New York’s Baby Bible Fellowship sings “I Walk By Faith” for Sunday Worship offering special song on July 31st, 2011.

Duo drama based on Mark 12:28-34 (see sermon). November 13, 2011.

“Love the Lord your God with all your and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

“THIS IS THE SON OF GOD”

John 1:19-34
Key Verse: 1:34 

“I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”

Today’s passage, John 1:19-34, is John’s testimony concerning himself and Jesus Christ. He testifies that Jesus is the Son of God in two ways; Firstly, Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (29), and secondly, Jesus is the one who will baptizes with the Holy Spirit (33). In verse 34, he said, “I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” We notice in today’s passage, however, that John said that he actually didn’t know who Jesus really was. He said in verse 31,”I myself did not know him…” He also said in verse 33, “I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘the man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” Here we learn that John’s testimony concerning Jesus is based on God’s special revelation. John clearly confessed, “I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” I know many of you already believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and, as a result, you have God’s life in you. Others among you might have difficulty to believe in the Bible. It’s up to you whether to believe John’s testimony or not. However, wouldn’t it be fair for us first to examine what John testified about Jesus was true? May the Lord give us the Spirit of wisdom to understand John’s testimony!

In verses 19-28, we see John’s humble attitude as a God’s messenger. Look at verses 19-20. “Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Christ’” These men who were sent from the Jews of Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin, came to find out who John really was. At that time, John’s ministry of baptism was at its peak. John the Baptist didn’t seem to have special gift to perform miracles. There is no record in the Bible that John the Baptist performed any miracle. Yet, a great number of people, including some religious leaders of the time, gathered around him because his message of repentance had great spiritual authority and power. (Lk 3:1-20) In fact, some people were wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. (Lk 3:15) John could feel people’s great expectation for him. If John had his own ambition, he could have answered, “Well. I might be. What do you think?” But verse 20 says that John did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.”

In verses 21-23, we see that John even denied that he was the Prophet Elijah. At that time, the Jews understood, according to Scripture (Mal 4:5-6), that before the coming of the Messiah, the prophet Elijah would come back and prepare the way for him. (Mk 9:11) Elijah was such a powerful prophet in Israel. And he went up to heaven in a whirlwind. (2 Kings 2:11) According to the announcement of the angel Gabriel to John’s father Zechariah, John was supposed to be “in the spirit and power of Elijah”. (Lk 1:17) So John should’ve known that his role as prophet was to be like that of Elijah. Yet, John denied that he was the prophet Elijah or the Prophet like Moses. Listening to John’s denial, the priests and Levites must have been surprised. They asked him again, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” (22)

Then John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” This is a quotation from Isaiah 40:3. “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.” In short, John was saying that he was the voice -the sound of a voice in the desert. The sound of a voice is invisible to our eyes, does not remain in the air and quickly disappears.

In the following verses, verses 24-28, we see that John didn’t think that he even deserved to be called a servant of God. Look at verses 24-28. “Now some Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, ‘Why, then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’ ‘I baptize with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’” Why did John minimize himself so much, even to the point that he was nothing but the sound of a voice and didn’t even deserve to be a servant? John had such little concern about his own dignity or position and even his self-worth, in order to bring full honor and glory to Jesus.

John’s example of humility seems to be too extreme for us to follow. Most of us are not popular or famous. So do we really need to struggle to become humble, like John did? Rather, we need a certain level of self-confidence, which is often considered healthy. In our developmental stages, we need to gain some confidence by being recognized and affirmed by others. So John’s self-denial seems a little bit radical. Yet, we can still learn a very important spiritual lesson from John’s example. We learn that his struggle was a struggle to live in the presence of God, not in the eyes of people. It is amazing to see that he could remain humble, especially when he was extremely successful and popular. He was a hardworking and faithful servant, yet he was a servant of God, not a slave to his pride and lust for fame and human attention.

We see that John was humble also because he saw the glory of God in Jesus Christ. When he saw the glory of God, human glory seemed to be too small. He felt and realized that worldly treasures and human glory were like toys. Yet, it’s hard for us to overcome our desire for those worldly things. We often see even some successful ministers of God stumble and fall because of lack of self-awareness before the presence of God. We, as God’s servants, must practice the presence of God and the presence of people. But the first importance is practicing the presence of God. In order to receive and contain God’s glory, we need to empty ourselves, like John the Baptist. Most of all, we need to see the glory of God. We must be also like Saint Paul who said in Philippians 3:8, “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.”

In verses 29-34, John testifies the glory of God in Jesus. He testifies it in two ways: 1) Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, and 2) Jesus is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

First, Jesus is the Lamb of God. (29-31)

Look at verses 29-31. “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I meant when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.’” The ministry of John’s water baptism was similar to ritual immersion, called “Mikveh” in those days. The term “Mikveh” in Hebrew means gathering of waters. But it is used for the ritual immersion, before the regular priests participated in the temple service, or before a scribe wrote the name of God, or before the high Priest conducted the Day of Atonement. There were several Jewish religious groups that practiced ritual immersion, called “Mikveh”, especially the Essenes. However, John’s water baptism was different from ritual immersion because it wasn’t just washing one’s body. It required repentance of their sins. When John saw the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, he didn’t say, “Welcome!” Instead, he said, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Lk 3:7-8)  I wander how many people would show up in the church on Sunday service, if the pastor of the church said like John the Baptist. But when people heard John’s message of repentance, they weren’t offended but were drawn to God, being convicted of their sins. John washed them with water as a sign of their cleansing.

But water cannot truly wash our sins. John’s water baptism of repentance was to prepare them to accept the Christ who would be the sacrificial lamb for the forgiveness of their sins. According to Leviticus 4:32-35, each person was required to bring a lamb as a sin offering, a female lamb without blemish, and lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it. Killing of a cute and innocent lamb with a knife must have been a heart-wrenching experience. Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar… and the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven. But the problem is that animal blood could not take away sin. (Hebrews 10:4)

Then why did God make them do it every year? It was to remind them of their sins and to point forward to what would happen someday in a final sacrifice for sin through the Messiah. When John saw Jesus coming toward him, he knew it was happening. He saw God who became a man in order to take away the sin of the world was among the crowd of people, who were waiting to be baptized by him. So he cried out, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” The title “lamb of God” has deep significance. It reminds us of the ram which God provided for Abraham to sacrifice in place of his son, Isaac (Gen 22), and it reminds of the blood of the Passover lamb which protected the people of Israel from the wrath of death (Ex 12), the Old Testament system of animal sacrifices (Lev 4:32-35); and Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering servant (Isaiah 53:7-10).

Through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, our sins are fully paid and atoned for. Our sins are forgiven once and for all. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who believe in Jesus Christ. (Ro 8:1) 1 Peter 1:18-20 reads, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”

Why did God have to die for the sins we committed? It was because he loves us so dearly. When I was a child, I was a very happy boy as long as I felt deeply loved by my mother. My mother died around 18 years ago. Recently, I put up her old picture on a shelf. Whenever I look at the picture, I am reminded of her love for me. Even as I continue to age, I am still comforted whenever I think of my mother’s love. Yet, she could not die for my sins even if she might have wanted to, because she was only a human. But Jesus, the holy Son of God not only loved me but also died for me so that all my sins could be forgiven. So when I look at Jesus on the cross, I am reminded of my sins that made him to suffer and die on the cross. At the same time, I am also reminded of God’s grace of forgiveness of my sins, and as a result I am convinced of God’s unfailing love for me. Satan cannot accuse me and the power of darkness loses its power in the love of Jesus Christ. I can find confidence and peace in the love of God. (Ro 8:31-39) What a great honor and blessing to have a Savior Jesus Christ, the holy Son of God, who suffered and died for me!

