other.  Everyone needs a relationship with God, therefore, everyone needs repentance.  Without repentance, there’s no forgiveness, and there is no relationship with God.  No matter how holy and devout we may think we are, we still need to repent to God and to one another.  As often as we can.  Repentance is a tool to make up our broken relationships with God and with each other.  By the way, the tense for Greek verb ‘to repent’ here is present and it carries the meaning of “on-going” action of repentance, not just a one-time and done deal.  Repentance is an on-going act before God.   If you had repented twenty years ago, and never did repent since, something is wrong.  To me, repentance is a daily act with God and with each other.

Believe in the gospel.

Jesus said, repent and believe in the gospel (v. 15).

Believe what?  The gospel.  The good news.  What is the good news?  The good news of God.  The good news that God originated and brings to all.  The good news that Jesus came and died on our behalf.  Last Sunday, one child asked me why we call the Friday when Jesus died on the cross good.  I explained that although it was sad to see Him crucified, we still call Good Friday because of the good that God brings forth out of Christ’s death on our behalf.  I cannot have enough of this great news for all.  In fact, the greatest news of all with the eternal benefit for you and me.

Jesus died on the cross to redeem us from the penalty of our sins.  The same Jesus asks us (the forgiven) to forgive others.  Lent is the great time for forgiveness.  First, we seek God’s forgiveness for our sins against God and against others.  Next, we ask for forgiveness from others.  Thirdly, it is our turn to forgive others’ sins.  Now, some of us have a hard time forgiving someone in our lives.  For whatever wrong they have done against us.  Let me tell you.  God commands us to forgive.  Forgiveness is not a suggestion or option.  It is a command like the Ten Commandments.  E.g. You shall not murder/steal.

Forgiveness is intentional not emotional.  When we forgive the perpetrator, we do not rely on our feelings.  Rather, we use our will power.  It is about giving up our right to revenge and putting it in God’s hands. “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” says the Lord (Romans 12:19).  E.g.  On October 2, 2006, a non-Amish man Charles Karl Roberts IV, a 30-year old truck driver, entered an Amish Schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, PA.  He tied up all ten girls and shot them all.  Five of them died.  When a trooper came in through the window, he turned the gun on himself.  The same day the Amish community visited the killer’s father and told him, “Chuck, we will forgive you.”  More than thirty Amish attended the burial of Charles Roberts the perpetrator.  Among them were the parents of several victims.  Listen to a mother of a victim: “To me when I think of forgiving, it doesn’t mean that you have forgotten what he’s done.  But it means that you have released unto God the one who has offended you.  And you have given up your right to seek revenge.  I place the situation in God’s hands.  And I choose not to hold against Charles because it really doesn’t help me anything anyway” (Video, The Amish, The American Experience).

Conclusion

If Jesus starts His public ministry in America today, what catch phrase would He use for His ministry?  I believe He would take up the same sentences that He used 2000 years ago in Israel: the Kingdom of God is near, therefore, repent and believe in the good news.  Establish your relationship with God by repenting of your sins.   Ask for God’s forgiveness and forgive those who trespass against you.  Believe in the greatest news of all: Jesus loves you and died for you.

Amen.

Today Pastor Choi walks the congregation through Jesus’ teaching ministry.  He points out that His teachings are still relevant today in America in the following three aspects.  They are full of truth, full of grace, and full of wisdom.  He exhorts God’s people to get into God’s Word today to live out Jesus’ teachings in their daily lives.

    Jesus’ Teaching Ministry

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Jesus’ Ministry (I): Teaching                         Matthew 4:23-25

Matthew 4:23-25  New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Ministry in Galilee

²³ Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

²⁴ The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.

Introduction

Last Sunday, I talked about why Jesus the Messiah came to this earth: to set us free from the bondage of sin and death and to release us from physical and emotional evils.  For the next three Sundays, I am going to walk you through Jesus’ public ministry to know what He has done to minister to the people.   Today’s reading well sums up His ministry: Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people (Matthew 4:23). 

This morning, as part 1 of the series, we will think about Jesus’ teaching ministry.

Contents

Jesus was a marvelous teacher.  People in His time were truly astonished at His teaching.  They noticed that His teaching was far superior to those of the scribes—teachers of the Law, because He taught the lessons with authority (Mark 1:22).   In fact, they were so amazed that they debated among themselves saying, “What is this?  A new teaching—and with authority!”  (Mark 1:27). 

