Using John 21:1-14, Pastor Choi focuses on the character of the risen Christ and His interactions with the seven disciples. He points out that Jesus was considerate and humble to serve them and that He is generous to do far more abundantly beyond our imaginations.
In today’s sermon, using Power Point Slides, Pastor Choi introduces “5 markers of vitality” that the United Methodist Church uses to measure the congregation’s health: disciples in worship, new disciples, disciples in small groups, disciples in hands-on-mission, and mission giving. He exhorts the congregants to work together to achieve the 2017 goals in each category.
Pastor Choi expounds the Fifth Commandment of the Ten Commandments: Honor your father and your mother that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you (Exodus 20:12).
The risen Christ appeared to the Ten disciples and said, “Peace to you all.” Pastor Choi raises and explains the following questions: What is peace? Why do we need it? Who can give it to us? And, how can we obtain it?
Fear not (stop fearing)!—these words are the first words the risen Christ spoke to the women at the tomb. The risen Lord would speak the same words to us who are daily bombarded with fears.
Pastor Choi presents three biblical solutions to our fears: 1. Remember Immanuel (God is with us). 2. Remember how great and awesome our God is. 3. Cast away fears by filling your heart with love, joy, peace, and with God’s Word.
Today Pastor Choi talks about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and unbelief of the disciples. He ends his sermon with a story of Jesus’ appearing in different forms, different ways, and different times to His beloved children.
Today Pastor Choi introduces a book to the congregation written by Derek Prince: God’s Medicine Bottle. He points out four directions to take God’s words as medicine for physical healing: 1. Take them with undivided attention. 2. Take them with humility and teachability. 3. Take them with simplicity and sincerity. 4. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
God’s Word is the guide of your life. Pastor Choi points out that when God’s children diligently observe God’s commandments and teaching, then God will guide, watch over, and talk to them through His Word.
Pastor Choi invites God’s people to think with him about the meaning of life. He points out that it is God who gives our lives meaning and purpose: that is, to have relationship with Him and to glorify Him in our lives.
Pastor Choi talks today about Jesus’ healing ministry. Healing takes place when our faith worships, confesses, and believes. God also rewards when we persist in prayer. Pastor Choi exhorts the congregation to claim God’s healing with faith and perseverance.
Jesus’ teachings can boil down to one verse in the Bible: John 8:32 “You shall know the truth and truth shall set you free.” Pastor Choi exhorts God’s people to get into God’s Word the truth daily to live out the life of jubilee (freedom).
Pastor Choi today designates 2017 to be the Year of Jubilee for the people of Manahawkin United Methodist Congregation based on Leviticus 25:10-12. He points out three areas that God’s people need Jubilee: spiritual, physical, and financial.
Presented by Manahawkin UMC Chancel Choir and Music Director Vel Gamble with Special Instrumental Ensemble and Bells Directed by Joe DelVecchio.
Today Pastor Choi talks about his own journey in thanksgiving. First, he learned to be thankful for the blessings. Next, the Lord taught him to be thankful even in adversities. Finally, he learned about the reasons behind God’s command for us to be thankful in all circumstances.
Today Pastor Choi concludes his sermon series on spiritual warfare. He explains the six components of the full armor of God: belt of truth, helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the Gospel of peace, shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit–the Word of God. He exhorts God’s people to hold their ground standing against the devil’s schemes until Christ comes.
Today Pastor Choi talks about two prerequisites for spiritual warfare: resting in Christ and in what He has done for us, and walking in God’s standards through the power of the indwelling Spirit of Holiness.
Pastor Choi continues his series on spiritual warfare: Expounding three verses in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 4:4, John 13:2, and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5), he points out what Satan is up to and how he harasses, oppresses, and attacks God’s children.
Today, Pastor Choi introduces a three-part (that ended up in a four part) series on spiritual warfare. In his message, he talks about two opposing kingdoms in spiritual realm: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. He urges the people of God to wake up from their spiritual sleep and follow their leader Jesus Christ in their spiritual battles.