Second, Jesus gives baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Besides the grace of forgiveness of sins, we also receive a great blessing of the Holy Spirit. Look at verses 32-33. “Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have know him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”’” What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit? People have all different views concerning this matter. It often divides people. But we should be very careful. Jesus promised that he would baptize his believers with the Holy Spirit. In fact, 1 Corinthians 12:3 reads that no one can say, “Jesus is Lord”, except by the Holy Spirit. It shows that the Holy Spirit is given, not just to a few and special group of people but to all those who believe in Jesus Christ. We might not feel his presence, but if we believe in our hearts that Jesus is the Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells in us.

Even though we are baptized with the Holy Spirit, it does not mean that we will become perfect and sin no more. In fact, we still fall into sin and temptation because we are still in the flesh. Some people think that whenever they sin, the Holy Spirit will depart them and the devil will take them away from God. But that’s not true. The truth is that the Holy Spirit does not leave us whenever we sin. He still remains in us. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the seal of God’s salvation in us. Ephesians 1:13-14 reads, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.”

Some people think that being baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit should be accompanied by special experiences, such as tongue-speaking, or having warm feeling or tingling sensation in the body or heart, frequent laughter, or seeing or dreaming heavenly visions or healing the sick. Those experiences are good but not mandatory for all believers. God gives each person a different gift according his will. The greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is love. (1 Corinthians 12-14) 1 Corinthians 13:1 and 2 reads, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and al knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”  When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we become more like Jesus, more loving, peaceful, graceful, patient, faithful, humble, gentle and self-disciplined.

According to Jesus, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist, and yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Mt 11:11) When John’s ministry was at its peak and the eye of entire nation was on him, John could have become proud. Yet, he remained completely humble. How could he do this? It’s only because he desired and saw the greatness of God’s glory in Jesus Christ. When he saw the greatness and fullness of glory of God in Jesus, he felt how small he was. Yet, he didn’t suffer from lack of self-worth or poor self-image. Instead, he was drawn to know Jesus more and more. He didn’t draw people’s attention to him. Rather, he helped people to follow Jesus, so that the glory of God may be revealed to them. John said, “I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” (34)

The glory of God that John saw in Jesus didn’t fade away. Likewise, the glory of God we see in Jesus does not fade away. It gives us life to us. It shines on us and remains in us. The glory of the Son of God is the spiritual reality, which is always available to those who believe in him. The glory of the Son of God is in Jesus’ body and blood. We can eat his body and drink his blood and have God’s live in us. When we have this glory in us, we are fully alive. Praise Jesus, the Son of God, who became the sacrificial lamb to take away all our sins and dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. How wonderful it is to be able to see the glory of the Son of God. Do you see the glory of God? Is your heart filled with God’s glory? But many of us cannot see the glory of God because there are too many things in them. Of course, we have many things to be concerned as long as we live in this world. Yet, there are too many junks in our heart that hinder us from seeing the glory of God. Therefore, we need to empty ourselves through repentance in order to see the glory of God. Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus, the Son of God. Let John’s confession be ours, “I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God!”

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WE HAVE SEEN HIS GLORY

John 1:1-18
Key Verse: 1:14

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

One of my Christian friends recently told me that he wants to see the glory of God. “What a noble and admirable desire he has!” I thought. I wish many of us had the desire to see the glory of God. Moses in the Old Testament had this desire. When he was leading the people of Israel in the wilderness, he was often challenged by many obstacles and felt it was impossible for him to lead the people any longer. The Lord encouraged Moses by saying, “Moses, I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Then Moses asked the Lord, “Lord, now show me your glory.” (Exo 33:18) But God said to Moses, “Well, Moses! You cannot see my face, because no one may see my face and live.” In fact, God showed Moses only his back, not his face (Ex 33:23). This was great enough. Yet, according to John’s gospel, those who believe in Jesus can see the glory of God even better than Moses. In fact, Philip, one of Jesus’ disciples, asked Jesus as they were walking in the Garden, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” (14:8) Then Jesus answered, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that Father is in me?” (14:9)

The great thing about our John’s gospel study is that through it we can see and experience God in Jesus. Today’s key verse, verse 14 reads, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Since I became a Christian when I was junior in college in 1975, John’s Gospel has been my favorite gospel because I don’t know about you, but whenever I read John’s Gospel, I feel that Jesus is so close to me. I feel that I can almost see Jesus face to face. The more I read John’s gospel, the more I feel that Jesus is speaking to me directly and personally in my ears. I almost feel that Jesus lives in me, touching me, washing me and embracing me. In fact, we can have a personal encounter with God through John’s gospel over and over again. I am so glad that we are studying John’s gospel this year. I  hope and pray that through the study of John’s gospel, all of us can see the glory of God in Jesus and that John’s gospel study this semester would be a spiritual feast for all of us.

The New Testament has four gospel narratives, the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John. These first three Gospels are often called “the synoptic gospels”, which describe events from a similar point of view, as contrasted with that of John’s gospel. John’s gospel is very unique. When Apostle John wrote this gospel, he was very old and all the other Apostles were already dead and the church was under attack of severe persecutions. The rise of various heresies, especially Gnosticism, became a great threat to many believers. John the Apostle had to write this gospel in order to protect believers from the growing influence of heresies and nurture them spiritually.

The Gospel of John is considered a simple gospel, yet it is found to be the most profound gospel. As we read it, we find several key words that are constantly repeated throughout the gospel. For example, the word “love” is repeated 27 times, the word “light” 24 times, the word “truth” 54 times, the word “life” 50 times, and the word “believe” 54 times. Today’s passage, John 1:1-18, is the prologue of John’s gospel, in which we find so many key words.

Unlike the synoptic gospels, which begin with the story of Jesus’ birth as a baby, John’s gospel starts with the statement that Jesus is God. Look at verses 1 and 2. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” These verses reveal Jesus’ co-existence with God the Father before the creation of the world. Apostle John uses a special term “the Word” (Logos), which was very relevant to his Greek audience. The word “Logos” is used in Greek philosophy in various ways for a principle of order and knowledge or the concept as the highest virtue or as a personification of the divine being. Of course, John didn’t mean that Jesus Christ is merely the Logos of Greek philosophy. Rather, John might have used the word “Logos” because in Jewish religion, the Word of God is considered as God himself. The opening phrase of John’s Gospel “In the beginning” reminds us of Genesis 1:1, which reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  We know that the universe was formed at the command of God’s Word. When God said, “Let there be light!” there was light (Gen 1:3). Jesus is the divine Word of God who created the heavens and earth in the beginning. Look at verse 3. “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

Verse 4 reads, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” This verse teaches us the Logos – the Word – who was in the beginning is the origin and author of life and that life is the light of all mankind. It means that we, as God’s creation, can find true meaning and purpose of life in relation to the Word who was in the beginning. In other words, our life has true meaning and purpose only when we are connected to Him because we are wonderfully and purposely made in God’s image, not a byproduct of accidents.