Of course, it is not difficult to figure out why His teaching was so outstanding:

First, Jesus was from above while the other teachers were from below.  He was the Son of God while the scribes/rabbis were mere human beings.  When it comes down to God’s Word, He learned firsthand from God the Father while the others didn’t.  

Next, Jesus was the Word of God Himself (John 1:1). Therefore, He had no need of external support for His teachings, while the scribes would refer to the rabbinic teachings.    E.g.  Jesus (the Sun—the source of light) and scribes (the Moon—the reflections). 

Thirdly, the clarity, simplicity, and the conviction of truth Jesus brought to the audience were far superior to those of the scribes because the Holy Spirit was working together in His teaching, while the same Spirit was foreign to the scribes. 

That was 2000 years ago.  His teachings truly helped the people of God in Israel.  What about today?  The question of relevance arises: Are Jesus’ teachings still relevant in today’s world?   In the 21^st century in America?  My answer to that question is a resounding “YES!!!”

Why? 

Because His Word is the truth, and the truth never changes.  The same truth He taught 2000 years ago in Israel still remains true and relevant in the 21^st century in America.  His teachings were filled with truth, grace, and wisdom back then, and they are still the same today.  Let me elaborate on what I said.

First and foremost, Jesus’ teaching is full of truth.  In the Gospel stories, we see many lessons of Jesus.  When you really pay attention to them, you cannot but think that He is telling you the truth and nothing but the truth.  He is not politically correct.  He doesn’t show favoritism to anyone, either.  Here’s one example.  One day He was speaking to the religious leaders about their hypocrisies.  He didn’t mince words.  Listen: ²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.²⁶ You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also” (Matthew 23:25-26, NASB). 

When it comes to speaking the truth, Jesus is the lion, not a lamb.  He also speaks directly to the heart of the listeners, so sometimes it hurts.  That’s why the religious leaders hated Him and later killed Him. 

I remember reading a story of a preacher and two brothers:  “(The two brothers) were rich.  They were also wicked.  Both lived a wild, unprofitable existence, using their wealth to cover up the dark side of their lives.  On the surface, however, few would have guessed it, for these consummated cover-up artists attended the same church almost every Sunday and contributed large sums to various church-related projects.  Then the church called a new pastor, a young man who preached the truth with zeal and courage.  Before long, attendance had grown so much that the church needed a larger worship center.  Being a man of keen insight and strong integrity, this young pastor had also seen through the hypocritical lifestyles of the two brothers.  Suddenly one of the brothers dies, and the young pastor was asked to preach his funeral.  The day before the funeral, the surviving brother pulled the minister aside and handed him an envelope.  “There’s a check in here that is large enough to pay the entire amount you need for the new sanctuary,” he whispered. “All I ask is one favor: Tell the people at the funeral that he was a saint.”  The minister gave the brother his word; he would do precisely what was asked.  That afternoon he deposited the check into the church account.  The next day the young pastor stood before the casket at the funeral service and said with firm conviction, “This man was an ungodly sinner, wicked to the core.  He was unfaithful to his wife, hot-tempered with his children, ruthless in his business, and a hypocrite at church…but compared to his brother, he was a saint” (Leadership magazine, Fall 1995). 

I pray that God’s Church would follow Jesus’ example of teaching the truth.  May the preachers do the same, handling God’s truth accurately without compromise (2 Timothy 2:15).  May God’s people welcome the truth of God even though it hurts. 

Next, Jesus’ teaching is full of grace.  Do you remember His encounter with a woman who was caught in adultery?  Listen:  “But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.² Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. ³ The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. ⁵ Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” ⁶ They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. ⁷ But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. ¹⁰ Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” 

Each time I read this account, it gives me goose bumps.  No one but Christ can come up with such a graceful truth to a sinner like me.

Thirdly, His teaching is full of wisdom.  His lessons are priceless.  Listen to this: ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹ for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Here’s another one:²² “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! ²⁴ ‘No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth’” (Matthew 6:19-24, NASB). 

How about this one? “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34).

Oh, I can go on and on.  We sure miss such great teachings from a great Teacher.  However, God hasn’t left us alone without help.  In fact, He has given us two resources to tap into for our life journey: the Great Book and a resident Teacher in us.  The Great Book is the Bible where we can find Jesus’ teachings.  The resident Teacher in us is the Holy Spirit. 