Today, at Manahawkin UMC, Laity Sunday was observed where everything was led by the members of the congregation. Guest speaker was Sarah Choi, also member of the church. She talked about the secret of God’s provision.
Today Pastor Choi concludes his sermon series on the Church of God. He exhorts the congregation to focus on what God has in mind for MUMC and be faithful to His call as the Church in Philadelphia did: with a little power, keep His Word and not deny His name, hold fast Christ’s Promise on Second Coming, and listen/obey what the Holy Spirit says to the churches.
Pastor Choi talks about the necessity of the Church in today’s sermon. The Church of Jesus Christ is commissioned to take the message of reconciliation in Christ to the world (Matthew 28:19-20). No other organizations in the world was chosen by God for that task. God reveals salvation the divine mystery through the Church. That’s why people need the Church.
Today Pastor Choi addresses the congregation on the question of why people need Jesus. For healing, for peace, for happiness, for teaching, and for eternal life. Yes, they are all legitimate reasons, but the true reason why every soul on earth needs Jesus is because of their broken relationship with God through sin. Everyone is a sinner and every sinner needs a Savior. That’s why we need Jesus the Savior and Lord.
Today Pastor Choi examines the question of why on evil. In the time of violence, evil, and injustice, he exhorts the congregation not to run away from God but to run towards Him in search of hope, courage, strength, and wisdom to overcome evil.
Pastor Choi talks about the importance of watch and pray in the believer’s life. Explaining the background information of the wedding in Israel at the time of Jesus, he exhorts God’s people to saturate their lives with prayer in earnest anticipation of Christ’s return.
Pastor Choi’s sermon series on Jesus’ Why questions ends today. Jesus’ question of “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” was directed not to humans but to God the Heavenly Father. He cried out to God not because His disciples betrayed and abandoned Him. Nor because of the mockery and insult from the religious leaders and bystanders. He rather did so, because the sin of entire world entered between Him and His Father and created a total separation between Christ and His loving Father in whose presence nothing unholy or impure is allowed. That separation made Christ cry out to God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Through the story of a paralytic man who was healed by Jesus, Pastor Choi highlights the following: Be the friend to bring your loved ones to Jesus in prayer, God searches all hearts and understands every intent of our thoughts, Forgiveness trumps all other blessings, and Accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord.
Pastor Choi talks about breaking the commandment of God with human teachings and tradition. In today’s story, he draws three lessons: beware of human tradition that invalidates the Word of God, do not worship in vain, and watch out what truly defiles you.
Today Pastor Choi talks about putting the Lord to the test: what constitutes testing of the Lord. Not every act of asking for God’s sign is considered ‘putting the Lord to the test.’ The Scripture identifies three elements of testing the Lord: 1) Unbelief of God’s wisdom, power, good will, and His existence 2) Demand of wanton cravings 3) Rebellion against God.
Pastor Choi talks about three approaches people take in terms of salvation and eternal life: human goodness, the Law, and Christ. He explains how the first two approaches fail to bring us into God’s eternal presence. He reiterates what God’s Word says about salvation: Christ is the way, the life, and the truth. No one can come to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).
Today Pastor Choi expounds Jesus’ command on discerning the present time (Kairos). Kairos is God’s appointed time that demands God’s people to live a holy and godly life, spotless and blameless, for the day of Christ (2 Peter 3:11, 14).
Today Pastor Choi talks about the meaning of “not to judge” others. They are stop being self-righteous, stop being judgmental, and stop condemning others like God.
Today Pastor Choi talks about Jesus and Peter walking on the water. Three lessons he points out in the story of Jesus: God’s in it, so is our faith, and fix your eyes on Jesus.
Pastor Choi today talks about the cure for anxiety. First, he points out four characteristics of worries: useless, evil, stressful, and contagious. Next, he identifies four ways to handle life’s worries: keep a heavenly perspective, have faith in God, stop worrying, and seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness.