Look at verse 5. “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”  There are two worlds: the world of light and the world of darkness. When we are in spiritual darkness, we are like a blind man from birth who can easily deny the beauty and magnificence of a great landscape, believing that he is ugly and has no hope at all. Many people feel that life is meaningless. Some people may feel depressed when they don’t have the sense of self-worth, self-respect and self-competence. Some people suffer with tremendous pain in their hearts because of their damaged self-image due to failures and mistakes. Others feel hopeless when their dreams are shattered. When we are in spiritual darkness, we cannot see the beauty of our life in God. But the real problem is that we cannot overcome the power of darkness unless we have the light. We need the light.

In order to bring light to this dark world, God had sent so many messengers and prophets in the Old Testament, and John the Baptist was the last prophet who testified concerning the light. Look at verses 6-9. “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” Here, the true light refers to Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Jesus came as the light of the world. But most people’s response to the light was negative.

Look at verses 10-11. “He (The Word who was in the beginning) was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” Generally speaking, neither the world nor the Jews received the light of Jesus. The result is that they have no other choice than remaining in the darkness.

However, some received the light and became God’s children through faith in Jesus. Look at verses12 and 13. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” One of the main reasons that people cannot become the children of light is that they have no power to overcome the power of darkness. The power of darkness in us cannot be overcome by our human ancestry or human effort but only by the power of God. Verse 12 says that to those who believed in Jesus’ name, God gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent nor of human decision or a husband’s will but by being born again, which is the work of the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:1-8). Here, the word “gave the right” can be translated as “gave the power.” In other words, to those who believe in Jesus’ name, God gives them power to overcome the power of darkness in them. The power of darkness in us may not disappear immediately but it will surely and completely disappear as we learn to trust in the name of Jesus Christ. Some people choose to remain in darkness by closing their minds to the light, perhaps because of shame, guilt or fear. We need to open our minds and let the light of Jesus shine in us.

Once in a while, I have a chance to visit the rehab-unit at the hospital where a lot of disabled patients who have difficulty of moving their arms or legs receive physical therapy. They are asked to stretch their limbs often even though they may feel initial discomfort doing so. However, through regular exercise and constant treatment, the patients can make slow progress, and sometimes the progress can be a lot faster than expected. Likewise, trusting in Jesus can be challenging and awkward for those who are so used to just depending on themselves. They may feel uncertain and insecure about trusting in Him. But the power of darkness can be removed from us as we learn to believe in the name of Jesus Christ. In fact, the word “believe” is repeated 54 times in John’s Gospel. The main purpose of John’s gospel as stated in verse 20:31 of the book is that by believing in Jesus we may have life in his name. Therefore, I can guarantee that if we continue to study John’s gospel and learn to trust in Jesus, no one will remain in the power of darkness but everyone will be able to experience the power of God and live in the light of God. 1 Peter 2:9 reads, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Once many of us who were apostle of darkness has become apostles of light.

Look at verse 14. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” What does it mean that the Word became flesh? It basically means that God became a man and that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. In those days, some heresies taught that Jesus Christ was not born as a flesh-and-blood man, but only appeared to be one. Some said that Jesus was an angel. But this verse clearly tells us that Jesus is fully human and fully divine.

However, the expression “the Word became flesh” seems to have a much stronger meaning than “God became a man.” The Word became flesh clearly reveals Jesus’ identification with us and his victory over the power of sin and death. Hebrews 2:14-18 read, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” The power of sin and death has absolute dominion over all fallen mankind. The Bible says that since we are dust, to dust we would return. (Gen 3:19) This is God’s curse for fallen mankind. It’s hard to see someone we love getting really old, deteriorating mentally and physically and even dying. But in Jesus we have hope of everlasting life through Jesus who overcame the power of sin and death through his resurrection. The glory of God in Jesus is not like the fire, clouds, or smoke in the ancient tabernacle. The glory of God in Jesus is the glory of the One and Only true God, full of grace and truth.

Look at verses 16-17. “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” The grace we receive from Jesus is superabundant so that we cannot exhaust it. Our access to the spiritual bank account of God’s grace in Jesus is limitless. God’s grace in Jesus Christ is different from the law, which is the only the partial revelation of God’s grace because it leads only to condemnation and death. The grace in Jesus Christ is the full and complete revelation of God’s grace that is powerful enough to save us from the power of sin and death and provide us with new life of love, joy, peace and hope – especially the hope of glorious resurrection. For this, Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins on the cross. God is the truth because he is absolutely good. We came to know Him and see the fullness of grace and truth through Jesus Christ.

What a great and amazing revelation of God our Lord we have in Jesus Christ! Look at verse 18. “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” Although the fullness of God’s grace is available in Jesus Christ, we don’t get to benefit from it automatically. We need to exercise our faith in Jesus. Living by faith in Jesus means living by the grace of Jesus Christ day to day. However, it’s easy for us to neglect God’s grace and remain self-reliant. As a result, many of us live a dry, lifeless and weary life, apart from God’s grace in Jesus Christ.

In this fast moving and highly demanding world, it’s easy for us to become so busy minded, as a result, we live like the children of darkness. Someone said that the word “B-U-S-Y” stands for “Be-Under-Satan’s-Yoke.” Unless we live by the grace of God day-to-day and moment-by-moment, how easy it is for us to be under Satan’s yoke. God does not want us to be spiritually dehydrated. God wants us to live an abundant life. Everything is ready. We know that we have unlimited access to the spiritual account of God’s grace in Jesus. Living by faith in Jesus means to live in the grace of Jesus Christ. We need faith and courage to make a decision to live in the grace of Jesus Christ. The more we withdraw God’s grace from our spiritual bank account in heaven, the more glory we can see and experience in Jesus. Today’s key verse, verse 14, is Apostle John’s confession of faith. He said, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Can this confession be ours? Do you want to see the glory of God? We are invited to see the glory of God in Jesus Christ and have a spiritual encounter with God. May we learn to put our trust in Jesus so that we may overcome the power of darkness and live a life in the light of God, full of grace and truth.

THE GLORIOUS SECOND COMING OF JESUS

Mark 13:1-37
Key Verse: 13:26-27

“At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”

Mark Chapter 13 is generally known as “Jesus’ dialogue on the Mount of Olives”, in which Jesus describes God’s plan for the end times in response to his disciple’s eschatological questions. It’s easy for us to be carried away by our own curiosity concerning the exact time and the signs of the end times. Let us be more focused on Jesus’ message about how we should live day to day while waiting for his return.

The dialogue that happened at the Mount of Olives started when Jesus and his disciples were leaving the temple, just a few days before his death on the cross. Look at verse 1. “As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’” The Jerusalem Temple complex in Jesus’ time was a masterpiece, which had been renovated and largely extended by King Herod the Great. It took more than 40 years to complete. They used hundreds and thousands of stone bricks for this project. One stone brick was the size about half of this room! It’s no wonder that the disciples were amazed by the size of the stones of the temple. “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” The temple was the pride of Israel and the heart and soul of the spiritual and cultural heritage of the Jews.