Here’s the sad reality: Few people of God get into God’s Word, because they lack the desire to get into the treasure of Jesus’ teachings.  Few are aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence in them and even less ask Him for help.  Therefore, most of God’s people remain ignorant of Jesus’ teachings and deprived of blessings thereof.   The end result?  We miss out on the life-transforming teachings of Jesus.  We miss out on the abundant life in the Holy Spirit.  The worst of all, we may miss out on eternal life if we neglect God’s Word. 

Do you know who Satan is?  Your enemy.   Do you know what his ultimate goal is?   To deprive you of eternal life.  How does he achieve that?  By convincing you that you can live by bread alone without God’s Word.  By convincing you that God’s Word is too difficult to understand so that you may not open the Bible.  By convincing you that it is the preacher’s job, not yours, to read the Bible.  By keeping you from having access to God’s Word.  By keeping you ignorant of the salvation knowledge.  He would do everything in his power to keep you from God’s truth so that you may miss eternal life.  Never ever allow your enemy to do that.

Conclusion

God has given us the Bible and the resident Teacher in us.  We have no excuses not to rely on them in our life journey.  We have God’s Word right under our nose and God’s Spirit in us.  Show me a believer who takes God’s Word seriously, and I will show you a believer who loves Jesus. 

Get into God’s Word today.  Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you Jesus’ way, too.  By the way, about 18 months ago, I challenged you to read the entire Bible, from cover to cover and let me know.  Then, I would record your name in my book, “The Book Club.”  I am still waiting.   If you think Jesus was the Great teacher and His teachings are relevant today, you will get on them in the Bible starting today.  Beginners, you can start with the Gospel of John, and you will be forever blessed.

Let’s pray.

Pastor Choi talks about Christ’s mission statement today.  Jesus the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, came to accomplish God’s given mission to preach the good news to the humble and meek, to bind up the broken-hearted, to set the captives free from the bondage of sin and death, and to pay the wages of our sin forever through His own death.

Christ’s Mission Statement

Following is a summary of the sermon:

Title: Christ’s Mission Statement

Text: Luke 4:14-21, Isaiah 61:1-2

Luke 4:14-21New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Jesus’ Public Ministry

¹⁴ And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. ¹⁵ And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.

¹⁶ And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
¹⁹ To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

²⁰ And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹ And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Introduction

Imagine this: Using a time machine, you travel back to the first century Israel to the town of Nazareth the hometown of Jesus.  The first thing you notice is that it is a very small town with a population under 500.  It happens to be a Sabbath Day.  You walk into the synagogue that is built on a hill.  You enter there and quietly sit while waiting for the service to start.  There are about 30-40 people gathered, men and women altogether.  Not long after you sit down, Jesus comes in.  The service starts.  Then, He stands up which means He has something to say to the people.  The attendant of the synagogue brings Him the Torah.  He opens Isaiah 61:1-2 (the prophecy on the Messiah) and reads it aloud to the people.  Then He sits down and says to the congregation the prophecy that they just heard has been fulfilled in their hearing that day.  In other words, Jesus claims that He is the Messiah–the Anointed–God’s chosen one.   You hear Him saying it in plain Aramaic.  He is the Messiah.  Most of the folks, however, don’t get it.

Contents

In fact, that’s exactly what happened one day two thousand years ago in Nazareth Jesus’  hometown (Luke 4:16-30).  Before He launched His public ministry in the district of Galilee, Jesus declared to everyone in His hometown that He was the Messiah of God.  FYI: the Hebrew word ‘Messiah’ is same as Christ.  The anointed one of God.  In the Old Testament times, in three occasions a person was anointed with oil to announce that God has set them apart for certain tasks: kings for ruling, priests for sacrifices and prayers, and the prophets for delivering God’s message to God’s people.  The Messiah has all three offices: king of kings, the High Priest for our sins, and the Messenger of God’s Word.  Jesus is the Messiah sent by God.  This morning, we will carefully listen to the Messiah and His mission statement.