Today Pastor Choi expounds the Scriptures on divine anger. In the Old Testament, God’s anger was ignited when people of God followed other gods, grumbled against God, and afflicted orphans, widows, and foreigners. In the New Testament, Jesus also got angry at hypocrisy, commercialism in God’s house, belittling of children, stubborn heart and unbelief. May God help us never provoke Him to anger.
Manahawkin UMC helped to install a borehole well in Ghana. The well was recently dedicated. Praise God!
Pastor Choi talks about anger at God. Taking the example of Jonah, he explains how to handle our anger with God: Avoid bad theology. Be humble before God in anger. Choose to trust in God not own feelings.
Substituting for Pastor Choi, John Parker delivers a sermon on Pentecost when everyone asked “What does this mean?”
Pentecost is considered to be the day that the church was born. Ten days before, the apostles were with Jesus when He told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Spirit came upon them and that they would be given power through the Spirit to be His witnesses to Judea, Samara, and all the earth. This was the last thing that Jesus said to the disciples before He ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father.
After waiting and praying for 10 days, for the first time the Holy Spirit baptized all of the believers and they were forever changed. The power of the Holy Spirit made them boldly proclaim the great works of God in every language and dialect of all of the devout Jews who had gone to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks. Peter became the rock that the church would be built upon reciting passages from the prophet Joel as he gave the first sermon of the Christian church. As prophesied in Jeremiah, the Word of God and the will of God would be written on people’s hearts and “they will be My people and I will be their God.”
These 50 days were perfect fulfillments of the Jewish feasts. At Passover, the sacrifice of the sinless Jesus, God’s only Son, the perfect Lamb of God, Mashiach ben Joseph , was the final payment for all sin of all mankind. At the Feast of Firstfuits Jesus was resurrected from the dead and so became the firstfruits of the new covenant. And at Pentecost or Feast of Weeks when the wheat harvest is celebrated, over three thousand souls were saved as Peter delivered the first sermon of the Christian church reaping the first harvest of souls ripe for salvation.
120 believers had faith in Jesus’ promise that He would never leave them alone even though He had gone to be with the Father. The believers waited patiently, expectantly, and prayerfully for the Holy Spirit to come to them. And on this Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven with the sound of a mighty wind and these 120 believers turned the world upside down. We are this generation’s body of Christ and we are called to do the same. We are called to be witnesses of Jesus Christ to Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth proclaiming the great works of God in every tongue to every nation.
Today Pastor Choi talks about Mary of Bethany who poured the very expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. Three lessons to learn from Mary: a. Give all you have to Jesus. b. Jesus remembers your love and acts of service and reward you accordingly. c. Don’t wait until tomorrow to serve the Lord.
Today Pastor Choi concludes his series on the heart: we are to love the LORD God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our might. May God approve us like He did King David whose heart was wholly devoted to the LORD.
Today Pastor Choi concludes his sermon series on the prayers that Lord Jesus has actually said. He focuses on the last word of the last sayings of Jesus: Father, into Your hands, I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46).
Pastor Choi talks about Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane the night before crucifixion. He prayed on His knees, for God’s will to be done not His, and commanded His disciples to keep watch so as not to fall into temptation.
Today Pastor Choi continues his series on the Lord’s Prayers. He points out that Christ’s prayers were relational, personal, and grateful (full of gratitude).
Today Pastor Choi talks about three characteristics of Jesus’ prayer: intentional, habitual, and alone with God. The sermon exhorts the congregation to cultivate the habit of spending time alone with God in prayer throughout the year.
Pastor Choi invites the congregation to examine the biblical accounts on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. “Where has the body of Jesus gone?” Two theories: one by the Christian community that He is risen indeed. The other theory by the chief priests and the elders that the disciples of Jesus stole away the body of Jesus, that’s why the tomb was empty.
Which theory do you believe? The sermon urges the congregation to make up their minds.
Today we celebrated Sunday School Sunday. All the Sunday School children and teachers participated in the worship services. Pauline McShea the teacher preached a message on how we started our faith journey and where we are going.