But to their surprise, Jesus predicted the complete destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. Look at verse 2. “‘Do you see all these buildings?’ replied Jesus. ‘Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.’” Jesus’ prediction was specifically pointing to the destruction of the city of Jerusalem as well as the Temple complex by the Roman invasion in A.D. 70. It was God’s direct judgment on Israel due to her sin of rebellion against God, probably killing the Son of God. (Mk 12) Hearing what Jesus said about the destruction of the Temple, the disciples must have become scared, puzzled and quiet for a while as they walked along with Jesus to the Mount of Olives. Yet, they somehow related the destruction of Jerusalem Temple to the termination of the world’s history. So as they were sitting on the Mount of Olives along with Jesus, looking at the grandiose Jerusalem Temple buildings, Peter, John, James and Andrew, the first four disciples, asked him, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled?” (4) Their questions were about two eschatological matters: 1) the time and 2) the signs of the end of the world.

Regarding the time of the end of the world, Jesus made it very clear that no one knows except God alone. He said in verse 32, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” It’s hard to believe that Jesus, the Son of God, does not know the time of his second coming. Or even though he knows it, he might not want to tell us or want us to know exactly when he would come again. Yet, Jesus said plainly that he does not know about the date or the hour of his coming back (Mk 13:32; Acts 1:7). It seems that Jesus does not even want us to calculate the exact time of his coming either.

In fact, most of Jesus’ dialogue with his disciples in Mark Chapter 13 was his warnings about false prophets, false alarms and false signs that distract and make people unnecessarily or overly anxious and alarmed. According to Jesus, there are only a few signs that are to be considered as the real signs of the end times (23-25; 28-30). So let’s first think about the general signs that are not necessarily eschatological signs.

First: false prophets and false alarms (5-8; 21-23)

Look at verses 5-6. “Jesus said to them: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many.” Also look at verses 21-23. “At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ! Or “Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christ and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect – if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.”  We need discernment to not be misled or deceived by false prophets and false religious leaders. A characteristic of false prophets and false Christ is that they know and tell what people want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3) and even perform great signs and miracles. Yet, we know that not all those who perform signs and miracles are false prophets. So how can we discern whether they are genuine or not?

We can find useful tips from Matthew 7:15-17 and 20, which read, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit… Thus, by their fruit they will recognize them.” No one is perfect and free from mistakes and failures. But we would know whether the person is genuine, authentic or pretentious by the fruit of his or her life.

Look at verses 7 and 8. “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.” According to Jesus, wars and military confrontation between nations, natural disasters, such as flood, famine, earthquake, tsunami, volcanic explosion, and pestilences are general signs or the beginning of birth pains, as Jesus puts it in verse 8. Although it’s hard enough to go through these disastrous events and circumstances, we must know that they are not the signs of the end of the age.

Let me share a funny story that happened last week. Last Wednesday, about three hours into a flight from Miami to London, a British Airways crew member accidentally pushed the button that started to play an automated recording telling passengers to prepare for an emergency landing on the Atlantic Ocean. The pre-recorded message said, “This is an emergency, we will shortly be making an emergency landing on water.” All the passengers panicked and began fearing that they were about to die. Then immediately, a flight attendant came over the intercom to apologize to say that the message was a mistake. It was a false alarm that made all passengers on board scared to death. I heard that some angry passengers are going to sue the company for emotional damage.

Since the world we live in has so many natural disasters and constant wars, some people are easily and unnecessarily alarmed thinking the world is going to end very soon. They are often carried away. Other people just don’t care anymore. We need to be aware that these are the beginning of birth pains and the time is coming. Therefore, instead of being anxious about anything, we need to acknowledge God’s absolute sovereignty over all things through our prayer, petition and thanksgiving. (Phil 4:6)

Second, birth pains and suffering (9-20)

In verses 5-8, Jesus talks about the beginning of birth pains. In verses 9-20, Jesus talks more about the birth pain to his disciples. Look at verses 9-13. The disciples would be persecuted, and sometimes they would be arrested and put in prison on account of Jesus. In fact, Jesus said in verse 13, “All men will hate you because of me, …” Sometimes their loved ones would hate them. Their family members would even betray them because of Jesus. These are truly painful and terrible sufferings that we, as Christians, should go through. Sometimes, we might want to compromise with our situation because it’s too painful to bear. Yet, Jesus said that we should stand firm to the end because our faith will bring the ultimate victory for all (13). Here, we learn two things about why God allows us to go through these difficulties and pains.

(1) It’s one of the most effective ways to witness to the world. Look at verses 9 and 10. “You must on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” Jesus also said that we should totally depend on the Holy Spirit, who will speak on our behalf. (11)

(2) Christian hardships are part of the birth pain for Jesus’ glorious second coming. Look at verse 14. “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” This part is a quotation from Daniel 9:27 that was partly fulfilled in 167 B.C. by Antiochus of Syria who erected the temple of Zeus in the Jerusalem Temple and sacrificed the swine’s blood on the altar of the temple, which was the abomination to the Lord our God. (Dan 11:31) The temple was again defiled when the Roman army captured and destroyed the city of Jerusalem in AD 70. People who heeded Jesus’ warnings and fled to the mountains could save their lives while people who remained in Jerusalem were killed. I wonder how the first century Christians in Jerusalem could go through such horrible events.

We often feel powerless over a lot of things that are happening in the world. Some Christians think that we should be doing something. So they are gathered together to form a political power in order to fight against evil in our society. I see that some of them have been very effective. Yet, it does not always work out our way. The instructions Jesus gave to his disciples in verses 14-20 seem to be a little passive. “Flee to the mountain, do not go down or do not enter the house, but pray.” We wonder why God allows certain things to happen in this world. We don’t understand many things. We know that many things are not under our control. However, it’s interesting to see how Jesus describes the pains of pregnant women and nursing mothers in verse 17, “How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!” Yet, the Lord will cut short the days of distress for the sake of his elect.  But even if we are not pregnant women or nursing mothers, as long as we live in this world we are to go through the birth pains of different kind.

In fact, we must acknowledge that as long as we live in this world, we are basically groaning in the pains of childbirth for the second coming of Jesus Christ. This reminds us of Romans 8:22-23, which reads, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” The second coming of Jesus Christ is the culmination of God’s redemption through which our salvation will be completed and we will have the glorious resurrection body and live with God our Father and with His people forever and ever in His kingdom. The glorious resurrection of our body through the second coming of Jesus Christ is the ultimate hope of our life as Christians. Unbelievers would not be able to know why things are happening. But believers in Christ know it because we are not the children of darkness but the children of light. We also know that we have glorious hope in the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. For this hope, we can endure hardships in this world. Because of this hope, we can rejoice even in the midst of suffering and hardship.

Third, celestial catastrophe before the glorious second coming of Jesus (24-31)

The real sign of the end times is mentioned only in verses 24 and 25. Read verses 24 and 25. “But in those days, following that distress, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and heavenly bodies will be shaken.” When Jesus said, “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light”, it seems that he meant unusual changes or some kind of partial or total disturbances in celestial orders in the universe. An earthquake of 8 or 9 rector scale can destroy an entire city. What will happen, if heavenly bodies are being shaken? It’s truly scary and beyond our imagination. I would be dead in fear if I have to go through this kind of catastrophic event. We don’t know if this kind of eschatological sign will appear gradually or all of a sudden. It seems that it will last for a certain period of time.

Most Bible scholars believe that those who believe in Jesus Christ will not experience such catastrophic events on earth because they will be raptured. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 reads, “According to Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” I am not sure whether the rapture will happen before or after the celestial catastrophe. But I like the idea that we will be lifted to heaven before the catastrophic events.