Isaiah 61:1-2 is not only the prophecy on the Messiah but it also tells us about his mission.  It is Christ’s mission statement in which Jesus laid out why God anointed Him, to whom He was sent, and what He would do for the people.  Let me unpack His mission statement:

First, God sent the Messiah to preach the Good News to the poor.  The first task for the Messiah is to bring the Good News of God to the poor–the recipients of the Good News.  The original meaning of ‘to preach the Good News,’ ‘to bring the good tidings,’ and ‘to bring a joyful message’ carries the meaning of ‘to rub/smooth the face.’  By bringing the Messiah, God wants to comfort His people.

The Hebrew word for ‘poor’ (ahnahv) also deserves our attention here.  It can be translated in five different ways: poor, afflicted, weak, humble, or meek.  Consider the two slightly different versions of the Beatitudes: in Matthew Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3, NASB).  In Luke Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God ” (Luke 6:20, NASB).  Matthew was a Jew who understood Jesus’ usage of the word (ahnahv) and, therefore, translated it ‘those who are poor in spirit (that is, humble),’ while Luke a Gentile literally translated as the poor with meager material possessions.

Knowing the usage of this adjective ‘poor’ (ahnahv) in various settings, I am inclined to go with that the Messiah preaches the Good News to the humble and meek.  The humble and meek means that they are neither strong nor mighty.  Perfectly understanding their weaknesses, they are not high on themselves.  They readily acknowledge that they need One who is mightier and stronger than themselves.  They are ready to accept God into their lives.

What about the proud and the mighty–the opposite of humble and meek?  Rich folks tend to be haughty.  Jesus says that it is extremely difficult for the rich to get into the Kingdom of Heaven: “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24).   Why?  Because, they are proud, relying not on God but on their own might.  Furthermore, they rely on the power of money and pursue and worship mammon.  They also tend to look down on folks believing that they are better than others.  God is opposed to the proud.  Be sure that you stay humble to avoid self-reliance and to prevent yourself from worshiping mammon.

The second mission of the Messiah is to bind up the broken-hearted.  The Hebrew word for ‘to bind’ is habash: bind up the wounds.  So, the Messiah came to bind up the wounds of the broken-hearted.  He came to comfort the distressed and emotionally wounded.  I am thinking of those folks who have been emotionally mistreated and verbally abused in their relationships.  The Messiah came for those folks to bind up their wounds and make them whole again.   The imagery that comes to my mind is gentle and loving, kind hands that bind up our wounds.  In fact, Jesus is such a kind and loving God.  Isaiah 42:3 says about the Messiah: “A bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”  Matthew 11:28-29: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (NASB).   The Church–the Body of Christ– also should be the sanctuary for the wounded spirits and crushed souls.

Thirdly, Christ came to set free the captives and set at liberty those who are oppressed.  Here, Jesus the Messiah is not talking about political liberation through revolution.  Rather, He refers to the liberty and freedom from both spiritual and physical evils.  The Messiah came to free us from oppression and harassment, both spiritual and physical, imposed on us by our enemy the Devil.  As a matter of fact, if I had to choose one word to summarize what the Christian life is all about, I would choose ‘freedom’– the first and foremost benefit I enjoy as a Christian.  Nothing and nobody owns me but God.  Christ set me free from the power of sin and from the fear of death.  I am no longer enslaved to sin.  I am no longer under the bondage of sin.  I am no longer oppressed by Satan, either physically or spiritually (Acts10:38).  This is especially essential and true to those with addictions.  Christ is the Liberator.  Christ is the truth.   He liberates people from the strong grip of sin and addiction (John 8:32).  That’s what He did when He was on earth.  He would heal many people who were physically inflicted and set them free from the spiritual oppressions by Satan.

Last, but not least, Christ came to proclaim to all Jubilee (the favorable year of the LORD).  What is a Jubilee?  It is every fiftieth year when a release is proclaimed through the land to all its inhabitants (Leviticus 25:10).  It is the year when the people of God return to their own property and to their families.   Slaves become free and people forgive each other’s debt.   Christ declares that He has forgiven our debts through His own death once and for all.  Indeed, the Messiah paid the wages of our sins through His own death so that we may forever go free from the consequences of our iniquities.   In the mid-course of His ministry, Christ affirmed His mission as this:  “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many”(Mark 10:45, NASB).  To give His life as a ransom for many.  He completed that mission on the cross offering His sinless and innocent body on behalf of all who would believe in His atoning death on the cross.  The sinless for the sinful.  I pray that all of us understand how great God’s love for us to send His only begotten Son Jesus the Messiah to do that job on the cross— to save us from our sins and let us go free.  Some day we will be eternally grateful for the Messiah.