Today Pastor Choi continues his sermon series on ‘heart’—part 2 of 3: how to take care of your heart. After a brief recap of the last Sunday’s message, he points out three excellent ways to watch over the heart: 1. Screen out all negative and destructive thoughts. 2. Store up good and godly thoughts beginning with God’s Word—the Word of Life. 3. Stay on whatever is noble and honorable. By doing so, we will have the life God intends us to have.
How to Take Care of Your Heart
Following is a summary of the sermon:
Watch Over Your Heart
Proverbs 4:23 New American Standard Bible
Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
Introduction
This morning I will continue my sermon series on heart- part 2 of 3: how to take care of our heart.
Recap of the Last Week’s Sermon
Contents
Today’s verse expounded:
The first half of today’s verse reads: “Watch over your heart with all diligence.” The literal translation of the original Hebrew is: Above all guarding, guard your heart.
Definition of “to guard”: “to protect property, places, or people from attack or danger” (Oxford Dictionary). We all protect something or some people from attack or danger. A question: what do you guard? Life, health, wealth, house, bank accounts, investment portfolios, family, jobs, image, identity, and so forth. One thing is for sure: none of us guard anything worthless. We only guard something precious, valuable, and essential. So, out of all things worthy of our guarding, which one does God command us to guard most? The heart. Our heart is the number one priority to protect. Guard it fiercely.
Why the heart?
The second sentence of today’s text reveals the reason why we must guard our heart above all things. Once again the English translation reads: For from it (heart) flow the springs of life. The literal translation of the same sentence is this: For from it come out the sources of life. All things of life stem from your heart.
Let me elaborate a little more on ‘life’ here. The life here means more than just daily survival. It is the life meaningful. It is the life fulfilling. It’s the life of contentment. It’s the life God intends us to enjoy. In fact, Jesus wants us to have that life—and have it abundantly (John 10:10). It’s the life that consists of “earthly felicity combined with spiritual blessedness” (The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Cesenius Hebrew-English Lexicon, p. 313). To ‘life’ here, the Septuagint (LXX) Bible renders a unique Greek word ‘zoe’ instead of ‘bios.’ In other words, things that matter most in life originate from our heart. The essential elements of the blessed life come out of our heart. And, whatever comes out of our heart even determines our final destination. That’s how crucial our heart is in life. So, if you want to live a life satisfactory and meaningful, and if you want to live a life with purpose and destination, and if you want to secure your life eternal, then learn to take good care of your heart.
Once again, understand your identity: You are the watchman. You are the guardian of your heart. Your job is to keep your heart pure, innocent, and blameless in the sight of God until Christ comes (Philippians 1:10). So, based on these understandings, I am going to introduce three ways to take a good care of your heart. Let’s not forget. The entire well-being of your heart and the quality of your life are determined by your desire, discipline, and diligence.
Three things we can do for our hearts: Screen out, Store up, and Stay on.
Screen out. You are on guard duty for life on behalf of your heart: to prevent the enemy infiltration. E.g. The army uses the daily password. Whoever says the correct password may pass, whoever doesn’t, the guard can shoot. Same goes with our guard duty for the heart. For any thought trying to enter the heart, ask the password which is always the same: are you in line with God’s will? If so, enter. If not, stop. Never allow anything bad to enter your heart: only good things.
God commands us to take captive every thought and bring it to Christ. Listen: “… we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, NASB). We must learn to screen out thoughts and feelings especially those that are negative and destructive. Some of us are in the habit of following whatever our heart says. Follow your heart, they say. However, beware: the same heart can deceive us. In Jeremiah 17:9, God says, “The heart is deceitful above all things…” I would rather let God’s Word guide me not my own feelings. E.g. 1. “I cannot forgive my brother.”— Remember the Lord’s Prayer. E.g. 2. A young couple wants a divorce due to no more feelings of love to each other.—Marriage is a commitment. Let no one separate what God has joined (Matthew 19:6). E.g. 3. Depressive / Suicidal thoughts. Check out the source of every destructive thought. Satan can prompt such a thought in your heart (John 13:2). Give no opportunity to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). Bring every thought and feeling under the control of Christ. Filter it. Test it against God’s Word. E.g. Practice the screening on TV and movies you watch. Pray before you watch. Place guards on your eye-gate and ear-gate. Stay disciplined on it. Payoff will be huge.