Look at verse 26. “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”  Jesus’ second coming will be different his first coming. The first time, Jesus came in humility to suffer and die as the atonement for our sins. The second time, however, he will come in power and glory to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. And the new heaven and new earth will come through the glorious second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will send his angels and gather his elect, calling their names one by one. Our Lord Jesus will wipe all the tears from our eyes and we will be greatly comforted by him.

Look at verses 28-31. “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth; this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Jesus’ teaching here is a little confusing. When Jesus mentioned the fig tree, we are not quite sure if Jesus was referring to the nation Israel, since the fig tree often represents Israel. I used to think that way. But I began to wonder if the restoration of Israel in 1948 is the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy in these verses? According to Luke’s gospel, we see that Jesus wasn’t just talking about fig tree. He said in Luke 21:29, “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When the sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves, and know that summer is near.” Then he also said, “This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” Sometimes, we tend to interpret the Bible prophecy based on our own understanding, not necessarily by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The early Christians, including the apostles, believed that the second coming of Jesus would occur in their lifetime. But it didn’t happen as they expected or believed. In fact, almost 2,ooo years have passed, and Jesus still hasn’t returned. Christians are still waiting for his return. Therefore, we need to watch not just the signs of the end times but also our attitude as well.

Look at verses 33-37. “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” As the conclusion of his dialogue on the Mount of Olives, Jesus asked his disciples to be on guard, be alert, watch, and keep watch and watch.

We know that waiting is not easy. These days, everything has to be fast. Speed is what matters. People want instant result and gratification. But it seems that God wants us to watch and wait until he comes back. In fact, Christians who had waited for his return in the last 2,000 years have died without seeing Jesus’ second coming. Yet, they died, not in sorrow or discouragement, but in peace and hope to see Jesus in heaven. Perhaps, most of us may or may not be able to see Jesus’ return in our lifetime. But it does not really matter to us because we know that we will surely see him in heaven. We don’t know when Jesus will come back. We don’t know what’s going to happen this year. Yet, we are not to be alarmed by anything. We don’t need to do anything drastic. We are given the task to preach the gospel and love one another until he returns or until we die. What really matters is how we wait for him and love him and love one another in obedience to his command.

Let me conclude my sermon with words of encouragement from 1 Peter 4:7-10, which read, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully ministering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”  Many of us have been faithful to the task God has given to us. In 2012, let us continue to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Let us not be anxious anything, but pray more and love more. May the Lord help us to maintain our close love relationships with him and be able to watch and wait day by day by holding on to His words and walking in the Holy Spirit until his glorious second coming.

THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

Proverbs 1:1-7; 2:1-5
Key Verse: 1:7

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

On January 12, 2010, most of us woke up to the shocking news of the horrible earthquake in Haiti. Millions of people lost their loved ones and homes. Then, just nine months later, an earthquake of almost equal magnitude struck New Zealand’s second largest city, Christchurch. Many homes were also destroyed. But surprisingly, not a single life was lost. People were wondering how two comparable earthquakes could have such different effects. Some people said that Haiti’s inferior infrastructures and shoddy building codes were to blame. It’s true that buildings with secure foundations have a better chance of survival during an earthquake. So it is spiritually. Our life in the world is full of trouble. We know that we will not live a trouble free life this year either. However, today’s passage teaches us that the fear of the Lord is the solid foundation for our lives in this world. Today’s key verse, 1:7 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. Let’s think about what “the fear of the Lord” means and the blessings of having the fear of the Lord, and how we can have the fear of the Lord in our lives.

Look at verse 1. “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel.” The book of Proverbs is a collection of proverbs, most of which are spoken by King Solomon (chapters 1-9, 10-22:16 & 25:1-29:27). Solomon was the son of King David and the third king of the United Kingdom of Israel. He was the builder of the First Temple in Jerusalem. He was well known for his great knowledge, wisdom, wealth and power. According to 1 Kings 4:32 Solomon spoke more than 3,000 proverbs and composed 1,005 songs. Solomon was believed to be the main author of the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs. He was also famous for his broad understanding in trading, music and science. What a talented and wise person he was! However, the sins of his idolatry, turning away from the Lord and having so many wives and concubines eventually led to the kingdom of Israel being torn apart in two.

Verses 2-6 show what the purpose of the book is. Look at verses 2-6. “For attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young – let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance – for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.” This is a pretty long statement. However, the first phrase “for attaining wisdom and discipline” seems to be the main point of the book. “Attaining wisdom and discipline!” We are inundated with a flood of information and knowledge through the benefit of Information Technology. We may have a lot of head knowledge and information and still lack in wisdom and discipline. Education is important, but the goal of education should not be gaining information and knowledge, but gaining wisdom and discipline.

What is wisdom? Wisdom (hokmah) basically means “skill.” In fact, wisdom is the ability to use knowledge. But we need more than knowledge. We need wisdom in our relationships and responsibilities. We know that we are supposed to love one another. And yet, so many of us are not successful in our relationships with each other because we don’t have proper communication skills. Even in marital relationships, a lot of couples don’t really know how to communicate with one another to be lifelong friends, partners and soul mates. Our relationships often get entangled in the stress and demand of daily life, and puts distance between us.

When I got married, I found that my wife and I were so different. She was extraverted and I am introverted. She collects information through sensing and I collect information through intuition. She is more thinking oriented. I am more feeling oriented. She has to have a clear goal and plan things. I am more casual and open minded and ready to change. Since we were so opposite we complement each other. But it was often so hard to accept the differences between us. The problem is that I didn’t have proper skills to handle my anger and frustrations in my relationship with my wife. I mainly vented out of my charged emotion, anger and frustration, using harsh words to my wife. As a result, I ended up hurting her. Even though I felt so sorry for what I did, I was helpless. Proverbs 15:1 reads, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”  This is so true. Yet, I didn’t have the wisdom/skills to express myself in a different and constructive way. Now, after 32 years of my marriage, I still find myself so different from her. Recently I have attained some wisdom how to say in emotionally intelligent way. Instead of saying “You make me so angry” I say to her, “Honey, I feel frustrated when you do that to me.” And my wife likes it so much better. Actually, we are now learning how to communicate with one another.

Saint Peter said in his letter, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindles; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8) I hope and pray that this year we may not only grow in faith but also attain practical wisdom and all spiritual virtues in Jesus so that Christ Jesus may bear good fruits through us.

Look at verse 7. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” The phrase “the fear of the Lord” is repeated at least 18 times in the book of Proverbs. So we can almost say that “the fear of the Lord” is the controlling principle or the foundation on which we should build a life of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is not a fear of punishment. The fear of the Lord is a refusal to participate in evil (Job 28:28). The fear of the Lord actually protects us from sinning against God, against others and against ourselves. It also means to seek God and listen to God’s wisdom. We look to the word of God as the source of our wisdom. Psalm 112:1 reads, “Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.” Psalm 128:1 also reads, “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who talk in his ways.”

Being wise is different from being humanly smart and clever. Human cleverness actually has to do with evil. We can be humanly wise by carefully observing nature and human behavior. But only those who have the fear of the Lord can be truly wise because God is the truth and the source of all wisdom. Wisdom that does not come from heaven is earthly, unspiritual and of the devil. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, and bears good fruit, impartial and sincere. (James 3:15-17) Therefore, James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” In fact, there are so many blessings of the fear of the Lord. And the fear of the Lord is the foundation for gaining God’s wisdom.