Conclusion

On the night before He was crucified, Jesus the Messiah was standing before the high priest.  The high priest asked Jesus one question: Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One? (Mark 14:61).   And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62, NASB).  2,000 years ago, Jesus the Messiah came to us for the first time with the Good News of redemption and healing.  The same Messiah will come again this time not to redeem the sin of the world but as the Judge in the last days (Hebrews 9:28).

May we find ourselves blameless and pure in the sight of the Messiah on that day (2 Corinthians 2:11).     Amen.

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.

Today Pastor Choi designates 2015 as the Year of Knowing Jesus (T.Y.O.K.J.).  He exhorts God’s flock to make every effort to know Jesus—the Word of Life.  The true knowledge of Jesus is essential to our salvation, because to know Him means to keep His commandments, and only those who keep His Word will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Do You Know Jesus?

Following is a summary of the sermon :

The Year of Knowing Jesus (1): Do You Know Jesus?

1 John 1:1-4   New American Standard Bible (NASB)

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— ² and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.

Introduction

Have you ever written references before?  I have written some over the years for people, adults and youth alike.  Every reference has common questions such as How long have you known the applicant?  How well do you know the applicant?  List strengths and weaknesses of the person, and so forth.

Imagine that you are filling out a reference letter for Jesus.  One question you must answer is: How well do you know Him?  I am afraid that most of us, including myself, would struggle to answer the question, because we know of Him so little despite our head knowledge about Him.   That’s the reality of today’s believers: little or no knowledge of Jesus.

That’s why I designate 2015 as the year of knowing Jesus.  We must know our Savior and Lord on a personal level.   Why?  Because, if we don’t, we will be denied at Heaven’s gate even after years of being a Christian.   We can be religious without knowing Jesus at all.  E.g. Jewish religious leaders who persecuted Jesus in the name of God.   We can serve on church committees for years without doing what Jesus really wants us to do (E.g. unforgiving spirit).  The life without the true knowledge of Jesus is a life without substance like a fruit tree that bears no fruit.  So, I urge everyone to use this year to get to know Jesus on a personal level and to walk with Him daily.

Contents

Back to the question: How well do you know Jesus personally?  I ask myself the same question.  How well do I know Him?   We all wish to say that we know Him quite well like John the Apostle did.  He would answer my question in a heartbeat:  I knew Him very well.  Listen to what he wrote in today’s reading: we have seen and heard, and even touched Jesus with our hands (v.1).   Speak of first hand experiences!  Can’t beat that!

By the way, God wants every one of us to experience and know Jesus in the same ways that John did.  The word “to know” in Hebrew term means to know someone intimately.  For instance, it is used between husband and wife when they become one, both physically and spiritually.  E.g. Joseph didn’t know Mary until Jesus was born.

I have been a Christ’s follower for over 40 years.   I know that Jesus is real.  I have experienced Him a few times undeniably and miraculously.  Furthermore, I’ve been a minister of the gospel for 25 years.  I preached and taught about Him every Sunday.

Yet, when it comes down to a real personal knowledge of Him, I find myself far short of where I should’ve been.  In other words, despite my head knowledge of Him, my heart knowledge and field knowledge of Him is far short of what it should’ve been.  However, the Lord has been very patient with me.  In fact, He recently taught me two things so as to get to know Him better.

Take my prayer life, for example.  My prayers have been mostly one way conversation all these years.  It’s been more or less presenting a shopping list to Him: Lord, this is what I need.  Remember this and that.  Please take care of them.  Then, my prayer is done.  In other words, I seldom took time to listen to Him.  In fact, I have never been trained in listening to Him in silence.  By the way, silence is not my cup of tea.  Living in America, we are so used to some level of noise, music, TV, or people’s voices that when the surroundings are quiet we don’t know what to do.  The same thing goes with my prayer life.  Typically, I get right on my agenda, I speak to Jesus what I need without wasting time, then I am done with prayer.  Last month, I was just praying like that about the goal for 2015 for the congregation, that is, to know Jesus.  The Lord reminded me of this: Do you want to teach My people to know Me?  You learn first then teach.  First, Learn to listen to Me.  Train yourself to listen to Me in prayer.  Don’t sign off right away after your list.  Sit quietly and listen to Me.  I have been practicing that since.  Still hard.