Store up. There are many good things we can store up in our hearts; good memories, good music, good stories, good images, good thoughts, and so forth. But, first and foremost, begin with God’s Word the Good Book. Why? Because it is the Word of life (1 John 1:1). It gives you peace. It restores your health (Proverbs 4:22). It is essential for your eternal life, too. Do you love God? Then, you will love and cherish His Word. It would be an oxymoron if you say, “I love God, yet I never open the Bible.” It would be equally contradictory if you say, “I care for my soul, yet I never read the Bible.” Why? Because God’s Word is the food for your soul, and if you don’t feed your soul with God’s Word, your soul will starve to death. Never believe in the devil’s lie that the Bible is too difficult to understand. He does everything to keep you from getting into God’s Word for your salvation. You need God’s Word for your eternal life. You need God’s Word to protect your heart (Matthew 15:19). Listen to the Psalmist: 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. 11 Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against You (Psalm 119:9, 11, NASB).
Stay on good and godly thoughts: 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things (Philippians 4:8, NASB). Whatever comes into our hearts, it stays in our hearts and it is extremely hard to remove it. That’s why we need to make every effort to put godly things in our hearts in the first place as a daily positive reinforcement. Then, we keep on dwelling on such things all the time. Chew on them, sit on them, and meditate on them daily. You will have a blessed life.
Conclusion
Above all guarding, guard your heart: screen out all bad thoughts. Next, store up God’s word diligently; fill up your heart with whatever is honorable and noble. Finally, stay on them daily. Then, you will enjoy the life abundantly in Christ. Amen.
Today Pastor Choi talks about the human heart. Pointing out that the human heart is a battle-ground between God and the devil who vie for our worship, devotion, and affection, Pastor Choi exhorts the people of God to take good care of their hearts by asking for God’s help.
Following is a summary of the sermon:
What is the Heart?
Jeremiah 17:9 New American Standard Bible
“The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
Introduction
Recently, after 25 years in ministry, I wanted to have a deeper understanding on one subject: the heart. Not that I wanted to be a cardiologist or a psychologist. It seems to me that everything in our life (both good and bad) stems from the heart such as kindness, love, greed, and even hate. Heart matters in every relationship with God and with people. So, this is how I reasoned myself: the better understanding of the heart, the better understanding of myself and others, and the better relationships with God and with each other. So I started my study on the heart.
It still has a long way to go before I can even say that I understand the human heart. This morning, you are about to hear my preliminary study on the subject. In fact, I am going to do a three-part series in the next three Sundays. I hope and pray that the series will lead us to a better understanding, better care of our hearts, and better relationships. Here’s part 1 of 3: what is the heart?
Contents
Definition of the Heart
Let me begin with what I mean by the heart. There are three definitions of the heart: medical, poetic/artistic, and scriptural.
This morning I am going to strictly focus on the scriptural sense of heart: the heart as the innermost seat of emotion, thoughts, will, and appetites. Our western mindset is tuned to the separation of heart and mind (or heart and head) due to the Platonic distinction. Please note here that I make no distinction between heart/emotion and mind/intellect, because the Scriptures don’t make a clear-cut distinction between emotion and intellect. In fact, the Ancient Hebrews believed that all the characteristics of modern-day “heart and mind” were interconnected and originated from one entity, not two, and they called them “heart.” So, will I. When I say “the heart,” it covers both the mind and emotions.
Three Kinds of Heart
The Bible talks about three kinds of heart.
The Heart of God
I am so thankful that God too has the heart. God’s heart deserves a full sermon for another time. This is how much I will tell you, though. Out of His heart, God created the heavens and the earth (intellect). Out of His heart, He has chosen us to be His children (will). Out of His heart, He loves us unconditionally (emotion). To Him each soul is equally valuable, sinners and saints alike (e.g. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous—Matthew 5:45). He never gives up on anyone unless they reject Him first. In fact, His loving kindness, generosity, and mercy endure forever! They blow us away! All out of His loving heart! Isn’t it wonderful that we worship and belong to such a God with a loving heart?