1. The fear of the Lord does not make us timid or weak. The fear of the Lord actually gives us strength. When we fear the Lord, we don’t have to fear anything else. The fear of the Lord is a remedy for all other ungodly and unhealthy forms of fear. It’s like the saying “A man who is intimate with God will never be intimidated by man.”
2. Those who have the fear of the Lord can enjoy a long life. Proverbs 10:27 read, ““The fear of the Lord prolongs days. But the years of the wicked will are cut short.” It does not say that how long we will live. But it says that we will live longer and healthier than if we would have lived without the fear of the Lord.
3. By having the fear of the Lord, our life can find satisfaction and offer less distraction from evil. Proverbs 19:23 reads, “The fear of the Lord leads to life. And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.” What a blessed life we can live with the fear of the Lord? The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life (Prov 14:27). Proverbs 22:4 even adds more blessings, “Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.”  Before studying this passage I didn’t realize that the fear of the Lord in me brings such abundant blessings from God. I also learned that without the fear of the Lord we are not the true children of God or the genuine disciples of Jesus.

Some people think that we don’t need the fear of the Lord since we have been saved from God’s wrath. But that’s a misunderstanding. Of course, we don’t need to be afraid of punishment. Yet, we still need to fear of the Lord. In fact, 1 Peter 1:17 reads, “Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.” One of the best words to describe the fear of the Lord is reverence. It’s an affectionate reverence that results in humbly bowing to the Father’s will, and a godly desire not to sin against Him, because we know that God’s wrath is so awful and His love is so awesome. We love the Lord so dearly and deeply respect Him as God our Father.

Ephesians 5:15-18 reads, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wife, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”

Saint Paul said that we should be filled with the Holy Spirit. The evil influence is spreading wide and growing like a cancer in the world. It’s hard not to be tempted since we also have our evil desires. Without the fear of the Lord, we can neither survive as Christians nor can we become the salt and light of the world.

The fear of the Lord has an amazing and close connection to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. As we read Acts chapter 9:31, we see a combination of the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit in the early church. Acts 9:31 reads, “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”  Here, we may even say that the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit cannot be separated. And as a result, the people of the early church were edified and they multiplied. Perhaps, the key to church growth is the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit. The fear of the Lord, God’s wisdom and the Holy Spirit are not separable.

Then let us think about how we can have the fear of the Lord and be filled with the Holy Spirit? Proverbs 2:1-5 shows us step-by-step how to get the fear of the Lord. Read 2:1-5. “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” There are 4 “Ifs” for receiving the fear of the Lord in these verses. These are all closely related to our attitude toward the word of the Lord. 1) If we accept the word of the Lord with respect, 2) if we listen to the word of God intently, 3) if we pray to understand the word of the Lord, and 4) if we search God’s words hidden treasure, then we will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. This is the reason that we should continue to study the word of the Lord more sincerely.

Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. But although people know God, they neither glorify him as God nor give thanks to him, but their thinking becomes futile and their foolish hearts are darkened. (Romans 1:20-21) Having the fear of the Lord is not just to have correct head-knowledge about God. It’s to have a right relationship with God our Father. Even though we call ourselves God’s people, we often find very little fear of the Lord in us. By nature, we are self-seeking. Although we have desire to seek God, we are often distracted by ungodly culture and sinful desires that we only become self-seeking.

Why some people become so evil? It’s not because they were born more evil than others. It’s because they refuse to have the fear of God in their hearts (Ro 3:18). Without the fear of the Lord, we cannot fight the spiritual battle against evil. The fear of the Lord is the fountain, shield and foundation of our life in this world. Through the channel of holy fear of the Lord, all the blessings from heaven can enter into our lives. Therefore, let us earnestly pray that each of us may have the fear of the Lord this year. And through the fear of the Lord, may we grow in His image and be able to live truly happy, successful, meaningful and healthy lives that glorify Him. May the Holy Spirit continue to strengthen us, comfort us and fill us with His wisdom so that each of us may be able to carry out His will, and the body of Christ may be edified and grow in numbers this year.

BE TRANSFORMED…

Romans 12:1-8
Key Verse: 12:2

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Last summer, Missionary Dr. William Kim moved from Louisiana to Indonesia with his family members. As soon as he arrived there, he got sick with typhoid fever. In fact, he almost died. This is how his new life in Indonesia began. Of course, things have gotten much better now. However, in his recent letter to me, he said that 2011 was like an action movie to him because it was a mixture of excitements, thrills and many difficulties. 2011 was a tumultuous year for most of us, filled with many big and small challenges, most of which were out of our control. But we thank God that He is always with us in spite of all the ups and downs in our lives and all that that is happening in the world around us. In fact, I see many of us have grown mature in Christ-like character and personal faith in God especially through the difficulties and challenges in their lives. I am truly thankful that although we all still have long way to grow, our faith and characteristics are becoming more mature and refined like pure gold than ever. Today’s key verse, Romans 12:2, is my New Year key verse for this year. Let me first share with you why I chose this verse.

During the Well Conference last weekend in Michigan, it became evident to me that in spite of our limitation and shortcomings, God is still working mightily among us for His good purpose. I saw God’s hope through many young people at the conference, including our young disciples in NY. Someone asked me “Pastor David, what is your new direction for 2012?” I couldn’t say anything at the moment. Then I realized why God had brought me to the conference, to think about this question, “What is God’s will for me this year – God’s will that will never fail?” Being a pastor and missionary, I always seem to have my own ideas about what God’s work in UBF should be like and where our ministry should go. Of course, a lot of things will happen in 2012; good and bad, positive and negative, and encouraging and discouraging. I was aware of God’s powerful work. But I wasn’t always happy. Maybe I felt that I was getting old. I realized that I was like Nicodemus who saw God’s powerful work through Jesus, yet had been puzzled with many questions. When Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, Jesus told him, “I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  (Jn 3:3) Jesus seems to be telling me the same thing that I should be born again this year. In fact, Jesus told Nicodemus about the work of the Holy Spirit in John 3:7-8. “You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (Jn 3:7-8) The Holy Spirit works like wind. In other words, one of the most important characteristics of God’s kingdom is fluidity, not rigidity, like wind and water. Therefore, if I want to continue to be led by the Holy Spirit, I must be born again. In other words, I shouldn’t remain rigid, like old wineskins. I said to myself, “That’s it! I need to become a new creation!” It means that I might need to allow myself to be even vulnerable by only trusting in God’s control and His good and perfect work, in spite of the circumstances I find myself in. The fact is that I can be a new creation. I may not become younger. But I can become wholesome in Christ.