The second lesson He taught me is this: Keep the appointments with Him.  I realized that Jesus gets disappointed when I fail to keep the appointment with Him on time.   It just happened last week.  In fact, it must have happened many a time in the past, but this time it came to me so real that I got ashamed of what I have done.  You see, I pray for an hour every night before I go to bed.  That night, before my appointed time, let’s say 11 p.m., I was playing solitaire on my computer, and you know how addicting it can be at times.  That night, I was stuck with one game and I was determined to solve it, but the thing is I played beyond my appointed time with Jesus.  I was fully aware of that, so I said to the Lord, “Sorry, Lord, but can I finish this game and pray?”  Well, I finished the game alright but missed the appointment with God by 10 minutes.  When I started my prayer, I was deeply ashamed of what I had done.  I was convicted that I wouldn’t have done the same to someone (physical person) who expects to see me.  Furthermore, if I were on the other end, and someone is late for the appointment because he is having so much fun with his game play, I would be very upset with the way he treated me.   But, that’s exactly what I did that night to my Lord and Savior.  As I said before, this kind of thing must have happened many times in the past for various reasons, but that night I was deeply convicted of my folly and I sincerely repented to the Lord.  The lesson I learned is this:  Treat Jesus as a real person who gets disappointed if I don’t keep the appointments.  In fact, much more than that!  Treat Him as your Lord as you confess!  Mean what you say.  He is my King and God!   Such a Jesus have I silenced with my lusts in pleasure multiple times in the past!  Such a Jesus have I neglected daily through my ignorance of His presence!

Imagine I invited my friend to dinner.  My honored guest has arrived on time.  I motioned him to come and sit in the living room while I finished one game on the computer that I started ten minutes before his arrival.   In the meantime, he is patiently waiting!   Finally, I am done with the game and I apologize profusely.  Then, I invite him to sit at the dinner table, but I never give him a chance to talk.  I keep talking straight for the next 3o minutes and when I am done with talk, I get up and leave the table.  Then, I start doing the dishes without a conversation with my guest.  Then, I just remembered what I needed from my friend, and so I bring him the list and put it in his hand.  Then, I go back to my chores.  In the entire visit that night, the guest is not able to talk to me at all!   That’s the way I have been treating Jesus my Lord and Savior!  We all know that it should be much better than that!

Closing

Bruce Allen: “I have been blessed over the years to have face-to-face encounters with Jesus as He has revealed Himself in many facets of His character: I’ve met Jesus the Healer as He came and poured a healing balm over me at a very difficult point in my life; I’ve met Jesus the Comforter, who comforted me and held me through my tribulation.  I’ve spent many hours with Jesus my best friend. This night, however, I discovered a new facet of His character.  This night I met Jesus the King of Glory—Jesus the Lion of the Tribe of Judah!” (p. 142, Gazing into Glory).  Mr. Allen emphasizes that experiencing Jesus is a must, not an option.  It is for all God’s children, not just for him alone.  I agree.  It is for all of us.  God shows no favoritism.  John the Apostle experienced Jesus very personally.  So did Paul the Apostle.  So did Bruce Allen.  So shall we, because we too belong to Jesus.

So, folks, this year let us get to know Jesus personally.  Not just with our heads, but also with our hearts.  Not just in words but down to earth level.  Let us treat our Lord and Savior Jesus as He is worthy of our honor and respect.   Not just with lips but in deeds.   Let’s not be satisfied with the intellectual understanding of Jesus alone, but let’s be passionate about knowing Him closely.

Some of us know Jesus as someone who stays up in Heaven aloof from our daily struggles.  He is far more than that!   Others worship Jesus on Sunday morning for one hour and for the rest of the week have no communications with Him at all.   He deserves far more attention from us than that!   Our interest in Jesus stops with our shopping list in prayer!  But, He deserves far more than our prayer list!  He is our Lord and Savior!

So, throughout this year, we will focus on Jesus to get to know Him in person: we will look at Jesus.  We will listen to Jesus.  We will talk to Jesus.  We will ask for His wisdom.  We will walk with Him.  We will touch Him.  We will experience Him.  All in personal level!  Day in and day out!  So that, by the end of the year, all of us would be able to say, “I have known Jesus in ways that I never have before! I have grown in His knowledge!”   That would be our testimonies.

May the Lord bless our endeavor this year.

Amen.