The Heart of Man
When God created Adam and Eve in His image and likeness, He has given them the heart that shared the characteristics of God’s heart; pure and innocent, loving, kind, creative, and no sign or touch of evil at all. However, when they disobeyed God, sin came in and that changed everything.
In fact, sin corrupted the human heart to the core and forever. For instance, during Noah’s time, God was deeply grieved with the constant evil thoughts of humans to the point where He regretted that He had created humans. He wanted a new start. So, through the Great Flood, He wiped humanity off from the surface of the earth except for Noah’s eight. However, Noah’s eight still had the old heart—still depraved as before. Thousands of years later, God described the condition of the human heart to prophet Jeremiah as follows: the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9).
Almost three millennia passed since prophet Jeremiah; in the 21st century, our heart still is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick. Wouldn’t you agree?
The Heart of Beasts
The reference on the heart of beasts is also found in the Bible; only once. The heart of beasts demonstrates basic instincts of survival: no reason, no ability to create, no conscience, or no reverence of life. It only knows daily survival among prey and predators. One man actually experienced and had it for seven years (Daniel 4:32). E.g.
21 He [King Nebuchadnezzar] was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes (Daniel 5:21).
Once again, my focus will be on the human heart.
What’s Happening in the Heart?
– God sows the Word of God in the heart (Luke 8:11).
– The devil snatches away the Word sown in the heart (Luke 8:12).
What Each Party Can Do to Our Heart
– We can humble ourselves and incline our hearts to God.
– We can watch over our hearts with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23).
– We can also neglect the care of our heart and let it be defiled: See what happens to the heart that is neglected, that is not properly cared after or not protected from the devil. Listen to Jesus in Mark 7.
– From within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deed of coveting and wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man (Mark 7:21-23).
The good news is this: God can help us to remove evil/unclean/destructive/negative thoughts. He also can fill our hearts with good/godly thoughts. He can purify and strengthen our hearts as well. All of these would He do only upon our invitation and requests. Without our desire to keep our hearts pure and clean, and without our invitation, God wouldn’t do it. We must ask for His help from the heart.
Conclusion
We all have a job to do: to take good care of our heart. Where do we start? Ask God for His help today. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit will help you. Next week, we will think about some practical ways to take care of our heart. Let us pray.
Today Pastor Choi designates 2016 to be the Year of Prayer. Beginning with the definition of prayer, he covers basic characteristics of prayer. He exhorts the people of God to call unto God throughout the year so that they may undeniably experience the living God who answers their prayers.
The following is a summary of the sermon:
2016: the Year of Prayer
Jeremiah 33:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
Introduction
The top ten most googled New Year’s Resolutions in 2015: the top ten most searched “how-to” questions in the U.S. during the week before and the week after New Year’s Day 2015:
1. how to get rid of stress
2. how to make kale chips
3. how much water should I drink to lose weight
4. how to write a resignation letter
5. how to cook lentils
6. how to cook cabbage
7. how to write a letter of recommendation
8. how to cook collard greens
9. how to steam broccoli
10. how to crochet a beanie (Olivia B. Waxman, Here Are the Most Googled New Year’s Resolutions –http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/here-are-the-most-googled-new-year%e2%80%99s-resolutions/ar-BBo3D9a?ocid=spartanntp)
Well, one thing is for sure: people want to get rid of stress. Let me tell you the best answer to that quest: prayer. Let’s think about prayer this morning.
Contents
I don’t exactly remember how my prayer life has started. Neither can I recall when I first started praying to the Heavenly Father or who taught me to pray. I never took a course on prayer such as “Prayer 101: Introduction to Prayer,” either. Yet, sometime in high school, I started praying to God.
Prayer is the breathing of our soul.
Let me define what prayer is before I go further.
Oxford Dictionary defines prayer as follows: a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.
Here’s my own definition: prayer is a series of thoughts or words, either spoken or unspoken, directed to God on behalf of others or for self.