Actually, for a few days I was struggling to decide which verse I should take as my New Year key verse because there are so many beautiful verses that caught my attention; such as Galatians 6:15, which reads, “Neither circumcision nor un-circumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation”, 2 Corinthians 5:17, which reads, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has gone, but the new has come!” and Ephesians 4:22-24, which reads, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” These are all wonderful verses that basically teach us the same thing, that a Christian life is a continual process of transformation, from old self to new self in Christ. Among all these verses, I liked Romans 12:2 the most because it seems to present practical steps I should take for real transformation to happen to my life. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

This morning, I would like to focus my message on first two verses of Romans 12. Look at verse 1. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans chapter 12 starts with a conjunctive “therefore.” This could refer back to what Paul had been saying in Romans chapters 1-11, which can possibly be summarized in a phrase “God’s mercy on all human races through Jesus Christ.” That’s why Saint Paul said, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy.” If God were not merciful to us, we would have no hope at all. All of us would have remained in the power of sin and death. But God’s mercy to us is like the rising sun. When the sun rises, the darkness disappears. Likewise, God’s mercy shines on those who living in darkness and in the shadow of death and guides our feet into the path of peace. (Lk 1:78-79) This means a lot.

Sometimes, we fall into an illusion that we can live without God’s mercy. We tend to depend on ourselves instead of depending on God’s mercy. But can we live a healthy life without the sunlight? During the winter season, the sun rises late and sets too early, so we don’t have enough sunlight to enjoy. Many people get easily tired, depressed and even feel sick. Trying to live without the mercy of God is like living in the darkness without sunlight. We need God’s mercy. Last year, people cheered when several evil dictators, like Kim Jung Il, Muammar Gaddafi, Osama Bin Laden, died. Sometimes, we wonder why God doesn’t destroy evil people in the world. But in fact if he does, none of us would have been here today. I heard that Martin Luther once said that if he were God, he would have killed all human race three times a day. Thank God that he was not God. However, we must know that we are alive today because of God’s mercy. If God wasn’t merciful to me, he could have struck me down many times. But he had shown His mercy to me over and over again. I should never forget that I am what I am because of His mercy (1 Cor 15:10). And to know the grace of Jesus Christ is truly God’s great mercy to us. (1 Timothy 1:15)

In verse 1, Saint Paul said that in view of God’s mercy, we need to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, and this is our spiritual act of worship. What does it mean to offer our bodies as living sacrifices and as a spiritual act of worship? Obviously, it does not mean that we should offer our physical bodies in place of animal sacrifices. It means that our life should be set apart for God and fully dedicated to His services. Romans 6:13 reads, “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but … offer every part of your self to him as an instrument of righteousness.” What does God’s mercy have to do with offering our bodies as living sacrifice to God? Here, we learn that offering our bodies as living sacrifice to God is closely related to God’s mercy.

In other words, we cannot say that we are dedicating ourselves to God when we actually hate someone and ignore those who need God’s mercy. In fact, Jesus said that we should not even hate our enemies. He said in Matthew 5:43-46, “You have heard that it was said ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” I think when Jesus said “Be perfect, there, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” he meant “Be merciful, as your heaven Father is merciful.” Actually, Luke 6:36 reads, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” If we are merciless to any human being, we are misrepresenting God who is a merciful God. We must not forget that we became God’s children because of God’s mercy, not because of our goodness. We must learn to see other people in view of God’s mercy, not in view of our own standards or self-righteousness, remembering that we are shown God’s mercy so that we may also show His mercy to others.

One of my dear friends in Korea was a strong-willed person with huge spiritual and human ambitions. He happened to marry a very strong willed lady. Even though they were both very sincere Christians, their strong characters often crashed and brought a lot of conflicts into their marriage. They just couldn’t get along. Whenever I met either of them, they were so critical of the other spouse that I wasn’t able to handle their problems at all. The only thing I could do for them was to listen to their endless complaints, criticism, blame and self-pity.  When I left Chicago to come to New York, they also left Chicago. I thought that their marriage was over. I hadn’t seen them in over ten years, until one day I met them together in Korea. Surprisingly enough, they had big smiles on their faces. I asked them “What happened to you guys? You look so happy.” They told us that when they began to see one another in view of God’s mercy their relationship began to change. I know it wasn’t easy at all. But that was truly the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Actually, it was the wife who began to see her husband in view of God’s mercy. She used to think that her life was ruined because she married to a wrong person. But I found that their attitude toward one another has been changed. And they stopped comparing themselves with others. Now, they are serving a small congregation in one of the churches in Georgia. What a great transformation it is! A great transformation can happen in our lives and our relationships when we see each other in view of God’s mercy.

Paul emphasizes further in verse 2. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by renewing of your mind.” Today, the world is changing so fast. When Paul said that we should not conform to the pattern of this world, he didn’t necessarily mean that we should live like monk, or act old-fashioned, be anti-social or even anti-cultural. What he meant by not following the pattern of this world is more likely that we should not follow worldly values and standards, but rather hold on to godly values and spiritual principles. It’s very easy for us to blindly follow the pattern of this world, without carefully examining it. In fact, there is a great concern for some contemporary Christian movements that seem to follow the pattern of this world. However, it’s hard to draw the line between being spiritual and being worldly. There are even different understandings and different style of worshiping God even among Christians, depending on culture, gender, generation and temperament.  Christians can be very diverse in unity and yet very divisive as well because of the freedom we have. Having unity in Christ among believers even in a small congregation is not easy. What can we do?

Verse 2b reads, “Be transformed by renewing of your mind.” The word “transformation” in Greek is “metamorphosis”, which means a change of outward appearance, like larvae turning into butterflies and tadpoles into frogs. But when Paul said that we should be transformed, he meant a change of one’s ideas and attitude. When Daniel Solazzo was converted, the change of his physical appearance was evident. He used to have long and uncombed hairs. But now he is so neat and handsome. Yet, the renewal of his mind and the change of his attitude are the integral part of his transformation.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus compares human minds to four different kinds of soils. Even though we are Christians, our minds and hearts are not always in good condition for the seed of the gospel to grow and bear fruit. Sometimes, if we are too hard-hearted, our minds are so closed that God’s words cannot take place in us. Therefore, we need to continually cultivate our minds and hearts. Sometimes, we need to break the wall of our sinful desires, such as pride, lust, preconceptions and prejudices through sincere repentance. To become emotionally high is not enough. We also need to take deep roots in God’s words by meditating on them as much as we can. We also need to remove the thorns and thistles of worries, anxieties and unbelief through sincere repentance based on God’s promises.

Transformation does happen to us automatically or in a day. It is a lifelong process. We need to make effort to abide in Jesus, so that Jesus may be in control over our lives. Jesus said to his followers in John 15:5-8, “I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart fro me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Here, we learn that transformation can continue to happen in our lives as we continue to abide in Jesus and his words. This year, we are going to study John’s Gospel, Exodus and Mark chapters 13-16. Psalm 1 says that those who meditate on the word of the Lord is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season. Their life will never be dry but will be full of life. These people are happy not because they don’t have any problem. They are happy because they develop the right attitude of life to rise above their difficult circumstances.

What do we expect to see happening this year? I hope all of us are happy this year. I hope all of us become successful in our study, business and ministry. I hope that God’s blessing may overflow in our lives. We would also like to see a lot of good changes happening in the world around us this year. But one thing we should not forget is that the change should start from within us. If I want to see the world being changed, if I want my church to be changed, if I want my spouse to be changed, if I want my children to be changed, I must be the first one who should be changed. Someone once said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Let us first be the change that we wish to see in the world by renewing of our minds and attitude through God’s words this year. Let us first be the change by learning to see one another in view of God’s mercy. Let us develop the right attitude before God and become more and more like Jesus. Happiness begins with the choice of our attitude. Let us stop following the pattern of this world. Let us be transformed in Jesus Christ until God’s good, pleasing and perfect will for us is fulfilled. Happy New Year!