Another definition: prayer is the breathing of our soul to God.
Whatever definition you follow, one thing is for sure: prayer is an activity of our soul. Prayer is to our soul as breathing to our body. Without it, our soul perishes. With it, our soul thrives.
We learn to pray by doing it, not by studying about it.
If someone asks you what breathing is, you may explain that it is ‘the process of taking air into and expelling it from the lungs’ (Oxford Dictionary). But, anyone can breathe in and out with no understanding on the lungs; where they are located in our body and what they do, right? In fact, we naturally breathe in and out; we never stop breathing until we die. Same thing goes with our prayer. When we first confess that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord, our spirit becomes alive and our soul begins to breathe, that is, pray. From that day on, our new born soul is to pray to God without ceasing.
You don’t need a sermon or training to start praying. You just pray like a new born baby breathes from the moment of birth without training. You learn as you go.
Prayer works.
Some of us are skeptical about prayer when it comes down to actual praying. However, don’t say that prayer doesn’t work until you try it. E.g. When I first started praying, I was not 100% sure about the effectiveness of prayer. In fact, I wondered about the practicality of prayer: whether it works or not; and if so, how exactly God answers prayers. So, one year in college, I decided to experiment on prayer. I started a prayer journal where I recorded all my prayer requests: the date I started praying, the contents of prayer, the date it was answered, and how it was answered. I kept journaling for the next six months. At the end of the sixth month, I found 96 entries in the journal. To my great surprise, I found every single one of them answered in one of the following ways: YES (majority). NO (some). WAIT (a few). That’s how I discovered that prayer is real, not just a psychological hypnosis to comfort myself (note: prayer is not eastern style of meditation, either).
Fasting is a prayer that works ‘fast.’
Some of you heard about fasting. What is fasting? It is more than skipping meals. Fasting is an intense prayer. It is a prayer that works ‘fast.’ There came the time when I did some serious prayers with fasting, especially during my major crises in life. Pouring my soul in anguish, I would cry out onto the Lord to deliver me from my troubles. The Almighty God surely listened and answered my humble pleas in the ways beyond my imagination. Praise God! If you haven’t tried fasting, try it. It works really well and fast.
God speaks to us in the ways that we understand.
I must point out that prayer is a two way communication: we speak to God and God speaks to us. Most of us consider prayer, however, as one way street: we are good at telling God our shopping list but poor at listening to God.
So, how do we listen to God? God uses many different ways to speak to us: to some, through visions and dreams. To others, through audible voices of angels. To more others, through the open doors and closed doors. And, through the Scripture passages, too. No matter which way God communicates with us, let us not forget: He speaks to us in the ways that we can clearly understand (this one requires some training. I will talk about this later; how to discern His voice).
One of the ways that God speaks to me in prayer is reasoning: through questions He leads me to come to my own conclusion. Whenever He does that, I find Him very gentle and kind, patiently listening to my worries and frustrations. Then, He leads me through reasoning to His assurance that eventually takes away my worries.
The result of Prayer: peace and assurance
After prayer, we come out of God’s Throne Room with the assurance that He is in control, faithful, and alive in our lives. He is not the God who stays aloof from our daily challenges and struggles. Rather, He is deeply involved in our daily affairs. No wonder our God is Immanuel (‘with-us-God’). E.g. 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.7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Conclusion
As your pastor, I designate this year “the year of prayer.” Let’s call it: the year of P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Something Happens).
This year I urge all of us to get on our knees to fulfill God’s will for us.
This year let us refuse to sit in the darkness or despair.
This year let us not stop praying until we see God’s promises fulfilled.
This year let us not stop praying until we undeniably experience the Living God.
This year let us press on and cry unto the Lord to see how He answers us.
This year let us claim the abundant life that Christ has promised to us.
This year let us offer our thanks to God for all the answers to our prayers.
This year let us praise His name among us.
This year let us declare to everyone that God is alive.
This year let us walk with God in prayer who leads us in victory.
Let us pray.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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].
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 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.