Jesus changes water to wine in John 2:1-11 (read sermon).

By Missionary Peter Song

John 2:1-11
Key Verse: John 2:7 

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

Happy New Year! I want to invite you all to a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Weddings are always a happy and joyous occasion. Many people get excited when they hear wedding news amongst their friends. Jesus and his disciples were invited to such an occasion. Jesus blessed a wedding at Cana in Galilee. People are expecting something new or miraculous at the New Year. Let’s think about the first miracle of Jesus in the Bible. This passage gives us a deep spiritual meaning and practical direction for our lives. May God help us to grasp this spiritual meaning and find direction for 2012.

I. Do What He Tells You (1-5)

Look at verses 1-2. “On the third day, a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.” Jesus and his new disciples traveled from the south of Judea to Cana in Galilee where there was a wedding. In Jewish society, a wedding was celebrated by the entire community. The celebration could last for days. In the hard reality of daily life in Israel, wedding were a source of joy and happiness.

However a problem arose. What problem arose? The wine was gone. What does it mean that the wine was gone? Wine gives joy at weddings. It was a serious problem. Who noticed this problem? The master of the banquet? No, it was Jesus’ mother, Mary, who noticed. She was like a shepherdess. Did she complain to others? No. What did she do? We can learn from her actions by the three steps of prayer. The first step of prayer was that she brought the problem to Jesus. “We have no more wine.” It was her prayer. We all have problems. How we handle our problems is important.  It is easy for us to solve problems with our own thinking and from others before we pray.

How did Jesus reply? “Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.” Jesus reply sounded indecent, but it was not. He called his mom, “Dear woman” during his public ministry. (John 19:26) Why do you involve me? This means leave me alone, I will solve this problem with my direction. This simply meant Jesus loves his mom. “Dear woman, please wait for my time. My time has not yet come.” Jesus indicated that he was living according to God’s will. He was not saying no. He was submitting Mary’s request to God’s will and time schedule. What was Mary’s response? She was neither in a hurry nor upset. She respected Jesus’ word more than her own thinking.

The second step of prayer was that she simply waited on Jesus’ time schedule. She could have nagged Jesus to do something immediately as a mother, but she did not. Instead she waited on Jesus, believing that Jesus would deal with the problem in his own way. The third step of prayer was that Mary did what she could do. Mary didn’t sit around in an embarrassing state. She was looking for what she could do. She had an idea. She went to look for the servants and talk to them. Step by step, she introduced who Jesus was and said to them, “Do whatever he tells you.” She gave them a clear direction. She made a good environment for servants to obey Jesus’ word as a shepherdess and mentor.

II. Fill the Jar with Water (6-11)

Look at verse 6. “Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.” Six stone water jars, averaging twenty-five gallons each, totals around 150 gallons. That is pretty big. So filling them would be no small task. When I was young, I went the countryside and drew water. It took up to twenty minutes to draw only 1 gallon of water. Imagine how long it would take to carry the water without a car. The servants were extremely busy at the wedding feast. They had to listen to their master and to treat the guests well for several days. What did Jesus tell the servants to do? Look at verse 7. “Fill the jars with water.” According to human logic, this request did not make sense. There was no plumbing system and equipment such as today. It would have taken a lot of time and work. They could have said, “No way, Jose. “

However what did they do? Verse 7b says “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Wow! They obeyed Jesus word wholeheartedly with an A+ attitude. They must have been tired. Jesus was not their master. How could they obey Jesus? The servants heard about Jesus from Mary.

When we hear the word of Jesus, we can have faith. Look at Romans 10:17, “Consequently faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.“ When we have faith, we can overcome tiredness and any difficulties. When we have faith we can obey Jesus’ word.

How can the servants have such a good attitude? Look at Hebrews 4:12, “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thought and attitude of the heart.” No one can change our attitudes and thinking, but the word of God can. We cannot even change our own children. So we have to teach the Bible to our children. If we change our thinking and attitudes, our body automatically follows.

When Jesus saw their obedience, he gave another mission. This is one way Jesus works. Jesus gives more blessing to those who obey his word. Look at verse 8. “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” Jesus was asking them to take hand and foot washing water to the master of the banquet to serve the guests. This was even harder to obey. If they do it, they could be blamed and severely punished. The master of the banquet might have said, “Are you crazy?” There might have been another difficulty for them to overcome. They had the knowledge of water and wine more than Jesus. They were professional servants in this area. They know that water is water, and wine is wine. They never heard of water turning into wine.

What did they do? The Bible said, they did so. It is amazing. How did they do it? Through obedience. Obedience is possible when we take Jesus and his words into our hearts. Obedience is possible when we respect Jesus’ words more than our own thinking.

What happened to the water? Let’s read verse 9, “and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.” WOW!

A miracle has happened. The water turned into wine! It was the first miracle of Jesus, done through Mary’s prayer and obedience of the servants. “A Miracle Triangle,” (Jesus, shepherd, and obedient servant). Obedience to God’s words is the key to miracles. The world was cursed by one man’s disobedience to God, but Jesus obeyed God’s will. He died on the cross and saved us.

No one can change another person. No one can change himself either. Only the Word of God can change us. I was an atheist until I began to believe God and I accepted Jesus and his words through one-to-one bible study teachers, like Mary who helped the servants in this passage, and messages through God’s servants. I was a stubborn person. The word of God changed me from living by stubbornness to living by faith. So my life key verse is Romans1:17B “The righteous will live by faith.” A smelly sinner like me became a missionary. When I think about my life, it is a miracle by God.

I hold today’s passage in my heart since I accepted today’s passage. I applied both my mission life and business; it works very well together. We can see a miracle through Shepherd Daniel and Sam Solazzo, and Shepherd Steven Gonsalves, who changed their lives in 2011. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

The master of the banquet didn’t realize where the wine had come from, but the servants, who drew the water, knew. Everyone who was at the wedding was joyful through the servants’ obedience. They learned the secret of miracle through this event. Not only were they hard workers, but they also became influential servants of God. Our schools and workplace are examples of our mission fields. Even by studying and working hard, you can be an influential servant of God, when you obey Jesus’ word and live by faith..

Look at verse 11b, “He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” Here we can see why Jesus performed his miraculous signs. Jesus focused on planting faith in his disciples. They put their faith in Jesus. This is a great work of God. He performed a miracle and at the same time he raised up his disciples. Here we can learn Jesus’ purpose. He wanted to reveal his glory through this miracle and raise up his new disciples. When we have Jesus’ mindset we can glorify God and raise up disciples of Jesus in our time.

In conclusion, Jesus is not a magician; but he is God who came to this world in human form. When we read the Bible, we can find Jesus changing many people and performing many miracles. He has transforming power, so when we obey his word and believe him, we can be changed from dirty sinners into influential men and women of God, like tasteful wine. Jesus wants to save all people in the world. Jesus saved us and called us a servant of God. It is a great privilege. What can we do? We also have many problems of our own. How can we solve them? It is written in the Bible, “Do whatever he tells you.” Jesus said to the servants: “Fill the jars with water.” What does Jesus tell you when you read the Bible? Do what he tells you. In today’s passage, we are given a clear direction.

May God richly bless you all in 2012.

Happy NEW Year!